Chapter 1: Introduction
A brief overview of the TTWin 4 product, system requirements and installation process.
What is TTWin?
TTWin is Turbosoft's offering for superior Terminal Emulation software. Supporting over 80 terminal types and numerous communications protocols, it is a complete host connectivity solution.
Features Highlights
Single Product Terminal Coverage
TTWin includes Terminal Emulations for more terminals within one package. No need to switch products to get different emulations.
Reduce Keystrokes with Keyboard Macros
Single keystrokes can do complex tasks. TTWin allows you to map macros to keys (including alpha keys in various shift states). These macros will do the work for you. Reduced keystrokes means less time to do the job, and a more accurate result.
Scroll History
TTWin increases productivity in many ways. Its Scroll History allows you to review information that has rolled off the screen, and use cut and paste to move this into and out of other applications such as spreadsheets and word processors.
Multiple Sessions
TTWin allows you to run as many sessions as you need to the one host system or to many. What's more each session can be configured independently to your requirements.
32 and 64 bit
TTWin 4 is available in 32 bit and 64 bit versions.
Data security
Security to be an essential part of a terminal session and as such, TTWin supports industry standard encryption.
Screen enhancing features
Give your system a 'make-over' and extend it's life through the use of 'hot spots', scripting and toolbars.
OCX Interface
Utilize TTWin's OCX interface to make TTWin 4 a part of an external application. Adding terminal emulation functionality to your application has never been simpler.
Powerful scripting language
TTWin offers a powerful built in scripting language based on Visual Basic for Applications, allowing the advanced user to perform complex processes on data. TTWin 4.8 introduced language updates and a new
Integrated Development Environment (IDE) featuring syntax highlighting, auto complete and debugger.
TTWin 4 User Guide : Chapter 1 - Introduction
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System Requirements
TTWin supports the following operating systems
> Windows XP
> Windows Vista
> Windows 7
> Windows 8
> Windows 10
> Windows Server 2003
> Windows Server 2008
64 bit versions of TTWin are available from version 4.6 and onwards.
Hardware Requirements
> Approximately 50MB of free disk space.
> A network connection or serial port for COM type connections.
Installation
1 The TTWin installation package is available as a download from
http://www.ttwin.com
. Ensure you have the correct version for your operating system and environment as separate 32 bit and 64 bit installation packages are available. On your Windows PC, run the downloaded installation file.
2
The Software License Agreement is displayed. Please read the License Agreement and check the box at the bottom of the tile noting your acceptance of the agreement to continue the installation process.
3 You are prompted to select which user account(s) you wish to install TTWin for. Available choices are installation for every user on the computer or just for the current account.
4 You are prompted for a destination folder. This is where TTWin will be installed. To change the destination folder, click on the Browse... button. By default TTWin is installed in
C:\Program Files\
Turbosoft\TTWin4
5 Select or create a start menu folder for TTWin.
6
Accept the Setup Complete tile by clicking on the Finish button. Optionally, the program may be launched on exiting the installer. The new program group will be visible and a TTWin icon can be seen within the folder.
7 You are now ready to begin working with TTWin.
Evaluation Mode
An unlicensed version of TTWin defaults to an evaluation mode. The evaluation license is restricted to 30 days of usage. If you find this time limit inadequate for your evaluation purposes please contact your reseller or
Turbosoft directly.
TTWin can be easily converted into a licensed, unrestricted version without the need for re-installation simply by importing the appropriate license certificate.
When initially launched TTWin attempts to connect to a host automatically using its default configuration. If you have not yet applied a license to TTWin you will see the Evaluation Notice tile shown ( Figure 1.1) each time a connection attempt is made. If you do not want to connect at this point click Cancel. This will allow you the opportunity to modify or load another configuration or to apply a license.
Figure 1.1. TTWin Evaluation Notice Tile
Licensing TTWin
When you purchase TTWin a license certificate file (
.TCF) will be issued. Enabling your copy of TTWin is a two step process involving firstly the import of that certificate file into the program, and secondly, the activation of that certificate by Turbosoft.
