Dream 44/Amiga_Dream_44.iso/RiscPc/Utils/qedit058.spk/!Qedit/!Help

Text File | 1997-05-12 | 17KB | 459 lines

                        -------------------------
                        |  Help file for Qedit  |
                        |  A ka9q queue editor  |
                        |                       |
                        | ⌐ David Croft, 1995-7 |
                        -------------------------

       **
       *  This version has been developed by Joseph Heenan,  *
       *          to whom I am immensely grateful.           *
                                                            **


This document is divided into thirteen sections:

1.  Copyright and Licence
2.  Requirements
3.  Running Qedit
4.  The main window
5.  Messages "on hold"
6.  Re-editing messages
7.  Other options
8.  Configuration
9.  Known problems
10. Wish-list
11. Release history
12. Acknowledgements
13. Contact addresses

In this document, the term "message" is used to refer to both "electronic
mail messages" and "Usenet news articles".


1. Copyright and Licence
------------------------

Qedit is Copyright 1995, 1996 and 1997 by David Croft. All Rights Reserved.
Additional code Copyright 1997 by Joseph Heenan.

You may copy and use this program freely within the limitations outlined below:

 * No charge may be made beyond the normal charges of a PD library /
   magazine, etc.
 * All original files must be included in the distribution, in an
   unmodified form.
 * The author can accept no responsibility for any problems arising from
   use of this software. No guarantee is given for the suitability or
   usability of this software.

Magazine editors and CD-ROM publishers are kindly requested to contact
the original author before distributing Qedit.


2. Requirements
---------------

Operating System:
 * RISC OS 3.10 or greater

Software:
 * Newsbase

One or more of the following programs:
 * NewsHound
 * FreeNews
 * FreeSMTP
 * POP
 * ka9q (TCP/IP)
 * The ANT internet suite
 * Termite Internet

Newsbase is available from:

http://www.hep.umn.edu/~allan/newsbase/

The PD/freeware programs should be available from:

http://www.dsse.ecs.soton.ac.uk:8080/ftp/freenet/

If you don't have Newsbase, you will be unable to edit outgoing messages,
but you will still be able to use the other options.


3. Running Qedit
----------------

Qedit should be installed in the same directory as NewsBase.
If you're not using NewsBase, you will need to configure the qedit
manually so it knows what transports you use. See section 8.

There are three ways of runnning Qedit:

i)   Double click on it directly.
ii)  Use the "Show Queues..." option in Newsbase.
iii) Use an option in TCPIP's macros menu (version 1.02 or greater have
     this already set up).

When you run Qedit, it will take a second or two to scan your outgoing
queues. If it cannot find your mail directory (for the current outgoing
transports), then it will complain and quit. Otherwise the main window
will open.

Using Zap's Email mode:

  You can make Zap use the Email editing mode when re-editing messages. Open
  up the Zap Keys file, and add the following line after the &5nn lines:

  &5nn   &FFF    \#\*.Re-edit           +Email

  where &5nn is a hexadecimal number different to the other &5nn numbers.

  This line is already present in Zap version 1.35.

Finally, a note on memory:

  The wimpslot is the runfile is set at 60k - if you get "No room" errors,
  load !Qedit.!Run into an editor, and increase this figure (to, say 80k).


4. The main window
------------------

This window shows all messages that will be sent next time you connect to
your service provider.

The first column (headed Type) shows whether the message is Mail or News. If
it is "on hold" (see section 5), a red message will appear here as well.

The second column is headed ID, and is a unique identifier for that message.
You will only need to know this if you want to manually alter a message.

The third column is the size of the message in bytes, including headers. This
is shown in bytes, or kilobytes if suffixed with "k".

The fourth and fifth columns indicate the time and date at which the message
was last edited.

The final column shows who the message is from, the subject, and the
destination (either an e-mail address for mail, or a newsgroup for news).

The last column will be truncated if it is too long, and terminated by an
ellipsis. (...)

