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!README!.TXT
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1994-09-19
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18KB
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515 lines
WELCOME to Recon (tm) version 2.50!
Recon consists of at least:
PACKING.TXT contains a complete list and description of all
files in package, MUST BE PRESENT
WARRANTY.TXT IMPORTANT WARRANTY INFORMATION
!README!.TXT Thank you for reading the file!
RECON.EXE |
RECON.OVR | the actual software
RECON25.HLP |
DCTABLE.DAT |
RECON250.TXT version 2.50 manual
(may be stored in a separate ZIP, eg.ReconD.ZIP)
The current file (!README!.TXT) contains the following sections:
Introduction
Last minute changes and notes
Documentation - Printing it
Quick Installation
What's new in version 2.50
Registration
Where to from here?
Support and thanks
The following text is excerpted from the main documentation.
All listed cross-references refer to sections in the main documentation file
RECON250.TXT, or the printed version 2.50 manual.
Introduction
============
Today's CompuServe navigators are very efficient at capturing and
downloading messages. But once you have all those messages, through
multiple sessions and they start piling up, you quickly acquire a
significant handling problem.
What Recon does is spread out all your messages out on a silver
platter, and then does the dishes too!
In a nutshell, it keeps track of what you've read, what you
haven't, what you haven't replied to, and lets you view/reply/process
the messages that you need to. It then keeps sorting in new online
passes of messages as well as intelligent aging out of older messages.
While viewing there are a multitude of message filters that you can use,
and abilities to print and copy/move groups of messages as well. It also
lets you organize your hodge-podge of add-on utilities with an
intelligent shell.
Recon will let you review downloaded messages from within message
files that are kept trim and sorted into context. It gets control of
your files, but without tossing valuable information.
Recon will sort and rethread both forum and mail message files,
removing dead text and duplicates in the process. It even works with
INTERNET/CMail messages, and can optionally clean up the INTERNET
routing information.
Recon provides a summary at a glance of the status of all of your
active files, using its new, unique Message File PreScan feature.
Recon provides an enhanced, powerful file viewer/navigator, which
lets you compose your replies, generate download scripts, and other
online activities.
Recon also provides Sysop functions, not just the usual CompuServe
forum commands, but also slick offline file management abilities. You
also have the added benefit of your offline message file being
maintained to reflect any online CHAnge type commands immediately!
Recon can keep your files under control by surgically pruning out
older messages, according to your fine-tuning instructions.
Recon also can act as a general CompuServe format message file
manager allowing you to sort, browse, prune, and organize & archive
CompuServe message files, much like a directory file manager lets you
work with files within directories.
Recon can also help organize your navigator and the variety of add-
on programs with its use of an intelligent memory swapping MENU Shell.
Recon 2.50 is now completely compatible with Golden Commpass, an
OS/2 Compuserve Navigator.
Recon 2.50 also is compatible with Ozcis version 2.x, but for forum
files only.
Recon 2.50 is a very significant upgrade in features and power, but
still remains within the comfortable Recon 2.x framework. Many of the
most asked for enhancement requests have now been added.
See What's New in 2.50? (section 1.4) for some of the details. You
will soon find Recon 2.50 indispensable.
Last minute changes and notes
=============================
o HELP file name
In some places the documentation may refer to a help file called
RECON.HLP or RECON250.HLP.
The correct name for this file for the 2.50 release is RECON25.HLP.
Documentation - Printing it
===========================
RECON250.TXT is the dos text version of the manual.
This file contains all of the information contained in the printed
copy of the manual. If you wish to print or view the on-disk
copy, it contains no special formatting commands, can be viewed
with any DOS text file viewer or editor, and it should be printable on
most any printer.
The maximum line width in the document is 76 characters and it
requires no more than 60 lines per page to print. Though not strictly
necessary, setting your printer to 12 cpi with a 1.0 inch left margin
(on 8.5 inch width paper) should result in a nicely centered printout.
If you load this document into a word processor, be careful to allow at
least 60 lines/page.
Be sure that you have enough paper - the document is long. For a
formfeed paper printer insert the paper and set your printer to start
printing towards the top of the page, ready to print on approximately
the fourth line. Note that most page printers (laser, inkjet, or impact
with a cut sheet feeder) will by default begin printing on line 4. Then
type at the DOS command line:
COPY RECON250.TXT PRN
The documentation file may include some box drawings, these use
certain characters which may not be available on some printers.
Generally such printers replace these special characters with italicised
letters. If you are able to, choose the IBM mode on such a printer.
