http://www.blkbox.com/~bgfax/ THIS IS AN BETA VERSION, IT IS ASSUMED YOU ALREADY HAVE DOWNLOADED A COPY OF BGFAX170.ZIP FROM MY WEB SITE OR BBS! 1.70 Revision H (This update is a slight revision to the Rev D) Friday 18 July 1997 (notes from May; includes example #MA: and #LS) =================== POLYFAX has been enhanced again, with even better queueing features. With Polyfax 1.70c, we added the ability to queue faxes manually by running the "ADDTOQ" program. While this made it easier to add to the POLYFAX database once a database had already been built, it was still a rather clumsy way to handle queueing when hundreds of faxes may need to be sent out. It also did not provide an easy way of tracking progress of the queue. The new queueing method is handled differently than in the previous version of POLYFAX. The previous method will still work fine, in order to maintain backward compatibility, but faxes put into the queue using the old method (via "@" database build, or manually with "ADDTOQ" program) will not be able to use the new enhacements added in this version. To use the 'enhanced' version of POLYFAX, you simply need to create a directory called "POLYFAX.NEW" (in the directory specified in the BGFAX environment variable). e.g., IF... SET BGFAX=C:\BGFAX THEN create directory C:\BGFAX\POLYFAX.NEW When POLYFAX runs, it will sense that directory, and will automatically create four additional directories: C:\BGFAX\POLYFAX.QUE\ASCII (created automatically) C:\BGFAX\POLYFAX.QUE\FAX (created automatically) C:\BGFAX\POLYFAX.SNT (created automatically) C:\BGFAX\POLYFAX.ERR (created automatically) The POLYFAX.QUE directory should be left alone, as POLYFAX maintains that directory itself. Deleting or moving files in that directory by yourself may destroy the queue. If you want to delete a file from the queue, use the new enhanced QCONTROL.EXE program included in this version. e.g.: | QCONTROL 170d for POLYFAX, part of the BGFAX package. | BGFAX is Copyright (C) 1993-1997 B.J. Guillot. All Rights Reserved. | | Listing all UNSENT faxes still in the POLYFAX queue... | | Job# Phone Number Filename | ---- --------------------------- ------------------------------------- | 0 507-9620 /c1 (Queue)T2.TXT | 1 713-507-9620 t.fax | 2 507-9620 /c1 (Queue)T1.TXT | | (Press to quit) Delete job# Notice that some filenames have the word "(Queue)" in front. That simply indicates the file is in the new enhanced queues. If you delete a file from the queue with QCONTROL, the file will be moved to the POLYFAX.ERR directory. How to insert files into the new enhaced queue: Simply copy your ASCII text file to the POLYFAX.NEW directory. The first two lines of the file are special. The first line contains the fax tele- phone number and any special POLYFAX, BGFAX, or MAKEFAX control commands. The second line is unused by POLYFAX, but it allows you to put a full one-line comment. As POLYFAX is running, it will sense the new text file in the POLYFAX.NEW directory, and will move it into the POLYFAX.QUE\ASCII directory. A fax version of the file will be created in the POLYFAX.QUE\FAX directory. Example text file: 713-507-9620 /C1 #MF:5 -SP /TO:John_Doe_Enterprises -HR #MA:50 #LS:7200 this is a comment line, not important Line 1 of your outgoing fax message This is the second line of your outgoing fax message This is the third line of your outgoing fax message The telephone number comes first. Commands beginning with "/" are passed to BGFAX itself. Commands beginning with "-" are passed to MAKEFAX. Commands beginning with "#" are special POLYFAX control commands. Just to refresh your memory, the above control commands would: (1) /C1 force BGFAX to send always using Class 1 mode for this file (2) #MF:5 limit POLYFAX to only five failures before giving up (Recall the POLYFAX default is to NEVER give up) (3) -SP MAKEFAX, when converting TEST.TXT to a fax format will use "short pages" instead of "full length" pages (4) /TO:John_Doe_Enterprises BGFAX, when creating the top-of-page fax headers/banners, will say "To: John Doe Enterprises" instead of "To: 713-507-9620" (just to add a little personality to the fax) (5) -HR MAKEFAX, when converting TEST.TXT to fax format, uses HIGH RES (6) #MA:50 Limits the maximum number of call attempts to 50 (Recall the POLYFAX default