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MSG FidoNet Message Manipulator --------------------------- Version 4.5 by Ron Bemis Nibbles & Bytes BBS FidoNet Node 1:124/1113 (214) 231-3841 User Manual (TFM) Last modified January 6, 1992 +----------------------+ | "Why anybody would | | name a program after | | a food additive is | | beyond me..." | | -Bryny | +----------------------+ MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 2 Table of Contents ----------------- Introduction and Overview 5 Packing List 6 Legal Stuff 6 Shareware Registration 6 Disclaimer 7 Guarantee 7 Warning! 7 Quick-Start 8 Step 1 - Environment Variables 8 Step 2 - Batch File 9 Step 3 - BBS/Mailer Setup 10 Step 4 - Local Message Areas 11 General Description 12 The Main Menu 12 The Change Menu 12 The XChange Menu 13 The Zap Options Menu 13 Command Reference - Main Menu 14 A)rea change 14 B)ody text change 14 C)hange attributes 14 D)estination change 15 E)nter a message 15 F)rom change 15 G)oodbye 15 H)uh? display again 15 I)nquire (search) 15 J)ump to OS 16 K)ill a message 16 L)ist messages 16 M)ove (forward) a message 17 N)ext message 17 O)rigin change 17 P)revious message 17 R)eply 17 S)ubject change 17 T)o change 17 V)ersion of MSG 18 W)rite message 18 X)change options 18 Z)ap options 18 -) backward thread 19 +) forward thread 19 =) read continuous 19 !) mark message 19 @) recall message 19 ?) HELP 19 ENTER) next/previous 20 #) specific message 20 MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 3 Command Reference - Change Menu 21 P = toggle PRIVATE 21 R = toggle RECV'D 21 S = toggle SENT 22 F = toggle FILE ATTCHD 22 I = toggle IN TRANSIT 22 O = toggle ORPHAN 22 K = toggle KILL/SENT 23 L = toggle LOCAL 23 C = toggle CRASH 23 H = toggle HOLD 23 G = toggle GET FILE 23 $ = toggle RECEIPT REQ 24 * = toggle RECEIPT 24 T = toggle AUDIT TRAIL REQ 24 U = toggle UPDATE REQ 24 X = toggle UNUSED 24 ? = HELP 25 ENTER = QUIT (save changes) 25 Command Reference - XChange Menu 26 K = toggle 'Show Kludges' 26 S = toggle 'Show SEENBYs' 26 H = toggle Hotkeys 27 Q = toggle 'Show Quotes' 27 M = toggle 'More?' 27 C = toggle 'Clear Screen' 27 P = toggle 'KILL/SENT' 28 D = decorate 28 ? = HELP 28 ENTER = QUIT XChange 28 Command Reference - Zap Options Menu 29 D = change the description for this area 29 O = change the ORIGIN line for this area 29 S = change your signature for this area 29 P = toggle private status 29 ? = HELP 29 ENTER = QUIT Zap Options 29 Environment Variables 30 BBS 30 MSGED 30 Command Stacking 31 Two-Letter Commands 33 Line Terminator 35 Automated Message Entry 36 Mailing Lists 36 Stopping Output 36 Hotkeys and Macros 37 stdout and stderr 38 stdin 38 Entering and Replying to Messages 39 Private Areas 39 Exit Errorlevels 39 MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 4 Files Used by MSG 40 *.SQD - Squish Database 40 *.SQI - Squish Index 40 *.SQL - Squish Lastread Table 40 AREAS.BBS - Area List 40 DIR.BBS - Area Description 40 *.DES - Area Description (Squish) 40 FIDOUSER.LST - Nodelisted Names 41 HANCOCK.JON - Signature 41 *.SIG - Signature (Squish) 41 LASTREAD. - Last Message Read Marker 41 MESSAGE.TXT - Text Editing File 41 MESSAGE.BAK - Editor Backup 41 MESSAGE.LOG - Active Area List 42 MESSAGE.SAV - Default W)rite File 42 MSG.CFG - Configuration File 43 MSG.COL - Color Configuration 43 MSG.MAC - Macro Definitions 44 MSG.REF - Macro Reference 44 MSGTOSS.LOG - Export Log 44 ORIGIN - Custom Origin 44 *.ORG - Custom Origin (Squish) 44 PRIVATE - Private Message Flag 44 *.PVT - Private Message Flag (Squish) 44 USERLIST.DOG - Non-Nodelisted Names 45 *.MSG - Message Files 45 Revision History 46 2.8 08/06/88 46 2.9 08/19/88 46 3.0 08/20/88 46 3.1 09/03/88 46 3.2 09/08/88 46 3.3 01/29/89 47 4.0 10/03/89 47 4.1 10/23/89 47 4.2 10/10/91 48 4.3 10/27/91 50 4.4 12/06/91 50 4.5 01/06/92 50 Conclusion 51 MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 5 Introduction and Overview MSG is a powerful and user friendly FidoNet message editing and manipulation interface. MSG lets you use your favorite editor, such as QEdit or Brief, for editing local, netmail, and echomail messages. MSG provides a quick and easy way to create, edit, reply to, forward, readdress and otherwise manipulate FidoNet and BBS messages. MSG allows you to modify any or all message attributes (such as LOCAL, KILL/SENT, PRIVATE, etc.) with a minimum of effort. MSG is also perfect for POINT systems. It gets all its system information from the AREAS.BBS and MSG.CFG files. MSG does NOT use SYSTEM*.BBS or SYSTEM*.DAT files. MSG is capable of many advanced procedures when used from the OS command line, and MSG works well with redirected I/O. The MSG user interface is very similar to that of Fido or Opus. You can invoke it with a chain of commands separated by spaces, and you can type a chain of commands at any of the program's menus. The program always starts in your mail area. MSG is a bound executable, meaning that it runs identically under DOS and OS/2. In OS/2 it will run either from a full screen protected mode prompt or a window session. MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 6 Packing List Your MSG distribution package should contain the following files. Please contact Ron Bemis at node 1:124/1113 if your distribution package is incomplete. MSG.EXE The MSG program itself MSG.MAN The MSG User's Manual (you're reading it) MSG.CFG A sample configuration file MSG.COL The MSG default color (monochrome) setup file MSG.MAC Some sample macros to use or modify MSG.REF Hotkey reference to help in macro generation MSGS.BAT Sample batch file for using MSG (DOS mode) MSGS.CMD Sample batch file for using MSG (OS/2 mode) SUPPORT.FRM Registration form that must be filled out and returned if you intend to continue using MSG. Legal Stuff MSG is Copyright (c) 1986-91 by Ron Bemis. It is supplied without warranty, and the author assumes no liability for damage caused by performance or non-performance of the software. Shareware Registration MSG is shareware! That means that if you use it on a regular basis, you must pay for it. You are hereby granted a limited license to use this program for one month. At the end of this month, you must either register this program or stop using it. This program may NOT be used in a business, for-profit organization, or corporate environment without first being registered. Registration price for this program is $20 per machine. Registrations should be mailed to: Ron Bemis 9601 Forest Ln #222 Dallas, TX 75243 Please fill out and mail the enclosed SUPPORT.FRM when registering. MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 7 Disclaimer References to trademarks and copyrighted software not controlled by Ron Bemis will appear throughout this documentation. Such references are made for the purpose of clarification only and should not be construed as implying that any agreement or license exists between Ron Bemis and the lawful or owners of these trademarks and copyrights, nor that any endorsements are intended. Guarantee MSG is guaranteed to take up space on your hard disk. MSG is guaranteed not to rip, wrinkle, or tarnish. MSG is guaranteed to disappear if deleted. No other warranty or guarantee is made, express or implied. Warning! This program contains code that is designed to discourage tampering. Sections of the code dealing with registration notices and the like cannot be patched without causing undesirable results. The author assumes no responsibility for any adverse consequences or damage to systems or software that may occur if this warning is