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Technique Computer Systems proudly presents ... ╕ For QWK-compatible Mail Systems │ ╥ ╔════╗ ╕╒ ╦ ■╕ ╕ ╕ ╔══╦══╗ ╕╦═══╗╒═╕ ╒═╕╒═╡╒═╕╤═╕║ ║ ╝■││ ║ │╞═╞═│╒═╕║ ║ ║ ■│║ ║╞═ ╒══╡│ │╞═ │ ║ ╚════╗│││╕║╗ ││ │ │╞═ ║ ╩ ║ ╒═╕││╠══╦╝╘═╛╘══╛╘═╧╘═╛╧ ║ ╔ ║││││╚║═╝╛╘╛╘╛╧╘═╛║ ║╒══╡││║ ║ ■ SLMR ■ 2.0 ■ ╚════╝╛╛╛╘═╣ ╩ ╩╘══╛╛╛╩ ╚ (C)1990-91║Greg Hewgill and Technique Computer Systems ╚══════════╝ SLMR has been brought to you by the numbers 3, 8, and 6, and the letters S and X. Copyright (C) 1990-91 by Technique Computer Systems and Greg Hewgill All Rights Reserved Victoria, BC, CANADA May, 1991 SLMR was written using Borland's Turbo Pascal 5.5. The source code was written using Kedit by Mansfield Software. This manual was written using Symantec's Q&A Write. TABLE OF CONTENTS ----------------- Introduction ...................................................... 2 SLMR Distribution ................................................. 3 What's New in SLMR 2.0 ............................................ 4 Quick Installation ................................................ 5 Getting Help in SLMR .............................................. 5 How to Install SLMR (in greater detail) ........................... 6 Navigating SLMR ................................................... 8 Configuring SLMR .................................................. 13 Rodent (Mouse) Support ............................................ 19 Using Pick Lists in SLMR .......................................... 20 Using @-Variables in SLMR ......................................... 22 Advanced SLMR Features ............................................ 23 Appendix A: Offline Mail Reading - How it Works ................... 26 Appendix B: Error Messages ........................................ 30 Appendix C: Disclaimer! ........................................... 31 Appendix D: Acknowledgements (ACK!) ............................... 32 Appendix E: Contacting the Authors ................................ 33 Appendix F: Glossary (exploding piglets explained) ................ 34 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 1 Introduction ------------ SLMR is an offline mail reader for QWK packets created by the Qmail, Markmail, Rosemail and other QWK doors for PCBoard, the Tomcat mail door for Wildcat BBS, Mjrmail for MajorBBS, and many other QWK mail systems for GAP, RemoteAccess, RBBS, and other BBS systems. SLMR allows you to read and reply to messages offline, using your favorite word processor or text editor. You save time and connection charges by downloading a mail packet and logging off in a fraction of the time it would take to read and reply messages online. The use of an offline mail reader like SLMR has become necessary to manage the large number of messages available through today's BBS message networks. SLMR provides fast and powerful features for sorting, searching, saving, and managing mail and replies. SLMR will run on all types of PC-compatible computers and supports Microsoft-compatible rodents (mice). --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 2 SLMR Distribution ----------------- SLMR is fully functional "shareware" and is not crippled in any way. Try it, use it, and give it to your friends (in the original, unaltered distribution archive). SLMR is NOT public domain or free software. If you use it for more than 30 days, you must pay for and register the program. Registration is required if you use this program at work (i.e. in a business or institutional setting). Our livelihood depends on the honesty and integrity of SLMR's users. Your registration will help pay the programmer and development staff for their hard work, and encourage continued support and development of SLMR and other quality programs. Once you register SLMR, the opening screen with the "press a random function key to continue" will go away. In addition, your own SLMR registration number will appear at the bottom of messages you write, showing others that you support the shareware concept. If you are a Wildcat sysop and you own a registered copy of Tomcat, SLMR registration is free. Just copy your TOMCAT.ID to your SLMR directory to register SLMR and remove the opening screen. Your Tomcat serial number will appear in your SLMR taglines. Single copies of SLMR are $20 US plus $1 shipping and handling for orders shipped outside of Canada. Canadian orders are $23 plus applicable taxes. If you would like SLMR on a 3-1/2" disk, add $2. Please see the order form (ORDERFRM.DOC) for detailed information. Multiple copies of SLMR are available at a discount rate to sysops, user groups, clubs, and retailers: Copies: 5 - 10 Deduct: 10% 11 - 25 25% 26 - 50 40% 51 or more 50% Print out the order form by pressing P at SLMR's opening screen (make sure your printer is ready!), and send it with your payment to: Technique Computer Systems #110 - 1841 Oak Bay Avenue Victoria, BC CANADA V8R 1C4 We accept Canadian cheques, US checks, postal money orders, and VISA or Mastercard orders (please note, credit card orders are charged in Canadian funds). Phone orders (VISA/MC) - VOICE (604) 598-2141 BBS (604) 598-1546 FAX (604) 598-4318 When we have received and processed your order, your SLMR.ID file will be available for download from our support BBS. The opening screens on the BBS will explain how to pick up the file. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 3 What's New in SLMR 2.0 ---------------------- There are many more new features in SLMR 2.0 than can be listed in a reasonable amount of space. Here is a short list of the major features: - Packet bookmark marks your place between sessions. You can also tell how much of a packet you have read and whether it has any replies, directly from the opening packet window. - The save message feature now retains the last save filename used, and handles bulk marking and saving. The save feature can also be attached to a function key for single-key saving. - SLMR can optionally beep when it shows you a message addressed to you. - You can send "silicon copies" of messages to different users and/or conferences. - Long replies are split by SLMR into parts labeled 1/2, 2/2, etc, with smart splitting at the nearest blank line. Or, you can tell SLMR exactly where you want your message split. - Default sort options are available for packets, conferences, and messages. - New ANSI file viewer supports color codes in bulletins, news files, and new file listings. Also, ANSI animated messages are displayed on a full screen. - SLMR can now handle an unlimited number of conferences in the QWK packet. - You can now enter messages into a REP file without having a QWK packet available. - The John Hancock tagline manager is fully supported. - A "twit filter" allows you to tell SLMR to automatically skip messages to or from particular users, or about a particular subject. - You can find text strings in any pick list (taglines, conference list, message index, packet directory, etc). - Crash recovery has been improved and error messages have been made more explanatory. - Mouse users may now access any of SLMR's message functions from a handy pulldown menu. - SLMR is now compatible with Qmail 4's offline configuration. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 4 Quick Installation ------------------ "Type SLMR. Hit Alt-C. Send 20 bucks." -- Steve Crippen, Mustang Software Seriously, that's almost all you need to do to get up and running with SLMR. Make a subdirectory for your SLMR files, extract SLMR20.ZIP into it, and start SLMR by typing SLMR and pressing Enter. If you have used SLMR before, visit the configuration screens with Alt-C to set up any new options which have been added since SLMR 1.0x. If you haven't used SLMR before, open the WELCOME.QWK packet and follow the directions on the screen. To exit from any screen or window in SLMR, press the Esc key. Make use of the help screens available on the F1 key if you are unsure what to do next. We wrote the Silly Little Mail Reader for people who would rather read BBS mail than documentation. In fact, we gave it to our beta testers without docs, and not one of them couldn't figure it out. If you have trouble discovering how to use SLMR without a great long instruction manual, that's our fault, not yours. Getting Help in SLMR -------------------- Anywhere within SLMR, you can press the F1 key or the middle mouse button (on a three-button mouse) to bring up a help screen about the part of SLMR you are currently in. Use these help screens frequently -- you may even discover new features you missed in the manual! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 5 How to Install SLMR (in greater detail) --------------------------------------- This section will assume you know how to create subdirectories and copy files. If you don't know how to do this, please read your DOS manual before attempting to install SLMR. Hard disk installation ---------------------- First, create a subdirectory to hold your SLMR program files, such as C:\SLMR. Extract the files from the SLMR20.ZIP distribution file into this new directory. Of course, you should have PKZIP and PKUNZIP available in your SLMR directory, or better, somewhere in your DOS PATH. If you own a registered copy of SLMR, make sure your SLMR.ID file also resides in your SLMR directory. This file is supplied with your SLMR registration, and will remove the opening "shareware reminder" screen and "press a random function key to continue" prompt. In addition, your SLMR registration number will appear at the bottom of messages you send, identifying you as a registered user who supports shareware. To start SLMR, change to your SLMR directory, type SLMR and press Enter. Now skip to the section titled "Navigating SLMR" and jump right in! Floppy disk installation ------------------------ SLMR works best with two floppy drives or with high capacity single floppy drives (720k, 1.2 meg, or 1.44 meg). SLMR will run on a single 360k floppy drive in a minimal configuration, but the size of mail packets you can read will be limited. First choose a disk to be your SLMR working disk. On this disk you will need the following files: SLMR.EXE - the main SLMR program PKUNZIP.EXE - used to unpack QWK packets PKZIP.EXE - used to pack REP packets SLME.EXE - or other text editor for writing messages If you have an executable file compression program such as LZEXE or PKLITE, you will want to compress these programs so they take up as little space as possible. Please refer to the documentation for these programs to find out how to do this. If you own a registered copy of SLMR, make sure your SLMR.ID file also resides on your SLMR disk. This file is supplied with your SLMR registration, and will remove the opening "shareware reminder" screen and "press a random function key to continue" prompt. In addition, your SLMR registration number will appear at the bottom of messages you send, identifying you as a registered user who supports shareware. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 6 If you have a second floppy drive, format another diskette and use it to hold your QWK mail packets. To run SLMR, place your SLMR disk in drive A, your mail packet disk in drive B, type A: SLMR and press Enter. You will now have to set some items in the configuration (press Alt-C for the configuration screens): Enable swapping If you have 640k of system memory, this option should be set to No. There is usually not enough space on floppy disks for SLMR to swap to disk. Work Directory You will want to set the work directory to B:\WORK instead of the default. This will cause SLMR to place its working files on drive B, which will have more space available than drive A. If you are using DOS 2, you will want to make sure that A:\ is in your PATH. If you do not have a PATH set up yet, type PATH A:\ to set it up. See your DOS manual for more information. Now you can skip to the next section, "Navigating SLMR", and jump right in! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 7 Navigating SLMR --------------- To start SLMR, type SLMR and press Enter from the DOS command line. You may place a packet name on the command line if you would like to open a particular packet right away. Basic Keystrokes ---------------- The following keys are active almost anywhere in SLMR, even though they may not be mentioned on individual help screens: F1 - Get a context-related help screen F2 - Pop up pick list (if available for current item) Arrows - Move the highlight bar or scroll the window Esc - Exit the current screen or window Alt-C - Configure SLMR Alt-P - Edit SLMR's pick lists Alt-S - Shell to DOS Alt-V - View a file with SLMR's file viewer Alt-X - Emergency exit from SLMR Ctrl-Home - Look at the screen under the current window F3-F9 - User-defined function keys (configurable) The Packet Window ----------------- When you first start SLMR, you will be looking at the Packet Window. If you have told SLMR where you keep your QWK packets (see Configuring SLMR), you will see a listing of the QWK packets you currently have on file. At this point, the following keystrokes are active: Alt-D - Delete highlighted packet Alt-E - Enter a message without a QWK packet Alt-N - Read the displayed directory listing again Alt-O - Order (sort) packets by name or date Alt-R - Rename packet Alt-U - Mark packet as unread (remove bookmark) Pressing a letter or number key will move the highlight bar to the next packet that starts with that letter or number. Press Enter when you have highlighted the packet you would like to read. The Read Menu ------------- Once you have selected a packet to read, and SLMR has successfully opened the packet, you will see the Read Menu. This menu gives you some basic information about the packet you have just opened, and lets you choose the item(s) you wish to read. Note that any item not included in the QWK packet cannot be selected and has parentheses around the option. Bulletins - This option brings up a list of the new system bulletins which have been included in the packet. Bulletins are named as BLT-x.y where x is the conference number and y is the bulletin number. News - This option displays the system news file. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 8 Mail - This is, of course, the most interesting option on this menu (SLMR is a mail reader, right?). It is explained in detail in the next section. Files - This will display a list of new files which have been uploaded to the BBS. Note that some QWK mail systems may not be able to include this information in mail packets. Exit - This option saves your replies in a REP file and returns you to the Packet Window. Reading Mail ------------ If you select Mail from the Read Menu, SLMR displays a list of conferences (message areas, also known as folders, SIGs, and echoes). Two special conferences are listed in the upper left corner of the Conference Window - Replies and Personal. Each reply you write is placed in the Replies conference for easy access. The Personal conference contains a copy of all the messages in the packet which are addressed to you. The following is a list of the keys active at this point: A - Add this conference D - Drop this conference These two options create special replies that tell the BBS mail system to add or drop conferences from your configuration. E - Enter a new message in the highlighted conference F - Find text within all conferences I - Bring up a message index of all messages in the highlighted conference. O - Order (sort) the conferences by name, number, or total number of messages. Tab, Shift-Tab - Move to the next and previous conferences, respectively, that contain mail Enter - Start reading messages in the highlighted conference Alt-F - Find text within the conference listing Alt-N, Alt-L - Find next and last (previous) occurrences of last Alt-F item Message Screen -------------- Once you have selected a conference in which to read messages, the following keys are active: Enter,+ - Next message -,G - Go back to previous message Space - Continue reading (either more text in this message, or go to next message) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 9 Ctrl-PgDn - Skip to next thread (topic) of messages Ctrl-PgUp - Skip to previous thread A - Animate