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Technique Computer Systems proudly presents ...
╕
For QWK-compatible Mail Systems │ ╥
╔════╗ ╕╒ ╦ ■╕ ╕ ╕ ╔══╦══╗ ╕╦═══╗╒═╕ ╒═╕╒═╡╒═╕╤═╕║
║ ╝■││ ║ │╞═╞═│╒═╕║ ║ ║ ■│║ ║╞═ ╒══╡│ │╞═ │ ║
╚════╗│││╕║╗ ││ │ │╞═ ║ ╩ ║ ╒═╕││╠══╦╝╘═╛╘══╛╘═╧╘═╛╧ ║
╔ ║││││╚║═╝╛╘╛╘╛╧╘═╛║ ║╒══╡││║ ║ ■ SLMR ■ 2.1a ■
╚════╝╛╛╛╘═╣ ╩ ╩╘══╛╛╛╩ ╚
(C)1990-91║Greg Hewgill and Technique Computer Systems
╚══════════╝
SLMR has been brought to you by the numbers 4, 8, and 6, and the
letters S and X.
Copyright (C) 1990-91
by Technique Computer Systems
and Greg Hewgill
All Rights Reserved
Victoria, BC, CANADA
December, 1991
SLMR was written using Borland's Turbo Pascal 6.0.
The source code was written using Kedit by Mansfield Software.
This manual was written using Symantec's Q&A Write.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
-----------------
Introduction ...................................................... 2
SLMR Distribution ................................................. 3
What's New in SLMR 2.1 ............................................ 4
Bugs Fixed in SLMR 2.1a ........................................... 5
Quick Installation ................................................ 6
Getting Help in SLMR .............................................. 6
How to Install SLMR (in greater detail) ........................... 7
Navigating SLMR ................................................... 9
Configuring SLMR .................................................. 14
Rodent (Mouse) Support ............................................ 20
Using Pick Lists in SLMR .......................................... 21
Using @-Variables in SLMR ......................................... 23
Advanced SLMR Features ............................................ 24
Appendix A: Offline Mail Reading - How it Works ................... 27
Appendix B: Error Messages ........................................ 31
Appendix C: Disclaimer! ........................................... 32
Appendix D: Acknowledgements (ACK!) ............................... 33
Appendix E: Contacting the Authors ................................ 34
Appendix F: Glossary (exploding piglets explained) ................ 35
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 1
Introduction
------------
SLMR is an offline mail reader for QWK packets created by the Qmail,
Markmail, Rosemail and other QWK doors for PCBoard, the Tomcat mail
door for Wildcat BBS, Mjrmail for MajorBBS, and many other QWK mail
systems for GAP, RemoteAccess, RBBS, and other BBS systems.
SLMR allows you to read and reply to messages offline, using your
favorite word processor or text editor. You save time and connection
charges by downloading a mail packet and logging off in a fraction of
the time it would take to read and reply messages online.
The use of an offline mail reader like SLMR has become necessary to
manage the large number of messages available through today's BBS
message networks. SLMR provides fast and powerful features for
sorting, searching, saving, and managing mail and replies.
SLMR will run on all types of PC-compatible computers and supports
Microsoft-compatible rodents (mice).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 2
SLMR Distribution
-----------------
SLMR is fully functional "shareware" and is not crippled in any way.
Try it, use it, and give it to your friends (in the original, unaltered
distribution archive). SLMR is NOT public domain or free software. It
is copyrighted by Technique Computer Systems of Victoria, BC, Canada.
SLMR 2.1a is an interim release that addresses some minor problems in
prior releases and adds some new functionality.
Effective January 6, 1992, SLMR becomes the property of Mustang
Software, Inc. If you find that SLMR fits your needs as an offline
reader, you are encouraged to take a look at the new reader program
that will evolve from SLMR, called Offline Xpress (OLX). A Test-Drive
version can be downloaded from many BBS systems, including MSI's HQ BBS
at (805) 395-0650. The full commercial release is also available with
typeset documentation and dual diskette media directly from MSI.
Technique Computer Systems no longer accepts registrations for SLMR.
Do not send payments to us for use of SLMR. If you like the program
you can either continue to use it in unregistered form or you may
contact MSI for a Test-Drive copy of OLX, SLMR's new product
derivative.
MSI can be reached at PO Box 2264, Bakersfield, CA 93303.
Voice phone (805) 395-0223, Tech support voice phone (805) 334-2240.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 3
What's New in SLMR 2.1
----------------------
While SLMR 2.1 is primarily a maintenance release, there are also a
number of new features. The following list describes the new features
that have been added and the major bugs that have been fixed:
New Features
------------
- The tagline file is no longer loaded into memory; it is stored in
virtual memory file on disk. This saves a large amount of system
memory, especially when using those really big tagline files.
- SLMR now takes up less memory per message than SLMR 2.0 in order to
handle larger QWK packets.
- SLME (the reply editor included in the SLMR package) now supports
color, and also places the reply header at the top of the screen for
easy reference while you are writing a reply.
- SLMR can now handle messages up to 150 lines long.
- Support for the ARJ archive format has been added.
- A new configuration switch allows mouse users to swap the functions
of the left and right buttons (for left-handed users).
- When a subject is added to the "Twit" list, any messages with a
subject containing your selection are filtered. This feature no
longer requires an exact match in subject.
- SLMR can now swap to Extended memory (XMS) if desired.
- Messages with [ANSIART] in the first line are now automatically
displayed in full-screen color. Also, saved ANSI messages are saved
with proper ESC codes instead of the ESC replacement character.
Bugs Corrected
--------------
- The infamous "print bug" has been fixed - pressing P really does
print the message now.
- Fixed the error message that occurs sometimes when the conference
list is sorted by name and you try to enter a message.
- Fixed the save file corruption problem when saving marked messages
from the Replies conference.
- When using - (minus) to go back a message, SLMR will always go back
regardless of the "Reread messages already read" toggle.
- When returning from a DOS shell, the mouse is reinitialized to
prevent the "slow mouse" problem.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 4
Bugs Fixed in SLMR 2.1a
-----------------------
While preparing SLMR 2.1 for release, several new bugs were introduced
that escaped the scrutinous eyes of our beta testers. These bugs have
been corrected in SLMR 2.1a:
- When stealing taglines or performing other tagline operations under
SLMR 2.1, occasionally the speaker would start beeping continuously
and SLMR would lock up. This has been fixed.
- In certain cases, very long messages could cause SLMR to crash with
an out of memory error. Fixed.
- Pre- or post-print strings longer than one character caused SLMR 2.1
to lock up while printing. Fixed.
- When SLMR 2.1 encountered an error while printing (ie. printer not
online), it could crash with an out of memory error. Fixed.
- Various problems with the new Fido-style taglines have been
corrected.
- When shelling to DOS from SLME, changing the current directory no
longer causes SLME to get confused.
