Table of Contents ----------------- II. Installation - Initial System Configuration..........................5 Running the Program..................................................6 III. The ProTERM Interface................................................8 Basic Operation......................................................8 The Window Interface...............................................8 Entering a System to Dial..........................................9 Dialing a System...................................................9 Using SCROLLBACK....................................................10 Disconnecting from a Remote System..................................10 Quitting ProTERM....................................................11 IV. Day-to-Day Operations...............................................12 System Parameters...................................................12 System Name.......................................................12 Phone Number......................................................12 Baud Rate.........................................................12 Carrier Delay.....................................................13 Data Format.......................................................13 X-OFF.............................................................13 X-ON..............................................................13 Duplex............................................................13 Status Bar........................................................14 Terminal Emulation................................................14 Logon Macro.......................................................14 Quick Dialing.......................................................14 Showing the Connect Time............................................14 Sending a Break Signal..............................................14 Using the Copy Buffer...............................................14 Clearing the Copy Buffer............................................15 Viewing the Copy Buffer.............................................15 Printing the Copy Buffer............................................15 Writing the Copy Buffer.............................................15 Using the Printer On-Line...........................................15 Advanced SCROLLBACK.................................................16 Viewing SCROLLBACK Data.............................................16 Selecting SCROLLBACK Data...........................................16 Control Show........................................................16 On-Line Parameters..................................................17 Baud Rate.........................................................17 Format............................................................17 X-OFF.............................................................17 X-ON..............................................................17 Duplex............................................................17 Status Bar........................................................17 Terminal Emulation................................................17 Installing Hardware and Setting Defaults............................17 Hardware..........................................................18 Default...........................................................18 Path..............................................................18 Quitting ProTERM....................................................18 V. Disk Functions......................................................19 File Selection System...............................................19 Duplicate Files.....................................................19 File Locked.........................................................20 Writing a File to Disk..............................................20 Format Status.....................................................20 Control Chars.....................................................20 Segmented Write...................................................20 File Format.......................................................20 Auto Saving to Disk.................................................20 Viewing Disk Files..................................................21 Printing Disk Files.................................................21 Cataloging Files....................................................21 Disk Commands.......................................................21 C - Copy Files....................................................21 D - Delete a File.................................................21 F - Format a Disk.................................................22 K - Create a Subdirectory.........................................22 L - Log a Pathname................................................22 R - Rename a File.................................................22 Z - Catalog Volume................................................22 X - Exit to the Main Menu.........................................22 VI. Print Functions.....................................................23 Ways to Use the Printer.............................................23 On-Line Printing....................................................23 Quick Printing without Control......................................23 Printing with Control...............................................23 Printing the Copy Buffer..........................................23 Printing Disk Files...............................................23 The Print Parameters..............................................23 Page Margins....................................................24 Paragraph Processing............................................24 Suppress Control Characters.....................................24 Suppress Form Feeds.............................................24 Interpret Dot Commands..........................................24 Complete Control....................................................24 Dot Commands........................................................25 Width of the Page.................................................25 Indenting.........................................................25 Justification.....................................................25 Length of the Page................................................25 Headers and Footers...............................................26 Miscellaneous.....................................................26 Dot Command Summary.................................................27 VII. The ProTERM Editor..................................................28 General.............................................................28 Creating a Document.................................................28 Loading and Saving Documents........................................28 Moving Around in the ProTERM Editor.................................29 Deleting and Inserting Text.........................................30 Finding and Replacing Words.........................................31 Cutting and Pasting.................................................32 Reformatting Text...................................................33 Special Block Functions.............................................34 Miscellaneous Editor Commands.......................................34 Summary of the ProTERM Editor Commands..............................35 VIII. Sending and Receiving Files.........................................37 Sending a Text File.................................................37 Mode..............................................................37 Prompt............................................................37 Line Width........................................................37 Add LF to CR......................................................37 Inter-char Delay..................................................37 Inter-line Delay..................................................37 Protocols...........................................................37 Sending with a Protocol.............................................40 Mode..............................................................40 Max Retries.......................................................40 Sending a File......................................................40 Example: File Send...............................................40 Sending Batch.......................................................41 Sending Binary II...................................................42 Sending a Disk......................................................42 Receiving