ReadCIS 1.0 [David Keppler 100034,2641] with ThreeCIS 3.0 [Dennis Lefebvre 71660,1273] INTRODUCTION ReadCIS is a program to automate CompuServe navigation from the Psion Series 3a computer. ThreeCIS is the script that performs the online work. ReadCIS requires ThreeCIS version 3.0 or higher. ReadCIS and ThreeCIS are shareware, and can be registered together online. This trial version can send only one Cismail message per session, and visits only one forum. The registered version can send five mail messages, works with three forums, and includes a Help module which provides a summary of all Names and Switches by pressing the key. Registration details are at the end of this file. THREECIS FEATURES Offline operation: 1) Configures the 3 Link serial port or 3Fax modem. 2) Allows user to control modem settings for travel: dial tone recognition, tone or pulse dialing, dialout code, and speaker status, without editing initialization string. 3) Allows user to choose from 5 stored phone numbers, enter a manual number, or use a built-in directory of CIS nodes. Automatic online operation: 4) Dials and logs on through a direct CIS node, or through the Falnet, Fenics, GNS Dialplus, Infonet, Mercury and Transpac supplementary networks. 5) Receives Cismail messages and binary files, deletes or saves mail in online mailbox. 6) Sends Cismail, maximum five text messages per session, plus one binary mail file. 7) Collects Associated Press Latest News summaries, UK Press Association stories, AP France and Deutsche Presse-Agentur news headlines, Online Today stories, financial quotations, weather forecasts, and if you are a ZiffNet member, MacBeat and MacWeek articles. 8) Visits three forums, collects waiting messages, new messages, or all messages posted in last 24 hours in selected sections, sends forum messages, and retrieves library files. 9) Navigates to user selected online area, configures CIS for interactive use, calls user written script, or logs off. READCIS FEATURES File Management 10) Displays Cismail, news stories, financial reports, weather forecasts, and forum messages from In Basket. 11) Allows user to select Word, Reader, or VR3a for viewing news stories and forum messages. 12) Creates and edits Cismail, forum messages and replies in Out Basket. Files are automatically named and stored in the correct formats. 13) Allows user to optionaly choose word processor with word wrap for Cismail creation. 14) Prepares files to be sent via binary Cismail. 15) Deletes message files, singly or in groups. 16) Archives selected files to separate directory. Script Management 17) Creates, deletes, and shows current status of script switches. 18) Toggles switches On/Off. 19) Allows user to hide infrequently changed switches. 20) Launches script for online execution. Most script features are turned "Off" by default. Please read this entire file, even if you have used an earlier version, because there have been changes in logic. Pay special attention to MODIFYING NAMES, CUSTOMIZING THREECIS, and FILE MANAGEMENT sections, which are essential to making the script do exactly what you expect. In particular, if you are not using Psion's 3Fax modem, read the discussion of MODIFYING NAMES/Modem Names/Initialize and CUSTOMIZING THREECIS/Modem Switches, because you must create an Initialize Name and use one or more Switches that will set your modem and the 3a for the same type of handshaking, and the correct serial port speed. HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS To use this script you must have: Psion Series 3a computer with 3Fax modem; -OR- all of the following: 1) Psion 3Link RS 232 interface; 2) Psion Modem Adapter Cable, or null modem adapter and gender changer; 3) Hayes compatible modem. If you do not have the 3Fax modem, Psion's Modem Adapter Cable is strongly recommended, because many null modem adapters do not connect the proper pins for RTS/CTS hardware handshaking. At least one SSD is also recommended for reading news stories and forum messages. These files can be quite large, and the internal disk may provide inadequate storage. Also, an improperly configured modem can cause a serial overload, which may lock the computer and require a reset. Files stored on the internal disk could be lost. If you use the internal disk, backup your files before each online session, and close applications to make the internal disk as large as possible. FILE INSTALLATION Copy files to any 3a disk in the specified directories: \APP\ Readcis.opa ReadCIS program \SCO\ 3cis.sco Logon, mail & services script Forums.sco