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OzCIS A CompuServe Navigation Utility Version 1.0 (10-Mar-92) Copyright (c) 1990,1992 All Rights Reserved Steve Sneed CIS ID 70007,3574 Documentation Copyright (c) 1992 Mike Arst and Steve Sneed OzCIS version 1.0, a CompuServe navigation utility OzCIS is Copyright 1990, 1992 Steve Sneed. All rights reserved. TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR ALL OzCIS DOCUMENTATION FILES ............ i-v File: INTRO.DOC -- INTRODUCTION TO OZCIS ..................... 1 SERVICE AND SUPPORT .............................................. 2 THE OZCIS DISTRIBUTION ARCHIVES .................................. 3 PROGRAM UPDATES AND SUPPORT ...................................... 3 BASIC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS ........................................ 3 OVERVIEW ......................................................... 5 For Whom is OzCIS Designed? .................................. 6 Basic Program Features ....................................... 6 If You Are Not Yet Signed up for CIS ......................... 7 CONVENTIONS USED IN THIS DOCUMENTATION ........................... 7 DEFINITION OF TERMS .............................................. 8 OZCIS' USER INTERFACE ........................................... 10 Drop-Down Menus ............................................. 11 Making Selections Within a Menu ............................. 11 Alert-Windows ............................................... 12 "Yes/No" Alerts ............................................. 13 Pick-Lists .................................................. 14 Scrolling Text Within Windows ............................... 15 INSTALLING AND CONFIGURING OZCIS ................................ 15 Command-Line "Switches" ..................................... 16 File Management ............................................. 16 Installation And General Configuration ...................... 17 Keystrokes used in OzCIS dialogue boxes ................. 18 GENERAL CONFIGURATION DIALOGUE .......................... 20 Host Configuration .......................................... 25 HOST CONFIGURATION DIALOGUE ............................. 26 Data Fields Of The Edit Host Entry Dialogue ............. 26 General Comments About Modems ........................... 28 Additional Thoughts On Host Configuration ................... 32 SETTING OR CHANGING PARAMETERS ON CIS ........................... 32 Configuring OzCIS for CISMail ............................... 32 Going On-Line for the First Time ............................ 33 OTHER CONFIGURATION OPTIONS ..................................... 34 Configuring Externals ....................................... 34 ------------------------------------------------------------------ OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page i A QUICK TOUR OF OZCIS' MAIN SCREEN .............................. 36 Window Menu ................................................. 36 Mail Menu ................................................... 37 Forums Menu ................................................. 37 Services Menu ............................................... 39 Online Menu ................................................. 39 Configuration Menu .......................................... 40 Help Menu ................................................... 40 Quit ........................................................ 41 OZCIS' HELP SYSTEM .............................................. 41 File: CISMAIL.DOC -- OZCIS AND CISMAIL ...................... 42 THE ADDRESS BOOK ................................................ 42 Creating a New Entry ........................................ 42 Quick Location of Names ..................................... 43 Editing an Entry ............................................ 44 Deleting an Entry ........................................... 44 Closing the Address Book .................................... 44 Entering an Internet Address ................................ 44 Sorting the Address Book .................................... 45 CISMAIL (PRIVATE MAIL) .......................................... 45 Create a New Message -- Using the New Message Editor ........ 46 What Not to Put Into CISMail Messages ....................... 48 Message Formatting; Line Lengths ............................ 48 Going On-Line to Send The Test Message ...................... 49 Getting the Test Message You Just Sent Yourself ............. 49 READING NEW MAIL -- USING THE MESSAGE READER .................... 50 Using The Address Book From Within the Message Reader ....... 51 How OzCIS Stores CISMail in "Groups" ........................ 51 REPLY TO THE NEW MESSAGE -- USING THE REPLY EDITOR .............. 52 REVIEWING OUTGOING MAIL -- USING THE REVIEW EDITOR .............. 54 Saving All Outgoing Messages to a File ...................... 55 About the Additional "TO:" Line Visible in the Review Editor .................................. 55 COMMAND REFERENCE -- NEW MESSAGE EDITOR ......................... 55 Sending Copies of Mail and Getting Return-Receipts .......... 62 COMMAND REFERENCE -- MESSAGE READER ............................. 62 COMMAND REFERENCE -- REPLY EDITOR ............................... 65 COMMAND REFERENCE -- REVIEW EDITOR .............................. 66 ------------------------------------------------------------------ OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page ii COMMAND REFERENCE -- GENERAL EDITOR ............................. 67 Zooming and Moving the Window With the Mouse ............ 68 A REVIEW OF "SAVE" OPTIONS IN THE MESSAGE EDITORS ............... 69 OTHER "MAIL" MENU OPTIONS ....................................... 70 Uploading a Binary File as Private Mail ..................... 70 Monitoring Upload Status ................................ 71 Downloading a File Sent to You as Private Mail .............. 71 Messages Stored in "Folders" ................................ 72 Staying On-Line After an Automatic CISMail "Pass" ........... 73 File: FORUMS.DOC -- OZCIS AND COMPUSERVE FORUMS ............. 75 INTRODUCTION .................................................... 75 What's A Forum? ............................................. 75 Definition of Terms ......................................... 75 "PASSES" ........................................................ 77 FORUM CONFIGURATION ............................................. 77 1st Configuration Step -- Selecting a Forum ................. 78 EDIT FORUM ENTRY DIALOGUE ............................... 78 2nd Configuration Step -- Automatic Configuration (On-Line) ............................................... 81 You Can't "Join" a Gateway .............................. 82 3rd Configuration Step -- Completing Forum Configuration .... 83 FORUM CONFIGURATION DIALOGUE ............................ 83 Configuration Via The Forums-Menu, Versus the Configuration-Menu .................................... 89 What Are The Right Pass Option Settings? .................... 89 Passes via Forums-Menu Versus Passes via Online-Menu ........ 90 Flags in the Available Forums Window ........................ 90 Sorting the List of Forums .................................. 91 FORUM MESSAGES .................................................. 91 Reading Forum Messages ...................................... 92 Replying to Forum Messages .................................. 95 The Address Book ........................................ 96 Sending the Reply ....................................... 96 Composing a New Forum Message ............................... 98 Composing a New Message and Staying in the Editor ........... 99 Reviewing Outgoing Forum Messages ........................... 99 Saving Reviewed Messages ................................ 99 Maximum Length of Forum Messages; Splitting a Message ....... 99 If You Need to Change an Outgoing Forum Message ............ 100 Saving Individual Forum Messages to a File ................. 102 QUICKSCAN HEADERS .............................................. 102 ------------------------------------------------------------------ OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page iii OTHER Forum Menu Commands ...................................... 104 Messages in Folders ........................................ 104 Custom Message Services .................................... 105 Custom Online Processing ............................... 105 Custom Library Scan .................................... 106 Edit Online Process File ............................... 107 1st Pass in This Forum ..................................... 108 2nd Pass in This Forum ..................................... 108 File: FILES.DOC -- OZCIS AND FILE MANAGEMENT ............... 109 INTRODUCTION ................................................... 109 GETTING Library Information .................................... 109 Which Kind of Scan? ........................................ 109 Files Written During a Scan ................................ 110 Picking the Libraries to Scan .............................. 110 The "Update" Field ..................................... 111 Executing the Scans ........................................ 112 If You Have to Interrupt a Scan ............................ 112 VIEWING CATALOGUES AND ABSTRACTS ............................... 112 Viewing a Short-Format Catalogue ........................... 113 Downloading Files via a Short-Format Catalogue ............. 115 Viewing a Long-Format Catalogue ............................ 117 UPLOADING FILES TO A FORUM LIBRARY ............................. 119 Reviewing or Altering Upload Information ................... 122 File: MISC.DOC -- OTHER INFORMATION ABOUT OZCIS ............ 125 MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR CIS DOLLAR ............................. 125 Using a Navigator May *Not* Save You Money ................. 125 Helpful Info ............................................... 125 Connect Charges vs. Network Surcharges ..................... 126 Surcharged Services ........................................ 127 "The Cheap Seats" -- Basic Services Packages: .............. 127 HIGH-SPEED ACCESS .............................................. 128 CONFERENCING ................................................... 129 USING CIM ...................................................... 129 THE "PRACTICE" FORUM ........................................... 130 SAVING MONEY WITH OzCIS ........................................ 130 ACTIVITY LOGS .................................................. 132 OzCIS COLOR CONFIGURATION ...................................... 132 ------------------------------------------------------------------ OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page iv OzCIS SVGA VIDEO TYPES SUPPORTED ............................... 133 ERROR CODES .................................................... 134 COMMAND LINE SWITCHES .......................................... 137 COMMON QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ................................... 138 File: TERMINAL.DOC -- OZCIS' TERMINAL MODE ................. 142 THE ONLINE TERMINAL ............................................ 142 Accessing the Manual Terminal .............................. 142 USING THE MANUAL TERMINAL: THE CIS SIDE ........................ 143 Control Character Commands ................................. 144 Command Summary ............................................ 144 A Lot To Learn ............................................. 146 USING THE MANUAL TERMINAL: THE OzCIS SIDE ...................... 146 A Word About On-Line Modes ................................. 148 Conference (Split-Screen) Operation ........................ 148 A Word About Conferencing .................................. 149 OzCIS SCRIPT LANGUAGE .......................................... 150 Script Language Commands ................................... 150 Example Logon Script ....................................... 155 Example Weather/AWM Script ................................. 