COMMANDS - ALPHABETICAL LISTING

This discusses all the commands available with your FastSync program in alphabetical order.

All . (dot) commands must be separated from the command parameters by either a comma (,), a space or by parentheses.

For example:

.WAIT,10 Using a comma in a command

.WAIT 10 Using a space in a command

.WAIT(10) Using parentheses in a command

.ASYNC

FUNCTION Places the program in Asynchronous mode for non-Unix users only.

SYNTAX .ASYNC [,COM {1 | 2}] [,BAUD {1200 | 2400 | 4800 | 9600}] [,PARITY {ODD | EVEN | NONE}]

REMARKS The arguments listed are optional. If they are not used, the defaults are:

·         Place the synchronous card into async mode (in place of COM 1 or COM 2)

·         2400 Baud

·         Parity NONE

·         Spaces, parentheses and commas are allowed as delimiters. It is recommended that commas be used to separate arguments since they improve readability.

This command is intended to allow configuration of modems that have both Asynchronous and Synchronous capabilities. Most dual speed modems use the industry standard "HAYES AT" command set in Asynchronous mode for configuring and dialing. This command allows you to use that feature.

Although the ".ASYNC" command switches the interface to the modem into Asynchronous mode, the modem itself must be capable of using the Asynchronous format. For example, you cannot expect to use the ".ASYNC" command if you are connected to a UDS 208a/b external modem because it is only a Synchronous modem, (not an Asynchronous modem).

EXAMPLE .ASYNC, [specifics vary depending upon need]

ALSO SEE .BISYNC

.BEEP

FUNCTION Causes the speaker built into the computer to beep for one-half second.

SYNTAX .BEEP

REMARKS This command should be included in a command file to get the operator's attention or to draw attention to an event that occurs while running a command file.

EXAMPLE .BEEP

.BIDS

FUNCTION Changes the maximum number of line bids listed in the configuration file.

SYNTAX .BIDS[,nn]

REMARKS If ".BIDS" is followed by a comma and a number, the number of line bids is changed to the new number. Replace the letters "nn" with any number from 1-99. If you simply enter ".BIDS", the current number of line bids is displayed.

EXAMPLES

.BIDS,99 resets the maximum number of line bids to 99

.BIDS reports the current maximum number of line bids

.BISYNC

FUNCTION Places the program in bisynchronous mode for non-Unix users only.

SYNTAX .BISYNC

REMARKS This command takes no arguments. It simply re-initializes the synchronous interface device in bisynchronous mode using the standard FastSync parameters. The command is intended for use after the ".ASYNC" command is used to configure dual mode (asynchronous/ synchronous) modems.

EXAMPLE .BISYNC

ALSO SEE .ASYNC

.BLOCKSIZE

FUNCTION Resets the maximum transmission block size.

SYNTAX .BLOCKSIZE[,nnnn]

REMARKS If ".BLOCKSIZE" is followed by a comma and a number, the maximum transmission block size is changed to the new size. Replace the letters "nnnn" with any number less than 3000. If you simply enter ".BLOCKSIZE", the current maximum transmission block size is displayed on your screen.

The program's default block size is 512. Increasing the size to 1024 or 2048 should be discussed with the remote sending site who may or may not support larger block sizes.

EXAMPLES

.BLOCKSIZE,1024 resets the maximum transmission block size to 1024

.BLOCKSIZE reports the current maximum transmission block size

ALSO SEE .RECSIZE

.CALL

FUNCTION Instructs the modem to call a phone number.

SYNTAX .CALL,PhoneNumberString [(Option)]

REMARKS If the modem type you selected when you ran SETCARD.EXE supports autodialing, this command uses the modem to dial the telephone number.

If your modem does not support autodialing, the ".CALL" command prompts you to dial the number manually. It then switches the modem into "DATA" mode when the remote modem answers and has you press a key.

Valid characters you can use in PhoneNumberString are:

0 - 9 are dial digits

* and # are valid tone digits

, (comma) is dial tone detect (to wait for a second dial tone)

: (colon)provides a 5 second pause during dialing

T will specify tone dialing

P will specify pulse dialing

F will force on line with no answer back tone

space, dash, period and parentheses are ignored characters (included for readability only)

By default, FastSync attempts to dial the number three times. This default is overridden by enclosing the phrase "Retries nn" in parentheses as an option after the phone number. Substitute the number of retries (up to 99) you want for "nn".

Another option for the ".CALL" command is "Error nnn." This option instructs FastSync to jump to the line in the command file starting with the numeric label you use in place of "nnn" if there is no answer tone.

