Sorry, there is no help available for this item. For more information, choose one of the following topics using the Tab key and Enter or double clicking with the mouse: /
Table
Contents
Index
Help
using
Dragging Windows
To rearrange windows on the screen you can either use the Size/move option from the Window menu, or press the Ctrl+F5 keys. When using the keyboard, the following keys are active:
Arrow keys - Move the window
Shift+Arrow keys - Resize the window
Enter - Accept new window position
Esc - Cancel changes
See also:
Window
Offline Xpress Help
Help
Menus
keys
Packet
window Writing
messages
Conference
window Message
editor
Message
index
window Address
book
box Spelling
checker
box Index
Use the Tab key to move from item to item, and press Enter to view the selection. Using the mouse, double click on the selection.
43/50
Address
Attach
message
Attachment
Advanced
message
addressing
Beep
personal
message
Bookmarks
Carbon
copies
Change
directory
Clear
screen
shell
Conference
Conference
window
Copy
attachment
Date
format
Days
Days
Default
Conference
Default
Message
Default
Packet
Edit
Clear
Cut
Paste
Show
clipboard
Spell
check
Undo
Editor
commands
Enter
action
Export
message
Export
replies
External
editor
command
messages,
addressing
File
attachments
File
DOS
shell
Exit
Export
replies
In
Open
folder
Out
Packet
View/edit
replies
Find
messages
Find
Find
editor
Folders,
creating
Folders,
opening
Function
Header
quoted
reply
Help
About
Contents
Help
Index
Previous
topic
Import
tagline
purging
Left
handed
mouse
Message
Folders
Message
Message
Animate
Copy
attachment
Delete
Edit/resend
message
Export
Forward
message
Keep
folder
New
message
Print
message
Reply
Request
attachment
Save
folder
Save
address
Steal
tagline
Zip
original/reply
Message
Subject
Message
Name
message/reply
files
Open
message
folder
Options
Colors
Directories
Editor
Function
Hardware
Packers
Preferences
Replies
purging
Overlay
memory
Packet
information
Packet
Packet
window
Post
print
setup
print
setup
Print
message
Printing
Address
Private
message
Quote
prefix
string
Quoted
message
Quoting
style
QWK/IN
Rename
packet
after
REP/OUT
Replies,
viewing
Replies,
writing
virtual
memory
Reset
message
number
Return
receipt
Routing
information
Save
message
folder
Save
Search
Find
Find
again
Locate
messages
Sort
Search
results
Skip
lists
Snow
checking
Sort
conferences
Sort
message
index
Sort
packet
Spelling
checker
Spelling
checker
auto-suggest
Spelling
checker
enable
Split
screen
reading
Startup
screen
Steal
tagline
Subject
Swap
To/From
fields
Swapping
memory
options
Switch
tagline
files
Tagline
Tagline
selection
Temporary
internal
Zip/Unzip
View
View
Address
Bookmarks
Locate
Packet
information
Save
Skip
lists
Subject
Taglines
View
Virtual
memory
When
reply
Window
Window
Cascade
Close
Fit
Full
screen
List
Next
Previous
Size/move
Tile
Zoom
Work
directory
How to use Help
What you're reading right now is a "help screen". These help screens contain most of the information you will need to operate Offline Xpress. #
Many help screens have highlighted items that will take you to another, related help screen. To access these items with the keyboard, press the Tab key to move from item to item (try it now). With the mouse, double click on the item. Here are some additional help items to get you started: =
Help
contents
Menu
commands
Writing
messages
Help
index
Mail Packets Window
The Mail Packets window contains a list of new QWK and IN packets in the directory specified in the QWK/IN
directory. To open a packet, move the highlight to the packet with the arrow keys and press Enter, or double click on the packet entry. Commands that operate on QWK/IN packets are available from this window:
D - Delete packet
R - Rename packet
U - Mark QWK packet as unread
N - Write a new message
O - Order (sort) packets
C - Change drive or directory
Conference Window
The Conference Window contains a list of conferences available on the BBS. In most cases this window will contain the complete list of conferences, but in some cases this window will only contain information for conferences from which you have selected to receive mail.
The conferences are identified by conference number and name. Conferences containing personal mail (which will have been copied to your In
box) are identified with a
character beside the name.
Other conferences containing mail are identified with a
character. The number of messages in each conference is indicated in parentheses on the right side of the column.
The selections across the top of the window will either have a highlighted letter or be grayed out. If a selection has a highlighted letter, then you can view the associated file(s) by pressing that letter or clicking on the selection with the mouse.
See also: (
View
attachments
Conference
Message Window
Conference messages appear in the Message Window.
The top four lines of this window show the message
header and related information. This information stays in place if you scroll down to see more of the message text. `
The status line at the bottom of the screen lists some commonly used commands for this window:
Enter - Go to the next message in sequence
Space - Move down a page
Minus - Go back one message in sequence
Ins - Bring up a list of messages
R - Write a reply to this message
See also:
Message
Replies Window
This window contains messages that you have written and OLX has exported to a REP or OUT file. These messages have been prepared to be uploaded to their destination service.
The top four lines of this window show the message
header and related information. This information stays in place if you scroll down to see more of the message text. `
The status line at the bottom of the screen lists some commonly used commands for this window:
Enter - Go to the next message in sequence
Space - Move down a page
Minus - Go back one message in sequence
Ins - Bring up a list of messages
R - Write a reply to this message
See also:
Message
Folder Window
This window contains messages in the folder indicated in the window title. You may reply to, forward, delete, etc. messages in a folder just as you would any other message.
The top four lines of this window show the message
header and related information. This information stays in place if you scroll down to see more of the message text. `
The status line at the bottom of the screen lists some commonly used commands for this window:
Enter - Go to the next message in sequence
Space - Move down a page
Minus - Go back one message in sequence
Ins - Bring up a list of messages
R - Write a reply to this message
See also: &
Message
Save
message
folder
In Box
This window contains messages addressed to you that have been stored in your In
box.
The top four lines of this window show the message
header and related information. This information stays in place if you scroll down to see more of the message text. `
The status line at the bottom of the screen lists some commonly used commands for this window:
Enter - Go to the next message in sequence
Space - Move down a page
Minus - Go back one message in sequence
Ins - Bring up a list of messages
R - Write a reply to this message
See also:
Message
Out Box
This window contains messages that you have written and that are either stored for archival purposes or that are awaiting further action. See the Out
List topic for more information about messages in the Out box.
The top four lines of this window show the message
header and related information. This information stays in place if you scroll down to see more of the message text. `
The status line at the bottom of the screen lists some commonly used commands for this window:
Enter - Go to the next message in sequence
Space - Move down a page
Minus - Go back one message in sequence
Ins - Bring up a list of messages
R - Write a reply to this message
See also:
Message
Search results
This window contains the results of your Locate
Messages search.
The top four lines of this window show the message
header and related information. This information stays in place if you scroll down to see more of the message text. `
The status line at the bottom of the screen lists some commonly used commands for this window:
Enter - Go to the next message in sequence
Space - Move down a page
Minus - Go back one message in sequence
Ins - Bring up a list of messages
R - Write a reply to this message
See also:
Message
Message Index Window
The message index window contains a list of all the messages in the conference. Some special symbols may be present between the Date and From fields: s
* - You have read this message
R - You have replied to this message
P - The message is private (receiver only)
See also:
Message
Replies Index Window
The replies index window contains a list of all the messages in the REP or OUT packet that have been exported and are waiting to be uploaded to their destination. A P character may appear between the Date and To fields: -
P - The message is private (receiver only)
See also:
Message
Folder Index Window
The folder index window contains a list of messages in the folder indicated in the window title. A P character may appear between the Conference and From fields: -
P - The message is private (receiver only)
See also:
Message
In Box Index Window
The In box index window contains a list of all the messages in your In box. Some special symbols may be present between the Date and From fields:
* - You have read this message
R - You have replied to this message
K - This message is marked as Keep
P - The message is private (receiver only)
See also:
Message
Out Box Index Window
The Out box index window contains a list of all the messages in your Out box. The Status column of this window indicates the status of each message: Y
NEW - This message has not yet been
exported to a REP or OUT packet
Sent - This message has been exported
Hold - You have held this message for
further action (it will not be
exported when marked as Hold).
Keep - You have marked this message as
Keep. Messages marked in this
way will not be purged.
