Text processing system with communication data save facility4480308Abstract In a text processor including a communications facility, different tasks, such as typing tasks and communications tasks are entered into the machine from different program diskettes. As each is so entered, in view of the fact that main memory space is limited, it overlays control data in the main memory relating to the previous task. In a communications session, the operator has to build a queue of documents for sending under the control of communications foreground control (CFC) and communications background control (CBC) blocks in the main memory. If the operator is required to terminate this task before its completion, his queue data is lost as it is overlaid by control data relating to a new task that is entered, so on return to the communications task, he has to start from the beginning. In order to enable him to exit the communications task without losing the queue data, an arrangement is employed whereby this data can be entered on to the communications program diskette prior to termination of a communications session. Claims We claim: Description TECHNICAL FIELD
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TASK SELECTION
ID ITEM
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a Typing Tasks:
Create, Revise or Paginate Documents
b Work Diskette Tasks:
Delete or Duplicate Documents,
Duplicate, Condense or
Erase/Initialize (Name) Diskette,
Print Index of Diskette Contents,
Change Document or Diskette Name,
Recover Documents
c Program Diskette Tasks:
Default Formats, Duplicate Setups,
Printer and Work Station Description,
Duplicate and Erase Program Diskette
d Spelling Tasks
e Feature Tasks
f Merge Tasks
Type ID letter to choose ITEM; press ENTER:
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Communications tasks come under the heading of Feature Tasks, so option e is selected. The system responds by displaying the message `Insert desired feature diskette; press ENTER`. In order to effect a communications setup, the operator now inserts an Electronic Data Distribution (EDD) program diskette. This diskette provides the controls for the communication function, and the resulting layout of memory 8 is as shown in FIG. 1. In this layout, certain functions and controls are derived from the base diskette. These are: Keystroke Service Routines (KSR) 20 which handle commands from the CPU in response to each keyed entry from keyboard 2. Keystroke Control (KC) 21 which controls the service routines; Application Supervisor (AS) 22 which controls the linking of application routines to the base routines of the system; Menu Manager (MM) 23 which controls the generation of displayed menus in response to control signals from either the base or the application controls; Display Control Block (Display CB) 24, which effects display control functions; Text Storage Block Manager (TSB Mgr.) 25, which controls the storage and flow of text data in the system; Text Storage Block (TSB) 26, which stores entered text data; Display Access Method (Display AM) 27, which determines the display data format and control; Display Refresh Buffer (DRB) 28, which holds data for display; Diskette Control Block (Disk CB) 29, which controls diskette read and store functions; Diskette Access Method (Disk AM) 30, which determines the diskette data format and control; and Diskette Buffer (DB) 31, which holds data to be stored in, or read from, a diskette in drive 3. The remaining functions and controls are derived from the EDD communications diskette, these are: Communications Foreground Control (CFC) 40, which essentially controls functions related to interaction between the operator and the system during communications sessions; Communications Background Control (CBC) 41, which provides housekeeping controls in conjunction with the ccntrols effected by CFC 40; Communications Access Method (CAM) 42, which determines the format of signals and controls for the communications adapter 7; Communications Control Block (CCB) 43, which is coupled to CFC 40, CBC 41 and CAM 42 to effect overall control of communications activities; Send Buffer (SB) 44, which stores data to be sent from communications adapter 7; and Receive Buffer (RB) 45, which stores data received by communications adapter 7. It should be noted here that the EDD diskette has to be personalized for the system with which it is used and the communications network to which the system is connected. This is normally done on installation of the machine. This personalization includes details of the addresses or identities of other systems coupled to the network, the types of lines and modems used for routes through the network, data codes employed and the format of transmitted data. It is assumed here that the EDD program diskette read into the system has been so personalized. After the diskette has been loaded, a SETUP selection menu is presented to the operator from the communication foreground control (CFC) 40 via the menu manager (MM) 23 and the display controls and buffer to the display. This menu is of the form:
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ID SETUP NAME TASK
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a D4 MAIL DD (Network Document
Distribution)
b D6 MAIL DD (Network Document
Distribution)
c DALLAS DX (Document exchange)
d D7 MAIL DD (Network Document
Distribution)
e TUCSON DX (Document exchange)
f (unused)
g (unused)
h (unused)
i Save Session Preparation and Go to Task
Selection
j Go to Task Selection
Type ID letter to choose ITEM, press ENTER:
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This menu directs the operator to select the address or network with which he wishes to communicate so that he can build a queue of documents for that address or network. Identities a, b and d relate to the distribution of messages, through a host system, to multiple addresses in a network, and identities c and d relate to the exchange of messages between the system and another single address. Identities i and j are employed if the operator wishes to exit from communication tasks to a further task. Identity i will be described in detail later, as it is this function to which the present invention relates. If the operator wishes to effect communication within, say, the D4 MAIL network, he enters `a`, end a session summary frame relating to D4 MAIL is produced on the display. Essentially, this sets out all the messages communicated to, and received from, the address defined by the setup name. The session summary frame starts as follows:
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Communication
SETUP : D4 MAIL (DD)
ATTENDED
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When ready to communicate, press COMM START To display or change command queue or session options, press REQST. As no messages are yet being transmitted or read to be transmitted, the operator enters REQST. This causes a request task frame to appear as follows:
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REQUEST TASK
ID ITEM
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a Distribute Document
b Obtain Documents
c Display Index of Diskette
Contents
d Display or Change Command
Queue
e Change Session Options
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To enter a document to be sent into the send queue, the operator enters `a` and is then prompted to insert the identity of the document and the name of a work diskette holding that document. Subsequent to such entry the request task menu is again displayed. As indicated in the request tasks menu, the operator may perform other tasks, such as obtaining documents which are addressed to the system and received by the host system, displaying an index of the contents of the named work diskette, displaying items from the queue of commands scheduled for processing during the communications task, and changing the options available to the communications session. With the selection of Identity a from the REQUEST TASKS MENU, destination addresses for the named document can be entered using a DISTRIBUTION LIST menu as follows:
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DISTRIBUTION LIST
ID NODE DESTINATION ADDRESS(ES)
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b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
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By calling the various Identities a through j, a pattern of addresses for the named document can be built up. The nodes define host systems within a network to which individual systems are attached and may be equated to telephone area codes. The destination addresses refer to the addresses of the individual systems to which the document is to be sent. For each node, a plurality of destination addresses, for example, 8, may be entered. When the operator enters an identity, he is prompted to type the node and destination addresses, and then to press the ENTER key, when the typed information is entered into the list and displayed. This process is continued until the full list is prepared for the named document. The process is then repeated for further named documents to be distributed. When a completed queue of messages has been built up, the operator establishes a connection with the host system to which his system is connected, recalls the session summary frame and depresses a COMM. START (communication start) key. During the communication session, the session summary frame provides a summary of active messages as follows:
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SETUP: D4 MAIL ATTENDED 123/4567
DISTRIBUTE DOCUMENT
Document Name: JUNO
Diskette: ROCK
Document Comment: Patent Search Report
Destination Address(es): 282 35 D 782
Document Attributes: Acknowledge Delivery
Priority Delivery
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This indicates that a document JUNO on a diskette ROCK is ready for distribution to the defined destination addresses from the system. The system's address is shown as 123/4567. As has been mentioned above, various options may be selected for each document, and the document attributes show those which have been chosen. When the host to which the system is attached receives this document, it allocates a further name to it and returns this name for display in the session memory frame as follows: Distribution Document Name: 78753 DIS 0123 This acknowledges that the document is in the system and has, or will be distributed. For received documents, the session summary frame format is as follows:
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SETUP: D4 MAIL ATTENDED 123/4567
OBTAIN DOCUMENT
Distribution Document Name: 78753 -DIS -0637
Receive Message:
Recipient Local Address: 4567
Distribution Document Name: 78753 -DIS -0637
Source Address: Smith
Document Name: Pers. 024
Diskette: ROCK
Document Comment: Personnel Policies
Successful Completion
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This indicates reception of a document. It shows both the original document name (Pers. 024) and the name assigned by the distribution system (78753 DIS 0637), together with the address of the source of the document and comments on the document prepared at the source. Obviously, during a communications session, a number of documents can be sent and received for each setup. When a communications session has been completed, the operator depresses an END key and then gets the Task Selection Menu for further work on a selected task. It should be noted that though the communication operation itself takes a relatively small time, the preparation for this operation may be quite extensive. As has been seen, for each communications setup, a queue of messages has to be built up from those available on a work diskette, in order to be placed in the queue, each message has to be defined and entered by means of the SETUP and Request Task menus. This in many cases will require references to the send queue and diskette content index by menu selection together, possibly, with changes in communication session options. Furthermore, due to the fact that in a text processing system, the memory (8 FIG. 1) is small, communications applications are implemented as foreground feature overlay tasks (in the communication foreground control (CFC) 40 of FIG. 1). Each of the tasks set out in the Task Selection Menu above involves a program load operation from an appropriate program diskette to memory 8. Thus, any specific current task information held in memory 8 is overlaid, and therefore lost, when a new task is entered. In the case