ignored. A word to the wise should suffice. MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 8 Quick-Start This section will help you get MSG up and running with a minimum effort, but DOES NOT cover some of MSG's most powerful features. This section assumes that you have a nodding acquaintance with your OS and the "nuts and bolts" of your BBS or mailer's message base. You also will need an ASCII (text) editor. Please explore the rest of the documentation in order to gain full awareness of the uses and capabilities of MSG - you'll be surprised by some of the things it can do! Here we go . . . Step 1 - Environment Variables You'll need to declare two environment variables. Add the following lines to AUTOEXEC.BAT (DOS) or CONFIG.SYS (OS/2): SET BBS=[path] SET MSGED=[editor] Where [path] is the drive and directory containing your AREAS.BBS and MSG.CFG files, and [editor] is the name of your favorite editor, just as you'd call it from the OS command line. If your editor is not on your path, you must declare its path in the MSGED variable. Example: SET BBS=C:\BINKLEY SET MSGED=Q Please note: MSG also will make use of the files FIDOUSER.LST and USERLIST.DOG if it finds them in the directory specified by the "BBS" variable. MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 9 Step 2 - Batch File Most users will want to call MSG by using a batch file. A sample batch file (MSGS.BAT for DOS and MSGS.CMD for OS/2) is included in the distribution package. You should put the sample batch file into a directory that is part of your PATH, then edit it to work properly on your system. Following is an example of how to use a batch file for calling MSG and (depending on MSG's exit errorlevel) calling EMMIE to process any messages that were entered during the MSG session. See "Exit Errorlevels" on page 39 for details. The command line arguments shown are not required, but they greatly enhance the operation of MSG. Refer to "XChange Commands" on page 26 for details. @Echo Off MSG Xchange More Clear Hotkeys ^ If Errorlevel 3 Goto Error If Errorlevel 2 Goto Echomail If Errorlevel 1 Goto Netmail If Errorlevel 0 Goto Exit :Error Echo Fatal Error! MSG did not execute properly! Pause Goto Exit :Echomail EMMIE /N /S /N /P (see note below) Del Msgtoss.Log :Netmail EMMIE /P :Exit Note: MSG appends a file called MSGTOSS.LOG every time it is used to enter messages. This file can be used by most mail processors (like EMMIE, Confmail and Qmail) to speed up processing. Refer to your mail processor's documentation for tips on how to make use of MSGTOSS.LOG. MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 10 Step 3 - BBS/Mailer Setup You must now make your BBS or mailer program aware that you will be using MSG. While no two BBS or mailer systems are alike, this can usually be accomplished by editing a configuration or control file. Some examples of how to set this up using BinkleyTerm or Opus are listed below. For Opus v1.xx, uncomment and edit the following line in your BBS.CTL file to read: Editor C:\COMMAND /C MSGS For BinkleyTerm v2.xx, uncomment and edit the following line in your BINKLEY.CFG file to read: Editor MSGS For other configurations, please refer to your BBS or mailer documentation for information on how to install an external message editor that is to be called from a batch file. MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 11 Step 4 - Local Message Areas If you will be using MSG on MAIL ONLY, you can skip this step entirely. However, if you plan to use MSG to enter or reply to LOCAL BBS messages also, you will need to include those local areas in your AREAS.BBS file. List them just as you do your echomail areas, using "dummy" area tags. DO NOT list any NODES after these "dummy" areas, or your local messages will be sent to those nodes as echomail! Leave that part of the line blank. Example: C:\OPUS\MSG\COMMENTS USER_COMMENTS C:\OPUS\MSG\LOCAL USER_CHATTER That's it! You should now be ready to use MSG for entering, editing, managing and enjoying your message base. Help is available from anywhere in MSG by simply typing the "?" key, followed by a carriage return. NOTE: Some MSG commands are NOT listed on the MSG help screens. Please refer to "Two-Letter Commands" on page 33 for details. MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 12 General Description Below is a simplified block diagram showing the basic operation of the MSG program and its subsections: +------------------------+ | MSG - MAIN MENU | +------------------------+ Keystrokes -> "?" "C" "X" "Z" / / \ \ +-----------+ +---------+ +---------+ +-------------+ | MAIN HELP | | CHANGE | | XCHANGE | | ZAP OPTIONS | +-----------+ +---------+ +---------+ +-------------+ | | | Keystrokes -> "?"=Help "?"=Help "?"=Help MSG looks and feels very similar to Fido, or Opus. There are, however, some major differences. MSG has four different menus from which you may enter commands. Context sensitive help is available at each menu. The Main Menu This is where you'll spend most of your time. This is where messages are entered, edited, forwarded, etc. You must be at the MAIN menu in order to access any of the three "submenus" described below. To see a list of commands available from the MAIN menu, type "?" The Change Menu This is where you may toggle a message's attribute information, such as Private; Received; Sent; File Attached; Kill/Sent; Crash; Hold; and others. To access the CHANGE menu, type "C" at the MAIN menu. While at the CHANGE menu, type "?" to see a list of available CHANGE commands. MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 13 The XChange Menu This is where you may change MSG's default display colors, toggle "SEENBY" display, toggle the "screen clear" mode, toggle the "More Y/n?" prompt, etc. To access the XCHANGE menu, type "X" at the MAIN menu. While at the XCHANGE menu, type "?" to see a list of available XCHANGE commands. The Zap Options Menu This is where you may define origin lines for each message area, a personal signature to be added to messages you enter, area descriptions, etc. To access the ZAP OPTIONS menu, type "Z" at the MAIN menu. While at the ZAP OPTIONS menu, type "?" to see a list of available ZAP OPTIONS commands. MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 14 Command Reference - Main Menu The following is a list of commands available at the MSG MAIN menu, along with a brief description of each. This list may be viewed from within MSG by typing "?" at the MAIN menu. A)rea change Jump to another message area. Typing "A" by itself followed by ENTER will display a list of areas. If you type "A" followed by an area number, MSG will jump straight to that area. If Hotkeys are OFF, remember to separate the "A" and the area number with a space. "A" will also accept an area NAME (tag) when entered following the "A" command. If you type "A" followed by a space and a unique area NAME (MEADOW, for example), MSG will jump to that area. SEE ALSO: "Two-Letter Commands" on page 33 for information on additional AREA commands available. B)ody text change Edit a message that has already been saved. The "B" command is very handy for correcting errors and modifying messages that have been entered and saved but have not yet been scanned and sent. C)hange attributes Takes you to the CHANGE menu, where a subset of commands is available for toggling various message attributes. Please refer to "Change Commands" on page 21 for details. MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 15 D)estination change Allows you to change the DESTINATION ADDRESS (net/node) of the