See also:
Message
Search Results Index Window
The Search results index window contains a list of messages that matched a Locate
Messages search. Some special symbols may appear between the Conference and From fields: s
* - You have read this message
R - You have replied to this message
P - The message is private (receiver only)
See also:
Message
Message Editor
The OLX message editor uses standard Wordstar-like control key commands for cursor movement and editing. Additional commands are similar to those found in a variety of other popular text editing and word processing programs. c
You may also use your arrow keys to move around the editor window. F10 is the "Save Message" key. R
Editor commands
Ctrl+A word left
Ctrl+B reformat paragraph
Ctrl+C page down
Ctrl+D move right
Ctrl+E line up
Ctrl+F word right
Ctrl+G delete character
Ctrl+KB mark beginning of block
Ctrl+KC block copy
Ctrl+KH hide block
Ctrl+KI indent block
Ctrl+KK mark end of block
Ctrl+KR read block from disk
Ctrl+KU unindent block
Ctrl+KV move block
Ctrl+KW write block to disk
Ctrl+KY delete block
Ctrl+L find again
Ctrl+N insert new line
Ctrl+P print next control character as literal text
Ctrl+QC go to end of text
Ctrl+QD go to end of line
Ctrl+QF find text
Ctrl+QR go to start of text
Ctrl+QS go to start of line
Ctrl+QY delete to end of line
Ctrl+R page up
Ctrl+S move left
Ctrl+T delete word
Ctrl+V insert toggle
Ctrl+W scroll down
Ctrl+X line down
Ctrl+Y delete line
Ctrl+Z scroll up
Shift+Del cut block
Ctrl+Ins copy block
Shift+Ins paste block
Ctrl+Del clear (delete) block
Alt+Bksp undo
Alt+R read block from disk
New Message Information: From
This is normally your name, although you can change this field. However, most Bulletin Board Systems and Online Services will not allow you to send messages or replies not "from" the person currently logged on, unless you are the sysop. Most likely, the mail system will substitute your own login name in the "From" field, or reject the message if it isn't from you.
New Message Information: To/FAX
If you are entering a new message, you are prompted to enter a name here. If you are replying to a message, Off-Line Xpress automatically fills in the name of the author of the message you're replying to. In either case, you can pick a name from your Address
Book by pressing the Down Arrow key or by clicking on the downward pointing triangle at the right hand edge of the field. X
This field is also used to enter the FAX telephone number if the message is being sent by a FAX modem connected to your computer. The number should be entered in brackets immediately following the name of the intended recipient, i.e., JIM HARRER [1-805-395-0713]. If a name is selected from the Address
book this format is automatically used.
See also: 6
Advanced
Message
Addressing
Addressing
Messages
New Message Information: Subject
This field will be the subject of the new message. If this is a reply, the subject of the message you are replying to is automatically filled in.
To select a predefined subject from your Subject
List, press the down arrow key or click on the downward pointing triangle at the right hand edge of the field.
New Message Information: Private
Messages in a BBS may be "Public", in which case they can be seen by all users who have access to the message section, or "Private", in which case they can be seen only by the sender, the recipient, and those with Sysop (SYStem OPerator) privileges. By default, your message will be posted as "Public"; by selecting the "Private" option, the message will be flagged "Private".
This option is customarily used for messages which are not of general interest, and it should not be assumed that private mail will be seen only by the sender and the intended recipient. T
E-Mail on CompuServe and MCI Mail is always "private", regardless of this setting.
New Message Information: Return Receipt
Some bulletin board systems and online services will generate a return receipt upon request, indicating the date and time your message was received by the addressee. If the BBS or online service supports this feature, you will be able to request a return receipt for your message when it reaches its destination.
New Message Information: Packet Name
This is the name of the packet to which your message will be added by Off-Line Xpress. You may change this by typing in the name of a different packet, or by using the pick list attached to this selection. To view the list of packets, press the down arrow key or click on the downward pointing arrow to the right of the field.
New Message Information: Routed to
If the final destination of your message is not the system or service indicated in the Packet field, then you may need to enter additional routing information here. The meaning of the information entered here is dependent on the Packet selected. For more information and examples, please see the Advanced
Message
Addressing help topic.
New Message Information: Conference
This is the conference (message area or forum) in which this message will be placed. You may change this by typing another conference number, or by using the pick list attached to this selection. Press the down arrow key or click on the downward pointing triangle to the right of the field to bring up a list of available conferences for the packet selected. u
Note that CompuServe mail, MCI mail, and FAX do not have individual conferences, so you can leave this field blank.
New Message Information: Tagline
This field shows the tagline Off-Line Xpress will automatically append to your message. You can type your own words of wisdom here, or use the pick list attached to this selection. Press the down arrow key or click on the downward pointing triangle to the right of the field to bring up a list of taglines.
New Message Information: Attachment
Some bulletin board systems and online services permit you to attach a file to an E-mail message.
If you know the full path and filename of the file you wish to attach, you may enter that information directly in the "Attachment" window. You may also use the Attach button to bring up a list of files and choose an attachment from that list. =
Attachments are supported for both CompuServe and MCI Mail.
Attachment Selection
Some bulletin board systems and online services permit you to attach a file to an E-mail message. This dialog box is used to select a file to attach to the new message you are preparing.
To attach a file to a message, highlight the file name you wish to attach to your message from the list on screen, then press Enter or double click on the file name to attach the file.
Clipboard Window
The Clipboard stores the text you cut and copy from other windows. You can edit the text in the Clipboard window.
Pick List
This window presents a list of items from which you can pick one. To select an item, move to it with the arrow keys and press Enter, or double click on the item. To exit without picking an item, press Esc or the right mouse button.
Pick list
This window presents a list of items from which you can pick one. To select an item, move to it with the arrow keys and press Enter, or double click on the item. To exit without picking an item, press Esc or the right mouse button. y
To add a new item to the list, press I or the Ins key. You will be prompted for the new information to add to the list.
Editor commands: Write block
Select a file name and path to save the marked text to a disk file. To get a list of previously entered file names, press the down arrow or click on the downward pointing triangle to the right of the window.
Editor commands: Find text
Type the text you wish to search for in the window. To get a list of previously entered search targets, press the down arrow or click on the downward pointing triangle to the right of the window.
Find in Pick List
Type the text you wish to search for in the window. To get a list of previously entered search targets, press the down arrow or click on the downward pointing triangle to the right of the window.
Change Directory
This command provides a short-cut when you know the path to the mail packets you wish to find. To get a list of previously entered directory names, press the down arrow or click on the downward pointing triangle to the right of the window.
Print Message
To print a message to disk or printer, enter the name of the file or print device. Normally you will use PRN to send the message to your regular printer. To get a list of previously entered print device names, press the down arrow or click on the downward pointing triangle to the right of the window.
Copy Attachment
Enter the drive and path where you would like to copy the file attachment. To get a list of previously entered directory names, press the down arrow or click on the downward pointing triangle to the right of the window.
See also:
View
attachments
Export message to text file
Enter the drive, path and filename where you would like to copy the message to disk. The message will be saved in plain ASCII text file format, and appended to the end of an existing file if necessary. To get a list of previously entered file names, press the down arrow or click on the downward pointing triangle to the right of the window.
See also:
Save
message
folder
Save message to folder
Enter the drive, path and folder name where you would like to save the message. To get a list of folder names from your Save
List, press the down arrow or click on the downward pointing triangle to the right of the window.
See also: 2
Export
message
Open
message
folder
Steal tagline
This window contains your stolen tagline. You may edit the tagline if you wish, then press Enter to save it to your Taglines file.
Sort messages
This option sorts the messages in the current window.
Thread - Groups the messages by subject
while maintaining the overall
order of threads.
Number - Sorts the messages by number.
From - Sorts the messages by author.
To - Sorts the messages by addressee.
Subject - Sorts the messages by subject.
You may store your preferred sort order for messages in the Options/Preferences dialog box, under Message
sort.
View file attachments
This is a list of all file attachments in this packet. The conference number, message number and filename are listed in the window. p
Go to - This button opens the conference
and places you at the message with
the attachment.
Copy - This button will copy the attachment
to a drive and directory you specify.
Reset high message pointers
This option sends a control message to the BBS mail door, resetting your last-read message pointer. Enter the new last-read message number in the window.
Some systems can accept other formats than just message numbers here, for example Wildcat with Tomcat can accept formats like the following:
-123 Move message pointer back 123
messages from the end of the
conference.
mm/dd/yy Go back to messages dated
from a particular date.
