This menu selections allows to schedule up to four programs to be launched whenever the Comm Engine senses defined X-10 events.

IMPORTANT: The X-10 events must be originating from the CP290, either by pressing any of the toggle switches on the CP290 or from a timed event inside the CP290. The event actions are therefore limited to the same house code as the base house code set in the CP290. External X-10 events like events from a keychain remote, are NOT sensed by the CP290. That is a limitation of the CP290, not HOUSE/290.

Each of the four event actions can be selected by paging through them using the Previous or Next buttons. Each action can be Enabled and you can define a house, device and function code which will trigger the action. An action can be selected by either typing a program name into the text box or by using the Browse button to point to the program. Any executable program may be selected. No check for a valid executable file (*.CMD, *.EXE, *.COM, *.BAT) is made, only the existence of the file is checked. The command used to start the action is simply START. You may precede any start options ahead of the program name by simply typing them in. For example, a REXX CMD script may be started with the option /C such that the session closes as the REXX program has finished. You would enter /C MYREXX.CMD in the text field. To start a REXX program minimized you would enter /MIN /C MYREXX.CMD. A presentation program is started with the /PM option. The /MIN option will not work with PM applications. Remember to keep each option separated by spaces. To find more information on the START command, simply type HELP START at an OS/2 command prompt.

If a program requires to be started with optional parameters after the program name, then use a REXX CMD file to start it. See the DIAL.CMD example below for details.

The defined action is executed when the following criteria is met: - Logging is enabled. See FILE - Configuration for details.
- An X-10 event exactly as defined is detected by the Comm Engine.
- The defined program exists.

The Test button can be used to test launch the displayed program. A prompt will ask for confirmation.

The Close button will close the Event Action window and any changes made to the settings are automatically saved.

Here is an example how you can apply the Event Action feature.

Some newer computers now have a single button internet access. You can do that with OS/2 also. Define one of the event actions to start-up a dialer, start-up your e-mail program when a connection is made and fetch the mail and when done, disconnect from the internet, all from just pressing one button on the CP290 or executing a timed event inside the CP290.

So how is this done? Not all dialers and e-mail clients can be setup for this, but I found that Injoy Dialer and PMMail/2 easily provides this. Both programs are available at BMT Micro. Inside Injoy, under Misc Options, add PMMail/2 to the autostart list and start it at Host Connect. This will start PMMail/2 as soon as Injoy is connected to the host. Under Host - Change - OK, setup Injoy to timeout in 30 seconds and set the timer to 5 minutes just in case the timeout setting does not kick in. These settings are used to disconnect Injoy from the internet after the mail has been fetched. Setup PMMail/2 to Fetch Mail upon start-up. This setting is under Account - Account Settings and the Preferences tab. Whenever Injoy starts up PMMail/2, it will fetch the e-mail and the dialer will disconnect after all mail is downloaded.

Now setup one Event Action to startup Injoy whenever for example A1 ON is pressed on the CP290. You will have to startup Injoy through a small REXX script included with this distribution (DIAL.CMD). Make sure DIAL.CMD is called out in the Event Action window as follows: /C D:\HOUSE290\DIAL.CMD You may have to edit the path to DIAL.CMD and the path and default host of Injoy inside DIAL.CMD on your system.

That's it. You now can press a single button to fetch your e-mail. No more hunting for icons on your desktop. Useful? You decide. It shows what can be done with REXX-enablement. Now let your imagination run wild.