current message. E)nter a message Use "E" to ENTER (create) a new message. F)rom change Allows you to change the "From" line on any message. G)oodbye Exit MSG. H)uh? display again Re-displays the current message. I)nquire (search) Searches for a string of text in the "To", "From", and "Subject" lines of all messages in the current message area. The DEFAULT search string is your own name, as listed in your AREAS.BBS file. You may specify a different search string if you wish. If you do so, that string will become the new default for the remainder of the current MSG session. Exiting MSG resets the search template and restores the DEFAULT search string. MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 16 J)ump to OS Allows access to your operating system from within MSG. Typing "J" by itself (or with hotkeys ON) invokes an OS shell. After doing your work in this shell, type "EXIT" to return to MSG. With Hotkeys OFF or from a batch file, the J)ump command also will accept parameters. Example: J DIR C:\UTILITY The above command would cause MSG to execute the "DIR C:\UTILITY" command, and then return to MSG automatically (no "EXIT" required). When used from a batch file, the J)ump command will require the use of one or more "Line Terminators" in order to function properly. Please refer to "Line Terminator" on page 35 for more information. K)ill a message Kills (deletes) a message from the current message area. MSG will prompt you for the message number you wish to delete - if no number is supplied, MSG will delete the current message. If you hit "K" unintentionally, just type in a bogus message number at the prompt ("-1" or "X", for example). MSG will respond with "No such message" and abort the K)ill process. L)ist messages LISTS "To", "From", "Subject", "Origin", and "Destination" information about messages in the current message area. If no starting number is supplied, MSG will prompt for one. If the prompt is ignored, MSG will default to the current message number. MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 17 M)ove (forward) a message Allows you to MOVE (FORWARD) a message to another area. You're prompted for the destination area and a new "To" field. Then your editor is invoked, allowing you to modify the message if you desire. N)ext message Displays the NEXT message in the current area and sets the display "direction" to FORWARD (ascending message numbers). When positioned on the highest message in the area, this command will take you to the next message in the next available area if possible. O)rigin change Allows you to change the ORIGIN ADDRESS (net/node) of the current message. P)revious message Displays the PREVIOUS message in the current area and sets the display "direction" to BACKWARD (descending message numbers). R)eply Lets you enter a REPLY to the current message, with quoting. SEE ALSO: "Two-Letter Commands" on page 33 for information on additional REPLY commands. S)ubject change Lets you edit the "Subject" line of the current message. T)o change Lets you edit the "To" line of the current message. MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 18 V)ersion of MSG Displays MSG VERSION and copyright info, along with information about your system such as the sysop's name, system name, net/node number, and more. W)rite message This will WRITE the current message to a disk file. The default filename to which messages are written is MESSAGE.SAV. You may specify a different filename if you wish. If you do so, that filename will become the new default. MSG will prompt for a new filename and display the current default filename each time the "W" command is used. If you attempt to W)rite to a file that already exists, MSG will prompt you to A)ppend, R)eplace, or Q)uit. A)ppend is the default - it will add the new message to the end of the specified file, following a line break. R)eplace overwrites the specified file, and Q)uit aborts the W)rite operation. You can print messages on your printer by W)riting to "PRN". X)change options Takes you to the XCHANGE menu, where a subset of commands is available for customizing MSG's "look and feel". Please refer to "XChange Commands" page 26 for details. Z)ap options Takes you to the ZAP OPTIONS menu, where a subset of commands is available for creating custom origin lines for each message area, change area descriptions, and more. Please refer to "Zap Options" on page 29 for details. MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 19 -) backward thread Jumps back to the PREVIOUS message in the current REPLY THREAD. +) forward thread Jumps forward to the NEXT message in the current REPLY THREAD. =) read continuous Read all new messages in the current area. This works forward from the current message. !) mark message The "!" command functions as a "bookmark". Typing "!" will MARK the current message so you can return to it quickly. See the "@" command to recall a marked message. Only one MARK is allowed per message area. Each time "!" is used in a given area, the previous MARK will be overwritten. @) recall message Instantly restores as the current message the message MARKed with "!" in the current area, as outlined above. If no messages were MARKed, this command will restore the LASTREAD message in the current area. Please note that this means "the LAST message you read during your PREVIOUS MSG session". ?) HELP Displays a help screen that lists available MSG MAIN menu commands. MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 20 ENTER) next/previous Displays NEXT (default) or PREVIOUS message in the current area, depending on prior use (if any) of the "N" or "P" commands. See N)ext and P)revious. #) specific message Displays message number "#" in the current message area, where "#" is a valid message number. MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 21 Command Reference - Change Menu The CHANGE menu is accessed by typing "C" at the MAIN menu. The CHANGE menu offers a subset of commands that may be used to toggle various message ATTRIBUTES. For more information about message ATTRIBUTES and how they are used, please refer to the documentation for your mailer or BBS. The CHANGE command subset is also available on the command line and when calling MSG from a batch file. Please refer to "Command Stacking" on page 31 and "Line Terminator" on page 35 for more information. Below is a list of CHANGE commands, along with a brief description of each. To view a similar list of CHANGE commands from within MSG: 1) At the MAIN menu, type "C" to access the CHANGE menu. 2) Type "?" to see a list of available CHANGE commands. P = toggle PRIVATE Under normal circumstances, a PRIVATE message is readable only by the sender and the receiver. Echomail messages should not be marked PRIVATE. It should be noted that most sysops can read PRIVATE messages if they are routed through their system. R = toggle RECV'D This flag is set automatically by MSG when you read a message that is addressed to you. You probably won't ever need to toggle it. MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 22 S = toggle SENT This flag is usually set on NETMAIL messages after they've been "scanned" out to the output area. Normally, you won't need to toggle this bit. F = toggle FILE ATTCHD When the FILE ATTACHED bit is set on a NETMAIL message, it shows that the field normally used for the SUBJECT is instead a filename or a list of files. On outbound messages, this must contain the full path of the file that you wish to send to the remote system. On incoming messages, only the filename and extension will