- Pressing Enter on the last field of the Reply Information Window now
causes SLMR to act as if you pressed F10 (this is the way it worked
in SLMR 2.0).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 5
Quick Installation
------------------
"Type SLMR. Hit Alt-C."
-- Steve Crippen, Mustang Software
Seriously, that's almost all you need to do to get up and running with
SLMR. Make a subdirectory for your SLMR files, extract SLMR21A.ZIP
into it, and start SLMR by typing
SLMR
and pressing Enter. If you have used SLMR before, visit the
configuration screens with Alt-C to set up any new options which have
been added since the previous version. If you haven't used SLMR
before, open the WELCOME.QWK packet and follow the directions on the
screen.
To exit from any screen or window in SLMR, press the Esc key. Make use
of the help screens available on the F1 key if you are unsure of what
to do next.
We wrote the Silly Little Mail Reader for people who would rather read
BBS mail than documentation. In fact, we gave it to our beta testers
without instructions, and not one of them couldn't figure it out. If
you have trouble discovering how to use SLMR without a great long
instruction manual, that's our fault, not yours.
Getting Help in SLMR
--------------------
Anywhere within SLMR, you can press the F1 key or the middle mouse
button (on a three-button mouse) to bring up a help screen about the
part of SLMR you are currently in. Use these help screens frequently
-- you may even discover new features you missed in the manual!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 6
How to Install SLMR (in greater detail)
---------------------------------------
This section will assume you know how to create subdirectories and copy
files. If you don't know how to do this, please read your DOS manual
before attempting to install SLMR.
Hard disk installation
----------------------
First, create a subdirectory to hold your SLMR program files, such as
C:\SLMR. Extract the files from the SLMR21A.ZIP distribution file into
this new directory. Of course, you should have PKZIP and PKUNZIP
available in your SLMR directory, or better, somewhere in your DOS
PATH.
If you own a registered copy of SLMR, make sure your SLMR.ID file also
resides in your SLMR directory. This file is supplied with your SLMR
registration, and will remove the opening "shareware reminder" screen
and "press a random function key to continue" prompt. In addition,
your SLMR registration number will appear at the bottom of messages you
send, identifying you as a registered user who supports shareware.
To start SLMR, change to your SLMR directory, type
SLMR
and press Enter. Now skip to the section titled "Navigating SLMR" and
jump right in!
Floppy disk installation
------------------------
SLMR works best with two floppy drives or with high capacity single
floppy drives (720k, 1.2 meg, or 1.44 meg). SLMR will run on a single
360k floppy drive in a minimal configuration, but the size of mail
packets you can read will be limited.
First choose a disk to be your SLMR working disk. On this disk you
will need the following files:
SLMR.EXE - the main SLMR program
PKUNZIP.EXE - used to unpack QWK packets
PKZIP.EXE - used to pack REP packets
SLME.EXE - or other text editor for writing messages
If you have an executable file compression program such as LZEXE or
PKLITE, you will want to compress these programs so they take up as
little space as possible. Please refer to the documentation for these
programs to find out how to do this.
If you own a registered copy of SLMR, make sure your SLMR.ID file also
resides on your SLMR disk. This file is supplied with your SLMR
registration, and will remove the opening "shareware reminder" screen
and "press a random function key to continue" prompt. In addition,
your SLMR registration number will appear at the bottom of messages you
send, identifying you as a registered user who supports shareware.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 7
If you have a second floppy drive, format another diskette and use it
to hold your QWK mail packets.
To run SLMR, place your SLMR disk in drive A, your mail packet disk in
drive B, type
A:
SLMR
and press Enter. You will now have to set some items in the
configuration (press Alt-C for the configuration screens):
Enable swapping
If you have 640k of system memory, this option should be set to No.
There is usually not enough space on floppy disks for SLMR to swap
to disk.
Work Directory
You will want to set the work directory to B:\WORK instead of the
default. This will cause SLMR to place its working files on drive
B, which will have more space available than drive A.
If you are using DOS 2, you will want to make sure that A:\ is in your
PATH. If you do not have a PATH set up yet, type PATH A:\ to set it
up. See your DOS manual for more information.
Now you can skip to the next section, "Navigating SLMR", and jump right
in!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 8
Navigating SLMR
---------------
To start SLMR, type SLMR and press Enter from the DOS command line.
You may place a packet name on the command line if you would like to
open a particular packet right away.
Basic Keystrokes
----------------
The following keys are active almost anywhere in SLMR, even though they
may not be mentioned on individual help screens:
F1 - Get a context-related help screen
F2 - Pop up pick list (if available for current item)
Arrows - Move the highlight bar or scroll the window
Esc - Exit the current screen or window
Alt-C - Configure SLMR
Alt-P - Edit SLMR's pick lists
Alt-S - Shell to DOS
Alt-V - View a file with SLMR's file viewer
Alt-X - Emergency exit from SLMR
Ctrl-Home - Look at the screen under the current window
F3-F9 - User-defined function keys (configurable)
The Packet Window
-----------------
When you first start SLMR, you will be looking at the Packet Window.
If you have told SLMR where you keep your QWK packets (see Configuring
SLMR), you will see a listing of the QWK packets you currently have on
file. At this point, the following keystrokes are active:
Alt-D - Delete highlighted packet
Alt-E - Enter a message without a QWK packet
Alt-N - Read the displayed directory listing again
Alt-O - Order (sort) packets by name or date
Alt-R - Rename packet
Alt-U - Mark packet as unread (remove bookmark)
Pressing a letter or number key will move the highlight bar to the next
packet that starts with that letter or number. Press Enter when you
have highlighted the packet you would like to read.
The Read Menu
-------------
Once you have selected a packet to read, and SLMR has successfully
opened the packet, you will see the Read Menu. This menu gives you
some basic information about the packet you have just opened, and lets
you choose the item(s) you wish to read. Note that any item not
included in the QWK packet cannot be selected and has parentheses
around the option.
Bulletins - This option brings up a list of the new system bulletins
which have been included in the packet. Bulletins are named
as BLT-x.y where x is the conference number and y is the
bulletin number.
News - This option displays the system news file.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 9
Mail - This is, of course, the most interesting option on this
menu (SLMR is a mail reader, right?). It is explained in
detail in the next section.
Files - This will display a list of new files which have been
uploaded to the BBS. Note that some QWK mail systems may
not be able to include this information in mail packets.
Exit - This option saves your replies in a REP file and returns
you to the Packet Window.
Reading Mail
------------
If you select Mail from the Read Menu, SLMR displays a list of
conferences (message areas, also known as folders, SIGs, and echoes).
Two special conferences are listed in the upper left corner of the
Conference Window - Replies and Personal. Each reply you write is
placed in the Replies conference for easy access. The Personal
conference contains a copy of all the messages in the packet which are
addressed to you.
The following is a list of the keys active at this point:
A - Add this conference
D - Drop this conference
R - Reset this conference
These three options create special replies that tell the BBS
mail system to add or drop conferences from your
configuration, or to modify your high message pointer.