with a Protocol...........................................42 Default File Type.................................................42 Receiving a File....................................................42 Example: File Receive............................................42 Receive Batch.......................................................44 Receive Binary II...................................................44 Receive a Disk......................................................44 IX. Macros..............................................................45 AUTOLEARN Macros....................................................45 Creating AUTOLEARN Macros.........................................45 String Macros.......................................................45 Creating String Macros............................................45 Programmable Macros.................................................46 Creating Programmable Macros......................................46 Example Macros......................................................47 Macro Command Summary...............................................48 X. ProTERM Procedure Macros............................................49 Creating a Procedure Macro..........................................49 Handling Lists from within Procedure Macros.........................50 Accessing Menu Commands from Procedure Files........................51 Variables...........................................................51 Branching Out in Procedure Files....................................52 Conditionals........................................................52 Status Flags........................................................53 Procedure Command Set...............................................53 *IF...............................................................53 *IFNOT............................................................53 *IFTIME...........................................................54 *NEWTIME..........................................................54 *SET..............................................................54 *CHECK............................................................54 *END..............................................................55 Handling File Selection within Procedure Macros.....................55 Communicating with Keyboard Macros..................................56 Automatic Procedures................................................58 Procedure Command Summary...........................................58 XI. Unattended Operation................................................59 Unattended Parameters...............................................59 Password..........................................................59 Welcome File......................................................59 Path..............................................................59 Recv Disk Volume..................................................59 Send Disk Volume..................................................59 Getting into Unattended.............................................59 Unattended Commands.................................................60 "?"...............................................................60 "H"ang Up.........................................................60 "C"hat............................................................60 "L"og Prefix......................................................60 "D"irectory.......................................................60 "V"iew............................................................60 Unattended File Transfer............................................60 Send Procedures.....................................................61 "S"end............................................................61 Receive Procedures..................................................62 "R"eceive.........................................................62 Sending and Receiving Disks.........................................63 Appendix - A Using ProTERM without a Modem................................66 Going from Voice to Data Transfer...................................67 Advanced Dialing....................................................67 Dialing Phone Numbers in Excess of 27 Characters....................67 Appendix B - Common Cable Pinouts.........................................69 Appendix C - Troubleshooting..............................................72 Appendix D - Error Messages...............................................74 Description of ProTERM Protocol Error Messages......................74 Appendix E - Terminal Emulation...........................................76 DEC VT-100..........................................................76 VT-100 Main Keyboard Mapping for All Apples.........................76 VT-100 Arrow Key Mapping for Apple //e & //c........................77 VT-100 Numeric Keypad Mapping for Apple //e & //c...................77 VT-100 Arrow Key Mapping for Apple IIGS.............................77 VT-100 Numeric Keypad Mapping for Apple IIGS........................77 Appendix F - Keyfix - Change the Editor's Keys............................79 KEYFIX - Editor Key Definition for ProTERM..........................79 The Standard Command Set..........................................79 The Alternate Command Set.........................................80 Glossary..................................................................86 Installation - Initial System Configuration ------------------------------------------- Once you have made a working copy of the distribution diskette, you must inform ProTERM about the hardware with which it will be operating. Make sure that the following steps are performed with a working copy and not with the distribution disk which was included with this manual. Boot the working copy of your ProTERM diskette or run ProTERM from the hard disk (execute the file PROTERM.SYSTEM). The disk will spin briefly and the Checkmate logo will appear. After about three seconds, the picture will disappear and the disk will run some more. After a few more seconds, the screen will clear and the title bar will appear at the top of the screen with the name of the program. A window will open up in the middle of the screen which will be titled "Install Modem". Within the window, several modems, modem ports for the Apple //c and Apple IIGS, and a list of serial cards will be displayed. If an internal modem (such as the Novation Apple-Cat) is used, select it by using the arrow keys to move the highlighted bar to the entry. If an external modem (such as the Hayes Smartmodem 1200 or a "Hayes-compatible" modem) is being used, select the serial card that you are using by pressing the arrow keys until the selection is highlighted, then press [RETURN]. When the internal modem or serial card has been selected, you must specify the card's slot within the computer. Use the arrow keys to highlight the number of the slot where the card is placed. Typically, slot 2 is used for modems in an Apple. If you selected either the Apple //c or IIGS modem port, choosing a slot will not be required, as ProTERM already knows where to find these ports. If you are using an external modem (such as an Apple Personal Modem), your modem must be specified after selecting your serial card. Use the arrow keys to scroll through the list of external modems, highlighting the modem which is connected to your computer. If your modem is not listed, consult your modem manual for its compatibility with other modems. Many modems are "Hayes-compatible". If you cannot find the name of a compatible modem, one of the Hayes Smartmodems should be selected. If you have a 300 baud modem, select "Hayes Smartmodem 300". If you have a 1200 or 2400 baud modem, select "Hayes Smartmodem 1200" or "Hayes Smartmodem 2400". If your modem is not "Hayes-compatible", then you should select the "Null Modem Driver". With this driver, you will always be in terminal mode, and you may type the necessary commands to your modem directly. Next, a list of printer interface cards will be displayed. If your system does not contain a printer, use the arrow keys to highlight the "No Printer in System" option and press [RETURN]. Otherwise, use the arrow keys to scan through the list and select your printer interface card. If your card is not listed, use the "Generic Printer Driver" entry. This will work with nearly all printer cards. Lastly, use the arrow keys to select the slot into which the printer interface card is plugged. Typically, the printer interface card will be in slot 1. Once the