home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
Fritz: All Fritz
/
All Fritz.zip
/
All Fritz
/
FILES
/
COMMADIO
/
QMODEM1.LZH
/
OLX.ZIP
/
OLXTD.DOC
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1992-01-10
|
193KB
|
3,868 lines
OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST-DRIVE
Released 1-10-92
Mustang Software, Inc.
P.O. Box 2264
Bakersfield, CA 93303
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 2
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
WHAT IS OFF-LINE XPRESS TEST-DRIVE? . . . . . . . . . . 1
WHY DO I NEED OFF-LINE XPRESS? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
HARDWARE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
WORD PROCESSOR/TEXT EDITOR . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
PACKERS/UNPACKERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
TECHNICAL SUPPORT SERVICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
LIMITED WARRANTY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
DISTRIBUTION POLICY AND COPYRIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . 6
COPYRIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
TEST-DRIVE DISTRIBUTION POLICY . . . . . . . . . . 6
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
THE SOURCE CODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
DEFINITIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
HELP SCREENS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
CHAPTER 2 - INSTALLING AND USING OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST
DRIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
INSTALLATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
FLOPPY DISK INSTALLATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
UPGRADING FROM SLMR TO OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST
DRIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
QUICK START FOR NEW USERS - WELCOME.QWK . . . . . . . 10
USING OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE . . . . . . . . . 12
GETTING HELP WHEN YOU NEED IT . . . . . . . . . . 12
MENU NAVIGATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
KEYBOARD CONTROL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
MOUSE CONTROL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
THE PACKET WINDOW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
THE READ MENU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
BULLETINS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
MAIL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
FILES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
EXIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
THE CONFIGURATION MENU . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
READING MAIL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
THE CONFERENCE WINDOW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
THE MESSAGE SCREEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
ENTERING AND REPLYING TO MESSAGES . . . . . . . . . . 25
PUTTING IT TOGETHER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
THE ANATOMY OF A MAIL PACKET . . . . . . . . . . 27
GETTING A MAIL PACKET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
WRITING READABLE MESSAGES . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE AND ECHOMAIL . . . 29
CHAPTER 3 - THE OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE EDITOR . . . 31
WHAT IS OLXED? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
CHAPTER 4 - CUSTOMIZING OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE . . 33
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 3
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
THE MAIN CONFIGURATION MENU . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
DETAILED CONFIGURATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
DIRECTORIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
QWK DIRECTORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
REP DIRECTORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
WORK DIRECTORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
GENERAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
ENABLE SWAPPING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
SWAP TO XMS/EMS IF AVAILABLE . . . . . . . . 39
DRIVE FOR SWAP FILE . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
ENABLE MOUSE SUPPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
LEFT HANDED MOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
DEFAULT PACKET SORT ORDER . . . . . . . . . 39
DEFAULT CONFERENCE SORT . . . . . . . . . . 40
DEFAULT MESSAGE SORT ORDER . . . . . . . . . 40
PRE-PRINT SETUP STRING . . . . . . . . . . . 40
POST-PRINT SETUP STRING . . . . . . . . . . 40
TOGGLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
SCROLL BARS ON WINDOWS . . . . . . . . . . . 41
EXPLODING WINDOWS WITH SOUND . . . . . . . . 41
RENAME PACKET AFTER READ . . . . . . . . . . 41
SNOW CHECKING WITH OLD CGAs . . . . . . . . 42
BOX AROUND MESSAGE WINDOW . . . . . . . . . 42
BEEP ON PERSONAL MESSAGE . . . . . . . . . . 42
TO/FROM INSTEAD OF FROM/TO . . . . . . . . . 42
REREAD MESSAGES ALREADY READ . . . . . . . . 42
USE BOOKMARK (BOOKMARK.OLX) FILE . . . . . . 42
EDITOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
EDITOR COMMAND LINE . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
QUOTED ORIGINAL MESSAGE FILE . . . . . . . . 43
FILE TO TAKE REPLY TEXT FROM . . . . . . . . 43
CLEAR SCREEN BEFORE EDITOR . . . . . . . . . 43
REPLIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
WHEN TO EDIT REPLY INFO . . . . . . . . . . 44
REPLY QUOTING STYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
QUOTING PREFIX STRING . . . . . . . . . . . 45
MESSAGE HEADER IN QUOTED REPLY . . . . . . . 45
ENABLE TAGLINES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
FIDO-STYLE TAGLINES . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
PACKERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
COLORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
FUNCTION KEYS & ALT KEYS . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
CHAPTER 5 - ADVANCED FEATURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
PICK LISTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
TAGLINES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
TO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
SUBJECT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
FIND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
SAVE/VIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
SKIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
COMMAND LINE PARAMETERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
USING TWO FILES WHEN REPLYING . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
@-VARIABLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 4
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
@BBSID@ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
@CONFNAME@ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
@CONFNUM@ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
@DATE@ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
@DAY@ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
@FROM@ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
@FROMFIRST@ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
@FROMLAST@ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
@MEMORY@ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
@QWKDIR@ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
@REPDIR@ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
@SUBJECT@ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
@TIME@ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
@TIME24@ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
@TO@ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
@TOFIRST@ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
@TOLAST@ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
USING @-VARIABLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
MANUALLY SPLITTING LONG MESSAGES . . . . . . . . . . . 55
SELECTIVE SWAPPING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
ENTERING MESSAGES WITHOUT A PACKET . . . . . . . . . . 56
PCRELAY REROUTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
NETMAIL INITIALS SUPPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
APPENDIX A - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS . . . . . . . . . . 58
APPENDIX B - ERROR MESSAGES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
APPENDIX C - GLOSSARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 1
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION
HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL
This documentation is organized for use as an initial setup
guide, and as a reference book. Introductory information on Off-
Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive is presented first (chapter 1),
followed by step-by-step installation and configuration
instructions (chapter 2), an introduction to the Off-Line Xpress
Editor OLXED (chapter 3), followed by command reference and
customization material (chapter 4 and 5).
Unless you are intimately familiar with Off-Line Xpress, you
should begin with chapter 1 and follow the instructions through
chapter 3. After completing the setup material, a full reading of
the complete configuration and operational reference is strongly
recommended. Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive is a very versatile
and configurable program. There is no substitute for reading the
operational reference to become familiar with the numerous
features available. Make use of the F1 key for context-sensitive
help at any time. Also, the F3 key offers a pop-up list of menu
options available.
After you have installed and run Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive,
the manual will serve as a reference guide. It is indexed
extensively. After completing the initial setup you should be
able to easily locate material on any topic by checking the Table
of Contents or the Index.
Don't overlook the sections devoted to Technical Support, the
Off-Line Xpress Editor, Customization and Advanced Features.
WHAT IS OFF-LINE XPRESS TEST-DRIVE?
This TEST DRIVE version of OFF-LINE XPRESS is a full-featured
mail reader program. It is designed to allow the user to be able
to evaluate Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive and determine if it
meets their needs. The TEST DRIVE release is not the latest
release of the program, however, and does not include all the
features of the REGISTERED USER VERSION. This TEST DRIVE release
includes full documentation and information on obtaining the
REGISTERED USER VERSION. Print the file VENDOR.DOC and READ.ME
for additional information.
Off-Line Xpress (OLX) is an off-line mail reader for QWK
(Qwikmail) packets, a common off-line message format for Bulletin
Board Systems, originally developed by Mark "Sparky" Herring, and
now supported by most BBS software.
Off-Line Xpress allows you to call a BBS, capture new mail in a
compressed file, then read and reply to these messages off-line
using your favorite word processor or editor. Your reply file
will be ready to send to the BBS for your next on-line session.
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 2
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
WHY DO I NEED OFF-LINE XPRESS?
Everyone who's posted messages on a Bulletin Board System has
faced the problem of creating and answering messages online. You
need to provide a detailed answer to a difficult question,
meanwhile the BBS clock is ticking and the toll charges are
mounting up. And the information you need for your answer may not
be easy to retrieve while you're online.
