Answerer.BAS   v1.0   07/02/91      by Frank J. Perricone

As a SYSOP of a BBS I often felt the need for an "answering machine," i.e.,
a program which answers the modem (as a BBS normally does) but only does
things like inform the user that the SYSOP is down for maintenance.  There
were a number of these available but many of them suffered from one of three
problems:
  1. They didn't support unusual modem setups.  This proves to be
     necessary, since most SYSOPs are using BBSes that aren't tied to
     single types of modems for a good reason.
  2. Or they suffered from "creeping featuritis" where they ate up system
     resources having 8-color graphics screens with imbedded fonts and
     special mouse pointers, all for no good reason.  I mean, this is an
     ANSWERING MACHINE, not a graphics system.
  3. Or they couldn't deal with stubborn modems that didn't like hanging
     up with a simple +++ ATH0 command, as many (maybe most) are.

Therefore, I wrote Answerer.  I thought it would be good practice for
getting to know the modem anyway.

Answerer is a simple but powerful program.  Only 4.5K or so in size, and
taking up little more than this in memory, Answerer also uses the least
chip RAM possible, with a tiny, out-of-the-way window which tells you only
the status.  A single menu controls all (both!) control functions: About,
which is only there for my ego, and Quit.  These functions are ghosted when
a connection is in progress.

To use Answerer, you must first create a file describing your configuration.
If you intend to run Answerer from the Workbench or without parameters on
the CLI, this should be named Answerer-config and is checked for in the
following places:  the current directory, then SYS:Config/, and then s:.
[Note: I think that the s: directory is supposed to be used for scripts,
not startup/configuration files as it is all-too-frequently used, so I
try to use SYS:Config/ instead in hopes other programmers will follow
suit.  Look at the code for how to do this in BASIC; a similar approach
works in C.  No extra work--so why not?]  If, on the other hand, you
specify the filename on the CLI command line, it will be searched, and
then Answerer checks to see if it is just a filename of a file in the
above directories rather than a path.  One way or the other, it finds the
file, or ends with an error.  Since you can provide a pathname at the CLI
you can even have more than one configuration if you like.

The configuration is composed of a number of lines, each having a label,
then an equal sign, then a value.  The labels are IGNORED but you have to
have the values in the right order, so leave the labels in for your own
sake!  The equal sign is the important part, notating the beginning of the
real data.  The rest of the line up to the end-of-line is the actual data.
All of these items must be present in the correct order; failure to do so
can cause some strange results, like the modem getting the wrong codes at
the wrong time, or having the program crash with a requestor saying
something like "Read past end of file on #1" or something like that.

Follwing are some important notes about these parameters.
 Text file= This is the full pathname of a text file to be displayed to the
            user.  If this is blank, Answerer substitutes something
            noncommital like "Sorry, no one is here to answer your call."
            Typically the file says "Sorry, the Big Orange BBS is down for
            maintenance; try calling back about 3:30."  Elaborate at will.
 Log file= If present, this parameter is a pathname to a file in which a
           log of Answerer-answered calls will be made, showing the date,
           date, time, and baud rate.  If blank, no log is kept.
 Message file= If this is not blank, the user will be presented with the
               option of leaving a short message which will be appended
               to this file along with the date and time of the call.
               This can be the same as the Log file if desired.
 Beeps= If you want the Answerer to beep when it connects, set this to a
        non-zero value determing how many chords to arpeggiate (sp?).
 Maximum baud rate= Whatever you put here should be your modem's maximum
                    baud rate; don't put anything else on this line!
 Modem setup= This should be a modem string which will set up your modem
              and which MUST include the following details: it must set
              auto-answer on (Hayes uses S0=2 or some other number of
              rings), command echo off (Hayes E0), verbose codes on (Hayes
              uses V1), and probably should shut the monitor speaker off
              for your non-listening pleasure (Hayes M0).  Furthermore,
              you need to make sure your modem reports Carrier correctly;
              on 2400 baud Hayes modems, use &d2&C1 for this.  A typical
              string for a SupraModem 2400 and most Hayes 2400 modems is
              ATE0M0Q0X1V1S0=2S12=100&d2&C1
 Modem reset= This is like Modem setup above but is what you want to do
              when shutting Answerer down.  For example, shutting off
              auto-answer is popular (S0=0) and it can't hurt too much to
              zap it first (Z).  So try ATZS0=0&d2&C1.
 Modem connect= There are actually 5 lines like this, numbered 300-9600.
                Fill in the string returned by the modem when a connection
                at that baud rate occurs.  Any that are not available on
                your modem should be listed as "not available" (logically).
Check out my enclosed file for some working sample settings.

Now Answerer opens its little window with its text in white on orange (for
visibility) and sets up, then loops through Idle mode (where you can pull
down a menu for an About message or to Quit) to answering calls and doing
its stuff.  There really isn't anything more to it.

Answerer tries to be small, quick, and quiet, but it isn't as quick as it
wants to be as regards clock cycles--that is, it eats a bit too many.
This is my intended main area of interest for the next revision.  I intend
to concentrate on slowing down its appetite during Idle mode, but not
anywhere else.  Hope it works.

If you like Answerer, SEND NO MONEY!  Just give me a call on my BBS and
say hi.  (Or if Answerer is running--leave a message on my machine!)
The Crystal Ship, 907-364-3362, 300-2400 baud, is open 24 hours and
services all kinds of computers.

If you have some spare money laying around, pay off some other shareware
you haven't paid for.

This program is in the public domain.  However, I retain the following
rights:
  1. I retain the right to use this code, concept, etc. for anything else
     I want indefinitely.  So don't try to copyright it out from under me!
  2. If you alter it, you must retain credit for me.  Expand the docs,
     About window, etc. to give yourself credit but leave my credits in!
  3. Any variations of any interest should be sent to me at my BBS above.
     I guess I should give my address, though why someone without a modem
     would use this program is beyond me... but you can USnail it to me
     at Frank J. Perricone, 2132 Lawson Creek Road, Douglas AK 99824.

  //  Only Amiga
\X/   makes it possible!