modem and printer interface card have been specified, a window titled "Install" will be displayed. This window will display ProTERM's current configuration. To change the modem, use the arrow keys to highlight the word "Modem" and press [RETURN]. To change the printer interface card, use the arrow keys to highlight the word "Printer" and press [RETURN]. The "INIT" choice may be used to change the string of characters sent by ProTERM to the modem when it is first initialized by the program. A default initialization string is provided that will work with most "Hayes-compatible" modems. Do not change this string unless you are familiar with initialization strings and need to change the one provided for your modem. If the current configuration is correct, use the arrow keys to select the word "Quit" and press [RETURN]. You have completed the configuration of your "Working Copy" disk. If you left ProTERM at this point and checked the catalog of your working disk, you would see that a new file, PT.BIOS, has been added to the disk. This file contains information needed for ProTERM to operate in the environment you have specified. Now is a good time to make your "Backup Working Copy" and store it away. Later, as you add systems and macros to ProTERM, the PT.DIAL and PT.MACRO files will be created or updated on your working copy. As noted, it is wise to back up your working copy from time to time, just in case it is damaged. Should this happen, you will not have to reconstruct your list of systems and their logon macros. Running the Program When ProTERM is booted (or following an Install), the screen will clear and you will see the title screen. The memory available to the copy buffer will be displayed next to "Copy Buffer Size:" and the memory available for the SCROLLBACK buffer will be displayed next to "Scrollback Size:". These numbers are variable because ProTERM will automatically find expanded memory in a //e or //c (as long as the memory card uses the auxiliary slot protocol) or it will use expansion memory in the IIGS. In a //c with a 1/2 Meg Checkmate MultiRam CX card, the copy buffer will be 45K and SCROLLBACK will be 378K; in a //e with a 1 Meg Checkmate MultiRam RGB card, the copy buffer will be 46K and the SCROLLBACK buffer will be 700K; in a IIGS with a 2 Meg Checkmate MultiRam GS card, the SCROLLBACK will be over 2100K!!! In contrast, a 128K Apple //e only offers a 23K copy buffer and a 21K SCROLLBACK. The importance of a large SCROLLBACK buffer will be discussed in Chapter 3. Also, see Appendix A for details on the use of expanded memory cards and RAM disks. After the introductory screen is displayed, ProTERM initializes the system. The first stage will find all usable memory in the system and clear it for use with SCROLLBACK and the copy buffer. This step is invisible to the user. The next stage is started when the message "Initializing System Modem" is displayed. If the system contains an external modem with lights, they will probably flash at this time. Should a problem occur, a message, "Unable to Initialize Modem", will be displayed. If this message appears, make sure that the modem is powered on. If the modem is already on, try powering it off and on again. Use ProTERM's "Retry" option to attempt a second initialization. If this attempt also fails, select the "Install" option and make sure that the current hardware configuration is correct. Under certain conditions ProTERM may "hang" after displaying the title screen. This will happen if ProTERM was incorrectly configured for your hardware. While this may be somewhat alarming, there are no ill effects associated with it. You must, however, convince ProTERM to allow you to install your hardware again. There are two ways to go about this. The first way involves rebooting ProTERM and pressing the [I] key while it is booting. This takes you into install. The second is to use a disk utility such as FILER, and delete the file "PT.BIOS" from your working copy. If you boot ProTERM after "PT.BIOS" is removed, it will go automatically into the install mode, as it did originally. If your computer does not contain a clock, ProTERM will display the last date set and prompt for it to be updated. If the date is correct, just press [RETURN]. If the date is not correct, use the arrow keys to position the cursor over the incorrect portion and type in the date. Press [RETURN] once the correct date has been set. ProTERM will then save the modified date to disk. Once the system has been initialized, ProTERM prepares itself for your commands by displaying the Main Menu. III. The ProTERM interface --------------------------- Basic Operation --------------- The Window Interface -------------------- ProTERM features a "multiple-choice window-based user-interface". In simpler words, the program takes its instructions through temporary pop-up windows. The reason for this is simple: windows preserve the underlying screen information. It is advantageous to be able to issue commands without affecting the information displayed during an on-line session. All command and option selection is done through multiple-choice interfaces. Since the available choices are always displayed, you never have to guess what options you have. When not connected to a remote system (local mode), ProTERM always displays the Main Menu. Commands are executed by pressing the corresponding letter. NOTE: ProTERM frequently uses the open- or solid-apple keys to invoke commands. This manual uses "SA" to denote either apple key. The notation for an ordinary key that you enter will be shown in brackets - [ ]. The key may be entered in either uppercase or lowercase. To show that you are to press the Control key with another key, this manual will use [CTRL]-[ ] (with the key in the brackets). When on-line with a remote system (terminal mode), commands are issued by pressing either of the two apple keys in conjunction with a letter that corresponds to the command. To display the Main Menu while you are in terminal mode, hold down either of the apple keys for approximately three seconds and the Main Menu will appear. The menu will go away when the apple key is released. As you learn the command keys, you may "shortcut" past the Main Menu by pressing the SA+command key, and not waiting for the menu to appear. ProTERM's use of the apple keys for commands makes it possible for you to send all normal keyboard characters, including control characters. When typing window entries with ProTERM, text input is done via a standard set of text editing commands. Initially, the cursor will always be placed at the end of any string of text to be edited. Any new text that is entered will "overstrike" existing text. Text entry is ended when the [RETURN] key is pressed. The cursor may be at any point in the text when [RETURN] is pressed without truncating (or "lopping off") the tail of the text string. As you enter text, the following editing commands may be used: Press Means To Get ----- ----- ------ [CTRL]-[B] [BEGIN] Move to beginning of line. [CTRL]-[D] [DELETE] Delete the character at the cursor. [CTRL]-[F] [INSERT] Insert a space at the cursor. [CTRL]-[N] [END] Move to the end of line. [CTRL]-[R] [RESTORE] Restore line to original content (if [RETURN] has not been pressed yet). [CTRL]-[X] [CANCEL] Erase entire line. [CTRL]-[Y] [TRUNC] Truncate line at cursor. Some windows contain more than one field. When editing a multiple field window, the [TAB] key may be used to advance to the next field, and from the last field back to the first. If a field is entered in error, press [TAB] until that same field is highlighted again and make the proper entry. Press [RETURN] on the last field to accept the window. If things are really messed up, you can always press [ESC] to cancel the operation. All windows and choices have a default selection. If you are ever unsure of what choice to make, simply press [RETURN] to accept the default setting. Entering a System to Dial ------------------------- When ProTERM is ready for your commands, it can be used to call a system. If you do not already have a system's phone number, check with your computer retailer or local Users' Groups for the number of a private bulletin board in your area. To call a system, select [D] for dial from the main menu. Alternatively, you may simply enter a [RETURN] from the main menu and you will be taken to the "Dial a System" menu. A list of two options will be presented. The first option is "Enter New System". The second option will be "Quick Dial System". Use the arrow keys to highlight the "Enter New