294 lines
12 KiB
Plaintext
294 lines
12 KiB
Plaintext
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GenericComm v2.03 Documentation by Matthew Montano
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This product is "beerware". It is free, but if you really like it (I doubt
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it, but), and you actually use it (I do, why not you?), I could always do
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with some cash to purchase some...
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This program is copyrighted 1990 by Matthew Montano. Please distribute as
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wide and as far as possible electronically. You may not charge for this
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product (that's my right). You may not modify this program without my
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permission (hell, give credit where credit is due). Inclusion in any other
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packages and distribution in a non-electronic matter is not permitted,
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except with the written permission of me (Matthew Montano).
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Release Notes GenericComm v2.03
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So this is version 2.03. There will likely be a few more updates to this
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program, as time sees fit. I would appreciate comments, suggestions,
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directional statements (I sound like Apple, uh oh), and most of all
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questions. You can reach me through one of the addresses listed at the end
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of this document. I do plan to add protocol transfers, moderate GS/OS file
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and terminal emulations.
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At the time I write this, no one knows exactly what is happening with the
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IIGS. Apple has made several statements that products and public announcements
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are forthcomming, though nothing is concrete yet. Apple's new sound tools are
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a hit with developers, but when will the average user get to play with them?
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Will people stop buying Vulcans! They are fast hunks of metal, not unlike
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the Ford Mustang which is a unsafe at any speed automobile. Believe me, SCSI
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is the *ONLY* way to go. Apple will screw anyone without SCSI, trust me.
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System 6? If and when.
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I believe in the IIgs, it provides an excellent solution for the home user,
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school and even small business's. It runs lots of software, is of excellent
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quality and gets reasonable support. It is a far better solution than an
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IBM compatible, and for the most part a better solution than the expensive
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Macintosh's currently available.
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Matthew Montano, Saturday June 6th, 1990.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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Version History GenericComm v2.03
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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Version 1.0 - Initial release February 10th, 1990.
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Version 1.01 - Fixed OA-? bug that required the shift key to be pressed.
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Cleaned up terminal emulation problem that would cause
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line noise to make the terminal do funny things.
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Add buffering for saving sessions. Tried the ORCA/C v1.1B9
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compiler and found it quite buggy, it didn't compile this
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code correctly at all.
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Version 2.00 - Add buffering and dial list editor.
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Version 2.01 - Commented all source code, uncovered many small bugs, fixed.
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Version 2.02 - Rewrote parts of dial list editor, using less memory.
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Version 2.03 - Fixed a weird clear screen bug.
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------------------------------------------------------------------
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Introduction GenericComm v2.03
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------------------------------------------------------------------
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I wrote this program with no more intention than to satisfy a computer
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science project requirement. It became actually useful at one stage, and
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this is that stage, so I am letting it loose on you.
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The second version reflects suggestions from a few users. I would like
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some more suggestions, in order to make GenericComm a staple in a
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telecommunicators diet.
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Don't expect the world, ok? I didn't spend a year writing this program, and
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it shows. It is a fast though, and to the point quick and dirty terminal
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program for general usage. In this current version it doesn't support
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things like: terminal emulations, protocol transfers, GS/OS interaction and
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file control, and fancy text editors (though I have some of these planned).
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But GenericComm v1.0 contains the following features:
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o 65,535 line scroll back
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o 65,535 line buffer ability
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o 65,535 line buffer
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o 255 item dialing list
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o support for 300,1200,2400,9600,19200bps operation
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o restartable and in expressload format for fast loading and re-execution
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This program requires 768k and GS/OS. It should work in 512k, though no
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promises!
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------------------------------------------------------------------
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Installation GenericComm v2.03
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There should be three files included in this NuFX archive.
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GENCOMM.SYS16
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GENCOMM.DOC
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GENCOMM.ICONS
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One file is the one your reading, the other is the actual program.
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The file GENCOMM.SYS16 is a GS/OS application and can be launched from any
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standard GS/OS launcher. The filetype *CAN* be changed to EXE and used from a
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shell like ORCA or ProSEL's shell.
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The file GENCOMM.SYS16 can reside anywhere on a valid GS/OS file storage
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system and will create a file if you use the dialing directory. The file is
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a standard TXT file called "DIALLIST".
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The modem port settings should all be defaults except for the second and
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third last selections, they must be deselected so that the check mark
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doesn't appear beside them. Without this setting, there can be no
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communication with the modem whatsoever.
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The buffering should be enabled at any speed above 2400bps or if you wish not
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loose characters as you select menus.
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------------------------------------------------------------------
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Function Explanations GenericComm v2.03
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The following is a list of keys and the functions they perform.
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Open Apple - ? - HELP!
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This key combination will present a summary of the commands available for
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your usage within GenericComm.
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Open Apple - A - Add a system to the dialing list
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After pressing this key combination, a blank entry will be added to the
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Dial List, with default entries.
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Open Apple - B - Change the current bps connection rate
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This quick menu list will allow you to change the bps rate at which your
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communicating with your modem at (and ultimately the online system). It
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uses the up and down arrow keys to select the bps rate, and return to
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confirm it. Any other keys will abort the selection process. The current
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bps rate is displayed in the bottom left corner of the normal screen.