EXAMPLES

.CALL,1-810-540-4839 conventional setup

.CALL,T 18105404839 force tone dialing

.CALL,P 1 810 540 4839 force pulse dialing

.CALL,5404839,2397  dial 5404839, wait for a second dial tone, then call 2397

.CALL,540 4839 : 2397 call 5404839, wait 5 seconds, then call 2397

.CALL,5404839 (retries 5) call 5404839. If busy, retry up to a maximum of five times

ALSO SEE The manual supplied with your modem

.CARD_TYPE

FUNCTION Reports the current type of Synchronous Interface Card (device) within your computer.

SYNTAX .CARD_TYPE

REMARKS This command reports the current Synchronous Interface type. It cannot be used to change the Synchronous Interface type. Changing the Synchronous Interface type is done by running the SETCARD program.

EXAMPLE .CARD_TYPE reports the current type of Synchronous Interface Card installed within your computer

ALSO SEE SETCARD.EXE

.CD_CHECK

FUNCTION Controls whether or not the software is checking to see if the telephone (Carrier Detect "CD") is still connected to a remote modem.

SYNTAX .CD_CHECK[,ON | OFF]

REMARKS Some synchronous interface hardware products do not report whether or not the telephone line is connected, so setting Carrier Detect to ON could cause problems. CTI's SyncPack 2000 and UDS Sync-Up modems are exceptions. The default is ON with these modems and OFF with all other synchronous interface hardware products.

When set to ON, the program checks to see if the telephone line is connected after every attempt to send or receive data. When set to OFF, the program does not check Carrier Detect.

When this command is entered without parameters, the current state is reported.

EXAMPLES

.CD_CHECK,ON checks to see if the telephone line is connected

.CD_CHECK,OFF does not check to see if the telephone line is connected

.CD_CHECK reports whether or not the program is checking the telephone line

.CFG

FUNCTION Loads a new configuration file or allows the configuration file to be changed.

SYNTAX .CFG[,ConfigurationFileName]

REMARKS When this command is entered with a Configuration File Name, the program loads the named file as its new configuration file. When this command is entered without a file name, the standard configuration program is loaded and you can change any parameters you wish. When you are finished changing the configuration, the program saves your changes in the current configuration file and then loads the changed configuration file.

EXAMPLES

.CFG,NewCall.cfg loads the configuration file, NewCall.cfg

.CFG brings up the normal configuration program, allows you to change configuration files and then loads either the configuration file you named upon start-up or the default configuration file (FastSync.CFG)

.CFG displays your current

ALSO SEE Configuration in the Index

.CLOSE

FUNCTION Closes a file previously opened with the ".OPEN" command

SYNTAX .CLOSE,(n)

REMARKS Replace the letter "n" with the number used when the file was opened.

EXAMPLE .CLOSE,(2)

ALSO SEE .WRITE, .READ, .OPEN, .SET

.CLS

FUNCTION Toggles the configuration and status display at the top of the screen between on and off.

SYNTAX .CLS

REMARKS If the top half of the screen is displaying status and configuration information, using this command clears the top half of your screen. User messages that normally disappear when they reach the bottom of the status display continue to scroll to the top of the screen.

If the status and configuration information was not being displayed when the ".CLS" command was entered, it appears on the top half of the screen after the command is entered.

EXAMPLE .CLS

ALSO SEE Function Key F8

.CMD

FUNCTION Begins the execution of a Command File.

SYNTAX .CMD,CommandFileName

REMARKS CommandFileName is the name of the command file. Command files are text files that contain sequences of program commands to be executed automatically.

In other similar industry programs, Command Files are also known by names such as "Batch" Files, "Job" Files, and/or "Script" Files.

EXAMPLE .CMD,MyCmds.cmd causes the command file "MyCmds.cmd" to be executed.

ALSO SEE .STOP

.CMPRES

FUNCTION Allows you to change whether or not space compression is used when transmitting text files.

SYNTAX .CMPRES[,ON | OFF]

REMARKS If ".CMPRES" is followed by a comma and either the word ON or the word OFF, then support for space compression is set accordingly. If you simply enter ".CMPRES," the current setting is reported.

EXAMPLES

.CMPRES,ON turns ON support for space compression

.CMPRES,OFF turns OFF support for space compression

.CMPRES reports whether space compression is ON or OFF

.CONNECT

FUNCTION Bids for transmit status on the communication line.

SYNTAX .CONNECT

REMARKS This command causes FastSync to bid for transmit status by sending an ENQ (Enquiry) and waiting for a positive acknowledgment. If your system is configured to send a signon message, then a signon is sent after a positive acknowledgment is received.

EXAMPLES .CONNECT

ALSO SEE .SIGNON

.CONSOLE

FUNCTION Accepts up to 80 characters of user input and places that input into the string variable, VariableName.

