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Chapter 1: Introduction to PowerTerm This chapter presents PowerTerm and describes its main features. A quick guide to PowerTerm is also provided in this chapter. It describes the basic steps for users who are familiar with accessing remote terminals.
A Quick Guide Through PowerTerm.
PowerTerm is a fully functional terminal emulator for Microsoft Windows. It emulates various terminal types, including UNIX, VMS and IBM. PowerTerm enables you to connect to a single or multiple host via both network and remote connections.
PowerTerm provides two main features to enable the PC to act and feel like a real host terminal:
Once the PC connects to a host computer, all host operations can be performed as if the PC is an actual host terminal.
PowerTerm includes a special programming language, Power Script Language (PSL), which enables you to create scripts for automating tasks. For example, you can create a PSL script which logs you in automatically. Scripts can be used to start PowerTerm, or anytime during a PowerTerm session. PSL is intended for users with programming skills.
PowerTerm enables you to use the standard Microsoft DDE mechanism to communicate with other Windows applications as a DDE client or DDE server application.
PowerTerm also provides various options to customize and optimize the working environment:
PSL commands can be assigned to the Power Pad and soft buttons to enable additional functions with a click of the mouse.
To enable PC - host interaction, you need to define two sets of parameters: terminal parameters and communication parameters. These are both saved in a terminal setup file. A terminal setup file has a .PTS extension. The PowerTerm default setup file is called PTDEF.PTS.
The communication setup file has a .PTC extension.
The keyboard definitions file has a .PTK extension.
PowerTerm provides the option to work with a single host or multiple hosts. You can create different setup files for working with each host to enable each user a customized working environment.
Working with a Single Host
If you only need to connect to a single host, you should use the default terminal setup and communication file called PTDEF.PTS.
When you select Power Term, it automatically uses the parameters in the setup file to start the system.
Working with Different Terminal Emulations
If you are working with different terminals with different emulations, you may need to use a different setup file for each emulation. To create a setup file, you first need to define the terminal setup and communication parameters, and then save these parameters to a terminal setup file. These files will have a .PTS extension. For more information, see the section Running a Script upon Startup in Chapter 5: Scripts.
A Quick Guide Through PowerTerm
The following workflow provides a quick guide for using PowerTerm.
Each of the steps is explained on the pages that follow.
For a more detailed description of these steps, see PowerTerm Workflow in Chapter 4: Using PowerTerm.Step 1: Start PowerTerm
Start PowerTerm by clicking on the PowerTerm icon in the Ericom PowerTerm group. The PowerTerm window is displayed:
The most important feature of the PowerTerm window is its work area, which emulates a host terminal screen by displaying data entered on your terminal and data received from the host.
Step 2: Select a Terminal Emulation
Select the Setup option from the Terminal menu. The Terminal Setup window is displayed:
Select the Emulation tab.
You can select a terminal for the current session, or open a previously defined terminal setup (.PTS) file, as described in the following paragraphs:
To define terminal settings for the current session, click the relevant tab in the Terminal Setup window and then define setup parameters (for example, Display, Keyboard or Printer). After you have defined the settings that you require, click the OK button.
To save these terminal settings in the default setup file (PTDEF.PTS), from the File menu, select Save Terminal Setup to save the current settings file.
Or,
Select Save Terminal Setup As, specify a setup file name and click OK. The file is saved with a .PTS extension.
You can start PowerTerm with a specific setup file using commands (Windows 3.x) or by creating a shortcut (Windows 95).Or,
Select a setup file in the Connect window (see Step 3).
Step 3: Connect to a Host
After you have selected a terminal emulation, you can connect to a host. Select Connect from the Communication menu to display the Connect window:
Before connecting to a host, you need to define communication parameters for the current session, or select a previously saved session from the sessions list.
You can save session parameters by clicking the Save As button in the Connect window. Specify a session name and click OK. Saved sessions are displayed in the Sessions List.
Click the Connect button to connect to a host computer.
Step 4: Work with a Host
PowerTerm provides the following options for working with a host:
Step 5: Exit PowerTerm
PowerTerm provides options when exiting PowerTerm: end a session automatically or be prompted with a confirmation message prior to closing a session.
To exit PowerTerm, select Exit from the File menu.
Refer to page 71 for more information on PowerTerm preferences when exiting PowerTerm. If you have changed terminal settings, PowerTerm displays a warning message asking if you want to update the terminal settings file (.PTS). The message will point to the name of the setup file currently loaded (PTDEF.PTS, if you used the default). Click OK to update the file, or No to cancel the latest changes and restore the default setup (PTDEF.PTS) file.