Off-Line Xpress saves time and connection charges by allowing you
to disconnect from the BBS as soon as you've received your mail
packet. This takes only a fraction of the time it would take to
read and reply to messages on-line, and allows you the freedom to
read and answer BBS mail at your convenience while taking
advantage of night-time phone rates and less-busy times for the
BBS.
Off-Line Xpress allows you the time to research and prepare your
messages and replies properly. Using the built-in editor, or (if
you prefer) your own word processor or text editor, you can
import and format data, add your own comments and observations,
check for typos and spelling errors, even save copies of your
messages for future reference.
Off-Line Xpress is fully configurable, and provides fast and
powerful features for sorting, searching, saving, printing and
managing mail and replies. All in a professionally-written, easy
to use package designed with both novice and expert in mind.
With Full Registration of OFF-LINE XPRESS v2.1 you will receive:
- A copy of the latest release of the Registered User Version
with the registrations screen and tagline limitation
removed;
- A free upgrade to OLX v3.0 when it is released (projected
for mid 1992) which has a more comprehensive, updated,
typeset operations manual and additional features. If
version 3 has already been released when your order is
placed you will receive the current registered version with
manual. All versions from 3.0 forward are shipped as a
commercial package with dual media diskettes (3.5" & 5.25")
and include full typeset materials.
- Free voice technical support by phone between 9:00am and
5:00pm Pacific time;
- Automatic notification of any major program updates;
- Additional program updates at a significantly reduced rate.
- 24-hour access to the private multi-line Registered Users
BBS at Mustang Software.
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 3
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
A registration form is supplied on disk in the text file
REGISTER.FRM. You can print this file with the command
COPY A:REGISTER.FRM PRN
It contains complete pricing information, and may be used to mail
in your order.
You may also call our toll-free ORDERS ONLY HOTLINE
╔════════════════════════════════╗
║ 1-800-999-9619 ║
╚════════════════════════════════╝
Use your VISA, MasterCard, American Express, or even COD. For
information, please call 805-395-0223. Technical questions
regarding Test-Drive operation may be answered by calling our
support department direct at (805) 334-2240.
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 4
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
HARDWARE
Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive will run on all types of PC-
compatible computers, and supports Microsoft-compatible mice. It
requires a minimum of 384k of free memory, and while it is
possible to run Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive from a floppy
drive, a hard drive is recommended for most efficient operation.
If you plan to use Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive with a mouse,
trackball or other pointing device, a device driver for your
mouse must be loaded in your CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT startup
files.
Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive does not require expanded or
extended memory to function, although it is capable of using
expanded memory (EMS: LIM 3.2, LIM 4 or EEMS) while executing
external programs which require large amounts of DOS memory to
function. An expanded memory (EMS) device driver is required for
Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive to use expanded memory.
Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive can also make use of XMS (Extended
Memory Specification) for swapping, if an XMS driver is properly
installed in your system configuration and sufficient free XMS
memory is available.
WORD PROCESSOR/TEXT EDITOR
A simple text editor (OLXED.EXE) is supplied with Off-Line Xpress
2.1 Test Drive. This editor requires no special installation or
configuration procedures, and is able to save files in plain
ASCII text, in a format usable by Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive.
You may also find this program useful for creating and editing
batch files. For instructions on how to use OLX-TD's editor,
please refer to the section on OLXED.
If you prefer to use another word processor or text editor with
Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive, you will need to obtain and
install a copy of the program you wish to use. In order for Off-
Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive to create your replies, the word
processor or text editor you use must be capable of saving plain
ASCII text files in a standard DOS file format (for example, DOS
text or non-document mode). Please consult the manuals supplied
with your editor or word processor to determine the procedure for
saving ASCII files.
PACKERS/UNPACKERS
Mail packets are created and stored in a compressed format,
allowing many small files to be packed into a single larger file.
At the same time the resulting file is encoded with a
mathematical formula which replaces repetitive strings of
characters with shorter strings. This procedure allows a large
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 5
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
number of files to be stored and transmitted at high speed inside
a specially compressed package, thus saving disk space and
transfer time. These programs are referred to generically as
Packers and Unpackers.
Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive uses these packers and unpackers
to process mail packets. OLX-TD is able to analyze a QWK packet
to determine which of the many popular packer/unpacker utilities
created the file on the Bulletin Board System, and it expects to
find a copy of the same utility on your own computer in order to
read the packet and create your replies.
You may be wondering where to obtain these utilities, since for
reasons of licensing and copyright, they are not supplied as part
of the Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive package.
These packers/unpackers are generally shareware, freeware, or
public domain programs, available from Bulletin Board Systems. A
message from you to the system operator (Sysop), or to your LAN
administrator, will result a reply with instructions on how to
access and install the appropriate files.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT SERVICES
Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive was designed for ease of use, and
this manual should contain the answers to most of your questions.
Read it first and check the appendices for trouble-shooting
procedures. If you're still stumped, technical support is only a
phone call away. You may first want to call our MSI public-access
BBS system at 805-395-0650 for valuable insight by other Off-Line
Xpress 2.1 Test Drive users. Feel free to look around, download
any files on the system that may be of use to you, or leave a
message in the OLX area if you need a question answered. This
method of obtaining support is especially good if you want expert
guidance regarding the more advanced features.
Another alternative is CompuServe where we are a part of the PC
Vendor Support Forum. You reach us by typing GO PCVEN and then
selecting Sub Topic 9. Our PIN is (75236,3312).
If you are unable to find the answer to a question or just need a
quick explanation, please give us a call between 9:00am and
5:00pm Pacific time. You can reach technical support at (805)
334-2240. We must, however, limit tech calls to those problems
not resolved after reading this manual. Technical support is not
(and should not be) a substitute for this manual. Bear in mind
that most other software companies will not even support a
product until it is registered. We want to extend special support
to users of this TEST-DRIVE release, but need your cooperation in
checking the manual first.
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 6
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
LIMITED WARRANTY
THIS PRODUCT IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND.
THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE RESULTS AND PERFORMANCE OF THE PROGRAM
IS ASSUMED BY YOU. SHOULD THE PROGRAM PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU (AND
NOT MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OR ITS DEALERS) ASSUME THE ENTIRE COST
OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR OR CORRECTION. FURTHER,
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. DOES NOT WARRANT, GUARANTEE, OR MAKE
REPRESENTATIONS REGARDING THE USE OF, OR THE RESULTS OF THE USE
OF THIS PROGRAM IN TERMS OF CORRECTNESS, ACCURACY, RELIABILITY,
CURRENTNESS, OR OTHERWISE; AND YOU RELY ON THE PROGRAM AND IT'S
RESULTS SOLELY AT YOUR OWN RISK. MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. CANNOT
ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR SYSTEM DAMAGE, LOSS OF PROFIT, OR ANY
OTHER SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGE RESULTING FROM
THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THIS PRODUCT.
Mustang Software, Inc., DOES warrant to the original licensee of
a REGISTERED product that the program disk(s) on which the
program is recorded be free from defects in materials and
workmanship under normal use and service for a period of ninety
(90) days from the date of delivery as evidenced by a copy of
your receipt. Mustang Software, Inc.'s entire liability and your
exclusive remedy shall be replacement of the disk not meeting
Mustang Software, Inc.'s Limited Warranty.
DISTRIBUTION POLICY AND COPYRIGHT
COPYRIGHT
Off-Line Xpress Test Drive software and this document is (C)
Copyright 1992 Mustang Software, Inc. All rights reserved. Off-
Line Xpress Test Drive, Off-Line Xpress and OLX are Trademarks of
Mustang Software, Inc.
Any specific hardware/software names used in this document are
trademarks of specific manufacturers.
Regardless of the method of marketing, Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test
Drive is not in the public domain. It is copyrighted by Mustang
Software, Inc. All rights are reserved. Copying, duplicating,
selling or otherwise distributing this product is a violation of
the Law. However, we grant you the right, in fact encourage you
to make and distribute as many copies of this TEST-DRIVE version
as you wish, using any acceptable medium of exchange, with the
following provisions:
TEST-DRIVE DISTRIBUTION POLICY
1. Please feel free to distribute this TEST-DRIVE version as
often as you like, to any interested parties.
