MEX-SET2.DOC 12-8-84 by HANK TATE 12/8/84 This is an update of MEX-SET.DOC. I've learned some new things since first writing MEX-SET and have changed the listings and explanations of the .MEX files included in this document to reflect my current usage. ------------------------------------------------------------------ SOME NOTES ON USING INI.MEX AND OTHER "READ" FILES TO SIMPLIFY THE OPERATION OF MEX.COM After a long evening of working on setting up an INI.MEX file and a number of READ files as suggested by Irv Block I think I have come up with some files that work nicely and I even under- stand what's happening. Sooo-o-o herewith are copies of the files I worked out with an explanation. Hope they help. ====== general set-up =========================================== When setting up your version of MEX you have the option of a). just using the regular MEX file with your "Computer Overlay" b). also changing some of the variables with MEXPAT11.ASM Since I had difficulty with my printer losing characters on long printings I chose to make two changes. PSIZE: DB 24 ;instead of 2K which gives me a larger buffer size for the PRINTER. PQSIZE: DW 300 ;instead of 150 characters which gives me a larger character buffer for the modem since I run mostly at 1200 baud. After changing those two buffers I have not experienced any difficulty with the printing. also be sure INIMEX: DB 1 ;runs INI.MEX automatically on startup by setting INITFILE ON ====== INI.MEX ================================================== INI.MEX is the .MEX file that MEX automatically looks for on starting up, whether you tell it to or not (assuming the INITFILE ON). You can disable this feature with "STAT INITFILE OFF" but there are some advantages to using it. Write the INI.MEX file (and all the other READ files) with any text editor. Since I have chosen not to hardwire most of my changes I use the INI.MEX to allow quick and simple setup of the paramaters I want to start with. Using the INI.MEX system allows me to make quick changes to the way MEX works by simply changing INI.MEX without having to assemble and overlay the changes or CLONE a new MEX. The INI.MEX I use is as follows: STAT WTECHO ON STAT SEARCH 3 STAT SPLIT ON STAT BAKFILE ON STAT EXCLUDE OFF STAT FILTER ON STAT EXTEND ON ALT A0: ID "[MEXCD]" LOAD PHONE.PHN LOAD KEYS.KEY B: TERM SESSION.LOG DIR GLOBAL T 1. STAT WTECHO ON - according to APPENDIX 3: of the MEX User's Guide this will help you not overrun an RCP/M or RBBS when sending out strings of information. Unless you send out a great deal of infor- mation this protection should not slow you down very much. 2. STAT SEARCH 3 - I have two drives and always load the MEX program disk on A and the DATA disk on B. This command tells MEX to look for READ files, phone libraries, keystring files, and other command files first on the ALTERNATE drive (rather than the logged drive) then on the LOGGED drive second. The ALTERNATE and LOGGED drive or set below. 3. STAT SPLIT ON - displays the phone directory in one column with any baud rate set figures displayed. 4. STAT BAKFILE ON - will prevent any pre-existing files from being over- written by any new files that are created of the same name. 5. STAT EXCLUDE OFF - allows any system files to be shown on DIR command 6. STAT FILTER ON - useful when working on a noisy connection. Filters out control characters, nulls, and characters with the high bit set. 7. STAT EXTEND ON - allows you to call a READ file without typing READ. You only need to type the file name. I.E. "GET" will execute the "GET.MEX" file. *** NOTE: One play off with this variable set "ON" is that giving a built in command (such as T or STAT) will cause MEX to first look for a "file" of that name and cause a momentary delay. You can keep MEX from looking for a file when you are giving a built in command by preceding it with a "*". (I.E. *T to go to the terminal mode) 8. ALT A0: - sets the ALTERNATE drive to A user 0. 9. ID "[MEX-MINE]" - changes the string which diplays on the command line while MEX is running. If talking to another computer running MEX instead of BYE this allows you to know which command line you are on, yours or the remote's. You can make it anything you want up to 28 characters (in the standard distributed MEX). 10.LOAD PHONE.PHN - reads in the phone list which is created either inside MEX and then SAVED or with a text editor. Using a separate PHONE.PHN file allows simple changing and means you don't have to CLONE new versions of MEX to retain changes to your phone directory. 11.LOAD KEYS.KEY - reads in the keylists. Same reasoning as for PHONE.PHN 12.B: - changes the logged drive to B: so that all files captured or received are automatically placed on B. *** NOTE: some of the information and .DOC files that I have seen show a ^M (carriage return) here and in other places in the READ files. I kept getting SYNTAX ERRORS. If the SUFFIX indicator is set to ^M and your READ files are arranged in separate lines as I have shown here you should not have any problems. 13.TERM SESSION.LOG - creates a CAPTURE file named SESSION.LOG into which everything which appears on the screen is captured. This is a good protection. You won't find yourself wishing you'd captured or printed something after it had already scrolled by. Particularly valuable when operating on new boards, the SESSION.LOG file can be renamed to save it and then be edited and printed to give you a per- manent record of how that system operates. That should allow you to save a great deal of time the next time you use the system. If after the session you decide you don't need the file or if you just fail to rename it, the next time you run MEX the previous SESSION.LOG file will be written over (poof...). 14.DIR - will automatically display the directory of B (the LOGGED drive). 