message, showing messages in color if they have ANSI color codes. Press AA or Ctrl-A to display the message quickly, instead of the default simulated 2400 bps display. B - Bulk mark messages (for later saving or printing) by the To, From, or Subject fields. E - Enter a new message in this conference. See the next section for more information about this command. F - Find. Search for keyword(s) or phrase(s) within this conference. Enter the words you with to search for, separating multiple items with semicolons. For example, 'THIS;THAT' would search for THIS or THAT. The search is not case sensitive. Found text is highlighted in the message display. I, Ins - Index. Display a list of all the messages in this conference. Press Enter to read the highlighted message. A sample display is as follows: * 1234 ₧ GREG HEWGILL ALL Release of SLMR 2.0 R√ The * means you have read the message, the ₧ means the message is private, the R means you have replied to this message, and the √ indicates the message is marked for later saving. J - Join a new conference. Brings up the Conference Window so you can select another conference to read. L - Find last (previous) occurrence of find string. M - Mark this message for later saving. If you want to mark several related messages at once, you might want to use the Bulk Mark option. N - Next. Find next occurrence of find string. K - If you are reading one of your own replies in the Replies conference, this key will kill (delete) it. You will be asked to confirm the deed. O - Order (sort) the messages in this conference. Note that this is a temporary sort; if you always want your messages to be sorted by, for example, the From field, visit the SLMR Configuration to set a default sort order for messages. P - Print this message (to your printer). --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 10 Q - Request attachment. This function is only available if the QWK system on the BBS supports sending file attachments upon request. R - Reply to this message. See the next section for more information about this command. S - Save this message (or the messages you have marked) to a file. You can change the destination file name by typing over it, or by using the F2 key to bring up your Save/View pick list. T - Steal the tagline from this message and save it in your own Taglines pick list. You can edit the tagline first, if you like. Warning! This option is addictive and can quickly bloat your tagline file! W - Forward this message to another user. This option simply readdresses the message, and places a note in the message indicating it has been forwarded. Remember, you can always visit the Replies conferences to view your replies. Z - "Zip" to and from any reply to the current message on the screen, and vice versa. Use this option if you would like to view the reply or original message that is associated with the message currently on the screen. Entering and Replying To Messages --------------------------------- When you are entering a new message (or replying to an existing one), you will be asked to fill in a number of fields in SLMR's data entry screen. From This is normally your name, although you can change this field. However, most mail doors will NOT allow you to upload replies not "from" the person currently logged on unless you are the sysop. Most likely, the mail system will just ignore the message if it isn't from you. To If you are entering new message, you are prompted to enter a name here, if it's a reply, SLMR automatically fills in the name of the author of the message you're replying to. In either case, you can press F2 to view your To pick list and pick a name from there. Subject The subject of the message. If this is a reply, the subject of the message you are replying to is automatically filled in. You can press F2 to bring up your Subject pick list. Private This indicates whether the message you are writing will be private. Keep in mind that on BBSes, nothing is really "private", so this option is usually used for messages which are not of general interest. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 11 Silicon copies This indicates whether you would like to send silicon copies of this message (who uses carbon these days, anyway?). If this is Yes, then after you press F10 to accept this screen you will be able to edit the Silicon Copies list. Return receipt If the BBS supports it, this indicates whether the BBS will generate a return receipt when the addressee reads the message. Note that this only is effective if the addressee uses the same BBS system you do! Conference This is the conference in which this message will be placed. You may change this by typing another conference number, or by using the F2 key to bring up the Conference Window. Tagline This is the tagline that will be appended to the bottom of your message. You can type your own words of wisdom here, or press F2 to view your Taglines pick list. If this field is blank, no tagline will be used. When you are finished with this screen, press F10 to save the information. This data entry screen may pop up before, after, or both before and after you have entered your reply text, depending on the way you have set up your Replies Configuration. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 12 Configuring SLMR ---------------- The standard configuration provided with SLMR has been designed to work without modification. You should try using SLMR with this configuration, and once you are familiar with the program, visit the configuration screens to customize it to your preferences. The configuration screens are available anywhere in SLMR by pressing Alt-C. Note that while every option is available for modification, there are certain changes which will not take place until you exit SLMR and start it up again (for example, the work directory SLMR is using will not be changed until you exit). Directories In this screen you will tell SLMR where you want to keep your QWK and REP packets, and where you want SLMR to create the temporary files it needs during operation. General This screen contains SLMR's general operating parameters. Many of these options have already been set up according to your system configuration. Toggles This screen contains the "preference" type options you can use to make SLMR work and look the way you want it to. Editor This screen contains information SLMR will need to know about your editor (the one you will be using to write messages with). It comes already set up for use with SLME (Silly Little Message Editor), but you can change this to work with another editor or word processor. Replies This screen defines how SLMR will handle your replies, how the original message will be quoted, and how taglines will be placed at the bottom of your messages. Packers This screen tells SLMR what your packers and unpackers are called. If, for example, PKZIP and PKUNZIP are somewhere in your DOS PATH, you will not need to tell SLMR what directory they are in - it will be able to find them. These options should usually not need to be changed. Colors The Colors and Message Header Colors screens tell SLMR the colors to use when displaying information on the screen. The samples shown on the screen will help you decide what colors to use. Function keys You may attach various SLMR functions and/or DOS commands to function keys, which will be available anywhere within SLMR. One of the handy features is the ability to attach the Save Message function to a function key for single-keypress operation. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 13 Directories ----------- QWK Directory This directory is where SLMR will look for mail packets by default. You can always look in other directories on your disk by selecting the directory name from the Packet Menu. We recommend you specify a full path name here, because if you specify a directory name with no backslashes, SLMR will look in a subdirectory off the current directory. REP Directory This is the directory where SLMR will place reply (REP) packets ready to be uploaded. If this directory is blank, SLMR will use the QWK directory as specified in the last option. Work Directory This is the directory where SLMR will create the temporary files it needs during operation. The default value, MR$WORK, will cause SLMR to create a subdirectory off the directory from which you start SLMR. This is the recommended setting, unless you would like to use a fast RAM disk to store the work files. In this case, you might want to specify E:\ if your RAM disk is drive E. General ------- Enable swapping When SLMR executes a program such as PKUNZIP or your editor, normally SLMR remains in memory while the other program is running. Therefore, there may not be enough memory to run the other program. This option causes SLMR to place itself on disk and free up most of your system memory before executing the other program. When the other program finishes, SLMR will reload itself from disk. Note that you will need at least 300k of free disk space to use this feature. The default swap option can also be overridden for each program. See "Advanced SLMR Features" for more information. Drive for swap file When SLMR swaps (set with the last option), it first checks to see if you have set a swap drive. If so, it will use that drive for its swap file. If you have not set a swap drive (ie. this option is blank), SLMR will check to see if there is enough free EMS memory to hold the swap file. If there is not enough free EMS, or you don't have any, finally SLMR will attempt to swap to drive of the work directory. Enable mouse support This option is usually Yes. If you have a mouse but don't want to use it in SLMR, you can set this option to No to disable SLMR's mouse support. Default packet sort order When SLMR reads your QWK directory, the packets are optionally sorted by Name or Date. You can either sort the packets yourself, directly from the packet menu, or you can set this option to cause SLMR to sort the packets for you. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 14 Default conference sort Like the default packet sort order, this option controls how the conferences are automatically sorted in the conference window. You can also sort the conferences via a command in the conference window. Default message sort order This option sets the default message sort order. The "Thread" sort order gathers all the messages with the same subject together, but maintains the general order of threads. The Number, To, From, and Subject options sort alphabetically on the corresponding field. Pre-print setup string This string will be sent to your printer before printing message(s). This text string normally contains printer control codes to set fonts or other printer settings. If you would like to include control characters in this string, type them as ^A for Ctrl-A. A useful one (used by a lot of printers) is ^[ for Esc. Post-print setup string This string will be sent to your printer after printing message(s). A useful control string to put here is ^L, which is a formfeed and will eject the paper from the printer after printing the message(s). Toggles ------- Scroll bars on windows If you are using a mouse, SLMR will display "scroll bars" on the edges of various windows. If you are not using a mouse, this option will control whether these scroll bars are displayed. Stupid exploding windows Set this option to Yes if you would like to use silly exploding windows with sound. Warning! This option can quickly become annoying! Rename packet after read Once you have finished reading a QWK packet, you may choose to rename it (to save it as a backup or whatever). This option will cause SLMR to prompt you to rename it after returning to the Packet Window. Snow checking with old CGAs Some old CGA type color graphics adapters will show "snow" on the screen when running SLMR. If you do not want this interference, set this option to Yes to avoid it. They displays are slightly slower, but they look better. Box around message window Normally, SLMR displays a box around the message you are currently reading on the screen. Set this option to No if you do not want this box (it allows you to see 80 column wide lines instead of 78, and one more line of the message. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 15 Beep on personal message Set this option to Yes if you would like SLMR to beep at you whenever it displays a message which is addressed to you. To/From instead of From/To Depending in your preference, you may want to see the From field above the To field, or the other way around. If this option is Yes, the To field is displayed above the From field, and vice versa. Reread messages already read Set this option to Yes if you would like SLMR to skip messages you have already read. This will cause SLMR to show you your personal messages only once (when you read them in the Personal conference). Use bookmark (*.MRB) files Normally when you finish reading a packet, SLMR will create a .MRB file (MRB stands for Mail Reader Bookmark). This file contains information about where you were reading in the packet, which messages have been read, replied to, marked, and saved. Also, if you use the bookmark files, SLMR will be able to tell you what percentage of the packet you have read. This information is displayed on the Packet Window. Editor ------ Editor command line This is the command SLMR will use to execute your editor. Normally this will just be the name of your editor, but you may also want to specify options or configuration files on the editor command line. A ! character in this command will be replaced by the "File to take reply text from" (see below). Quoted original message file When you reply to a message, SLMR writes the original message to this file. If you make this the same filename as the "File to take reply text from", you will be able to edit the quoted original message to create your reply. File to take reply text from This is the file in which SLMR expects to find your reply once you have written it. If you make this the same filename as the "Quoted original message file", you will be able to edit the quoted original message to create your reply. Clear screen before editor Set this option to Yes if you would like SLMR to clear the screen before it calls your editor. For example, you may have a keystroke in your editor to display the "background" screen that existed before your editor came up. However, if the screen is not cleared by SLMR, there can be some color conflict problems with some editors. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 16 Replies ------- When to edit reply info You can choose when you want to edit the reply header information in relation to when you edit the actual message. You can edit the info before, after, or both before and after editing your reply. Reply quoting style There are three styles of quoting the original message in SLMR. All of them involve the "Quoting prefix string" (next option). The option here controls where the initials of the original message's author are placed in the quoted reply. See the help screen available by pressing F1 for examples of the three options. Quoting prefix string This option defines the characters that are placed between the sender's initials and each line of the original message you are replying to. Message header in quoted reply If this option is Yes, the full message header of the original message will be included in the quoted reply. Note that if you have set the original and reply files to the same name, be careful to delete the quoted original message header so it won't get included in your reply. Enable taglines There are four options for managing the taglines that appear at the bottom of messages you write. The meaning of each option is detailed on the F1 help screen. Fido-style taglines In some message networks, the use of special characters such as ■ used in the SLMR tagline are frowned upon. Set this option to Yes to change these block characters to *. Packers ------- These six options tell SLMR what commands to use to unpack QWK packets and pack REP packets. Depending on the type of compression program used by the QWK system on the BBS, SLMR will use one of the three types of compression programs listed on this screen. You will not