Code Cruncher (V1.0) Docs


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                        Code Cruncher (V1.0) Docs
                         by Castellan  (4/22/88)
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This program allows you to get codes for Long distance services like MCI and
Sprint.  I tried to keep the working of the program the free and loose to allow
compatability with almost any service.  The program can also be used as a War
Dialer which searches the local area for modems.  Simply leave the +, # and .'s
out of the dialing string.  Example:  ATDT 775-xxxx.  With slight modifications
the program can be used for many other applications along the same lines.

First I'll give a basic rundown of the options from the main and modem menus,
then I'll go into detail about the structure of the code and modifying it.
There are a few general notes I'd like to mention before I get to the menu
options:

[Dialing String]

The dialing string uses 4 symbols to represent different things.  They are:

+   - This is the long distance port (or extender).
#   - This is the target (or number to be called).
.   - This is used for a delay and automatically converted to a (,).  I did
      this because of Applesoft's inability to except (,) in input
      statements.
x   - (Or X) This is replaced by a random number from 0 to 9 when dialing.

Sample dialing string: ATDT+...1xxxx.# In the actual dialing string, this might
produce something like:

ATDT7430631,,,13825,2037979075
    -------   ----- ----------
    LD port   Code    Target

The + is replaced by a port from the list you entered with the E command.  The #
is replaced by a target randomly chosen from another list.  All (.)'s are
replaced with (,) and a random number (0 to 9) is chosen for each x.

[Defaults]

Most of the defaults for the program are located around lines 100 to 200.  The
one that everyone should change is the default for the filename of the setup
file.  The original program has it set to CC.SETUP.  I would suggest using
CC.<LD company name>.  Find the line that contains: <line number> FSETUP$ =
"<filename>"and change the name in quotes ("") to the name you wish to use.  If
you do not do this you will have to enter it every time you use the program or
leave it as the current default.  All other defaults can be changed in the same
way, but it should not be necessary because you can load in your own setup with
the L command.

[Status & Ctrl-C]

The status indicator located on the fourth or fifth line to the right changeswh
enever you enter a command from the main menu.  If you are not sure where you
are look at the status line.  To return to the main menu from anywhere you
canenter Ctrl-C (sometimes it may be neccessary to enter a return after Ctrl-C),
but I would not suggest using this command if you don't have to.  The only place
it is really neccesary is from the B command to stop dialing.

[Main Menu Options]

Most of the commands are self explanatory, but others need further explanation.
So I have included a complete list of commands in the order they appear in the
main menu except for the B and P commands which are last.

  U = Update default dialing string: Used to change the dialing string which
appears in the top line on the left.  See dialing string above for more
information.

  W = Write current setup to disk: This saves the current setup under the the
name specified on the second line to the left.  All information will be saved
including: prefix, area code, phone numbers, etc.

  E = Enter phone numbers: Allows you to enter as many LD ports and targets as
you want.   Be carful enetering the information as there is little error
checking in this routine.  Just follow the prompts and you should have no
trouble.  Be sure to use the W command to write the setup to disk and avoid
having to retype the numbers with each run.  When entering the targets if you
enter a number that is exactly 7 digits long, the default area code will be
added to the begining of it.  If you do not want the area code added on you have
several options: alter the program, use a Word processor to alter the setup
file, or add a 0 onto the end of the number (It shouldn't effect anything).  I
think the second choice is by far the easiest.

  V = View Instructions: Simply tells you to read this file.  Some time I may
add some quick instructions, which is why I put it in, in the first place.

  L = Load setup: Loads the setup from disk.  Loads the filename specified on
the second line to the left.

  C = Catalog prefix: Catalogs the current prefix.  Use Ctrl-S to stop/start the
scrolling.

  F = File names: Used to change the filenames for the codes and setup.  Has
minimal error checking: The first letter must be an alphabetic capital letter
(therfore returns and spaces will not be excepted), allowing ASCII values 65 (A)
through 90 (Z).

  I = Display codes: Uses the filename on the second line to the right.  And
displays this files contents.  Normally this file would contain codes, but it
can contain anything.  Use Ctrl-S to stop/start the scrolling and be able to see
the information.

  A = Area code: Lets you change the default area code (See the E command).
This routine will only except a 3 digit numerical entry whose first digit is not
a 0 (all part of the error checking).

  S = Set prefix: This will be the prodos pathname used to save or load
anything.  The current prefix will be displayed on the first line to the right.

  D = Dos command: Allows you to enter any dos command and executes it.  You can
use it to delete code files once you have copied down the information to paper.
If you don't delete the file each time the program finds another code it will
append it on to the end of the file.  Type: D Delete <Code file-name>.

Q = Quit: This exits the program, clears the screen, and returns the borders to
normal.  You will be in ProDOS Applesoft basic with this program in memory.

P = Preferences for modem: A sub menu that allows you to change certain modem
parameters.

M = Modem delay: The amount of time the modem should wait to detect a carrier
before hanging up.

S = Speaker (on/off): Allows you to turn the modems speaker on or off.