exist. Don't set this bit on non-NETMAIL messages. When MSG prompts you for the SUBJECT of a NETMAIL message, you can type a full filename, and MSG will recognize it as a file and automatically set this bit. (The pattern ":\" in the second and third characters is the way that MSG determines whether this is a file specification.) I = toggle IN TRANSIT The IN TRANSIT bit is used by some mailers to show that a NETMAIL message came from one system and is destined for another system, but has not yet been sent. You probably shouldn't ever set this bit. O = toggle ORPHAN The ORPHAN bit is used by some mailers to show that a NETMAIL message is undeliverable. You probably shouldn't ever set this bit. MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 23 K = toggle KILL/SENT If The KILL/SENT bit is set on a NETMAIL message, the message will be deleted after the message is "scanned" out to its destination. See also the "P" command in the X)Change menu on page 28, which allows you to select the default value for this bit on newly created NETMAIL messages. L = toggle LOCAL The LOCAL bit is set when a message originated on your system, as opposed to it being received from another system. C = toggle CRASH On a NETMAIL message, the CRASH bit shows some sort of urgency. Messages marked CRASH are usually sent directly to their destination with no routing. Some mailers also strive to deliver CRASH messages as quickly as possible. H = toggle HOLD NETMAIL messages marked HOLD are usually bundled to their destination but not sent. The recipient must CALL YOU to receive the message(s). G = toggle GET FILE The FILE REQUEST bit is similar to the FILE ATTACHED bit, but it's used for requesting files from another system. When used on an outgoing NETMAIL message, the SUBJECT field is used for the name of the file you are requesting. Normally, you shouldn't request files this way, since there are external utilities that will generate file requests without an accompanying NETMAIL message (usually preferable). MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 24 $ = toggle RECEIPT REQ The RECEIPT REQUESTED bit is used mainly by SEAdog systems to request that the receiving system automatically generate a RECEIPT message when the message has been received. If you use this bit, you'll usually upset the recepient of the message, and you don't want to do that, do you? * = toggle RECEIPT This bit indicates that the accompanying message is a RECEIPT - usually this would be generated by a SEAdog system in response to a RECEIPT REQUESTED message. You shouldn't ever set this bit. T = toggle AUDIT TRAIL REQ The AUDIT TRAIL REQUESTED bit is similar to the RECEIPT REQUESTED bit, but it's worse. For a routed NETMAIL message, its use indicates that all systems along the way should acknowledge their receipt of the message and send a receipt back to the originating system. Setting this bit on NETMAIL messages is a good way to make a lot of enemies in a big hurry. U = toggle UPDATE REQ The UPDATE REQUEST bit is very similar to the FILE REQUEST bit. However, with an update request, you specify the full pathname of a file that already exists on your system, and (theoretically) you only transfer a file if the destination system has a newer version of the same file. Again, there are external utilities to do UPDATE REQUESTS that work without sending an attached NETMAIL message. Use them instead if possible. X = toggle UNUSED This bit is not listed on the help screen, but is available nonetheless. Of the existing 16 bits in the attribute word, only 15 are defined. This is the 16th. If there becomes a use for this bit, you are able to set its value. For the time being, this bit should never be set. MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 25 ? = HELP Displays a help screen that lists available MSG CHANGE commands. ENTER = QUIT (save changes) Quit the CHANGE section and save any changes made to message ATTRIBUTES during this CHANGE session. MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 26 Command Reference - XChange Menu The XCHANGE menu is accessed by typing "X" at the MAIN menu. The XCHANGE menu offers a subset of commands which can be used to "customize" MSG to your liking. The XCHANGE command subset is also available on the command line and when calling MSG from a batch file. Please refer to "Command Stacking" on page 31 and "Line Terminator" on page 35 for more information. Below is a list of XCHANGE commands, along with a brief description of each. To view a similar list of XCHANGE commands from within MSG: 1) At the MAIN menu, type "X" to access the XCHANGE menu. 2) Type "?" to see a list of available XCHANGE commands. K = toggle 'Show Kludges' When KLUDGES are on, you'll be able to see the control information embedded within messages. This control information is normally used only by mail processors. It's usually boring stuff, so you'll probably want to keep KLUDGES turned off. S = toggle 'Show SEENBYs' SEENBY lines contain a list of node numbers that have received the echomail message on its way to you. To an echomail processor, this is valuable information for determining who gets messages. To a human, it's boring, boring, boring. MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 27 H = toggle Hotkeys Turning on HOTKEYS allows you to enter most MSG commands with a single keystroke. Macros are also available to customize your HOTKEY setup. Please see "Hokeys and Macros" on page 37. It's a good idea to turn on HOTKEYS ONLY FOR INTERACTIVE USE. Q = toggle 'Show Quotes' Sometimes, the users of echomail tend to "overquote" messages when they reply. Generally, when you REPLY to an echomail message, you should quote just enough of the original message to refresh the reader's memory about what was being discussed. When overquoting runs rampant, you can toggle this option to completely disable viewing of QUOTE LINES. M = toggle 'More?' Setting MORE? makes it easier to read messages interactively. This prevents long messages from scrolling off the screen. You should set this option in the batch file you use to invoke MSG. See the sample MSGS.BAT or MSGS.CMD batch file, included in the MSG distribution kit. When using MSG non-interactively (from a BATCH FILE), this option should not be used. Please see "Command Stacking" on page 31 for details. C = toggle 'Clear Screen' Setting this option causes MSG to clear the screen before displaying each new message you read. This ensures that message headers are always visible at the top of the screen, even for messages that contain several screens full of text. MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 28 P = toggle 'KILL/SENT' Set the PURGE option to cause MSG to generate all NETMAIL messages with the KILL/SENT bit set. Purging means that the messages will be deleted after they're sent. If this option is off, NETMAIL messages will not be flagged KILL/SENT, but will instead be marked with the SENT bit and stay on your system after being sent. D = decorate Selecting this option will display a brightly colored screen (well, unless you've got a monochrome monitor) showing all possible colors in a numbered grid. You're then prompted to enter a number for each type of COLOR ATTRIBUTE that MSG displays. The previously set colors are listed as the default - just press ENTER to keep the same value. The colors are the only options that are saved between invocations of MSG. When you've finished making your selections, you're given the option of saving the changes into the MSG.COL file. ? = HELP Displays a help screen that lists