Mailing list messages sent by !MailList are now shown in blue.


5. Messages "on hold"
---------------------

If you have written a message, but you don't want it to be sent off
immediately, you can put it "on hold". This prevents your internet software
from sending it when you next connect to your service provider.

This can be useful if you want time to think over what you have said, or
if you wish to delay posting of a message.

To put a message on hold, click ADJUST on it, or choose the menu item "Hold".
To release it, click ADJUST again, or choose the menu item "Release".

Messages that are on hold are listed with a red "HELD" message on the queues
display.

At Charterhouse School this is used for mail approval. Messages sent by pupils
are automatically put on hold until the system manager "approves" them by
releasing them. This is done with modified Newsbase transport files.


6. Re-editing messages
----------------------

To re-edit a message, simply click on it with SELECT. Assuming a suitable
text editor can be found (e.g. !Edit or !Zap), a window containing the
message will appear. You may then edit it as you please.

Once you have finished, simply save the file (without changing the filename),
and then close the window. Qedit will detect that you have finished, and
repost the message through Newsbase. If you don't want to save the changes,
simply close the window and discard the file.

Note that you can only edit one message at a time, and that it will be
automatically put "on hold" to stop it being sent while you're editing it.
Do not quit !qedit whilst editing a message.

Read section 9 for restrictions on blind carbon copies.


7. Other options
----------------

To delete a message, choose the menu option "Item-->Delete". You will be
prompted for confirmation. Click OK to delete the item, or Cancel to leave
it intact. If you don't want to be asked for confirmation each time, you can
turn it off (see section 8).

If you delete a message by mistake, you may find it in the
Email.<username>.outgoing.mail/news folders, if you have enabled this feature
in Newsbase.

Qedit will normally update the display automatically when messages are added
or removed, but to force a rescan of your outgoing queues, choose the menu
option "Re-check queues".

To remove everything from the outgoing queues (including held messages)
choose the menu item "Flush queues". You will be asked for confirmation once,
even if you have turned confirmation off (see section 8).

To leave Qedit simply click SELECT on the window's close icon, or choose the
menu option "Quit".


8. Configuration
----------------

Configuration of Qedit is made by editing the Messages file. Open up the
!Qedit application directory and load the Messages file into your favourite
text editor.

Transports:
   If you are not using Newsbase, or if Qedit is unable to automatically
   detect your transports, you should locate the lines beginning "mail:"
   and "news:" and change their values according to the instructions
   given just above them.

Scrap file:
   By default, Qedit uses the Wimp !Scrap directory to store messages
   whilst they are edited. If this is inconvient, locate the line
   beginning "scrap:" and alter its contents.

Confirmation:
   If you do not wish to be asked for confirmation each time you delete an
   outgoing message, locate the line beginning "confirm:" and change the "Y"
   to a "N".


9. Known problems
-----------------

If you edit a mail message which originally had blind-carbon-copy (Bcc:)
recipients, these will not be put back into the editing window. If you want
to keep them, you must type them back manually by adding a Bcc: line
to the headers, e.g.:

To: [e-mail]
Cc: [e-mail]
Bcc: [e-mail]    <- You must type this line back in yourself.

I can't see any way of doing this automatically at the moment, but I will
keep trying!

This especially applies to mailing list messages. If you edit a mailing list
message, it will be sent back to your site to be re-distributed. This is not
a problem, it just means distribution will be a little slower.

Also, if you try to repost a message while Newsbase is busy (e.g. during a
debatch or expiry) the message may be lost, although you can find it in your
!Scrap directory.


10. Wish-list
-------------

 * Saving a queue report (simply a transcript of the window)
 * Check with the user when receiving PreQuit while editing.
 * Calculate the correct boundaries in Redraw loop to speed it up.
 * Fix quit-handling - have a rescue option and store all the type/id
   info inside the scrapdir.
 * Handle "try again later" message correctly.
 * Insert Bcc: lines before re-editing
 * Scan work files as well as text files when showing queue - otherwise
   you get worrying messages when SMTP trys to send a work-file-only message.
 * Check lock files.
 * A "Rescue" option, ala TTFN.
 * Use OS_ConvertFileSize

This is an interim release of Qedit.