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Open Apple - D - Dial a system
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This menu selection allows you to select a system to dial by using your up
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and down arrow keys. Return will confirm your selection. The dialing list
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represents the online systems added using the Open Apple - A command.
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Once confirmed, a second screen, which allows you to edit or dial the item
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is presented. Editing the entries is hopefully logical.
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Open Apple - H - Hangup
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This menu selection will allow you hangup from the foreign system. It will
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ask you to confirm you intention. Only by pressing return when "Hangup" is
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highlighted, will the program try and hangup. The hangup is performed by
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dropping the DTR line to the modem. Some modems have it set so that DTR is
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always held high, and as a result this command might no work with all modem
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configurations. Change your modem so that the "computer controls DTR"
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rather than "modem holds DTR constantly high". This will remedy any hangup
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problems you may encounter.
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Open Apple - Q - Quit
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This quit command does a GS/OS quit command and will mark the GenericComm
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program as restartable so that if you wished to run this program again, it
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would load from memory, rather from disk. This command will confirm your
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desire to leave the program.
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Open Apple - R - Remove online system from dialing list
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Removing an online system from a dialing list will delete the entry for
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good and must be used with caution. No confirmation is made before deleting
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an entry.
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Open Apple - C - Turn on or off buffer capture
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At first, when you select this option, you will be asked to enter a file name
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to act as the text file buffer of the session. If the file already exists, you
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will be asked to confirm appendage. Once the buffer is turned on, the status
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line at the bottom of the screen will indicate that the buffer is on. Pressing
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the Open Apple - C sequence again will turn off the buffer and save the file.
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Open Apple - . - Quit
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This quit command does a ProDos 16 level quit command and will NOT mark
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GenericComm as restartable. This command can be used to quickly exit back
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into the shell if the filetype has been changed to an EXE file.
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Open Apple - Up Arrow - Enter Scroll Back
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By pressing the above key combination the user will enter the scroll back
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mode of GenericComm. Once in this mode, the four arrow keys are valid. Left
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and right arrow keys will move through the scroll back one line at a time,
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while the up and down arrow keys will move through scroll back at a full
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page at a time.
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------------------------------------------------------------------
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Known Bugs and Problems GenericComm v2.03
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I do not know the limit of the dialing list. The limit would either be the
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limit of the document structure of the 360 TextTool Kit (65000+ entries),
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or the limit of the actual list structure which is 255 items I believe.
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I have not tested what happens in low memory situations to the scroll back.
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Results would depend on the 360 TextTool kit used and how it is coded.
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The same is applicable to the buffered scroll back when turned on.
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HST owners:
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Because of the design of the HST in regards to error checking settings,
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when entering a dialing string include the following:
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&m0 for 2400 or lower bps connections
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&m4 for 9600bps HST connections
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Since I am using the IIgs built in firmware there are limitations,
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including that of buffering. The limit on the IIgs firmware buffer is
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actually quite large, but to keep the code simple at the moment, I have not
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modified the internal buffer and it is left at 2048 bytes. On an HST
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connection, when large amounts of text are flowing into your computer, you
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will see the screen attempting to display text as fast as possible. I
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guarantee this will be faster in future versions, but for now you will
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loose characters after the program gets 2048 characters behind the
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incomming data.
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------------------------------------------------------------------
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Credits GenericComm v2.03
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------------------------------------------------------------------
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This program was compiled in ORCA/C and as a result contains libraries that
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are copyrighted by The Byte Works. The Byte Works Inc., 4700 Irving Blvd.
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NW Suite 207, Albuquerque, NM, 87114.
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This program contains routines from the 360 Text Toolkit by 360
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MicroSystems and therefore some code is copyrighted by 360 MicroSystems.
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360 MicroSystems, 12272 Fox Hound Lane, Orlando, FL, 32826. (407) 365-6714.
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This program borrows on John Snow's SERIO library of routines which he has
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distributed (used with permission).
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I would like to thank D. Proni from 360 MicroSystems for helping me uncover
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several bugs and for the general help in using the TextTool kit to my
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advantage.
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I would like to thank Martin Hill, for telling me to abandon this project a
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few times and help him build his dream program.
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I would also like to thank Parik Rao for being a pest and saying it was too
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big and how he did this in assembler and it was 4k in length using the
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GS/OS console device. Parik: HA!
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I would like to thank Stanley Wong for saying "heh, neat" and being so
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humble about everything when he actually was quite impressed. :)
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I can be reached through the following networks:
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America OnLine: MMontano
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InterNet: sysop@pro-generic.cts.com
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UUCP: uunet!cacijl!crash!pnet01!pro-generic!sysop
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Pro-Generic BBS: 416-237-0308 (ProLine software) (System Administrator)
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Slow Net: Matthew Montano
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c/o CompuCentre Sherway Gardens
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25 The West Mall
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Etobicoke, ON, Canada
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M9C 1B8
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Beerware is a trademark of PaperBag Productions (Andy Nicholas author of
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ShrinkIt and creator of the NuFX). :-)
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All names are used without permission and are trademarks of their
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respective companies.
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Long live the //gs, Toyota MR2's and The Cure.
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