Quick Installation
==================
If you ordered a registered copy of Recon on disk, then the
included on-disk RINSTALL utility, after asking a few questions, will
automatically install Recon for you. Just insert the Recon diskette into
either of your floppy drives, change to that drive, and type RINSTALL.
For example if you insert the diskette into drive A, type at the DOS
prompt:
A: [Enter]
RINSTALL [Enter]
If you downloaded Recon from CompuServe, a BBS, or just got an
evaluation copy from a friend, installing the software is still quite
straightforward. Just copy RECON.EXE, RECON.OVR and RECON25.HLP (also
DCTABLE.DAT for Latin-1 support) into the same directory that contains
your navigator files and you are ready to go.
You do not need to, and should not erase any information files
(Recon*.DAT, Recon*.SET and Recon*.PCK) that a previous version may have
created. These contain file time stamp data, your previous pick lists,
and other information useful to Recon.
RECON.OVR contains Recon's overlay files, this reduces the amount
of working memory that Recon requires. The overlays can take advantage
of EMS memory if you have it available (section 4.5).
Even without the RINSTALL utility, you may also optionally install
Recon in any subdirectory, the procedure is described in the reference
section. (sections 4.2, 4.34.1)
To run the program just type RECON at the DOS command line. Just
like any other program that you run, you must be in the same directory
that RECON.EXE and RECON.OVR were copied into, or that directory must be
on the DOS PATH, or you must use the file's path in the command line you
specify.
What's new in 2.50
==================
o PreScan of Message Files
This powerful, unique feature gives you a summary view of all of
your message files as to the number of messages they contain, the number
of new messages, the number that need replies, and the number unread,
without actually loading any files!
This greatly eases your organizational worries when scanning and
monitoring multiple forums.
o Load even bigger files
Recon now has the ability to use virtual disk space (eg. XMS cached
disk, or a RAMDISK), in addition to EMS. You can now load up to 3200
messages with EMS, about 3000 with NO EMS at all. In addition, the
amount of available free conventional memory is now much less important.
o Say more and See more
Latin-1 support is now available, just add one line in the
configuration file to activate it.
Recon now also includes support for large screen sizes, larger than
the standard 80x25 - even non-standard UV-type screens.
o New Sysop/support features
Now you can easily locate messages unreplied to for a given number
of days! You can modify the search to look for only solitary messages,
or to ignore end-of-thread messages. Also, you can now quickview your
boiler plate answers and modify or delete them.
o Program-wide clipboard capability
You can now snip text from the screen, files, or replies and use it
in other replies or elsewhere where text input is required.
Together with the newly always available quick UserID lookup/import
(even in the reply editor) and the new internal general purpose text
editor, you can create and maintain many special purpose text and script
files effortlessly.
o Send to multiple recipients
Recon now makes it easy to send to a short mailing list, or to
maintain external mailing list files. You can even automatically import
the distribution list often appended to the end of a CMail message, so
you can send a message back to the entire list!
o Message Alarms
You can now set an alarm on a given message. The message will be
held in the file, and when the set date rolls around, the message will
be popped back up into view!
o Printer Control
You can now define the printer port that you wish Recon to
use - even change it on the fly. Add setup and exit printer commands as
well.
The printer subsystem is completely rewritten, and should now
eliminate the occasional problems seen in certain LANs and operating
settings.
o And much more
o popup local menu for rescan and selective file list view
o memory resource analysis, and new tuning features
o provision for a configuration file for startup parameters
o long subjects CMail handled/preserved now
o trim those wordy INTERNET headers, automatically
o collapsible INDEX view, view only filtered in messages
o search for next/previous message with N/reply status
o optionally reset UNread flag for current message on Save&Exit
o batch aging uses improved code
o those pesky 7 byte files are now DELETED
o Up to 24 Lib/Sections
o Improved multitasking situation handling
These are some of the highlights, but there are more than two
hundred individual changes & enhancements!
Registration
============
Recon is copyrighted Shareware, it is not public domain, and it is
not free. If you find Recon of value and continue to use it after a
twenty-one day evaluation period you must register your copy of Recon.