Forum script (Optional) Cisnames.nam Names file; stores variables To finish installation, press from system screen, choose "Readcis.opa" (change the disk if necessary to find it), press . The ReadCIS icon will appear. If it is not already on your screen, you should also install the Comms icon. Attach 3Link or 3Fax to the Series 3a, press , set the Disk to C, and choose "Comms.app" or "Fcomms.app". It is most convenient to install ReadCIS and Comms side-by-side. You should also assign a button to ReadCIS, as explained on page 228 of the User Guide. These instructions assume that you have assigned it to [Control+Word]. INITIAL SETUP Before the script will run, information must be added to the Names file, following these procedures: 1) Attach 3Link or 3Fax to Series 3a. 2) Start ReadCIS. 3) Press . (If you see "File or device in use", press , press [System] button, press , turn Remote Link off, try again.) 4) Wait for "Online..." to appear in lower right corner. 5) Press to load names. Choose "Cisnames" (change disk if necessary to find it), press . 6) Press to modify names. The first Name should be "Audible". If not, you are using the wrong file. 7) Type value for each Name as explained in MODIFY NAMES. Press after each entry. 8) After supplying all values press . 9) Press to save values entered in Names file. Use the filename "Cisnames.nam". Press to confirm overwrite. If you do not save, values are lost when you return to ReadCIS. 10) Press to return to ReadCIS. MODIFY NAMES Provide a value for each variable in Cisnames.nam. Jump directly to a Name by pressing the first letter; each starts with a unique character. Modem Names Initialize: String used to initialize modem. 3Fax users leave set to &F. Otherwise, consult modem manual to determine the type of handshaking it supports, and commands to invoke it. If Series 3a and modem are not set for same type of handshaking you will experience serial overflows, dropped characters, missed prompts and frozen connections. Choosing the right settings is essential for proper script operation. - If modem supports RTS/CTS hardware handshaking, and you are using Psion's Modem Adapter Cable, include the command to activate it, such as \Q3, &K1 or &H1. Do not use any command without verifying that your modem recognizes it. - If you are using a null modem adapter you probably will need to use XON/XOFF software handshaking, even if the modem supports RTS/CTS hardware handshaking. Typical commands are \Q1, &K2 or &H2. You will also need to create an XONXOFF.ON switch as described in CUSTOMIZING THREECIS. - If modem manual does not specifically mention hardware handshaking, you must use software handshaking, but no command is needed to invoke it. You will need to create an XONXOFF.ON switch as described in CUSTOMIZING THREECIS. Extended: X value used to initialize modem. Set to X4. Use X1 if modem erroneously reports NO DIALTONE. Audible: M value used to initialize modem. Set to M1 to hear the modem dial and handshake. Use M0 for silent operation. Phone Names Tone: Selects tone or pulse dialing. Set to T for tone. Use P for pulse (rotary) dialing. Dialout: Code to access outside telephone line. Initially blank, but you may need to use, for example, 8 or 9 when calling from hotel or office. Place comma after code to pause before dialing phone number, or W to wait for second dialtone. Node0: Phone number used in AUTOEXEC mode. Node1: "Hotel" phone number on Dialing Menu. Initially set to CompuServe USA toll free 2400bps node. There is a surcharge for using it, but it is often cheaper than paying .50 or .75 to make a local call from a hotel. Node2: "Home" phone number on Dialing Menu. Ignores Dialout Name, so you may leave that code permanently set as required for work or travel, and conveniently use script from home. Node3: "Work" phone number on Dialing Menu. Node4: "Other" phone number on Dialing Menu. CIS Logon/Logoff Names Yourname: Your first and last names. Userid: Your CompuServe user ID number. Password: Your CompuServe password. Center: ThreeCIS can logon via the Infonet supplementary network, used in parts of Europe, Latin America and Asia. As part of the Infonet logon the script must provide a "Center" ID which is CPS, CSF, or CSI depending on location. GO LOGON to determine value for your location. This Name is not used by any network other than Infonet. Zed: Command sent to CIS at end of script, if you logon with "Remain Online" option, or . Initially set to TOP, but you can set any valid CIS command, such as GO BASIC. Cismail Names Mail: Command