E - Enter a new message in the highlighted conference
F - Find text within all conferences
I - Bring up a message index of all messages in the highlighted
conference.
O - Order (sort) the conferences by name, number, or total number
of messages.
Tab, Shift-Tab - Move to the next and previous conferences,
respectively, that contain mail
Enter - Start reading messages in the highlighted conference
Alt-F - Find text within the conference listing
Alt-N, Alt-L - Find next and last (previous) occurrences of last
Alt-F item
Message Screen
--------------
Once you have selected a conference in which to read messages, the
following keys are active:
Enter,+ - Next message
-,G - Go back to previous message
Space - Continue reading (either more text in this message, or go to
next message)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 10
Ctrl-PgDn - Skip to next thread (topic) of messages
Ctrl-PgUp - Skip to previous thread
A - Animate message, showing messages in color if they have ANSI
color codes. Press AA or Ctrl-A to display the message
quickly, instead of the default simulated 2400 bps display.
B - Bulk mark messages (for later saving or printing) by the To,
From, or Subject fields.
E - Enter a new message in this conference. See the next section
for more information about this command. If you are
currently reading one of your own messages, then this command
will bring the message back up in your editor for editing.
F - Find. Search for keyword(s) or phrase(s) within this
conference. Enter the words you with to search for,
separating multiple items with semicolons. For example,
'THIS;THAT' would search for THIS or THAT. The search is not
case sensitive. Found text is highlighted in the message
display.
I, Ins - Index. Display a list of all the messages in this
conference. Press Enter to read the highlighted message. A
sample display is as follows:
* 1234 ₧ GREG HEWGILL ALL Release of SLMR 2.1 R√
The * means you have read the message, the ₧ means the
message is private, the R means you have replied to this
message, and the √ indicates the message is marked for later
saving.
J - Join a new conference. Brings up the Conference Window so
you can select another conference to read.
K - If you are reading one of your own replies in the Replies
conference, this key will kill (delete) it. You will be
asked to confirm the deed.
L - Find last (previous) occurrence of find string.
M - Mark this message for later saving. If you want to mark
several related messages at once, you might want to use the
Bulk Mark option.
N - Next. Find next occurrence of find string.
O - Order (sort) the messages in this conference. Note that this
is a temporary sort; if you always want your messages to be
sorted by, for example, the From field, visit the SLMR
Configuration to set a default sort order for messages.
P - Print this message (to your printer).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 11
Q - Request attachment. This function is only available if the
QWK system on the BBS supports sending file attachments upon
request.
R - Reply to this message. See the next section for more
information about this command.
S - Save this message (or the messages you have marked) to a
file. You can change the destination file name by typing over
it, or by using the F2 key to bring up your Save/View pick
list.
T - Steal the tagline from this message and save it in your own
Taglines pick list. You can edit the tagline first, if you
like. Warning! This option is addictive and can quickly
bloat your tagline file!
W - Forward this message to another user. This option simply
readdresses the message, and places a note in the message
indicating it has been forwarded. Remember, you can always
visit the Replies conferences to view your replies.
Z - "Zip" to and from any reply to the current message on the
screen, and vice versa. Use this option if you would like to
view the reply or original message that is associated with
the message currently on the screen.
Entering and Replying To Messages
---------------------------------
When you are entering a new message (or replying to an existing one),
you will be asked to fill in a number of fields in SLMR's data entry
screen.
From
This is normally your name, although you can change this field.
However, most mail doors will NOT allow you to upload replies not
"from" the person currently logged on unless you are the sysop.
Most likely, the mail system will just ignore the message if it
isn't from you.
To
If you are entering new message, you are prompted to enter a name
here, if it's a reply, SLMR automatically fills in the name of the
author of the message you're replying to. In either case, you can
press F2 to view your To pick list and pick a name from there.
Subject
The subject of the message. If this is a reply, the subject of the
message you are replying to is automatically filled in. You can
press F2 to bring up your Subject pick list.
Private
This indicates whether the message you are writing will be private.
Keep in mind that on BBSes, nothing is really "private", so this
option is usually used for messages which are not of general
interest.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 12
Silicon copies
This indicates whether you would like to send silicon copies of
this message (who uses carbon these days, anyway?). If this is
Yes, then after you press F10 to accept this screen you will be
able to edit the Silicon Copies list.
Return receipt
If the BBS supports it, this indicates whether the BBS will
generate a return receipt when the addressee reads the message.
Note that this only is effective if the addressee uses the same BBS
system you do!
Conference
This is the conference in which this message will be placed. You
may change this by typing another conference number, or by using
the F2 key to bring up the Conference Window.
Tagline
This is the tagline that will be appended to the bottom of your
message. You can type your own words of wisdom here, or press F2
to view your Taglines pick list. If this field is blank, no
tagline will be used.
When you are finished with this screen, press F10 to save the
information. This data entry screen may pop up before, after, or both
before and after you have entered your reply text, depending on the way
you have set up your Replies Configuration.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 13
Configuring SLMR
----------------
The standard configuration provided with SLMR has been designed to work
without modification. You should try using SLMR with this
configuration, and once you are familiar with the program, visit the
configuration screens to customize it to your preferences.
The configuration screens are available anywhere in SLMR by pressing
Alt-C. Note that while every option is available for modification,
there are certain changes which will not take place until you exit SLMR
and start it up again (for example, the work directory SLMR is using
will not be changed until you exit).
Directories
In this screen you will tell SLMR where you want to keep your QWK
and REP packets, and where you want SLMR to create the temporary
files it needs during operation.
General
This screen contains SLMR's general operating parameters. Many of
these options have already been set up according to your system
configuration.
Toggles
This screen contains the "preference" type options you can use to
make SLMR work and look the way you want it to.
Editor
This screen contains information SLMR will need to know about your
editor (the one you will be using to write messages with). It
comes already set up for use with SLME (Silly Little Message
Editor), but you can change this to work with another editor or
word processor.
Replies
This screen defines how SLMR will handle your replies, how the
original message will be quoted, and how taglines will be placed at
the bottom of your messages.
Packers
This screen tells SLMR what your packers and unpackers are called.
If, for example, PKZIP and PKUNZIP are somewhere in your DOS PATH,
you will not need to tell SLMR what directory they are in - it will
be able to find them. These options should usually not need to be
changed.
Colors
The Colors and Message Header Colors screens tell SLMR the colors
to use when displaying information on the screen. The samples
shown on the screen will help you decide what colors to use.
Function keys
You may attach various SLMR functions and/or DOS commands to
function keys, which will be available anywhere within SLMR. One
of the handy features is the ability to attach the Save Message
function to a function key for single-keypress operation.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 14
Directories
-----------
QWK Directory
This directory is where SLMR will look for mail packets by default.
You can always look in other directories on your disk by selecting
the directory name from the Packet Menu. We recommend you specify
a full path name here, because if you specify a directory name with
no backslashes, SLMR will look in a subdirectory off the current
directory.