SYNTAX .CONSOLE,VariableName [UserMessage]

REMARKS The optional UserMessage is used to display a prompt for the data.

EXAMPLE .CONSOLE,$VARIABLE Please Enter Data

.CRLF

FUNCTION Controls the writing of Carriage Return/Line Feeds to output files when receiving text data from a remote system.

SYNTAX .CRLF,IRS [ON | OFF] controls CR/LF on Inter Record Separators

.CRLF,ETB [ON | OFF] controls CR/LF on End of Transmission Block

.CRLF,NL [ON | OFF] controls CR/LF on New Line Characters

REMARKS This command gives you a finer degree of control than provided in the configuration file or with the ".IRS" command. If you do not enter either ON or OFF at the end of the command, the current state is reported.

EXAMPLES

.CRLF,IRS ON writes CR/LF on Inter Record Separators

.CRLF,IRS OFF suppresses CR/LF on Inter Record Separators

.CRLF,IRS reports whether or not Record Separators are interpreted as CR/LF

.CRLF,ETB ON writes CR/LF upon receiving End of Transmission Block

.CRLF,ETB OFF suppresses CR/LF upon receiving End of Transmission Block

.CRLF,ETB reports whether or not Block Separators are interpreted as CR/LF

.CRLF,NL ON EBCDIC New Line Characters are interpreted as CR/LF

.CRLF,NL OFF EBCDIC New Line Characters are not interpreted as CR/LF

.CRLF,NL reports whether or not New Line Characters are interpreted as CR/LF

ALSO SEE .IRS, .ETB, CR/LF suppression in configuration file Chapter 2, Software Installation

.DELAY

FUNCTION Causes the program to pause for "n" number of seconds.

SYNTAX .DELAY,nn...n

REMARKS Any number of digits are used. This command causes a delay between commands in a command file. For example, if you want to force the modem to hang up the telephone line with ".DTR, OFF," you should delay a couple of seconds after ".DTR, OFF" to give the modem time to react to the loss of the DTR signal.

EXAMPLE .DELAY,10

ALSO SEE .ASYNC

.DOS

FUNCTION Creates a DOS shell for executing DOS commands or programs while still on line with the remote computer.

SYNTAX .DOS[,DOSCommand | ProgramName]

REMARKS DOSCommand is either a DOS command or a program name. You are returned to FastSync when the command or program is finished.

If no DOS Command is given, then a DOS shell is created and any command or program is executed from the DOS prompt. You can return to FastSync by entering "EXIT" <ENTER> at the DOS prompt.

If there is insufficient memory, then the command is ignored and an error message is displayed.

EXAMPLES

.DOS,DIR *.* displays a list of files in the current directory

.DOS creates a DOS shell where you can execute any number of commands or programs

ALSO SEE Your DOS manual.

.DTR

FUNCTION Controls the Data Terminal Ready (DTR) signal to the modem.

SYNTAX .DTR[,ON | OFF]

REMARKS Turning DTR ON places the modem into "DATA" or "ON LINE" mode. Turning DTR OFF places the modem into "TALK" or "VOICE" mode. Turning DTR OFF forces most modems to hang up the phone line if they are connected to a remote modem.

EXAMPLES

.DTR,OFF places modem into TALK mode

.DTR,ON places the modem in DATA mode

.DTR reports whether DTR is On or OFF

ALSO SEE .EXIT

.ECHO

FUNCTION Displays a message on the screen.

SYNTAX .ECHO,UserMessage

REMARKS This command allows authors of command files to provide information to users by duplicating messages on the screen. Use of the ".ECHO" command along with the ".IF" command allows you to create customized user messages within your command files.

EXAMPLE .ECHO, This is your User Message

ALSO SEE Quiet Mode in Chapter 4, Starting-Up, .IF, .GOTO, and Using Command Files Chapter 5, Using Commands

.EMULATOR

FUNCTION Allows you to change emulator modes between 3780 and 2780. Default is 3780.

SYNTAX .EMULATOR[,3780 | 2780]

REMARKS When this command is entered with no parameters, the current emulator mode is reported. When you use the parameter "3780", the emulator mode is changed to 3780; when you use the parameter "2780", the emulator mode is changed to 2780.

EXAMPLE

.EMULATOR,2780 sets the program to 2780 emulation

.EMULATOR,3780 sets the program to 3780 emulation

.EMULATOR reports the current emulator mode

.ERASE

FUNCTION Allows you to erase or delete files.

SYNTAX .ERASE,FileName

REMARKS This command erases files on floppy diskettes, local hard disks or the network. Wildcard characters are NOT supported with the ".ERASE" command.

EXAMPLE .ERASE,MyFile.ext erases the file, "MyFile.ext"

ALSO SEE .RENAME, in your DOS manual

.ERROR

FUNCTION Allows you to set up an error trap once, rather than checking for errors after every command.