To import the license certificate follow these steps:
1 Start the program and select Help > About... from the main menu.
2 Select the
License Tab
3 Click the Import certificate... button and select the certificate file from your local hard drive.
You will see a message box stating “ The license has been updated. This license needs to be activated”. Each time you start TTWin you will be informed that you need to activate the software. You have 7 days to complete this activation.
Activating the License
License activation stamps your license certificate with a unique identifier and completes the licensing process.
There are two activation methods, online (the default) or manual activation.
Online Activation
For this option to work TTWin needs to be able to connect to the Internet.
When prompted to activate TTWin select the Activate online option then click the Activate button.
TTWin will then connect to the Turbosoft Activation Server and automatically import a new certificate unique to the PC you are installing on. Your software is now activated.
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If you receive a connection error please wait a moment and try again. If you continue to receive this message check if firewall or proxy server settings are preventing TTWin accessing the Activation servers. In this situation we recommend manual activation.
Manual Activation
If TTWin is unable to connect to the internet from the PC it is installed on you may activate your software using the manual activation process:
1 Select the Save the request to a file option and click the Activate button.
2 Save the resulting
TTACT.XML file
3 Copy this file to a PC that has internet access.
4 Open a browser to
http://mercury.ttwin.com/request
5 Fill out the activation form selecting the
TTACT.XML from your local PC.
6 Optionally, enter an email address where you would like the newly activated certificate to be sent.
7 Select the Retrieve Certificate File button.
You will then be presented with a link to download a new certificate file and, if you chose to enter an email address, the file will also be sent to you via email. Transfer this file to the PC containing your TTWin installation and do the following:
1 Start TTWin and select Help > About...
2
Select the License tab, click the Import certificate button and load your new certificate file.
3 Restart TTWin.
Uninstalling TTWin
To uninstall TTWin you should follow the standard software uninstallation process for your operating system.
Typically this operation is performed by selecting Start menu > Control panel > Uninstall software.
TTWin retains any extra setting files you may have copied or created whilst using the software including the following file types:
> Session files (
.TWC)
> Color files (
.CLR)
> Keyboard mapping files (
.KEY)
> History Files (
.THF)
> TTWin Basic Scripts (
.TLS, .BAS) Scripts created as private scripts are retained. Public scripts are not.
> License Files (
.TCF)
Refer to
Appendix C for information on program file paths and the location of these files.
Command Line Installation Options
/S
Turns on the Silent Install feature. TTWin will perform the installation process without prompting the user.
/LicenseFile <Path to LicenseFile>
Specify a
.tcf license file which TTWin will copy to the Global directory. If only a file name is given the install package will look in the same directory as it is run from. You can also include a full or relative path to the install executable directory.
For more information on program file paths refer to Appendix C.
/SilentActivation
Turns on the Silent Activation feature. If the license file specified with the
/LicenseFile option requires activation TTWin will automatically connect to Turbosoft's license server and activate the license without prompting the user. The feature requires internet access.
/Language <Language>
The
/Language option allows a specific language verison of TTWin to be installed. If this option is not specified TTWin defaults to an English (US) install.The following languages are supported.
>
en-us - English (US)
>
en-uk - English (UK
>
fr - French
>
es - Spanish
/ConfigPath <Path to your Config files>
Sets a path for the install package to search for configuration files specified by the
/ConfigFiles command line option. If not set the directory that the install executable was run from is used. A full or relative path from the executable directory can be specified.
/ConfigFiles <FileName> <FileName>
This option copies the listed files to the Global directory. You may list as many space separated names as needed. Wild cards are supported eg.
*.* will copy all files from the ConfigPath option. You may also specify a full path to a file can also be used if a file is not in the
ConfigPath. Use quotes if the path has spaces
/NoDesktopShortcut
This option will instruct the installer NOT to create a desktop shortcut to the newly installed TTWin.