155 Example Script to Update the Forums List File .............. 157 ------------------------------------------------------------------ OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page v OzCIS version 1.0, a CompuServe navigation utility OzCIS is Copyright 1990, 1992 Steve Sneed. All rights reserved. Documentation by Mike Arst (CIS 70403,1337) and Steve Sneed (CIS 70007,3574) The OzCIS program and included accessory files ("the software") are the copyrighted work of their author, Steve Sneed. All rights under US and international copyright law are reserved. You are hereby granted a limited license at no charge to use the software, and to make copies of and distribute said copies of the software, as long as: 1) Such use is not primarily for profit. "For profit" use is defined as primary use of the program whereby the user accrues financial benefit or gain directly from use of the software - for example, a stock broker using the program to acquire stock information or TREND charts for his clients or in order to make investment decisions for his clients. "Primary use" is defined as the major use of the program, or the primary reason for acquiring and using the program. If the program is to be used or is being used for such purposes, a license fee of $50 (US) is required. You may evaluate the software for a 21- day period, at the end of which you must either pay the license fee or cease using the software. There is no extension option on this evaluation time. 2) Such copies maintain the complete set of files as provided in the original distribution set, with no changes, deletions or additions. The archive storage format may be changed as long as the rest of this condition is met. 3) Copies are not distributed by any person, group or business which has as its primary purpose the distribution of free and "shareware" software by any means magnetic, electronic or in print, for profit. BBS distribution is allowed as long as no fee is charged specifically for this software. Bona fide non-profit user's groups, clubs and other organizations may copy and distribute the software as long as no charge is made for such service beyond a nominal disk/duplication fee not to exceed $5.00. A specific exemption to this clause is hereby granted by the author to CompuServe Inc., TurboPower Software, ZiffNet, and the Public software Library (PsL). For-profit organizations or businesses wishing to distribute the software must contact the author for licensing agreements. ----------------------------- The above conditions are for a reason: The author has invested thousands of hours designing, developing and debugging the program, and wants people to use and enjoy it - there is no charge for that enjoyment and benefit. But if you are going to PROFIT from using or distributing the software, the author should also profit. ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page 1 "GIF" and "Graphics Interchange Format" are Service Marks of Compuserve, Inc., a H&R Block Company. Other trade names or trade marks referred to herein are the properties of their respective owners. Compuserve Information Service will hereafter be abbreviated as "CIS". Unless otherwise specified, "CIS" can be taken to mean any of the various service systems operated by CompuServe Inc., such as CIS, ZiffNet, etc. SERVICE and SUPPORT OzCIS is distributed and supported on-line on CIS, in the IBMCOM Forum, section 9. Questions, problem reports, suggestions, etc., should be addressed to Steve Sneed, CIS ID# 70007,3574. Questions or comments of a private nature, and licensing requests or orders, should be sent via CIS Mail [private] to the same address. Unless you know your correspondence needs to be private, please post publicly in the forum, as the forum sysops and other users can sometimes answer your questions even faster than I can. This is the preferred method of support. My mailing address is: Steve Sneed Ozarks West Software 14150 Gleneagle Drive Colorado Springs, CO 80921 FAX: 719-260-7151 Response will be on CIS unless otherwise required. I will not publish my voice number, but will provide it on-line to a user if the question or problem warrants it. Such voice support will be on an as-available basis, during evening hours. If you want to receive the latest version of the program on disk, I will be happy to send copies; the price for such disk delivery is $20 to cover media, packaging and shipping costs. Please specify media (720k 3.5" or 1.2M 5.25") when ordering. Printed copies of the documentation can be included for an additional $10, or ordered separately for $20. (These prices are subject to change without notice, so contact me via CISMail to confirm current pricing.) Send orders to the above address, including a check or money order for the appropriate amount made out to "Steve Sneed". Sorry, I cannot at this time accept credit cards. While I work for TurboPower Software, this program is not a TurboPower product; TurboPower personnel cannot provide telephone support or take orders for the program. Please do not call TurboPower Software's order or technical support numbers regarding the program. ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page 2 THE OZCIS DISTRIBUTION ARCHIVES The OzCIS files are supplied in self-extracting archives (.EXE files). To unpack the archives' contents, run them at the DOS prompt. A short information screen will be displayed, and you will be prompted to continue. There are 4 OzCIS distribution archives; you will need all 4 of them. The main program parts are contained in OZCIS1.EXE and OZCIS2.EXE. OZCIS3.EXE contains the help file, start-up database files for forums and hosts, other accessory files, and some utility programs. The distribution file OZCIS4.EXE contains documentation files: INTRO.DOC ..... (The file you're reading now) General overview; hardware requirements; basic program setup, including making an automatic configuration pass on CIS CISMAIL.DOC ... About CompuServe mail; discusses the OzCIS editor functions and contains command reference sections for all the editors FORUMS.DOC .... Configuring forums; working with forum messages FILES.DOC ..... Uploading and downloading files TERMINAL.DOC .. About OzCIS' manual-terminal mode; also covers OzCIS' script language MISC.DOC ...... Information not covered in the other files; includes discussion of OzCIS' command-line switches, how OzCIS works with various VGA/SVGA systems; color configuration. OzCIS is modular in design. The main program file and off-line processing overlay in OZCIS1.EXE and the on-line processing overlay in OZCIS.EXE are designed such that either can be updated independently in many cases. This means that if, for example, CIS makes a change in its software that requires a modification to the on-line processing management, just that portion of the program need be replaced. PROGRAM UPDATES AND SUPPORT The most recent version of OzCIS will always be available in the IBM Communications Forum (IBMCOM, section 9 - "Scripts/Nav Programs") of CIS (i.e., "GO IBMCOM"). This is also the place to discuss and get technical support for OzCIS. BASIC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS The following are minimum hardware and software requirements in order to run and use OzCIS: ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page 3 o A IBM AT-compatible computer (80286 processor, 10MHz or faster, or a 80386sx, 80386 or 80486 system) or IBM PS/2 MicroChannel(tm) computer with a 286 or better processor, and at least 1Mb of memory. A minimum of 485K of free memory must be available when OzCIS loads (550K or more strongly recommended). The program will NOT run on XT-class machines! o A hard disk with at least 1.5Mb free. This is a bare minimum; if you maintain a large number of forums you will need more. Sorry, floppy disk systems are *not* supported. o If a mouse is used, the driver must be of recent enough vintage to support the "Save State" and "Restore State" services. MS 6.0 or later, Logitech 4.01 or later, etc. o A serial port and modem. Ports 1 thru 4 are supported for AT-style machines, and ports 1 thru 8 on PS/2s. The modem must be a fully Hayes compatible model, including most high-speed modems such as US Robotics HST/V.32/Dual Standard models or the Microcom MNP-series models. A "direct-connect" option is available for those connecting thru modem servers or pools, but no support for network comm servers is provided. An error-correcting modem (MNP or V.42) is *strongly* recommended. o A method of connecting to CompuServe that provides a full 8-bit data path. OzCIS uses only 8/None/1 port parameters; the network you use to connect to CompuServe must be capable of making such a connection. The following are recommended for best results: o A mouse is not required, but using one makes several things easier. o You can use OzCIS under DesqView or Windows. In either case, you need to define a PIF file for the program. In either environment, it is better to run full-screen rather than in a window, though the program will work fine in a window when enough processor power is available (in other words, running the program in a window is not recommended on a 386sx-based or slow 386DX machines). o DOS 3.1 or later will work, but DOS 5.0 is highly recommended; it gives you a good bit more memory to work in. The program has not been thoroughly tested under alternative operating-system shells or replacements for COMMAND.COM, but testing shows no conflicts so far. o Any PC color video system will work for text or graphics in the program, but to take full advantage of the program's graphics capabilities a SuperVGA system is recommended. If your SVGA card has an VESA driver available, use it. At this time, OzCIS does not support Herc Graphics Workstation or other TIGA or Targa type cards other than in SVGA emulation mode. The program supports ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page 4 UltraVision, and all high-res text modes such as 132-column and/or 43/50-line modes. o An error-correcting modem is not required but is highly recommended. Line noise is the enemy of automated on-line processing; an error-correcting modem eliminates most line-noise- related problems. Most CompuServe nodes support MNP level 4, while only some supplemental carriers (TYMNET, TeleNet, etc.) nodes provide MNP. To use a a 9600 bps node your modem should be V.42bis- or MNP 4-compliant. Caveats, warnings and known problem areas: o Some laptops and recent desktop machines use special ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit) chips for the serial port hardware, rather than the traditional NS8250-style UART chip. These ASICs vary in their compatibility with the NS8250-style chips; some are known to be real problem children, especially the ones used in the new Toshiba "SXe" series machines (I've talked to several people who can't get *any* of their comm software to work on these machines.) I've taken great pains to assure OzCIS works with as broad a range of hardware as possible. However, I cannot promise it will function correctly when used with that kind of hardware. o "Pocket" modems, such as the Migent and PPI mini modems for laptops, use the DTR line in the serial port as an "on/off" switch. These modems often need some delay between initializing the port and actually sending commands to the modem. (Discussed further in the section on Host configuration, below.) o Some EMS managers tend to keep interrupts turned off for too long a time while performing internal work, causing characters to be dropped at the serial port and creating "Port overrun" errors. The faster your port speed, the more likely this problem is to occur. While recent changes to OzCIS have pretty much eliminated this problem, there is still a chance that it can occur with old or brain-damaged EMS managers, especially when such drivers are used with some disk caching software. If you get port overrun errors, especially at 9600 bps or above, try uninstalling your EMS driver and trying again; if this cures the problem you have one of the slow drivers and/or disk caches. OVERVIEW OzCIS is designed to provide