SYNTAX .ERROR,ErrorCondition LineNumber

REMARKS This command can only be used within a command ("CMD") file. If the condition specified by ErrorCondition becomes true while the command file is running, command file execution resumes with the commands following the label LineNumber. If an error option is specified later within the command, the error option takes precedence.

Global errors can be turned off with the ".ERROR.OFF" command. The following conditions can be used in place of ErrorCondition: 

EXAMPLES:

ALSO SEE .IFERR ALSO SEE .IFERR .IFERR

.ESCAPE

FUNCTION Allows for customized translation of escape sequences, that are often used to control printer
functions. A file that prints correctly on one printer might not print correctly on another printer if the two
printers use different escape options to control the same function.

SYNTAX .ESCAPE,hh [hh] = [ [-] hh [hh] ]

REMARKS Replace the letters "hh" with two digit hexadecimal numbers. Any number of incoming characters
may be translated to any number of characters before being sent to a file or to a printer. If there are no
characters to the right of the equals sign ("="), the incoming characters are stripped out and not replaced with anything.

If a minus sign ("-") precedes the hexadecimal numbers after the equals sign, the escape sequence is placed
at the end of the current record.

The hexadecimal numbers representing the incoming characters are the incoming hexadecimal values
(usually in EBCDIC). The translated characters are usually in ASCII, since they are not processed through
the normal translation tables. A trace file is used to determine the incoming characters. You must consult
the manual for your printer to determine the values that replace the incoming characters.

Do not include the escape character (27 hex in EBCDIC, or 1B hex in ASCII) in either string unless a
second escape character needs to be included in the string.

EXAMPLES

.ESCAPE, C1 = 0C if a character with a binary value of C1 hex follows an escape character,
send the ASCII escape character (1B hex), followed by 0C hex to the file or printer

.ESCAPE, C1 = - 0C if a character with a binary value of C1 hex follows an escape character,
strip the escape character and the C1 hex from the beginning of the record and place the
ASCII escape character, followed by 0C hex at the end of the record

.ESCAPE, C1 = if a character with a binary value of C1 hex follows an escape character,
strip the escape character and the C1 hex from the record

.ETB

FUNCTION Controls whether Carriage Return/Line Feeds (CR/LF) are written to the output file when an
End of Transmission Block (ETB) protocol character is detected.

SYNTAX SYNTAX .ETB[,ON | OFF]

REMARKS REMARKS If ETB is ON, a CR/LF is written whenever there is an End of Transmission Block
(ETB) character in the incoming data. Some systems send single records per block with no record
separators. By setting this parameter ON, a CR/LF is written at the end of each block (record).

If ETB is OFF, a CR/LF is not written when an End of Transmission Block is detected. If no
parameters are included, then the current setting is reported.

EXAMPLES

.ETB,ON writes a CR/LF when incoming ETB is detected

.ETB,OFF ignores End of Transmission Block protocol characters

.ETB reports whether or not Block Separators are interpreted as CR/LF

ALSO SEE ALSO SEE .CRLF, .IRS, CR/LF Suppression

.ETX

FUNCTION Sends the sequence STX ETX (End of Text) to a remote computer. The ETX character
is a protocol character used to mark the end of a file.

SYNTAX .ETX

REMARKS If earlier files or messages are sent with the NOETX option, this command forces an End of Text (End of File) protocol sequence to be sent to the remote computer.

Caution should be used with this command, since some 2780/3780 emulators treat the STX ETX sequence as a protocol error.

EXAMPLE .ETX

ALSO SEE .SENDEOT

.EXIT

FUNCTION Terminates the program and returns you to your operating system.

SYNTAX .EXIT[,N]

REMARKS All open files are closed. If the program is connected to a remote system, a DLE EOT (hang-up sequence) is sent before the line is dropped.

Substituting a number between 0 and 254 for the "N" allows you to set the exit code that is returned to the operating system. Selective setting of exit codes based upon the results of ".IF" commands can simplify checking the results of running the program. For example, you could use one code to indicate a successful completion, another code to indicate a failure during the dialing sequence, another code to indicate failure during sign-on, and so forth. By checking the exit codes, either through the DOS Batch File command "IF ERRORLEVEL" or within your own program (if your program calls FastSync directly) you can determine whether or not the communications session was successful as well as the point the session may have failed.

Pressing the F10 (ABORT) key during the execution of your program automatically sets an exit code of 255.

EXAMPLE .EXIT, 10

ALSO SEE Function Key F10, .STOP

.GET

FUNCTION Sends a special command to a remote FastSync system instructing that system to send a specified file.