is to NEVER give up on trivials) (7) #LS:7200 POLYFAX will sometimes drop the maximum speed down to 4800 bps for certain telephone numbers after so many failures. If you wish to limit the Lowest Speed POLYFAX uses, you can use this #LS:nnnn parameter Any number of commands can be used. Everything is OPTIONAL _except_ for the phone number itself. A new version of MAKEFAX.EXE is provided in this 1.70d package. (The new version of MAKEFAX simply knows NOT to convert the first two control lines in this text file when running from POLYFAX.) When faxes are successfully sent from the enhanced queue, the version from POLYFAX.QUE\FAX directory will be deleted. The version from the POLYFAX.QUE\ASCII directory will be moved to the POLYFAX.SNT directory. If POLYFAX "gives up" trying to send a file, instead of being put in the POLYFAX.SNT directory, it will be moved to the POLYFAX.ERR directory for your review. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1.70 Revision C POLYFAX special release Friday 28 March 1997 ======================= Bug fix: "elimination from queue" was not working in 1.70 version of POLYFAX (see #mf:nn parameter in POLYFAX.DOC). Two new programs are included for modifying fax queues. If you are simply using Polyfax for broadcasting, you do not need to read the remaining part of this documentation. ADDTOQ.EXE -- allows one to add faxes to the Polyfax queue while Polyfax is running (from another window in a multi- tasking system, or from across a network drive), or when Polyfax is suspended. QCONTROL.EXE -- Allows one to delete specific numbers from the queue. POLYFAX was intended to be used primarily as a fax broadcasting module (sending the same fax to hundreds of different numbers), but I always planned for adding a fax queueing option. If you are running Win32 (95/NT), you can use the BGFAX32.EXE program instead of the BGFAX.EXE. To use it, simply rename the original BGFAX.EXE to BGFAXDOS.EXE, and then rename BGFAX32.EXE to BGFAX.EXE. POLYFAX is a DOS-based program instead of a Win32-based program, but I don't believe this will be a problem. During idle periods, it gives up lots of ticks, do CPU usage should be very minimal. To prepare POLYFAX for use, you must do the following three things: 1. Make sure the BGFAX environment variable is set for all DOS sessions that will be using POLYFAX/BGFAX/ADDTOQ ("SET BGFAX=C:\BGFAX") 2. TO CREATE AN "EMPTY" QUEUE, the following must be done: In the BGFAX directory, make a zero-byte file called "POLYFAX.DAT" (From a DOS prompt, you can simply type "REM > POLYFAX.DAT" to create a zero-byte file.) 3. From a virgin (brand new, just 'started' from the 'start' menu) DOS window, run "POLYFAX /QUEUE" and keep it running. You might need to make that program start up automatically whenever you turn the system on. Okay, POLYFAX will just sit there waiting for faxes to send out. Every 10 seconds it will check for specific files created by the ADDTOQ program that tell it what to do. You can minimize this window, and probably won't have to really worry about it. (Well, you'll probably want to monitor it for a while, since this is all new stuff.) The "ADDTOQ" program basically lets you add to the POLYFAX outgoing queue. Syntax is simply: ADDTOQ filename phonenumber param3 param4 param5 (I didn't forget the /SEND this time. It's not used on ADDTOQ.) Para3, 4, 5, etc. are optional. i.e., ADDTOQ FILE.TXT 555-1212 /HW ADDTOQ requires that the BGFAX environment variable is set, just like POLYFAX. ADDTOQ will simply create a temporary file, and then exit right back. See the POLYFAX.DOC that came with 1.70 for more information on POLYFAX. Disregard the "POLYFAX @xxxx" database build, since that does not apply since we are not doing "broadcasts". (POLYFAX /SEND will send all faxes and quit when done.) (POLYFAX /QUEUE will send all faxes, and wait for more to enter the queue.) POLYFAX will keep trying to send the fax until it gets to its destination. By default, it will _NOT_ give up. You can configure the maximum number of failures when running ADDTOQ, i.e. ADDTOQ file.fax 555-1212 #MF:5 Indicates only try sending to that number with a maximum of 5 failures. (BUSY, etc. does not count as a failure.) Regards, B.J. Guillot voice: 281-893-9320 fax/bbs: 713-507-9620 e-mail: bgfax@blkbox.com