The next version of Qedit is well underway and supports numerous transports
concurrently. See http://www.infotrek.demon.co.uk/freeware/qedit/


11. Release history
-------------------

0.01▐ (22-Jan-95)
 / initial idea, sent to Graham Allan

0.50▀ (25-Jan-95)
 * re-write of loading/redrawing code - and now uses Wimp icons for column
   separators rather than drawing them myself (much faster)
 * uses the text files rather than work files to scan queues
 / sent to beta-testers

0.51▀ (31-Jan-95)
 * asks for confirmation if you try to quit whilst editing
 * gives an informative message if it can't find a text editor (rather than
   just assuming it's being edited) (you now need RISC OS 3.10 or greater)
 * command-line options -debug and -noconfirm added
 * Individual icons for the column headers to make it RiscPC-friendly
 * Will automatically update queues when a message is sent through Newsbase
   version 0.52e or greater. Up to 50 extra messages can be added before a
   reload of Qedit is required. If you are editing, this is done when you
   have finished editing, otherwise it is done immediately.
 * Broadcasts the update message when an message is held/released/deleted to
   allow other queue programs and Newsbase to update.
 * Tidied up Wimp message handling
 * Remembers the message you're editing by it's ID, rather than its position
   in the window. This means:
    a) It doesn't lose track after a QueueUpdate message.
    b) You can now delete/hold/release any message that is not being edited.
 * Menu options "Help", "Re-check queues" and "Flush queues" added.
 * Fixed re-opening of menus.
 * Truncates "To:" and "From:" lines in mail messages if they are too long.
 / sent to beta-testers

0.52▀ (05-Feb-95)
 * Fixed bug that stopped the info for news articles being displayed. (there
   was a spurious ENDIF hanging around)
 * Widened the ID column as I discovered news ID's could be 6 long (but are
   limited to 6 as they are preceded by "news". Mail shouldn't be a problem;
   if you have sent 999,999 messages you can jolly well change your sequence
   file!)
 * When you've finished re-editing, the message is now posted through Newsbase
   (if you change it). This removes the restriction on To:, Cc: and Bcc:
   changing. (This means you now need Newsbase to edit messages)
 * Now has a multi-tasking message window for non-serious errors, in the same
   style as Newsbase. (centralised on screen)
 * Now uses MessageTrans for nearly all non-debug text.
 * Checks the edit window whenever the main window is asked to redraw, so
   that it can usually detect the window close immediately. Also checks
   every 50cs.
 * Interactive help added.
 * Fixed "Re-check queues" while TCPIP is sending mail.
 / sent to betatesters

0.53 (08-Feb-95)
 * Removed all debugging code. -debug command-line option removed.
 * General tidy up.
 / sent to Dr. Alan Hassey

0.54 (16-Feb-95)
 * Stops you loading more than one copy - if you try, it brings the original
   copy back to the front.
 * Now inserts filename into a desktop boot file if you use the Desktop Boot
   option from the Task Manager.
 * Messages greater than 50 kilobytes long now have their size displayed in
   kilobytes instead of bytes.
 * Moved "-noconfirm" into Messages file.
 * Changed wimpslot from 128k to 64k. Fixed display updating when memory short
 * Easier installation method.
 / Uploaded to ftp.demon.co.uk

0.54a (03-Mar-95)
 * Now gives you info if Newsbase cannot execute a particular command.
 / sent to those with communications erros, and uploaded to Arcade BBS