2. Please do not distribute the program without all of its
original related files, addendum files, documentation and
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 7
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
this notice.
3. Please obtain our written permission prior to distribution
with any "Bundled" software packages.
4. Please do not alter the program or documentation in any
manner.
5. Off-Line Xpress Test-Drive is licensed for individual
personal use and evaluation for an unlimited time. Use and
evaluation by businesses, corporations or individuals in a
commercial venture is limited to 60 days, after which time
the REGISTERED version of Off-Line Xpress must be purchased
or the use of Off-Line Xpress Test-Drive must be
discontinued.
DISTRIBUTION of the REGISTERED USER version of the program is in
violation of license agreements and copyright Law!
THE SOURCE CODE
The source code for Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive is not
available. This decision gives us the ability to guarantee the
integrity of our product in this era of software contamination.
It is not available either under the TEST DRIVE concept, or as a
Commercial product.
DEFINITIONS
Throughout the documentation, you may run into technical terms or
everyday computer terminology with which you are not familiar.
Following are some text examples you may come across:
[Enter] This represents the Return or Enter key on the
keyboard. If you see this in the text, press the
Enter key rather than typing in the string.
[Esc] This refers to the Esc key on the keyboard.
[Alt][char] [Alt] is always followed by a character which
means press and hold the Alt Key and hit the
following letter. [Alt][A] means hold the Alt key
down and press 'A'.
[Ctrl][char] Is executed the same way the [Alt] is handled. You
press and hold the Ctrl key and then press the
following letter.
[Fn] This refers to Function keys 1 through 10. Press
the function key matching the [Fn].
HELP SCREENS
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 8
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
To pop up a help screen anytime, press [F1]. Or, if you are using
a three-button mouse, click the middle mouse button. The help
screens are context-sensitive -- that is, the information they
contain is related to your current location in the program.
Your [Esc] Escape key or right mouse button always backs up or
returns you to the previous window.
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 9
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
CHAPTER 2 - INSTALLING AND USING OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE
INSTALLATION
Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive is supplied as a single self-
extracting compressed file. This file, when unpacked, contains
the OLX-TD program files, documentation, and a conversion program
which will upgrade your existing SLMR (Silly Little Mail Reader)
files to the new OLX-TD format, if necessary.
To start the installation process, first make a copy of your OLX
TEST DRIVE diskette and put the original away in a safe place.
Place the backup copy of your OLX-TD distribution disk in your
floppy drive, and type:
C: [enter]
MD \OLX-TD [enter]
CD \OLX-TD [enter]
A:OLXTD [Enter]
The self-extraction process will then unpack the program files,
documentation, and support files into the subdirectory you just
created.
If you are installing OLX-TD on a hard drive, you may now skip to
the "QUICK START" section.
FLOPPY DISK INSTALLATION
Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive opens and creates many temporary
files during operation. Additionally, it calls several auxiliary
programs during operation, each of which have their own disk
space and memory requirements. Because some of these temporary
files and auxiliary programs may be quite large, Off-Line Xpress
2.1 Test Drive functions most effectively when installed and used
on a hard drive.
To run OLX-TD from floppy drives, we recommend first installing
the program on a hard drive. Then copy the necessary program and
support files to floppy disks. The procedure is as follows:
OLX-TD works best with two floppy drives or with high capacity
single floppy drives (720k, 1.2 meg, or 1.44 meg). OLX-TD will
run on a single 360k floppy drive in a minimal configuration, but
the size of mail packets you can read will be very limited.
First choose a disk to be your OLX-TD working disk. On this disk
you will need the following files:
PKUNZIP.EXE used to unpack QWK packets
PKZIP.EXE used to pack REP packets
OLXED.EXE or other text editor for writing messages
OLXTD.EXE the program
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 10
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
An executable file compression program such as LZEXE or PKLITE
may be used to compress your OLX-TD program files so they take up
as little space as possible. These compression programs are not
supplied with OLX-TD, but may be obtained separately from many
Bulletin Board Systems. With these programs comes instructions on
how to use them to shrink executable files.