a user-friendly environment for the navigation of CompuServe Information Systems, automating the transfer of private mail, forum messages, and binary files. OzCIS started as a simple on-line processor to do one specific job: Manage the library catalogs in the IBMNet forums. As time went by ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page 5 things were added, until it took the shape of a full-fledged navigator. Friends and co-workers suggested I finish and release it; there was high demand for a navigator with a modern, friendly interface. OzCIS is written in Turbo Pascal 6.0 using the Object Professional and Async Professional libraries from TurboPower Software. Portions of the GIF image viewer use tools from Cyborg Software Systems. FOR WHOM IS OZCIS DESIGNED? OzCIS is intended as a navigator for the light- to medium-level CIS user, one who has found that CompuServe Information Manager does not quite meet his or her needs for keeping up with forum and private mail, or one who is not a computer "guru" and would like the friendliest possible user interface (and support for the mouse). BASIC PROGRAM FEATURES INCLUDE ... o Access to CIS private mail, forums, conferences, file areas, and other CIS services o Pull-down menus and access to program commands via simple mnemonic keystrokes or mouse clicks o Context-sensitive on-line help system (accessible at just about any point in the program via the F1 function key and with access to a help-index from any of the help-screens) o Several built-in editors, each with slightly varying feature sets appropriate to different tasks. All use the familiar WordStar command set. o Split-screen editing in which the original message and the reply can be viewed at the same time o A "universal" clipboard that allows text to be cut and pasted from one editing screen to another o Support for several popular modem types, making basic setup of the modem a quick and simple process o Automatic sending and receipt of CIS private and forum mail, with the option of interrupting automated operation to go into manual-terminal mode, then resume automatic operation later on. o An address book in which you can store the names and CIS UserID numbers of people to whom you often write messages. Each entry ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page 6 can have its own three-line comment. SORTADDR.EXE, a utility supplied with OzCIS, can be used to sort the address book. IF YOU ARE NOT YET SIGNED UP FOR CIS Before you begin using OzCIS, you should have completed the sign-up process for CIS membership. CIS membership kits can be obtained at many software stores. If you do not have one of the kits, call CIS' toll-free customer service line: 800-848-8990. There are also two toll-free modem access numbers: 2400bps - 800-848-4480 9600bps - 800-331-7166 After you have received your CIS UserID number and password, run OzCIS and go through the configuration steps discussed below. Afterward, you can connect to CIS, and OzCIS will automatically adjust your CIS settings for you. Manual and automatic configuration are explained later in this documentation. CONVENTIONS USED IN THIS DOCUMENTATION OzCIS uses various kinds of command keystrokes, most of them done with the CTRL and ALT keys and the function keys. Keystrokes used in commands will be shown in capital letters. Examples: F1 The F1 function key. ALT-A Pressing the ALT key and the "A" key together. ^T CTRL plus the "T" key. ^JP Indicates a two-keystroke command - press CTRL plus "J" first, then P right afterward (without any intervening keystrokes). This kind of command is somewhat "forgiving": CTRL J followed by CTRL P is the same command as CTRL J followed by "P" alone. LEFT, RIGHT, UP, DOWN, PG UP, PG DN, HOME, END Cursor- and screen-control keys ^LEFT, ^HOME, ^PG UP Using CTRL in combination with cursor- or screen-control keys ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page 7 Quoted strings of text: If you are supposed to type something (into a data-entry field of a program configuration screen, for example), the text to type will be surrounded by double quote marks "like this." Important: Unless it is otherwise noted here, do NOT type the quote marks themselves. Instructions like this: WINDOW > EDITOR refer to making a selection from one of OzCIS' top-line menus. The above example means: From the top-line menu named "WINDOW," take the "Editor" selection (a.k.a. "menu item"). There are menu items with their own "sub-menus," and so you might see an instruction like this: CONFIGURE > FORUMS > SELECT FORUM Even though main menu selections and drop-down menu items are generally in caps plus lower case, or all lower case, they will be typed in upper case to make them stand out. DEFINITION OF TERMS Experienced CIS users will probably want to skip to the sections concerning program installation and configuration. This section is intended for new users of CIS, to whom certain terms used in the documentation might be unfamiliar. PPN A common term for your CIS UserID number. A holdover from CIS' early days, "PPN" stands for "Programmer Project Number." CISMAIL Private mail sent and received on CIS HOST The service you call to get access to CIS. There might be several numbers in your area - for instance, one for 1200 BAUD access, one for 2400 BAUD access, one for 9600 BAUD access. IMPORTANT: You must have a method of connecting to CompuServe that provides a full 8-bit data path. OzCIS uses only 8/None/1 port parameters; the network you use to connect to CompuServe must be capable of making such a connection. Other services include TYMNET, Telenet, DATAPAC in Canada; DATEX-P, INFOPAC and other networks in Europe. Such network numbers are rarely listed in local phone books or available via Directory ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page 8 Assistance. Call CIS' customer service line, 800-848-8990, for further assistance. FORUM CIS contains a large number of discussion areas called forums, devoted to topics of many kinds. SECTION The part of a forum in which discussions take place. For example, the desktop publishing forum called DTPFORUM contains a number of sections, including those devoted to desktop publishing on the Mac, to publishing using IBM-compatible or other systems, to using laser printers and other such hardware, to typography, and so on. Each section has a name describing its general content and purpose. Each section also has a number; OzCIS and other navigation programs typically refer to sections by number rather than by name. FORUM MESSAGES Messages posted to CIS forums. Some - not all - forums permit people to post private messages to one another (that is, without having to use CISMail). LIBRARY An area within a forum where files are stored. There is often a library associated with each section of a forum, although in some cases a section might not have an associated library, or a library might not be associated with any discussion section. As with sections, OzCIS usually keeps track of libraries by their numbers rather than their names. This helps to prevent confusing forum section names with forum library names. CATALOGUE See below in definition of "Scan". SCAN Getting a list of files in a library. During a scan, OzCIS goes through a library and gets information about the files in it. A short-format scan (also called a "short scan") gets a single line of information about each file, including its name, size, number of previous downloads, and a brief description. The result - similar to what you see when you give the command "DIR" at a CIS library prompt - is called a "short-format catalogue." A long-format scan (also called a "long scan") gets much more information about each file, including a full description called an ABSTRACT - the same ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page 9 kind of description you see if you log onto CIS manually, go to a file library, and give the command "BROWSE," followed (optionally) by a file name. The term "Catalogue," in CIS usage, applies only to the long format scan's retrieved data. The short-format scan is commonly known as a "library listing". This documentation will use "catalogue" in both cases, however. SYSOP A person who watches over a forum, keeping track of messages and files, sometimes moderating discussions, and making sure that any questions concerning the forum or CIS itself are answered (CIS questions of a general nature should be directed to CIS' own customer service people). UPLOAD Send a file from your computer to CIS. DOWNLOAD Receive a file from CIS to your computer. Becoming familiar with maneuvering around CIS, even with a user- friendly program like OzCIS, can consume a fair amount of time on-line and therefore can be expensive. CIS has a free forum called PRACTICE whose purpose is to help you learn how to work in CIS forums and libraries without being charged normal CIS hourly rates. (But note: When you go into PRACTICE, you might still have to pay a connection surcharge associated with your use of a particular Host.) There's more about the PRACTICE forum in MISC.DOC. OZCIS' USER INTERFACE There are several ways of executing OzCIS commands: via drop-down menus; via dialogue boxes and other windows; via keystrokes. You can use the mouse in virtually all parts of the program. The ENTER key is almost always used to mean "OK" or "YES". The ESC key is always used to mean "Cancel" or "Forget it." Clicking the left-hand mouse button makes selections (hereafter, this will be known as "left-clicking"). Clicking the right-hand mouse button is equivalent to pressing ESC: It is always used to mean "Cancel this" or "forget it." ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page 10 DROP-DOWN MENUS Many OzCIS screens, including the editor-screens, have an area at the top (the "menu bar") containing several command names. Many are drop- down menus. There are several ways to get access to them. Via keystroke - 1st method Press F10. The cursor moves into the menu bar, often highlighting the last menu you used. Press LEFT and RIGHT to move from one menu name to another. When the cursor highlights the menu you want, press ENTER to drop down the menu. Via keystroke - 2nd method All menu names contain a highlighted letter. Press F10 to put the cursor into the menu bar, then press the alphanumeric key corresponding to the highlighted letter of the menu you want. Example: F10 followed by pressing "e" to drop down a menu named "EDIT" if the "E" is highlighted. This method will not work if you have moved the cursor out of the menu bar and into a menu's list of commands. You will need to press F10 again to move the cursor back into the menu bar. Via keystroke - 3rd method Press ALT plus the letter highlighted in the name of the menu you want. Thus, you press ALT-M to drop down a menu with an "M" highlighted in its name. You can use the third method to move quickly between menus. If the "MAIL" menu is dropped down and you want to use the "WINDOWS" menu, press ALT-W. The "MAIL" menu closes and the "WINDOWS" menu opens right away. At times - say, when there are certain kinds of windows open on the screen - this method won't work. You might first need to close the window, then press the ALT-plus-letter combination. If there aren't any windows open on the screen, pressing ESC will usually close an open menu, leaving the cursor in the menu bar. Pressing ESC again will then remove the cursor from the menu bar. Via mouse Move the mouse pointer over the name of the menu you want. Left- click once to drop down the menu. MAKING SELECTIONS WITHIN A MENU Some menus, like those named "SAVE" or "QUIT," do not have any sub- selections and therefore do not drop down. But most do. ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page 11 Once a menu has dropped down, OzCIS presents a vertically-arranged list of selections ("menu items"). There are several ways to select menu items: Via keystroke - 1st method There is always a highlighted "cursor bar" that can be moved from selection to selection with the UP and DOWN keys. When you've moved the bar to the desired command, press ENTER to execute it. Via keystroke - 2nd method Note that all menu items contain one highlighted letter. Instead of using the cursor bar, just press the key corresponding to the highlighted letter in the command you want; that executes the command right away (note: in this case, you do not use an ALT- plus-letter combination - just press a single alphabetic key.) Via mouse Left-click once on the menu item you want to execute. Clicking the right mouse button will close an open menu, leaving the cursor in the menu bar. Clicking the right mouse button again will then remove the cursor entirely from the menu bar. Not all menu items are always available. For example: If you don't have any outgoing mail, the MAIL menu's "View outgoing" function cannot be selected. If you try to move the menu bar to "View outgoing," the bar will simply jump over it; there will be no highlighted letter in it, either. Only when you have outgoing mail again will you be able to select the function. TIP: When it's time to quit OzCIS and return to the DOS prompt, you do not have to close an open menu (though you will have to close any open windows). Pressing ALT-Q or ALT-X with a menu open will execute the "quit" command at once. During general program configuration (see below), you can elect to have OzCIS ask you to confirm quitting to DOS. If you choose this option, the command ALT-Q will result in the query. If you use ALT-X instead, there will be no query no matter which choice you made during general configuration. ALERT-WINDOWS OzCIS often provides information in "alerts" - windows containing information you need to know and/or questions OzCIS needs you to answer. Example: When you first run OzCIS and before you've started its configuration steps, a window appears, telling you: ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page 12 "You need to configure OzCIS for your system." There is only one response, indicated by the word "OK" in the center of the alert. This kind of alert will stay on the screen until you close it via one of several methods: Via keyboard Press ENTER or ESC. But note: ESC is used in virtually all areas of OzCIS to mean "Cancel" or "Forget it." Via mouse Left-clicking the small "close box" at the upper-left of a window like this always closes a dialogue WITHOUT saving any changes in it or executing a command. Left-clicking on the word "OK" confirms a command and executes it. Clicking the right-hand mouse button always cancels a window or dialogue (i.e., NOT answering "OK"). If a small "check-mark" box (also known as the "OK hotspot") appears in the upper left of the window, left-clicking it closes the window or dialogue and SAVES whatever changes you made in the window. NOTE: Whether certain mouse commands mentioned here work with alerts depends on a choice related to user interface you make during general program configuration. The choice has to do with whether you want OzCIS to display certain kinds of dialogue boxes versus other kinds of input windows. See the discussion of the "USE DIALOG BOXES?" data field, later in this file. "YES/NO" ALERTS There are also alert-windows in which you are asked for information - often a simple YES or NO answer. To answer a Yes-or-No question and close the window: Via keyboard Press "y" for YES or "n" for NO. Or press ESC if it's a situation in which you do not want to answer either YES or NO, but rather just want to cancel the window without doing anything. You'll see some examples of this when you use OzCIS' built-in text editors. In a "yes/no" sort of dialogue, in general the word "YES" will be highlighted, indicating that it is the default choice. If you press ENTER, that is the same as having typed "y". ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page 13 Via mouse Left-click on "YES" in the window to answer YES, or left-click on "NO" to answer NO. Left-clicking the close-box in the upper-left corner of the window simply cancels it. Again, clicking the right mouse button cancels. Suggestion on working quickly using the keyboard: Take advantage of OzCIS' keyboard buffering. OzCIS stores most keystrokes you type in a buffer and executes the commands as soon as it can. You can therefore "type ahead" by a number of keystrokes and have your commands executed as quickly as possible. For example: If you start the program knowing that you want to go immediately to the MAIL menu and take the "View outgoing mail" selection, press ALT-M and then "v" as OzCIS is loading - no need to wait until you see the main screen. When the initialization process is done, the main screen will appear and then the commands you have given will be executed right away. You can use this keystroke buffering to move quickly through various parts of the program. You can also use keyboard buffering to terminate an action you don't want to take. Suppose you accidentally select a menu item that causes OzCIS to dial CIS. If that's a mistake, press ESC immediately. OzCIS will not respond at once; it will go into terminal mode. But it will then see you've pressed ESC and will not dial the number after all. It will pause for a moment, then return to the main screen. PICK-LISTS At times OzCIS presents lists of items to be picked from within a window (the Address Book, discussed in file CISMAIL.DOC, is an example). Select an item either by left-clicking its name or by moving the cursor bar to the item and pressing ENTER. FILE PICK-LISTS: A file pick-list is like the one that appears when you run OzCIS' General Editor. First OzCIS asks you for a file to edit, supplying the ambiguous file name "*.*" by default. If you press ENTER with an ambiguous file name in the data field, OzCIS does not load a file. Instead, it displays a list of all file names matching the criteria. You can move the cursor bar within the list by using the arrow keys, then press ENTER when the desired file is highlighted (or left-click on the desired name). A file pick-list displays all files in a directory, including any with the "system" and "hidden" attributes set. The list includes subdirectory names, which appear with a "\" at the ends of their names. Unless you are displaying a drive's root directory, the ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page 14 conventional DOS directory name "..\" also appears, meaning "one directory level up from here." All drives on your system that OzCIS knows of will be displayed on the right or lower-right side of the list. Choosing a new drive brings up a file pick-list showing the contents of the currently-logged subdirectory on that drive. If you choose a drive that is not ready or doesn't exist, OzCIS beeps but doesn't leave you at the mercy of the highly dreaded "Not ready error reading drive X" message from DOS. SCROLLING TEXT WITHIN WINDOWS There will often be windows containing more text than will fit into a single window. Use UP, DOWN, LEFT, and RIGHT to move the cursor by one line or item at a time. PG UP will move upward by one full window's- worth, PG DN downward by the same amount. In some windows (the help-screens and editors, for example), ^HOME moves to the top of the current screen and ^END to the bottom of the current screen; ^PG UP moves to the very beginning of the text, and ^PG DN to the very end of the text. HOME will usually move the cursor to the beginning of a line, and END to the end of a line. Exception: File pick-lists used by some of the editors. There, HOME will move to the beginning of the list of files, and END to the end of the list (some of the other keystrokes just mentioned aren't active in file pick-lists). INSTALLING AND CONFIGURING OZCIS The minimum installation involves several steps, summarized here and explained in detail below: 1) Unpack the necessary files from the OzCIS distribution archives and place the files in a subdirectory of your hard disk. 2) Run OzCIS and go through its "general configuration" routine. 3) Create settings for at least one Host (CIS access number). This adds information to a file called HOSTS.DB (or creates HOSTS.DB if you don't use the sample HOSTS.DB in the distribution archive). 4) Log onto CIS and let OzCIS run a configuration pass that sets various CIS parameters for you (automatically). But first ... ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page 15 COMMAND-LINE "SWITCHES" OzCIS supports a number of "switches" on the command line. Only one is mentioned here, the "/S" switch; the rest are discussed in the OzCIS documentation file MISC.DOC. "/S" tells OzCIS to write information to a file called SESSION.LOG every time you log onto CIS. As long as you remain in OzCIS, the program goes on adding to the log file. SESSION.LOG captures all port activity - text that scrolls down the screen during a CIS session - including all CIS screen displays, prompts, and so on. The file can become quite large if a given session involves a number of logons to CIS. There is usually no reason to hang onto a SESSION.LOG file; it contains information OzCIS stores in other mail files (or any outgoing mail you've saved into an "outbox" file). However, it can be useful in the event there is some error while OzCIS is on-line; you can view SESSION.LOG afterward and perhaps see why the error occurred. SESSON.LOG can also be useful when you're first becoming acquainted with OzCIS: You can review the file to see the commands OzCIS sends to CIS at specific prompts. However, if you use OzCIS to collect, say, detailed information about the contents of large CIS file libraries, the log file written during a single on-line session can become gigantic - a megabyte or more if the libraries are really big. In that case, SESSION.LOG wastes disk space and doesn't provide you with much useful information. When you quit OzCIS, if you need to keep the information captured in SESSION.LOG, rename the file. Otherwise, the next time you run OzCIS with the "/S" switch and call CIS, the log file will be over-written. Giving this command at the DOS prompt: OZCIS /? results in a brief help-screen discussing OzCIS command-line switches (without launching OzCIS itself). FILE MANAGEMENT The best practice is to install the main OzCIS files in a subdirectory of their own. If you will be working in several CIS forums, and especially if you intend to maintain complete short- and long-format library catalogues, it is best to set up each forum as a subdirectory under your main OzCIS directory. OzCIS will maintain a minimum of 5 to 6 files for each forum and may keep as many as 40 or more; separating your forums via subdirectory simplifies file maintenance. For example, the main directory for OzCIS might be on your "C" drive and be called C:\OZCIS. If you are a member of the forums called ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page 16 DTPFORUM and PCVENB, create subdirectories C:\OZCIS\DTPFORUM and C:\OZCIS\DTPVENB to hold the forums' message and other files. IMPORTANT: Do *NOT* install OzCIS in a directory that contains other CIS navigation programs (like TAPCIS(tm), Autosig or CISOP) and/or any of their support files. OzCIS can read and understand some other navigators' files and will probably not "choke" on those it doesn't understand; but the files OzCIS creates might well cause problems for the other programs. You don't need to create those subdirectories right now, however. OzCIS itself can create them. More on that shortly. Using the OZCPATH environment variable: OzCIS requires a configuration file called OZCIS.CFG that is usually kept in the same directory with OZCIS.EXE itself. You can keep several OZCIS.CFG files in separate directories, then direct OZCIS to use a specific .CFG file by putting the relevant path information into an environment variable called OZCPATH. But note: If you start OzCIS and there is an OZCIS.CFG file in the CURRENT directory, OzCIS will read from that configuration file, ignoring the contents of the OZCPATH variable. The environment variable should contain ONLY path information and not the name of the .CFG file itself. Wrong: SET OZCPATH=C:\WHATEVER\OZCIS.CFG Right: SET OZCPATH=C:\WHATEVER INSTALLATION AND GENERAL