SYNTAX .GET,RemoteFile AS LocalFile

REMARKS RemoteFile is the name of the file on the remote FastSync system. LocalFile is the name of the file used to receive the data from the remote system.

Upon receipt of the special ".GET" protocol message, the remote system begins to transmit the requested file to you in binary format. If the requested file does not exist on the remote system, a null block (STX ETX) is transmitted back to your LocalFile.

EXAMPLE .GET,Remote.fil AS Local.fil - instructs the remote FastSync to send a file named "Remote.fil", which is received by you as "Local.fil"

ALSO SEE .SEND, .UNLOCK, .SPECIAL

.GOODBYE

FUNCTION Sends a DLE-EOT (hangup) sequence to the remote system.

SYNTAX .GOODBYE

REMARKS The modems remain connected after using the ".GOODBYE" command until you exit, give the ".DTR,OFF" command, or the remote modem drops the line.

EXAMPLE .GOODBYE

ALSO SEE .DTR

.GOTO

FUNCTION Causes command file execution to jump to the specified command.

SYNTAX .GOTO,Target

REMARKS Target is any numeric (three digits or less) label in a command file.

EXAMPLE

ALSO SEE Labels in Command Files in Chapter 5 Using Commands, .IF

.IF [..THEN]

FUNCTION Tests the value of a condition and executes a command based upon the result.

SYNTAX .IF,[NOT] CONDITION [THEN] .Command

where CONDITION is either a single word if the condition implies TRUE or an expression in the form of

Condition {= | < | >} Value

REMARKS The command word ".IF" is required.

The word "NOT" is optional. If used, it negates the condition being tested. In other words, the command is executed if the condition is false.

There are two types of conditions, those containing a value of either TRUE or FALSE, and those containing other values.

For TRUE/FALSE conditions, include only the condition name in CONDITION.

For conditions containing values, follow the condition name with either "=" (equals), "<" (less than) or ">" (greater than).

The word "THEN" is optional. It has no effect on FastSync's evaluation of the ".IF" command, but it improves readability.

The following list includes all available conditions, a description of the condition and a notation indicating whether they can contain a value or simply true or false:

ANSWERTONE

If an answer back tone was detected from the remote modem after a ".CALL" command, this condition becomes TRUE.

BUSY

This TRUE/FALSE condition becomes TRUE if the last ".CALL" command was not successful because a busy signal was detected each time the number was dialed.

CARRIER

If there is a data carrier present on the phone line, this condition becomes TRUE. If this condition is TRUE, your modem is connected to a remote modem.

COMPARE Variable [(nn:nn)] = UserString

Compares any user-defined variable with UserString. Becomes TRUE if the strings are identical.

CONNECTED

If this condition is TRUE, the line bid sequence is successfully executed and neither the local nor the remote system is sent a disconnect message.

DIALTONE

If this TRUE/FALSE condition evaluates to TRUE, a dial tone was detected while calling the remote system. This condition is used along with BUSY, DIALERROR and ANSWERTONE conditions to diagnose dialing problems.

DIALERROR

The last ".CALL" command was not successful if this TRUE/FALSE condition is TRUE.

DLE_EOT

This condition is TRUE if a DLE-EOT (hangup) protocol sequence was received from the remote system.

EOT

Returns TRUE if the last receive operation ended with an End of Transmission (EOT) being received from the remote system.

ERROR

This condition is TRUE if an error prevented the successful completion of a ".SEND," ".SENDB," ".MESSAGE," ".RCVE," ".CALL," or ".WAIT" command.

EXIST_FILE [=] FileName

This condition is TRUE if the file used in place of FileName exists on the disk.

FILENOTFOUND

If the file named in a ".SEND" or ".SENDB" command could not be found, this condition is TRUE.

FILES_RCVD {= | < | >} N

This condition compares N to the number of files successfully received from the remote system as a result of the last ".RCVE" command. It is used with "=" "<" or ">"

FILES_SENT {= | < | >} N

This condition compares N to the number of files successfully sent to the remote system as a result of the last ".SEND" or ".SENDB" command. It is used with "=" "<" or ">"

FILESIZE FileName {= | < | >} Size

This condition checks the size of the disk file, FileName against Size using one of the comparison operators. The result is TRUE if the evaluation is true.

IOERROR

Evaluates to TRUE if an I/O error was encountered writing the received data to the disk, screen, or printer.

KEY = ?

Checks the key struck in response to the last ".PROMPT" command. This test is not case sensitive. Use the actual letters you are testing for in place of "?"

LAST_FILE [=] FileName

This expression is TRUE if FileName is the name of the last file successfully received from the remote system.

LAST_SUFFIX = String

This TRUE/FALSE condition is TRUE if the suffix of the last file received matches String.

