3780 and 2780 BSC Commands for Remote File Transfer Technologies

Overview of CTI’s FastSync^® 3780 Commands

The information outlined below is meant for individuals who have some programming experience. You are most likely reviewing this information because you need to integrate IBM 3780 batch communications into your application. CTI understands this need and gives you the necessary tools for developing sophisticated script command files to automate file transfers. The scripting capability built into the FastSync program allows the creation of simple to very complex command files.

Let's start with an alphabetical overview listing of the available FastSync 3780 Commands¹:

Selected Commands:		.async	.beep	.bids	.bisync	.blocksize
.call	.card_type	.cd_check	.cfg	.close	.cls	.cmd
.cmpres	.connect	.console	.crlf	.delay	.dos	.dtr
.echo	.emulator	.escape	.erase	.error	.etb	.etx
.exit	.get	.goodbye	.goto	.if	.iferror	.irs
.kickoff	.message	.modem	.mult_rec	.open	.prompt	.ptrdev
.punch	.pundev	.quite	.r_timeouts	.rcve	.read	.recsize
.remote.	.rename	.retrans	.sceen	.send	.sendb	.send
.sendeof	.sendeot	.set	.shell	.signon	.speaker	.special
.stop	.t_timeouts	.termID	.terminal	.trace	.unlock	.wait
.write	.xlat

1. Varies between DOS, Windows and UNIX versions. Click here to see an actual command file examples

There are three ways for a user to enter commands:

1) Interactively at the Keyboard through the Function Keys;

2) Interactively at the Keyboard through the use of .DOT commands; and

3) Automatically, using command files through using a scripting command language.

FastSync is a registered trademark of CTI Communications.

Function Key Commands

The Non-GUI FastSync 3780 version is one of the few IBM oriented BSC packages in the industry that offers the use of the Function Keys for quick and easy file transfers. In FastSync's case, it can be as simple as F2 (place a call), F3 (send a file) and F10 (exit).

F1 HELP	F2 CALL/DIAL	F3 SEND	F4 RECEIVE	F5 SENDBINARY
F6 CMD	F7 DOS SHELL	F8 CLS	F9 STOP	F10 EXIT SYSTEM

FastSync Command Overview

The method that most application software houses use is to create a ".CMD" (command) file from the various commands that CTI offers. Outlined below is a list of these commands and a brief description of what they mean.