/ScriptPath <Path to your Script files>
Sets a path for the install package to search for script files specified by the
/ScriptFiles command line option. If not set the directory that the install executable was run from is used. A full or relative path from the executable directory can be specified.
/ScriptFiles <FileName> <FileName>
This option copies listed files to the Global Scripts directory, you can specify as many space separated names as needed. Wild cards are supported eg. *.* will copy all files from the
ScriptPath. A full path to a file can also be used if a file is not in the
ScriptPath. Use quotes if the path has spaces
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21
Command Line Example
The following command line will install a French language version of TTWin silently, import the specified license certificate and activate it silently. It will also copy two session files (one replacing the default.twc) from the mycfgs directory.
TTWin4-32Bit-4.7.0.1942.exe /S /LicenseFile mylicense.tcf /Language fr
»
/SilentActivation /ConfigPath mycfgs /ConfigFiles default.twc my.twc
If you wish to specify a custom
.twc file you will need to install TTWin on a test machine and configure with the settings required for your standard deployment. You will then need to ensure that the
.twc file is saved to retain these settings. Refer to Chapter 2 for more information on configuration and saving your settings.
Installing for Multiple User Environments
When using TTWin in multiple user environment such as Citrix, Terminal Server or a single PC with several users, there are a few things that can be done to streamline the setup process.
TTWin has a global directory where you can place configuration and licence files. When a user starts TTWin for the first time their user profile is populated with files from this global directory.
By placing an activated licence file in the global directory users will not be required to activate TTWin individually.
Please use the following steps as a guide to setting up TTWin.
1 As Administrator install and licence TTWin, for more information please refer to the Licensing TTWin section earlier in this chapter.
2 Configure TTWin as required for your standard users.
3 When you are happy with the setup, save the configuration changes and close TTWin. Refer to Chapter 2 for more information on TTWin configuration and saving your settings.
4 Copy the following files to the global directory located at
%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Turbosoft\TTWin4
Copy the file default.twc located in %APPDATA%\Turbosoft\TTWin4
Copy any other configuration files created including additional twc files and files such as Key Mappings or Colour Schemes. For more information on additional TTWin file types refer to Appendix C - TTWin 4
File Types and Paths.
Finally, while logged in as the user that licensed TTWin, copy the file ttwin.tcf from the following directory:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Turbosoft\TTWin4
Please note that the resolved paths will differ depending on your operating system version. For more information refer to Appendix C - TTWin 4 File Types and Paths
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Chapter 2: Getting Started
How to connect your machine to a remote host and the basic steps required for getting started with TTWin.
Getting Started
TTWin uses TTWin Configuration (
.TWC) files to specify users preferences and settings. When first run
TTWin loads a number of default settings from its
DEFAULT.TWC configuration file. The default emulation is set to DEC VT Series (VT220) and communications are set to Telnet. Additionally, the
DEFAULT.TWC is set to autoconnect meaning that upon loading TTWin will present a Telnet Connect tile and prompt for host details before attempting to initiate a VT220 session. Unless VT220 and Telnet are your required settings it is suggested that you select Cancel to dismiss the prompt and configure TTWin to suit your requirements.
Note than an unlicensed copy of TTWin will default to an evaluation mode and, prior to attempting to connect, the program will display a tile notifying you of the number of remaining days usage available under the evaluation license. For more information on the limitations of the evaluation license please see Chapter 1.
Figure 2.1 Evaluation Notice Tile.
Quick Configuration
Please refer to Part Three of this document for more in depth detail on how to configure TTWin.
Before initiating a connection there are a few pieces of information you need in order to complete a successful connection to a host system.
Firstly, you need to know what sort of terminal you wish to emulate. TTWin supports numerous emulations and you will need to know which one to choose in order to successfully interact with your host applications.
Next, you need to know how you are going to communicate with the host system. You will need to know what method of communications your host is expecting, as well as your host address and any related settings that you require.
