@database PDial.guide @author Richard Hodger @(c) 1997 Richard Hodger @wordwrap @font topaz.font 8 @node MAIN "Contents" ###### #### # # # # # # # # # # # ## # ###### # # # # # # # # # # # # # Version 2.97 # # # # # # # # #### # ### # @{"Mailware?" link mail} What's Mailware? @{"Introduction" link Intro} Introduction and explanation. @{"Requirements" link req} Requirements for the program. @{"Installation" link install} Installation to your system. @{"Usage" link use} Usage of the system. @{"Known Bugs" link bugs} Bugs in the system. @{"Author" link author} The Author (Me). @{"The Future" link future} Future Features @{"Magazines" link mags} Message to Magazines @endnode @node Intro "Introduction" @{u}Introduction@{uu} The legends state that there was once a time, when thy Amiga did not have a proper phone dialer. Many were the organizer's that claimed they did'th the job...but didn't. And so, the community weeped.... Until one day, as the prophecy fortold, came a new program. A program that dialed properly, and did not make strange squeaking noises or complain of "unknown device drivers". And this program, was known as PDial.... @endnode @node req "Requirements" @{u}Requirements@{uu} Not many really, just those below: - OS 3.0 and above. (Well, I'm not entirely sure ;) - ReqTools, latest version possible. - Hayes Compatible Modem (AT Command Set, I'm not sure about others) - A little knowledge about your modem (not necessary). That's it, told you it wasn't many. @endnode @node install "Installation" @{u}Installation@{uu} Right this is really easy, run the PDial_Install program, it'll give you a number of options. If youve already installed PDial before, select upgrade otherwise it'll overwrite your config files. First timers: The install program will setup basic config files for you. Configre it, using the "Config" menu. The modem part is quite essential. Setting up the QuickDial (TM) numbers: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Configuration is done from the option under "Config", "Numbers" or hot key RAmiga + N. To dial the numbers, load PDial, click on the name of your choice and then click "Dial". Setting up your Modem. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Config from "Modem" option in menu "Config" DEVICE - The Modem's driver device (serial.device, 8n1.device) INIT - Init String for the Modem (ATZ, ATZ&F0 etc.) PREDIAL - What to put before dialing (ATD usually) POSTDIAL - What commands to put after dialing (Leave blank usually) HANGUP - The command for transferring the call to the handset (ATH) TIMEOUT - Put a tick for a timeout on the transfer to the handset. Time til Transfer - Time until call us transfered to handset. If you are not sure what to put, try these: Device: serial.device Init: ATZ PreDial: ATD PostDial: Hangup: ATH Timeout: No Modem Detection ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When you run the program, PDial will try to detect your modem. If it can't find your modem, it will say "Modem not responding!". To fix this, make sure your modem is connected and turned on, then select "Reset Modem" from the first menu. PDial will then try to redetect your modem. @endnode @node use "Usage" @{u}Usage@{uu} Aha, tricky bit here. Either select a "QuickDial" number, or type in a number. And then click "Dial" @{b}Advanced Usage@{ub} ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dialing from Lists. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PDial is capable of dialing from a list of numbers, to use this function, run the program and select "List..." from the PDial menu. This will bring up a ReqTools requestor, asking for the dial list. Select your dial list, and PDial will start to dial the first number, after that it will ask you if you want to continue and dial the next, and so on. The lists themselves are not complicated. Simply type out a list of numbers, in any ASCII editor and press enter after each number. You can have as many numbers as you want. CLI Support ~~~~~~~~~~~ For all you DOpus and GUIRexx people, I have added CLI support. Create a bank of buttons under DOpus or whatever, and set them to run in the shell "PDial xxxxxxx" where is "xxxxx" is your phone number. PDial will then automatically open, and try to dial out, wait for transfer and then quit. ARexx Support ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A very long waited, and much requested feature! Dead simple, the message port is named "PDIAL". Commands are "DIAL" and "LIST", "DIAL" (eg "DIAL 12345678" will tell PDial to dial the number "12345678", "LIST" (eg "LIST NUMBERS1.LIST") will tell PDial to dial numbers from the file "NUMBERS1.LST". Example: --------------------------------------------- /* Example ARexx Script for PDial */ address PDIAL DIAL 0123456789 /* Dial the number "0123456789" */ LIST RAM:LIST1.TXT /* Dial from list "RAM:LIST1.TXT" */ --------------------------------------------- @endnode @node bugs "Known Bugs" @{u}Known Bugs in the System@{uu} I have had complaints about crashing, and generally not working, but I traced the crashing down to the prefs loading routine (which is fixed now) and provided it is configured right, it should work with any modem. Another complaint is that the font sensitivity doesn't work. What causes this I don't know. But I suspect it is the font size. PDial will only load the system default font, which looks best on sizes 8/9/10, PDial does not resize it's own windows/buttons to allow for font size. You have been warned! (I am working on this!) Bug reported by Olaf Krafft ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Originally this was a complaint about Multi IO Cards, in paticular the cards using "duart.device". This turned out to be that the device name (eg "serial.device") is case sensitive. This will cause a "Serial device not open!" error (or error number 6). Please check this before reporting any bug similar to this. @endnode @node author "Richard Hodger" @{u}Richard Hodger - The Author@{uu} My full name is Richard Hodger, and I'm 18 years old. I have been using various types of computers for about 7 years (since I was 11), and have chosen the Amiga as my favourite, and I live in Northern Ireland. I have been doing an NVQ in "Installing IT Products" for about 15 months, and have to admit that it is quite possible the most boring course you could ever choose (You get to work on loads of PC's that never work). I started writing programs about 13 months ago, and so far don't think I'm doing too badly (Comments are appreciated). I'm also a member of "Desktop Corruption", a group of programmers sick of seeing old releases/re-releases onto the Amiga, and decided to take the matter into our own hands. Desktop Corruption: http://deskcorruption.home.ml.org World Wide Web Pages: http://www.rhodger.demon.co.uk/amiga/ E-Mail: rick@rhodger.demon.co.uk DC E-Mail: deskcorruption@rhodger.demon.co.uk @endnode @node mail "MailWare @{u}MailWare@{uu} This is mailware. If you like it, or have comments, or just want to chat, mail me. Preferably by e-mail but I'll take postcards instead. And I WILL try to answer them all (unlike other programmers, huh!). @endnode @node future "Future Features" @{u}Future Features@{uu} Below are many suggestions made by people for improvements to the program. - MUI.............................Hmm, Maybe. - Banks of numbers................See CLI support (Possible thru ARexx) - ARexx port......................Done! - Dial from list..................Done! - Shell/CLI Support...............Done! - Call logging....................Done! - Installer fix...................Done! Hmm, some people would think that I didn't have anything better to do. @endnode @node mags "Message to Magazines" @{u}Magazines@{uu} If any magazines wish to or do publish this program on/in their magazine, the following wishs must be met: 1 - That I am contacted prior to publishing, so that I know of it's use. 2 - That I am given full credit for the program and any associated documentaion. @{b}Richard Hodger 10 Dermott Gardens Comber Newtownards Northern Ireland BT23 5LH@{ub} @endnode @endnode