Total Network Tools 2002

home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search

/ Total Network Tools 2002 / NextStepPublishing-TotalNetworkTools2002-Win95.iso / Archive / Email Signatures / Pick-a-Tag.exe / readme.txt < prev next >

Wrap

Text File | 2000-09-23 | 12.5 KB | 259 lines

==================================================================== PICK-A-TAG v1.50 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright (C) 2000 VaBa!Soft ==================================================================== 1. What is Pick-a-Tag ? 2. System requirements 3. Installing 4. Uninstalling 5. Usage with various mailers - Netscape Messenger 3 - Netscape Messenger 4 - Microsoft Outlook Express 4 - Microsoft Outlook Express 5 - Eudora Pro & Light - Pegasus Mail for Windows 6. Multi-line taglines 7. Pick tagline and close 8. How to report bugs and suggest features 9. Hints and tips 10. Disclaimer & distribution 11. Version history ==================================================================== 1. What is Pick-a-Tag ? -------------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome to Pick-a-Tag, the FREEWARE util for random selection of your taglines. Why this util ? Well, I've found several utils which can create a random tagfile for your mail-editor, but none of them was satisfying for me. So I wrote this simple little util which does nothing more than select a tagline from a file and add it to your standard signature-file with a selectable interval. It works with every mail-program which uses an standard textfile for your signature. Once again; Pick-a-Tag is fully freeware. If you like Pick-a-Tag, please send an e-mail to the author to say "thanks". Mention your name, location and country in your e-mail. This will keep him happy and motivated ! ;-) Send it to jeroen@vanbaarsel.net 2. System Requirements -------------------------------------------------------------------- o Windows 95/98/NT4 o One megabyte of disk space for installation o Additional (little) disk space for your signature files o Any mail-program which uses an textfile as signature 3. Installing -------------------------------------------------------------------- Installation is very simple: just unzip the Pick-a-Tag archive into a directory. When you start Pick-a-Tag for the first time you'll have to define four things on the "Settings" window: 1) The file containing the taglines; a standard textfile which contains one tagfile per line. Pick-a-Tag will include all non-empty lines when it selects a new tagline. You can use the included "taglines.txt", and add (or delete) the lines you like. Use a text-editor for this, for example Windows Notepad. DO NOT use your word-processor, it will save codes in the file which will confuse Pick-a-Tag ! 2) The source-file with the word "%TAG%" (without the quotes) in it. This code will be replaced by the tagline. You can edit the included "tagfile.txt" for this purpose. You can use the internal editor to change this file. 3) The destination-file. This is the file your mailer uses for it's signature. It isn't important where you locate this file, but a good location is the folder where your mailer is stored. 4) The time between switching taglines (in minutes). If you don't want to change automatically, then set this to 0 minutes. This way you'll always have to pick your taglines manual. All set ? You're done ! If you put Pick-a-Tag in your Startup folder it will run automatically when you start Windows. 4. Uninstalling -------------------------------------------------------------------- Removal of Pick-a-Tag is easy, because no entries are made in the Windows registry. Just remove all files and the directory and you're done. 5. Usage with various mailers -------------------------------------------------------------------- o Netscape Messenger 3 -------------------- Go to Options -> Mail and News preferences -> Identify. Here you can pick a file to use as signature file. Choose the output file of Pick-a-Tag. o Netscape Messenger 4 -------------------- Go to Edit -> Preferences -> Mail & Newsgroups -> Identify. Here you can pick a file to use as signature file. Choose the output file of Pick-a-Tag. o Microsoft Outlook Express 4 --------------------------- Go to Tools -> Stationery -> Mail -> Signature. Here you can pick a file to use as signature file. Choose the output file of Pick-a-Tag. If you want to automatically insert your signature in each new message, follow these steps: Go to Tools -> Stationery -> Mail -> Signature. Check the "Add this signature to all outgoing messages" and the signature will be added to all your messages. o Microsoft Outlook Express 5 --------------------------- Go to Tools -> Options -> Signatures. Click New and then select File. Here you can pick a file to use as signature file. Choose the output file of Pick-a-Tag. If you want to automatically insert your signature in each new message, follow these steps: Go to Tools -> Options -> Signatures. Check the "Add signature to all outgoing messages" and the signature will be added to all your messages. o Eudora (Light and Pro) ---------------------- Eudora can use two signature files: a standard and an alternate one. They are called "standard.txt" and "alternate.txt" and are always located in the folder "Sigs" under the folder where Eudora is located, usually "Eudora". Just set the output file of Pick-a-Tag to one of these files and you're done. o Pegasus Mail for Windows ------------------------ I've had questions about how to use Pick-a-Tag with Pegasus for Windows. Since I (nor any of my friends) don't use this mailer I can't help you. Somebody told me that Pegasus has a sort of internal system for random selection of taglines, so you won't need Pick-a-Tag. If anybody has other information, please let me know ! 