available MSG XCHANGE commands. ENTER = QUIT XChange Quit the XCHANGE section and return to the MAIN menu. MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 29 Command Reference - Zap Options Menu D = change the description for this area This allows you to change the accompanying DIR.BBS file for the current area. The contents of DIR.BBS is displayed while you're in the area, and is also used by some BBS software to describe the message areas. There is no default - if you press ENTER, the current DIR.BBS is deleted. O = change the ORIGIN line for this area This allows you to create a CUSTOM ORIGIN LINE for the current area by creating or changing the accompanying ORIGIN file. There is no default - if you press ENTER, the CUSTOM ORIGIN LINE file is deleted. If no CUSTOM ORIGIN LINE file exists, the global ORIGIN from AREAS.BBS is used instead. S = change your signature for this area This allows you to create a CUSTOM SIGNATURE for the current area by creating or changing the accompanying HANCOCK.JON file. There is no default - if you press ENTER, the CUSTOM SIGNATURE file is deleted. If no CUSTOM SIGNATURE file exists, the global signature file (HANCOCK.JON in the "BBS" directory) is used instead if it exists. P = toggle private status This option toggles the PRIVATE AREA setting for the current area by creating or deleting the PRIVATE file. This option should not be used in echomail areas - its main use would be for local message areas. ? = HELP Displays a help screen that lists available MSG ZAP OPTIONS. ENTER = QUIT Zap Options Quit the ZAP OPTIONS section and return to the MAIN menu. MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 30 Environment Variables BBS Your root Fido/Opus directory; the place you keep your AREAS.BBS, MSG.CFG FIDOUSER.LST, and USERLIST.DOG files. If not defined, these files must be in the current directory. MSGED Your favorite text editor. Provided it's in your path, you don't need to specify the path or extension. If not defined, your editor will default to EDLIN (probably not what you want). EXAMPLE: SET BBS=C:\BINK SET MSGED=Q MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 31 Command Stacking MSG may be invoked from the command line (OS prompt) or from a batch file. MSG allows command STACKING, much like Opus or Fido; at any MSG menu, simply enter the commands in the order you want them to be executed. You MUST leave a space between each command when STACKING commands. MSG commands also can be "stacked" as a string of arguments on the command line or in a batch file. The four arguments used most often when invoking MSG from a batch file for interactive use are: Xchange Forces MSG into the "Xchange" command subset, wherein the following two commands are found: More Causes MSG's output to pause at the bottom of each screen and display the "More? (Y/n)" prompt. Clear Causes the screen to clear between pages and/or between commands entered from within MSG. ^ This character is interpreted by MSG as a "line terminator," or carriage return. See "Line Terminator" on page 35 for additional information. Only the FIRST LETTER of any of the above command strings (arguments) is required in order to make MSG recognize and execute that command properly. The long versions are shown above for clarity. EXAMPLE: These command lines will produce identical results: MSG X M C H ^ MSG Xchange More Clear Hotkeys ^ MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 32 It should be noted that MSG will run even WITHOUT ANY arguments listed on the command line; all command options are available from menus within MSG itself. However, it is highly recommended that MSG be called from a batch file that includes the configuration commands you'll want MSG to use as "defaults." Otherwise, you will have to configure MSG each time you start it. Please refer to "Main Menu Commands" on page 14 and "Two-Letter Commands" on page 33 for more information on the commands recognized by MSG. Great care has been taken in the programming of MSG so that unneeded output is not created when commands are "stacked". For example, typing "MSG A SYSOP = G > SYSOP.NEW" will create a file named SYSOP.NEW containing new messages in the SYSOP area, without the copyright message or any questions being sent to the file. Typing "MSG ?" will give a quick syntax reminder. MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 33 Two-Letter Commands Eight commands are not shown on the MSG MAIN menu help screen. They are all two-letter commands. These commands may be used from within MSG and also may be used on the command line and in batch files. Please refer to "Command Stacking" on page 31 and "Hotkeys and Macros" on page 37 for more information on how to use these commands. A= Read all new messages in next areas. AL List headers of all new messages in next areas. AN Jump to the NEXT message area. AP Jump to the PREVIOUS message area. RP REPLY to the current message PRIVATELY. (This is the default in netmail and private areas.) RN REPLY to the current message PUBLICLY. (This is only needed in non-echomail or private areas.) RC Mark REPLY message CRASH (valid only in the netmail area). RH Mark REPLY message HOLD (valid only in the netmail area). For example, to read all new messages in all areas, you could invoke the program like this: MSG X M C H ^ A= If the "A=" or "AL" subfunction is used in an area other than the mail area (message area #0), they will work on the current area and higher numbered areas only. So if you used "A=" to read all messages, you could stop the output, enter or reply to a message, then type "A=" again to continue reading. MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 34 If a file named MESSAGE.LOG exists in the 'BBS' directory when MSG starts, the four A? commands mentioned above will work differently. They act as if the only available message areas are those that are listed in MESSAGE.LOG. Other commands are not affected. This file (MESSAGE.LOG) is maintained for you. You may add to it, but you won't need to delete it. MSG will rewrite it when you exit the program, and will list only those areas in which you have not yet read the last message. So if you don't finish reading messages in all areas, MSG will keep track of which ones are left. Your echomail processor should append the names of tossed areas to the end of MESSAGE.LOG each time you toss. For example: ConfMail Import Areas.BBS -F EchoToss.Log Copy Message.Log+EchoToss.Log Message.Log If you "visit" an area that contains no messages, the LASTREAD pointer will be stored as 1 rather than 0 in echomail areas only. This is mainly to ignore the "High Water Mark" message created in echomail areas as 1.MSG. When you first enter a message area, MSG stores a copy of the LASTREAD pointer in its local memory. This local copy is called a marker. There is a separate marker for each message area. You can return to the "marked" message by using the "@" command, and you can change the marker to the current message by using the "!" command. MSG appends to a file named MSGTOSS.LOG file in the home (BBS) or default (if BBS is undefined) directory that contains a list of areas into which you entered echomail messages. This file is compatible with ConfMail's -F switch, and could be used with the export function. The file is only appended when a message is entered in a new area. The sample MSGS.BAT file, included in this archive, will help you to understand this special feature. If your echomail processor doesn't delete this file after using it, you should delete from within the batch file after