CONFIGURATION Make sure the files OZCIS.EXE, OZCIS.OV1, and OZCIS.OV2 are all in the same directory. If you want to use OzCIS' help-system, make sure to put the file OZCIS.HLP into that same directory (if it is not there, OzCIS will open a window on the screen immediately after program loading, saying: Error 2 initializing help system This is not a so-called fatal error; the program will run perfectly well without the help-system.) We recommend you unpack the files HOSTS.DB and FORUMS.DB from the OzCIS distribution archive, putting them into the same directory with OZCIS.EXE itself. The files are not required at the outset, but their presence makes the installation process a bit easier. In discussing screen displays in this section, we assume you have put HOSTS.DB into ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page 17 your OzCIS directory. If you haven't, some of the screen displays will be a bit different from how they're described here. Run OzCIS by typing the command "ozcis" at the DOS prompt or "ozcis /s" if you want to maintain a SESSION.LOG file. OzCIS initializes itself and presents its main screen. The name of the Host contained in the sample HOSTS.DB file will appear in the upper-left part of the screen (OzCIS will have selected this Host by default). Right away an alert appears, containing the message: You need to configure OzCIS for your system That text should appear only once - the first time you run OzCIS, before you have done the initial configuration. If it ever appears again after you have installed OzCIS, it means OzCIS is unable to find its configuration file, OZCIS.CFG. Close the alert. Now a General Configuration window opens. (This kind of window, containing a number of questions for you to answers and data fields for you to fill in, is called a "dialogue box.") NOTE: Settings in *THIS* particular dialogue must be saved the first time you run OzCIS. If you don't save the settings, OzCIS will terminate and return you to the DOS prompt. KEYSTROKES USED IN OZCIS DIALOGUE BOXES Take a few moments to become familiar with the various features of and keystrokes used in an OzCIS dialogue box: ESC Closes dialogues without saving changes; takes you back to the previous screen or previous level of the program (except in the case of _this_ dialogue box!). F10 Saves changes within dialogues, closing the dialogue and taking you back to the previous screen or level of the program. ENTER or TAB or RIGHT or DOWN Moves the cursor downward and/or rightward through data-entry fields within dialogues. When the cursor is in the bottom field, pressing one of these keys will move the cursor to the uppermost field. If one of the keystrokes causes the cursor to skip past a field or selection you want, try one of the alternative keystrokes. LEFT and Shift-TAB and UP Moves the cursor to the next data field upward/leftward. If the cursor is in the uppermost data-entry field, pressing one of these keys will usually move it to the bottom field of the dialogue. ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page 18 NOTE: Some OzCIS data fields use cursor-movement keys for other purposes. More on that shortly. PG UP Moves the cursor to the uppermost field of the dialogue. PG DN Moves the cursor to the bottom field of the dialogue. There are three types of data-entry fields in OzCIS dialogues: 1) Multiple-choice fields, with one of several options provided by the program; you cannot create any new options for this kind of field. Press the space bar to toggle among choices this kind of field, or left-click within the field (or on the field name itself). 2) Fields that accept only a Y or N ("yes" or "no") answer. The space bar doesn't work here; press either Y or N or left-click within the field to toggle back and forth from "Y" to "N." 3) Fields in which you type information. These fields have a command set of their own: If you move the cursor into the field and begin typing right away, any information now in the field is erased, and the new information takes its place. To prevent that, FIRST press a cursor-movement key (or the BACKSPACE key), then begin typing. To add new information to the beginning of a line, press HOME and begin typing. To add new information to the end of a line, press END and begin typing. If you make a mistake, ^R restores the prior contents of the field (works ONLY if you have not yet moved the cursor out of the field). The following keystrokes are used within this kind of data field: LEFT and RIGHT Move one character to the left and right, respectively. HOME Beginning of line. ^HOME Erase from present cursor position to beginning of line. END End of line. ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page 19 ^END Erase from present cursor position to end of line. ^G Delete one character to the right of the cursor. DEL Same as ^G. BACKSPACE Delete character to left of the cursor. ^R Restore previous contents of present field. ^T Delete one word to the right. (There is no "delete word to left" command.) ^V Toggle between insert- and overstrike-mode (note how the cursor changes shape as you change modes). OzCIS always defaults to insert-mode. INS or INSERT Same as ^V. ^Y Clear entire line, regardless of cursor position. Now back to the General Configuration dialogue. It looks something like this: .-[o]-[x]--------- OzCIS General Configuration ------------------. | Path for program files | | Path for GIF files | | | | Printer init string | | Printer reset string | | Printer Port [LPT1] Page eject? [Y] Printer test [2] | | | | Force mono? [N] Use 43/50 line mode? [N] | | Expand GIF Maps? [N] SVGA Type [AutoDetect] | | | | Editors Indent? [Y] Wordwrap col [70 ] Tabs style [Smart] | | | | Dialog Boxes? [N] Fast Logon? [N] Show Uploader? [Y] | | Transparent mouse? [Y] Confirm exit? [Y] Use Sound? [N] | `---------------- <F10> accepts, <Esc> abandons -----------------' ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page 20 All of the normal box-drawing characters seen on the OzCIS screen have been removed from this representation of the dialogue. The "[o]" represents the dialogue's "close without saving changes" check-box; the "[x]" represents the dialogue's "close, saving changes" check-box. The following are the dialogue's data-entry fields. The default values (if any) provided by OzCIS itself are shown below in parentheses to the right of the field name. Any other options provided by OzCIS are shown below within [square brackets]. NOTE: When you have this kind of window open, OzCIS provides helpful hints on the bottom line of the screen as you move the cursor from field to field. In general as you use OzCIS, keep an eye on the bottom screen line for hints on the meanings of menu items and configuration options. OzCIS also displays hints on commands you can use in each field. For example: "space toggles thru choices" or "F10 to accept." The hints appear in the dialogue's window frame; their content depends on the kind of field into which you've moved the cursor. PATH FOR PROGRAM FILES (current path, such as "C:\OZCIS") OzCIS will already have filled in this field, using the path now containing the file OZCIS.EXE. You can blank out the field. We recommend you fill it in only if you intend to use a single set of OzCIS Host and forum configuration files that will be kept in a path other than the one containing OZCIS.EXE itself. PATH FOR GIF FILES (blank) If you intend to download GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) files from CIS and want to store them in a different subdirectory, enter the path name here. PRINTER INIT STRING and PRINTER RESET STRING (blank) If you will be printing from within OzCIS and need to specify printer initialization or reset strings, enter them here. If you need to "quote" the ESC character into the init string, press ^P and then ESC. (A highlighted "[" character will appear in the field.) PRINTER PORT (LPT1) [ LPT2 LPT3 PRN DISK ] Use the space bar to toggle among the other choices if your printer is not on the LPT1 port. Use the "DISK" setting if you want OzCIS to print to disk rather than to your printer. (When you're set up to print to disk, OzCIS will ignore any printer init or reset strings and prompt you for a file name.) ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page 21 PAGE EJECT (Y) [ N ] Controls whether or not OzCIS will send a form-feed command to the printer when it is finished with a print job. The only possible responses here are "Y" or "N". PRINTER TEST (2) [ 0 1 3 ] The printer test allows OzCIS to handle differences among computer/ printer configurations. Detecting printers' "off-line" and "paper out" signals is an imperfect art, so there are four different tests: 0 - no test. Assumes the printer is always on-line and ready. Use only if none of the other options works. 1 - the strictest test. It verifies that all flag bits of the printer status byte are correct before it allows printing. This test is often too strict for non-IBM machines of recent manufacture. 2 - the default value, a looser test that verifies only 2 bits of the status byte. Recommended for most configurations. 3 - an even looser test; checks only one bit of the status byte. Not recommended unless setting "2" doesn't work with your system. There are no other options at present. If you enter a number higher than 3 (or enter any non-numeric character) into the field, OzCIS will complain about that via an alert. FORCE MONO? (N) [ Y ] "Y" will force OzCIS to use a monochrome display scheme. This option is intended primarily for users of laptop computers. USE 43/50 LINE MODE? (N) [ Y ] Sets up 43- or 50-line mode on systems that support such displays. EXPAND GIF MAPS? (N) [ Y ] This option, available only if you have a VGA or SuperVGA system, is used if you want to expand CIS-generated GIF files (weather maps, for example) to full-screen size. "N" leaves them at their default size (about 60% of the full screen). SVGA TYPE AUTODETECT [ various settings ] This field is accessible only if you have a VGA or SuperVGA card. The default option is "AutoDetect." In most cases this is fine, but as with printer testing, such detection is an imperfect art at best. ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page 22 You can, instead, specify the kind of VGA card. If your SuperVGA card has a VESA driver, "VESA Drvr" is the recommended setting. At this time, OzCIS doesn't support Herc Graphics Workstation or other TIGA or Targa type cards other than in SVGA emulation mode. It does support UltraVision and all high-res text modes such as 132-column and/or 43/50-line modes. IMPORTANT: Select ONLY "AutoDetect" or "Std.VGA" if you do not have a *Super* VGA card installed. You can over-ride the VGA setting you enter here via use of one of OzCIS' command-line switches. See the documentation file MISC.DOC for a complete list of command-line switches and VGA/SVGA types. EDITORS INDENT? (Y) [ N ] Determines whether or not OzCIS' internal editors will auto-indent a line if the previous line was itself indented. If you answer "Y", the auto-indent will be by the same amount as the indent for the previous line. WORDWRAP COL (76) [ some number of your choosing ] Type the number for the column at which you want OzCIS' editors to wrap words onto the next line. The default setting, "76," is usually fine. A higher value can cause formatting problems on the screens of other CIS callers when they read your messages. TABS STYLE (Smart) [ Fixed ] "Fixed" tabs follow the more traditional tab-stop method, with fixed stops at regular intervals (the default is 8 spaces and can be adjusted in the editors.) "Smart" tabs work by moving the cursor rightward until it is under the first letter of the next word in the immediately-preceding line, or to the first space past the end of the immediately-preceding line. (If the preceding line is blank, no cursor movement is performed.) This makes creating columns much easier, but is not so commonly used in general text editors. DIALOG BOXES? (N) [ Y ] "YES" allows you to choose a somewhat more CUA-compliant interface (easier to use with the mouse). "NO" gives you a window interface oriented more toward the keyboard, and in that case some OzCIS alerts will not support all possible commands via mouse (noted in the "user interface" section, above). ("CUA" means "Common User Access," a standard created by IBM that specifies a set of rules for user-interface development, including menu, pick-list, and dialogue box design.) ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page 23 FAST LOGON? (N) [ Y ] Select "Y" to have OzCIS send a ^P character right after the connection to CIS, enabling a faster log-on by skipping preliminary screen displays such as the "What's New" menu, or other such menus. After a "fast" log-on OzCIS will always go to the CISMail service, even if you have no outgoing mail to send. If there is no incoming mail, it will then proceed to the first forum. WARNING: Do not answer "Y" in configuring a 9600 baud Host. A "fast logon" at 9600 baud can cause an important CIS prompt not to appear, which will bring OzCIS' automated processing to a halt. "Fast logon" is fine for 2400 baud (and slower) Host configurations, though. SHOW UPLOADER? (N) [ Y ] Allows you to turn on or off searching of the OzCIS address book for display of an uploader's name in Abstracts (detailed descriptions of files in CIS libraries). The display of names is handy, but when you have a large address book, the display can noticeably slow your moving from one abstract to the next. TRANSPARENT MOUSE? (N) [ Y ] The mouse pointer is normally a diamond-character, yellow on red on a color system. It will cover any character underneath it. If you would prefer a completely transparent mouse cursor, select "Y" here. The mouse cursor position will then be marked by the cursor's being in a different attribute, and the character at the cursor position will be visible and have that same attribute. CONFIRM EXIT (N) [ Y ] Select "Y" to have OzCIS ask you to confirm quitting the program when you select QUIT from the main menu (or press ALT-Q). (Note: If you use ALT-X to quit, instead, there will be no request to confirm, no matter what setting you have used here.) USE SOUND? (N) [ Y ] Choose whether or not OzCIS will signal various operations taking place by making sounds (example: when it first logs onto CIS or goes into manual-terminal mode). When you have filled in all of the fields, press F10 (or left-click the OK hotspot) to save the settings and close the dialogue. Remember: pressing ESC, clicking the right mouse button, or left-clicking the "close box" closes dialogues WITHOUT saving settings. ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page 24 In this one case, closing without saving will cause OzCIS to quit and return you to the DOS prompt. When you save the general-configuration settings, OzCIS writes its general configuration file, OZCIS.CFG, in the current directory. If you have specified a "Path for program files," it writes the .CFG file there instead. HOST CONFIGURATION Now you are looking at OzCIS' main screen. As noted before, the name of the Host contained in the sample HOSTS.DB file will appear at the upper left of the screen. It's probable that this Host will NOT be a toll-free call for you; you need to configure a new local Host number for OzCIS to call. NOTE: If you don't yet have a local Host number, call CIS' toll- free number, (800) 848-8990, for help getting information on local access numbers. If you are already on CIS and want to explore the full range of access numbers in your area, use the PHONES service ("GO PHONES"). Drop down the CONFIGURE menu (ALT-C, or left-click on the word "Configuration" in the menu bar). Select "Hosts Maintenance." A window called AVAILABLE HOSTS appears at the upper left of the screen, and there is (temporarily) an entirely new menu bar above it. Select ADD from the new menu bar; that brings up the Host Configuration dialogue discussed in detail below. If you did not unpack the HOSTS.DB file from the OzCIS distribution archive, at the end of the general configuration step explained above, an alert will appear, announcing: YOU NEED TO DEFINE AND SELECT AT LEAST ONE HOST. Press ENTER or ESC to close this alert (or click the mouse in the alert's close box). The Edit Host Entry dialogue will appear at once. With the normal box-drawing characters removed from it, a typical dialogue looks something like this (see next page): ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page 25 .-[o]-[x]----------- Edit Host Entry --------------------. | Host Title CIS 2400 baud | | Phone Number 123-4567 | | User ID# 12345,6789 | | Password ************* | | Network Type CIS Net | |--------------------------------------------------------| | Baud Rate 2400 HW Flow? N XON/XOFF? N | | Comport # 1 PS/2? N Tone? Y | | Modem Init Reset? Y | | Connect Timeout (Secs) 60 Port Init Delay (Secs) 0 | |--------------------------------------------------------| | User Name Aaron A. Aardvark | | Forums Path | | Download Path | | Pre Script Post Script | | Process CISMail? Y Prompt on AutoDownload? Y | | Purge old Mail Msgs by [Never] | | Save Purged msgs? Y Autosave Outbox Mail? [Always] | `------------ <F10> accepts, <Esc> abandons -------------' DATA FIELDS OF THE EDIT HOST ENTRY DIALOGUE HOST TITLE (blank) This is a label for your use; OzCIS doesn't care what you type here. Suppose you're about to enter information concerning the local CIS- sponsored 9600 baud access line. You could name the entry "CIS9600" or "CIS net, high speed" - your choice. PHONE NUMBER (blank) Enter the Host telephone number. You can include additional characters if need be - for example, if you have call waiting and would like to turn it off before dialing the CIS access number, you could enter "*70," or "1170," (including a comma for a pause if you want), then the Host number itself. IMPORTANT: Do NOT type any modem-specific "AT" commands into this data field. USER ID# (blank) Your own CIS user identification number - e.g., "12345,6789" (whatever number has been assigned to you by CIS). PASSWORD (blank) Enter your regular CIS password here. NOTE: You can leave this field blank if you wish; if you do, OzCIS will prompt you for a password each time you log on to CIS. This is somewhat inconvenient but improves program security. ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page 26 When you have finished typing the password and pressed ENTER or TAB or DOWN to move to the next data field, OzCIS will immediately hide the password. If you need to change the password later on, you can bring up this dialogue again and move the cursor to the password field. Then, when you press a cursor movement key such as LEFT, RIGHT, HOME or END, the password is displayed and you can re- type it. Any time you move the cursor out of this field, the password will again be hidden. NETWORK TYPE (CIS Net) [ TYMNET Script ] OzCIS assumes for starters that the access number you call is a CIS- sponsored number. If it is not, press the space bar to select either "TYMNET" or "Script." OzCIS internally supports only CISnet and TYMNET log-on procedures. If you are logging on via some other network, you must use an OzCIS script file called LOGON.SCR to process the connection. Scripts are discussed in detail in TERMINAL.DOC, including an example LOGON.SCR. BAUD RATE (2400) [ 300 1200 4800 9600 19200 38400 ] Select the baud rate for this Host, using the space bar to toggle among the various settings. CIS supports all speeds shown above, though it's possible not all access numbers in your area support all speeds. The power modem user should note: No CIS node provides data compression or runs its own modem at a speed higher than the connect speed for that node. Never select 19200 for a 9600 baud node just because your own modem supports the higher speed. This gains you nothing at all in throughput and causes both the modem and the software to work harder than they should have to. The same would be true for selecting "9600" when the real connection speed is, say, 2400 baud. HW FLOW? (N) [ Y ] Do you want to use hardware flow control? If you are using a high- speed modem such as a Courier HST, you MUST answer "Y" here. XON/XOFF? (N) [ Y ] Use XON/XOFF flow control? A "Y" answer is required only if you are calling CIS via a network that requires XON/XOFF flow control (some of the European networks, for example). If HW Flow is on, this option is forced off. ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page 27 COMPORT# (1) [ 2 3 4] Use the space bar to select which COM port your modem is on, if not COM port 1. (Note: If you answer "Y" to the upcoming question "PS/2?," the choices of COM port will go as high as "8".) PS/2? (N) [ Y ] Answer "Y" if your machine is a true-blue IBM PS/2 or other fully Micro-Channel(tm)-compatible machine, especially if you need to use a COM port number higher than 3. OzCIS will auto-detect which hardware (MicroChannel or ISA) your computer has. It will always properly detect a true-blue IBM Micro- Channel system. A very few ISA-buss machines falsely report that they are MicroChannel types. This "PS/2?" field is provided so that you can over-ride automatic detection. TONE? (Y) [ N ] "Y" forces the modem to use tone dialing rather than pulse dialing. Select "N" only if your phone line does not support tone dialing. MODEM INIT (blank) If you want to include a modem init string, put it here. OzCIS should normally be able to handle initialization of Hayes-compatible modems quite well - including for most high-speed modems - even if you leave this field blank. (No guarantees if your modem's command set is not fully Hayes-compatible.) Note that this is a modem "init" string, not a "reset" or "dial" string; *NEVER* put "ATZ" or the "Z" sub-command into this string, or the "D", "DT" or "DP" sub-commands in this string. Special characters: You can use a "~" (tilde) character within the init-string to cause a half-second delay. A "|" (vertical bar) character in the init string sends a "return" to the modem. Caution: Never END the init-string with the "|" character. The choice to use tone dialing or pulse dialing is made in the "TONE" field, discussed just above. GENERAL COMMENTS ABOUT MODEMS: Modems today allow many and varied configuration options. Different programs sometimes have different requirements for the modem's setup. OzCIS is designed to work with the factory default settings of a fully Hayes-compatible modem, but is flexible in letting you use other configurations as long as: ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page 28 1) The modem is configured for Word responses, as opposed to Numeric ones - that is, when you issue an "ATZ" command to the modem it responds with "OK" and not "0". The typical Hayes command to set this kind of response is "ATV1". Some other programs, especially some BBS programs, work with numeric rather than word responses. 2) The modem is configured to echo commands sent to it; when you issue the "ATZ" command you see the "ATZ" echoed back to the screen. The typical Hayes command to set this is "ATQ0". 3) The modem is configured to follow the state of the DTR line from the serial port to the modem; when DTR is raised the modem is "active", and when DTR is lowered the modem hangs up any call in progress. Some modems have a "&" command for this; generally it is "AT&C1&D2". Other modems may require a DIP switch or jumper setting. If in doubt, consult your modem manual. 