LASTFILESIZE {= | < | >} ?

Compares the size of the last file received against the value specified in place of the question mark.

LIMIT

This condition becomes TRUE if one of the program limits (i.e., Line Bids, Retransmissions, Receive Timeouts or Transmit Timeouts) is exceeded.

NOBID

If the remote system did not respond to the line bid when executing a ".SEND", "SENDB" or ".CONNECT" command, or there was no bid seen when executing a ".RCVE" command, this condition is TRUE.

NOCARRIER

Returns TRUE if a carrier signal is not present on the data line.

RCV_ERROR

This TRUE/FALSE condition is TRUE if an error prevented the last file from being received successfully. An examination of the report file might reveal the reason for the error.

RECORDS {= | < | >} nn ...

Compares the number of records sent or received as a result of the last .SEND, .SENDB or ".RCVE" command to the number that replaces "nn."

RMT_HANGUP

This condition is TRUE if a DLE-EOT (Data Link Escape - End of Transmission) was received from the remote system.

RVI

If this condition is TRUE, a reverse interrupt was received from the remote system.

SHELL {= | < | >} n

This condition evaluates the exit value returned by a program called through the ".SHELL" command. If the value returned bears the correct relationship (=, < or >) to n, the expression is TRUE.

SND_ERROR

This condition is TRUE if an error prevented the last file from being sent successfully. An examination of the report file might reveal the reason for the error.

STRLEN VariableName { = | > | < }

Takes a string variable as an argument. The string variable is either a percent variable or a variable created with either the ".SET" or ".READ" command.

TEXTDATA

This condition is TRUE if the last file received was sent by the remote in text mode.

TIMEOUT

This condition is TRUE if either the Transmit Timeout or the Receive Timeout limit was exceeded by the number of configured timeouts.

TRANSDATA

This condition is TRUE if the last file received was sent by the remote system in transparent (binary) mode.

EXAMPLES

.IF ANSWERTONE .ECHO,Remote Is On-Line

.IF, BUSY THEN .ECHO, Call Later

.IF, LAST_FILE_SIZE > 100 THEN .GOTO 20

.IF, EXIST_FILE DATA.EXT .SEND DATA.DAT

ALSO SEE ALSO SEE .GOTO, .EXIT, .SHELL, .PROMPT

.IFERR

FUNCTION Allows you to set up an error trap once, rather than checking for errors after every command.

SYNTAX .IFERR,ErrorCondition LineNumber

REMARKS This command can only be used within a command ("CMD") file. If the condition specified by ErrorCondition becomes true while the command file is running, command file execution resumes with the commands following the label LineNumber. If an error option is specified later within the command, the error option takes precedence.

Global errors can be turned off with the ".IFERR.OFF" command. The following conditions can be used in place of ErrorCondition:

EXAMPLE

ALSO SEE .ERROR

.IRS

FUNCTION Controls whether Carriage Return/Line Feeds (CR/LF) are written to the output file when an Inter Record Separator (IRS) protocol character is detected.

SYNTAX .IRS[,ON | OFF]

REMARKS If ON is used, a CR/LF is written whenever there is an Inter Record Separator in the incoming data. Inter Record Separators are used to delimit records in the data.

If OFF is used, a CR/LF is not written when an End of Record is detected. If no parameters are included, the current setting is reported.

EXAMPLE

.IRS,ON writes CR/LF when an incoming IRS (Inter Record Separator) is detected

.IRS,OFF ignores Inter Record Separator protocol characters

.IRS reports whether or not Record Separators are interpreted as CR/LF

ALSO SEE .CRLF, .ETB, Controlling CR/LF in Chapter 5 Using Commands

.MESSAGE

FUNCTION Sends a keyboard message to the remote system.

SYNTAX .MESSAGE,YourUserMessage [(OptionString)]

REMARKS YourUserMessage is any keyboard message up to eighty characters long. If your program is not already connected to the remote system, or does not have transmit status, the program bids for the line before sending the message.

The options allowed at the end of the ".SEND" command (noeot, noetx, cons, noirs, iferr nnn) are also allowed at the end of the ".MESSAGE" command. Unless one of these options is used, an ETX (End Of Text) protocol character is sent at the end of the message, followed by an EOT (End of Transmission).

If options are used at the end of the message, the last character entered must be the close parenthesis ")". If any text between the last open parenthesis and the ending close parenthesis is not a correctly entered option, the entire option string is ignored.

EXAMPLE .MESSAGE,This is a Test Message

sends "This is a Test Message" to the remote system

ALSO SEE Options to the .SEND Command in Chapter 5 Using Commands

.MODEM

FUNCTION Allows you to select the modem speed and/or telephone standard with certain dual-speed modems such as CTI's SyncPack 2000 and some of UDS' Sync-Up internal modems. With the CTI SyncPack, we can set the card to enable the external RS232 port. The uploader must first be run to enable the port on the card. For FastSync to use the external port, the ".MODEM" command must be issued.