running your echomail processor. MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 35 Line Terminator When entering or changing a name, MSG expects you to type the full name followed by ENTER. In interactive use, this is easy, but from the command line, you need a way to tell MSG where the name ends and the next piece of information begins. To do this, follow the name immediately with a carat (^). The program responds to this character just as it would to a carriage return typed at a program menu. There are several places where you'll need to specify a line terminator when chaining commands: o To quit from the C)hange, X)change, and Z)ap submenus o To enter a name (either TO or FROM) o To enter a subject o To enter a search string o To enter a custom origin line, signature, or area description. o To enter a J)ump command line EXAMPLE: Jump DIR /W \BINK^ Huh Any MSG input can contain a LINE TERMINATOR: o At any of the program menus o On the command line or in a batch file o From redirected standard input (stdin) The carat was chosen for compatibility with the popular CED and PCED command editors. Using CED allows you to recall previous commands; both at the OS prompt and at MSG menus. OS/2 treats the "^" symbol special, so if you run MSG under OS/2, you'll need to specify two carats (^^) instead of one to get the same effect. See the MSG.CMD file for an example. MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 36 Automated Message Entry Every time you use the E), R), or B) command and edit a message's text, you are editing a disk file named MESSAGE.TXT. After you've saved this file, MSG reads it back, creates a message from it, and deletes it (and MESSAGE.BAK if one exists). So normally, there isn't a MESSAGE.TXT file in your default directory (which is always where it is created). But, if a file named MESSAGE.TXT *does* exist when you E)nter a message, your editor will not be invoked, and the existing file will be used. There are several ways to take advantage of this, here are a couple of examples: CHUCKLE > MESSAGE.TXT MSG A JOKE E All^Today's Chuckle^ G MSG J Copy \DAVE.TXT MESSAGE.TXT^ E Dave^Hello^ G Mailing Lists To use the mailing list feature, create one or more text files containing a list of names, one per line. When you E)nter a message, answer the "To" prompt with an "@" sign followed immediately by the name of the mailing list file. For example, To: @DIST.LST would use the file DIST.LST in the current directory. Stopping Output Pressing Control-C during any output will cause that output to stop. At the "More?" prompt, there are several keys that have special meaning. Control-C will stop the output, as will "Esc", "N", and "Q". "Special" keys will take effect immediately. A special key is defined here as being a gray keyboard key - the function keys and the ones on the right keypad. (Technical note: actually, any key that sends a two-key sequence starting with 0x00 or 0xE0.) See "Hotkeys and Macros" on page 37 for more information. Any other key will cause the program to continue normally. MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 37 Hotkeys and Macros The H)otkey command at the X)change menu toggles Hotkeys on and off. When Hotkeys are on, you don't have to press ENTER after most commands. Other differences you'll encounter when Hotkeys are ON: o You must use a macro to use the two-letter Reply commands. o Left-arrow = "P" o Right-arrow = "N" o Ctrl Left-arrow = "-" o Ctrl Right-arrow = "+" o Up-arrow = "AP" o Down-arrow = "AN" o Ctrl Up-arrow = "AL" o Ctrl Down-arrow = "A=" o Home = "?" o End = "G" o Ins = "E" o Del = "K" o PgUp = "R" o PgDn = "W" o Keypad 5 = "H" o At the "More?" prompt, pressing any of these keys will immediately clear the prompt (as if you'd typed "N") and then execute the key you pressed. o When you press the "G" or End key, you will be asked to confirm that you want to leave the program. Press "Y" to confirm, or "N" to remain in the program. o If the definitions above don't suit you, you can define your own. See MSG.REF and the sample MSG.MAC file for details. MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 38 stdout and stderr Most of the program's output goes to "stdout", which means that it is redirectable. Certain error messages, screen clearing, cursor positioning, and "More?" messages however, go to stderr, and will be displayed to the screen regardless of any redirection in progress. stdin For command input, MSG uses the console device, not "stdin". This results in the program cooperating very nicely with the shareware program CED or the commercial program PCED. However, echoed console input is sent to the console rather than "stdout". Since "stdout" is a fully buffered device, and console output is not, it's not a good idea to redirect the output if a mixture of input is used. For example, if you type MSG A= > TEMP you'll get a listing of all new messages in the TEMP file. However, the program will not terminate until you type "G" from the keyboard. If you examine the TEMP file, you'll find the "G" you typed in a strange place, probably somewhere in the middle of the last message. The solution to this problem is to construct your command line to need no input while using redirection. The "fixed" example above would look like this: MSG A= G > TEMP which would cause the program to end normally and not require any input from the console. Input directed into MSG also will work, but the same problems apply here as described above. Directed input is taken from the console device, so you shouldn't use redirection in both directions (i.e. "MSG <MSG.CMD >TEMP"). MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 39 Entering and Replying to Messages When entering a message in the MAIL area (#0), a destination node number must be known. If the person you're entering the message to is listed in USERLIST.DOG or FIDOUSER.LST, you won't need to enter this node number, it will be entered for you. File attaches: When entering the subject of a message when E)ntering or R)eplying in the mail area (area #0), you should specify a filename rather than a subject if you wish to attach a file. If the 2nd and 3rd characters of the subject are ':' and '\', respectively, MSG will assume that you've typed a filename, and will set the file attach flag. If this is not what you want, you can toggle the file attach flag on or off with the C)hange F)ileattach command. Private Areas The P)rivate setting in the Z)ap menu causes an area to be marked/unmarked as a private area. Anytime you E)nter a message, R)eply, or M)ove a message to a private area, that message will be marked private. While in a private area, you can still use the RN command to enter a public reply. Exit Errorlevels MSG exits with one of four errorlevels: 3 - fatal error, can't continue. 2 - echomail was entered. MSGTOSS.LOG was updated. 