Transmitting your orders

Setting Up

• Ensure that the Series 3 is securely connected to the public telephone system through the Psion 3-Link accessory and modem, on a telephone line that won't be used by anyone else. The 3-Link plugs into the side of the Series 3, just above the Esc key.
• Ensure that the Series 3's Disk Drive doors, marked A and B on the underside of the Series 3, are both closed.
• It is a good idea to use the mains adapter. Battery consumption increases during communication.
• Pick the Send tool from the File menu. You will see a dialog box similar to this:

The Send tool needs additional memory to run and to record your wholesaler’s outcome report. If less than 6,000 bytes are available, you will first be asked to confirm you wish the program to close all other applications automatically. If this releases enough memory, the above dialog box appears. Alternatively, press the System button and resolve the problem by hand.

The dialog box has four fields, described following, any of which you may alter after moving the highlight to the field with Up Arrow or Down Arrow. When ready, press Enter to start the Send tool, or press Esc to cancel.

In the Dial field the cursor has been replaced by a spin box: the two thick arrows indicate you are being asked to choose one from a limited number of choices. Each press of left arrow or right arrow rotates the selection to the next choice. Alternatively, press Tab to reveal all choices:

Use up arrow or down arrow to move the highlight to your choice, then press Enter to return to the main dialog box.

• If you are going to dial by hand, or have been called by your wholesaler, choose no autodial.
• If you have a Manual modem (one which cannot dial) you can ask the Series 3 to dial by choosing one of the three phone lines. Check you have dial tone and put the Series 3's speaker right up to the telephone mouthpiece. (This only works if your telephone system understands modern DTMF signals.)
• If you want your Hayes compatible modem to dial, choose one of the three phone lines. With most of these modems, it is important to keep your handset on the hook whilst the modem is active; some provide a loudspeaker so you can hear what's happening.

The File(s) fields, Name and Disk, are always pre-set to the current order file. See here if you wish to send a group of separate order files to your wholesaler in a single telephone call, or to send an order file for another wholesaler to this wholesaler instead.

The Signal at end spin box has no effect other than to set your preference for how the Series 3 lets you know it has finished using your telephone: choose chimes, rings or mute (silence).

On the wire

After you close the Send dialog by pressing Enter, when all goes well there is nothing for you to do until the screen shows Done with phone (optionally accompanied by an audible signal at end), as seen here:

Troubleshooting

Before you reach the above state, the program gives various indications which may help you determine whether you need to intervene:

• on the line below the wholesaler's name, information about the current state.
• within the framed window, lines showing significant data received from the modem. The above figure shows three lines, viz. (1) the echo of the command instructing the Hayes compatible modem to go on line without dialling, (2) the modem's “result code” advising it has connected with a remote modem and (3) the outcome message from the remote computer system. Only the five lines most recently presented remain visible (you cannot scroll this window).
• a short low “rasp” sound from the Series 3, should the software at one end not hear the other correctly. This indicates a delay whilst some data is repeated. If this sound is persistent you have a weak connection; check that your own handset is not interfering and that no one is trying to use the telephone line via another extension.
• a message such as “Serial overrun” in the bottom right hand corner, indicating mismatched communication between Series 3 and local modem.
• on the line under the framed window, one of the messages explained in the following table:

Disconnection

In the preceding table, disconnection refers to the breaking of contact between the Series 3 program and your wholesaler's software; pressing the Esc key will always force immediate disconnection. The telephone call normally remains engaged until the end that's paying “hangs-up” all its equipment (in this case modem and handset). Many auto-dial modems hang-up automatically when the software disconnects but it's wise to confirm this yourself (pick up your handset and listen). Of course, a manual modem will need switching from Data. The telephone line reverts to speech after your modem hangs-up.

The program's primary objective, in co-operation with your wholesaler's software, is to send every order accurately without loss or duplication. Waiting for the wholesaler's outcome report is a secondary objective which you may cancel if you wish (and so may your wholesaler, for example if the master data base temporarily cannot be interrogated for stock availability). For clarification, the Series 3 gives a pip sound to mark the point beyond which you may disconnect confident that the wholesaler has your order.

The status line

Any communication attempt proceeds through a definable sequence of states, reported by the status line as described in the following table. The final state remains on screen until you escape from the Send tool.

Sending a group of orders

The Send dialog box File(s) Name field accepts any file specification typed over the suggested specification. The .EOE suffix will be assumed if you leave it out. To select a group of files you use wildcards within the specification; these are the * and ? characters familiar to PC users and explained in Psion's Series 3 User Guide Chapter 12 Files and disks. For example WELLS* selects all files whose name begins with WELLS (and have suffix .EOE).

When Trying to connect to wholesaler, the Order program takes the Access data (wholesaler name and telephone number) from the order file current when the Send tool was picked; we will call this the Host order file. Each non-empty order file which matches your specification is then sent in turn from the Trying to log on state, after which the Series 3 disconnects. After you close the Send tool, the original Host order file is still the current order. Please note that the Host order is only included in the transmission when it too matches your file specification.

When Trying to logon each individual order, the program compares the order's Wholesaler Name with the Host's. If the names are identical (up to the shorter of the two should their lengths differ) then the Access Code and Password sent are taken from that order file, otherwise they are taken from the Host order file. This feature lets you send an order set up for another wholesaler to the host wholesaler without needing to alter any Access data, and lets you send several orders with different Access data to the host wholesaler.

Retransmitting an order

In exceptional circumstances your wholesaler might ask you to repeat a sent order, if possible. This is indeed possible anytime before you send the next order under the same file name:

• Pick the View reply tool under the File menu. In the dialog box, choose the file which needs to be retransmitted.
• Pick the Undo send tool under the Edit menu:

Press the letter Y to confirm. This restores the order just as if it had never been sent. You may now review and (though this would not be normal procedure) even edit or add to the order. Retransmit by picking the Send tool under the File menu.

For clarification, please be aware that under these circumstances the current order file is the file x.BAK not x.EOE. Consequently your next order if any in x.EOE will not be altered in any way by anything you do in x.BAK.

If you wish you may revert x.BAK to it's sent state by picking the Undo “undo send” tool under the Edit menu, so long as you haven't altered the order in any way in which case the Edit menu will show (can't undo).

The Psion Archive

• Order Entry for the Psion Series 3
• Installing the Program
  • Access Dialog reminder
• Starting the Order Program
  • Your toolkit
  • Your memory resource
• Entering Items in the Order
  • PIP Codes beginning with 0
  • Specifying the Quantity
  • Ordering by the Case
  • Asking for an item to follow
  • Requesting 'To Follow' automatically
  • Adding an Order Reference
  • Reviewing the Order
  • Editing the Order
  • Changing or erasing a line
  • To erase all lines
• Transmitting your Orders
  • Setting Up
  • On the wire
  • Troubleshooting
  • Disconnection
  • The Status Line
  • Sending a group of orders
  • Retransmitting an order
• Viewing wholesaler's replies
• Order Files
  • Access to Wholesaler

• Source Code
  • Project file EOE.PR
  • C Header OE.H
  • C Module EOE.C
  • C Module TCOM.C
  • C Module REPLY.C
  • MASM Module MISC.ASM