15.GLOBAL T - will automatically take you to the terminal mode after any file transfer. ==> Using the INI.MEX file as shown only takes about 1-2 seconds on start up but can save you a lot of time in the long run. And it sure is easier than trying to remember everything. ======== GET.MEX ========================================================== WRT GLOBAL STAT REPLY 16 SENDOUT "XMODEM S {1} {2:}" R{2:} {1} STAT REPLY 8 GLOBAL T TA SESSION.LOG I really like this file! This is a READ file which greatly speeds up the process of downloading a file with XMODEM. All you need to do is type "GET XXXXXXX.XXX" on the command prompt (not in the terminal mode.) *** NOTE: in the sample here the {1} would be automatically be replaced by the filename (XXXXXXXX.XXX) that you are requesting before being sent out to the remote computer. If you are wanting to issue any extensions to the "S" and "R" commands (such as "B" for BATCH or "V" for VIEW) then type that extension after the filename and it will automatically be executed. * WARNING if you add a "T" extension the final line of this GET.MEX will not execute since READ files cannot work from the Terminal mode. SAMPLE: GET NEWFILE.DOC will transfer NEWFILE.DOC to your system GET *.NEW B will transfer all .NEW files in batch mode GET USQ.DOC VX will transfer USQ.DOC, viewed then disconnect 1. WRT - writes the capture file to disk and closes it. If this is not done prior to receiving a file all of the captured information still in memory will be destroyed. 2. GLOBAL - turns off the T so that this file has a chance to re-create the session log before returning to the terminal mode. 3. STAT REPLY 16 - gives the computer extra time to respond to a reply from the remote computer. Minimizes the chance of overrunning the remote computer. 4. SENDOUT "XMODEM S{1} {2:}" - sends the string in quotations to the remote computer after filling in the parameters as specified on the command line. *** NOTE: It is important when creating any READ file that strings to be sent are enclosed in quotation marks. 5. R{2:} {1} - commands your MEX to receive the file specified automatically. 6. STAT REPLY 8 - sets the reply time back to normal 7. GLOBAL T - turns the GLOBAL T back on 8. TA SESSION.LOG - will return to the terminal mode automatically after finishing the transfer. The important thing is that it automatically restarts the CAPTURE and APPENDS the new stuff to the SESSION.LOG file that was closed at the start of GET.MEX. ======= GETC.MEX (stands for GET & CHANGE NAME) ========================== WRT STAT REPLY 16 SENDOUT "XMODEM S {1} {2} {3:}" R{3:} {2} STAT REPLY 8 TA SESSION.LOG This file works exactly the same as GET.MEX except that it allows you to specify a name change in the process of transferring the file. SAMPLE: GET FOO.OBJ FOO.COM will transfer FOO.OBJ to your system and rename it to FOO.COM on your logged disk. GET NEXT.DOC NEXT2.DOC V will transfer NEXT.DOC and rename it to NEXT2.DOC while viewing the file during the transfer. ====== GETLIB.MEX =========================================================== WRT STAT REPLY 16 SENDOUT "XMODEM L {1} {2} {3:}" R{3:} {2} STAT REPLY 8 TA SESSION.LOG This file will enable you to automatically copy a file out of a exactly the same as files above except that the command string would be: SAMPLE: GETLIB ANYFILE THISFILE.DOC Will download the member file THISFILE.DOC from ANYFILE.LBR. Extensions may be added as the third parameter the same as above. ====== GETBYE.MEX ============================================================ WRT STAT REPLY 16 SENDOUT "XMODEM S {1} {2:}" R{2:} {1} SENDOUT "BYE" STAT REPLY 8 DSC Works exactly like GET.MEX except that it automatically signs off the remote computer and disconnects the modem from the phone line when the file transfer is completed. Does not exit from MEX. ====== SEND.MEX =========================================================== WRT STAT REPLY 16 SENDOUT "XMODEM R {1} {2:}" S{2:} {1} STAT REPLY 8 TA SESSION.LOG Works exactly like GET.MEX except that the R and S are transposed so that the file is sent instead of received. Turns off the checking for echos of each character sent to the remote since the XMODEM checking takes care of that during transfer (I think). TRIGGER set to nothing during the transfer while WTECHO OFF according to information in MEX User's Guide page 20. ====== Q.MEX (means QUIET MODEM) ========================================== STAT WTECHO OFF STAT TRIGGER "" STAT REPLY 0 SENDOUT "ATM0" STAT REPLY 8 STAT TRIGGER ">" STAT WTECHO ON For the HAYES SMARTMODEM. This file turns off the speaker for those times where you're doing continuous dialing and don't want to keep listening to the modem dialing tones. Just type Q on the command line and magic takes place. 1. STAT WTECHO OFF - turns off the checking of each character sent for an echo from a remote computer. Necessary because the modem can't echo the characters it receives. 2. STAT TRIGGER "" - turns off the TRIGGER so that MEX doesn't wait for anything before sending the SENDOUT string out. 3. STAT REPLY 0 - turns off the wait time for a reply. Makes this command to the modem almost instantaneous. 4. SENDOUT "ATM0" - *** the critical line *** This sends the command to the modem which actually instructs it to turn off the speaker. The command is in quotations and the one shown (ATM0) is for the HAYES SMARTMODEM. 5. STAT REPLY 8 - turns back on the normal wait for reply time. 6. STAT TRIGGER ">" - turns back on the normal TRIGGER. 7. STAT WTECHO ON - turns back on the character echo checking. ====== Z.MEX (noiZy MODEM) ================================================ STAT WTECHO OFF STAT TRIGGER "" STAT REPLY 0 SENDOUT "ATZ" STAT REPLY 8 STAT TRIGGER ">" STAT WTECHO ON Exactly like Q.MEX except it sends the string to turn the HAYES SMARTMODEM speaker back on (ATZ). ============================================================================= Thanks are due to Irv Block whose MEXFILES.INF prompted me to undertake this task. *** NOTE *** This file has been written to allow you to easily create all of the .MEX files shown here by using a text editor program and defining each file listing individually as a block and then saving it to your disk under the name shown or one of your own choosing. Good luck! - HANK TATE 14503 JASON PINEHURST, TEXAS 77362 (713) 356-3005 [voice only]