For information about the BBS you are using, consult your sysop or appropriate online documentation.
Sort conferences
This option sorts the list of conferences in the current window.
Number - Sorts the conferences by number.
Name - Sorts the conferences by name.
Messages - Sorts the conferences total
number of messages.
You may store your preferred sort order for conferences in the Options/Preferences dialog box, under Conference
sort.
Rename packet
Enter the new name for the selected packet in this window. To get a list of previously entered file names, press the down arrow or click on the downward pointing triangle to the right of the window.
Sort packet list
This option sorts the list of packets in the current window. z
None - No sorting is applied to the packets.
Name - Sorts the packets by file name.
Date - Sorts the packets by date.
You may store your preferred sort order for conferences in the Options/Preferences dialog box, under Conference
sort.
Print Address Book
Enter the name of the printer device or file. To get a list of previously entered device or file names, press the down arrow or click on the downward pointing triangle to the right of the window.
List open windows
This dialog box shows a list of windows currently open on your OLX desktop. You may switch to any window by highlighting the entry using your mouse or arrow keys, then press Enter or double click the left mouse button.
Bookmarks
This is a list of packets you have opened in OLX. OLX keeps track of which messages you read in each packet, in this Bookmark file.
You may delete a bookmark by using the Delete button. Note that deleting a bookmark will cause OLX to treat the corresponding packet as a new packet, and move all the mail addressed to you in the packet to your In box, even though it may already be there.
Debugging information
This window contains information about memory usage and allocation, and may be requested by MSI Technical Support staff for troubleshooting purposes.
Reply packets
This is a list of reply packets that are ready to upload. You may open a reply packet to read or edit your replies, or you may delete the reply packet from here. You must upload your replies from your communications program.
Export Replies
Off-Line Xpress automatically exports new replies when you exit the program. If, however, you wish to export any waiting replies during a mail reading session, use this command. Outbound messages will be marked "Sent", and copied from your Out
Box to an appropriate REP or OUT packet.
Open folder
This is a list of files and directories from which you may select a message folder to open. Folders are created using the Save
message function.
View text file
This is a list of files and directories from which you may select a text file to view.
View text file
You are currently viewing a text file using the OLX internal editor. You may copy text from this file to the clipboard for later pasting.
See also:
Editor
commands
View display file
This is an information file from the BBS mail packet you are currently viewing. Commands available in this window are:
F - Find text within the file
A - Find the next occurrence
L - Find the last (previous) occurrence
P - Print this file
S - Save this file to an ASCII file
About Off-Line Xpress
This dialog box identifies the Off-Line Xpress version number and copyright information.
Carbon copies
You may send carbon copies of your message to as many individuals and services as you wish.
The top window is your Address
book. It shows the addressee's name, routing information, packet, and conference number. To select a name from your Address book to receive a carbon copy of your message, highlight the entry and press Enter, or double click on the entry.
The bottom window is the list of carbon copy recipients. This window contains two additional information fields showing the type of carbon copy message to send: f
Pvt - This is either Y or N and indicates
that the copy will be marked as
private.
Type - This is one of N (Normal), B (Blind),
or C (Crosspost). For explanations,
see carbon
types.
The buttons on this screen operate as follows:
Add - Manually add an entry to the carbon
copy list. This is useful if you
would like to write a message to
somebody that is not in your address
book.
Edit - Edit the highlighted carbon entry.
Delete - Delete the highlighted carbon entry.
Edit Carbon Entry
This screen is used to edit carbon copy addressing information. The To/FAX, Routed
to, Packet, Conference, and Private fields are just as in the usual reply information dialog. h
The carbon
type option allows you to select the type of carbon copy you would like this message to be.
Address Book
The Address book stores information about people you correspond with regularly. Like a real address book, the OLX Address Book stores names and E-mail address, routing information, and notes. o
Add - This button will prompt you for
information to create a new
address book entry.
Edit - This button will allow you to
edit the information for the
currently highlighted entry.
Delete - This button will prompt you for
confirmation to delete the
highlighted entry.
Sort - This button will sort your address
book. Entries are sorted on a
last name basis.
Print - This button will allow you to
print your address book to your
printer or a disk file.
Address Book: Name
This is the usual first and last name of the person for which you are creating an address book entry. If you leave the Email
Address field blank, this Name field will also be used in the To field of messages addressed using this address book entry.
This field is used to sort your address book - the sort is performed on a last name basis. That is, the first word in this field is ignored during a sort operation.
Address Book: E-Mail address/FAX
If the user for which you are creating this address book entry has an Email address that is not the same as the name you entered in the Name field, then enter the Email address here. For example, CompuServe and MCI Mail addresses should go here.
If the address book entry you are creating corresponds to a FAX phone number, then enter the phone number here. For more information on FAX addressing, please see the Addressing
Messages section.
Address Book: Routed to
If the final destination of your message is not the system or service indicated in the Packet field, then you may need to enter additional routing information here. The meaning of the information entered here is dependent on the Packet selected. For more information and examples, please see the Advanced
Message
Addressing help topic.
Address Book: Packet
In many cases the Email
address and routing
information you specify will correspond to a particular packet name. This field is where you select the packet name that will automatically be filled in when you address a message using this address book entry. }
If this field is left blank then no packet name will be filled in if you pick this address book entry to address a message.
Address Book: Conference
If the online service which you selected in the Packet field has more than one message area, or conference, select the appropriate message area here. You may use the down arrow key or click on the downward pointing triangle to the right of the field to get a pick list of conferences for the packet in the previous field.
Address Book: Notes
The Notes field allows you to keep extra information about the person in this address book entry. This may be a telephone number, mailing address, or just general comments you may need to remember.
Spelling checker
The spelling checker has encountered a word that it could not find in its dictionary. Depending on how you have configured the spelling checker (see Auto-suggest
words) there may already be some suggested correct spellings in the Suggestions box.
You may select a correct spelling for replacement by moving the highlight bar with the arrow keys and pressing Enter, or double clicking on the correct spelling.
Suggest - If Auto-suggest words is turned
off, this button will suggest
correct spellings for the mis-
spelled word.
Replace - This button will replace the
incorrect word with the high-
lighted word in the Suggestions
box.
Skip - This button will ignore this
occurrence of the word.
SkipAll - This button will skip all further
occurrences of the word during
this OLX session (also see the
Add button below).
Edit - This button will allow you to
edit the misspelled word to
correct the spelling. The spell
checker will verify your
correction before replacing the
word.
Add - The Add button will add the word
to your own "user dictionary".
The user dictionary is stored in
a file on disk called OLXUSER.DIC
so words added to this dictionary
will be remembered by OLX.
Cancel - The Cancel button will stop the
spelling checker from checking the
remainder of your message.
Spelling checker: Edit word
This window allows you to edit the highlighted word and replace it in your message text. Your corrected spelling will be verified by the spelling checker before replacement is made.
Taglines
Taglines are one-line messages that you can optionally append to the bottom of each message you write. They can be humorous "Thoughts of the day" type messages or they can be as useful as advertising your company name and telephone number. This window is where you can manage your list of taglines. G
Add - This button prompts you for a new
tagline to add.
Edit - This button edits the highlighted
tagline.
Delete - This button prompts for confirmation
to delete the highlighted tagline.
Switch - This button allows you to switch to
a different tagline file.
Import - This button allows you to import a
list of taglines in ASCII format
into the current list.
Sort - This button prompts for confirmation
to sort your list of taglines
alphabetically.
Taglines: Import tagline file
You may import any ASCII text file (including another tagline file) into your current tagline file. This dialog box allows you to enter the filename to import, or select a filename or directory from a pick list.
Taglines: Switch tagline files
You may switch to a different tagline file at any time using the Switch button on the Taglines dialog. This dialog box allows you to enter the filename, or select a filename or directory from a pick list.
Skip Lists: To
The Skip Lists contain a list of user names, message subjects, and message text you find uninteresting or objectionable, and would prefer to skip over when reading messages. P
OLX will skip any messages addressed TO any of the persons named in this list.
Skip lists: From
The Skip Lists contain a list of user names, message subjects, and message text you find uninteresting or objectionable, and would prefer to skip over when reading messages. M
OLX will skip any messages sent FROM any of the persons named in this list.
Skip lists: Subject
The Skip Lists contain a list of user names, message subjects, and message text you find uninteresting or objectionable, and would prefer to skip over when reading messages.