sent to CIS after retrieving Cismail. Set to DELETE to remove messages. You may set to SAVE which leaves messages in your online mailbox, but script will retrieve the same mail each time it is run, until you delete them. A better choice is to use CompuServe Mail's RETAIN function, which allows you to "undelete" mail for 48 hours. Service Names Quotes: You can set a switch to retrieve financial quotations (stocks, bonds, exchange rates, etc). GO LOOKUP to find ticker symbols which you may list in this name, separated by commas. Set to F,XRBP as examples. Weather: You can set a switch to retrieve weather reports for many cities throughout the world. If blank, the script will get the report for the city where you logged on, or you can specify a single city. Set to London, UK as example. Forum Names Forum1 - Forum3: The GO word used to navigate to a forum. Forum1 is set to CIS:PALMTOP. Set Forum2 and 3 as you prefer, including the CIS:, ZNT:, or ZMC: prefix. Sections1 - Sections3: Sections to read in each forum. Sections1 is set to "7", Psion's section in CIS:PALMTOP. You may add other sections, separated by commas or hypens (e.g. 1, 7, 13-15 will read sections 1, 7, 13, 14, 15). Choose sections carefully, the script will read all new messages in each section. ONLINE SETUP The script cannot be tested with every possible combination of online parameters, but only two setting are known to be required. Others are recommended for fastest reliable operation. First, GO ASCIIMAIL, and at the Mail! prompt type ADD NAM, press , and follow the online prompts to verify that your name and postal address are stored in your online mailbox. This is necessary to send mail messages without embedding a From: line in the text. Second, GO TERMINAL, select option 2, CHANGE PERMANENT SETTINGS, and choose the [ASCII] character set from PERM DISPLAY OPTIONS. The script will not run with [LATIN-1]. Also, if you use any of the supplementary access networks, you must set Terminal Type to [OTHER] and Delays to [0]. You must change settings separately for each network used. Below are all my settings, with the ones that might affect the script operation marked with asterisks: LOGON/SERVICE OPTIONS *1 First service at logon [COMMAND] *2 CompuServe Mail waiting [NOTIFY ONLY] 3 Personal menu established [YES] (Select this to create or change a personal menu.) 4 TOP goes to [MENU] 5 Online editor [EDIT] 6 Forum presentation mode [MENU] 7 Basic Service Alerts [NO] PERM DISPLAY OPTIONS 1 PAGED display [YES] *2 BRIEF prompts [YES] 3 CLEAR screen between pages [YES] 4 BLANK lines sent [YES] 5 Line feeds sent [YES] 6 Language Preference [ENGLISH] ***7 Character Set [ASCII] TERMINAL TYPE/PARAMETERS **1 TERMINAL type [OTHER] 2 Screen WIDTH [80] 3 LINES per page [24] 4 Form FEEDS [SIMULATED] 5 Horizontal TABS [SIMULATED] 6 Chars. received (CASE) [U/L] 7 Chars. sent in CAPS [NO] 8 PARITY [NONE] **9 Output DELAYS [0] 10 ERASE when backspacing [YES] 11 Micro inquiry sequence at logon [NO] FILE TRANSFER PROTOCOL 1 PROTOCOL preference [SHOW MENU] GRAPHICS SUPPORT 2 GIF SUPPORT [NO] 3 NAPLPS SUPPORT [NO] 4 RLE SUPPORT [NO] RUNNING THE SCRIPT 1) Attach 3Fax, or 3Link and modem, to Series 3a. 2) Start ReadCIS. 3) Press or ; to remain online after the script is done, press or . 4) The ThreeCIS menu shows five options. To select an option, cursor to it, and press . -Select Node: Use after setting toggles for online session. -Bypass Logon: Use to run script if already online. This allows you to logon manually or with another script, if confronted with a network ThreeCIS does not recognize. It also allows you to run the script more than once if you have multiple User IDs. If you use this option with the Cismail toggle [Off] there is a delay before the script runs. -Cismail: Use to toggle Compuserve Mail [On] or [Off]. The toggle is set [On] if there are messages in the Mail Out Basket. If it is [Off], Cismail is bypassed; no mail is sent or retrieved. -Services: Use to toggle all news, weather and financial services [On] or [Off]. If it is [Off], all services are bypassed; no information is retrieved. -Forums: Use to toggle all forums [On] or [Off]. The toggle is set [On] if there are messages in the Forums Out Basket, if a GETFILE switch is set, or if the script is started in Read Waiting Mode with . If it is [Off] all forums will bypassed; no forum messages or files is sent or retrieved. 