********************* FLASH II DEMO - version 2.22 ********************
from: Missionware Software
354 N. Winston Drive
Palatine, IL 60067-4132
(708)359-9565
Thank you for taking an interest in our latest release of Flash
II. You'll be able to test as many of Flash II's features as possible
in this demo version. Naturally, many features of the program are
either disabled or limited. We'll discuss those limitations in this
message and also give you a few hints on how best to use this demo.
Before we get into a brief discussion on how to use this demo, here's
a list of features included in Flash II:
ù DO script files compatible with older versions of Flash!
ù All macros use the familiar Flash DO script format!
ù Easily setup the parameters for each BBS you call...this includes
everything from ASCII upload/download options to baud rate!
ù You can program up to 20 individual and separate macros for each
BBS plus an additional 10 global macros !
ù Displays RLE & GIF pictures either on or off line! You can also
save or load these pictures for later review!
ù Supports the following terminal types: TTY, VIDTEX, VT52, ANSI,
VT100, VT101, VT102, VT200, VT300 & PRESTEL.
ù Now includes full support for RTS/CTS. This mode can now be turned
on and off by the user.
ù Fully supports all Atari computers up through the Falcon. RS232
support includes all baud rates up through 38400 and includes all 4
serial ports (when available) on the TT030 and MegaSTE.
ù Includes Automatic Answer mode!
ù Includes Auto Boards mode - Preselect the board(s) you wish to dial
and when Flash II is launched either manually from the desktop by
you, or automatically by some other program launcher, Flash II will
wakeup and dial the board(s) you've got selected. It will also wait
for the proper time to dial these boards.
ù Includes full featured GEM text editor with: merge, block
commands, cut & paste, search & replace, paragraph reformating; user
tab settings, page width, full keyboard cursor and delete control
and more!
ù Supports the ST, IBM and DEC character sets, including IBM
graphics characters!
ù Includes Silent Line for background file transfers!
ù Supports the following upload/download protocols: ASCII, Xmodem,
Ymodem, Ymodem-G, Zmodem, Modem7, WXmodem, CIS B, Kermit and SEAlink!
And all of these protocols are built into the program...no external
modules required!!!
ù Zmodem now supports the selection of AutoStart and Streaming
options. If you prefer to use an external Zmodem protocol with
Flash II, you can now force Flash II's Zmodem autostart mode to off.
For BBS' that don't support "streaming", this too can now be turned
off.
ù Logs all on line time and calculates your approximate costs for you!
ù New version written in assembler! Fast!
ù Runs on all ST, STe and TT's
ù Now supports "Install Application". You can create a DO script that
can be used to launch Flash II from the desktop and force it to dial
up and go online for you, all automatically!
ù Both the Terminal and Editor have been enhanced significantly for
both speed and ease of use. You'll be amazed at how fast the new
Flash II is!
ù A new "BReak" script command is added which permits the sending of a
terminal break to the host computer while a script is running. Many
other new scripts commands are also now included which support all
of the new features of Flash II version 2.21.
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Flash II is a very powerful telecommunications program. With
that power comes complexity. The program comes with a 250 page manual
that fully explains all of Flash II's features. There's no easy way
to try to reproduce that manual in a short read-me type of file.
Most of what you'll want to check is simple though, and we've
included a couple of files to help you along.
FLASH2.LST:
This file contains the board listings you'll be using to test Flash II.
The demo comes preconfigured for the four major online services. You
can change any of these configurations for whatever board you wish to
dial in to.
FLASH2.DEF:
This file holds default settings for Flash II's use when first booted.
Except for Silent Line (our background file transfer program), all
options set under the Options menu are saved in this file. Your
default transfer options are also saved here, as well as the status of
Auto Event Log and Auto Boards under the Phone menu.
Flash II now supports all Modem ports on all Atari
ST/TT/Falcon computers. Make sure that the serial cable you use
supports all features of your modem. Flash II tries to use all of
those features for best speed and performance.
If you have a hard drive, you'll want to run this demo from
that drive. Create a "FLASH2" folder and copy all of the files
included here into that folder. Run "flash2d.prg" from the folder
and you'll be all set. It's *very* important that both the
"flash2.lst" and "flash2.def" files are placed in the same folder as
"flash2d.prg"!
The Flash II demo is limited to less than 50 minutes of actual
use, per session. A dialog warns you of this every 10 minutes or so,
and in fact, is the dialog that appears when you first boot Flash II.