OLX will skip any messages whose SUBJECT contains any the subjects in this list. For example, if you place the word WHEEL in this list, OLX will skip messages with any of the following subjects: <
Wheels
Do we need more wheels?
Re: Wheel shipment #5717
Skip list: Text
The Skip Lists contain a list of user names, message subjects, and message text you find uninteresting or objectionable, and would prefer to skip over when reading messages. F
OLX will skip any messages containing any of the WORDS in this list.
Skip list: Add
Enter the name, subject or word you wish to add to your Skip List.
Locate List
If you regularly use the Locate
Message function, you may wish to save often-used search strings in the Locate list.
Save Folder List
If you regularly use the Save
Folder function, you may wish to save often-used folder names in the Save list.
Subject List
If you frequently re-use the same message subjects, you may store your favorite selections in this list.
Locate Messages
You may search for messages in a variety of ways in OLX. This dialog box presents a number of options which control what to look for, where to look, and where to save the results.
Text to search for
Enter the word or words you wish to search for here. For example, you can search for messages containing the words "OLX" or "Qmodem" or "Mustang" in the same operation, by separating the search items with a semicolon, as shown below:
OLX;QMODEM;MUSTANG
Where to search
Three options are provided here. You may confine the search to the current conference only, the current QWK packet, or search all conferences in all packets currently open.
Use Skip Lists
You may wish to exclude certain messages from your search. When this option is checked, the search will ignore any message matching any of the items in the four Skip
Lists.
Save to Folder
By entering a folder name here, any messages found during your search will be copied to a folder and saved to disk under this filename. Do not enter an extension here, Off-Line Xpress will automatically use the file extension .SAV for these files. You can open and read messages in this folder from the File Menu.
If no folder name is specified, OLX will create a temporary "Search Results" window displaying the messages it found during the search.
Packet Information
This dialog box contains information about the BBS or online service from which each mail packet originated.
Add - This button prompts you for
information to add a new packet
entry to this list. See
New
Packet
Information.
Edit - This button lets you edit the
packet name, maximum message
length, and tagline style for
the highlighted entry. See
Edit
Packet
Information.
Delete - This button prompts you for
confirmation to delete an unneeded
packet entry.
New Packet Information
Sometimes you may need to add a new packet information entry to the packet information database maintained by OLX.
The Packet ID is the eight character short packet name. This will be the name of the REP or OUT packet generated by OLX when you write messages for this packet.
The Packet Name is the name you would like to assign to this packet. This name will appear in the Packet
List when new mail is received from the online service.
The switch controlling IN/OUT format or QWK/REP format must be set correctly in order that OLX will generate the proper type of packet.
Edit Packet Information
This dialog box lets you view and edit the information associated with the selected packet. You may change some of this information:
Packet name
This is the name of the packet as it will be shown in the Packet
List window and packet pick list. This will be filled in automatically when OLX opens the first packet for this online service, but you may change it at any time. &
Max message length (QWK/REP only)
This option allows you to specify a number of lines at which long messages will be split into multiple parts. Many BBS systems have a limit to the number of lines that can fit in one message, and OLX lets you account for this using this option. The default number of lines to have in one message is 94.
Fido-style taglines
To conform with Fido-style network regulations, checking this box will cause OLX to leave out the three dashes at the bottom of messages you write. In addition, OLX will not use any "high ASCII" characters in its tagline.
Your name
Enter your usual first and last names here. This is the information OLX will use when you enter a message or a reply. This information will also be shown in the About box under the Help menu.
Your registration number
Enter your Off-Line Xpress registration number here. The number is printed on the registration card bound into the front of your manual. This number will appear in your message taglines. Please remember to fill in and mail your registration card as soon as possible!
File menu (Alt+F)
The File menu lets you manage OLX message files and folders. `
Packet
Export
replies
View/edit
replies
Open
folder
shell
Exit
File menu: Packet List (Alt+L)
The "Packet List" menu selection brings up the packet window, allowing you to choose a mail packet to open.
See also:
Packet
Window
File menu: In box
The "In box" menu selection will bring up your In
box for viewing.
See also:
File menu: Out box
The "Out box" menu selection will bring up your Out
box for viewing.
See also:
File menu: Export replies
Off-Line Xpress automatically exports replies when you exit the program. If, however, you wish to export any waiting replies during a mail reading session, use this command. Exported messages will be marked Sent in the Out box, and will be copied from your Out
box to an appropriate REP or OUT packet.
File menu: View/edit replies
This selection pops up a list of reply packets. You may select the reply packet you wish to view. Individual replies can be viewed, edited, and deleted from a reply packet. G
Note that reply packets contain messages that have already been exported from your Out
box. This means that any changes you make to messages in the reply packet will not be reflected in the Out box. A better way to make changes to a message is to delete it from the reply packet, then edit and resend the copy in the Out box.
File menu: Open folder
This option brings up a list of message folders that you have created using the message
save function.
File menu: DOS shell (Alt+R)
This option causes OLX to temporarily exit to a DOS command shell. In order to remind you that you are shelled out of OLX, the text "[OLX]" will be appended to your regular DOS prompt. =
To return to OLX after shelling, type EXIT and press Enter.
File menu: Exit (Alt+X)
This selection terminates Off-Line Xpress, and returns you to the program you started from. Any open packets are closed, and reply files are automatically exported and prepared for upload.
Edit menu (Alt+E)
The Edit menu lets you access the OLX clipboard through cut and paste operations. The spelling checker is also accessed through this menu. 7
Undo
Paste
Clear
Show
clipboard
Spell
check
Edit menu: Undo (Alt+Bksp)
This command restores text that has been deleted with the delete-line command in the editor.
Edit menu: Cut (Shift+Del)
This option deletes the marked text in an editor window and places it in the Clipboard ready for a Paste command.
Edit menu: Copy (Ctrl+Ins)
This option copies the marked text from a message or editor window and places it in the Clipboard ready for a Paste command. The original text is not deleted.
Edit menu: Paste (Shift+Ins)
This option copies the contents of the Clipboard into the editor at the point where the cursor is located. The text is not deleted from the clipboard, so you can paste the same text in more than one place.
Edit menu: Clear (Ctrl+Del)
This command deletes the selected text from the editor without moving the deleted text to the Clipboard.
Edit menu: Show clipboard
This selection displays the contents of the Clipboard window. The Clipboard contains the text most recently marked and cut or copied.
Edit menu: Spell check
This selection runs the built-in spelling checker on the text in the current editor window. For each word the spelling checker does not recognize, you will be prompted to select alternatives from its dictionary, skip the current questionable word, add the word to your user dictionary, or edit the word yourself.
Search menu (Alt+S)
The Search menu allows you to look for text in windows and message groups. Sorting functions are also available from this menu. *
Find
Find
again
Locate
messages
Sort
Search menu: Find
This selection finds and highlights the first occurrence of text you specify in the current window.
See also:
Locate
messages
Search menu: Find again
Use this selection to find next occurrence of the search text in the current window.
Search menu: Locate messages
Use this selection to find all messages matching criteria you specify. For more information see the Locate
messages dialog.
Search menu: Sort
This option sorts the list of items in the current window. Depending on the type of window, the sort options may be None, Name, Date, From, Number of messages, etc. \
You may store your preferred sort order for these items in the Options/Preferences dialog.
View menu (Alt+V)
The View menu lets you access your address book, packet information database, bookmarks, taglines, pick lists, and more. u
Address
Packet
information
Bookmarks
Skip
lists
Taglines
Locate
Save
Subject
View
View menu: Address book
The Address
book stores information about people you correspond with regularly. Like a real address book, the OLX address book stores names and E-mail address, routing information and additional notes.
View menu: Packet information
This selection brings up a list of the packets for which OLX has collected information. You may set the packet name, maximum length of outgoing messages, and tagline style from this dialog.
View menu: Bookmarks
This selection brings up a dialog box containing a list of the packets for which OLX has remembered bookmark information. You may remove bookmarks using this dialog.
View menu: Taglines
This selection brings up a list of the taglines in your current tagline file. You may add, edit delete, or sort your taglines, as well as switch to another tagline file and import another list of taglines.
View menu: Skip lists
This selection allows you to edit the contents of your skip lists. Your skip lists contain a list of user names, message subjects, and message text you find uninteresting or objectionable, and would prefer to skip over when reading messages.
View menu: Locate list
The "Locate List" allows you to store frequently-used search strings.
View menu: Save list
The "Save List" allows you to store frequently-used message folder names.