0.55 (13-Jul-95)
 * Transport name can be changed in the Messages file. (e.g. "old-ka9q")
 * System$Path_Message used to ensure !System if it is needed, but not
   complain if it isn't. (been flicking through the PRMs...)
 * MailList messages are shown in blue (It checks the X-MailList: header)
 * No longer asks confirmation for delete if message is being edited.
 * Tidied newsbase communications & moved more text into Messages
 * Checks for bad work files rather than give EOF errors.
 * More informative "Newsbase not found" errors, and it tells you where you
   can find lost files.
 * Now says "edit" rather than "HELD" when editing an un-held message.
 * Uses OS_FSControl rather than *Wipe *Copy and *Rename (avoids problems
   with Bits module).
 * Checks to see whether the editing window is _open_ rather than just
   deleted - this *may* fix a problem with Zap 1.30.
 * !RunImage squashed.
 * WimpSlot reduced to 32k - but if you have more than ~30 messages you will
   need to put it back to 64k in the !Run file.
 / to mnhepw.hep.umn.edu, ftp.demon.co.uk and micros.hensa.ac.uk

0.56 (21-Jul-95)
 * Problem with Newsbase 0.55 fixed - Newsbase now automatically appends a
   Sender: header if it believes the From: header to be incorrect. To
   compensate, Qedit now sets the user to whatever the From: header says.
   This will probably also cure the "cannot post article" errors.
 / to mnhepw.hep.umn.edu and ftp.demon.co.uk

0.57 (12-Jul-96) bugfix release
 * Menu no longer gets screwed up by long message filenames
 * ID column now truncated to last 6 characters of filename
 * "Approved" messages shown in green
 * Updated memory reservation
 * Fixed "String too long" error on startup
 / patch upgrade to usual sites

0.58-dev-60 (30-Apr-97) First release with support for other transports
                 Changes made by Joseph Heenan
 * Support adding for the following newsbase transports:
   * FreeSMTP
   * POP
   * NewsHound
   * FreeNews
   * ANT (email & news)
   * Termite (email & news)
 * Removed bug in parsing From: line
     (Joseph <jogu@.. was interpreted as user Joseph)
 * Changed update routines so they trigger when newsbase says any
     transport queue has been modified.
     (newsbase does not seem to be providing the right transport name)
 * Now ignores queue entries that cannot be read for some reason
     (eg. are currently been sent)
 * Now uses registered newsbase wimp messages numbers
 * Auto transport detection

0.58-dev-61 (03-May-97) Joseph
 * Queue window template changed so it looks better with a desktop
     outline font.
 * Now sets filetypes to text before passing them to an editor
     (this use to stop freesmtp edits coming up in Email mode in Zap)
 * Warns when you try to edit a message that is currently being sent
 * Flags messages that are in the process of been sent
 * Edit / hold cope if the message vanishes under them
 * mail command to newsbase was using old style message

0.58 (12-May-97) Joseph
 * Will now strip out surplus Received: headers. Fixes problems with
     FreeSMTP. Also strips out Sender: header.
 * Now parses email and uses Sender: header (if present) rather than
     From: header to set newsbase user. (fixes user masquerading prob.)
 * Removed a surplus ')' from a line detecting the ANT suite
 * Configuration of transports is now made in the Messages file (DC)
 * Text moved to Messages file (DC)
 / Released to usual sites


12. Acknowledgements
--------------------

I would like to thank Adam Goodfellow, Graham Allan and Tom Hughes for their
advice on earlier versions. Also to Joseph Heenan who has been hard at work
to produce this multi-transport version.

Thanks also to the following for beta testing the multitransport
version for Joseph:
    Ruth Gunstone           Andy Fawcett
    Graham Allan            Tony Houghton
    Carol Carpenter


13. Contact addresses
---------------------

* The support for transports other than ka9q was added by Joseph Heenan, *
* [e-mail]. Problems with this version of !qedit         *
* should be sent to Joseph.                                              *


If you have any suggestions for the development of this program, or have
found any problems with it, please tell me. My e-mail address is
<[e-mail]>

Qedit is on the WWW at http://www.infotrek.demon.co.uk/freeware/qedit/