ProTalk

Description
ProTalk Version 1.0 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. It has  a  number of features and functions  that  make  it  suitable  for  a  wide  range  of applications:


 * Terminal emulation  supports  80x25  color  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. It the trial version, ProTalk 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 configuring ProTalk 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,  hadware, 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!

Take a moment to explore the menus.

Download

 * Version 1.0

License
Originally Shareware. The Source code is lost.

Author

 * Brian Fisher