Recent Revision History ----------------------- This file contains the "What's new?" sections from prior {COMMO} releases. If you have used {COMMO} before, please make sure you are caught up on all the changes and improvements. ------------ ---------------- {COMMO} 3.31 December 1, 1989 ------------ ---------------- This is basically a "bug-fix" release and does not require any changes to the support files. --- Users with monochrome displays may once again set the "colors" (attributes, actually) by answering "yes" to the new Configuration File parameter attached to Item 20: 20 * {07,yes} Terminal screen colors, enable mono attributes (yes,no) Leaving it "no" will force the default colors as in release 3.30. This parameter has no effect on color displays. In either case it may be omitted and will default to "no." --- ANSI emulation has been improved. This will be especially noticeable on CompuServe, where the screen will clear properly and the capture will work correctly. --- When using command line Dialing Strings {COMMO} will no longer terminate the search if the string is located on a Dialing Directory comment line. Searching will continue until the string is matched on a valid entry line or the end of file is reached. --- Blank line expansion will now work if the first line of an ASCII Upload file is blank. --- Handling of serial port interrupts has been expanded and enhanced, improving the speed of ASCII Uploads while in DESQview. --- {COMMO} will now support the NS16550AN UART chip, enabling the FIFO buffers whenever the serial port is opened and disabling them when the serial port is closed. This is especially important when running at high speeds on multi-tasking systems, or when TSR programs create long interrupt chains which may cause overrun errors. ------------ ---------------- {COMMO} 3.30 November 2, 1989 ------------ ---------------- The Configuration File has some new entries. Previous users please edit the new sample file to your own needs. You will NOT be able to start {COMMO} using your old Configuration File (this will only take a few minutes). Appearance ---------- The appearance of the windows has been changed. Command line options -------------------- The switches have a new format: "/C=other.cfg" instead of "{C=other.cfg}," etc. Search strings may be specified to initiate dialing from the command line. For example: commo exec-pc telegodzilla will mark the directory and begin Multi Number Dialing. See COMMO.DOC for details. Status line and toggles ----------------------- What was previously "Local Echo" is now "Chat Mode" (sorry, not split screen yet). The new Local Echo does not add linefeeds. This is for calling certain services, such as GEnie. The Signal Lights Display toggle is now configurable. The lights are now on the right side of the status line, alternating with System Name, and still toggled manually with Alt-0. The number of minutes connected to a system is shown on the status line. This is reset whenever you connect to a new system. Dialing ------- If communication parameters (for example, {2400,8}) are not present in the Dialing Directory, then the default values in the Configuration File (item 2) will be used. There is really no reason now to specify these for each entry unless they are different from the defaults. In prior releases the defaults (when dialing) were the current values showing on the status line. Handling of dialing results and manual cancellation has been improved, especially with high-speed modems. Internal editor --------------- Lines in {COMMO} support files may now be edited to 132 characters. Passwords are hidden in the Dialing Directory. Just press [E] to expose them. Cursor keys are now much more logical. For example, Home and End move to the beginning and end of the line. See Online Help for details of these and other key changes. Sound ----- Alarms and beeps may now be totally silenced. All alarms are individually configurable. ------------ ------------------ {COMMO} 3.20 September 11, 1989 ------------ ------------------ The Configuration File has some new entries. Previous users please edit the new sample file to your own needs. You will NOT be able to start {COMMO} using your old Configuration File (this will only take a few minutes). There are now several command line switches. See COMMO.DOC or the new Online Help for an explanation. Most of the details from the Operations Manual have been moved into the new extensive Online Help file. Context-related Help is available from almost everywhere at almost any time. There is a new window to show the progress of the dialing operation. Autobaud detection has been added to the dialing function. See the description of the Alt-6 key command in the Online Help for details. Multi Number Dialing has new commands to skip or remove a number from the dialing queue. See Online Help. A Manual Dialing feature has been added to the Dialing Directory window. A new key command, Alt-O, has been added to send the mOdem initialization string from inside the program. The port addresses and IRQ numbers for all four serial ports may now be specified in the Configuration File. See Online Help. The %a Command Macro parameter is now independent of the Alt-3 Alarm toggle (i.e. the alarm may be off, but it will sound if %a is present. The number of alarm rings is now configurable. See item 29 in the Configuration File. The Alt-F key command, Change Capture File, has been combined with the Alt-1 command, Toggle Capture File open/closed. Alt-F has been eliminated. Alt-L now brings up a new screen where you can change the Communication Parameters with much greater ease. A text search feature has been added to all file and editing windows. See Online Help for details. Lines in files may now be edited up to 128 characters. New edit control keys have been added for "cut and paste." See Online Help. The interface to DESQview