.async Places FastSync in asynchronous mode for DOS users only.	.beep Causes the speaker built into the computer to beep for one half second.	.bids Causes the program to set the Bid Retry Count.
.bisync Places the program in bisynchronous mode for DOS users only.	.blocksize Causes the program to set the transmission block size.	.call Causes the program to autodial into the remote system.
.card_type Shows user which type of synchronous interface card is being used within the PC.	.cd_check Causes the program to turn carrier detect either on or off.	.cfg Allows the user to change their default start-up configuration and to specify a new one.
.close Closes a file previously opened with the ".OPEN" command.	.cls Sends a clear screen message to the program and brings the standard program screen back which shows the users configuration and then waits for the next command.	.cmd Causes the program to run all the commands in a specified command file.
.compres Causes the program to turn space compression either ON or OFF for files being sent.	.connect Connects FastSync with the remote computer.	.console Gets a variable from the operator.
.crlf Provides complete control when CR/LF sequences are written to the receive file. Handles IRS (Inter Record Separators), ETB (End of Transmission Block), or NL (EBCDIC new line).	.delay Causes the program to pause for the specified number of seconds.	.dos Creates a DOS shell for executing DOS commands or programs while still on line with the remote computer.
.dtr Controls the Data Terminal Ready (DTR) signal to the modem. Turning DTR ON places the modem into "DATA" or "ON LINE" mode. Turning DTR OFF places the modem into "TALK" or "VOICE" mode.	.echo This command allows authors of command files to provide application specific information on the screen.	.emulator Tells program to set the emulator type to either 2780 or 3780.
.erase Deletes a specified file name.	.error This command can only be used within a command line. If the condition specified becomes true while the command file is running, command file execution will resume with the commands following the label.	.escape Specifies custom translations for printer escape sequences in a file.
.etb Controls whether received End of Transmission Block characters are converted to Carriage Return Line Feeds.	.etx Sends an empty block, terminated with an end of text.	.exit Terminates FastSync and returns to your operating system.
.get Sends a special command to a remote FastSync system instructing that system to send the specified file.	.goodbye Sends a Hang-up message to the modem.	.goto Causes unconditional branching from within a command file. The .goto command can be used to end a routine which was branched to or from an .if command.
.if Tests the value of a variable and executes a command based upon the result. *See FastSync Variable Messages* outlined below** that are used with this ".if" command.	.iferror Specifies command file lines to be executed if an error is encountered during command file execution. This is an alternate form of the .ERROR command.	.irs Controls whether received Inter Record Separators are converted to Carriage Return/Line Feeds.
.kickoff Suspends the operating of a command file until the specified time.	.message Sends a keyboard message to the remote system.	.modem allows for accessing softtware configuration given with some modems.
.mult_recs Causes program to turn transmission of multiple records either on or off.	.open Opens a file for reading or writing. See also the ".close." command	.prompt Displays a message and waits for the user to press a key in response to the message. The key pressed by the user can later be checked with the .IF KEY command.
.ptrdev Sets the default file name for all incoming files that are preceded by a printer selection sequence.	.punch Controls whether punch files will be received as punch files or as printer files.	.pundev Sets the default file name for all incoming files that are preceded by a punch selection.
.quiet suppesses data from being shown on the sceen.	.r_timeouts Controls the number of receive timeouts before FastSync quits trying to execute a receive or send command.	.rcve Causes the program to enter the receive mode and waits for a file. .
.read Reads a text string from a previously opened file into the specified variable.	.recsize Allows the sending of text data from a file not containing embedded Carriage Return/Line Feeds.	.remote To execute system commands on a remote computer that is also using FastSync.
.rename Causes the program to rename a file - same as the DOS rename command.	.retrans Causes the program to set the number of retransmissions.	.screen Used with the .quiet command line argument to allow certain messages to appear on the screen.
.send Causes the program to send a text file to the remote system.	.sendb Causes the program to send a binary file to the remote system.	.sendeof Controls whether the end-of-file marker (ctrl Z) (Hex 1A character) is transmitted as part of a text file.
.sendeot Causes FastSync to send an EOT (End of Transmission) to the remote computer.	.set Sets a variable to a specific numeric or character string.	.shell Calls and executes another DOS program as a child process while still on line with the remote system.
.signon Allows the user to establish an automatic sign-on to the remote system.	.speaker Controls the speaker on UDS Sync-Up modems that include a speaker.	.special Controls whether FastSync accepts requests for files or remote file naming from the remote system. Special translation to substitute more than one character.
.stop Causes the current send/receive operation to stop. A hangup is sent to remote and an idle state is established.	.t_timeouts Controls the number of transmit timeouts before FastSync quits trying to execute a receive or send command.	.termID Allows the user to either change or check the current value of the terminal ID.
.terminal Tells the program to set the terminal type to either MASTER (Primary) or SLAVE (Secondary).	.trace Writes a line trace to the file. The line trace contains a hexadecimal representation of all data sent or received during the session.	.unlock allows other systems using FastSync to execute system commands as well as other programs on your computer.
.wait puts FastSync into an auto-answer mode to wait for an incoming call.	.write Writes data to a previously opened file. This command can be used to create a custom event log.	.xlat Loads an alternate translation table from a custom EBCDIC to ASCII translation file.

Optional Modifiers for Sending & Receiving Files

These modifiers are special symbols which modify or enhance the functionality of the Send, Message and/or Receive commands

append Will append all received data to the end of the named file	cons Causes the contents of a file being received to be shown on the screen. The file is also being sent to the disk at the same time	echo Receives data to the screen at the same time the data is being written to the file	error nnn Allows the user to target an error routine to be executed if the command fails
nodev When the "nodev" follows a receive command, the program does not examine the first record of an incoming file for device selection characters	noeot Directs the program so that files being sent are not sent with an EOT at the end of the file. Normally, the program will send an EOT after sending a file	noetx Directs the program to suppress both the EOT and ETX on files being sent. Normally, the end of a transmitted file is marked with an ETX character followed by an EOT	noirs Directs the program to omit Record Separators on files being sent
overwrite Overwrites the existing file with the incoming file	retries n Ignores any EOT which follows the line bid up to n times

FastSync Command Line Arguments

In DOS, these commands may be placed directly on the command line to begin the program.

.card Allows the user to specify a hardware configuration file other than the hardware specified in the default SCC.CFG.	.cfg Specifies a particular system configuration other than the default configuration.	.cmd Advises the program to run a specific command(s) from within a specified command file.	.debug Causes the program to display mnemonics for the routines being used by the program.	.irq Instructs the program to use the specified IRQ even if it appears as if being used by some other software package.
.modem Will cause the program to send a string of bytes to the modem.	.port specifices a Com port to use with SynCable.	.punch Allows user to receive punch files as punch files.	.quiet Advises the program to suppress data that would normally go to the screen.	.rate Sets the baud rate for the COM port.
.rcvefile Used to specify a receive file name. report Advises the program to create a specific report file of the session and whether to append it to an existing report or overwrite it.	.screen Used with the .quiet command line argument to allow certain messages to appear on the screen.	.speaker Controls the speaker on the older Motorola (UDS) 4824, 201/212, and V.32 internal Sync-Up modems which include a speaker.	.trace Advises the program to create a trace file for the scssion.	.unlock Allows remote commands to be executed.
.xlat Advises the program to change to a different translation table.