REP Directory
This is the directory where SLMR will place reply (REP) packets
ready to be uploaded. If this directory is blank, SLMR will use
the QWK directory as specified in the last option.
Work Directory
This is the directory where SLMR will create the temporary files it
needs during operation. The default value, MR$WORK, will cause
SLMR to create a subdirectory off the directory from which you
start SLMR. This is the recommended setting, unless you would like
to use a fast RAM disk to store the work files. In this case, you
might want to specify E:\WORK if your RAM disk is drive E.
General
-------
Enable swapping
When SLMR executes a program such as PKUNZIP or your editor,
normally SLMR remains in memory while the other program is running.
Therefore, there may not be enough memory to run the other program.
Turning this option on causes SLMR to place itself on disk and free
up most of your system memory before executing the other program.
When the other program finishes, SLMR will reload itself from disk.
Note that you will need at least 350k of free disk space to use
this feature. The default swap option can also be overridden for
each program. See "Advanced SLMR Features" for more information.
Swap to XMS/EMS if available
Swapping to memory is significantly faster than swapping to disk.
This option tells SLMR to swap to Extended (XMS) memory or Expanded
(EMS) memory, if enough is available. If there is not enough of
either type of memory, then SLMR attempts to swap to disk anyway.
Drive for swap file
If SLMR decides it must swap to disk, then this drive is used for
the swap file. If it is left blank, then the drive of the work
directory is used.
Enable mouse support
This option is usually Yes. If you have a mouse but don't want to
use it in SLMR, you can set this option to No to disable SLMR's
mouse support.
Left handed mouse
This option is provided for left-handed SLMR users who would like
to swap the functions of the left and right buttons of their mouse.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 15
Default packet sort order
When SLMR reads your QWK directory, the packets are optionally
sorted by Name or Date. You can either sort the packets yourself,
directly from the packet menu, or you can set this option to cause
SLMR to sort the packets for you.
Default conference sort
Like the default packet sort order, this option controls how the
conferences are automatically sorted in the conference window. You
can also sort the conferences via a command in the conference
window.
Default message sort order
This option sets the default message sort order. The "Thread" sort
order gathers all the messages with the same subject together, but
maintains the general order of threads. The Number, To, From, and
Subject options sort alphabetically on the corresponding field.
Pre-print setup string
This string will be sent to your printer before printing
message(s). This text string normally contains printer control
codes to set fonts or other printer settings. If you would like to
include control characters in this string, type them as ^A for
Ctrl-A. A useful one (used by a lot of printers) is ^[ for Esc.
Post-print setup string
This string will be sent to your printer after printing message(s).
A useful control string to put here is ^L, which is a formfeed and
will eject the paper from the printer after printing the
message(s).
Toggles
-------
Scroll bars on windows
If you are using a mouse, SLMR will display "scroll bars" on the
edges of various windows. If you are not using a mouse, this
option will control whether these scroll bars are displayed.
Stupid exploding windows
Set this option to Yes if you would like to use silly exploding
windows with sound. Warning! This option can quickly become
annoying!
Rename packet after read
Once you have finished reading a QWK packet, you may choose to
rename it (to save it as a backup or whatever). This option will
cause SLMR to prompt you to rename it after returning to the Packet
Window.
Snow checking with old CGAs
Some old CGA type color graphics adapters will show "snow" on the
screen when running SLMR. If you do not want this interference,
set this option to Yes to avoid it. They displays are slightly
slower, but they look better.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 16
Box around message window
Normally, SLMR displays a box around the message you are currently
reading on the screen. Set this option to No if you do not want
this box (it allows you to see 80 column wide lines instead of 78,
and one more line of the message.
Beep on personal message
Set this option to Yes if you would like SLMR to beep at you
whenever it displays a message which is addressed to you.
To/From instead of From/To
Depending in your preference, you may want to see the From field
above the To field, or the other way around. If this option is
Yes, the To field is displayed above the From field.
Reread messages already read
Set this option to Yes if you would like SLMR to skip messages you
have already read. This will cause SLMR to show you your personal
messages only once (when you read them in the Personal conference).
Use bookmark (*.MRB) files
Normally when you finish reading a packet, SLMR will create a .MRB
file (MRB stands for Mail Reader Bookmark). This file contains
information about where you were reading in the packet, which
messages have been read, replied to, marked, and saved. Also, if
you use the bookmark files, SLMR will be able to tell you what
percentage of the packet you have read. This information is
displayed on the Packet Window.
Editor
------
Editor command line
This is the command SLMR will use to execute your editor. Normally
this will just be the name of your editor, but you may also want to
specify options or configuration files on the editor command line.
A ! character in this command will be replaced by the "File to take
reply text from" (see below).
Quoted original message file
When you reply to a message, SLMR writes the original message to
this file. If you make this the same filename as the "File to take
reply text from", you will be able to edit the quoted original
message to create your reply.
File to take reply text from
This is the file in which SLMR expects to find your reply once you
have written it. If you make this the same filename as the "Quoted
original message file", you will be able to edit the quoted
original message to create your reply.
Clear screen before editor
Set this option to Yes if you would like SLMR to clear the screen
before it calls your editor. For example, you may have a keystroke
in your editor to display the "background" screen that existed
before your editor came up. However, if the screen is not cleared
by SLMR, there can be some color conflict problems with some
editors.
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Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 17
Replies
-------
When to edit reply info
You can choose when you want to edit the reply header information
in relation to when you edit the actual message. You can edit the
info before, after, or both before and after editing your reply.
Reply quoting style
There are three styles of quoting the original message in SLMR.
All of them involve the "Quoting prefix string" (next option). The
option here controls where the initials of the original message's
author are placed in the quoted reply. See the help screen
available by pressing F1 for examples of the three options.
Quoting prefix string
This option defines the characters that are placed between the
sender's initials and each line of the original message you are
replying to.
Message header in quoted reply
If this option is Yes, the full message header of the original
message will be included in the quoted reply. Note that if you
have set the original and reply files to the same name, be careful
to delete the quoted original message header so it won't get
included in your reply.
Enable taglines
There are four options for managing the taglines that appear at the
bottom of messages you write. The meaning of each option is
detailed on the F1 help screen.
Fido-style taglines
In some message networks, the use of special characters such as ■
used in the SLMR tagline are frowned upon. Set this option to Yes
to change these block characters to *. This option also disables
the --- tear bar as it too causes some problems with Fido software.
Packers
-------
These eight options tell SLMR what commands to use to unpack QWK
packets and pack REP packets. Depending on the type of compression
program used by the QWK system on the BBS, SLMR will use one of the
three types of compression programs listed on this screen.
You will not normally need to change these options, but if you do,
please remember to keep the ! (exclamation mark) in the command line.
SLMR needs the ! to know where to place the name of the packet being
packed or unpacked.
Colors and Message Header Colors
--------------------------------
"Whoever thought up the default colors for SLMR needs to see a doctor."