View menu: Subject list
The "Subject List" allows you to store frequently-used message topics.
View menu: View file
This option will prompt you for a filename to view, then load the selected file into the internal editor for viewing. You may use the block mark and copy functions to save text from a file for import into replies, if desired.
Message menu (Alt+M)
The Message menu is where you address most of the OLX functions that deal with individual messages.
Reply
Forward
message
message
Edit/resend
message
original/reply
Request
attachment
Copy
attachment
Save
folder
Keep
folder
Print
message
Export
Steal
tagline
Save
address
Animate
Delete
Message menu: Reply
This selection allows you to reply to the message that is currently on the screen. The addressee's name, packet, conference, and (if applicable) routing information will be filled in to the new message information automatically.
Message menu: New message
This selection allows you to write a new message. Depending on when you execute this command, OLX may automatically fill in the packet and/or conference information (you may change this information if necessary).
Message menu: Edit/resend message
This selection allows you to edit a message that you have written and has been placed in your Out
box. If the message is marked as "Sent" in the Out box, then editing the message will cause it to be marked as "NEW" just as if you wrote a new message. This is useful if you wish to re-send another copy of a message.
Message menu: Zip to original/reply
This selection has two functions:
If you are reading a message in your Out
box and you press Z or select this menu item, OLX will search for the corresponding message that you replied to. OLX will be able to find it if the original message is in one of these places: 5
The original message is still in your
In
The original message exists in a packet
that you currently have open, AND the
original message is in the same conference
as your reply.
If you are reading a message that is not in your Out box, then OLX will search the Out box for a reply to the message. OLX will not search reply (REP or OUT) packets for the message, just the Out box.
Message menu: Save to folder
This selection allows you to save a message in a message folder that can later be read by OLX using the Open
folder menu selection. Messages saved to folders can later be read, printed, replied to, forwarded, etc, just like any other message in OLX.
See also:
Export
message
Message menu: Keep in folder
You may flag messages in your In
Box and Out
Box to protect them from automatic purging. Purging options can be set from the Options/Preferences menu, and determine whether old messages should be deleted from the In Box and Out Box based on date. Messages marked "Keep" will not be deleted during automatic purging.
Message menu: Print message
This selection will print a copy of the current message on your printer. You will be prompted to specify the print device or file - the default is PRN, which will usually refer to your normal printer.
Message menu: Export to text file
This selection will save a copy of the message you are currently reading to a plain ASCII text file. The message will be appended to the end of the file.
If there are any substituted ESC characters in the message (ie. the message contains ANSI graphics), the substituted characters will be converted to regular ESC characters before saving.
See also:
Save
message
folder
Message menu: Forward message
This selection will forward a message to another addressee. You will be prompted to enter the new name and addressing information for the person to whom you wish to forward the message.
Text will be added to the start of the message indicating that the message has been forwarded. You may edit this information if you wish, by pressing the Editor button after selecting this menu option.
Message menu: Request attachment
If a message has a file attached, the text of the message will indicate whether or not the attachment has been included in your mail packet.
If the attachment was not included, you may request it as part of your next mail packet download. The "Request attachment" command sends a control message to the BBS or online service, and the file will be included in your next mail packet download.
See also: *
Copy
attachment
View
packet
attachments
Message menu: Copy attachment
If a message has a file attached, the text of the message will indicate whether or not the attachment was included in your mail packet.
If the message text indicates that the file attachment was included with your mail packet, you may copy the attachment from the packet to the drive and directory of your choice. A dialog box will pop up, allowing you to confirm or change the path and name of the attached file.
See also: -
Request
attachment
View
packet
attachments
Message menu: Steal tagline
This option copies the tagline from the message currently on screen, and saves it to your Taglines list. |
This option normally requires that the tear line (three dashes) be present in the message before it will be able to steal the tagline. If the three dashes are not present, highlight the tagline text using either a click-drag operation with the mouse, or using the Shift-arrow keys. If there is marked text in the message, this option will steal the tagline from the marked text.
Message menu: Save user address
Use this selection to copy information about the author of the current message to your Address
book.
Message menu: Animate message
Some messages contain codes OLX can interpret as music, or colorful graphics complete with animation. Press A to "animate" the message -- that is, to display the colors and play the music.
During the animation, you may press A again to display the rest of the message at full speed, or any other key to abort the animation.
Message menu: Delete message
This selection deletes the current message from the folder it is in. This works in the In
Box, Out
Box, and saved message folders. A confirmation window will pop up before a message is deleted from the folder.
Options menu (Alt+O)
The Options menu is where you view and set the operational settings in OLX. V
Directories
Hardware
Preferences
Editor
Replies
Packers
Colors
Function
Options menu: Directories
The Options/Directories dialog lets you tell OLX where you would like to keep your QWK/IN and REP/OUT packets, as well as where you would like OLX to create its working directories. e
For more information on a particular item, press F1 once you have selected that item on the screen.
Options menu: Hardware
The Options/Hardware dialog lets you tell OLX information it needs to know about your computer's hardware configuration. e
For more information on a particular item, press F1 once you have selected that item on the screen.
Options menu: Preferences
The Options/Preferences dialog lets you customize the behavior of certain elements of OLX to match your individual preferences. e
For more information on a particular item, press F1 once you have selected that item on the screen.
Options menu: Editor
The Options/Editor dialog lets you configure OLX's use of an external editor (if desired) and the spelling checker operation. e
For more information on a particular item, press F1 once you have selected that item on the screen.
Options menu: Replies
The Options/Replies dialog lets you configure various items dealing with reply creation and formatting. e
For more information on a particular item, press F1 once you have selected that item on the screen.
Options menu: Packers
The Options/Packers dialog lets you configure the names and command line parameters of the file compression utilities ("packers") you would like OLX to use. e
For more information on a particular item, press F1 once you have selected that item on the screen.
Options menu: Colors
The Options/Colors dialog lets you configure the color of every element on the OLX screen. Default color settings are also available from this dialog. f
For more information on how to configure the colors, press F1 once you have selected this menu item.
Options menu: Function keys
The Options/Function keys dialog lets you configure the meaning of each of the function keys from F3 through F9. You may attach various functions and DOS commands to function keys, which you can then use anywhere within OLX. c
For more information on function key assignments, press F1 once you have selected this menu item.
Window menu (Alt+W)
The Window menu contains commands that are used to manipulate windows on the OLX desktop. P
Next
Previous
Size/move
Zoom
Full
screen
Close
Tile
Cascade
List
Window menu: Next (F6)
Off-Line Xpress keeps track of windows in the order in which you opened them. You can switch to the next window in the queue with this option. If the current window is the last one you opened, the "Next" option will take you to the first window, allowing you to cycle through all the windows on your desktop.
Window menu: Previous (Shift+F6)
This option makes the previous window active. You can cycle through windows from last to first by using this command.
Window menu: Size/Move (Ctrl+F5)
This options allows you to enlarge or shrink a window without a mouse, using the Shift and arrow keys to reposition and resize the window.
Mouse users can click anywhere on the title bar of a window to move it, and can click on the lower right hand corner of the window to resize it.
Window menu: Zoom (F5)
This selection resizes a window so that it takes up the full area of the desktop. If the window is already zoomed, then this command restores its previous size and position.
You can also double click anywhere on the title bar (except on the close box), or click on the zoom box to zoom or unzoom the window.
See also:
Window
screen
Window menu: Fit
This option will resize the current window so that it fills up any available space on the desktop. If there is no available space on the desktop, this command has no effect.
This command is useful if you resize one of your windows to take up part of the screen (say the top half) and you want to quickly place the other window in the bottom half of the screen.
Window menu: Full screen (Alt+F5)
This option enlarges the current window to fill the entire screen. The left, right, and bottom borders are removed from the window.
See also:
Window
Window menu: Close (Esc)
This option closes the current window, and returns to the previous window on the desktop.
Window menu: Tile
This options tiles all the open windows on your OLX desktop. K
Tiled Windows
Window menu: Cascade
This option cascades all the open windows on your OLX desktop. Y
Cascaded Windows
Window menu: List (Alt+0)
This option displays a list of windows currently open on your OLX desktop. You may jump directly to any window in this list.
Window menu: Quick window selection
This option will jump directly to the named window.
Help menu (Alt+H)
The Help menu lets you access the OLX help system. 7
Contents
Index
Previous
topic
Help
About
Help menu: Contents
This option brings up a list of major help topics. You may use this as a starting point to browse the OLX help system.
