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   Chuck Seyboldt's COMMO Macro     CS-MAC08:08
 

What's new in CS-MAC08?

I. New Variables and their Uses

-  Added .cfg variable %ext_fl to name an external file lister.
   Provided a facility to use SELECT.MAC (A Fred Brucker file
   selection macro) instead of the external COMMOPNS file selection
   tool.  This is done by having an empty %ext_fl% variable.

-  Added .cfg variable %shh%.  This stifles the ten second updated
   time display in Autopilot to reduce the activity from speech
   assisted software.

-  Added .cfg variables %color and %fast.  These replace the %grafix
   variable and provide a easier method to choose ANSI or *NOT*ANSI.

-  Added .cfg variable %random_t.  This is the number of lines in
   your tagline file for selection of a random tagline with :cnd.
   Added ability to select a specific tagline rather than a random
   one in the CS-COMMO.MAC:cnd routine.  This is done by having an
   empty %random_t variable.

-  Added .cfg variable %ext_di% for external voice dialer.  The
   internal dialer is used when %ext_di% is NUL.  [NF6]

-  Provided a facility to use Commo's internal editor instead of an
   external one.  This is done by having an empty %ext_ed% variable.

-  Provided a facility to use Commo's internal editor in lieu of an
   external lister.  This is done by leaving %ext_li% empty.


II. New facilities inside ACTION.MAC  (PCBoard specific at this time)

-  Add "G" function to ACTION.MAC.  If you put in a Goodbye after
   file transfers, the macro will only perform ACTION, then
   gracefully logoff.  Upon return to LOGON.MAC:noact, will cycle to
   the next marked BBS.

-  Add "Z" function to ACTION.MAC.  This will run PCBoard Zippy scan
   and capture the result to a file named ZIPPY.%abbr kept in your
   %save directory.


III. More BBS and Mailware types supported

-  Added support for MajorBBS in TABLE.MAC and modified LOGON.MAC
   to add :loh routine to send %handle instead of %name.

-  Added support for MajorBBS qwkmail.  :mmj in TABLE.MAC, some
   additions to LOGON.MAC (after .QWK download and at :bye routine).
   JumpStart subroutine in LOGON.MAC at start of :glr.

-  Added support for Virtual BBS and VQWK mail door.

-  Added support for EXEC-PC and its QWK mail facility.  This
   required a routine to send first and second names separately.
   The routine that does this is called ":f&l".

-  Added support for JCQwk (as seen on Babble BBS).

-  Added support for CAM-Mail (This has _very_ limited testing).

-  Added support for LAKOTA mail (Spitfire based)

IV.  New and changed macro tricks

-  Changed the CS-COMMO.MAC:cpu routine.  If the upload file list
   is done offline (making a {send}.lst file) then the :pgu upload
   routine will use the previously made list rather than attempt to
   make a fresh list.

-  Added "(C)lear dial" to auto-menu toggle.  When in auto-pilot,
   the letters "PC" will hotkey a clearing of the ring and personal
   message counters on the autopilot status line.

-  Added internal phone dialing routine [NF6].

-  There is a routine to filter strings leaving only the numeric
   portion.  It is called CS-COMMO.MAC:num_filter and is located in
   the "PLAY" area.  One of these days I'll need to put some of
   the less used macro tricks into a UTIL.MAC file <g>.


V.  Repairs and reliability .....

-  Fixed dual :append labels in CS-MAC.MAC
   One in COMMOFON.NEW routine, second one in .CFG upgrade routine
   renamed second :append to :appnd

-  Now, if the macro is making an "only upload .REP" pass, it won't
   open a door unless it does have a .REP packet for that door.
   Reset %nodl within LOGON:byz routine and added a check for %rep
   after checking the %skip flag at LOGON:n_d.  Under condition of
   having two doors and making an "only upload .REP" pass, the macro
   would open the second door, and immediately prepare to leave.

-  Provide branching for "no mail download" option using mail doors
   that have no "G"oodbye function (DCQwk, ZIPNews).  Previously the
   macro would hangup without informing the host.     LOGON:nup

-  Added birthdate response to LOGON.MAC:glr to respond to
   Remote Access BBSWare birthdate validation requests.

-  CS-MAC was adding "ros" to the .FON, should be "roz" to agree
   with the subroutine in TABLE.MAC (Thank you, Jack Kern)

-  Add instructions to adapt LOGON.MAC, TABLE.MAC, and ACTION.MAC
   to anybody's COMMO.FON and COMMO.MAC.  (file = ADAPT)

-  Moved :aln dialer responses to top of dial window.

-  Added %mt_qwk golooks to message counting subroutines in
   LOGON.MAC.  This fixed a problem with door/macros that used
   message counting and have the Empty packet prompt after the
   message count display.

-  Added a variable %bb that may be used to expand ACTION.MAC to
   more BBSWare types.

-  Added variables %up and %dn to TABLE.MAC for use as mail upload
   and mail download commands in LOGON.MAC.  This was required to
   implement PCBoard 15 .QWK message facilities.

-  Add test for 4 parms before changing a line to COMMOFON.NEW from
   CS-MAC:new_bbsid routine. Before, CS-MAC would add %bbsid as the
   4th parm if no dialing parms were specified in the .FON.  Now a
   4th parm is added when none is present.

-  Change date of birth in .CFG to include "/" delimiters between
   month/date/year instead of having no delimiters.

-  Add "-d" switch to upload_rep {exec } routines that call DSZ.
   This is necessary to trap the DSZ errorlevel and correctly delete
   successful .REP uploads.

-  Various TABLE.MAC updates.

-  Added %gra_pmt prompts to TABLE.MAC.  Reduced number
   of active GOLO commands at start of LOGON.MAC:glr.

-  Changed %name_pmt in TABLE.MAC to include <response> as well as
   prompt.  LOGON.MAC:name sends %name, LOGON.MAC:handle sends %handle.
   LOGON.MAC:f&l sends first and last name separately.

-  Added message counting routines for various mail doors, including
   PCBoard v15.0.  Commonized counting labels to = c_%mail
   (examples, :c_mm2, c_qm4) The TABLE.MAC entries for DCQwk and for
   Silver Express are likely out of date.

-  Repaired CS-COMMO.MAC:init_loop routine, would not make proper
   variable definition unless a comment was present on the variable
   definition line.  Thanks again to Kevin Nathan.

-  Reset %m_call to "aln" in the "Mark and dial .REP [SF4]" routine.
   Was dialing one BBS then stopping without a return to Autopilot.

-  Added :stamp routine for debugging purposes.  Inserted a check
   for %debug at various points in the CS-MAC macro series.  This
   provides a method to trace macro operation.  Especially beefed up
   calls to :stamp in LOGON.MAC

-  Added a check for unexpected return to the BBS prompt after
   asking for the mail door.  When this happens, the macro skips to
   the "goodbye" routine and attempts a graceful logoff.