-- Scott Hunter, Mustang Software
Each part of SLMR's displays can be configured to your personal taste
in color. There are two screens where you tell SLMR what colors to use
on the screen. The first screen defines the message colors, window
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Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 18
colors, highlighted and edit field colors, and the message header
background. The second screen defines the color of each individual
field in the message header.
To change a color, move the cursor to the color item or click the mouse
button on either the list of colors or a color sample. A palette of
colors will pop up, from which you can select whatever color you
prefer. If you would like a color to be blinking, then move the cursor
to that color item and press B.
Function keys
-------------
The function keys F3 through F9 can be configured to perform various
operations in SLMR. Most often you will configure a function key to
execute a DOS command, but there are also two "internal" SLMR
operations which can be called on function keys:
SAVE - If you define a function key (for example, F3) as
SAVE C:\QWK\SAVE.TXT
SLMR will save the current message to C:\QWK\SAVE.TXT whenever
you press F3. This is useful for single-key saving.
VIEW - If you define a function key (for example, F4) as
VIEW SESSION.TXT
SLMR will view the SESSION.TXT file (if any) included in the
packet, using its internal file viewer. You may also specify an
absolute path name to view a file on your disk (such as one of
your save files).
Other commands entered as one of these options will be executed by
shelling to DOS and executing the command as a DOS command.
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Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 19
Rodent (Mouse) Support
----------------------
SLMR will automatically detect and support your Microsoft-compatible
mouse, as long as you have properly installed a mouse driver. Scroll
bars will appear on the side or bottom of windows, and mouse buttons
are available at the bottom of most windows.
The left mouse button means "select" or, if the mouse cursor is on an
active edit field, brings up an appropriate pick list (same as F2).
The right mouse button always means the same as the Esc key. Enough
presses of the right mouse button will exit you from SLMR.
The middle mouse button (if you have one) is always the same as F1 - it
gives you a help screen for the current function or selection.
If you are left handed, SLMR provides an option in the General
configuration area that will swap the functions of the left and right
mouse buttons.
When reading messages, there are five mouse buttons are in the upper
right hand corner of the screen. Their functions are:
Next - This button skips to the next message in the current
conference, or brings up the Conference Window if you have read
the last message in a conference. Use the right mouse button
or Esc to exit from the Conference Window.
Prev - This button skips to the previous message in the current
conference, or brings up the Conference Window if you have read
the first message in a conference.
Reply - This button brings up the Reply Information window so that you
can reply to the current message.
Index - This button brings up an index of all messages in the current
conference. It is the same as the I or Ins keypress.
Other - This button activates a pulldown menu of additional message
functions.
In most places where you are reading text (messages, bulletins, file
viewer) you can click on the bottom half of the window to page down, or
click on the top half of the window to page up.
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Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 20
Using Pick Lists (piglets) in SLMR
----------------------------------
SLMR has a number of so-called pick lists which can be set up to save
you having to type common responses over and over. Pick lists are
activated by pressing F2 on a field which has an associated pick list,
or by pressing the space bar on such a field before pressing any other
keys. The space bar will cycle through the items in the pick list,
showing them one by one in the edit field.
The pick lists are maintained by pressing Alt-P anywhere in SLMR, or by
calling them directly by pressing F2 on an appropriate field. The pick
list edit commands are:
Alt-A - Add a new entry to the end of the pick list. If you had
brought up this pick list with F2 and there was already some
text in the field, this text will be automatically filled in
for you when you press Alt-A. You can edit the text if you
like, and press Enter when done.
Alt-D - Delete an entry from the pick list. You will be asked to
confirm the delete.
Alt-E - Edit an entry in the pick list. You will be able to edit the
highlighted entry. When you are done, press Enter to accept
your changes or Esc to discard them.
Alt-F - If you want to find an item in the pick list but only remember
a small part of it, use the Alt-F command to find bits of text
in the pick list.
Alt-L - This command will find the last (previous) occurrence of the
last Alt-F text.
Alt-N - This command will find the next occurrence of the last Alt-F
text.
If you press a letter or number key, the highlight bar will jump
directly to the next item in the pick list which starts with that
letter or number. This is sometimes a faster way to find items than
using the Alt-F command.
The pick lists available in SLMR are:
Taglines - This pick list contains the taglines that are available for
you to place at the bottom of your messages.
Filename: TAGLINES.MR
To - This is a list of people you often write messages to (or
who have names that are difficult to spell). Useful items
for this pick list are the @TO@ and @FROM@ variables - see
the next section for information on SLMR variables.
Filename: TOLIST.MR
Subject - This is a list of the subjects which you use often.
Filename: SUBJLIST.MR
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Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 21
Find - This is a list of the find strings which you use often.
Remember, multiple text strings can be searched at once by
separating them with semicolons.
Filename: FINDLIST.MR
Save/View - This is a list of the save files which you usually use.
The Save/View pick list is an excellent place to use many
of SLMR's @-Variables described in the next section.
Filename: SAVELIST.MR
Twits - This pick list contains a list of users and message
subjects you would like to skip over when reading messages.
If you just enter a name here, SLMR will skip over all
messages either From or To that user. For other types of
filters, use the following formats:
F:SOME NAME
This will cause SLMR to skip all messages From SOME
NAME.
T:ANOTHER NAME
This will cause SLMR to skip all messages To
ANOTHER NAME.
S:BORING SUBJECT
This will cause SLMR to skip all messages whose
Subject contains the text BORING SUBJECT (or Boring
Subject, since the filter is not case sensitive).
Filename: TWITFILE.MR
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Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 22
Using @-Variables in SLMR
-------------------------
@-Variables are substitution variables which tell SLMR to replace the
@-Variable with some text which is generated from SLMR's current
operating environment or the message you are currently reading. The
@-Variables are:
@BBSID@ - This is the BBS ID from the QWK packet you are currently
reading. It is up to 8 characters long and is a valid
DOS filename.
@CONFNAME@ - This is the name of the conference you are currently
reading. It can be up to 10 characters long.
@CONFNUM@ - This is the number of the conference you are currently
reading.
@DATE@ - This is the current date, in the same format as DOS uses
in, say, a directory listing (this is for international
date format support).
@DAY@ - This is the three-letter abbreviation of the current day
of the week.
@FROM@ - This is the full name of the author of the current
message.
@FROMFIRST@ - This is the first name of the author of the current
message.
@FROMLAST@ - This is the last name of the author of the current
message.
@MEMORY@ - This is the amount of system memory (RAM) currently free,
in K (1K = 1024 bytes = 1 kilobyte).
@QWKDIR@ - This is the QWK file directory as set up in the
configuration, with a trailing backslash.
@REPDIR@ - This is the REP file directory as set up in the
configuration, with a trailing backslash.
@SUBJECT@ - This is the subject of the current message.
@TIME@ - This is the current time, in the format 3:34 pm.