See also:
Help
Contents
Help menu: Index (Shift+F1)
This option brings up a list of all help topics sorted alphabetically.
See also:
Index
Help menu: Previous topic (Alt+F1)
This option returns you to the last help screen you looked at.
Help menu: Help on Help
This option brings up information on how to use the OLX help system.
See also:
Help menu: About
This option brings up a dialog box identifying the Off-Line Xpress version number and copyright information.
QWK/IN Directory
The QWK/IN Directory is where OLX will look for mail packets that you download from online services or Bulletin Board Systems. In most cases, this will be the same as your communications program download directory.
See also:
Options/Directories
REP/OUT Directory
This is the directory where Off-Line Xpress will place reply (REP or OUT) packets ready for upload. If this directory is blank, Off-Line Xpress will use the QWK directory as specified in the last option. In most cases this will be the same as your communications program upload directory.
See also:
Options/Directories
Work Directory
When reading and replying to mail, OLX will need to create a number of temporary directories and files. This option specifies where you would like OLX to create these files.
The default for this option is blank, which means that temporary directories will be created under the current directory. If you would like to place these directories on a RAM disk or another hard drive, place the drive and path here. e
If you specify a directory such as D:\TEMP, then OLX will create directories in the following form: =
D:\TEMP\WORK1
D:\TEMP\WORK2
D:\TEMP\WORK3
...and so on.
See also: 0
Temporary
files
directory
Options/Directories
Overlay memory
The overlay file for Off-Line Xpress contains procedures which are moved into and out of the main program code as needed. Every time a portion of the overlay file is needed by the main program, a disk read is made from the file. Although this does not usually cause a noticeable delay, loading the entire overlay file into expanded or extended memory results in almost instantaneous access.
OLX checks for available memory in the order listed on the screen - that is, EMS is tested first (if you have checked the EMS box), then XMS is tested (if you have checked the XMS box). I
[X] EMS (Expanded)
Check this box if you would like OLX to load its overlay file into EMS (Expanded) memory. I
[X] XMS (Extended)
Check this box if you would like OLX to load its overlay file into XMS (Extended) memory.
See also:
Options/Hardware
Virtual memory
In order to manage very large mail packets, Off-Line Xpress uses "Virtual memory" - that is, memory normally not available in the 640k range available to DOS programs.
If you check more than one option in this box, OLX will test for free space in the order listed on the screen (EMS first, then XMS, then Disk). Only items that you have checked will be tested. I
[X] EMS (Expanded)
Check this box if you would like OLX to use EMS (Expanded) memory for virtual memory. I
[X] XMS (Extended)
Check this box if you would like OLX to use XMS (Extended) memory for virtual memory. I
[X] Disk file
Check this box if you would like OLX to use a disk file for virtual memory.
See also:
Options/Hardware
Use (K)
0
Since you may need to allocate extra memory for other tasks besides Off-Line Xpress during a mail reading session, this option allows you to specify an amount of virtual memory in EMS or XMS that OLX will use. The default is 0, meaning that all available virtual memory will be used by OLX while the program is running. If you need to reserve extra memory for other tasks or applications, specify the amount of memory for OLX, in kilobytes. 1024 kilobytes is 1 megabyte.
See also:
Options/Hardware
DOS shell memory
There are times when OLX may need to execute another program (such as executing an external packer or editor or selecting the File/DOS shell command). In order to free up as much conventional memory as possible, OLX will attempt to "swap" itself to extra memory or a disk file. These check boxes tell OLX where to check for free space to swap to. I
[X] EMS (Expanded)
Check this box if you would like OLX to use EMS (Expanded) memory for swapping. I
[X] XMS (Extended)
Check this box if you would like OLX to use XMS (Extended) memory for swapping. I
[X] Disk file
Check this box if you would like OLX to use a disk file for swapping.
See also:
Options/Hardware
[ ] Snow checking with CGA
Some old CGA (color graphics adapter) cards will show "snow" on the screen when running Off-Line Xpress. If you see interference patterns on your CGA monitor when using Off-Line Xpress, toggle this option ON. While this will slow down the display slightly, it will, in most cases, eliminate the snow problem. If your CGA monitor does not "snow", or if you use monochrome, EGA or VGA, set this option OFF.
See also:
Options/Hardware
[X] Clear screen on shell
Toggle this option ON if you would like Off-Line Xpress to clear the screen before it shells to DOS, or executes an external program such as a packer or an external editor. You may, for example, have a keystroke in your editor to display the "background" screen that existed before your editor started. However, if the screen is not cleared by Off-Line Xpress, there can be some color conflict problems with some editors.
See also:
Options/Hardware
Screen size
These three options govern which EGA or VGA display mode OLX will use when it starts up. =
) Startup
Select Startup if you would like OLX to use whatever video mode was in effect when you started OLX. =
( ) 25 line
Select 25 line if you would like OLX to use the 25 line display mode, regardless of which mode was in effect when OLX was started. =
( ) 43/50 line
Select 43/50 line if you would like OLX to use the 43 line display on an EGA or the 50 line display on a VGA, regardless of which mode was in effect when OLX was started.
See also:
Options/Hardware
[ ] Left handed mouse
If you are left-handed, you may prefer to swap the functions of the left and right mouse buttons by toggling this option "ON".
See also:
Options/Hardware
Pre-Print
This string will be sent to your printer before printing messages. This text string normally contains printer control codes to set default fonts or make other printer settings. If you need to include control characters in this string, type them as "^A" for Ctrl-A. Please consult the manual with your printer for instruction on sending setup strings.
See also:
Options/Hardware
Post-Print
This string will be sent to your printer after printing messages. A useful control string to put here is "^L" (form feed). This command will eject the paper from your printer after printing the message. Your printer manual contains more detailed information on setup strings.
See also:
Options/Hardware
Temporary files path
OLX will use the drive specified in this option for its temporary swap file if EMS/XMS are not installed, or if there is insufficient free expanded or extended memory available. When OLX terminates normally, this swap file is removed, freeing up the disk space it occupied.
See also: "
Work
directory
Options/Hardware
[ ] Rename packet after read
Toggle this option "ON" if you would like OLX to prompt you to rename a mail packet after you finish reading it. This is useful for archive or backup purposes.
See also:
Options/Preferences
[ ] Beep on personal message
If this option is toggled "ON", Off-Line Xpress will make a distinctive sound when it displays a message addressed to you.
See also:
Options/Preferences
[ ] Swap To/From fields
By default, Off-Line Xpress puts the sender's name above the addressee's name in the message header. This matches the usual format for business letters and inter-office memos. You may prefer to see the recipient's name first; in that case toggle this option "ON".
See also:
Options/Preferences
[ ] Split screen reading
This option displays the message index and the message text windows on screen simultaneously. The message index appears in the upper third of the screen, while the bottom two-thirds of the screen contains the message text.
In this way, you can see the message headers just before and after the message you are currently reading. The highlight in the index window moves in relation to the message you are reading in the message window. G
This option only takes effect when a new conference window is opened.
See also:
Options/Preferences
Enter key action
This option controls the action of the Enter key when pressed in a dialog box (like the Preferences configuration screen). g
) Enter accepts dialog
This option (which is the default) causes OLX to accept the dialog when you press Enter. This is the recommended setting, as it will be compatible with future versions of OLX. g
( ) Enter tabs to next field
This option causes the Enter key to perform the same action as the Tab key, that is, move to the next field on the dialog box. This option is compatible with older versions of OLX.
See also:
Options/Preferences
Packet sort
This option controls how mail packets will, by default, be sorted in the packet
window.
None
The packets will not be sorted; they will appear in the same order as they would in a DOS directory.
Name
The packets will be sorted alphabetically by file name.
Date
The packets will be sorted by date, with the newest packets at the top of the list.
See also:
Options/Preferences
Conference sort
This option controls how conferences will, by default, be sorted in a QWK packet.
Number
The conferences will be sorted by conference number.
Name
The conferences will be sorted by name.
Messages
The conferences will be sorted by total number of messages, with the conference with the greatest number of messages at the top of the list. Conferences with no messages will be sorted by number.
See also:
Options/Preferences
Message sort
This option controls how, by default, messages will be sorted within QWK packet conferences.
Thread
This option groups the messages by subject, while maintaining the overall order of the threads.
Number
This option sorts the messages by ascending message number.
From
This option sorts the messages alphabetically by author (From field).
