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EnigmA Amiga Run 1996 June
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TurboRead.Doc
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1995-02-09
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TubroRead 2.4 for DLG BBS/OS
(pd) 1994-95 by
Doug McLean & Bob Stouder
What It Is
~~~~~~~~~~
TurboRead started as a little hack by Doug Mclean called TagRead. It was
orginially designed to be a more convenient way of tagging and reading
messages. Doug kept improving it and changed the name to TurboRead.
Recently, Doug released the source code for TurboRead. I've always used
TurboRead on my BBS and really liked it. I wanted to make it more of a
complete replacement for the DLG:Mess program and more intergated into
DLG by using the DLG library.
TurboRead will show you a full screen of message headers at once. You may
cursor up and down through the list, and read in any order you wish. You
may tag messages or message chains that can be read from the DLG message
menu. You can change Messages areas within TurboRead, you can enter new
messages and reply to messages that you read. You can search for a text
string (including wild cards) anywhere in the From, To, Title or Body
of the message.
To use TurboRead you will need ADos 2.04, a screen width of 80 columns or
more and a minimum of 8 lines. If the user doesn't have one these,
TurboRead will give them an error message and exit.
Setting It Up
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Step 1: Create a menu entry on your message menu for TurboRead. It should
look something like this:
[ 1] Letter: V
[ 2] Executable: Doors:TurboRead <--- See Note Below
[ 4] Description: TurboRead
[ 5] Type: Executable
[ 6] Help File: MSG_MAIN/V
[ 7] Lower level: 1
[ 8] Higher level: 255
[ 9] Hidden: NO
[10] Load Type: CHAIN <--- Very Important!
[11] Ask user if sure: NO
[12] Pend messages: YES <--- Very Important!
[13] Cli Mode: NO <--- Very Important!
[15] Log Value: None
[16] Activity String: Using TurboRead
[17] Priority: DEFAULT
[18] Edit help file
Note: You may place any command arguments you wish on item 2 above.
These will be passed back to DLG:Mess when TurboRead exits.
For instance, I use:
Doors:TurboRead -c "~"
to cause DLG:Mess to not divert to the user's private mail
area, even if they have unread private mail. Any DLG switches
will be substituted at the time that TurboRead is executed
NOT when it returns to DLG:Mess.
Note: If you use forced Message SIGs (ie DLG:Mess -s nnn) then you
must also call TurboRead with that Message SIG on the command
line:
Doors:TurboRead -s %MSG_SIGNUMBER
Other arguments may be present on the command line as stated
above. The SIG and any other arguments will be passed back
to DLG:Mess.
Note: DON'T COPY THIS VERSION OF TURBOREAD OVER YOUR OLD ONE WITHOUT
MAKING THE MENU CHANGES SHOWN ABOVE. USING THE OLD MENU BATCH
FILE WITH THIS VERSION OF TURBOREAD WILL CAUSE PROBLEMS AND
IT WON'T WORK CORRECTLY.
Step 2: Copy the file Tagged.Txt to DLGConfig:Text.
Modify as apporiate for your system.
Step 3: Copy the TagRead#?.bat files to DLGConfig:batch.
Modify the TagRead#?.bat files as apporiate for your system.
Step 4: Copy the executable programs to Doors: or where ever you keep them.
Using TurboRead
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ok, now you should have everything set up and ready to go. Please view the
included screen picture (TurboRead.pic) for the rest of the discussion.
At the top, you are shown the number and name of the message area. At the
far right, you are shown the number of the next unread message and the number
of the lowest and highest messages in the area. After the message numbers,
is your "write" status in this message area. If you can write messages, then
"Enterable" will appear, if you can't then "Read Only" will appear.
The second line shows the most commonly used commands and the search text.
The third line is the message heading line. Messages are displayed starting
on the fourth line.
The placement of the cursor determines what is the current message. The
message number will be shown in reverse video. I did this to make it easier
to track where the current message is in relationship to the From, To and
Title fields. This way you have a visual reference to the current message
on each side of the screen.
Up arrow moves the cursor up a line.
Shift-Up arrow move to top of screen.
Down arrow moves it down a line.
Shift-Down arrow move to bottom of screen.
Left arrow goes to the previous page of messages.
Right arrow goes to the next page.