normally need to change these options, but if you do, please remember to keep the ! (exclamation mark) in the command line. SLMR needs the ! to know where to place the name of the packet being packed or unpacked. Colors and Message Header Colors -------------------------------- "Whoever thought up the default colors for SLMR needs to see a doctor." -- Scott Hunter, Mustang Software Each part of SLMR's displays can be configured to your personal taste in color. There are two screens where you tell SLMR what colors to use on the screen. The first screen defines the message colors, window colors, highlighted and edit field colors, and the message header --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 17 background. The second screen defines the color of each individual field in the message header. To change a color, move the cursor to the color item or click the mouse button on either the list of colors or a color sample. A palette of colors will pop up, from which you can select whatever color you prefer. Function keys ------------- The function keys F3 through F9 can be configured to perform various operations in SLMR. Most often you will configure a function key to execute a DOS command, but there are also two "internal" SLMR operations which can be called on function keys: SAVE - If you define a function key (for example, F3) as SAVE C:\QWK\SAVE.TXT SLMR will save the current message to C:\QWK\SAVE.TXT whenever you press F3. This is useful for single-key saving. VIEW - If you define a function key (for example, F4) as VIEW SESSION.TXT SLMR will view the SESSION.TXT file (if any) included in the packet, using its internal file viewer. You may also specify an absolute path name to view a file on your disk (such as one of your save files). Other commands entered as one of these options will be executed by shelling to DOS and executing the command as a DOS command. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 18 Rodent (Mouse) Support ---------------------- SLMR will automatically detect and support your Microsoft-compatible mouse, as long as you have properly installed a mouse driver. Scroll bars will appear on the side or bottom of windows, and mouse buttons are available at the bottom of most windows. The left mouse button means "select" or, if the mouse cursor is on an active edit field, brings up an appropriate pick list (same as F2). The right mouse button always means the same as the Esc key. Enough presses of the right mouse button will exit you from SLMR. The middle mouse button (if you have one) is always the same as F1 - it gives you a help screen for the current function or selection. When reading messages, there are four mouse buttons are in the upper right hand corner of the screen. Their functions are: Next - This button skips to the next message in the current conference, or brings up the Conference Window if you have read the last message in a conference. Use the right mouse button or Esc to exit from the Conference Window. Prev - This button skips to the previous message in the current conference, or brings up the Conference Window if you have read the first message in a conference. Index - This button brings up an index of all messages in the current conference. It is the same as the I or Ins keypress. Other - This button activates a pulldown menu of additional message functions. In most places where you are reading text (messages, bulletins, file viewer) you can click on the bottom half of the window to page down, or click on the top half of the window to page up. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 19 Using Pick Lists (piglets) in SLMR ---------------------------------- SLMR has a number of so-called pick lists which can be set up to save you having to type common responses over and over. Pick lists are activated by pressing F2 on a field which has an associated pick list, or by pressing the space bar on such a field before pressing any other keys. The space bar will cycle through the items in the pick list, showing them one by one in the edit field. The pick lists are maintained by pressing Alt-P anywhere in SLMR, or by calling them directly by pressing F2 on an appropriate field. The pick list edit commands are: Alt-A - Add a new entry to the end of the pick list. If you had brought up this pick list with F2 and there was already some text in the field, this text will be automatically filled in for you when you press Alt-A. You can edit the text if you like, and press Enter when done. Alt-D - Delete an entry from the pick list. You will be asked to confirm the delete. Alt-E - Edit an entry in the pick list. You will be able to edit the highlighted entry. When you are done, press Enter to accept your changes or Esc to discard them. Alt-F - If you want to find an item in the pick list but only remember a small part of it, use the Alt-F command to find bits of text in the pick list. Alt-L - This command will find the last (previous) occurrence of the last Alt-F text. Alt-N - This command will find the next occurrence of the last Alt-F text. If you press a letter or number key, the highlight bar will jump directly to the next item in the pick list which starts with that letter or number. This is sometimes a faster way to find items than using the Alt-F command. The pick lists available in SLMR are: Taglines - This pick list contains the taglines that are available for you to place at the bottom of your messages. To - This is a list of people you often write messages to (or who have names that are difficult to spell). Useful items for this pick list are the @TO@ and @FROM@ variables - see the next section for information on SLMR variables. Subject - This is a list of the subjects which you use often. Find - This is a list of the find strings which you use often. Remember, multiple text strings can be searched at once by separating them with semicolons. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 20 Save/View - This is a list of the save files which you usually use. The Save/View pick list is an excellent place to use many of SLMR's @-Variables described in the next section. Twits - This pick list contains a list of users and message subjects you would like to skip over when reading messages. If you just enter a name here, SLMR will skip over all messages From that user. For other types of filters, use the following formats: F:SOME NAME This will cause SLMR to skip all messages From SOME NAME. Since From is the default, the "F:" may be left out in this case. T:ANOTHER NAME This will cause SLMR to skip all messages To ANOTHER NAME. S:BORING SUBJECT This will cause SLMR to skip all messages whose Subject is BORING SUBJECT (or Boring Subject, since the filter is not case sensitive). --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 21 Using @-Variables in SLMR ------------------------- One of the new features in SLMR 2.0 is the use of @-Variables in many of the pick lists. These are substitution variables which tell SLMR to replace the @-Variable with some text which is generated from SLMR's current operating environment or the message you are currently reading. First we will list the available @-Variables, then explain how they can be used. @BBSID@ - This is the BBS ID from the QWK packet you are currently reading. It is up to 8 characters long and is a valid DOS filename. @CONFNAME@ - This is the name of the conference you are currently reading. It can be up to 10 characters long. @CONFNUM@ - This is the number of the conference you are currently reading. @DATE@ - This is the current date, in the same format as DOS uses in, say, a directory listing (this is for international date format support). @DAY@ - This is the three-letter abbreviation of the current day of the week. @FROM@ - This is the full name of the author of the current message. @FROMFIRST@ - This is the first name of the author of the current message. @FROMLAST@ - This is the last name of the author of the current message. @MEMORY@ - This is the amount of system memory (RAM) currently free, in K (1K = 1024 bytes = 1 kilobyte). @TIME@ - This is the current time, in the format 3:34 pm. @TIME24@ - This is the current time, in the format 15:34 (24-hour time format). @TO@ - This is the full name of the addressee of the current message. @TOFIRST@ - This is the first name of the addressee of the current message. @TOLAST@ - This is the last name of the addressee of the current message. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 22 Advanced SLMR Features ---------------------- Command Line Option ------------------- SLMR allows a command line option to specify the configuration file you would like to use. For example, if you have a different configuration for SLMR when running under DESQview, for example, you might want to use SLMR /C:CONFIG.MRD This will use the file CONFIG.MRD as the configuration file instead of the standard CONFIG.MR. Also, you may specify a packet name on the SLMR command line to open it right away. Using Two Files When Replying ----------------------------- Many text editors have the ability to edit two files at once. What you can do is bring up the original message in one window, and write your reply in another window. To do this, specify the following options (or similar selections): Editor command line SLME ORIGINAL.MSG REPLY.MSG Quoted original message file ORIGINAL.MSG File to take reply text from REPLY.MSG This will cause SLMR to write the quoted original file to ORIGINAL.MSG. It will call your editor with both file names as parameters. When you have finished writing your reply, SLMR will take the reply text from the file REPLY.MSG. In this way, you can use your editor's block mark and copy commands to copy only the parts of the original message you wish to quote. Manually Splitting Long Messages -------------------------------- If you are writing a long message, normally SLMR will choose an appropriate place to break the message. Sometimes, you may want to place the "page" breaks in particular places. To do this, place the following line in your reply text: .PG Make sure the . is in the left hand column. This will force a page break at the line you specify. Please note, if you later edit a reply which has been broken in this way, SLMR cannot replace the .PG lines. You will have to put them back in if you want to keep the page breaks in the same place. Selective Swapping ------------------ While there is a default "Enable swapping" option in the SLMR configuration, you can tell SLMR whether or not to swap for each individual program it runs. To do this, place either SWAP: or NOSWAP: (the colon is required) in front of the command line you wish to --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 23 modify. For example, if you don't want SLMR to swap while running your packer and unpacker, but you would like to use an editor which takes a lot of memory, you could set the Enable Swapping to No and make your editor command line SWAP:BIGEDIT This would cause SLMR to swap only when executing BIGEDIT. This feature can be used in the editor, packer, and function key command lines. Entering Messages Without a Packet ---------------------------------- Sometimes you may want to enter messages for a BBS but don't have a QWK packet handy to open. SLMR provides two levels of support for this operation: 1. Every time you open a packet, SLMR creates a .CNF file that contains conference information for the packet. If you would later like to enter messages for this packet but don't have a QWK handy, SLMR will let you write messages using the conference information in the CNF file. 2. If you have never opened a QWK file from a particular BBS before, SLMR will let you enter a message, but you must know the conference number where you want the message to go (you must, of course, also know the BBS ID for SLMR to create a proper REP packet). To use (1), press Alt-E from the Packet Window. A small window titled Enter Msg will pop up and prompt you to select a BBS ID. Once you select the appropriate BBS ID, SLMR will place you in the Conference Window for that packet. Move the highlight bar to the conference in which you want to enter a message, and press E. When you have finished entering replies, exit the packet as usual. To use (2), again press Alt-E from the Packet Window. This time, select the option at the bottom of the window titled <new rep>. You will be prompted for the BBS ID, your name, and the packer type you wish to use for this REP file. Once you have entered that information, you will be placed directly into either the New Message Info window or your editor, depending on your configuration. Enter your messages (remember, no conference list is available), and abort entering a message when you are done. A REP file will be created, which you may then upload to the BBS. John Hancock Support -------------------- SLMR now supports the John Hancock tagline manager from The Silicon Frog. The first thing you will need to do to use JH is to copy your JH.TAG file to your SLMR directory because SLMR expects to find it there. Whenever you call JH (we'll tell you how to do that in a moment), SLMR will copy the JH.TAG file from the SLMR directory to SLMR's work directory. This allows you to maintain only the copy of JH.TAG that lives in your SLMR directory. To call JH, either press Alt-J from the Reply Info window, or enter JH as the tagline. Either way, SLMR will execute JH.EXE for you to pick --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 24 your tagline. If you always want to use JH, the only entry in SLMR's tagline file should be JH. That way, whenever SLMR picks a tagline for you to use, it will be JH and therefore will call John Hancock to get the actual tagline. PCRelay Rerouting ----------------- If you are a user of a network based on the PCRelay(tm) software, you may be familiar with the "routing" feature supported by PCRelay. If you reply a message which has been routed to you, SLMR will automatically re-route the message back to the sender. Netmail Initials Support ------------------------ If you use Mjrmail on a MajorBBS system, and participate in networked SIGs, you will be familiar with the Netmail userid used by the networking software. If you reply to a message from Netmail, SLMR will take the initials of the sender from the "From:" line at the start of the message (the initials are used in the quoting done by SLMR). --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 25 Appendix A: Offline Mail Reading - How it Works ----------------------------------------------- The best way to find out how SLMR works is to start using it. To make this easier for those of you who have never used an offline mail reader before, we have supplied a WELCOME.QWK file that will introduce you to offline mail reading and the main features of SLMR. If you have followed the instructions in "How to Install SLMR", you will have a SLMR directory (or SLMR disk for systems without a hard disk). Change to your SLMR directory, type SLMR and press Enter. After pressing a function key to get past the opening screen, you will see the Packets Window, with the WELCOME.QWK entry highlighted. Press Enter to open the WELCOME.QWK packet, and follow the directions on the screen. Once you have been through the WELCOME.QWK packet, you will be familiar with the basic operation of SLMR. The next step is to do it "live" - with a real mail packet from a BBS. Getting a Mail Packet --------------------- To get your first mail packet, load your communications program and log on to your favorite BBS that has QWK mail support (it could be PCBoard, Wildcat, MajorBBS, GAP, RBBS, RemoteAccess, or one of many other types). Depending on the BBS you have called, there are many different ways of getting to the QWK mail system. On PCBoard systems it is usually listed on the DOOR menu and on Wildcat systems it may be a selection on the [D]oor menu or it could be an option on the Message menu. For other BBS types, read the online menus or ask your sysop or a knowledgeable user for help. Once you have entered the QWK mail system, you may be asked to configure your settings. Select which conferences (message areas) you wish to read, and answer any other questions you may be asked. Once you are ready to get your mail packet, type the command to