9600 baud modem users: If you find you are having trouble logging onto CIS via your local 9600 baud Host, try using the init string AT V1 &K0 in the modem-init field. This topic is discussed in greater detail in the OzCIS documentation file TERMINAL.DOC. RESET? ( N ) [ Y ] Should OzCIS fully reset the modem before modem initialization? The answer depends in part on whether or not any modem settings stored in, say, non-volatile RAM, are liable to cause connection problems (see the discussion of modems, just above, for more information). If in doubt, answer "Y" here. CONNECT TIMEOUT (Secs) (45) [ alternatives - your choice ] How long should OzCIS wait for a connection to CIS before timing out and aborting the log-on process? If "45" isn't right for your system, then type a new number into the field. Most people will not need to change the default value. PORT INIT DELAY (Secs) (0) [ alternatives - your choice ] How long should OzCIS delay between initializing the COM port and sending the first commands to the modem? A "0" setting should normally work fine. A number higher than "0" is sometimes needed to solve timing problems experienced by users of "pocket" modems that draw their power from the serial port itself. USER NAME (blank) Your own name as it will appear in CISMail messages. During forum configuration (to be discussed in FORUMS.DOC), you can specify a ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page 29 different name if you want. Type the name like this: "Jane Smith" - not like this: "Smith, Jane." FORUMS PATH (blank) This is the directory where the forum configuration file, FORUMS.DB, is stored. Keeping separate FORUMS.DB files in different paths allows you to set up alternate forum configurations, optionally associating each with a different Host configuration. DOWNLOAD PATH (blank) The place where OzCIS will normally store binary files (as opposed to message files) you download from CIS libraries. You can over-ride this setting for specific areas during forum configuration. The download path setting also determines the directory where OzCIS stores binary files sent to you as private mail. PRE SCRIPT (blank) You can specify an OzCIS script file to be executed before you have OzCIS run a "first pass" on CIS. "Passes" are discussed in detail in the FORUMS.DOC file; scripts are discussed in TERMINAL.DOC. POST SCRIPT (blank) The name of a script file you'll have OzCIS execute following a "first pass" on CIS. PROCESS CISMAIL? (Y) [ N ] OzCIS will normally collect any new private mail (CISMail) for you when you do either a "first pass" or "second pass," then transmit to CIS any new private mail you've written. Then it will complete the rest of the "pass" instructions. If you answer "N" here, OzCIS will always send any new CISMail but will NOT collect new incoming CISMail. (In which case, you'll have to get the new incoming mail via OzCIS' MAIL menu.) For starters, especially if you have not worked a lot with CIS yet, we strongly suggest you answer this question "Y". PROMPT ON AUTODOWNLOAD? (N) [ Y ] CIS allows you to send binary files via CISMail to another CIS user and receive binary files someone has sent to you via CISMail. If you leave this selection at the default setting ("N"), OzCIS automatically transmits any binary files in your mailbox when it collects new CISMail. If you choose "Y," OzCIS asks you at the time to decide whether to receive the binary file just then. ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page 30 When it prompts you to decide, OzCIS automatically downloads the file if you do not reply "no" to the prompt within 15 seconds. Example of when the option is useful: Suppose you find it more economical to get and send messages by calling a 2400-baud Host, but you find it's a better deal to receive binary files at 9600 baud. You might not want to have your system tied up for a long time if there is a large binary file waiting for you as mail and you've called CIS on a 2400 baud line. If you have "prompt on auto- download" set to "Y", you can say "no" to getting the file, then call CIS later on a 9600 baud line and download the file. OzCIS sends a command to erase each new CISMail message after it is retrieved. But any binary file you choose NOT to receive right away will be held in your CIS mailbox until you have downloaded it; only then will OzCIS give the command to erase it. PURGE OLD MAIL MSGS BY (Always) [ Never Sessions Days ] OzCIS can retain, or remove, all old private mail now stored on your disk - or remove only some of it. The ALWAYS setting tells OzCIS to kill any CISMail messages now on your disk each time you receive new mail. Toggle through the other selections by pressing the space bar: NEVER: OzCIS keeps all old private mail, breaking the mail file into "sessions" (i.e., every new call to CIS that retrieves new CISMail creates a new "session." See the documentation file CISMAIL.DOC for more information on "sessions"). SESSIONS: OzCIS keeps only a certain number of "sessions" of CISMail. If you choose "Sessions", a new data field (PURGE COUNTER) appears to the right of the PURGE field: Type a number into the new field: how many sessions' worth of CISMail OzCIS should save. DAYS: Tells OzCIS to keep CISMail dating back only a certain number of days. Again, if you enable this selection, moving the cursor out of the PURGE field will cause the PURGE COUNTER field to appear; type into it how many days' worth of old mail you want to retain. SAVED PURGED MSGS? (N) [ Y ] "Y" saves all purged CISMail messages to a file called CISMAIL.PRG. "N" will cause all purged mail to be permanently deleted. AUTOSAVE OUTBOX MAIL? (NEVER) [ ALWAYS ASK ] Controls whether OzCIS automatically saves outbound private mail to a file called CISMAIL.OBS. Toggle among the selections with the space bar: ALWAYS causes the outbound messages always to be saved; ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page 31 ASK tells OzCIS to ask you to make a decision about it when you are finished reviewing new outbound messages. Even if you answer NEVER, you can still save an individual outgoing message to the .OBS file at the time you're ready to save the message. When you are done configuring this new Host, press F10 to close the configuration dialogue. If you change your mind, press ESC; none of the settings will be saved. CAUTION: If you press ESC, OzCIS will close the dialogue immediately; there will be no request for you to confirm! Again: If there is NOT already a HOSTS.DB file that OzCIS can find, quitting this particular dialogue without saving any settings will cause OzCIS to terminate at once and return you to the DOS prompt. To select a new Host after closing the Edit Host Entry dialogue: The "Available Hosts" dialogue will still be showing. Highlight the name of the Host to select. Press ALT-S to select it, or left-click its name. ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS ON HOST CONFIGURATION You can configure as many Hosts as you want. You might find that it is more economical to send and receive CISMail and forum messages at 2400 baud than at 9600 baud, but a a better deal to send and receive files and make big file catalogues at 9600 baud. If so, you can create a Host configuration for your local 2400 baud access number, then another for your local 9600 baud Host number. NOTE: OzCIS will always display the presently-selected Host in the upper-left corner of most of its screens. SETTING OR CHANGING PARAMETERS ON CIS CONFIGURING OZCIS FOR CISMAIL The good news is: You don't have to do anything at all to configure OzCIS itself for CISMail. OzCIS, unlike some other CIS navigation programs, does not need you to create a pretend-forum called MAIL. You need only the (top-line) MAIL menu for getting, reading, and sending CISMail. In fact, setting up a bogus forum called MAIL will thoroughly confuse OzCIS; please DON'T do that. Use the MAIL menu for all CISMail work. ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page 32 CONFIGURING CIS ITSELF - GOING ON-LINE FOR THE FIRST TIME Before proceeding further, tell OzCIS to log onto CompuServe and make an automatic configuration pass for each Host you've defined (that is, for each baud rate). The config pass will change a number of permanent CIS settings for you, such as your terminal type (and a lot more). The config pass is probably not necessary if you are already a CIS member and if you have already used some other navigation program to configure CIS parameters for you. You won't do any harm by running an auto-config pass, and it's a good idea to do so; in the process, OzCIS will store on your disk an up-to- date list of most CIS forums. The list will be useful later on, when it's time to configure forums. The following assumes you are already signed up for CIS membership and have followed all general and host configuration steps discussed above: From OzCIS' main screen, select the ON-LINE > PROFILE SETUP. OzCIS displays a dialogue containing: This will make a profile reconfiguration pass. Continue? Answer YES to begin the configuration pass. If you answer NO (by typing "n," pressing ESC, or clicking the right-hand mouse button), the dialogue closes and the command is cancelled. Left-clicking in the "close" box also cancels. If you answer YES, OzCIS goes into terminal mode, dials the presently-selected Host number, and performs the configuration pass automatically. If you log on at 2400 baud, the pass should take no more than about five minutes (or about three minutes at 9600 baud). OzCIS first visits the CISMail area and sets its parameters for you; then it goes through a number of other CIS configuration menus and answers the questions there. It is rather a challenge to follow all this on the screen at 2400 baud. At 9600 baud, it is virtually impossible to follow. If you would like to capture the results to disk and examine them later, be sure to run OzCIS with its "/s" command-line switch. This tells OzCIS to write a log file, SESSION.LOG; the file will contain a complete capture of the configuration pass. For its last act during the config pass, OzCIS captures a complete list of all CIS forums to which you can have ready access without any further sign-up or registration procedures. It stores the list in your OzCIS directory, writing a text file called OZCIS.FN ("FN" for "forum names"). You can read the .FN file with file viewers such as LIST.COM. ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page 33 Again, getting the .FN file is, by itself, a good reason to run the config pass even if you don't need to change any CIS parameters. When the configuration pass is done, OzCIS automatically disconnects from CIS and returns to its main screen. You won't normally have to do another full CIS configuration pass for this particular Host. But remember: If you have never before been on CIS, you should perform a configuration pass for EACH NEW HOST supporting a baud rate different from that of other Hosts you've defined. (CIS keeps track of all settings for the different speeds.) There is no need to make a config pass for three Hosts that use the SAME baud rate. If you have more than one PPN (UserID number), you will need to do a configuration pass for each baud rate you use for each PPN. OTHER CONFIGURATION OPTIONS FORUMS: All information related to forum configuration is covered in the FORUMS.DOC file. OzCIS provides configuration routines for "externals" and for the colors of the screen displays. Color configuration will be discussed in the MISC.DOC file. CONFIGURING EXTERNALS An "external" is a program or batch file you run from within OzCIS. Or you can run another copy of the command processor ("shell out" to DOS, in other words). From the main screen, select CONFIGURATION > EXTERNALS MAINTENANCE. A DEFINED EXTERNALS window opens at the upper-left of the screen, showing all presently-defined externals. ("Shell to DOS," for example). DEFINED EXTERNALS has its own top-line menu, containing EDIT, DELETE, ADD, COPY, and QUIT selections. Move the cursor bar in the window to the name of an external you'd like to edit, then select one of the commands in the menu. EDIT is the default selection; pressing ENTER will edit whatever external is now highlighted. Selecting EDIT opens a EXTERNALS DEFINITION ENTRY dialogue box toward the bottom of the screen. (Note the hints that appear on the bottom screen line when the dialogue is open.) These are its data fields: ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page 34 TITLE (blank) Type a descriptive name here. This is a label only for your use; OzCIS doesn't care how it reads. CMDLINE (blank) Enter the external's full path and name. Example: You want to be able to display files using a viewer called SHOW.COM. Let's say it is stored in the root directory of drive F:. Enter the full path and file name. Wrong: SHOW F:\SHOW SHOW.COM Right: F:\SHOW.COM If "CmdLine" is a batch file, be sure to include the .BAT extension. OzCIS is able to run .BTM files - batch files used by the shareware program called 4DOS(tm), a replacement for COMMAND.COM. If you define a .BTM file as an external, you must include the ".BTM" extension in the CMDLINE field. A .BTM file will not work as an external if you don't use 4DOS as your SECONDARY command processor. USE 2ND SHELL? (N) [ Y ] If the "external" is a .COM or .EXE file, "N" is the right answer. If it is a batch file, press the space bar to change the "N" to "Y". OzCIS will call whatever command processor is pointed to by the COMSPEC environment variable. PROMPT AT EXIT? (N) [ Y ] Answer "N" if you want to return to OzCIS immediately after the external terminates. If you would like a "Press any key to return" prompt instead, use the space bar to toggle the "N" to "Y". The prompt is useful in case you would like the last of the external's screen displays to remain on the screen before you return to OzCIS. Otherwise, the last screen display will disappear the moment the external terminates and OzCIS resumes control. GET PARAMETERS? (N) [ Y ] You might want to add parameters - command-line switches, file names, or whatever, to the external's command line before it runs. Answering "Y" here will give you a prompt for command-line parameters after you call up an external and before it executes. Save your changes by pressing F10 or left-clicking the dialogue's OK hotspot. Close the dialogue without saving changes by pressing ESC, by right-clicking, or by clicking the "close box." ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page 35 DELETE AN EXTERNAL: Use the cursor bar or mouse to select the external to be removed. Then select "DELETE." OzCIS asks you to confirm the deletion before it removes the name from the window. ADD AN EXTERNAL: Select ADD from the DEFINED EXTERNALS menu. This opens a blank EXTERNALS DEFINITION ENTRY dialogue. The data fields are the same as those described just above. COPY AN EXTERNAL: Highlight the item to copy, then select COPY from the menu bar. The EXTERNALS DEFINITION ENTRY dialogue opens, containing information identical to that of the copied external (including the descriptive name). Saving the contents of the dialogue without making any changes creates an exact copy (including descriptive name) and places it into the DEFINED EXTERNALS window. If you change your mind about making the copy, just close the EXTERNALS DEFINITION ENTRY dialogue without saving changes. QUIT: Returns you to OzCIS' main screen. Running "externals" will be discussed in the OzCIS documentation file MISC.DOC. A QUICK TOUR OF OZCIS' MAIN SCREEN This section is a brief discussion of each top-line menu and its associated menu items. Detailed explanation of each command follows in the other OzCIS documentation files. Certain information is almost always displayed on the main screen: In the upper left corner of the screen: the presently-selected Host; in the middle of the upper part of the screen above the menu bar: the presently-selected forum (if any); at the lower right of the screen, the amount of RAM available to OzCIS. Information about available RAM will be displayed in nearly all OzCIS screens, including the editors. WINDOW MENU (Keystroke: ALT-W) EDITOR Brings up OzCIS' General Editor, which can be used to edit any text file (the other editors - the Message Reader, New Message Editor, Reply Editor, and Review Editor - have specialized purposes). General Editor commands are discussed in the CISMAIL.DOC file. EXTERNALS Used to invoke any external programs you have defined (via CONFIGURATION > EXTERNALS MAINTENANCE). At the outset, there is only one External available in OzCIS: Shelling to DOS. ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page 36 ABOUT Provides basic information about OzCIS. MAIL MENU (ALT-M) READ PENDING CISMAIL MESSAGES Read your private mail (uses the Message Reader). NEW MESSAGE COMPOSITION Create a new CISMail message (uses the New Message Editor). UPLOAD A FILE AS MAIL Send a binary file to someone on CIS, storing it in the recipient's private mailbox. This menu item is NOT used for sending regular CISMail messages (text). VIEW OUTGOING MAIL BEFORE SENDING Review CISMail replies you've written but have not yet transmitted (uses the Review Editor). SEND/RECEIVE MAIL ONLINE Tells OzCIS to go into terminal mode, call CIS, collect new CISMail waiting for you (if any), then transmit outgoing CISMail you've written, if any. Afterward OzCIS automatically logs off CIS and returns you to its main screen. MESSAGES STORED IN FOLDERS There are several ways to store CISMail outside the normal CISMail file. This menu item enables you to select one of the alternate files ("folders"). Even though these messages are not in the current CISMail file, you can still reply to "folder" messages. ADDRESS BOOK SERVICES Opens OzCIS' address book (discussed in detail in CISMAIL.DOC). FORUMS MENU (ALT-F) SELECT FORUM Select a CIS forum to work with. ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page 37 READ CURRENT MESSAGES Read new messages (or saved older messages) in the selected forum. TAG QUICKSCAN LIST If you have downloaded a list of new message headers for the selected forum, you can view the list and tag the messages you want OzCIS to retrieve in their entirety during an upcoming pass on CIS. MESSAGES IN FOLDERS As with CISMail, you can store selected forum messages into "folder" files outside the normal forum mail file. This item enables you to view and reply to contents of "folders." NEW MESSAGE COMPOSE Compose a new message to be sent to the selected forum (uses the New Message Editor. VIEW OUTGOING MESSAGES Same as "view outgoing" for CISMail (see above). CUSTOM SERVICES Review and/or alter the contents of one or more files OzCIS has written to tell itself what operations to perform during the next pass. This will be covered in detail in the FORUMS.DOC file. Also allows selecting special message-retrieval methods. There are many ways you can customize CIS' selection of messages to send to you - by date, age, topic, from whom, to whom, etc. OzCIS' default methods are by far the most common and easiest to use, but CIS "power" users often like to retrieve messages using other criteria; these options allow the special methods to be used. Unless you are an "old CIS hand", don't worry about the alternate methods now. UPLOAD FILE(S) Transmit a binary file to a forum library. DOWNLOAD FILE(S) Receive a binary file from a forum library. PASS OPTION SETTINGS Configure what OzCIS will do when it makes a pass on CIS to collect or send forum mail and/or binary files. Selecting this item brings ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page 38 up a dialogue box whose fields will be discussed in detail in the FORUMS.DOC file. 1ST PASS IN THIS FORUM Log onto CIS and make a "first pass", collecting or sending mail and/or files - as configured via PASS OPTION SETTINGS. The pass will be limited to the currently selected forum. 2ND PASS IN THIS FORUMS Log onto CIS and make a "second pass" to the selected forum. SERVICES MENU (ALT-S) Each item shown here is a "toggle"; you enable it or disable by highlighting it, then pressing the space bar (a check mark will appear next to an active choice). The services include: What's New This Week; Update What's New; Weather Reports; Accu-Weather Maps; Stock Quotes; TRENDS Charts; Executive News Service; IBM File Finder; Graphics File Finder; and Other Nonforum Service. Depending on whether or not you have defined an OzCIS script file pertaining to the service, OzCIS will log onto that area of CIS and execute the script, or - if no script file - simply log onto the service and drop into terminal mode, awaiting your instructions. Press F2 with a service name highlighted to tell OzCIS what script file to use. Special services are discussed in detail in TERMINAL.DOC. ONLINE MENU (ALT-O) 1ST AUTOMATED PASS OzCIS will make a first pass on CIS, performing work in ALL forums you have configured to be included in a fully automated first pass. 2ND AUTOMATED PASS Make a second pass on CIS, working in ALL forums for which there is second-pass work pending. NOTE: Both first and second passes collect and send CISMail as well as forum messages. SPECIALS ONLY Go on-line to CIS and perform ONLY those tasks requested via the SERVICES menu. ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page 39 CUSTOM PASS Allows you to select from scripts you've created for fully customized on-line processing. MANUAL TERMINAL Shifts OzCIS into its manual terminal mode. A sub-option supports an automatic log-on to CIS, during which OzCIS supplies your name and UserID automatically, then leaves you at the CIS main prompt. Other options for manual terminal mode are covered in TERMINAL.DOC. PROFILE SETUP Log onto CIS and make a fully automated profile configuration pass (discussed earlier in the section on configuring the program). CONFIGURATION MENU (ALT-C) FORUMS MAINTENANCE Create new forum configurations; edit, delete, or sort existing ones. These options will be discussed extensively in FORUMS.DOC. HOSTS MAINTENANCE Add, edit, or delete Hosts (discussed earlier in this file). EXTERNALS MAINTENANCE Add, edit, or delete configuration settings for external programs you can run from within OzCIS (discussed earlier in this file.) GENERAL CONFIGURATION Configuration settings for OzCIS itself (discussed earlier in this file). COLORS SELECTION Change OzCIS' screen-display colors (both monochrome and color systems supported). Discussed in MISC.DOC. HELP MENU (ALT-H or F1) Not a drop-down menu. Selecting "HELP" on the main screen brings up the help-window and displays the "General/Help on Help" text. ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page 40 QUIT (ALT-Q) (ALT-X also works) Not a drop-down menu. Selecting "Quit" terminates OzCIS and returns you to the DOS prompt. OZCIS' HELP SYSTEM OzCIS provides context-sensitive help, accessible in most parts of the program via the F1 key. If you are in a part of the program for which no help-text exists, OzCIS presents its main "Help on Help" screen. A number of help-screens contain references to other help-topics. If you are viewing such a help-screen, pressing TAB moves the cursor immediately to the related topic's name (which is highlighted). Then press ENTER to view the related help-text. If a help-screen contains more than one such reference, pressing TAB again will move to the next related (highlighted) topic name. Pressing SHIFT-TAB will move backward from one related topic name to the previous one. USING THE MOUSE: When you see a highlighted topic name, you can left- click on it with the mouse to view the new help-text. Pressing F1 when you're viewing a help-screen will bring up an index of help-topics. The index is a "pick-list" with a cursor bar. Move the bar to the topic you'd like to see and press ENTER (or left-click on the topic to get help for it). Pressing F1 again thereafter will return you to the index. OTHER KEYS USED IN THE HELP-SCREENS: PG UP and PG DN move you up and down through help-text if there is more of it than will fit into a single window. (In that case, OzCIS will display "PG UP for more" or "PG DN for more" prompts at the lower right of the window.) ^PG UP takes you to the beginning of a given section of help-text, ^PG DN to the end of the text. ^HOME moves to the top of the current window, and ^END to the bottom of the current window. If you use a mouse, you can scroll through help text by clicking in the scroll bar at the right side of the window; this moves you upward or downward by one "page"; or click the up- or down-arrow symbols above and below the scroll bar to move one line at a time. To leave the help system, press ESC, click the mouse in the "close" box at the upper left of the help window, or click the right mouse button. # # # ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzCIS 1.0 Copyright 1992 Steve Sneed Page 41