This option sorts the messages alphabetically by addressee (To field).
Subject
This option sorts the messages alphabetically by subject.
See also:
Options/Preferences
Inbox purging
You may elect to purge the contents of your In
box automatically. Automatic purging of messages in your In box only affects messages that you have read and not marked as Keep. If you have not read a message, or it has been marked as Keep, then it will not be automatically purged.
Always delete
This option always deletes read messages from your In box when you exit OLX.
After days old
This option deletes read messages once they become a certain number of days old (see the Days field).
Never delete
No automatic purging of messages will take place.
See also:
Options/Preferences
Inbox purging: Days
This option controls the age of messages at which they will be deleted when the Inbox
purging option is set to "After days old". If the Inbox purging option is not set to "After days old" then this number has no effect.
See also:
Options/Preferences
Outbox purging
You may elect to purge the contents of your Out
box automatically. Automatic purging of messages in your Out box only affects messages that have been Sent and not marked as Keep or Hold.
Always delete
This option always deletes Sent messages from your Out box when you exit OLX.
After days old
This option deletes Sent messages once they become a certain number of days old (see the Days field).
Never delete
No automatic purging of messages will take place.
See also:
Options/Preferences
Outbox purging: Days
This option controls the age of messages at which they will be deleted when the Outbox
purging option is set to "After days old". If the Outbox purging option is not set to "After days old" then this number has no effect.
See also:
Options/Preferences
Date format
This option affects the way message and packet dates are displayed on your screen while using OLX.
See also:
Options/Preferences
Editor command line
If you would like to use a different editor other than the internal OLX editor, specify its name and command line options (if any) in this field. When calling your editor, OLX will automatically add the file name of the Reply
message
file to the end of this command line. X
Leave this field blank if you would like to use the internal editor included with OLX.
See also:
Options/Editor
Quoted message file
REPLY.MSG
When you reply to a message, Off-Line Xpress writes the original message to this file. If you make this the same filename as the Reply
message
file, you will be able to edit the quoted original message, adding your own text to create your reply.
See also:
Options/Editor
Reply message file
REPLY.MSG
This is the file in which Off-Line Xpress expects to find your reply once you have written it. If you make this the same filename as the Quoted
message
file, you will be able to edit the quoted original message to create your reply.
See also:
Options/Editor
[X] Use spelling checker
Toggle this option "ON" to automatically use the built-in spelling checker on your new messages and replies. If this option is turned off, you may still manually spell check a message using the Spell
check command on the Edit menu.
See also:
Options/Editor
[ ] Auto-suggest words
For fastest operation, the spelling checker built into OLX does not automatically suggest replacement words when it finds an unrecognized word in your message. If you have a fast machine, you might try turning this option ON, to save a step while spell-checking messages.
See also:
Options/Editor
When to edit reply info
Whenever you write a new message (or reply to a message), OLX will need you to fill in the addressing information for the new message. This option controls when OLX will ask you for this information. ^
( ) Before edit
OLX will ask you for addressing information before editing your reply. ^
( ) After edit
OLX will ask you for addressing information after editing your reply. ^
) Both before and after
OLX will ask you for addressing information both before and after editing your reply.
See also:
Options/Replies
Enable taglines
Taglines are one-line messages that are appended to the end of messages you write with OLX. This option controls how taglines are selected from your tagline file. @
( ) Off
Use this option if you do not want OLX to append a tagline to your messages. @
( ) Sequential
This option selects a different tagline for each message, in sequential order from your tagline list. You can view and edit your taglines by going to the View/Taglines menu. @
( ) Random
This option randomly selects a different tagline for each message. You can view and edit your taglines by going to the View/Taglines menu. @
) Sticky
This option uses the same tagline for every message until another tagline is selected.
See also:
Options/Replies
Quoting style
OLX will automatically "quote" the original message you are replying to. It is useful to include parts of the original message to provide a context for your reply.
( ) None
>This style of quoting uses the
>Quote character only, without
>initials.
) Single
GH>This style of quoting uses the
>addressee's initials on the
>line of each paragraph only.
( ) All
GH>This style of quoting uses the
GH>addressee's initials on every
GH>line of each paragraph.
See also:
Options/Replies
Quoting prefix string
>
You may define your own quote prefix for use by Off-Line Xpress; however for the sake of readability, it's usually best to stick with the conventional ">" quote prefix in the default configuration. In particular, it is important to avoid using so-called "control characters" to decorate your quoting prefix. These characters (ASCII 01 to 32) may cause unpredictable results when viewed on other terminals -- anything from blanking the screen to turning on the printer!
See also:
Options/Replies
[ ] Header in quoted reply
If this option is toggled ON, the full message header of the original message will be included in the quoted reply. If you have set the original and reply files to the same name, please be careful to delete the quoted original message header so it won't be included in your reply.
See also:
Options/Replies
Packer command lines
These options tell Off-Line Xpress what commands to use to unpack QWK packets and pack REP packets. OLX is able to detect which of several popular packer/unpacker utilities was used to create the mail packet, and executes the correct program with the command line switches and parameters specified in these configuration options.
OLX contains its own ZIP packing and unpacking code, and does not require the use of PKZIP and PKUNZIP. However, the use of PKZIP and PKUNZIP may be preferable because these standalone utilities are faster than the packing code built into OLX.
See also: )
Internal
ZIP/UNZIP
Options/Packers
Packer command lines
These options tell Off-Line Xpress what commands to use to unpack QWK packets and pack REP packets. OLX is able to detect which of several popular packer/unpacker utilities was used to create the mail packet, and executes the correct program with the command line switches and parameters specified in these configuration options.
See also:
Options/Packers
[X] Use Internal ZIP/UNZIP
One of the most common compression formats used to compress QWK and REP mail packets is the ZIP format. In order that OLX does not require the use of PKZIP and PKUNZIP to manage such mail packets, OLX includes built-in code to handle ZIPped mail packets. This switch controls whether OLX will use its built-in code or external ZIP and UNZIP utilities.
See also:
Options/Packers
Colors
The Colors screen is where you control the colors OLX uses when displaying information on the screen. There are seven color groups with a number of items in each group. For each group, there is a sample color display in the lower portion of the screen. This sample display previews what the colors will look like if you accept the changes.
Move among the Group, Item, Foreground, Background, and Blink options using the Tab key. Use the arrow keys to change the group, item, foreground, or background, and the space bar to toggle the blink box. y
If you are using a mouse, you can click anywhere in the sample display to automatically switch to that color selection. H
Use the Default button to bring up a list of default color selections.
Default color selections
The Default color selections dialog allows you to choose a predefined color set that is appropriate for your video display and/or color tastes.
Function keys
You may attach various Off-Line Xpress functions and DOS commands to function keys which you can then use anywhere within Off-Line Xpress. +
The special OLX functions are as follows: q
@CLOSE - Close the current window.
@DATE - Insert current date into editor.
@LIST - Bring up list of windows.
@MENU - Go to the menu bar.
@NEXT - Switch to the next window.
@PREV - Switch to the previous window.
@READ - Read a file into the editor.
@RESIZE - Resize the current window.
@SHELL - Shell to DOS.
@ZOOM - Zoom the current window.
Anything that is not one of these commands will be interpreted as a DOS command and executed in a DOS shell.
Additional notes:
@DATE mm-dd-yy
A date format specifier (such as mm-dd-yy) may follow the @DATE command. This will cause OLX to insert the date in the specified format.
@READ c:\path\filename.ext
A filename following the @READ command will tell OLX to read the named file directly into the editor at the cursor position. This can be useful for "signature" files.
The OLX Menus
Most commands in OLX can be accessed through the menu bar at the top of the screen. This menu is always available, except when you are in a dialog box that requires input before OLX can continue. Each item on the main menu has an associated pulldown menu.
Use the Tab key to select which menu you would like to know more about, then press Enter. Or, double click on your selection below. ;
File
Edit
Search
View
Message
Options
Window
Help
The Mail Packets window
Mail packets readable by Off-Line Xpress consist of a standard DOS file name of up to eight characters, with a two or three-character extension. The file name of an individual mail packet is determined by the "Packet ID" of the Bulletin Board System or online service which created it. The file extension determines whether the packet contains incoming mail or outgoing replies.
