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From: crs@cpsc6b.cpsc6a.att.com (C. R. Seaman)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: PROCOMM 2.4.2 file PROCOMM.PRM - Why is it always updated?
Message-ID: <314@cpsc6b.cpsc6a.att.com>
Date: Fri, 28-Aug-87 12:16:08 EDT
Article-I.D.: cpsc6b.314
Posted: Fri Aug 28 12:16:08 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 30-Aug-87 02:04:17 EDT
References: <448@parcvax.Xerox.COM> <399@hechcx.HEC.HARRIS.COM>
Distribution: na
Organization: AT&T (CPSC), Oakland, CA
Lines: 35
Keywords: always
Summary: Here's why it happens...

In article <399@hechcx.HEC.HARRIS.COM>, jfb@hechcx.HEC.HARRIS.COM (Jerry Berlin) writes:
<In article <448@parcvax.Xerox.COM> burton@parcvax.Xerox.COM (Philip M. Burton) writes:
<>This file is updated (at least the date and time are changed), even if I
<>haven't changed any parameter settings.
<>
<I noticed this some time ago.  I was curious about how does it
<know to display the information screen at startup for the
<first several times that the program is run.  When I did
<a byte-by-byte compare on PROCOMM.PRM, I discovered that
<a count for the number of times that Procomm has been invoked
<is stored in PROCOMM.PRM and is updated with each run of
<Procomm.

There is a simple reason that PROCOMM updates this file.  When you first
run PROCOMM, and the .PRM and associated files get created, you are presented
with a start-up message, asking for a contribution.

Since many "Shareware" applications do this, and since it is such a major
gripe with most users (They still ask for money even AFTER you send in your
check!), Datastorm used a different approach.  The screen (which can be
MANUALLY displayed with ALT-I) is only displayed at startup for the first
twenty sessions.  When I got PROCOMM, and saw the startup screen, I thought
"Oh great, another 'send money' message to look at".  Then I noticed the
.PRM file got updated after the second, then the third use.  After poking
around, I found the location of the counter, and, using debug, set it up
around 100.  Guess what?  No more send money screen.  That's what I call
considerate software.

Programs like PROCOMM deserve the monetary support they ask for.

-- 
Chris Seaman            |    o\  /o
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