System" option and press [RETURN]. A new window will appear prompting for the name of the system to be called. The name may be up to 27 characters long and may contain both upper and lower case. Type in the name of the system. If you make a mistake, use the backspace key or any of the editing keys to make the needed corrections. Press [RETURN] when finished. Next, type in the phone number of the system and press [RETURN]. Use the arrow keys to select the baud rate. If the baud rate of the remote system is not known, set the baud rate to 300. Press [RETURN] to accept. The carrier delay is the number of seconds to wait for the remote modem to answer; leave the carrier delay at the default of 30 seconds. Once ProTERM has information about at least one system, the dialing menu will display a systems list in alphabetic order. If more than 9 systems have been entered, you may use the arrow keys to scroll to systems beyond the first 9 entries. ProTERM's dialing list will accommodate 28 system names and numbers. Dialing a System ---------------- Once a system's information has been entered, the original "Dial a System" window will be displayed. Notice that the system you just defined was added to the list. Press [RETURN] to select the system. The "System Parameters" window will now be displayed along with options for dialing, continuous dialing, editing, or deleting the system. If you made a mistake while setting up the system, select the "Edit" option. The four original parameters may then be edited along with some additional parameters. After making any needed changes, use [RETURN] or [TAB] to skip over fields that are already correct. Once finished, the dial, continuous dial, edit, or delete options may again be selected. Select "Dial" to call the system. A small window will open in the lower right hand corner and ProTERM will dial the system. If your modem is equipped with a speaker, the progress of the call may be monitored. If you hear a busy signal and wish to re-dial before ProTERM has waited for the carrier delay to expire, press [RETURN]. If you wish to cancel the dial attempt altogether, press [ESC]. If the carrier delay expires without establishing a connection, a window labeled "Unable to Connect" will be displayed. From this window, a [RETURN] will cause a single re-dial to take place. If the attempted connection fails again, ProTERM will return to this window once more. To automatically redial the system, select the "Continuous" option and ProTERM will dial the system over and over until a connection is established or [ESC] is pressed. With the continuous dial option, a 'bell' will sound once the connection is made. Once connected with the remote system, the screen will clear except for the top status bar and ProTERM will enter terminal mode. From this point, you can log on, apply for a password, or conduct "business as usual" with the remote system. Your commands are now governed by the system you have called. NOTE: After at least one remote system has been entered in the "Dial a System" menu, a check of the catalog will reveal that the "PT.DIAL" file has been created. Again, it is wise to backup your working disk periodically so your list of systems is preserved if the working copy of your ProTERM disk fails. Using SCROLLBACK ---------------- After logging-on to a remote system, you will usually ask the system to display the special command set for that system. Sometimes you will view instructions for establishing your password, editing text, etc. Now, if you wanted to refer to the information after it scrolled off the screen, you would have to request the remote system to re-display the information you wish to see. Unfortunately, on a system which charges for connect-time, or on a long-distance call, this costs money. ProTERM offers a nearly-instantaneous way of doing the same thing! SCROLLBACK is ProTERM's unique storage area that is devoted exclusively to "remembering" information that has scrolled off the screen. You can enter the SCROLLBACK area and browse through it, finding the information you need. If you recall, at the time the system was booted, you were told how much memory was available to the SCROLLBACK buffer. This is how much ProTERM can retain for your review using SCROLLBACK. SCROLLBACK is "temporary memory", in that quitting ProTERM or losing power to your system causes the contents of the SCROLLBACK buffer to disappear forever. Until that occurs, however, the information is there, waiting to be called back to the screen. Information that has scrolled off the top of your computer's screen accumulates in SCROLLBACK memory until it fills up. Once SCROLLBACK memory is full, new lines coming into SCROLLBACK push the "oldest" lines out of the buffer. Once data has been pushed out of the buffer, it cannot be recalled from SCROLLBACK. When on-line, enter SCROLLBACK by pressing either apple key in conjunction with one of the arrow keys. The screen should clear and two highlighted bars will appear at the top and bottom of the screen. If this does not happen, try pressing the SA-[ARROW] combination again. Once in SCROLLBACK, the contents of the current screen will be displayed. Pressing the up arrow causes the screen to scroll back a page. The data that had previously scrolled off the screen will now be displayed. The up and down arrow keys scroll up and down one page, while the left and right arrow keys scroll up and down one line. The numbers 1 through 9 position the screen at various points within the SCROLLBACK data, similar to the method used in AppleWorks; "1" goes to the oldest data, "9" goes to the newest data and numbers "2" through "8" go to points in between. Remember that while you are in SCROLLBACK, the remote system is waiting for you to do something. If you stay in SCROLLBACK too long, the remote system may hang up on you. Once you have finished looking through SCROLLBACK, press [ESC] to exit from SCROLLBACK back to terminal mode. While you are in SCROLLBACK, ProTERM attempts to suspend all incoming data. If data continues to come in, only the last 256 bytes (characters) will be saved. Disconnecting from a Remote System ---------------------------------- To disconnect from the remote system, use the "Hangup" command. Enter SA-[H] and select the "Hangup" option. The word "Hangup" may be selected by using either of the arrow keys to move the inverse cursor or by typing the letter [H] in either upper or lower case. The modem will then disconnect from the remote system after a few seconds. Depending on the nature of the system to which you are connected, you may need to issue a disconnect command to the remote system before you tell ProTERM to hang up. On some remote systems, failing to issue the disconnect command will leave the remote tied up so other callers cannot access it until the operator resets it. If the remote system hangs up at any time while you are on-line, ProTERM will return to the Main Menu automatically, and an "Off-line" status will be displayed in the status bar at the top of the screen. Quitting ProTERM ---------------- To leave ProTERM and reenter ProDOS, select the SA-[X] option for "Exit ProTERM". Since exiting the program erases both the copy buffer and the SCROLLBACK buffer, you will be asked to confirm that you wish to quit the program. You may confirm your decision using either the arrow keys and [RETURN] or the letter [Y] and [RETURN]. If the copy buffer or editor contains text, a warning will appear to remind you to save the text prior to exiting. If you confirm that you want to quit, you will be directed into the "ProDOS Quit Code". If you booted ProTERM from a copy of the original disk, you will enter the SQUIRT program selector. SQUIRT is designed to make it simple to move between ProDOS applications. More detailed information about SQUIRT is provided in Appendix G. IV. Day-to-Day Operations -------------------------- Day-to-day operations are those that occur during the routine use of ProTERM. Much of the information in this section has been touched upon in "Getting Started". The entries in this section are grouped in the order that their need will occur for the "average" user with the more common operations detailed first and the less-frequently used operations later. System Parameters ----------------- Each system entered in the ProTERM "Dial a System" list has many associated parameters. The "System Parameters" are characteristics of each system that allow ProTERM to deal with many different types of systems from large commercial services with very special requirements to simple private