FastSync Variable Messages (For use with the .IF Command)

LASTFILESIZE The size of the last file received. This variable contains numeric values.	RVI If this TRUE/FALSE variable evaluates to TRUE, a reverse interrupt was received from the remote system.
FILENOTFOUND If the file named in a ".SEND" or ".SENDB" command could not be found, this TRUE/FALSE variable evaluates to TRUE.	NOBID 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 TRUE/ FALSE variable evaluates to TRUE.
ANSWERTONE If an answer back tone was detected from the remote modem after a ".CALL" command, this TRUE/FALSE variable evaluates to TRUE.	CARRIER If there is a data carrier present on the phone line, this TRUE/FALSE variable evaluates to TRUE. If this condition is true, your modem is connected to a remote modem.
CONNECTED If this TRUE/FALSE variable evaluates to TRUE, the line bid sequence has been successfully executed and neither the local nor the remote system has sent a disconnect message.	DIALTONE If this TRUE/FALSE variable evaluates to TRUE, a dial tone was detected while calling the remote system. This variable can be used along with BUSY, DIALERROR and ANSWERTONE variables to diagnose dialing problems.
DIALERROR The last ".CALL" command was not successful if this TRUE/FALSE variable evaluates to TRUE.	EXIST_FILE FileName This TRUE/FALSE variable evaluates to TRUE if the file used in place of FileName exists on the disk.
FILES_RCVD This variable contains a numeric value representing the number of files successfully received from the remote system as a result of the last ".RCVE" command. It can be used with "=", "<", or ">."	FILES_SENT This variable contains a numeric value representing the number of files successfully sent to the remote system as a result of the last ".SEND" or ".SENDB" command. It can be used with "=", "<" or ">."
LAST_FILE = FileName This expression will evaluate to TRUE if FileName is the name of the last file successfully received from the remote system.	LIMIT This TRUE/FALSE variable will evaluate to TRUE if one of the program limits (i.e., Line Bids, Retransmissions, Receive Timeouts or Transmit Timeouts) was exceeded.
RCV_ERROR This TRUE/FALSE variable will evaluate to TRUE if an error prevented the last file from being received successfully. An examination of the report file will reveal the reason for the error.	SND_ERROR TRUE/FALSE variable will evaluate to TRUE if an error prevented the last file from being sent successfully. An examination of the report file will reveal the reason for the error.
TEXTDATA This TRUE/FALSE variable will evaluate to TRUE if the last file received was sent by the remote in TEXT mode.	TIMEOUT This TRUE/FALSE variable will evaluate to TRUE if either the Transmit Timeout or the Receive Timeout limit was exceeded by the number of programmed timeouts.
TRANSDATA This TRUE/FALSE variable will evaluate to TRUE if the last file received was sent by the remote system in transparent (binary) mode.	BUSY This TRUE/FALSE variable will evaluate to TRUE if the last ".CALL" command was not successful because a busy signal was detected each time the number was dialed.
FILESIZE FileName {= \| < \| >}Size This variable will check the size of the disk file, FileName against Size using one of the comparison operators. The expression will evaluate to TRUE if the evaluation is true.	DLE_EOT This TRUE/FALSE variable will evaluate to TRUE if a DLE-EOT (hangup) protocol sequence was received from the remote system.
LAST_SUFFIX = String This TRUE/FALSE variable will evaluate to TRUE if the suffix of the last file received matches String.	SHELL {= \| < \| > } n This condition evaluates the value returned by a program called through the ".SHELL" command. If the value returned bears the correct relationship (=,< or >) to n, the expression evaluates to TRUE.
KEY [?] Checks the key struck in response to the last ".prompt" command.	ERROR This variable becomes TRUE if an error prevented the successful completion of either a ".SEND," ".SENDB," ".MESSAGE," ".RCVE," or ".CALL" command.
IOERROR Evaluates to TRUE if an I/O error was encountered writing the received data to the disk, screen, or printer.	RMT_HANGUP Evaluates to TRUE if a DEL-EOT (Data Link Escape - End of Transmission) was received from the remote system.
STRLEN Takes a string variable as an argument. The string can be either a percent (%) variable or a variable created with either the ".SET" or ".READ" command.

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Click here to see an actual command file example

Click here to see a Motorola UDS Command Comparison