D = Direct command to modem: This allows you to enter one command that will be
issued to the modem when you begin dialing.

B = Begin Dialing: You will be asked one question before the modem starts
dialing - How many codes to try?  Enter a number and press return.  Press return
all by itself to cancel. After this command the screen will display several
stats: Codes Tried, Codes to try, Codes Found, Dialing status, and dialing
string.

Dialing status can be one of four things: Organizing (appears once when commands
are sent to modem before each dialing sesion), Dialing (Sending the dialing
string to the modem), Waiting (waiting for a connect), or Saving (The program
has found a code and is saving it). Dialing string is the actual string sent to
the modem.

Ok, with those explanations you should have no problem using the program. Happy
code hunting.

[Modifying the program]

I started using lots of REMs to make it easier to modify, but got tired of that
quickly.

After credits and basic screen setup in lines 5 to 100, there is a section for
variable declarations lines 106 to 189.  Add any new variables here, and alter
any defaults that appear.  Don't mess with the variables that you're not
familiar with like the flags.

Then we have some introductory notes at 200 to 280.  If you make any changes to
the program you can note them here to supplement these docs.  Next comes the
main menu (300-355) and statements to get your input.  Line 360 sends the input
to a subroutine that uppercases it.  So if you add something that gets a single
letter command assign it to I$ and gosub 5500 to uppercase it.

Lines 380 to 899 are for a list of If statements that gosub some where for each
command entered.  Look here to see where a particular command from the main menu
will take you.

Lines 1000 to 5000 are used to update the top of screen stats.  There is a gosub
1000 at the end of any subroutine that might change these stats.

At 10000 to 29900 is the core of the program.  This does the dialing and will be
the biggest cause of compatibility problems between modems.  The original
program was written on an Apple //c with 2400 baud Mercury modem.  Theoretically
it should be compatible with any modem that uses the Hayes command set, but all
modems have their slight differences, incompatibilities, and bugs.  I'll get
back to this later.

The preferences menu and routines are at 48000 through 49980.

At 50000 we have the hit a key routine that simply prints "Hit a key" on the
bottom line and waits for you to comply, then erases the message and homes the
screen.

55000 is branched to from the onerr in line 5, also note that line 7's poke
cancels the onerr and was used for debugging.  When I was finished with it I
placed a rem in front of the poke.  In line 55100 A = peek (222) returns a code
for the error that occured, the lines after that check this code and act
accordingly. The last statement of this routine returns you to the main menu
(goto 300).

The program ends at line 60000.

Unless I missed any, all the peeks and pokes are followed by a Rem statement
explaining its purpose.  Peeks 78 and 79 are used in generating a random number.

There are many variables used in the program, and I'm going to list all the ones
I can remember that are important and not obvious.


CT = Codes tried

CF = Code Found

DS$ = Dialing status

ST$ = Program status

DE = Modem delay

SP$ = Speaker staus (on/off)

DC$ = Direct command? (Yes or no)

If yes, DC$(2) = the command

DI$ = Dialing string (the one displayed on the top line)

NP = Number of LD ports

NT = Number of targets

DI$(2) = Backup dialing string (DI$), used in the update dialing string routine

SC$ = Backup Prefix (PX$), used in the Set prefix routine

Array [ NP$(1..NP) ] = The phone number for each port

Array [ NT$(1..NT) ] = The phone number for each target

NC = Number of codes to try

RT = Random number used to randomly select a target

PO$ = The port that will be used in the next dialing

TA$ = The target that will be used in the next dialing

DI$(3) = The dialing string that will be sent to the modem

V = Used to produce about a 1 second delay allowing the phone line enough time
to hang up.  You may want to increase or decrease the number used in this loop
depending on your system.  Lines 10267, and 29175-29189.

CN = Connect (1=yes,0=no)

Z = Also used to produce a 1 second delay.  Lines 12010 and 12015

DI = Length of DI$

Array [ A$(1 to DI) ] = Each charcater in the dialing string (DI$)

CN$ = Input from the modem

A = The error code used in the Onerr routine

That's most of them.  Next a breakdown of the different steps of the dialing
procedure.

The dialing procedure lives at lines 10000 - 29900.  There are several flags in
the procedure that control when certain things are done (some sections of the
program are only executed once and the flags make sure this happens).  The flags
are numbered 1 through 10 [Flag(1) to Flag(10)], but not all the flags exist
(for example there is no Flag(7) but there is a Flag(4)).  I'm not going to list
the different flag functions because I don't remember what they're all used for
and some are not be used at all (Yes, I know, very sloppy programing).

You are given one prompt, "Enter the number of codes to try: ".  The number you
enter is assigned to NC.  Then we gosub to 29000 which sets up the screen and
sends a few commands to the modem.

In this procedure we print some information to the screen, and send the
following to the modem:

ATE0     Tells the modem not to echo commands.  This is needed by my modem,
other modems may dial without it.  This command can sometimes mess up the first
dialing of that session.

