Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!spdcc!ima!think!whitney From: whitney@think.COM (David Whitney) Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple Subject: Re: The perfect telecom program Message-ID: <25331@think.UUCP> Date: 9 Aug 88 01:32:02 GMT References: Sender: usenet@think.UUCP Reply-To: whitney@godot.think.com.UUCP (David Whitney) Organization: Thinking Machines Corporation, Cambridge, MA Lines: 121 In article tmetro@lynx.northeastern.EDU writes: > > David Whitney writes: >> Just posted the latest Z-Link. Keep those suggestions coming! >After seeing this and knowing that there are at least three telecom program >developers out there reading Info-Apple I thought I would add my thoughts on >the subject. > >> Here are the features I'm looking for: >...and I would also like to see: > >> -Really good VT100 emulation >> -Ascii, xmodem, ymodem, zmodem file transfer >In particular I'd like to see AE Pro compatable Xmodem, Ymodem batch, Kermit >Binary II (maybe even BLU style with squeezing) and possibly Morgan Davis' >Xmodem-4K. Z-Link does vt100, quite well I'm told. Z-Link does x/y/ybatch xfer as well as ProDOS AE Pro xmodem. Zmodem maybe, if I ever have a whole lot of time. Kermit real soon, and Binary II right after. Both of those will initially be "bare bones," but will slowly advance. I've been warned by an intensive modem user that the 4k packet is a dead end. Better to work on Zmodem or other streaming protocol. >> -Easy-to-enter commands >I like the format that AE uses. A prompt that can be brought up at any time I modelled the command interface after an IBM program called Q-MODEM. I find it much easier to deal with, as one key-press is simpler than even just 3 or 2. >> -macros >Of the programs I've tried: ProTerm, Point-To-Point, CommWorks, TIC, and >Zlink none have I really tried out the macros on. All were lacking features >... >language. One particular feature I'd like to see in a macro language is better >loops, simple math (for controlling loops), and variables (starting to sound >more and more like a language - eh?). You should give the other program more time. The macro capabilities in Z-Link were designed by Dave Lyons, and are, what I feel, the easiest to deal with second to ProTERM (which requires no hard work on the users part). Z-Link allows you to say "this key-combo will result in the phantom-typing of these keys:..." Absolutely anything you can type to Z-Link can be put into a macro. I've just completed the most important part: a "wait for string from modem" feature. Now, I figure you can do just about anything. As for variables and math and loops, well, I'm not up to writing a language (yet). >> -Ability to execute ProDOS commands >A simple shell for ProDOS that could be entered/exited while online would be >ideal. Also the option of entering a single ProDOS command without having >to go to the shell (i.e. like many MS-DOS programs' shell feature) would be >nice. Z-Link should have that soon. It's lower on my priority list, but it will get done. >> -Ability to run under DOS 3.3 or ProDOS or at least save files under either >> system Forget it. I haven't had to deal with 3.3 for 3 years at least, and I have no plans for dealing with it. If you want a file in 3.3, use another program to move it from ProDOS over to dos 3.3. >> And of course all the normal modem pgm stuff, like sending breaks, a copy >> buffer, auto linefeed selection, etc. >I'd also like to see scrollback and a full screen editor. I would be >interested to see a telecom program that incorporated FredWriter (or a similar >editor) as the copy buffer editor. Auto-linefeed selection? Thats new to me. BREAK is buggy, but I'll fix it - otherwise it's really there. Copy buffer, save buffer, view buffer or file are there. auto LF, and other minor neatos are there too. >The ability to send a disk and/or use DDD/PBH format packing would be useful. It's an interesting idea, but as the world heads for 800k and larger disks, it will become impractical. There are disk-to-file programs, and they can prep things for you. >Easy directory traversal would be a definite plus. AE is probably the worst >program for dealing with ProDOS directories. Under certain conditions with AE >there is no way to find out the volume name of a floppy disk without exiting >the program. It lacks any sort of an 'online' command. Right now, the traversal in Z-Link is poor, but I plan on slowly getting some- thing like the Standard File interface running. It very intuitive, so I don't see how anyone can grip about it. >> * Views and prints TXT and APW files >An APW option wouldn't hurt, but not necessary. If AppleWorks was designed >properly it would have been alot easier to import/export text files to it. APW SRC files *are* text files! If you mean the object files, forget it. The program that does that is supplied with APW (it's not small, either). >> you can't access /RAM (it uses 44K for a copy/edit buffer and the rest for >> scrollback, up to your full capacity, whether you like it or not :-(). >Obviously all of this is going to take alot of memory. It should certainly >use up 128K, if needed, for all the features, but it shouldn't go beyond >that (for editing or scrollback) unless the user configures it to. Z-Link creates a file on the /RAM disk, and slowly eats the ram as the capture buffer fills. Otherwise, I don't scarf any memory. >To recap the major features that I'd like to see: > o Powerful macros (at least as good as AE's) > o Scrollback > o Full screen editor > o No "smart" modem control > o Protocols: Xmodem(AE), Ymodem, Kermit, Binary II formatting. > o VT100 emulation Except for #2 and #3 (which Z-Link will hurt fro some time), Z-Link supplies what you want. Binary II will be by soon (hopefully before Sept.). David Whitney, MIT '90 DISCLAIMER: Nobody knows what I'm up {out there}!harvard!think!whitney to. Don't blame them for my actions whitney@think.com nor me for theirs. ^^^^^ will be changing before 1989 is here. Don't depend on it after 1/1/89.