IBTip

This is a simple extension of tip3, which I originally picked up several years ago from BIX.  tip3 was/is a replacement for tip, written in Objective C, with full source code.

Over the years, NeXT users have complained of the lack of a simple comms program for NeXTSTEP.  Last week, I ran a NeXTSTEP developer training class.  On my classes, I ask the students to come with a project that they want to work on; last week, the class wanted to develop a program to control lab instruments.  Over two days of the class, they developed something that looks a lot like IBTip, using tip3 as a base.

So far (0.1), I have spent about five hours redeveloping and testing the same work.

The main window contains two fields: one for output from the port, and another for user entered input data.

A Preferences window allows you to set defaults:

Speed: set the port speed to: 300, 1200, 2400, 9600, 19200.
Parity: ignored.
Com port: Com1/A or Com2/B
Flow control: combines with Port to select /dev/cufa, /dev/cua, /dev/cufa, /dev/cub.
Protocol: ignored.
Capture File: specifies a filename to save to; tip.record is the default.
Dial Number: used in the Dial command.
Init String: sent to the modem when opening the port.

Commands menu:

Capture/End Capture: appends to the Capture file.
Dial: dials the number given, redials on busy, etc, and plays a sound when connected.
Hangup: hangs up the line, and terminates a dial sequence.
Reset: does nothing.
Send FIle: untested.
Receive File: untested.
Run Script: sends a file to the port, with a one second delay between lines.

Not Done:

Scripts would be a simple addition.
All of the file transfer code is in there, but it isn't tested at all.
Multiple documents (i.e. one per port) would be a possible extension.
Parity handling is very crude.
Optional line ending values (CRLF) would be a good move.

Paul Lynch
Feb 28, 1994