ATM0     Turns the modem's speaker off if SP$ = "OFF".  If you want to change
the speakers status after you have begun dialing once, you will have to quit
(the Q command), turn off the modem and restart the program (RUN).

ATS7=DE  DE is a variable that holds the modems delay.  This command sets that
delay.

DC$(2)   This is the direct command if there is one.

Next we return from the subroutine and begin a loop (this controls everything
else in this routine).  The loop increments CT (See the variable list), finds
PO$ and TA$, and resets DI$(3) to "".  Next we have a delay to allow the program
to hang up from the last dialing, then we gosub 21000 which does the dialing
using PO$ and TA$.  This routine gets CN$ (usually CONNECT or NO CARRIER) and
sets CN to 1 if CN$ = CONNECT, then it returns CN to the loop.  After that the
program checks two things: is CT > = NC (meaning the routine has reached the
Number of codes to try and should stop), and is CN = 1 (a CONNECT). If CN does =
1 the program gosubs to 12000.

At 12000, the save code routine we start off by hanging up.  The program enters
a PR#2, then waits about 1 second and sends +++, another 1 second delay and ATH
is sent.  That should hang up the phone and a PR#0 is executed switching back to
80 columns.  Now the program writes the dialing string (DI$(3)) to a text file
and increments CF by 1.  CN is reset to 0.

After returning from the Save routine (if CN = 1) we gosub to 29000 which
updates the screen's stats.  A NEXT I is executed in line 10320, this for loop
(with the for in line 10210) is used to select a LD port from the list you
supplied with the E command.  When the loop is completed it goes to line 10325
which restarts the loop with a goto 10210.  This countinues until CT > = NC.
After CT reaches NC we return to the main menu, but ask for a key press before
returning... allowing you to examine the final stats on screen.

The next lines are subprocedures that were called from within the main dialing
procedure above, and they were all explained up there also.  However The Update
Code stats routine might need further explanation.

Lines 29100 - 29170 are executed every time the B command is used.  They set up
the screen with the starting stats and information.  Lines 29175 - 29190 are
executed only the first time the B command is executed for that session with the
program.  If you stop and rerun the program these lines will be executed again.
If you turn off the modem, these commands will have to be sent again... so use
the Q command to quit, then type RUN to start it up again.  Lines 29200 - 29250
are executed after each dialing and they update CT, CF, NC, and DS$.

The dialing procedure ends here at line 29900.

[Trouble Shooting]

If the program doesn't work when you first try it, there are several things you
can check.  This isn't like the trouble shhoting sections you see in some
manuals... ("Be sure the computer is turned on.")

�1.  Check all of the commands that appear in the program that are sent to the
modem.  Just to make sure your modem uses them for the same purpose.  The
commands
are:

+++  Line 12010     - Escape characters, gets the modem ready recieve a command.

ATH  Line 12015     - Hang up

ATE0, ATS7, ATM0    - Explained above

2.  Check the two delays in the program, and adjust them if necessary.  When in
doubt make them longer... especially if you have a speed card, zip chip, or GS.

Look in the variable list (V and Z) for more information.  Both delay's are
aproximately 1 second long.  You can use the following program to figure out the
delay, and use a watch or clock to time from the first set of beeps to the
second:

10 HOME:?:?:?
20 ? "Begin Timing now.";chr$(7);chr$(7)
30 FOR V = 1 to 24000 : NEXT V
40 ? ch$(7);chr$(7);"Stop Timing now."
50 Input "Enter the time: ";A
60 A = 24000/A
70 ? "Your system makes approximately ";A;" loops in one second."
80 END

3.  Try running the program without ATE0 (in line 29180).  Also try other
commands: If you use ProTERM, write down the Init string it uses and replace the
ATE0
with that.  If it works then... you can get rid of one part of that init string
at a time untill you narrow it down to the ones that are really needed.

4.  If you have only 40 columns, you're going to have many a problem.  And I'm
not going to try and anticipate the effects... so you're on your own.

5.  Check the slot of your modem if it's not slot 2, change all PR#2's to
PR#(whatever slot it is).  Speaking of PR# commands... I use a PR#0,A$C307,
which changes PR#0 to the address for PR#3 but skips over some initializing
commands which
would clear the screen.

6.  Finally, the most important one: Dip Switches.  Get into ProDOS applesoft.
Enter PR#2 (or whatever slot your modem's in).  Then enter CTRL-A I (this lets
you see what you are typing).  Now press Return and watch the lights on the
modem , when you hit return the RD (Read data) and SD (Send Data) lights should
flash. If they do not flash you can be pretty sure it has something to do with
Dip Switches.  Turn the modem off and play with the switches, turn it on again
and hit return again... watching the lights.  You'll have to countinue to play
with these switches like this until you find a combination that works.  I know
this can be difficult if you have a lot of switches, so use your manual to try
and decide which switches might have an effect on it.

Ok, that's about it.  If you make any substantial changes, I'd like to see what
other people did with my program, you can reach me at USHA or TPH amoung other
boards you might see me on.

 -END-