SkyTerm 1.2 with AREXX

          Copyright (c) 1989 by Michael Cox - all rights reserved


This program is not in the public domain; however, it is freely
redistributable through any non-profit means. It may NOT be included
on collections of programs that are sold for more than the cost of
a blank disk, without the permission of the author.

This is version 1.2 of the Skyterm Skypix-compatible term program. It
has many changes and enhancements, most of which are invisible until
you call an Atredes board. The same docs that were supplied for the
Atredes Demo Term 1.1 will apply here. The enhancements include corrections
in the handling of certain ANSI commands that were mishandled before.

As before, make certain you do two things to complete installation:

1. Install PEARL.FONT in your FONTS: directory. If your fonts won't reset,
this is why.

2. Put ATRZ and ATSZ in the directory you will be running the term FROM. If
you can't get ZMODEM to work at all, this is why.

One NEW thing you must do is make an assignment for a new device called
BRU:. This is where all Skypix brushes and sample files will automagically
store themselves. If you don't want to devote any disk space to this,
simply assign it to RAM:. BRU: is checked for brushes every time an Atredes
board starts to send you one; if it's there, it shows immediately instead
of being transferred to you, or having to copy it to the RAMdisk, etc.

The thing that many will find exciting is the wealth of AREXX support
built directly into the terminal. Many of the same AREXX commands that
ATREDES 1.2 itself understands are usable from this terminal. This makes a
great number of things possible. You could write your own MICROHOST-type
program, for example, using the terminal to handle serial IO for you. Or
use a CRON-type program to startup the terminal at a certain time, call a
BBS, run an AREXX-driven script, and exit. The possibilities are limited
only by your AREXX proficiency.

This terminal is also compatible with the ASDG Dual Serial Board, or
any other similar product. To use it in this way, use the command line form

    skyterm [unit] [devicename]

The default setting is of course unit 0 and "serial.device".

Any AREXX program to be used in conjunction with this terminal needs the
line "options results" in it. Strings are returned in the global variable
called RESULT. Arguments are passed as usual.

AREXX HOST COMMANDS SUPPORTED:

SCREENOUT string    Send a string to the screen only; EOL added.

TRANSMIT string     Send a string to the screen and modem; EOL added.

SENDSTRING string   Same as TRANSMIT but adds no EOL character.

RECEIVE             Get a string.

GETCHAR             Get a single-character invisible "hotkey" input.
                    Automatically capitalized.

GETCARRIER          Get the state of the carrier - returns string "TRUE"
                    or "FALSE".

DROPCARRIER         Drop carrier. Remembers last baud rate and other
                    RS232 settings.

BUFFERFLUSH         Discards contents of the RS232 buffer, if any.

QUERY               Send a string and get a string response, all on same
                    line; much like INPUT in BASIC. Works exactly like
                    a SENDSTRING followed by a RECEIVE.

SENDMODEM string    Send a string to the modem only. Always use this
                    instruction when talking to the modem for commands,
                    since if there's no carrier, TRANSMIT will only put
                    it on the screen.

RESETMODEM          Reset the modem by sending an AT Z.

VERSION             Return the Skyterm version number.

XUP path            Immediately starts an XMODEM transmit.

XDN path            Immediately starts an XMODEM receive

SPAWN string        Asynchronously issue an AREXX command, start macro, etc.

DIE                 Tells the terminal to exit cleanly.

BAUD string         Changes the baud rate to whatever argument you pass.

In addition, the terminal will accept all the other commands included
in ATREDES; it just won't act on them. This makes it possible to run
many AREXX programs intended for ATREDES with this terminal with minimal
changes. You will of course have to change 'address atredes' to
'address skyterm'.

For more information and programming assistance call the Iconoclast BBS
at 915-833-3899 and consult your AREXX manual.

If you feel that this software has been helpful to you, please make a
$5 or larger donation to your local Humane Society.

                                         Michael