1 - matrix mail (area #0) was entered only. 0 - no error, no messages need to be scanned. See the included MSGS.BAT and MSGS.CMD files for examples of how to put the errorlevel and the MSGTOSS.LOG file to work for you. MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 40 Files Used by MSG *.SQD - Squish Database *.SQI - Squish Index *.SQL - Squish Lastread Table These are the files used for Squish format bases. *.SQD is the data file, *.SQI is the index, and *.SQL is the table of lastread pointers. AREAS.BBS - Area List This is a text file that you create, that is shared by utilities such as EMMIE. One special note: The "system name ! sysop name" line must be on the FIRST line of AREAS.BBS. No blank or comment lines should be above it. Example: Nibbles & Bytes - Dallas, Texas - 214-231-3841! Ron Bemis ;Area Location Area Name Forwarding Nodes M:\NOTES\ NOTES M:\POINTS\ POINTS 265/7 124/4115 124/6215 ;and so on . . . As mentioned above, all information about message areas is read from AREAS.BBS. If you're a sysop, you've probably got at least one message area that is not an echomail area. To get MSG to recognize these areas, you must add them to your AREAS.BBS. Create a tag for them, but don't list any nodes on the line. DIR.BBS - Area Description *.DES - Area Description (Squish) This is an area description file. You may have one in each of your message area directories. MSG only uses them to display your current area. If they do not exist, MSG will instead display the directory path. You can modify this file by using the Z)ap D)escription command (see page 29). MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 41 FIDOUSER.LST - Nodelisted Names This is created by your nodelist compiler. When you enter a NETMAIL message, USERLIST.DOG is searched first. If the name is not found in USERLIST.DOG, or USERLIST.DOG does not exist, MSG will search FIDOUSER.LST. See also "Entering and Replying to Messages" on page 39. HANCOCK.JON - Signature *.SIG - Signature (Squish) This is the 'signature' file. If a file with this name exists in a message area, the contents will be appended to each message you create by E)ntering or R)eplying. If a file with this name exists in the 'BBS' directory, it will be used as a default if there is no HANCOCK.JON in the corresponding message area. Only one line of up to 75 characters will be read. Do not use graphics or other non- ASCII characters in this file. See the Z)ap S)ignature command on page 29 for more information. LASTREAD. - Last Message Read Marker These are small binary files that exist in each of your message area directories. They are used to store pointers to the last message you have read in each area. If you use a renumbering utility on your message areas, be sure to specify an option to update the LASTREAD files. MESSAGE.TXT - Text Editing File This is the filename passed to your editor for any message editing. This includes E)nter, R)eply, and B)ody. Once saved back into a message format, the file is deleted. MESSAGE.BAK - Editor Backup Possibly created by your editor. If it exists after editing, it is deleted. MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 42 MESSAGE.LOG - Active Area List Maintained by MSG. If it exists in the 'BBS' directory when MSG starts, the "A=", "AL", "AN", and "AP" commands will be limited to the areas listed in this file. This file might be appended by using the -F option of CONFMAIL IMPORT. It will only be re-written by MSG if it existed when MSG started. See the discussion about this file on page 34 for more information. MESSAGE.SAV - Default W)rite File This is the default filename for the W)rite command. Of course you may type any filename you like instead. If you specify a different file, MSG will remember it, and that file will be the default the next time you W)rite. MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 43 MSG.CFG - Configuration File This is a text file that you create with an ASCII editor. MSG only requires that there be two lines in this file, although there may be others. If you are a point system, you should also include your .point number on the NODE line. Example: Node 1:124/1113 ;my network address Mail M:\MAIL ;matrix msgs location MSG is also capable of supporting multiple users. If you include the line USER 1 in your MSG.CFG, MSG will use the second set of lastread pointers. The default user number is 0, which tells MSG to use the first set of lastread pointers. If you do have multiple users of MSG, you'll probably also want to specify an alternate sysop name in the MSG.CFG file: SYSOP Lorene Tinsley This will override the sysop name from the first line of AREAS.BBS. Normally, the alternate sysop would copy his/her configuration file to MSG.CFG before running MSG. See MSGS.BAT or MSGS.CMD for an example. MSG.COL - Color Configuration This is a small file that contains your color setup. If this file is present in the 'BBS' directory, MSG will use it to initialize your colors. You can configure the colors temporarily or permanently by using the X)change D)ecorate option. MSG's default settings are in color (with no MSG.COL). The MSG distribution archive contains a sample MSG.COL for monochrome systems. If you have a color system, you probably should not install this sample file. MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 44 MSG.MAC - Macro Definitions This is the macro definition file. Any line beginning with anything other than a numeric character is ignored. A macro definition starts with the scan code, and is followed by the macro string. Macros are valid only for "0-scan" keys, and only when Hotkeys are enabled. See the file MSG.REF for a list of definable keys and "Hotkeys and Macros" on page 37. MSG.REF - Macro Reference A fairly complete list of the keyboard scan codes that can be used for macros. This isn't used by the program, but is provided as an aid for editing MSG.MAC. MSGTOSS.LOG - Export Log This is appended by MSG when you enter messages in an echomail area. See the description above, and the sample MSGS.BAT batch file. See the discussion on page 34. ORIGIN - Custom Origin *.ORG - Custom Origin (Squish) You can use this file to create custom origin lines. If a file with this name exists in a message area, the contents will be used to create your origin line in echomail areas when you E)nter or R)eply to a message. If the file does not exist in a given message area, the default origin from AREAS.BBS will be used. " * Origin: " will be added before this line, and your node number will be added at the end, so these should not be included. Up to 50 characters are permitted. Do not use graphics or other non-ASCII characters in this file. See the Z)ap O)rigin command page 29 for more information. PRIVATE - Private Message Flag *.PVT - Private Message Flag (Squish) MSG creates/delete this file with the P)rivate option in the Z)ap menu. It's a zero-length file, which means it doesn't take up any additional disk space. If found, MSG will create private messages when you enter or reply in the area. See Z)ap P)rivate on page 29. MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 45 USERLIST.DOG - Non-Nodelisted Names If this file exists, it is searched first when you enter a message in your NETMAIL area (area #0). This file must be in alphabetical order, each line must have the exact same length, and have the same format as the FIDOUSER.LST file described above. See also "Entering and Replying to Messages" on page 39. *.MSG - Message Files Obviously. These are the messages which reside in the subdirectories specified in AREAS.BBS. One message per file, compatible with Fido, Opus, and many popular BBS utilities. MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 46 Revision History 2.8 08/06/88 General Release - all known bugs fixed. 2.9 08/19/88 Changed default save file from TEMP in the current directory to MESSAGE.SAV in the main 'BBS' directory. Added the MESSAGE.LOG feature to allow "screening" of message areas when using the two-letter "A?" commands. 3.0 08/20/88 Added the L)ength and W)idth commands to the X)change menu. The length command was there before, but now you have to specify "L" before giving a number. If you set your screen width too small or too large, you'll get some funny results. (This feature removed for version 4.2.) 