ProTalk

ProTalk is a serial communications program for the OS/2 Presentation Manager. It was created out of a need for a good communications package for OS/2 that could be used in a variety of different situations involving disparate hosts, communications equipment and communication requirements. ProTalk is equally at home communicating with mainframes, Unix systems, bulletin boards and online information services.

Features
It has a number of features and functions that make it suitable for a wide range of applications:
 * Terminal emulation supports 80x25 colour text and monochrome graphics. The contents of the terminal window can be copied to the clipboard for use with other applications, or sent to the default printer using the print-screen function.
 * Additional fonts are available when you register. These fonts give you a better choice of size for the terminal screen window on VGA and SuperVGA displays. In the trial version it uses the monospaced fonts provided with OS/2.
 * ProTalk lets you create keyboard map files which can be used with different hosts. Used in conjunction with the Auto-Dial Facility, the keyboard maps provide a means of configuration to match the requirements of any host.
 * Modem control and response strings can be programmed into ProTalk. The Auto-Dial Facility uses these definitions to control the modem during dialing.
 * The Auto-Dial facility allows you to create and maintain a database of hosts and connect protocols. The Auto-Dial Facility keeps a profile of the host, which includes the port, speed and data format settings, flow control method, terminal type and keyboard map. This profile is used by the Auto-Dial Facility to configure ProTalk before the connect attempt is made. The connection protocol can be as simple as dialing a number, or scripts can be written for more complex login procedures.
 * ProTalk Script Language Version 1.0 is the script language used by the Auto-Dial Facility. A reference manual for PSL is available when you register. Sample scripts have been included with this trial distribution. A description of the language is beyond the scope of this document.
 * Cursor Control. The terminal screen cursor can be adjusted for blink rate and shape. Blinking can be turned off entirely for people who prefer it, or for those individuals who have a neurological disorder that might be agrivated by a blinking cursor.
 * Transfer Protocols - XModem, XModem-1K, YModem Batch, YModem-G Batch, SEALink Derived, Kermit, CIS QuickB, and ZModem are supported.
 * ASCII Capture - provides a means of loggin a session to a file, or for doing ASCII file transfers.
 * ASCII Send - provides a means of sending ASCII files.
 * Port Settings - COM1..COM4 may be selected. Baud rates include 300, 600, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, 14400, 19200 and 38400. Word size may be set to 7 or 8 bits. Parity can be set to None, Odd or Even. Stop Bits can be set to 1, 1.5 or 2.
 * Flow Control - may be set to none, hardware, or Xon/Xoff.
 * Extended Buffer - if supported by OS/2, ProTalk allows you to select the extended buffer mode for your serial chip.
 * Transparent Printing - ProTalk allows you to send print files from an IBM mainframe using TPRINT, using a Y-Term compatible mode.
 * TEK 4010 terminal emulation lets you plot graphs on the terminal window. I have successfully used this feature with SAS on an IBM Mainframe.
 * ProTalk can be sent a control sequence to automatically switch to and from TEK 4010 mode. This feature can be enabled or disabled in the options menu.
 * ProTalk can be sent a control sequence to make it enter and exit transparent print mode. This feature can be enabled or disabled in the options menu.

Installation
Create a directory on your hard drive, for example, C;\PROTALK. Copy the distribution files into that directory. Next, create an icon object whose file and path name is C:\PROTALK\PROTALK.EXE. The icon should take on the appearance of the ProTalk icon. You are ready to proceed.

Operation
Double-Click on the ProTalk icon. The program should run with it's default configuration. If you are using a serial port other than COM1, go to the options menu and select 'Port'. Change the port parameters to match those of your system. Setting are automatically saved as you make the changes.

Back at the terminal screen, you should be able to type and see responses come back from your modem. ProTalk is ready to go!