Before trying to dial out the first time, please go through the
following options to make sure they are set up properly for your
system: Terminal, RS232, Modem (all under the Options menu).
TERMINAL OPTIONS:
These options are used to configure Flash II's default state
when it first starts up. We highly recommend that you work with these
default options to begin with. Later, as you gain more experience,
you might want to experiment a bit.
Click on "More Terminal Options" at the bottom left in the main
dialog. A second dialog appears. Up at the top are two
configurations for Control Codes and Character Codes. Leave these
both set to 7 BIT. These settings tell Flash II to strip the 8th bit
on any incoming data which helps prevent garbage data from appearing
on the screen. The Character Set should also be set to ATARI ST.
RS232 OPTIONS:
You need to select whatever baud rate your normally use in
this dialog. It comes preconfigured for 2400 baud, 8 data bits, no
parity, and 1 stop bit. When these settings are used in conjunction
with Control and Character Codes set to 7 BIT as noted above, Flash
II will work either in 7E1 or 8N1 mode while online, the two most
common modes in use today.
RTS/CTS only needs activation if you are operating at split
baud rates. Flash II will connect to your modem at speeds up to
19,200 baud. Your modem may be able to work a split rates - see the
operations manual for information.
MODEM OPTIONS:
The demo is preconfigured for Hayes compatible modems. If your
modem is Hayes command set compatible, make no changes to this
dialog. If your modem is not Hayes compatible, you'll need to
configure Flash II for whatever commands your modem supports.
If you wish to use hardware connect/disconnect, make sure that
DCD is selected in this dialog. If you aren't sure whether your modem
and cable supports DCD, then select STRINGS. Use the default DCD
Connect Time of "30" seconds and DTR Disconnect Time of 0.1 seconds no
matter which method you use (DCD or STRINGS).
After all of these options are set, you'll want to save them so
that they'll be activated the next time you load Flash II. Move to
the File menu and select "Save Defaults". Your flash2.def file will
be updated with the new information entered.
FIRST TEST:
Before you actually try to dial out the first time, it's always
a good idea to make sure that Flash II is communicating with your
modem. Let's switch to the terminal mode to see if everything is
working. To do that, press the right mouse button. By the way, the
right button is used for switching back and forth between the editor
(where Flash II first boots) and the terminal screen. This switch can
also be made while online so that you can reread and edit any messages
that may have come in too fast to read while online. Naturally, you
can also use the editor for creating messages and replies while
online.
After pressing the right mouse button, you should now see a
blank screen except for some status information at the top. I'll
explain that later. Let's first see if we can communicate. There
should be a black cursor at the home position on the screen. If your
modem is Hayes compatible, enter (without the quotes) "AT" followed
by a press of the [Return] key. You should be able to see the Tx (or
transmit) lamp on your modem blink. The modem should respond with an
"OK". If it doesn't, something between Flash II and your modem isn't
proper.
Now take a look at the status line. At the upper left you'll
see something like "Cap: xxxxK". This tells you how much memory is
available in your computer for Flash II's capture buffer. In the
middle of the screen you'll see something like "8N1 F 2400". This
shows the current state of the serial port in your computer - 8
databits, No parity, 1 stopbit, Full duplex, and 2400 baud. When you
do the test above, make sure that the baud rate is set to a value that
your modem supports. If your modem, say, only supports 2400 baud and
you see a "9600" displayed here, then you'll need to return to the
RS232 Options dialog to make the change.
The numbers to the far right indicate the amount of time you
are online, and any online charges you may accrue (if that information
is set up).
Assuming you were able to communicate with the modem, you'll
now want to dial out for your first connection. The easiest way is to
manually dial out, so switch back to the Editor by right clicking on
the mouse, and select Phone|Dial Number. A small dialog will appear
that lets you enter a number to dial. Enter the number of a local
BBS, click on OK, and in a second or so, Flash II should pop up a
dialog saying that it's dialing the number and waiting for a
connection. A Cancel button appears which can be used to cancel the
dialout either during or after dialing.
When Flash II detects a connection, it automatically switches
to the terminal screen and starts displaying the information received
from the modem. If what you see is garbage, then some serial port
parameter is not set properly. If the text looks good, then you're
all set to sign on and work your first online session.
HELP DIALOG:
There are a lot of features in the Flash II terminal that are
accessed via Alt-key combinations. To see what these keystrokes are,
press the [Help] key while in Terminal mode. A dialog appears showing
you all keystrokes, as well a DO script commands (which can be entered
in the command line - accessed by pressing the [Insert] key while in
terminal mode). However, keep in mind that the demo does not permit
you to use these Alt-key combination keystrokes.