6. Multi-line taglines -------------------------------------------------------------------- The code %TAG% will be replaced by the random tagline, but this isn't always satisfactory. Sometimes a tagline needs more than one line. This is where the code %LINE% comes in ! This code can be used in any tagline to create a new line. For example, the tagline Captain Picard:%LINE% "Fire at will, Scotty" will be converted to Captain Picard: "Fire at will, Scotty" ATTENTION: This code can only be used in the file containing the tagfiles, NOT in the sourcefile. In the sourcefile you'll use the %TAG% code ! 7. Pick tagline and close -------------------------------------------------------------------- Some people asked me for an option to pick a tagline and then close the program. Seemed a nice option to me, so it's included from version 1.50 and up. On the "Settings" window you can check the "Pick, then close" box. When you do this, Pick-a-Tag will select a tagline when it's started and then close after a delay of five seconds. When you want to change something, just click the "Keep open" button within these five seconds and the program will stay open. 8. How to report bugs and suggest features -------------------------------------------------------------------- If you find any bugs, please report them by e-mail to the author. Also comments and suggestions are welcome on this address. Please write to jeroen@vanbaarsel.net or use ICQ, my UIN is 13296319. URL for Pick-a-Tag: http://home.wanadoo.nl/jeroen/software.html Pick-a-Tag is written by Jeroen van Baarsel using Borland Delphi. Homepage of the author: http://www.casema.net/~baarsel/index.html 9. Hints and tips -------------------------------------------------------------------- o The maxium length of the taglines is depending on the amount of memory in your machine ! However, try to keep your taglines a little bit shorter than that ;-) A normal tagline shouldn't exceed 80 characters in length. o When you click the close button (the box with the X on it), the program will minimize to the taskbar. To quit the program click "Exit" on the main screen or select "Exit" from the menu when you right-click the icon on the taskbar. o When you right-click the icon on the taskbar a menu will show up. From here you can automatic or manual pick a new tagline, restore the main screen, open the settings or exit the program. o There is virtually no limit of taglines. Pick-a-Tag is tested with an 8 megabyte (!) large list, containing almost 170.000 tagfiles. It took just 5 seconds to select a new tagline on a Pentium 200 machine. It's in a flash when your list of tagfiles is shorter than this, or your machine is faster than that ;-) o When you manual select a tagfile, only the first 32.000 lines are read. This takes some time, especially on slower machines. o On the settings window, you can select a font. This font has no use for your tagfile, but will be used in the "Source File" and "Last Result" window. This way you can see how your tagfile looks in your html-enabled editor when you use a non-standard font. o Just to be sure: You can't use the codes % TAG% and %LINE% in the same file or line. The code %TAG% is for your "input"-file, the code %LINE% can only be used in your "taglines"-file. 10. Disclaimer & distribution -------------------------------------------------------------------- This product is provided "as-is", without warranties of any kind. The author cannot be hold responsible for any damage done by using this product. Although this product is thoroughly tested, usage is for your own risk. The author of this product does not guarantee that this product is free from bugs or free from viruses. You are free to distribute Pick-a-Tag, as long as you distribute the whole package, including example files and documentation. You may distribute this package on CD-ROM or submit it to software sites, as long as you notify the author prior to distribution. You may not charge money for the use of distribution of this product. You may not modify this package or the included software in any way. 11. Version history -------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.50 + Added option of NOT switching taglines (time = 0) + Added option to quit program after creating tagline + Added multi-line support for taglines + Added scrollbar to source file tab + Reload button added to source file tab + Added option to send e-mail to author + Added check to prevent multiple startups of Pick-a-Tag ! Fixed bug which could overwrite the file with taglines ! Fixed bug with manual selection of multiline tagline ! Fixed some minor bugs 1.40 Initial release Things being worked on ! -------------------------------------------------------------------- o Automated starting with Windows o Installer/Uninstaller o Help screens or help file o Internal editor for taglines o More ? Let me know ... !