This information, along with any other settings that you require, should be available from your System
Administrator.
TTWin 4 User Guide : Chapter 2 - Getting Started 25
Access to different configuration options is available via the Configure menu.
Figure 2.2 Program Configure Menu
To select and modify the emulation settings of TTWin open Configure > Emulation from the main menu.
This will display a tile similar to that shown in Figure 2.3. By default TTWin is configured to use a VT220 emulation.
Figure 2.3 Configure Tile (showing the DEC VT Series emulation.)
Figure 2.3 consists of a tree list of configurable emulation options together with an edit box through which the currently highlighted item may be modified.
To switch to a different emulation select the Change Terminal button in Figure 2.3. This will display the
Module Selection tile ( Figure 2.4) from which a different emulation may be selected.
Figure 2.4 The Module Selection tile displays a list of available emulations.
Upon selecting a different emulation TTWin will load this emulation and return to the
Configure tile with the configurable options for the new emulation.
The communications module may be modified in a similar manner to the emulation by selecting
Configure
> Comms from the main menu.
Figure 2.5 The configure comms tile (telnet).
Saving Your Settings
Once emulation and communication settings are selected, be sure to save the configuration file for future use. Select File > Save configuration (default.twc) to overwrite the current configuration (this will be the
DEFAULT.TWC file initially) or File > Save configuration as to retain your settings in a new .TWC file.
If you select
File > Save configuration as, you will be prompted for a file name, and once this has been entered, you can save the configuration file. By default the configuration file will be given a
.TWC file extension and stored in the
Turbosoft\TTWin 4 directory in your user profile (see Appendix C for more detail on program file paths).
TTWin 4 User Guide : Chapter 2 - Getting Started 27
Specifying a Predefined Session at Startup
By default TTWin opens the session configuration found in
DEFAULT.TWC. To load TTWin with an alternate single predefined configuration, create a shortcut to TTWin and add a command line option pointing to your chosen twc file. For example:
1 Right click on your Windows desktop and select New > Create shortcut
2 Locate TTWin, typically the output will be similar to this example:
"C:\Program Files\
Turbosoft\TTWin 4\ttwin4.exe"
3 Append the name of your twc after the command line. If your twc file is NOT located in the default user directory (see Appendix C) you will need to provide an absolute path. Your shortcut line will be something like this
"C:\Program Files\Turbosoft\TTWin 4\ttwin4.exe" my5250.twc
Alternately, to launch TTWin with one or more predefined sessions opened use the File > Save as Startup menu option to save your TTWin session layout and automatically create a desktop shortcut which will launch
TTWin with these sessions open. Follow these steps.
1
Run TTWin as normal and open as few or as many sessions to various hosts systems as required. Each session must have its own saved configuration (
TWC) file.
2 Select File > Save as Startup and save a
.TTSTARTUP configuration file. A desktop shortcut will also be created using the same name as given to the
.TTSTARTUP configuration file.
This desktop shortcut will launch TTWin and all sessions specified in step 1 will automatically be opened when the program is started.
Other command line parameters
TTWin supports several command line parameters:
>
<session_file>
>
-i <Path to ini file>
>
-l <Path to layout.ini>
TWC file
Specify the
INI file
Force TTWin to use specified layout
>
-f
INI file
Connecting
To initiate a connection, choose the Action > Connect menu function.
Figure 2.6 Initiate a connection.
If you are running an evaluation version of TTWin you will, at this point, see a tile informing you of the limitations and remaining time limits associated with this license. To continue with the connection accept the notice by clicking OK. TTWin will now attempt to connect to the host or, where applicable, prompt you for more details before connecting.
Disconnecting
A TTWin session may be disconnected from the host computer in a number of different ways, usually as a result of the user logging out from the host computer.
To manually disconnect, you may select the
Action > Disconnect function from the TTWin menu as shown in
Figure 2.7.
Figure 2.7 Disconnecting.
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