@TIME24@ - This is the current time, in the format 15:34 (24-hour
time format).
@TO@ - This is the full name of the addressee of the current
message.
@TOFIRST@ - This is the first name of the addressee of the current
message.
@TOLAST@ - This is the last name of the addressee of the current
message.
@YYMMDD@ - This is today's date in YYMMDD format. For example,
December 25, 1991 would be 911225.
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Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 23
Advanced SLMR Features
----------------------
Command Line Option
-------------------
SLMR allows a command line option to specify the configuration file you
would like to use. For example, if you have a different configuration
for SLMR when running under DESQview, for example, you might want to
use
SLMR /C:CONFIG.MRD
This will use the file CONFIG.MRD as the configuration file instead of
the standard CONFIG.MR.
Also, you may specify a packet name on the SLMR command line to open it
right away.
Using Two Files When Replying
-----------------------------
Many text editors have the ability to edit two files at once. What you
can do is bring up the original message in one window, and write your
reply in another window. To do this, specify the following options (or
similar selections):
Editor command line SLME ORIGINAL.MSG REPLY.MSG
Quoted original message file ORIGINAL.MSG
File to take reply text from REPLY.MSG
This will cause SLMR to write the quoted original file to ORIGINAL.MSG.
It will call your editor with both file names as parameters. When you
have finished writing your reply, SLMR will take the reply text from
the file REPLY.MSG.
In this way, you can use your editor's block mark and copy commands to
copy only the parts of the original message you wish to quote.
Manually Splitting Long Messages
--------------------------------
If you are writing a long message, normally SLMR will choose an
appropriate place to break the message. Sometimes, you may want to
place the "page" breaks in particular places. To do this, place the
following line in your reply text:
.PG
Make sure the . is in the left hand column. This will force a page
break at the line you specify. Please note, if you later edit a reply
which has been broken in this way, SLMR cannot replace the .PG lines.
You will have to put them back in if you want to keep the page breaks
in the same place.
Selective Swapping
------------------
While there is a default "Enable swapping" option in the SLMR
configuration, you can tell SLMR whether or not to swap for each
individual program it runs. To do this, place either SWAP: or NOSWAP:
(the colon is required) in front of the command line you wish to
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Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 24
modify. For example, if you don't want SLMR to swap while running your
packer and unpacker, but you would like to use an editor which takes a
lot of memory, you could set the Enable Swapping to No and make your
editor command line
SWAP:BIGEDIT
This would cause SLMR to swap only when executing BIGEDIT. This
feature can be used in the editor, packer, and function key command
lines.
Entering Messages Without a Packet
----------------------------------
Sometimes you may want to enter messages for a BBS but don't have a QWK
packet handy to open. SLMR provides two levels of support for this
operation:
1. Every time you open a packet, SLMR creates a .CNF file that contains
conference information for the packet. If you would later like to
enter messages for this packet but don't have a QWK handy, SLMR will
let you write messages using the conference information in the CNF
file.
2. If you have never opened a QWK file from a particular BBS before,
SLMR will let you enter a message, but you must know the conference
number where you want the message to go (you must, of course, also
know the BBS ID for SLMR to create a proper REP packet).
To use (1), press Alt-E from the Packet Window. A small window titled
Enter Msg will pop up and prompt you to select a BBS ID. Once you
select the appropriate BBS ID, SLMR will place you in the Conference
Window for that packet. Move the highlight bar to the conference in
which you want to enter a message, and press E. When you have finished
entering replies, exit the packet as usual.
To use (2), again press Alt-E from the Packet Window. This time,
select the option at the bottom of the window titled <new rep>. You
will be prompted for the BBS ID, your name, and the packer type you
wish to use for this REP file. Once you have entered that information,
you will be placed directly into either the New Message Info window or
your editor, depending on your configuration. Enter your messages
(remember, no conference list is available), and abort entering a
message when you are done. A REP file will be created, which you may
then upload to the BBS.
John Hancock Support
--------------------
SLMR supports the John Hancock tagline manager from The Silicon Frog.
The first thing you will need to do to use JH is to copy your JH.TAG
file to your SLMR directory because SLMR expects to find it there.
Whenever you call JH (we'll tell you how to do that in a moment), SLMR
will copy the JH.TAG file from the SLMR directory to SLMR's work
directory. This allows you to maintain only the copy of JH.TAG that
lives in your SLMR directory.
To call JH, either press Alt-J from the Reply Info window, or enter JH
as the tagline. Either way, SLMR will execute JH.EXE for you to pick
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Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 25
your tagline. If you always want to use JH, the only entry in SLMR's
tagline file should be JH. That way, whenever SLMR picks a tagline for
you to use, it will be JH and therefore will call John Hancock to get
the actual tagline.
Using SLMR with DESQview
------------------------
SLMR is fully compatible with Quarterdeck's DESQview multitasking
operating environment. Included in the SLMR21A.ZIP file is a
SL-PIF.DVP file which is suitable for use with DESQview. To add SLMR
to DESQview's Open Window menu, open the Add A Program window and
select Other. Type the path where you have installed SLMR (for
example, C:\SLMR) and press Enter. This will install SLMR in your
DESQview menu, using the startup keys SL.
PCRelay Rerouting
-----------------
If you are a user of a network based on the PCRelay(tm) software, you
may be familiar with the "routing" feature supported by PCRelay. If
you reply a message which has been routed to you, SLMR will
automatically re-route the message back to the sender.
Netmail Initials Support
------------------------
If you use Mjrmail on a MajorBBS system, and participate in networked
SIGs, you will be familiar with the Netmail userid used by the
networking software. If you reply to a message from Netmail, SLMR will
take the initials of the sender from the "From:" line at the start of
the message (the initials are used in the quoting done by SLMR).
Reply Header Information File
-----------------------------
Whenever SLMR calls your editor to edit a reply, it creates a file
called HEADER.DAT in its work directory. This file contains the
following information:
Line 1: The actual text "Reply Header File"
Line 2: The "From" field of the reply
Line 3: The "To" field of the reply
Line 4: The "Subject" field of the reply
Line 5: The conference number where the message will be placed
Line 6: The name of the conference
Line 7: The reference number (0 if this is not a reply)
Line 8: The private status, either TRUE or FALSE
Line 9: SLMR's message text color
Line 10: SLMR's quoted text color
Line 11: SLMR's highlight color
Line 12: SLMR's window border color
Line 13: SLMR's message header background color
Line 14: SLMR's message header text color
Line 15: SLMR's warning window color
Line 16: SLMR's help window color
Line 17: SLMR's status line color
This file will be useful for advanced users who wish to use macros to
import some of this information into their replies, or even for those
of you who would like to write your own editor for use with SLMR.
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Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 26
Appendix A: Offline Mail Reading - How it Works
-----------------------------------------------
The best way to find out how SLMR works is to start using it. To make
this easier for those of you who have never used an offline mail reader
before, we have supplied a WELCOME.QWK file that will introduce you to
offline mail reading and the main features of SLMR.