SETTING UP YOUR BOARDS:
Once you become a bit more familiar with the operation of the
program, you can automate your logon procedure using "Phone|Edit
Boards". All of the options you set under the Options menu are also
available for individual board customization under "Edit Boards". for
instance, let's say a particular board you call can only operate at
1200 baud. Just click on the RS232 Options button in "Edit Boards",
select 1200 baud, and the next time you dial that board (using
Phone|Dial Boards) the Flash II terminal will be automatically set to
1200 baud!
We've included sample board listings for most of the popular
online services. You'll need to modify these slightly for your
personal operation. For instance, you'll need to enter your local
phone number for the board in question. You'll also need to enter
your password (in most cases) on the line titled "Logon ID:". In some
cases you'll also need to slightly modify the auto macro (found in the
"Macro" dialog) to make it work for you. For instance, to log onto
BIX, you'll need to enter your BIX name in the macro where it says
"bixname". In my case, I'd enter "jtrautschold" in place of
"bixname". You'll want to play around with all of the "buttons" in
the Edit Boards dialog. That's the best way to familiarize yourself
with all of the features that can be set here.
TRANSFERS:
This demo permits you to try all of Flash II's built in
transfer protocols. You can select the protocol to use under the
"Transfer" menu. All transfers are limited to 50K file sizes,
however. This includes both uploads and downloads.
EDITOR:
The Flash II editor is an "edit anything" type of editor. You
can actually load binary files (such as flash2d.prg) into the editor!
GIF pictures are also loaded into the editor for viewing using the
"Review" function found under the "Capture" menu. (At the moment,
Flash II supports only 87a GIF pictures - load the data into the
capture buffer using "File|Load" and after the data is in, activate
"Capture|Review" - the program switches to the terminal/review screen
and begins to display the picture.)
Since the editor can edit anything, that means you can also
separately edit line feed characters (displayed as a "bell") and
carriage return characters. If you aren't careful, this can get you
into a bit of trouble. Flash II comes preconfigured to display both
carriage returns and control characters in the editor, although these
features can be turned off under "Options|Editor".
The editor can be used as a full function word processor.
There are a number of block commands that can be executed via the
"Block" menu or the function keys. Blocks can also be set using the
mouse pointer "click and drag" feature which places a "rubberband" on
the screen used to lasso the text you wish to block out.
There are also many keyboard shortcuts you can use while in the
editor for moving the cursor and deleting text. The [Clr Home] key
moves the cursor to the beginning of the capture while the [Shift][Clr
Home] key moves it to the end. The cursor keys move the cursor one
character at a time in the direction specified, while [Shift][Cursor
right/left] moves the cursor to the far right or left of the line it's
currently on. [Shift][Cursor up/down] pages the display up and down.
[Control][Cursor up/down] moves the cursor to the top or bottom
of the screen. [Control][Cursor left/right] moves the cursor one word
at a time either left or right.
[Control][Left Shift][Delete] deletes everything from the
cursor to the beginning of the line while [Control][Right
Shift][Delete] does the same but to the right. [Shift][Delete]
deletes the entire line of text that the cursor is on.
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Again, these are just some of the many features built into
Flash II. There's no way I can try to explain everything in this
short message. But I hope that this is enough to get you started. If
you have any questions, feel free to contact me online on BIX
(atari.st or via BIXmail to "jtrautschold"), CompuServe (71333,1003 or
in ATARIVEN, section 10 - Missionware), Delphi (MISSIONWARE or in the
Atari Advantage section) or on GEnie (in the STRT, Cat. 8 Topic 2, or
via email at J.TRAUTSCHOL). I can also be reached via the Internet at
jtrautschold@bix.com.
I hope you enjoy playing with this demo. There's an awful lot
to Flash II - it's a very powerful telecomm program and editor. And
for the price, it's almost a steal!
John Trautschold
President, Missionware Software
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Missionware Software's upgrade policy remains the same for the new
Version 2.22! We will continue to upgrade any old version of Flash!
(copyright Antic Software) for just $30 US, plus $4 shipping and
handling (US and Canada), $8 worldwide. Or, you can purchase Flash
II, version 2.22 outright, for only $49.95 US plus the shipping and
handling charges applicable to your area. To order, or for more
information, contact:
Missionware Software
354 N. Winston Drive
Palatine, IL 60067-4132
United States of America
phone 708-359-9565