5) The script will initialize modem and display the Dialing Menu. Choose the node to call, press ; the script will dial, logon and execute all online operations, without user intervention. "Directory ..." leads to a set of submenus for selected CIS nodes in Asia, Europe and North America. These numbers are built into the script, and cannot be modified. Only the local phone numbers are stored. To use from outside the node's local calling zone, additional digits must be entered in the "Dialing Prefix & Area Code" Query. If the call is local, or to one of the US and Canada 800 numbers, simply press to proceed to the next menu. Do not press , because that will exit the script. The digits entered in the "Dialing Prefix & Area Code" query are dialed after the "Dialout" Name, and before the telephone number. Either may be left blank, but do not enter the same information twice. For example, if you frequently stay at hotels that require a "9" prefix to access an outside line, you might set the "Dialout" Name to 9, and then enter the Area Code, when required, in the "Dialing Prefix & Area Code" Query. However, if the places you stay have varied dialout procedures, you might leave the "Dialout" Name blank, and enter everything in the Query. This feature is designed for travel, if you use one of these nodes as your regular access point, you will find it more convenient to enter the number in the "Home" or "Work" Name so you can call it directly from the Dialing Menu. "Manual" permits you to directly enter a number without storing it in the Names file. This choice ignores the "Dialout" and "Extended" Names, and always "blind dials" the exact number you enter, without waiting for dial tone. Also use this option, omitting the number, when calling from a phone that requires you to dial from it's own keypad or through an operator. 6) You can stop the script at any time by pressing . If the script displays a "No Answer", "No Dialtone", "Busy" or "No Carrier" alert, press and the script will automatically redial, although you will not see the number on the screen. To end the script, press a second time, then and . All other alerts terminate the script and offer a brief explanation of the problem. Please record information displayed before pressing . CAUTION: If you switch away from the script while it is running you cannot return to it through ReadCIS. Instead, select the file "3cis" under the Comms icon. 7) At the end of the script the modem disconnects, displaying a NO CARRIER message, and you automatically return to ReadCIS. If you use or to "Remain Online", or if the modem does not disconnect and drop carrier properly, press to return to ReadCIS. READCIS OVERVIEW At the bottom of the ReadCIS screen is a status bar, above which are file lists showing the contents of the MAIL In and Out Baskets, SERVICES file directory, FORUMS In and Out Baskets, downloaded LIBRARY files, and SWITCHES On or Off status. The file lists are not sorted alphabetically, but can be refreshed at any time by pressing . READING CISMAIL MESSAGES All Cismail retrieved in an online session is stored in the Mail! file, shown in the MAIL In Basket. To read mail press , the file is automatically loaded into Word, and can be used like any other document. To return to ReadCIS press [Control+Word] or close the document with . CREATING CISMAIL MESSAGES WITH TEXT EDITOR To create a Cismail message, start ReadCIS, or if you are already reading Mail!, return to ReadCIS by pressing [Control+Word], then: 1) Press . 2) The "Create Mail Header" dialogue will appear. On the first line type the CompuServe address to which you wish to send the message. Use to move to the second line, and type the Subject of the message. Then press . Example: To: Dennis Lefebvre 71660,1273 Subject: ThreeCIS Test If the correspondent is listed in your CompuServe Mail online address book, you need only enter a name on the first line. Multiple addresses must be separated by semi-colons. 3) The Word application is started, in Text Editor mode, and the text from the dialogue is inserted in the file. Press to move to the end of the Subject line, press to move to the next line, and compose your message just like any Word document. Do not use Latin-1 extended characters, including the British Pound sign, because they are lost when the message is posted. Word wrap is not implemented in Text Editor mode, you must press at the end of each line. Toggle between Mail!, and the message you are creating, by pressing [Word]. Selected text can be copied between the documents with "bring" . 