Bulletin Board Systems (BBS's). To edit any of these parameters use the "Dial" (SA-[D]) command and select the system to edit. A window will appear displaying all of the parameters. The cursor will initially be on the "Dial" command; use the arrow keys to move the cursor to "Edit". The process always begins with the "System Name" field selected. Use the [TAB] or [RETURN] key to go to the next field. From the last field, "Logon Macro", [TAB] takes you back to "System Name" while [RETURN] takes you to the dial, continuous-dial, edit, and delete options. The parameters and their meanings are as follows: System Name ----------- This is the name as it will be displayed in the system list in "Dial". The name can be up to 27 characters long with both upper and lower case. If the system name is changed, the name will be re-alphabetized into the list of systems. Phone Number ------------ This is the phone number of the remote system. The phone number can be up to 27 characters long and may contain several "meta-characters" (see Appendix A for a method to use up to 64 characters if needed). The meta-characters are: * Wait for 2 seconds # Send the "#" on a touch tone phone & Send the "*" on a touch tone phone P Set to pulse dialing mode T Set to tone dialing mode Some examples of the meta-characters in a dialing string would include: P123-4567 Dial with pulse dialing. 9*123-4567 Dial out through a switchboard, pause, then dial an outside number. 123-4567*code*123-111-2234 Dial via a long distance network. ProTERM always defaults to touch-tone dialing. A "P" must be placed in the dialing string to force pulse dialing. The "T" meta-character was included so that users using pulse phone lines could dial through long distance, tone activated networks. Baud Rate --------- The baud rate is the speed at which ProTERM will "talk to" or send/receive characters to/from the remote system. This is governed by the speed of your modem and that of the remote modem. The most commonly used speeds through dial up lines are 300, 1200, and 2400 baud. ProTERM supports seven baud rates: 110, 300, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, and 19200. Set the baud rate to the maximum speed of the remote system. If a system is called with a baud rate that is not supported by your modem, ProTERM will automatically change the baud rate to a speed that your modem supports. If you are unsure of the speed of a remote system, start with the highest speed of your modem and work down or just call at 300 baud. Either way, it is a good idea to eventually set the baud rate to the maximum of that of the remote system. If you attempt to connect with a system at a baud rate it does not support, you will receive only "garbage characters". Carrier Delay ------------- The carrier delay is the amount of time that your modem will spend attempting to make a connection with the remote system. The default time is 30 seconds. When calling long distance, the connection generally takes longer to establish, and a carrier delay of 45 seconds is a good idea. When calling a local system, cut down the carrier delay to the minimum needed. Generally 20 seconds (sometimes even 15 seconds) is acceptable. The advantage to setting a short delay time is in continuous dialing: the more time ProTERM can call each minute, the better your chance of connecting to a busy service. Data Format ----------- Data is sent over a modem in an asynchronous serial format. In short, this means that the data is sent one bit at a time in a pre-specified format to the remote system where it is reassembled again. Thus, it is very important that both ends agree on the format they are using. When a character is sent, it looks something like: start|data0|data1|data2|data3|data4|data5|data6|parity|stop The start bit is sent to indicate the start of a byte (or character). Next, the actual data is sent one bit at a time. In the above model, seven data bits are sent, while in real life, 8 data bits are more common. Optionally, a parity bit may follow the data. Parity is a form of "error checking" that helps to determine the validity of the data. Lastly, one or more stop bits are sent. These indicate that the end of the byte has arrived. The most commonly used format is "8N1". There are eight data bits sent, with no parity, and one stop bit. The next most frequent format is "7E1". It sends seven data bits, an "even" parity bit, and one stop bit. Parity is referred to in terms of "even", "odd", and "none". Normally, if this parameter is left alone, there will be no problems. If you find that you are connected to a remote system and are receiving only "garbage" characters, an incorrect format is the second suspect after making sure that the system supports the baud rate you are using. X-OFF ----- This is the character that is sent by ProTERM to the remote system to pause output from that system. Most systems use control-S (displayed as ^S) to stop output, though a few non-standard systems use characters such as "P" (for pause). It is very important that this character be defined properly. Many times when you issue ProTERM a command, ProTERM will send the X-OFF character to the remote system to pause it while ProTERM processes the command. If you are unsure of the setting of this parameter, leave it alone. X-ON ---- This is the character sent by ProTERM to the remote system to start output again after an X-OFF character has been sent. The standard is control-Q (displayed as ^Q), though sometimes others are used. Duplex ------ Duplex refers to how data is displayed by ProTERM when typed in at the local keyboard. Most systems run Full duplex. In full duplex, all data that is typed locally is sent to the remote system, but is not displayed on the local screen. The data is then "echoed" back by the remote system, where it is displayed on your screen. Some older systems run Half duplex. When data is typed locally, it is immediately displayed on the local screen and then sent to the remote system. The data is not echoed back. "Chat" duplex allows two users to type back and forth with each other and provides the needed echo so that each can see what is being typed. Status Bar ---------- The top status bar which gives the status of ProTERM may be toggled off or on with this flag. It is normally left on except when a full screen is desired. The status bar should be turned off when terminal emulation is in use so that it is not overwritten by incoming data. Terminal Emulation ------------------ One of the most powerful features of ProTERM is that it can emulate many standard terminals. This feature is very useful for users of UNIX based systems or other hosts that take advantage of terminal emulation. If you are calling a standard system that does not support terminal emulation, select the "No Emulation" option. See Appendix E for a more complete discussion of terminal emulation. Logon Macro ----------- This flag allows the user to enable or disable the macros. With macros enabled, the user can put ProTERM into "Learn" mode, where ProTERM will build a macro for the system. Chapter 9, "Macros" has more details. Quick Dialing ------------- There are occasions when a system needs to be called on a one-time basis. Using "Quick Dial", a system may be called without entering it into the dialing list. With "Quick Dial", the phone number, baud rate, and carrier delay are entered for each call. The information is not recorded to disk, and will be forgotten by ProTERM after the call has been completed. Begin quick dial by entering the phone number (including any of the special dialing characters "P", "T", or "*"). Next, select the baud rate. Last, set the amount of time to wait for the remote system to answer the phone. Once these fields are set, enter a [RETURN]. The "Dialing" window will open and ProTERM will dial the system. If no connection is made, a continuous dial may be started by selecting the "Continuous" option from the "Unable to Connect" window. Showing the Connect Time ------------------------ If your computer contains a ProDOS-compatible clock, ProTERM will monitor the time at which you connect with a remote system and compute how long you are on. At any time, while you are either on-line or off-line, you can press the SA-[N] command, and the time you connected, the time you terminated (the current time if you are still on-line), and the elapsed time will be displayed in the upper right corner of the status bar. As soon as you press any key on the keyboard, the time will disappear. Sending a Break Signal ---------------------- Some remote