If you have followed the instructions in "How to Install SLMR", you
will have a SLMR directory (or SLMR disk for systems without a hard
disk). Change to your SLMR directory, type
SLMR
and press Enter. After pressing a function key to get past the opening
screen, you will see the Packets Window, with the WELCOME.QWK entry
highlighted. Press Enter to open the WELCOME.QWK packet, and follow
the directions on the screen.
Once you have been through the WELCOME.QWK packet, you will be familiar
with the basic operation of SLMR. The next step is to do it "live" -
with a real mail packet from a BBS.
Getting a Mail Packet
---------------------
To get your first mail packet, load your communications program and log
on to your favorite BBS that has QWK mail support (it could be PCBoard,
Wildcat, MajorBBS, GAP, RBBS, RemoteAccess, or one of many other
types). Depending on the BBS you have called, there are many different
ways of getting to the QWK mail system. On PCBoard systems it is
usually listed on the DOOR menu and on Wildcat systems it may be a
selection on the [D]oor menu or it could be an option on the Message
menu. For other BBS types, read the online menus or ask your sysop or
a knowledgeable user for help.
Once you have entered the QWK mail system, you may be asked to
configure your settings. Select which conferences (message areas) you
wish to read, and answer any other questions you may be asked. Once
you are ready to get your mail packet, type the command to download a
QWK packet (it is usually D), and wait while the BBS gathers the new
mail in your selected message areas.
When prompted to do so, start your download of the QWK packet (if you
don't know how to download a file, refer to the documentation that came
with your communications program). When your download has finished,
you may log off from the BBS or return back to the main menu to
continue with your online session.
Reading Your Mail
-----------------
To read your mail offline, log off from the BBS and exit your
communications program. Change to your SLMR directory and type
SLMR
and press Enter. From the Packet Window, choose the mail packet you
have just downloaded, using the arrow keys to move the highlight bar
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Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 27
and Enter when you have selected the packet to read. If SLMR has been
set up correctly, the QWK packet will be unpacked, sorted, loaded into
SLMR, and you will be shown the Read Menu.
The Read Menu gives you some information about the packet you have just
downloaded. From here you can choose what part of the packet you wish
to read. Note that if a particular item is not included in the packet,
its corresponding menu selection will be enclosed in parentheses and
you will not be able to select it.
The Bulletins, News, and Files selections simply display the
corresponding files which have been included in the packet. When you
select the Mail option, you will be presented with a list of the
conferences available in this packet. Conferences with mail are marked
with a dot or diamond and have the number of messages in them to the
right of the conference name. A diamond beside a conference name
indicates there are messages to you in that conference.
Press Enter now to choose the first conference that contains mail. Use
the Enter or + keys to page through the messages in the packet. When
you reach the last message in a conference, the next time you press
Enter you will see the conference list again, and the highlight bar
will be positioned on the next conference that contains messages.
Press Enter at this point to continue reading.
Replying to messages
--------------------
If you would like to reply to a message, press the R key or select
Reply from the "Other" mouse menu. SLMR will pop up a window asking
you to confirm the To, From, Subject, Conference, Tagline, and several
Yes/No items for your new reply. If you would like to change anything,
use the arrow keys to move to that field and type the new information.
Press F10 or click on the F10-Ok button to confirm the screen and
invoke your editor to edit your message.
SLMR will automatically load your editor and display the original
message on the screen, with the sender's initials preceding each line
(this is the "quoted" form of the message). Edit this screen to write
your reply, deleting any unnecessary parts of the sender's message (it
is useful to leave parts of it to maintain the train of thought in the
message thread - in large message networks several days may pass before
your message reaches its destination).
Once you have entered your reply, save the file and exit your editor.
SLMR will come back up and ask you to confirm the message information
again (this feature can be changed in the configuration). When you
accept the reply information window this time, SLMR will save your
message in its Replies conference for easy access.
If, instead of replying to an existing message you want to send a new
message, use the E key to enter a new message. The procedure is the
same as for sending a reply, except SLMR will load your editor with a
blank file for you to type your message.
Once you have finished your mail reading session, press Esc to exit
from the various screens and menus to return to DOS. SLMR will
automatically save your replies in a REP file which you must then
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Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 28
upload to the BBS. This REP file has the same name as the
corresponding QWK file, except its extension is REP instead of QWK.
To upload the REP file, call your BBS and enter the QWK mail system
again. This time, select the option to upload a REP packet (this is
usually U) and prepare to upload your REP packet to the BBS. Again, if
you are unfamiliar with the uploading process, see your communications
program manual for help. Once the upload is complete, the mail system
will store your replies in the BBS. At this point, please remember to
erase your REP file from your disk to prevent uploading the same
messages to the BBS twice!
If you have any trouble with QWK mail, don't hesitate to ask your sysop
or other knowledgeable user for assistance. Most experienced BBS users
will be willing to help beginners with the mechanics of using offline
mail readers.
Writing Readable Messages
-------------------------
Computer monitors aren't very easy on the eyes, so it is important to
make your message readable and visually pleasing. Turn off your CAPS
LOCK KEY - MESSAGES IN ALL CAPS ARE HARD TO READ and make it look like
you are shouting. Use short paragraphs, with blank lines between them
to give your eyes a break. Screens full of straight text are much less
likely to be read by others than a well-formatted message. Also, be
careful how much of others' message you quote; many people will skip
past messages that begin with a whole page of somebody else's quoted
message.
SLMR and Network Mail
---------------------
While your BBS may have some active local message areas, there are also
various groups of BBS systems connected together in message networks.
There are dozens of message networks to choose from, with conferences
for almost every conceivable topic.
Some of these message networks may be carried on your local BBS, and
this is an ideal place to use an offline mail reader like SLMR. The
high volume of messages that is generated by the hundreds of
participants requires tools like SLMR to help you manage the mail.
When participating in these message networks, be friendly. BBSing is a
great way to meet people from all over the world, and some of your new
friends may be the electronic "pen pals" you exchange messages with on
these message networks.
Most networks have guidelines about taste, content, and topicality.
Please take the time to make yourself aware of the rules set down by
the network administrators. If your local BBS has network mail, you
will usually find bulletins and/or information files about the message
networks.
Some general suggestions: Avoid excessive quoting (ie. quoting more
than is really necessary from a previous message in your reply),
wordiness, and off-topic messages. Remember, most sysops have to pay
long distance phone rates to bring you these messages, and therefore
frown on idle chit-chat.
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Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 29
Save your fancy signatures and color graphics for local conferences (or
network conferences specifically dedicated for these purposes) unless
you like being yelled at by network administrators. Most message
networks forbid the use of control characters (ASCII 0 to 31), ANSI
escape sequences, color, and animation in messages. Some hardware and
software may not be capable of displaying or printing "high ASCII"
characters (ASCII 128 through 255) - boxes, blocks, graphic symbols,
etc. Try to minimize their use unless you are sure of your audience.