The ".MODEM" command is also used to either send strings of hexadecimal data to the modem or to affect modem operation.

SYNTAX .MODEM,ModemSpeed

selects modem speed between Bell 201 (2400 bps), Bell 208 (4800 bps) and V.32 (9600 or 14.4 bps)

.MODEM,HEX HexString

sends HexString to the modem

.MODEM

reports the current modem speed

.MODEM,RS232 [hh]

if the optional "hh" is used, the two digit hex code for the external modem should replace "hh"

.MODEM,AUTO

puts the SyncPack into "auto" mode. In auto mode, the SyncPack automatically detects whether the remote modem is 201, 208 or V.32 and adjusts itself accordingly

REMARKS To select Bell 201 modulation, substitute "201" for ModemSpeed; to select Bell 208 modulation, substitute "208" for ModemSpeed. To select V.32 type emulation, substitute "V.32" for ModemSpeed.

Modems that support the ModemSpeed commands are CTI's SyncPack 2000 and the Motorola UDS "48/24." The UDS supports 201 and 208 only. The CTI SyncPack 2000 supports 201, 208, V.32 or V.32bis baud rates depending upon whether these speeds are supported by your modem.

To send a string of hexadecimal bytes to the modem, substitute the hex string for HexString (the keyword "HEX" is required). Hex strings consist of either a single character surrounded by apostrophes or two digit hex numbers (without apostrophes).

If ".MODEM" is entered without parameters, the current speed is reported (operates with dual speed modems only).

The FastSync command that enables the external port is .MODEM,RS232 [hh]. The "hh" is optional but if used, the 2 digit hex code for the external modem should replace "hh." The codes for the modems currently supported by FastSync are:

·         AdTran ISU 2.64 14

·         ATI 9600 ETC/e V.32 04

·         CEE Technologies EX 144 10

·         Codex 3260/3261FAST or Intel 14.4 EX 10

·         FastComm FDX-9696 V.32 0C

·         Hayes OPTIMA 0F

·         Hayes Smartmodem 2400 0C

·         Hayes Smartmodem 9600 09

·         IMAGE TWINCOM 09

·         MultiTech MultiModemV32 05

·         MultiTech MT932BA 06

·         Non Auto-Dial Modem 01

·         Racal-Vadic (With SADL) 02

·         Racal-Vadic 9632PA 0D

·         Racal-Datacom RMD 3222 0E

·         UDS V.3225 or V.3227 03

·         UDS FasTalk II 06

·         UDS 201 C/D, 208 B/D, 2860 or 2140 00

·         UDS FasTalk 32bx 0A

·         UDS FasTalk V.32/5 0B

·         US Robotic Courier HST Dual Standard 07

·         Western Datacom 432 Line Backer 08

EXAMPLES

.MODEM,201

places the modem into a Bell 201 mode (2400 bps)

.MODEM,HEX 'S' '1' 01

sends the hex string "53 31 01" to the modem ('S' is 53 hex, '1' is 31 hex)

.MODEM

reports the current speed

.MODEM,RS232 10

enables external port on a SyncPack 2000 to be used with the Motorola V3260FAST modem

.MODEM,AUTO

the SyncPack automatically detects whether the remote modem speed is 201, 208 or V.32 and adjusts itself accordingly

ALSO SEE .DTR,OFF, your modem manual

.MULT_RECS

FUNCTION Controls whether or not files are transmitted with one or more records per block.

SYNTAX .MULT_RECS[,ON | OFF]

REMARKS If ON is selected, multiple records are placed into the transmission block (up to the limit established by the block size parameter).

If OFF is selected, only a single record is sent in each data block.

If no parameters are entered, the current setting is reported on screen.

EXAMPLES

.MULT_RECS, ON sends multiple records per block

.MULT_RECS, OFF sends a single record per block

.MULT_RECS reports the current setting of the multiple records per block parameter

.MV

FUNCTION Unix VERSION OF THE dos ".rename" command.

SYNTAX .mv,FileName1 FileName2

REMARKS This command is available on DOS systems as well. Either command gives FileName1 the name of FileName2.

EXAMPLE .mv,firstfile secondfile

ALSO SEE .RENAME, .ERASE

.OPEN

FUNCTION Opens a file for reading or writing.

SYNTAX .OPEN,(n) FileName (WRITE | READ | APPEND)

REMARKS Replace the letter "n" with a number from one to three. That number is used to reference the FileName when you read from or write to it. If the file is opened in WRITE or APPEND mode, you can write to the file using the ".WRITE" command. If the file is opened in READ mode, you can read from the file into user variables with the ".READ" command.