4) Press to close the file, and you are returned to ReadCIS. ReadCIS automatically names the file, and stores it in the MAIL Out Basket. The first message is named Mail1, the second Mail2, and so forth through Mail5. The series of file names must be unbroken; if there is no Mail2 file, ThreeCIS will not look for Mail3, etc. 5) To edit a message already saved, press . CREATING CISMAIL MESSAGES WITH WORD WRAP Two extra steps are required to create a Cismail message with word wrap implemented. The text editor method is easier, especially for short messages. First, press , set mode to Word, press , and proceed as in Text Editor method, steps 1-3. Second, when done composing, press and complete the dialogue as shown, using the filename shown in the status window: File: Name Mail[1-5] Disk [Default] Use new file Yes File type Text If you do not set "Use new file" _Yes_ and "File type" _Text_ the file is saved in Psion Word's proprietary format, CompuServe is unable to read the embedded address, and the script fails. After completing the dialogue, press , then use to return to ReadCIS. If you change even one character you must press and complete the dialogue again before exiting. PREPARING BINARY CISMAIL Binary mail allows the transfer of files via Cismail, although some files may not be suitable for transfer via XMODEM protocol. The script can send one file per session. To prepare Binary Mail, press , navigate to the file you wish to send, press . It is copied to the MAIL Out Basket and named "Binary.out". The original file is unchanged. If there is a Binary file in the Out Basket, a Binary Mail query will appear when you choose "Select Node" from the ThreeCIS Menu. Type the address and subject for the file, using arrow keys to navigate; press only when done. exits the script. READING SERVICE FILES All news, weather and financial information files retrieved in an online session are stored in the SERVICES directory. To read financial quotations, press , and the QUOTES file is automatically opened in a monofont text editor to display columnar data. To read another SERVICES file, press , choose a file, press . You can use the file like any Word document. To return to ReadCIS, ress [Control+Word], or to exit the file. Word can only open files up to about 40,000 bytes. Some news service files will exceed this limit, and you are unable to read them unless you obtain READER.ZIP or VERT.ZIP from library 7 of CIS:PALMTOP. These utilities allow you to read text files of unlimited length. Press to set ReadCIS to use one of these utilities to read Service and Forum files. READING FORUM MESSAGES All forum messages retrieved in an online session are stored in the FORUMS In Basket. To read messages, press , choose the Forum number to read, press . To return to ReadCIS press [Control+Word], or to exit the file. REPLYING TO FORUM MESSAGES To create a forum reply, start ReadCIS, or if you are reading FORUM In Basket messages, return to ReadCIS by pressing [Control+Word], then: 1) Press . 2) "Select Forum" dialogue appears, choose forum where reply is to be posted, press . 3) "Create Forum Reply Header" dialogue appears, type the number of the message you wish to reply to, press . WARNING: If you attempt to reply to a message that does not exist, or has scrolled off the forum, the script will fail. Enter the number carefully, and send your reply as soon as possible after you read the original message. Also, make certain to use the number of the message you are replying to, not the number of the "parent" message. Example, in this message header... #: 104323 S7/Psion Inc. 15-Jun-94 10:06:18 Sb: #104258-#New Uploads Fm: Dennis Lefebvre (Miami) 71660,1273 To: SYSOP*Mark Esposito 72662,3050 (X) ...reply to 104323, *not* 104258. 4) The Word application is started in Text Editor mode, and the text from the dialog is inserted in the file. Press to move to the end of the line, press to move to the next line, and compose your message just like any Word document. Do not use Latin-1 extended characters, including the British Pound sign, because they are lost when the message is posted. Word wrap is not implemented in the Text Editor, you must press at the end of each line. CIS requires a carriage return at the end of every line of a forum message, so there is no option to use word wrap. If both files are open, toggle between the FORUM In Basket file you are reading, and the REPLY you are creating, by pressing the [WORD] button. Selected text can be copied between documents with "bring" . You cannot "bring" text from READER or VR3A. 5) When the message is complete, press to close the file, and you are returned to ReadCIS. You can create up to five replies in each forum. ReadCIS automatically names the files, and stores them in the FORUM Out Basket. The replies to be posted in Forum1 are named Reply1a, Reply1b through Reply1e; those in Forum2 are named Reply2a, Reply2b, etc. File names are used consecutively, the script will not look for Reply1c if there is no Reply1b. Each time a reply is sent the file "\CIS\_cisecho.txt" is created on your default drive. It will not show on your screen. You can ignore or delete the file; it is overwritten each reply. However, if the script fails while posting a reply this file may allow me to diagnose the cause, so please rename and keep it if you experience a problem. 