Note: In place of the arrow keys, you can also use the number keys
(8, 2, 4, and 6). These perform the same function as the arrows
on your numeric keypad. This is useful for users whose terminal
programs don't properly support the arrow keys, and for Messy-Dos
users who can't figure out how their Num-Lock key works. Also,
the number key 7 moves to Top of Screen and 1 moves to bottom of
screen.
R or RETURN will read the message that the cursor is on. After reading a
message, the cursor is automatically advanced to the next NEW
message. I did this to make reading new messages more convenient.
A user can read new messages by pressing RETURN, similar to the
way DLG:Mess does it. If there are NO NEW messages, the cursor
stays on the current message.
After reading a message, there are up to seven choices.
! = will always reread the current message.
- = will display the message that this message
is a reply to (the parent message). If there
is no parent message, this option will not
display or execute.
+ = will display the reply to this message (the child).
If there is no reply, this option will not display
or execute.
R = will allow replying to the message. If the user
does not have write access in the area, then this
option will not display or execute.
C = will allow correcting the message. If the user
does not have re-Edit access in the area, then this
option will not display or execute.
B = will display a list of batch files and allow the user
to execute one. This option will not display or execute
if there are no batch files or the user doesn't have
access to any batch files.
Any other key will return to the message display screen.
E allows the user to enter a new message.
. or SPACEBAR will tag or untag the current message. If the message is
already tagged, it will be deleted. If it's not tagged,
it will be added.
X will clear all message tags, EVEN THOSE TAGGED BEFORE ENTERING TurboRead.
Utilities like WMail tag messages, and the user might have tagged messages
himself, but TurboRead has no way of knowing who tagged what. So, if a user
clears tagged messages, all of the tags are cleared.
A allows you to change message areas. If you were in a SIG before executing
TurboRead, then only those areas of the SIG will be available you.
The Message areas that you have access to be displayed and the cursor will
be positioned on the first message area. Just like the message display
screen, the current selected message area's number will be in reverse video.
You may position to any message area using the arrow keys or the numeric
keypad keys (8,2,4,6,7,1). Position on the message area desired and press
RETURN to select it. To select your private mail area, press the P key.
If more areas are available than will fit on the screen, pressing the M
key will display the next screen. Pressing the B key will display the
first screen of message areas. Pressing the A key will abort the Area
change and return to the Message display screen.
N allows you to do a New Message scan. It will scan your Message Global Areas,
stopping on the next Message area with new messages. While it is scaning
for new messages, a Control-C will abort the scan and return you to the
message display screen.
K allows you to delete a message. You may always delete messages in your
private mail area. In other message areas, you may only delete messages
if your level is within the low-high kill levels for that message area.
F allows you to add a name to the message Twit Filter. The name defaults
to the from name of the message that the cursor is on. However, the
name may be changed. A name may be filtered out in the current message
area or ALL areas. A name may be filtered from mutiple message areas
(but not all areas) by going to each area and adding the name for that
area. If a name is added for ALL area filtering, any previously defined
message area filters are deleted.
D will display ALL names and associated message areas in the Twit filter. A
name may be up to 35 characters, but due to limited display space only the
first 30 characters will be displayed. However all 35 characters will be
used to filter and delete names.
You may position to any name using the arrow keys or the numeric keypad
keys (8,2,4,6,7,1). Position on the name to delete and press RETURN to
delete it. If more names are available than will fit on the screen pressing
the M key will display the next screen. Pressing the B key will display the
first screen of names. Pressing the A key will abort the screen and return
to the Message display screen.
H will show a brief help screen. Help is available on all screens. The help
displayed will pertain to that screen only.
? will redraw the screen. Good if you get a bit of garbage on the line or
the two minute warning.
# will update the users last read message number to the highest message in
this area.
C will clear the search string.
S will allow the user to enter/edit the search string. Searches are done on
the From, To, Title and the Message body (up to the SEEN-BY line). Wild
cards are allowed in the search string. (see the help screen for examples).
Q exits TurboRead.
TurbRead Flags & Colors
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On the right side of each message is a series of flags. If the user has ANSI
color, then parts of the message will be displayed in different colors.
Flags show same information as colors:
S---- Search String Found (White From, To, Title or S=found in body)
-T--- Tagged Message (White Message Number)
--R-- Reply To/Next Reply (Purple Message Number)
---2- Message to You (Cyan To)
---Y- Message From You (Cyan From)
----L Last Message Read (Purple To, From, Title)
----N Next Unread Message (Yellow To, From, Title)
The number of a message will either be green, white, or purple:
- A white number means that the message is tagged.