EXAMPLE .OPEN,(1) Special.rpt (WRITE)

ALSO SEE .WRITE, .READ, .CLOSE and .SET

.PROMPT

FUNCTION Displays a message and waits for you to press a key in response to the message. If a dash ("-") is the first character of the string following a ".PROMPT" command, FastSync does not wait for you to press a key. The key you pressed can later be checked with the .IF, KEY ?... command.

SYNTAX .PROMPT,UserMessage or  .PROMPT,@FileName

REMARKS The screen is cleared and the message is centered on the blank screen. You must press a key in response to the message.

For multiple line messages, use an ampersand (&) as a substitute for carriage returns in the message.

UserMessage cannot exceed 120 characters in length. If you wish to display a longer message, place the text of the message in FileName and use the "@FileName" option. If your message is contained in a file, do not use the ampersand as a substitute for carriage return. Use carriage returns where required instead.

EXAMPLES

.PROMPT, This is a Test Message

.PROMPT,@MSG.FIL

.PROMPT,-Files Are Currently Being Sent

ALSO SEE .IF, KEY ?

 .PTRDEV

FUNCTION Sets the default file name for all incoming files that are preceded by a printer selection sequence.

SYNTAX .PTRDEV[,FileName | OFF]

REMARKS FileName is the name used for all incoming files that are preceded by a printer selection protocol sequence (02h 11h 26h). FileName overrides any file names entered with the ".RCVE" command.

If FileName does not have an extension, the program adds an extensions starting with ".000" and increments the extension for each successive file.

If you enter ".PTRDEV,OFF," the printer device selection is turned off.

If you enter this command with no parameters, the current selection is reported.

EXAMPLES

.PTRDEV,PRINTER receives files with printer device selection sequences as PRINTER.000, PRINTER.001, and so forth

.PTRDEV,OFF turns off printer file selection

.PTRDEV reports the current printer file name or OFF

ALSO SEE .PUNDEV

.PUNCH

FUNCTION Controls whether punch files are received as punch files or as printer files.

SYNTAX .PUNCH[,ON | OFF]

REMARKS Punch files are files with 80 character records. If the data in a record is less than 80 characters long, the record is padded with spaces. No carriage returns are written to punch records unless they occur in the data.

Since very few people want punch files on an IBM PC, the default is to receive all files as printer files, and strip off device selection characters if they occur.

EXAMPLE

.PUNCH,ON receives punch files as punch files

.PUNCH,OFF receives punch files as printer files (variable length files, controls CR/LF based upon ".CRLF", ".IRS" and ".ETB" options)

.PUNCH reports whether punch files are received as punch or printer files

ALSO SEE .CRLF, .IRS, .ETB, Command Line Option .punch in Chapter 4 Starting-Up

.PUNDEV

FUNCTION Sets the default file name for all incoming files that are preceded by a punch selection.

SYNTAX .PUNDEV[,FileName | OFF]

REMARKS FileName is the name used for all incoming files that are preceded by the punch selection protocol sequence (02h 11h 26h). FileName overrides any file names entered with the ".RCVE" command.

If FileName does not have an extension, the program adds extensions starting with ".000" and increments the extension for each successive file.

If you enter ".PUNDEV,OFF", the punch file device selection is turned off.

If you enter this command with no parameters, the current selection is reported.

EXAMPLES

.PUNDEV,PUNCH receives files with punch device selection sequences as PUNCH.000, PUNCH.001, and so forth

.PUNDEV,OFF turns off punch file selection (receives as printer files)

.PUNDEV reports the current punch file name or OFF

ALSO SEE .PTRDEV, .PUNCH

.R_TIMEOUTS

FUNCTION Controls the number of Receive Timeouts before the program quits trying to execute a receive or a send command.

SYNTAX .R_TIMEOUTS[,nn]

REMARKS Receive Timeouts occur if the program does not see an incoming message or an expected response to an outgoing message. Once the limit is exceeded, the program aborts the current command.

"nn" is the new number of Receive Timeouts. If this command is entered without parameters, then the current value of the Receive Timeouts limit is reported.

EXAMPLES

.R_TIMEOUTS,99 sets the maximum number of Receive Timeouts to 99

.R_TIMEOUTS reports the current Receive Timeout limit

ALSO SEE .T_TIMEOUTS

.RCVE

FUNCTION Instructs the program to enter receive mode and wait for incoming data.

SYNTAX .RCVE,FileName [(OptionString)]

REMARKS The program automatically detects whether the incoming data is in binary or text mode and adjusts accordingly.

FileName is in one of two formats:

With a Dot

(FileName.Ext) The r