6) To edit a Reply already saved, press . CREATING A NEW FORUM THREAD To start a new forum topic, start ReadCIS, or return to ReadCIS by pressing [Control+Word], then: 1) Press . 2) "Select Forum" dialogue appears, choose forum where message is to be posted, press . 3) "Create Forum Message Header" dialogue appears, type message address, subject and forum section where message is to be posted: To: CIS UserID / Name / ALL / SYSOP Subject: Text, up to 24 characters Section: Number 1-24 WARNING: If you do not complete all three fields, or use an invalid section number, the script will fail. 4) The Word application is started in Text Editor mode. Compose message just like any other Word document. Do not use Latin-1 extended characters, including the British Pound sign, because they are lost when the message is posted. Word wrap is not implemented in Text Editor mode, you must press at end of each line. CIS requires a carriage return at end of every line of a forum message, so there is no option to use word wrap. 5) When you have completed the message, press to close the file, and you are returned to ReadCIS. You can create one new thread in each forum. ReadCIS automatically names the files NEW1, NEW2, and NEW3 and stores them in the FORUM Out Basket. The Message Header information is stored separately in files with an .ADD extension. New forum messages are uploaded to CompuServe using YMODEM protocol. If you experience difficulty posting Replies, due to poor phone line quality, you may still be able to send a New message. 6) To edit a message already saved, press . To edit the message header, press . Use extreme care in editing the header, the formatting must not be changed, or the script will fail. FILE MANAGEMENT ThreeCIS checks for the existence of files as a way of controlling activity during online sessions. If a file already exists, the script bypasses the CompuServe process where that file is created. This protects files against accidental overwrite, and also give you a way to skip a particular area temporarily. If MAIL! is already in the MAIL In Basket, the script does not retrieve additional mail, although it can send outgoing mail. After transmitting Cismail you must delete or archive the MAIL1 - MAIL5 files, else they are sent again. To delete Cismail files, press , and choose from four options: Single File - Select and delete one MAIL file In Basket - Delete all MAIL In Basket files Out Basket - Delete all MAIL Out Basket files All - Delete all MAIL files If files exist in the SERVICES directory the script will not visit those areas to collect updated news stories, financial reports or weather forecasts. To delete SERVICES files, press and choose to delete a single file, or all files. If FORUM1, FORUM2 or FORUM3 exist in the FORUMS In Basket the script will not retrieve messages from that forum, although Replies, and New Messages will be sent. After transmitting forum messages you must delete or archive the files, else they are sent again. To delete FORUM files, press and choose from the same options as for . To archive a single MAIL, SERVICES or FORUMS file, press , select the file, type name, press . To archive groups of MAIL files, press . Files are stored with the same names as used in the MAIL In and Out Baskets, but with an extension based on the current date. Accept the default extension for each batch of files, or type another. Files are moved to the \CIS\ARCHIVE\ directory on your default disk, and can be read by pressing . Archives can be eliminated with . CUSTOMIZING THREECIS ThreeCIS uses switches to determine optional online actions. ReadCIS creates and manages these switches, and shows which are ON or OFF above the SWITCHES area of the status bar. Switches are empty files, with an .ON or .OFF extension. To create a switch, press , type switch name, press . Switch is set "On" when created. To toggle switch On/Off, press , choose the switch, press . To remove a switch altogether, use . A switch name must be exactly correct or ThreeCIS will ignore it. The script only looks for switches that are .ON, there is no need to create a switch that is always .OFF. All switches are stored on the Internal disk, so you will not lose your settings if you reformat an SSD. If the SWITCH list above the Status Bar becomes congested, you may hide some switches by pressing . This does not change the effect of a switch, but choose switches that are permanently .ON, such as 2400.ON, XONXOFF.ON, or your Country switch. MODEM SWITCHES: Normally, the script sets the serial port for RTS/CTS hardware handshaking at 19200 bps. "XONXOFF.ON" Use to implement XON/XOFF software handshaking if your modem does not explicitly support RTS/CTS hardware handshaking, or if you are using a null modem adapter. DO NOT USE WITH 3FAX. "2400.ON" Use if you have a 2400 bps modem, or are calling a 2400 bps node with a faster modem. DO NOT USE WITH 3FAX. "9600.ON" Use if you have a 9600 bps modem, or are calling a 9600 bps node with a faster modem. "NETWORK.ON" Use to logon via Falnet (South Pacific); Fenics I (Japan); GNS Dialplus (UK); Infonet (Asia, Europe, Latin America); Mercury 5000 (UK) or Transpac (France). The script can still logon via a direct CIS node. MENU SWITCHES: "AUTOEXEC.ON" Use to bypass all menus, dialing number stored in the Node0 Name. Online actions determined by defaults and switches. To avoid surprises, become familiar with the script's online actions before using this switch. These three switches override the default behavior of the menu toggles. This is only a convenience, you may toggle each as you prefer for each online session: "MAIL.ON" Use to force Cismail [On]. Otherwise, Cismail is [Off], unless there is mail to send. "SERVICES.ON" Use to force Services [On]. Otherwise, Services are [Off]. "FORUMS.ON" Use to force Forums [On]. Otherwise, Forums are [Off], unless there are messages to send, or library files to retrieve. COUNTRY SWITCHES: Set one of these switches to have Dialing Menu Directory..." feature display CIS nodes on corresponding country menu: AUSTRIA.ON, BENELUX.ON, CANADA.ON, FRANCE.ON, GERMANY.ON, MEXICO.ON, SPAIN.ON, SWEDEN.ON, SWISS.ON, UK.ON, USA.ON MAIL SWITCHES: "BINARY.ON" Use to retrieve binary Cismail files. Up to three files can be retrieved per session, shown as BINARY1, BINARY2 and BINARY3 in the ReadCIS LIBRARY directory. A CONTENTS text file lists the binary files, and can be read with . WARNING: Binary mail can be retrieved only if the Mail Name is set to DELETE, so the binary mail files are deleted after retrieval. Uncompressed files may be corrupted by XMODEM protocol. You are strongly advised to activate Cismail's RETAIN feature before using the BINARY.ON switch. COMPUSERVE INFORMATION SERVICES SWITCHES: ThreeCIS can retrieve news stories, financial quotations, and weather reports. A switch must be set for each service you wish to download. The script cannot update a service until you delete or archive the file. "APO.ON" retrieves the Associated Press Latest News Summary. Stories are shown as APO in the ReadCIS SERVICES directory. Stories are updated on the hour, so the same stories may be retrieved if you check more often. "PAO.ON" retrieves first 10 stories from the UK Press Association's "General" area. Stories are shown as PAO in the ReadCIS SERVICES directory. Stories are added continuously and some stories may be duplicates. "APFRANCE.ON" retrieves "Le point sur l'actualiti francaise" news summary. Stories are shown as APFRANCE in the ReadCIS SERVICES directory. "DPA.ON" retrieves Deutsche Presse-Agentur "Schlagzeilen". Stories are shown as DPA in the ReadCIS SERVICES directory. "OLT.ON" retrieves Online Today Monitor News stories. Stories are shown as OLT in the ReadCIS SERVICES directory. Stories are updated daily, so many of the same stories may be retrieved if you check more often. "QUOTES.ON" retrieves financial quotations. You must enter ticker symbols in Cisnames, as well as set the switch, to use this feature. Data is shown as QUOTES in the ReadCIS SERVICES directory. "WEATHER.ON" retrieves a weather report. The report is shown as WEATHER in the ReadCIS SERVICES directory. ZIFFNET INFORMATION SERVICES SWITCHES These services are part of Ziffnet, and you must enroll online for access to this extra cost area before using these switches. The script may fail if you attempt to cross the CompuServe/Ziffnet frontier without enrolling. Also, some commands will act differently in Ziffnet. TOP, for example, will take