Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!uwm.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!ames!sun-barr!newstop!sun!claris!peirce
From: peirce@claris.com (Michael Peirce)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Re: When the phone rings, who answers?
Message-ID: <11140@claris.com>
Date: 26 Jul 90 17:10:55 GMT
References: <1435@camex.COM>
Reply-To: peirce@claris.com (Michael Peirce)
Organization: Claris Corporation, Santa Clara CA
Lines: 38

In article <1435@camex.COM> kent@camex.com (Kent Borg) writes:
>
>I have a question that I think should be handled by something in the
>Communications Toolbox, but suspect it isn't:
>
>	When the phone rings, who answers?

I've been thinking about this too.  I think there is a solution using
ApplEvents.

The basic idea would be to a "switchboard" application running that allocates
the modem port(s) and does the listening for ring thing.  If it detects someone
calling, it initiates a login-like sequence that trys to figure out what other
program is appropriate to connect to (BBS, UUCP, Timbukto-Remote, etc) or a
default.  This App would then send an event to the appropriate App and tell
it to take over the link.  After the session is over, control should be returned
to the switchboard app via another event.

Another part to this scheme is to have a yield port message that can be sent
to the switchboard App.  This would allow me to fire up AppleLink and get
the port away from the switchboard app.

Has anyone been active in defining Communications ApplEvents?  This kind of
think seems even more important with the coming of ISDN.  Without a good
convention for establishing who the incoming call is for the utility of
it diminishes greatly.


 Claris Corp. | Michael R. Peirce
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it to take over the link.