3.1 09/03/88 Added the P)urge command to the X)change menu to change the default KILL/SENT setting on newly created Matrix messages. Added logic to set the REC'D flag on messages addressed to the sysop. Fixed the "Forwarded by..." line created by the M)ove command. It will now display the actual address, including zone and point numbers. 3.2 09/08/88 Fixed a little problem in the color display of the A)rea change list. MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 47 3.3 01/29/89 Cleaned up a lot of the source code. Changed the "!" command (toggle Receipt) in the C)hange menu to "*". Modified code so the LASTREAD pointer could be stored as 0 in non-echomail areas. Added maintenance of the MESSAGE.LOG file if it exists when MSG starts. Added the Z)ap options menu to allow you to change the ORIGIN, DIR.BBS, and HANCOCK.JON files in a specific message area. Added the "RP", "RN", "RC", and "RH" commands to set attributes on reply messages. 4.0 10/03/89 Changed from the tiny to the small memory model. The program is now MSG.EXE, not MSG.COM. If you're upgrading from version 3.3 or earlier, you should delete your old MSG.COM before attempting to use the new MSG.EXE. Changed the exclamation point terminator to the carat for compatibility with CED, and to allow exclamation points to be part of a message's subject. Added the P)rivate, PassT)hru, and U)ser options in the Z)ap menu. Allowed the Origin line to be up to 79 characters long. Added the "!" and "@" marker commands. Added the D)ecorate option to the X)change menu to allow colors to be configured. Rearranged the X)change menu - removed the C)olor option and renamed the B)lank Screen to C)lear Screen. Added the mailing list feature for E)ntering messages. Put a little more punch in the M)ove command. Changed the K)ill command to prompt for a message number. Changed the W)rite command so it will remember the last filename you specified. Added Hotkey functionality with the H)otkey command in the X)change menu. (The Zap passThru command was removed for version 4.2.) 4.1 10/23/89 Added macro capability using the MSG.MAC file. Added the "*" command to go to the last message, and the "$" command to go to the first message. MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 48 4.2 10/10/91 *** WARNING: THIS VERSION MAY BREAK YOUR BATCH FILES! *** *** READ THE FOLLOWING CHANGE INFORMATION CAREFULLY! *** This version runs under both DOS and OS/2. At startup, MSG senses the size of the screen and sets the screen length and width appropriately. This works great for the long screens of 34, 40, 50, 60, or even 100. Because of this, I've removed the L)ength and W)idth options from the X)Change menu. This version also will allow any non-alphanumeric characters in front of the directory name in AREAS.BBS. These "options" are all ignored with the expection of the passthru marker (#). It causes the corresponding area to be ignored by MSG. Because of this, the PassT)hru option was removed from the Z)ap menu. A small change was made to allow MSG to interpret INTL, FMPT, and TOPT kludge lines either with or without a colon. These kludge lines are still generated without a colon. M)ove now allows editing before the new message is saved, and will change the Origin line to prevent echomail problems from having two origin line. MSG will no longer write to the LASTREAD file if it hasn't changed since it was read. This saves a little wear and tear on the disk, and makes repeated area changes quite a bit faster. Upgraded to Microsoft C V6.00A. This causes the executable program to be a little smaller. Tweaked all the code to compile with /W4 with no warnings. Added the Q)uotes option to the X)change menu. Quote lines OFF is the preferred way to read messages for some people. A macro to toggle this option was added to the default MSG.MAC file (Alt-ENTER). Removed the "#" command, and kludged together a method to type in a message number with hotkeys turned on. MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 49 Small change to remove the line feed from custom origin lines. Small change to allow the splitting of lines over 80 characters that don't contain spaces. Changed the way MESSAGE.LOG is handled. When the program starts, this file is read, then truncated to size 0. When you exit, the file is appended. This should help in multitasking environments when messages are being tossed in one session while MSG is running in another. Changed the mailing list function to accept a full filename in any directory. MSG no longer looks in the "BBS" directory for the list, and it doesn't default to a .LST extension. Old way: MSG E @BOSSES ^ New Pointlist^ New way: MSG E @D:\BINK\BOSSES.LST^New Pointlist^ Modified the way MSG deals with TO: and FROM: names. There is no longer a two-word restriction on these names. From a batch file, these fields must be entered in the same way a SUBJ: is entered - with a terminating "^". Old way: MSG E Ron Bemis Today's Calendar^ New way: MSG E Ron Bemis^Today's Calendar^ More multitasking support: The E)nter, R)eply, and M)ove commands were revamped to ensure that the messages they create will not overwrite another message (possibly created in another session). The N)ext command will recount messages and double-check before announcing "Highest Message". The AN and AP commands will now recheck the contents of MESSAGE.LOG before announcing "First area" or "Last area". The configured sysop's name will now appear in the "Reply Link" colors when listed in either the "To" or "From" fields during a L)ist or I)nquire operation. MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 50 4.3 10/27/91 Added complete 4-dimensional message addresses. This means there are no more INTL, FMPT, or TOPT kludge lines. The entire address is now stored in the message header. To use this version correctly, you'll need a 4D message tosser and packer. If you run a point, you should specify your entire node address (including the .point part) on the NODE line of MSG.CFG. The POINTNET and BOSSNODE lines in AREAS.BBS are now ignored. Note that the Opus and Maximus BBS packages both create messages the "old" way, without zones and points in the message headers. In fact, they use these fields for "time created" and "time received", so you may get some funny-looking node numbers on messages generated by one of these programs. Hopefully, these programs will change in the future as we make our way toward 4 (and 5) dimensional node numbers, and type 3 message bundles. 4.4 12/06/91 Added the capability of dealing with Squish message bases. To indicate that an area is Squish format, preceed the path information in AREAS.BBS with a dollar sign ($). Although it's not really suggested, you can also preceed the MAIL path name with "$" in MSG.CFG to allow your netmail area to be stored in Squish format. Added the MSG.CFG file, eliminating the need for CONFIG.DOG. Added the USER and SYSOP config verbs for multiple users. 4.5 01/06/92 Squish-capable release version. Modified the N)ext command to move to the next area after all messages have been read in the current area. MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis MSG.MAN - page 51 Conclusion I hope you'll enjoy this program, and I also hope that you'll consider sending in a registration if you like it. I've always got an ear open to suggestions for enhancements that you might like to see added. Don't patch this program - drop me a note if you need something special done. Please report any bugs you may find! -Ron Bemis MSG - Copyright 1986-91 by Ron Bemis