download a QWK packet (it is usually D), and wait while the BBS gathers the new mail in your selected message areas. When prompted to do so, start your download of the QWK packet (if you don't know how to download a file, refer to the documentation that came with your communications program). When your download has finished, you may log off from the BBS or return back to the main menu to continue with your online session. Reading Your Mail ----------------- To read your mail offline, log off from the BBS and exit your communications program. Change to your SLMR directory and type SLMR and press Enter. From the Packet Window, choose the mail packet you have just downloaded, using the arrow keys to move the highlight bar --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 26 and Enter when you have selected the packet to read. If SLMR has been set up correctly, the QWK packet will be unpacked, sorted, loaded into SLMR, and you will be shown the Read Menu. The Read Menu gives you some information about the packet you have just downloaded. From here you can choose what part of the packet you wish to read. Note that if a particular item is not included in the packet, its corresponding menu selection will be enclosed in parentheses and you will not be able to select it. The Bulletins, News, and Files selections simply display the corresponding files which have been included in the packet. When you select the Mail option, you will be presented with a list of the conferences available in this packet. Conferences with mail are marked with a dot or diamond and have the number of messages in them to the right of the conference name. A diamond beside a conference name indicates there are messages to you in that conference. Press Enter now to choose the first conference that contains mail. Use the Enter or + keys to page through the messages in the packet. When you reach the last message in a conference, the next time you press Enter you will see the conference list again, and the highlight bar will be positioned on the next conference that contains messages. Press Enter at this point to continue reading. Replying to messages -------------------- If you would like to reply to a message, press the R key or select Reply from the "Other" mouse menu. SLMR will pop up a window asking you to confirm the To, From, Subject, Conference, Tagline, and several Yes/No items for your new reply. If you would like to change anything, use the arrow keys to move to that field and type the new information. Press F10 or click on the F10-Ok button to confirm the screen and invoke your editor to edit your message. SLMR will automatically load your editor and display the original message on the screen, with the sender's initials preceding each line (this is the "quoted" form of the message). Edit this screen to write your reply, deleting any unnecessary parts of the sender's message (it is useful to leave parts of it to maintain the train of thought in the message thread - in large message networks several days may pass before your message reaches its destination). Once you have entered your reply, save the file and exit your editor. SLMR will come back up and ask you to confirm the message information again (this feature can be changed in the configuration). When you accept the reply information window this time, SLMR will save your message in its Replies conference for easy access. If, instead of replying to an existing message you want to send a new message, use the E key to enter a new message. The procedure is the same as for sending a reply, except SLMR will load your editor with a blank file for you to type your message. Once you have finished your mail reading session, press Esc to exit from the various screens and menus to return to DOS. SLMR will automatically save your replies in a REP file which you must then --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 27 upload to the BBS. This REP file has the same name as the corresponding QWK file, except its extension is REP instead of QWK. To upload the REP file, call your BBS and enter the QWK mail system again. This time, select the option to upload a REP packet (this is usually U) and prepare to upload your REP packet to the BBS. Again, if you are unfamiliar with the uploading process, see your communications program manual for help. Once the upload is complete, the mail system will store your replies in the BBS. At this point, please remember to erase your REP file from your disk to prevent uploading the same messages to the BBS twice! If you have any trouble with QWK mail, don't hesitate to ask your sysop or other knowledgeable user for assistance. Most experienced BBS users will be willing to help beginners with the mechanics of using offline mail readers. Writing Readable Messages ------------------------- Computer monitors aren't very easy on the eyes, so it is important to make your message readable and visually pleasing. Turn off your CAPS LOCK KEY - MESSAGES IN ALL CAPS ARE HARD TO READ and make it look like you are shouting. Use short paragraphs, with blank lines between them to give your eyes a break. Screens full of straight text are much less likely to be read by others than a well-formatted message. Also, be careful how much of others' message you quote; many people will skip past messages that begin with a whole page of somebody else's quoted message. SLMR and Network Mail --------------------- While your BBS may have some active local message areas, there are also various groups of BBS systems connected together in message networks. There are dozens of message networks to choose from, with conferences for almost every conceivable topic. Some of these message networks may be carried on your local BBS, and this is an ideal place to use an offline mail reader like SLMR. The high volume of messages that is generated by the hundreds of participants requires tools like SLMR to help you manage the mail. When participating in these message networks, be friendly. BBSing is a great way to meet people from all over the world, and some of your new friends may be the electronic "pen pals" you exchange messages with on these message networks. Most networks have guidelines about taste, content, and topicality. Please take the time to make yourself aware of the rules set down by the network administrators. If your local BBS has network mail, you will usually find bulletins and/or information files about the message networks. Some general suggestions: Avoid excessive quoting (ie. quoting more than is really necessary from a previous message in your reply), wordiness, and off-topic messages. Remember, most sysops have to pay long distance phone rates to bring you these messages, and therefore frown on idle chit-chat. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 28 Save your fancy signatures and color graphics for local conferences (or network conferences specifically dedicated for these purposes) unless you like being yelled at by network administrators. Most message networks forbid the use of control characters (ASCII 0 to 31), ANSI escape sequences, color, and animation in messages. Some hardware and software may not be capable of displaying or printing "high ASCII" characters (ASCII 128 through 255) - boxes, blocks, graphic symbols, etc. Try to minimize their use unless you are sure of your audience. Finally, have fun! Most message networks take a light-hearted attitude toward messaging. BBSing is a hobby for most people, and they like to enjoy their hobby. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 29 Appendix B: Error Messages -------------------------- Most error messages in SLMR are not fatal and will allow you to continue using SLMR (although you may not be able to complete the function which caused the error message). However, there are some error conditions which SLMR is unable to recover from. These errors are listed below: Could not change to <dir> directory This message means SLMR was unable to change to its work directory after creating it. Could not change to <dir> directory (was probably deleted) This message means SLMR was unable to change to its work directory before erasing the files in it. This is meant as a "safety-net" for users who are using SLMR under a multitasker or over a network and accidentally have deleted SLMR's work directory while SLMR is running. If this check was not made, SLMR could erase all the files in some other directory! (This actually happened to the programmer at least twice.) Could not create <dir> directory This message means SLMR could not create a directory that it needs. Try creating the named directory from DOS to help SLMR. DOS setblock error after exec - reboot your computer! This error message is caused by installing a Terminate-and- stay-resident (TSR) program during a shell to DOS. This action corrupts the DOS memory blocks and causes programs to operate improperly. You should reboot your computer to clear the bad memory blocks. Insufficient memory to allocate window buffer This means SLMR has run out of system memory (RAM) and cannot continue. This most often happens if you are reading a very large packet. The way to avoid this is to keep an eye on the free memory indicator at the bottom of the SLMR screen and make sure it does not fall below about 20k. You may have to remove some TSR programs to free up more system memory. Insufficient memory: SLMR cannot continue This is similar to the previous message in that SLMR has run out of system memory it needs to perform some function. Try reading a smaller QWK packet or free up some other system memory. Work directory <dir> not empty This error message is generated by choosing No in response to the question, "Work directory <dir> not empty! Do you want to erase the files in it?" This is intended as a "safety-net" if you accidentally specify a work directory that already has files in it. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 30 Appendix C: Disclaimer! ----------------------- You use this program (just like any other one) at your own risk, so be careful. Read the documentation, follow instructions, and make backups. We can't guarantee that this program will work with every possible combination of hardware and software out there in the real world (or that it will work at all, for that matter). While we have done our best to produce a well-written, bug-free program, oversights and omissions can happen. No software program (not even DOS) is completely safe from bugs, glitches, and "stupid user tricks". We cannot be responsible for any damages which might occur as a result of using SLMR. We cannot guarantee it will be "safe" or "harmless" in all possible applications, and any lost time, data, hardware, or software you incur as a result of using SLMR is your responsibility alone. If this disclaimer isn't good enough for you, don't use SLMR. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 31 Appendix D: Acknowledgements (ACK!) ----------------------------------- We mention lots of other people's products in this document, and would like to give credit where credit is due. If we have left anybody out, let us know and the mistakes will be corrected in subsequent releases of the program and documentation for SLMR. - Wildcat! is a trademark of Mustang Software, Inc. - PCBoard is copyright by Clark Development Corporation. - Qmail is a trademark of Sparkware, and is copyright by Mark "Sparky" Herring. - EZ-Reader is a trademark of Thumper Technologies, and is copyright by Eric Cockrell. - MarkMail is copyright by Mark Turner, and carries the Modem Addictus Seal of Approval. - DESQview is a trademark of Quarterdeck Office Systems. - PKZip/PKUnzip and PKLite are copyright PKWare and Phil Katz. - ARC is a trademark of System Enhancement Associates. - JH (John Hancock) is copyright The Silicon Frog and Dan Moore. - IBM is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. (this line is intentionally left blank) - MS-DOS is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. - PCRelay(tm) is a trademark of Kip Compton(tm). - Turbo Pascal is a trademark of Borland International. - Kedit is a trademark of The Mansfield Software Group. - Q&A Write is a trademark of Symantec Corporation. Just in case we left anyone out, here is a global acknowledgement of copyright: *.* is a copyright / trademark / service mark / trade name / pet project / patent of *.*, All rights reserved. Quick installation instructions courtesy of Steve Crippen, senior Tech Goon at Mustang Software, home of Wildcat! BBS. Default color quality control thanks to Scott Hunter, also from Mustang Software. When you only have time to call the very best! (where do they FIND these guys???) We'd especially like to thank our beta testers, without whose assistance we couldn't have finished SLMR: Don Dougherty, Gregg Hommel, Tom Tcimpidis, Tom McElvy, Allen Dietz, Alynda Kingzett, Bundy Chanock, Mike Callaghan, John Phillips, Bill Parr, Michael Conley, Robert Murray, Delma Murray; and special thanks to all the patient and good-humored people at Mustang Software, on whom we inflicted some of the very earliest versions of SLMR including the special "Bermuda Triangle" edition into which Node 17 vanished one day. Their words of encouragement with SLMR and Tomcat have been invaluable to us. Specialized technical nomenclature ("exploding piglets" etc.) inspired by Chuck Forsberg, and aggravated by occasional late night conversations with Jack Daniels and other departed spirits. Pardon me, I have been smoking DSZ docs. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 32 Appendix E: Contacting the Authors ---------------------------------- Greg Hewgill is to blame for writing the SLMR program itself and most of the documentation. Scott "Inconsistency Alert!" Brynen provided lots of advice on "ergonomics" -- the simple, consistent user interface in SLMR is mainly his doing. He also proofread the manual and picked a few nits. We always like to hear from our users, whether you've registered SLMR or are still evaluating it. For urgent technical support, or to give the programmer a piece of your mind, call us: VOICE: (604) 598-2141 BBS: (604) 598-1546 (HST/V.32) FAX: (604) 598-4318 We can also be contacted in most large message networks supporting .QWK-style messaging: Intelec, U'NI-Net, RIME, and ILink. These message networks each have a SLMR support conference hosted by us. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 33 Appendix F: Glossary -------------------- Any - The "ANY" key on your keyboard. If you can't find a key labeled ANY, try the large red switch on the side of your computer. BBS - Bulletin Board System (I *think* that's what it stands for!) Conference - An area of messages on your host system usually with a particular topic (also called folder, SIG, or echo) DSZ.DOC - Interesting technoweenie ramblings, great rolling papers Esc - Escape! Let me out of here!!! Host System - The BBS you call to collect your mail from Hostess System - A BBS operated by a Bulletin Broad Mail Door - A subsection of a bulletin board that creates QWK mail packets MarkMail - A mail door for PCBoard by Mark Turner Mjrmail - A mail module for Major BBS from the author of SLMR Packer - A program to compress multiple files into a single file, such as PKZIP, ARC or LHARC Packet - A mail packet (with a .QWK extension) from a host system Pick List - List of choices offered on the screen (see Piglet) Piglet - Affectionate diminutive for Pick List (see Pick List) Piglet, Exploding - A program feature caused by giving the programmer too much alcohol Plywood PC - SLMR's full-time support BBS at (604) 598-1546. Yes, it is firmly mounted on a corkboard which is hanging on the wall. The words "BBS crash" carry a special meaning for us! Qmail - A mail door for PCBoard from Mark Herring and Sparkware Slimer - Affectionate diminutive for SLMR (just say SLMR quickly, you'll understand) Taglines - Cute (or dumb) one-liners added to the end of messages Tomcat - A mail door for Wildcat! BBS from the author of SLMR Unpacker - A program to uncompress a file from a Packer Update Boards - Not necessary with SLMR's ID file - just download the latest copy from your local BBS --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technique Computer Systems - SLMR.DOC Page 34