of a communications task, the send queue data and selected option data are so overlaid and lost. This means that once a communications task has been selected, then it must either proceed to completion, or, if interrupted, it must be later started from the beginning. For many tasks, this raises no significant difficulties, however, as explained above, a communications task, especially one employing a long queue of messages, may take a lengthy period in preparation. Logically, the best time to effect communications is at or near the end of a working day, when the messages to be sent have been prepared during the day. Unfortunately it is at this very time that urgent mail often arrives for typing. Thus, an operator, having started his preparations for a communications session, has to decide whether to continue therewith, or to exit from this task to prepare an urgent letter. In either case, it is clear that office efficiency is impaired. One way of solving this problem would be to implement the communications facility as a concurrent background task. In other words, having entered the appropriate data and commands, controls permanently within memory 8 would effect communication of data concurrently with the processing of other tasks. From an operators viewpoint, this would be very convenient, but it is considered that this solution would be prohibitively expensive in view of the extra memory space required. It has now been realized that a different approach can be achieved. This approach is to place the communications session information, i.e. the setup, the send queue and associated parameters and selected options, temporarily on the communications program diskette. On re-entry to the communications task, this information is then automatically restored and the operator can continue the session from the point at which it left off. It is for this purpose that identity i--Save Session Preparation and Go to Task Selection, has been added to the Setup Selection menu shown hereinbefore. If an operator presses the END key while the Session Summary Frame is displayed, in order to exit from a communications session, the SETUP SELECTION menu is presented to him with the currently selected setup highlighted. He can now choose either option i--Save Session Preparation and Go to Task Selection or j--Go to Task Selection. In the latter case, of course, he goes back to the original TASK SELECTION MENU, and when a further task is selected and the associated program diskette entered, his preparation work is lost. If he selects identity i, the system prompts him to insert the EDD program diskette if it is not still mounted. Then the information relating to the communication session the operator was preparing is entered into an area of the EDD diskette not containing program material. Thereafter a message indicating that the session preparation data was saved is posted, and the system returns to the TASK SELECTION menu. When the operator subsequently selects the EDD feature task, instead of the SETUP SELECTION menu being displayed, control proceeds directly to the Session Summary frame, and the setup, the send queue and associated parameters, and the previously selected options are restored to memory 8, so the system again is in the state from which it was exited. FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 are flow diagrams showing the controls which effect the saving of the communication session data. Subsequent to the operator selecting `Features Task` from the TASK SELECTION menu and thereafter loading an EDD diskette, the Application Supervisor 22, (FIG. 1) loads the EDD foreground control initialization routine 50 (FIG. 2). This routine loads common modules, setups and saved session data (if present on the diskette) at 51. It then performs preliminary initialization at 52, invokes an EDD background control initialization routine at 53 and returns to the application supervisor at 54. As shown in FIG. 3, the application supervisor then passes control to the foreground control supervisor routine (60) which firstly allocates a work area in storage at 61. At 62, it is determined whether or not data from a previous session has been saved, if not, the menu manager (23, FIG. 1) is called to display the SETUP SELECTION menu at 63. Thereafter after selection of a setup at 64, the control block of the Foreground Supervisor is initialized using default option data at 65. On the other hand, if data from a previous session has been saved, the control blocks are initialized with the saved data directly at 66. Thereafter the Foreground Control Supervisor completes loading of modules from the EDD data, initializes the send queue, and calls the background control to complete the initialization at 67. In the next step, the Session Summary Frame is displayed at 68, and the keystroke control (21, FIG. 1) is invoked at 69 to permit the operator to continue the session preparation. FIG. 4 illustrates the controls which effect the saving of session data. Upon detection of the depression of the END key during a preparation session, the keystroke control calls the Foreground Control Supervisor at 70. This removes the SESSION SUMMARY frame from the display at 71, and calls the Menu Manager (23, FIG. 1) to display the SETUP SELECTION menu. At 73, the operator selects either the `Save Session Preparation and Go to Task Selection` or `Go to Task Selection` from the menu. Either of these choices causes the Communications Background Control (41, Fig. 1) to terminate at 74. At 75, it is determined whether the `save session` option has been selected, if not control passes directly to the Application Supervisor (22, FIG. 1) at 76. If so, after determining at 77 whether the EDD program diskette is mounted or not, and if not, prompting the operator to mount it, the saved session parameters and send queue are read on to the diskette at 78, and control passes on to the Application Supervisor 76. The Application Supervisor then calls a Foreground Control termination routine which deletes all the application data from memory. It then causes presentation of the TASK SELECTION menu for selection and initiation of a further task. While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.
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