DOS PHANTOM V2.8 from P2 Enterprises

    DOS Phantom is a keystroke record-and-playback utility. Recordings
    can be of any length and can be edited after recording.  Recordings
    can be played back at high speed or with delays.  Playback can be
    scheduled for a time in the future or invoked with a hot key.
			   _______
		      ____|__     |               (tm)
		   --|       |    |-------------------
		     |   ____|__  |  Association of
		     |  |       |_|  Shareware
		     |__|   o   |    Professionals
		   -----|   |   |---------------------
			|___|___|    MEMBER
INSTALLATION:

    Create a directory and unzip the PTM224.ZIP file into it.
    Example:
		  C:\> MKDIR PHANTOM
		  C:\> CD PHANTOM
		  C:\PHANTOM> UNZIP ..\PTM228

DEMONSTRATION:

    Make sure you are in the directory containing the PHANTOM2.EXE and
    DEMO files.  Then, type PHANTOM2 DEMO to run the demonstration.


REGISTRATION:

    When you register, P2 Enterprises will send you a free DOS Phantom
    Quick Reference booklet.  This booklet contains just about every-
    thing you need to use DOS Phantom without cracking the manual!
    
    See the file ORDER.FRM in this kit, or use CompuServe's registration
    service (GO SWREG, registration ID 300).


DOCUMENTATION:

    The current documentation is V2.6.  The only difference between
    V2.6 and V2.8 is the addition of the $RetainKybdFlags directive
    described under Changes from previous Versions below.


DOS Phantom is:
    - A task automation tool
    - A tool for creating self-executing demos (with looping and
	timeout features)
    - A software testing tool (including screen and print capture)
    - A substitute for .BAT files
    - A keystroke macro utility

DOS Phantom recordings can be edited to include:
    - Pop-up text windows
    - Pop-up menus
    - Pauses for user input
    - Branching based on:
	- menu selection
	- program exit status
	- appearance of a text string on the screen

DOS Phantom recordings can be scheduled for playback
    - daily
    - weekly
    - once only

DOS Phantom provides facilities similar to the scripting languages of
popular communications programs such as Procomm and CrossTalk, but
applied instead to *your* computer rather than the one you are connected
to over the phone line.  You can even use DOS Phantom to control a
Procomm session instead of using Procomm's scripting facility.

DOS Phantom is useful as a batch substitute, as a regression testing
tool for software development, for creating demos of software, and for
automating any task you perform repetively on your computer.

A demonstration recording and Users Guide are included in PTM228.ZIP.
DOS Phantom is shareware.  The registration fee is $25.00.  All features
are present and active in the shareware version.


CHANGES FROM PREVIOUS VERSIONS

   Version 2.1 of DOS Phantom fixes a bug introduced in V2.0 which
   prevented ALT and CTRL keys from playing back correctly into some
   application programs, including CIM (CompuServe Information Manager).

   Version 2.2 is a redistribution of V2.1 which corrects the fact that
   obsolete versions of the TXT2PTM and PTM2TXT programs were included
   in PTM221.ZIP.

   Version 2.3 adds support for the PHANTOMDIR environment variable, and
   support for scheduled playback and hot-key initiated playback with
   the programs SCHEDULE and HOTFILE.

   Version 2.4 fixes two bugs reported just after version 2.3 was released.
   Version 2.4 of PTM2TXT fixed a bug which caused the timings of certain
   keystrokes (those with scan codes under 10h) to be set to zero.  Version
   2.4 of PHANTOM2 fixes a problem where keystrokes were missed during
   auto-repeat with typematic rates set above 15.  Minor changes were made
   to the documentation.

   V2.4 also introduces the MAKEPTM program for producing DOS Phantom
   recordings from plain ASCII text files.

   V2.5 fixes a bug in MAKEPTM which prevented processing files without
   at least a 1 second line delay and incorporates changes to allow chaining
   to another recording during playback.

   V2.6 adds support for the F11 and F12 keys and their SHFT, CTRL, and ALT
   variants and fixes a bug which caused the schedule to be corrupted when
   the default RECORDNG.PTM file was used for recording.

   V2.8 replaces the keyboard NumLock, ScrollLock, CapsLock, and Insert
   keys to their pre-playback state when recording terminates unless
   the $RetainKybdFlags directive is contained in the playback file.
   (The $RetainKybdFlags directive has no arguments and may be placed anywhere
   in the playback file.)  V2.8 also fixes a bug which caused scheduled
   playbacks with days or dates specified other than the first in the list
   to be ignored.

   V2.8A of PHANTOM2.EXE correctly reports errors when invalid hot key
   combinations are specified.

   V2.8B of PHANTOM2.EXE correctly processes unused extended keyboard codes
   (actually used by some products) which previously caused erroneous
   directive processing to occur.

   V2.8C fixes a bug in which the use of ALT and CTRL hot keys with HOTFILE
   caused keyboard to appear dead when playback completed.
	
   V2.8A of TXT2PTM.EXE correctly processes delays specified as MM:SS.CCC.
   V2.8 incorrectly processed time delays of over approximately 5 minutes.

   V2.8A PTM2TXT.EXE correctly processes unused extended key codes and
   their translation as <?>.