hosts, especially the large commercial services, have a special "interrupt" key that can be used to stop operations. This key is called the "Break Key". To send a break to the remote system, press the SA-[B] command. This signal does varying things depending on the specific service you are using. In general it will halt any operation that is in progress. Using the Copy Buffer --------------------- One of the most important functions of a terminal program is to be able to save incoming data. ProTERM has several facilities for doing this, the most often used being the copy buffer. The copy buffer is basically just a "holding tank" for data and also serves as ProTERM's text editor. Unlike SCROLLBACK, which saves all incoming data, the copy buffer can be used to save selected portions of incoming data. The copy buffer is empty until something is placed in it. In contrast, the SCROLLBACK buffer accumulates everything that crosses your computer's screen. When on-line with a remote system, the copy buffer can be turned on with the SA-[C] command. If the status bar is enabled, it will then show "Copy" as "On". The "bytes free" counter will also start to decrease as data comes in from the remote system. The most important thing to remember about the copy buffer is that only new data will be saved. When the copy buffer is turned on, data already displayed on the screen will not be saved. To save data already showing on screen or in the SCROLLBACK buffer, see the section on "Advanced SCROLLBACK". The only way to actually tell the exact point at which data started being saved is to use the "View Copy Buffer" command to view the contents of the copy buffer. Once the desired data has been saved in the copy buffer, press SA-[C] again to toggle the copy buffer off. The copy buffer may be toggled on and off as many times as needed. New data is always appended at the end of the old data. Clearing the Copy Buffer ------------------------ If there is old data in the copy buffer that should be discarded, the SA-[K] command will clear the buffer. If the copy buffer is already empty, a notice to that effect will be displayed. Otherwise, confirmation will be requested. If confirmation is given, the copy buffer will be cleared and all old data will be lost. It may be advisable to check the contents of the copy buffer with the "View Copy Buffer" command before clearing the buffer. Viewing the Copy Buffer ----------------------- To examine the current contents of the copy buffer, use the SA-[V] command. If the copy buffer is empty, a message will be displayed. Otherwise, the data will be displayed as it is within the copy buffer. Use the arrow keys to page forward and back through the data. Press [ESC] to exit. Printing the Copy Buffer ------------------------ To print out the contents of the copy buffer, use the SA-[G] command. The "Print" window will open from which you can select the options that manipulate the data that is to be sent to your printer. By default, the parameters will be set to print the copy buffer in an "as-is" state. No special text manipulation will take place. To print the data in this way, just select "Print" and press [RETURN]. For more information, please refer to Chapter 6, "Print Functions". Writing the Copy Buffer ----------------------- Once there is data in the copy buffer, you may write the buffer contents to disk. Using the SA-[W] command will cause the "Write Copy Buffer" windows to open. If the data is to be written to the volume indicated in the lower window, enter a filename in the upper window. If the data is to be written to a different volume, specify the volume to receive the data in the lower window and the filename in the upper window. For more information, please refer to Chapter 5, "Disk Functions". NOTE: Writing the copy buffer/text editor from the Main Menu will clear all text from the copy buffer editor. Using the Printer On-Line ------------------------- While data that is saved into the copy buffer may be printed, the printer may also be placed directly on-line so that all incoming data is printed as it is received. To do this, select the SA-[P] command. All data received after entering this command will be sent to the printer and ProTERM will use the "X-OFF/X-ON" flow control so that the printer does not fall behind the modem. Use SA-[P] to toggle the printer off. See also Chapter 6, "Print Functions". Advanced SCROLLBACK ------------------- In addition to being able to view the data in SCROLLBACK, it is also possible to select portions of text. Once selected, the text may be placed into the copy buffer, written to disk, or printed out. Viewing SCROLLBACK Data ----------------------- To enter SCROLLBACK use the SA-arrow command. Once in SCROLLBACK, the arrow keys will scroll the display back and forth through the text. Press the [TAB] key to enter select mode. A cursor will appear at some point on the screen. The up and down arrows will now move the cursor up and down a single line, while the left and right arrows will move the cursor within the current line. Use either apple key in conjunction with the up and down arrows to scroll the display a page in either direction. Pressing the [TAB] key a second time will exit select mode and return you to normal viewing. Selecting SCROLLBACK Data ------------------------- To actually select text, press the [TAB] key to enter the select mode. Move the cursor to the beginning or end of the selection you wish to make. Press the [SPACEBAR] to begin the selection. Move the cursor to either the end or beginning of the selection using the apple and arrow keys as noted above. The selected text becomes highlighted as the cursor is moved. Once the selection is complete, press [RETURN] to accept the selection. Press [SPACEBAR] again to select a new beginning/end point and disregard the last highlighted section. If you press the [TAB] key, you will exit the select mode and return to the normal viewing mode. Once the text is selected, a window will appear which will allow the destination of the selection to be specified. Use the arrow keys to indicate whether the selected text is to be moved into the Copy Buffer, Written to Disk, or sent directly to the Printer and press [RETURN]. If the selection is to be written to disk, a filename must be specified along with several write parameters. If the selection is sent to the copy buffer, the data will be appended to any data currently in the copy buffer. From SCROLLBACK, the copy buffer is generally used as a "clipboard". Several selections may be made and sent to the copy buffer. This allows you to specify only a portion of the data in the SCROLLBACK buffer to be saved into the copy buffer. If you have sufficient system memory to allow the SCROLLBACK buffer to capture an entire session with a remote system, you may sign on, view all the desired information and system messages, then sign off without being concerned about switching the copy buffer on and off at the appropriate points. Then you may "clip" selected portions of the SCROLLBACK buffer to be duplicated in the copy buffer. After all the data is in the copy buffer, the copy buffer may be printed, edited, or written to disk. If you select the "Printer" option to print the selected data, ProTERM will immediately send the data to the printer. Make sure that your printer is turned on and ready to go before selecting "Printer". Please note, however, no formatting is done on the selected text. If you wish the text to be formatted or processed, you should either write it to disk or place it in the copy buffer. Then use either the "Print Copy Buffer" or "Print Disk File" commands to print the text. See also Chapter 6, "Print Functions". After the selection has been handled, ProTERM will return to SCROLLBACK. More text may now be selected or you can press the [ESC] key to exit from SCROLLBACK. Control Show ------------ There are cases where it is advantageous to be able to see all data that is being sent by a remote system, including the control characters that are normally invisible. Using the SA-[Q] command causes ProTERM to show all control characters that are received by prefixing each one with a carat "^" character. A control-C would be displayed as "^C". The only character that is not displayed is control-J (linefeed). On-Line Parameters ------------------ Several of ProTERM's communication parameters may be changed while on-line. To edit any of these on-line parameters, enter the SA-[O] command. The on-line parameters window will be displayed showing the parameters discussed below. If you do not understand