has been improved, providing other tasks with a greater share of processor cycles. ------------ ------------- {COMMO} 3.10 June 21, 1989 ------------ ------------- The cursor should now display on virtually any system. There were some difficulties with laptops due to direct hardware cursor manipulation, but this has been changed to use the BIOS in all cases. Previous Configuration Files will still work! Options have been added to the Serial port field, however (see below). The biggest change is the new Macro Processor. The Macro File and Command File have been combined into one file (COMMO.MAC). Function keys may now be assigned not only to macro strings to be sent to the serial port, but to commands as well. The ramifications of this are indeed far-reaching. For example, suppose you have the command: DSZ port %p rz %d In the Macro File you can assign this to the F1 key, then by pressing F1 your download will be under way. Or suppose you have this command assigned to F2: LIST %c %c is a new parameter that represents the current Capture file (serial Port is now %p). Thus you will be looking at your capture file (ala backscroll) at the touch of a key. Other new parameters are %n, Nowait, and %a, sound Alarm. If %n is in your command, {COMMO} will not wait for a key when the executed program exits to DOS (for those who hate to see the outcome of the command execution). And if %a is in the command, the alarm will be sounded at the end of command execution (this parameter MUST now be present or no alarm will sound, even on file transfer commands). The bottom line is that you have to redo all your commands and macros to conform to the new format. But it's well worth it. Don't forget to change those parameters (the old %c is now %p). And that's not all! Here is a list of additional changes in Release 3.10: The following improvements have been made to program navigation: 1. Any command can now be executed directly from the main Help window (Alt-H from terminal mode). 2. Mult-number dialing (Alt-U command) may be executed directly from the Dialing Directory window. 3. Macro keys may be pressed directly from the Macro Processor window (or by point and shoot). The display of toggles on the status line has been re-ordered. Instead of "clarp d", they now read "cprla d." The respective Alt-n keys have been changed to accommodate the new order. A diagnostic feature, Signal Light Display, shows the status of all the serial port and modem indicators. This is especially useful to internal modem users and is toggled on/off with Alt-0. Support has been added for COM3 and COM4 (actually any port address/IRQ no. can now be specified in the Comport field of the Configuration File to override the default values). A break signal will be generated for one second with the new key command Alt-B. Local mode has been modified to add linefeeds to incoming carriage returns instead of outgoing ones. This allows {COMMO} to talk to other non-host programs in "chat" mode. Linefeeds are now always stripped in ASCII Upload. Also blank lines in the file will be "expanded" by sending a space. So leave as many blank lines as you like (messages look a lot better). ------------ ------------ {COMMO} 3.03 May 22, 1989 ------------ ------------ Release 3.03 is a bug fix release. It replaces all previous releases. The alarm and beep sounds now work properly under DESQview. Improvements have been made to the XON/XOFF protocol. Typing characters to the remote is disallowed in the XOFF state (key commands are still processed). This is particularly important when the print log is active. If a beep is heard when attempting to type a character to the remote, the print log should be turned off and the character typed again. Here is a list of changes in Release 3.0: {COMMO} is now DESQview aware, and will operate in a well-behaved fashion in a small window (answer "N" to "writes directly to screen"). The Configuration File has been changed in the toggle section. Be sure to update your old file before starting {COMMO} or it won't load (see the new sample file). The parameters in the External Command Processor have been slightly modified. The "%u" and "%d" parameters no longer cause an input request. If a filename is to be added to the upload/download path, the "%i" parameter must be added. For example: "%d\%i" will insert the download path and a "\", then wait for input. This eliminates the typing of extra carriage returns and clarifies where input will be expected. Also you can now backspace all the way to the beginning of a command to make changes (at input points). The text capture feature has been completely redone. Text is captured exactly as it appears on the screen -- even animated graphics! And there is a new key command, Alt-F, which enables you to change to a new capture file at any time. A printer log function has been added. When toggled on with Alt-5, it will print all information that appears on the screen (to LPT1). This feature necessitated the use of the XON/XOFF protocol to prevent data overrun when using a slow printer (aren't they all). Most host systems support this protocol and it is active at all times, except when executing an external command or using the shell to DOS feature. The CR/CRLF toggle and the local echo toggle have been combined into one toggle called "Local Mode." Thus whenever you get local echo, you also get linefeeds added (or not stripped). When calling a host you would use normal mode "l", and when chatting with a non-host system you would use Local Mode "L". This applies to both ASCII Upload and manually typed data. There is no longer a "nag" when Alt-X is pressed. Make sure you save your edited files! Speaking of which, the exit from the Internal Editor has been simplified. Alt-Q (in the editor only) is no longer functional. Cursor handling has been improved. The cursor will no longer be lost after PrintScreen. -end-