When you register Recon version 2.50 you receive:
o a serial number and license for one copy of Recon 2.50
o any technical updates of Recon 2.50 available at that time
o a printed, perfect bound, manual
o free bonus standalone utilities (as available)
And whether you newly register or are upgrading you get:
o a greater voice in suggesting future enhancements
o the satisfaction of supporting the shareware concept
If you have not previously registered, or if you last registered a
version of Recon prior to version 2.01, and after an evaluation of Recon
you wish to register, or if you would just like a pre-registered copy to
be shipped out to you, the cost is:
In USA & Canada: $38.00
7.00 shipping & handling
total of $45.00 US ($59.00 Cdn)
Outside USA & Canada:
5.00 additional shipping
total of $50.00 US ($65.00 Cdn)
If you are registered for version 2.20, you can request an upgrade
to version 2.50 by forwarding:
In USA & Canada: $19.00
7.00 shipping & handling
total of $26.00 US ($34.00 Cdn)
Outside USA & Canada:
5.00 additional shipping
total of $31.00 US ($40.00 Cdn)
If you are registered for version 2.01, you can request an upgrade
to version 2.50 by forwarding:
In USA & Canada: $29.00
7.00 shipping & handling
total of $36.00 US ($47.00 Cdn)
Outside USA & Canada:
5.00 additional shipping
total of $41.00 US ($53.00 Cdn)
You have four options for registering or upgrading:
1) By regular mail: forward your name, CompuServe UserID, (and
serial number if upgrading) and check or money order made
payable to Amdox Corporation to:
Amdox Corporation
217 Terrace Hill Street
Brantford, ON N3R 1G8
Canada
If you have the evaluation copy of Recon then you can use the
registration procedure, or Help|Register/Upgrade, to generate
and print a complete registration form - that way you won't
forget anything. Then all you need is an envelope, stamp and a
check.
US postage to Canada is a little more than US domestic.
Don't forget that we need your CompuServe UserID, and your
serial number if upgrading!
2) By FAX: Visa, MasterCard, American Express:
FAX: +1 519 753-7867 (Amdox Corp., 24Hr fax)
Forward your credit card number and expiry date, as well as
name, CompuServe UserID, and serial number if upgrading.
You can use the opening registration procedure or
Help|Register/Upgrade to print a complete registration form
for you to FAX.
3) By telephone: Visa, MasterCard, American Express:
call +1 519 752-5453 (Amdox Corporation)
Orders only! Support is not available at that number.
Don't forget to have YOUR CompuServe UserID (and serial number
if upgrading) handy!
4) By Compuserve MAIL: This is by Visa, MasterCard or American
Express card, you can forward the information directly to us
by CMail at 76672,1273.
Alternatively, select Help|Register or Help|Upgrade from the
menu options, or if you have an evaluation copy of Recon 2.50,
just answer YES when Recon asks if you would like to
register/upgrade.
Recon will then ask for credit card and mailing information,
and then automatically direct your navigator to send a
CompuServe MAIL message direct to us at 76672,1273.
Your credit card will be charged in Canadian funds. You will
receive a confirmation by CMail when your order is processed.
Where to from here?
===================
If you have never used Recon before - I would suggest that you
either read through the tutorial section, or if you do not like a
walk-through approach to learning a program, then study the reference
sections.
Section 3 is the walk-through tutorial.
Section 4 explains optional command line and DOS environment
variable options, you can probably save this section for
later.
Section 5 is the reference section for INTERACTIVE mode Recon, this
is how you will likely be using Recon most of time.
Section 6 is the reference section for BATCH mode. Batch is useful
for sorting and cleaning up message files that you don't need
to view.
Section 7 contains appendices with useful ancillary information on
Recon.
Though not suggested, if you must go off exploring on your own,
then as long as you do not save or write out a file, run Recon in BATCH
mode, or compose a reply you will not cause any changes to any of the
message files that Recon looks at.
There is context sensitive help available throughout, and this
should assist you in getting to know the program. However you will not
get the full value out the Recon unless you at some time read through
the documentation.
If you are an experienced user - of version 2.20 you should have
little trouble intuitively adjusting to most of the new features.
However, before you start, please quickly glance at:
Appendix 7.2 Updating from older versions. This contains some
quick and important notes.
You should also at least skim through the reference sections and in
particular read the sections referenced in What's NEW in 2.50?
(section 1.4) in order to formally review and understand any changes.
Support & Thanks
================
Questions, comments, thanks, or jeers are all welcome. This
software is supported on CompuServe, address messages to:
Recon Support 76672,1273
through CompuServe MAIL or leave a message in the TAPCIS,
Golden Commpass or Ozcis forums (preferably in the Scripts and Tools
section).
If you address your message to just plain:
Recon
the UserID lookup will find the full correct address for you!
My sincere thanks go out to all of those who have helped me to
improve Recon by offering up their wish lists, suggestions and
criticisms.
Also a very special thanks to all the brave and tireless beta/gamma
testers.
Enjoy!
Orest Skrypuch
Principal Author