the function of any of the parameters, use either [TAB] or [RETURN] to skip over the field. The on-line parameters are: Baud Rate --------- You would not normally want to change the baud rate while on-line, but if it becomes necessary for some reason, it can be changed at this point. If you are connected to another system and are receiving only "garbage" characters, the problem may be that you and the remote system are not operating at the same baud rate. As discussed previously, use the arrow keys to change the baud rate. Format ------ While there are a number of different formats possible, only four are supported by ProTERM. They are 8N1, 8N2, 7E1, and 7O1. Normally, "8N1" is used, but any of the others may be set. "8N1" represents 8 data bits, No Parity, and 1 stop bit. If you are connected to another system and are receiving only "garbage" characters, the data format is the next suspect after improperly matched baud rates. If you are sure that the baud rate is correct, use the arrow keys to switch the format to "7E1" (7 data bits, Even Parity, and 1 stop bit). X-OFF ----- The character that is sent to the remote system to pause output may be changed here. The most common X-OFF character is control-S (^S), but others like "P" are in use on some systems. If you find that you lose data when issuing ProTERM commands, the X-OFF character may be improperly set. X-ON ---- This is the character that is sent to the remote system to restart it after an X-OFF character has been sent. Normally, control-Q (^Q) is used, but some systems require other characters. Duplex ------ This is the way in which data you type at the local console is echoed to the local screen. In full duplex, the remote system echoes all characters back to the local system. In half duplex, data is displayed on the local screen as it is sent to the remote system. If you connect to another computer user using a terminal program, "Chat" duplex is the preferred mode. "Chat" mode provides you with an echo of what you type and adds a linefeed when you press return. Status Bar ---------- The status bar can be enabled or disabled at any time. After the on-line parameters window is closed, the status bar will either remain or disappear depending on the status of this parameter. If terminal emulation is in use, the status bar should usually be turned off. Terminal Emulation ------------------ ProTERM will emulate whichever terminal is selected by this parameter. If "No Emulation" is set, ProTERM will operate normally, responding to the normal ASCII-defined characters. See also Appendix E, "Terminal Emulation". Installing Hardware and Setting Defaults ---------------------------------------- To make a change in your system hardware configuration, program and pathname defaults, select the SA-[I] command. Be sure, however, that any valuable data has already been saved. Both the copy buffer and SCROLLBACK are erased when hardware is installed. Hardware -------- Selection of "Hardware" will take you to the hardware installation program. This is the same program that you used to initially configure ProTERM for your modem and printer. You may select this option to redefine your equipment; however, ProTERM will be restarted when you return. You will lose everything in the SCROLLBACK and copy buffers. Default ------- Selection of "Default" will instruct ProTERM to save all of your settings. This will include your last used File Write formats, Printer parameters, and Send/Receive options. This also includes setting any name on your dial list as a default when you select [D] - "Dial a System". ProTERM saves these defaults in a file called PT.PARM on your ProTERM directory. This feature can obviously save countless keystrokes and allow you to better customize ProTERM for your convenience. Path ---- This allows selection of a ProDOS pathname default for DOS commands in ProTERM. ProTERM normally defaults to the path or directory from which it is executed. For instance, you may wish to execute ProTERM from one subdirectory or device and have another for AutoSave, file transfers, etc. Quitting ProTERM ---------------- To exit ProTERM and return to ProDOS, use the SA-[X] command. Once this operation is confirmed, ProTERM will exit to ProDOS's Quit Code. Enter the pathname to log to and the name of the new application to run. More documentation on the ProDOS Quit Code is available in the Apple ProDOS Users Manual. If you booted ProTERM from a copy of the original disk, you will enter the SQUIRT program selector. SQUIRT is designed to make it simple to move between ProDOS applications. Detailed information about SQUIRT is provided in Appendix G. V. Disk Functions ------------------ Many of ProTERM's commands involve manipulation of disk files. ProTERM has been written to take full advantage of all the features of Apple ProDOS. It supports the tree-type directory structure along with all ProDOS storage devices. File Selection System --------------------- Many commands within ProTERM perform operations on disk files. All of these commands use a standard method for selecting files. This common file processing method is called the "File Selection System". The file selection system is not a command in itself; it is actually a special subsystem that is called by many of ProTERM's commands. Whenever a filename is requested by a command, the file selection system appears. The system consists of two windows. The upper window displays the selected filename and allows new filenames to be entered. The lower window contains the names of all the files in the current directory. The name of the command requesting the file is present as the title of the upper window. To enter a new filename in the current directory, simply type it in. As soon as typing starts, the input is placed in the upper window. To go back to the main file selection system, press either the up or down arrow key, otherwise, enter a [RETURN] following the filename selection to accept the filename. Under Apple ProDOS, filenames may be up to 15 characters long and must start with an alphabetic character. The name may then contain numbers and periods. If you enter an illegal filename, ProTERM will convert it into a legal ProDOS filename. ProTERM changes illegal symbols to periods and shortens the name as needed. Since spaces are not allowed in ProDOS filenames, ProTERM will truncate or shorten a filename at the first space encountered. To select a filename that is in the current directory, use the arrow keys to scroll through the list of filenames, pressing [RETURN] once the desired filename has been highlighted. As a shortcut, the filename may also be typed in as with new files. To create or select a filename that does not reside on the current directory, either type in the full filename or use the selection system to "move around" via the arrow keys. If you type in a filename, you must include the exact path on which it resides or where it will be created. The first selection within the file window is always the parent directory. If the current directory is "/PROFILE/GAMES/FUN/", the parent directory would be "/PROFILE/GAMES/". To move to a subdirectory, just find and select its entry with [RETURN]. That directory will then be opened and its contents displayed. If you select the parent directory for a volume name, such as selecting the parent directory for "/PROFILE/", an on-line search will be made of all the volumes, and the volume names will be displayed. If there is a device on the system that does not contain a valid ProDOS volume, the unit slot and drive will be listed instead. If the unit is a disk drive, a disk may be inserted into the unit and if selected, ProDOS will check the unit; if it contains a valid ProDOS disk, ProTERM will place the volume name on the list. From this point, select the desired volume. While the list of on-line volumes is displayed, you cannot press the [ESC] key; you must select a volume before exiting this routine. Duplicate Files --------------- If an existing filename is selected when creating a new file, the "Duplicate Filename" window will appear. From this window, the existing file can either be deleted or have the new data appended to it. Select the option and ProTERM will continue with the original command. File Locked ----------- If ProTERM tries to write to a file that is locked, it will be unable to access the file and will bring up the "File Locked" window. From this window, you can either cancel the operation or unlock the file. Pressing [ESC] cancels the operation. Writing a File to Disk ---------------------- When