Finally, have fun! Most message networks take a light-hearted attitude
toward messaging. BBSing is a hobby for most people, and they like to
enjoy their hobby.
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Appendix B: Error Messages
--------------------------
Most error messages in SLMR are not fatal and will allow you to
continue using SLMR (although you may not be able to complete the
function which caused the error message). However, there are some
error conditions which SLMR is unable to recover from. These errors
are listed below:
Could not change to <dir> directory
This message means SLMR was unable to change to its work directory
after creating it.
Could not change to <dir> directory (was probably deleted)
This message means SLMR was unable to change to its work directory
before erasing the files in it. This is meant as a "safety-net"
for users who are using SLMR under a multitasker or over a network
and accidentally have deleted SLMR's work directory while SLMR is
running. If this check was not made, SLMR could erase all the
files in some other directory! (This actually happened to the
programmer at least twice.)
Could not create <dir> directory
This message means SLMR could not create a directory that it needs.
Try creating the named directory from DOS to help SLMR.
DOS setblock error after exec - reboot your computer!
This error message is caused by installing a Terminate-and-
stay-resident (TSR) program during a shell to DOS. This action
corrupts the DOS memory blocks and causes programs to operate
improperly. You should reboot your computer to clear the bad
memory blocks.
Insufficient memory to allocate window buffer
This means SLMR has run out of system memory (RAM) and cannot
continue. This most often happens if you are reading a very large
packet. The way to avoid this is to keep an eye on the free memory
indicator at the bottom of the SLMR screen and make sure it does
not fall below about 20k. You may have to remove some TSR programs
to free up more system memory.
Insufficient memory: SLMR cannot continue
This is similar to the previous message in that SLMR has run out of
system memory it needs to perform some function. Try reading a
smaller QWK packet or free up some other system memory.
Work directory <dir> not empty
This error message is generated by choosing No in response to the
question, "Work directory <dir> not empty! Do you want to erase
the files in it?" This is intended as a "safety-net" if you
accidentally specify a work directory that already has files in it.
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Appendix C: Disclaimer!
-----------------------
You use this program (just like any other one) at your own risk, so be
careful. Read the documentation, follow instructions, and make
backups. We can't guarantee that this program will work with every
possible combination of hardware and software out there in the real
world (or that it will work at all, for that matter). While we have
done our best to produce a well-written, bug-free program, oversights
and omissions can happen.
No software program (not even DOS) is completely safe from bugs,
glitches, and "stupid user tricks". We cannot be responsible for any
damages which might occur as a result of using SLMR. We cannot
guarantee it will be "safe" or "harmless" in all possible applications,
and any lost time, data, hardware, or software you incur as a result of
using SLMR is your responsibility alone. If this disclaimer isn't good
enough for you, don't use SLMR.
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Appendix D: Acknowledgements (ACK!)
-----------------------------------
We mention lots of other people's products in this document, and would
like to give credit where credit is due. If we have left anybody out,
let us know and the mistakes will be corrected in subsequent releases
of the program and documentation for SLMR.
- Wildcat! is a trademark of Mustang Software, Inc.
- PCBoard is copyright by Clark Development Corporation.
- Qmail is a trademark of Sparkware, and is copyright by Mark "Sparky"
Herring.
- EZ-Reader is a trademark of Thumper Technologies, and is copyright by
Eric Cockrell.
- MarkMail is copyright by Mark Turner, and carries the Modem Addictus
Seal of Approval.
- DESQview is a trademark of Quarterdeck Office Systems.
- PKZip/PKUnzip and PKLite are copyright PKWare and Phil Katz.
- ARC is a trademark of System Enhancement Associates.
- JH (John Hancock) is copyright The Silicon Frog and Dan Moore.
- IBM is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.
(this line is intentionally left blank)
- MS-DOS is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
- PCRelay(tm) is a trademark of Kip Compton(tm).
- Turbo Pascal is a trademark of Borland International.
- Kedit is a trademark of The Mansfield Software Group.
- Q&A Write is a trademark of Symantec Corporation.
Just in case we left anyone out, here is a global acknowledgement of
copyright:
*.* is a copyright / trademark / service mark / trade name / pet
project / patent of *.*, All rights reserved.
We'd especially like to thank our beta testers, without whose
assistance we couldn't have finished SLMR: Don Dougherty, Gregg
Hommel, Tom Tcimpidis, Tom McElvy, Allen Dietz, Alynda Kingzett, Bundy
Chanock, Mike Callaghan, John Phillips, Bill Parr, Michael Conley,
Robert Murray, Delma Murray; and special thanks to all the patient and
good-humored people at Mustang Software, on whom we inflicted some of
the very earliest versions of SLMR including the special "Bermuda
Triangle" edition into which Node 17 vanished one day. Their words of
encouragement with SLMR and Tomcat have been invaluable to us.
Specialized technical nomenclature ("exploding piglets" etc.) inspired
by Chuck Forsberg, and aggravated by occasional late night
conversations with Jack Daniels and other departed spirits. Pardon me,
I have been smoking DSZ docs.
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Appendix E: Contacting the Authors
----------------------------------
Greg Hewgill is to blame for writing the SLMR program itself and most
of the documentation. Greg has taken a programming position at Mustang
Software, Inc., and remains the author of MSI's rendition of SLMR
called Offline Xpress (OLX). Scott "Inconsistency Alert!" Brynen
provided lots of advice on "ergonomics" -- the simple, consistent user
interface in SLMR is mainly his doing. He also proofread the manual
and picked a few nits.
Thank you for trying SLMR! We hope you enjoy using it and take a look
at OLX.
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Appendix F: Glossary
--------------------
Any - The "ANY" key on your keyboard. If you can't find a key labeled
ANY, try the large red switch on the side of your computer.
BBS - Bulletin Board System (I *think* that's what it stands for!)
Conference - An area of messages on your host system usually with a
particular topic (also called folder, SIG, or echo)
DSZ.DOC - Interesting technoweenie ramblings, great rolling papers
Esc - Escape! Let me out of here!!!
Host System - The BBS you call to collect your mail from
Mail Door - A subsection of a bulletin board that creates QWK mail
packets
MarkMail - A mail door for PCBoard by Mark Turner
Packer - A program to compress multiple files into a single file, such
as PKZIP, ARC or LHARC
Packet - A mail packet (with a .QWK extension) from a host system
Pick List - List of choices offered on the screen (see Piglet)
Piglet - Affectionate diminutive for Pick List (see Pick List)
Piglet, Exploding - A program feature caused by giving the programmer
too much alcohol
Qmail - A mail door for PCBoard from Mark Herring and Sparkware
Slimer - Affectionate diminutive for SLMR (just say SLMR quickly,
you'll understand)
Taglines - Cute (or dumb) one-liners added to the end of messages
Tomcat - A mail door for Wildcat! BBS from the author of SLMR
Unpacker - A program to uncompress a file from a Packer
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