- A purple number means that the message is either a reply to the message
you last read, or the message you last read is a reply to the one with
the purple number.
The To, From, and Title fields:
- White means it matches the search string.
- Purple is the last message you have read.
- Yellow is the next unread message.
The following colors have priority over the ones above, where applicable:
- If your name appears in To or From, it will appear in Cyan.
TurboRead Batch Files
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After reading a message the user can execute one of 9 different batch files.
These batch files must be located in DLGConfig:batch/, and are called
TagReadx.bat, where x is from 1 to 9, EX: DLGConfig:batch/TagRead1.bat.
The batch files can provide valuable services, like exporting messages, tagging
a thread, etc. The batch files provided perform the following functions:
1: Saves a message as text to be downloaded.
2: Tag the entire message thread starting with the current message.
3: Show message Kludge lines.
4: Lex Check Message.
5: Not provided -- Make your own.
6: Extracts a UUencoded file from a message.
7: Write Message to Printer.
8: Export Message to a text file.
9: Sample Batch.
The best place to put the utilities used by any of the above batch files
you wish to keep online is in Doors: and these sample batches ASSUME that.
These batch files are intended as examples only! YOU NEED TO EDIT MOST OF
THE ABOVE FOR YOUR SYSTEM!
WARNING: There is very little (if any) error checking done on the format
of your batch files, SO GET THEM RIGHT before putting them online!
When a batch file is executed, it is passed 6 arguments. These are:
1: The full name and path of the current message.
2: The Underscored user name.
3. The Message area number.
4. The Message number.
5. The Message Area Name.
6. The Port that the User is on.
With this information available, it should be possible to do just about
whatever you want to a message. If you write or find any utilities that
are useful in TurboRead batch files, please send them to me!
NOTE THAT YOU CANNOT GET INPUT FROM THE USER in a batch file, do not use
any program that expects input.
We need to provide some additional information about a batch file to TurboRead.
A priviledge level and a description of the batch file's function. TurboRead
will read the batch file, find and use the first TWO comment lines.
The first comment line MUST contain the minimum user level required to execute
the batch file. This is shown on Line 4 in the sample batch file below. Only
those batch files that a user has access to will be displayed to the user.
The second comment line MUST contain a description (of up to 60 chars) of the
batch file's function. This is shown on Line 5 in the sample batch file below.
Sample Batch File:
.key msg/a,user/a,anum/a,mnum/a,aname/a,port/a
.bra [
.ket ]
;255
;Sample - Sample batch file for TagRead (Sysop)
;
; This sample batch file will print all the info passed to the batch file.
;
; DO NOT change line 1.
;
; Change lines 2 & 3 ONLY if you do not want to use [ and ] to contain
; the data passed to the batch file.
;
; Line 4 MUST contain the minimum user level required to execute the
; batch file.
;
; Line 5 MUST contain a SHORT description of the batch file (60 chars max).
;
; DO NOT include a space after the ; on lines 4 & 5.
;
; Lines 6+ contain the commands of the batch file, including comments.
;
echo "*nSample batch file for TagRead*n"
echo "Message : [msg]"
echo "User_Name : [user]"
echo "Area Number : [anum]"
echo "Message Number: [mnum]"
echo "Area Name : [aname]"
echo "Port : [port]*n"
Other Notes
~~~~~~~~~~~
TurboRead doesn't like ANSI in messages. It won't crash or anything, but a
message with ANSI will look a mess when read.
The To, From, and Title fields are truncated as necessary. There is only so
much room on one 80 col screen! They are shown in full in the message
header when reading a message.
The Legal Stuff
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This program is PD. I accept no responsibility (legal or otherwise) for
the performace or lack thereof of TurboRead. Use it at your own risk.
I have tested and debugged TurboRead pretty well, so you shouldn't have
any problems, but if you do, let me know!
Contacting Me
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you have bug reports, comments, suggestions, ideas, complaints, or praise :)
I can be reached at:
Bob Stouder BBS: (513) 860-5150 V32bis
8165 Mellowtone Ct FIDO: 1:108/150
W. Chester OH, 45069 AmigaNet: 40:706/40 40:706/1
You can always FREQ the lastest version of TurboRead with the magic name of
TURBOREAD from my BBS.