writing a file from the copy buffer to disk, a number of parameters may be set to make the file easier to work with after it has been saved. For example, if the entire file were written to disk as a continuous stream of characters, it might be unusable by the text editor or word processor you want to use to manipulate the file. If the specific parameters are important to the use for which the data is intended, you may set them as follows: Format Status ------------- You have the choice of whether the file should be saved as individual lines, paragraphs, or special. The most common way to save the file is the Line mode. This is the way the data arrived and it means that there is a carriage return at the end of each line. If you would prefer, you may reformat the data in ProTERM's Editor or any other editor. If you wish to change the text width or the side margins, you will not be able to without first removing the carriage returns at the end of each line. When you select the Paragraph mode, these carriage returns are automatically removed for you as the file is written to the disk. Single carriage returns are replaced with a space and consecutive carriage returns are left alone as that is usually the end of a paragraph. The Special mode will take the current text in whatever mode it is in and convert it to 80 column line mode. Perhaps the best use for this mode would be converting text that you received in 40 columns with carriage returns at the end of each line. If you have ever used a word processor to find carriage returns and replace with spaces, globally reformatted, then inserted carriage returns at the end of the new lines, then you will appreciate ProTERM performing this tedious task for you. Control Chars ------------- Many times, control characters will be imbedded into text that is downloaded from a host. While this may not upset ProTERM, it can upset word processors and/or printers which may have their own definitions for the control characters. These control characters are stripped by default. Set "Control Chars" to "Unchanged" to leave the control characters in the data. Segmented Write --------------- While more commonly used with ProTERM's autosave facility, segmented write is also useful when writing the copy buffer. Many word processors can only edit limited amounts of text in one session. For example, AppleWorks has a limit of 10K on a 64K Apple //e. ProTERM comes to the rescue by allowing a document to be written out in small segments which can be easily edited. When set to "Off", the document will be written in one contiguous block. When set to "8K", multiple 8K segments will be written; "32K" will set the segment size to 32K. All additional segments beyond the first are numbered in sequence by a number appended to the end of the filename. If the file "TEST" is written, the second segment will be "TEST.01", followed by "TEST.02", etc. File Format ----------- The text may be saved to disk as either an ASCII text (TXT) file or an AppleWorks Word Processor (AWP) file. Auto Saving to Disk ------------------- In certain applications, it is desirable to save large quantities of data to disk without continually manipulating the copy buffer. "Auto-Save" automatically spools all data directly to a disk file from the time it is enabled until it is disabled. The SA-[A] command invokes this feature. Once invoked, the file selection system is used to enter a filename. Once the filename is selected, the window of file parameters will be displayed (see above section on writing to disk) for you to specify how you want the information to be written to disk when the copy buffer is full. NOTE: While Auto-Save is enabled, the copy buffer cannot be used. An error message will be displayed if you attempt to enable the copy buffer. While ProTERM is on-line and data is coming through, ProTERM periodically saves data to disk. The "X-OFF/X-ON" sequence is used to stop the remote host while the data is written to disk. When you hang up, the last partially filled copy buffer full of data will be written to disk automatically. Viewing Disk Files ------------------ Use the SA-[T] command to display the contents of a disk file. Use the file selection system to enter the filename to be displayed. You will be offered both standard text (TXT) and Appleworks Word Processor (AWP) files to choose from. Once the filename is selected, the screen will clear and the first page of the file will be displayed. Use the arrow keys to move forward and backwards through pages of the file. Press [ESC] to cancel viewing the file. Printing Disk Files ------------------- To print the contents of a disk file, use the SA-[J] command. Use the file selection system to enter the filename to be printed. You will be offered both standard text (TXT) and AppleWorks Word Processor (AWP) files to choose from. Once the filename is selected, the "Print" window will open from which you can select options to manipulate the data that is to be sent to your printer. By default, the parameters will be set to print the file in an "as is" state. No special text manipulation will take place. To print the data in this way, just select "Print" and press [RETURN]. For further information on printing, refer to Chapter 6, "Print Functions". Cataloging Files ---------------- The SA-[Z] command will display the catalog of the current disk or subdirectory. All the fields of a standard 80 column catalog will be displayed except for the "aux type" field. Press [RETURN] to advanced to the next page of the catalog. Press [ESC] to cancel the catalog. Disk Commands ------------- The SA-[Y] command will display a menu of disk commands. C - Copy Files -------------- When you press [C] from the Disk Commands menu, the file selection system presents a three-window screen. The top window and the left window are the standard file selection windows. As you highlight the file and press [RETURN], the name is entered in the third window on the right of the screen. You may continue in this manner, and the list on the right will grow. You may also change paths at any time as desired. When you have a complete list of files to copy, press [ESC]. You will then choose the single destination for your batch list of files using the standard two-window path selection system. WARNING: Copying files will clear the contents of the text editor/copy buffer. D - Delete a File ----------------- Select the [D] command to delete a disk file. Simply select the file using the file selection system. If the file is locked, a window will appear that will allow the file to be unlocked. F - Format a Disk ----------------- Use the [F] command to format a disk. ProTERM can format both 5.25 floppy disks and 3.5 unidisks. When the format command is used, ProTERM presents a list of the slot/drive locations of volumes that can be formatted. Use the arrow keys to select the appropriate slot/drive location of the volume. Once the volume location is selected, enter the name of the new volume. The volume name may be up to 15 characters in length. Do not enter the leading slash of the volume name. Once the volume name is entered, you are given one final chance to cancel. If you continue with the operation, the volume will be formatted with the given volume name and all existing data on that volume will be permanently erased. K - Create a Subdirectory ------------------------- Subdirectories are integral elements in the ProDOS tree filing system. While confusing to those new to computing, subdirectories are very useful in organizing files on large disk volumes. To create a subdirectory on a volume, simply press the [K] command and use the file selection system to log to the proper volume and directory. Enter the name of the new subdirectory and press [RETURN]. ProTERM will attempt to create the specified subdirectory on the selected volume and directory. An error message is displayed if a problem occurs. L - Log a Pathname ------------------ The most difficult part of ProDOS is becoming familiar with the tree-type directory structure. While ProTERM attempts to simplify this process, it is still possible to get confused. When the [L] log command is selected, the normal two-window file selection system display will appear. The only difference is that only directories will be displayed in the lower window as opposed to directories and filenames. If the new pathname is known, type it in and press [RETURN]. If the name is not known, select the "" or subdirectory name to move within the directory structure. Once the desired path has been established, choose the "