you to the Top Ziffnet menu, not back to CIS. "MACBEAT.ON" retrieves all Macbeat stories. Stories are shown as MACBEAT in the ReadCIS SERVICES area. "MACWEEK.ON" retrieves all MacWeek stories. Stories are shown as MACWEEK in the ReadCIS SERVICES area. FORUM SWITCHES: These switches are set individually for each forum. Replace ? with 1, 2, or 3 to activate in the corresponding forum. "NOHIGH?.ON" CIS tracks which forum messages you have had an opportunity to read with an online High Message Number, to prevent retrieving the same messages twice. Use switch to suppress the update if, for example, you intend to retrieve the messages again with your PC after returning from a trip. "WAITING?.ON" Use to retrieve only new messages addressed to your User ID, without updating your online High Message Number. Logging on with or temporarily sets this switch for all three forums. "ONEDAY?.ON" Use to retrieve all messages posted in the last 24 hours. Script normally retrieves all new (i.e. unread by you) messages, which may be more, or less, depending on how recently you have visited the forum. Set this switch when visiting a forum for the first time, to sample the message base. "GETFILE?.ON" Use to retrieve forum library files. When the script starts a Query appears, requesting the names of the files to be retrieved. Type the exact name of each file, no wildcards. If there are two or more files with identical names in the same forum, you may receive the wrong file; to prevent this you may optionally enter the User ID of the file contributor, in square brackets, after the file name. Use the arrow keys to move between the lines, press only when done. Pressing exits the script. The Query allows you to specify one file per forum, but a file will only be retrieved if the switch is set for that forum. The retrieved file will appear, using the same name, in the ReadCIS LIBRARY directory, \CIS\LIBRARY\ on your default disk. The script continues if it cannot find the file, or if you leave the file name blank. If you attempt to download an ASCII file, CIS issues a "wrong file type" message. The script recognizes this, and the file is downloaded correctly. The Getfile function fails if you do not have access to Library 1. INTERACTIVE SWITCHES: "TERMINAL.ON" Use to set CIS to 80x20 or 80x24 screen. Normally the script sets CIS to use 50x16 screen after the automated pass. Most CIS areas reformat to this size, allowing you to use the largest font. This switch uses the second smallest font. NOBLANK.ON must also be set for 80x24. "NOBLANK.ON" Use to suppress blank lines, which allows CIS to display more information per page. Helps prevent menu tops from scrolling off. LOGOFF SWITCHES: "USER.ON" Use to call another script at the end of automated pass. Script must be named \CIS\SCO\3USER.SCO. Disables ALARM.ON, TERMINAL.ON, and NOBLANK.ON switches. OTHER SWITCHES: "WRAP80.ON" Use to create files with 80 character columns. Normally the script sets Cismail to 40 characters, all other areas to 50 characters wide, because the resulting disk files wrap for easiest reading in Psion Word. "ALARM.ON" Use to issue a single beep after completing the online session, before issuing the "Zed" Name command. DISCLAIMERS ReadCIS and ThreeCIS work reliably on our computers, with our modems, but we do not assume any liability for lost data, telephone cost, or CIS charges if they doesn't work properly for you. Use at your own risk. REGISTRATION ThreeCIS and ReadCIS are shareware. You may use them for a free trial period of 14 days, and we will provide assistance to get it to work with your modem during that period, but further support and customization are available only to registered users. Questions pertaining to ThreeCIS should be directed to Dennis Lefebvre via CIS:MAIL at 71660,1273. Questions pertaining to ReadCIS should be directed to David Keppler via CIS:MAIL at 100034,2641. Questions pertaining to the interaction between ThreeCIS and ReadCIS may be addressed to either of us. To register, GO SWREG on CompuServe. If you have a new CIS account, you will not be able to use SWREG until you receive your permanent password through the mail. The registration ID number is 3440, and includes both ThreeCIS and ReadCIS. The cost is $25.00. Alternately, you may mail payment to: Dennis Lefebvre Box 681278 Miami, FL 33168 USA US ($25.00), or British (UKL16.00) funds only, please. Upon receipt of your registration, we will send a .ZIPped file via binary CompuServe Mail containing the latest version of 3CIS.SCO and FORUMS.SCO plus READCIS.HLP.