Async Professional

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Introduction

Async Professional is a collection of native Visual Component Library (VCL) components that provide serial communication facilities for programs created with Borland Delphi and C++Builder. It provides optimized components that are fully integrated with Delphi, compile directly into your EXE files, and include complete source code. Async Professional (APRO) provides a wide range of communication components, including:

• A communications port component with standard serial port properties (port number, baud rate, and so on), methods for sending and receiving data, and events for common communications situations (data available, buffer empty, and so on).

• A flexible data packet component that informs you when data that meets your criteria arrives at the communications port.

• State machine components that let you design and implement protocols.

• SAPI components to add Speech to your applications. Now your applications can speak (Text to Speech) and listen (Speech to Text).

• IP Telephony components to implement full streaming audio and video over your network.

• Non-TAPI modem database using TurboPower’s NEW modemcap XML format. Use the TAPI modem definitions (from the INF files) to control your modem when TAPI doesn’t cut it.

• SMS pager component to take advantage of the Short Message System.

• A scripting component that contains properties and methods for automating basic communication operations like logging on and off, file upload and file download.

• A communications port component that provides network and Internet communications using Winsock, in addition to the standard communications port capabilities.

• A RAS dialing component to that gives you more control over your Dial-Up Networking via the Remote Access Server API.

• File Transfer Protocol (FTP) components that take care of the FTP protocol details and present a friendly interface, allowing you to transfer huge files from the Internet and support resumable transfers. An FTP logging component automates the process of logging an FTP client-server dialog for auditing FTP activities.

• TAPI components for working with modems in TAPI environments like Windows 95/98, Windows NT 4.0, and Windows 2000.

• A modem component that provides a simple interface for accessing the most commonly used modem operations. TAdModem integrates the selection of the modem from the new modem database and the dialog to show the current status of the modem.

• An advanced terminal the provides full support for VT100 protocol.

• StatusLight components that react to changes in serial port status and reflect the status of the port.

• A file transfer protocol component for transferring files using an Xmodem, Ymodem, Zmodem, Kermit, or ASCII protocol.

• File transfer status and file transfer logging components to display the progress of a file transfer and create a history file of files sent or received.

• Paging components for sending alphanumeric pages with Telelocator Alphanumeric Protocol (TAP), Personal Entry Terminal Protocol (PET), internet based paging using the Simple Network Paging Protocol (SNPP), and Short Message Services (SMS).

• Fax Client and Server components that make it easy to create a distributed fax server system.

• A fax conversion component that converts color BMP, monochrome PCX, DCX, TIFF and text files to a faxable format, and a fax unpacking component that unpacks received faxes into image files or memory bitmaps. Components for printing and viewing faxes are also included.

• Fax printer drivers and an interface component that provide a print-to-fax feature from any Windows program.

• Fax send and receive components for transmitting and receiving fax files using Class 1, Class 1.0, Class 2 and Class 2.0 faxmodems.

Deprecated components

As Async Professional has matured through the years, several components have become obsolete, or have been replaced by components with greater functionality. Some of these components have been deprecated to allow APRO to evolve, while still maintaining some degree of backwards compatibility.

Previous version of APRO have moved the deprecated components to a separate tab on the component palette, this version of APRO has deprecated even that. The deprecated components are installed on your installation destination folder in the \Bonus folder. The units in this folder contain the component source for several components that can be installed in your palette.

We do not plan to make any enhancements to these components, and technical support for these products will have a very low priority. These components may be completely removed from future versions of APRO. In short, we highly recommend that you do not use these components for new development.

The following components are now deprecated:

• TApdIniDBase, TApdModemDBase, AwModem.ini: These components and files were used for modem configuration and phone book databases. They have been replaced by the TApdLibModem component and the modemcap database.

• TApdModem, TApdSModem: These files were used for non-TAPI modem control using the TApdModemDBase component. They have been replaced by the TAdModem and TApdLibModem components.

• Modem dialer and status components using the TApdModem and TApdSModem components.

• Phonebook and phonebook editor components.

• Terminal window, terminal emulator and keyboard emulator components that allow you to add ANSI, VT52 or VT100 terminals to your application. Replaced by the TAdTerminal and associated components.

Each of the units containing installable deprecated components are duplications of the distributed 3.0x source files. To install these components, you may have to add the registrations methods, or add the units to a custom package.

Documentation for the deprecated components is included in the APRODEP.HLP file, installed in the \Bonus folder.

This document maintained by the Async Professional Project.