Date: Fri, 17 Feb 89 16:05:58 +0100
From: (anonynmous)
Subject: An MS-Kermit logging package

     While using MSKermit scripts (with pleasure) I discovered that some
tricks can provide a logging package with a structure some might like. I
include a skeleton of my development below for your database, if you like.
But I'd prefer it From: Anonymous.

     In the course of writing a rather general logging package with MSKermit
for our users, I tried to confine all the parameters he has to modify in a
single file and to limit the number of files to the minimum, while still
preserving modularity. I came to a solution that, at the expense of a
naughty trick, can gather both DOS and Kermit user-controllable parameters
and even code. According to the presence/absence of the parameters, the
package makes its way through all the paths they relate to. At the end,
there is provision for anything the user wishes, be it CONNECT or RUN
his-process with retry.

     The final general syntax is CALLHOST [LOG] (the CONLOG file being for
problem support). Shorter files are distributed for the most common paths.
Remember one has to double %'s in DOS batch files when they are not intended
for parameters or variables.

The abridged CALLHOST.BAT file goes:

@ECHO OFF
GOTO %%DOS
:%%DOS ; Kermit parameters, really. Update them with your own.
define \%B 19200                ; Baud rate
define \%R 3                    ; Global retry count
define \%N ATDPW0WT562900       ; Hayes dialing command if modem
... and several other such path parameters ...
Note: we could have any Kermit code, even:
if defined \%? goto PART_2 ; for multiple threads.
define \%U VM-userid            ; if Logon wanted
define \%P password             ; optional, or may be "@CON"
define \%X CONNECT              ; Kermit command to execute if success
comment define \%Y your-job     ; DOS procedure to \%X=RUN if success
comment define \%Z its-parms    ; its parameters
pop ; End of Kermit parameters
:%DOS
ECHO OFF
KERMIT -F CALLHOST.KER, PROCESS %0.BAT %1 >CON%1
IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 1 REM any more DOS

And the abridged CALLHOST.KER goes:

if not defined PROCESS define PROCESS take CALLHOST.KER ; 1st time in
if not defined \%1 pop ; 1st time done

if defined \%2 set take-echo on ; logging file present

define @ECHO comment nooped DOS command
take \%1        ; parameters file
define @ECHO

if not defined \%C define \%C 1
if not defined \%B define \%B 1200
if not defined \%R define \%R 1
set port  COM\%C
set speed \%B
etc...

set count \%R
goto AGAIN
:RETRY
   if not count goto DONE
   echo Reprise g)n)rale\13
:AGAIN
   set errorlevel 0
   set handshake none
   set flow-control none
   set local-echo off

   if defined \%N take callrtt.ker      ; phone call
   if errorlevel 1 goto RETRY

and one such for each path ...

   if defined \%U take callvm.ker       ; VM logon
   if errorlevel 1 goto RETRY

   if defined \%X \%X \%Y \%Z           ; possible user process
   if errorlevel 1 goto RETRY

:DONE