For example, mail packets created by Mustang Software Inc.'s customer support Bulletin Board System will always be identified as MUSTANG.QWK, and the reply packet created by Off-Line Xpress after you have read a MUSTANG.QWK packet will be called MUSTANG.REP. QWK packets often contain other files besides messages - a copy of the "Welcome" and "Goodbye" screens, a list of newly uploaded files, bulletins and newsletter files which have been updated since your last call, and a session log showing the message conferences scanned and the number of messages found in each conference. The Bulletin Board System will only accept and process reply packets whose names match the BBS's "packet ID".
Similarly, mail packets downloaded from CompuServe and MCI Mail using Qmodem's special QMGATE program will be called CISMAIL.IN and MCIMAIL.IN, respectively. Reply packets will be called CISMAIL.OUT and MCIMAIL.OUT.
The Conference window
The Conference window appears only in BBS QWK packets, since MCI and CIS packets handle only E-Mail. The Conference Window usually contains a complete list of conferences available on the BBS.
The conference window is the "control center" for reading messages in a QWK packet. You can select which message areas you wish to read, you can add and drop conferences, you can view BBS display and news files, and you can view and copy attachments.
The Message Index window
Messages in OLX are grouped together in various ways. Incoming messages addressed to you are stored in your In
box, messages you have written are stored in your Out
box, messages can be stored in folders, messages in QWK packets are grouped together in conferences, and the results of the Message
locate command are shown in one group. N
The Message Index window lists messages in a specific message group. Important information such as the message date, the author and addressee, the subject, and whether or not you have read or replied to the message is shown. You may select any message from the list for reading, forwarding, storing in a folder, and other functions.
Writing Messages
The first step in writing a message in OLX is to decide how you would like to reach your addressee. Your intended recipient may have a CompuServe or MCI Mail address, or may be reached through a Bulletin Board System, or may have a FAX machine and you wish to send a message with your FAX modem.
To start writing your message, choose the New
message option from the Message
menu. You will be asked various information about the message you are writing; at any time you may press F1 to obtain context-sensitive help.
If there are certain people whom you correspond with frequently, you may wish to add their names and Email addresses to your address
book. To manage your address book, select Address
book from the View
menu.
In Box
Whenever OLX encounters a new message that is addressed to you, it will place a copy of that message in your In box. This copy will be retained independently of the original message. For example, if you open a QWK packet from a BBS and there is a new message addressed to you, that message will be saved in your In box even if you delete the QWK packet containing that message. P
The In box can automatically purge messages that you have read using the Inbox
purging option from the Options/Preferences dialog box. For example, you may wish to keep incoming messages for seven days before they are automatically deleted. Any message may be marked as "Keep", which means that it will never be automatically deleted.
Out Box
Messages that you write are placed in the Out box and marked as NEW messages. When you exit OLX or choose Export
replies from the File
menu, any NEW messages in your Out box will be copied to an appropriate REP or OUT packet that is prepared for uploading to a Bulletin Board System, online service, or FAX machine.
Once a message has been exported from the Out box, it will be marked as Sent. The Out box can automatically purge messages that have been Sent using the Outbox
purging option from the Options/Preferences dialog box. For example, you may wish to keep messages that you have written for thirty days before they are automatically deleted. Any message may be marked as "Keep", which means that it will never be automatically deleted.
Message Editor
Off-Line Xpress includes a full-featured text editor that is suitable for writing electronic mail messages. It includes cut and paste operations, word wrap, paragraph formatting, a spelling
checker, and more.
If you prefer, you may use another external
editor or word processor for editing messages. If you do decide to use a word processor, be sure to save and load files in "non-document" or "ASCII" format.
See also:
Editor
commands
Address Book
The OLX Address book is used to store information about people you correspond with frequently. There is space for a person's real name, Email address and supporting information, and an unlimited size "notes" area.
When you write a message with OLX, you can pick an addressee from your address book with a single keypress or mouse click. The recipient's complete Email address and routing information will be filled in automatically.
When you are reading messages, you may save information about the author of any message using the Save
address command. This saves typing and ensures that the user's address will be copied without errors.
Spelling Checker
OLX contains a built-in 112,000 word spelling checker that can be used to check the spelling of messages you write. The spelling checker will automatically suggest up to 10 alternate spellings for each incorrect word, it will allow you to add any word to your own personal dictionary, and it will quietly skip spelling mistakes in messages that you have quoted.
The spelling checker can be configured to automatically check each message that you write, or you can keep it out of the way and only call upon it when necessary. `
You may delete the OLX.DIC dictionary file if you do not wish to use the OLX spelling checker.
Message Header
The message header contains information about the message that is currently on the screen. A message header looks something like this (zoom this window using F5 to see the whole header): '
Date: 11-01-92 (3:00) Number: 1234 Message 3 of 14
From: GREG HEWGILL Reply to: NONE Read Keep Replied
To: ALL Received: NO (PVT) Saved
Subj: Release of OLX 3.0 Conference: MUSTANG (2) QmodemPro
Date
This is the date and time at which the message was written.
From
This is the author of the message.
This is the recipient of the message.
Subj
This is the subject of the message.
Number
This is the message number (BBS messages only).
Reply to
This is the number of the message to which this message is a reply.
Received
This indicates whether the message has been received by the addressee.
(PVT)
This flag, if present, indicates that the message is private.
Conference
This is the packet name, conference number, and conference name in which the message resides.
Read
This flag, if present, indicates that you have read this message.
Keep
This flag, if present, indicates that the message is marked as Keep in the In
box or Out
box.
Replied
This flag, if present, indicates that you have replied to this message.
Saved
This flag, if present, indicates that you have saved this message to a folder, exported it to an ASCII file, or printed it.
Carbon copy types
This option controls how you would like the original message and copied messages to appear. I
) Normal carbon
In a normal carbon copy, the copies will indicate that they are a copy of another message and will name the original recipient. The original message will indicate that carbon copies have been sent using the "cc:" notation at the bottom of the message. I
( ) Blind carbon
In a blind carbon copy, the copies will indicate that they are blind copies of another message and will name the original recipient. The original message will not have any indication that copies have been sent. I
( ) Crosspost
In a crosspost, copies of the message are identical to the original and have no indication that they are copies. This can be useful for sending the same (generic) message to a number of people, or to post the same message in a number of public message areas.
Addressing FAX Messages
When using OLX with QmodemPro, there are a number of ways to send messages to another FAX machine. 5
Using your own FAX modem
If your modem has FAX Class 1 or Class 2 capability, you can FAX messages directly from QmodemPro. When addressing your message, enter the phone number in the To/FAX field, and place FAX in the Packet field. For example: /
To/FAX: Jim Harrer [9,395-0713]
Packet: FAX
The phone number is placed in brackets after the addressee's name, and includes any special access codes (like "9,") that may be required by your phone system. E
Using the CompuServe FAX Gateway
If you have a CompuServe account, you may FAX messages using the CompuServe FAX gateway. When addressing your message, enter the phone number in the To/FAX field, including the country code ("1-" for North America). Place CISMAIL in the Packet field, and FAX in the Routed to field. For example: M
To/FAX: Jim Harrer [1-805-395-0713]
Routed to: FAX
Packet: CISMAIL
Using the MCI Mail FAX Gateway
If you have an MCI Mail account, you may FAX messages using the MCI Mail FAX gateway. When addressing your message, enter the phone number in the To/FAX field, leaving out the "1-" prefix, even for US calls. Place MCIMAIL in the Packet field, and FAX in the Routed to field. For example, K
To/FAX: Jim Harrer [805-395-0713]
Routed to: FAX
Packet: MCIMAIL
Using a BBS FAX Gateway
Some Bulletin Board Systems may offer a FAX gateway. For information about a FAX gateway on your local BBS, please ask your system operator.
See also:
Advanced
Message
Addressing
Advanced Message Addressing
Some online services may require additional routing information in order to deliver an electronic mail message. The "Routed to" field is used for such additional information. The meaning of this information is dependent on the packet selected. Here are some examples:
An Internet message via CompuServe
To/FAX: Greg Hewgill [ghewgill@alpha.uvic.ca]
Routed to: INTERNET
Packet: CISMAIL
A CompuServe message via MCI Mail
To/FAX: 70400,2125
Routed to: COMPUSERVE
Packet: MCIMAIL
An MHS message via CompuServe
To/FAX: RICK@MUSTANG
Routed to: MHS
Packet: CISMAIL
A message routed via PCRelay/PostLink
To/FAX: JIM HARRER
Routed to: DUNGEON
Packet: MUSTANG
For more examples and full explanations, please see the documentation included with OLX.
(.txt)