QuickStar Chinese Modem Program Version 2.0 Copyright (C) 1995 Anthony Mai QuickStar Chinese Modem is a PC software written by Anthony Mai at Pennsylvania State University. It is a DOS program that requires EGA or VGA video display, Approximately 200K free conventional memory, 80286 or better system. QuickStar Chinese Modem Version 1.0 is a Chinese Compatible Communication Software. It allows you to dial specified phone numbers and connect the modem of your computer to a network. Then you can do most of the network operations like what you will do with any communications software. When you are on line, you can read Chinese newsgroups or E-Mails, You can type in your own message in Chinese and post it to newsgroups or send E-Mail in Chinese. Or you can join a Chinese IRC channel and chat with other people around the world in Chinese. What makes QuickStar Chinese Modem unique is that it allows you to use the same Ci2 Zu3 (phrases) input method as the one used in QuickStar Chinese Editor to type in Chinese words. Hence Chinese input on line becomes much easier and faster. Before the birth of QuickStar Chinese Modem the only thing that allows your to type in Chinese on line is the ZWDOS, which has to input Chinese one character at a time, which is extremely inconvenient. QuickStar Chinese Modem Version 2.0 published here is not comminications program any more though the name has not changed. The modem functions have been dropped so as to allow users to use communications they are familiar with, while the QCM itself will stay in the memory and can be activated at one key strike to allow the user to input Chinese quickly in PinYin and CiZu (phrases). Because of this improvement, QCM2.0 can be used not only in communications applications, but in any other applications as long as ZWDOS can display the Chinese Characters. For example. You can start ZWDOS and QCM2.0, and then edit a Chinese file in HZ code use the regular DOS edit, which is impossible if you use ZWDOS alone. The imput method in QCM2.0 has improved greatly too. Now other than using special "PinYin" to input punctuations, you can use the corresponding keys to input so frequently used punctuations directly, like ~{#,~}(dou4hao4) ~{!#~}(ju4hao4)~{#[#]~}~{#;~}~{#'~}and numbers like ~{#1#2#3#4~}etc. The complete package of this software includes the following files: qcm2.exe The main program qcm.cfg The configuration file, dropped in V2.0 pinyin.dic The pinyin dictionary file cizu.dic The cizu phrases dictionary file A new file reg.dat will be created by the program for software registration purpose. Unlike Version1.0, which is a free software, Version 2.0 of QuickStar Chinese Modem software is a shareware program, meaning you can try it for 30 days to see if it is useful to you. If you decide to keep it after 30 days, you should register the software with the author. you registration fee is not only a reward to the software author, but it also supports the software author to further improve the software and wite more and better shareware programs. The pinyin.dic file and cizu.dic file has similar format as those used by QuickStar2.2 Chinese editor. However they have been expanded since the publication of QuickStar2.2. While it is recommended to replace the old pinyin.dic in QuickStar2.2 with the new one announced here. It is strongly discouraged that you replace the old cizu.dic in QuickStar2.2 with this new one. Because the new cizu.dic has been so much expanded that QuickStar2.2 can not handle it. Usage of the QuickStar Chinese Modem program is simple: 1. Copy all files to the same directory. If you have QuickStar2.2 Chinese editor, you should use a directory different from QuickStar2.2. 2. If what you get is a PKQCM2.EXE, execute it and all original files will be self-extracted and recovered. If you have PKQCM2.ZIP, you need to use an unzip facility to unzip it. The most popular unzip facility is PKZ204G.EXE, which can be obtained from many FTP sites. 3. Load ZWDOS before you rum QCM. Just type "zwvga". And then turn off the NumLock light by press the key NumLock. You may want to type a "cls" to clear the screen. 4. type "qcm2" to start the program. A machine dependent reg.dat file will be created. If you haven't registered QuickStar Chinese Modem before, It will show you a Serial Number and prompt you to enter a license number, which I can calculate based on your Serial Number and provide to you once you register the software with me. If you haven't registered yet, just type in any number and the program will start as un-registered version. Once registered the information will be stored in the reg.dat file so you will not be asked for the number any more. 5. It will remind you that the hot key to unload (remove) the program from memory is Ctrl-Alt-u. It can be used at any moment. No message will be give when it is removed. It just quit silently. 6. Use the NumLock key as the switch between English Mode and the and Chinese mode. When the NumLock light is on it is in Chinese mode, otherwise it is in English mode. When it is in English mode QCM will do nothing and every key strike will be the same as what it was, including any combined or extended keys. It is recommended that you disable ZWDOS's input by press the CapsLock key and turn off the CapsLock light, if it is on. ZWDOS will be used only for display. And it is better to keep the numlock off and turn it on only when you are ready to input Chinese. 7. Before you type each line of Chinese, be sure to type the ~ and { first. That's the start symble for HZ Chinese sequence. Type ~ and } to end the Chinese sequence and turn off the NumLock light before you switch back to English input mode. If it is in Chinese mode (NumLock on) just use the "{" (Shift-[) for ~ { and use "}" (Shift-]) for ~ }. It saves you one key strike. 8. The pinyin input and cizu input scheme is the same as in the QuickStar2.2. Special "pinyin"s are made to input puctuations and symbols: dou4 :~{#,~}dou4Hao4 ju4 :~{!#~}Ju4Hao4 wen4 :~{#?~}Wen4Hao4 gan3 :~{#!~}Gan3Tan4Hao4 dun4 :~{!"~}dun4hao4 mao4 :~{#:~}Mao4Hao4 etc etc fv1: shows all puncutations fv2 - fv4 shows all other usful symbols. pv1 - pv3 shows PinYin related symbols zv1 - zv4 shows English Letters and Greece Letters as Chinese rv1 - rv2 Russian Letters bv1 - bv5 Table making symbols Selection of characters is similar like the ways used in NJSTAR and in QuickStar2.2 Chinese Editor. You can use Alt-Number or just number or space key for selections. To choose the last choice just use Alt-0. If the number key is used along it could be used as Tone Number (sheng1diao4) or used as a choice (if a tone number) has already been inputed). The space key or Enter key can be used to choose the first choice. You can Use the , and . key (without pressing Shift) to search for more choices of CiZus or Characters. 9. Quit the program by typing Ctrl-Alt-u at any time. Unregistered version of QuickStar Chinese Modem 2.0 has disabled certain functionalities to encourage people to register. Once registered those functions will be enabled automatically. Those functions includes selection of the 2nd item if it is a CiZu. And input of Dou4hao4 and Ju4Hao4 use the key "," and "." directly (you can still input them in PinYin dou4 and ju4). For registration of the software: 1. Write down the serial number that QCM tells you. 2. Write down your name, address, E-Mail address. 3. Include a check or money order of $10 or equivalent. (If you send cash I can honor your registration, too, But I will not be responsible if it is lost in mail.) 4. Send the above to me at: Mr. Anthony Mai Box #28, 10 Vairo Blvd. State College, PA 16803 U.S.A. Tel:(814)867-3385 5. Upon receiving your serial number and the fee. I will send you the valid license number by E-Mail, or by phone call or post mail. Users who has registered QuickStar2.2 Chinese Editor before do not need to register QuickStar Chinese Modem 2.0 again. The same license number can be used for either one. You may just make a copy of the reg.dat file or you can just enter the same license number. For any questions, suggestions, comments, E-Mail to mai@phys.psu.edu.