If you have a second floppy drive, format another diskette and
use it to hold your QWK mail packets.
To complete the floppy disk installation of Off-Line Xpress 2.1
Test Drive, place your OLX-TD disk in drive A, your mail packet
disk in drive B, and then type
A: [Enter]
OLXTD [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 OLX-TD
to swap to disk.
Work Directory Set the work directory to B:\WORK instead of
the default. This will cause OLX-TD to place
its temporary files on drive B, which will
have more space available than drive A.
If you are using DOS version 2, you will need to include A:\ in
your PATH statement. If you do not have a PATH set up yet, type
PATH A:\ [Enter]
to set it up. See your DOS manual for more information.
UPGRADING FROM SLMR TO OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE
SLMR users may convert their existing configuration and pick list
files to OLX-TD format by using the SLMR2OLX.EXE utility. This is
a one-time conversion which will preserve your SLMR configuration
files in their original path, and create new OLX-TD configuration
files in your OLX-TD path. To convert your SLMR configuration to
OLX-TD, simply type:
SLMR2OLX [enter]
and follow the instructions on the screen.
QUICK START FOR NEW USERS - WELCOME.QWK
These instructions assume you have installed Off-Line Xpress 2.1
Test Drive on your hard drive, in C:\OLX-TD. If you have
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 11
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
installed the program in a different path, revise the following
instructions accordingly. To start OLX-TD, change to your OLX
directory by typing:
CD \OLX [Enter]
Then type
OLXTD [Enter].
Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive comes already configured, and in
most cases the default settings will work properly on your
system.
You will then see the Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive opening
screen, with the WELCOME.QWK entry highlighted. This special QWK
packet is an actual mail packet just like one you would download
from a BBS. It contains instruction messages and a "hands-on"
introduction to OLX-TD. Reading it, and following the
instructions step by step, is an easy way to become familiar with
OLX-TD. Press [Enter] to open the WELCOME.QWK packet, then follow
the directions on the screen.
Once you have read through the WELCOME.QWK packet, you will be
familiar with the basic operation of Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test
Drive. The next step is to try it live -- with a real mail packet
from a BBS. If the concept of mail doors and Bulletin Board
Systems is new to you, please refer to the section on Putting It
Together later in this chapter for a detailed explanation.
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 12
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
USING OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE
GETTING HELP WHEN YOU NEED IT
[F1] is the "Help" key in Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive. Help is
available at any point in the program, and the help screen gives
information specific to your current location or function. Here
is a sample help screen:
┌ Help ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ Welcome to OLX-TD 2.1! │
│ │
│ These help screens, available anywhere at the press of F1, │
│ will provide you with information about what OLX is │
│ expecting you to do (and what you are allowed to do). These │
│ screens, however, are not meant to replace the included │
│ documentation (OLX.DOC). Please see the documentation for │
│ full details on all OLX's features. │
│ │
│ Press PgDn for the next help screen ──────────┐ │
│ │ │
│ │ │
│ v │
│ │
│ Enter-Ok PgUp PgDn Page 1/3 │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
MENU NAVIGATION
KEYBOARD CONTROL
The following keys are active almost anywhere in Off-Line Xpress
2.1 Test Drive, even though they may not be mentioned on
individual help screens:
[F1] Pop up a context-related Help screen
[F2] Pop up a Pick List (if available for current item)
[F3] Pop up a Menu of applicable choice
[F10] Accept current selection
Arrows Move the highlight bar or scroll the window
[Esc] Exit the current screen or window to previous
screen or window
[Alt][N] Configure Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive
[Alt][P] Edit Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive's Pick Lists
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 13
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
[Alt][R] Shell to DOS
[Alt][V] View a file with Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive's
file viewer
[Alt][X] Emergency exit from Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive
[Ctrl][Home] Look at the screen under the current window
[F4]-[F9] User-defined function keys (configurable)
MOUSE CONTROL
Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive will automatically detect and
support your Microsoft-compatible mouse, if you have properly
installed a mouse driver. Scroll bars will appear on the side or
bottom of windows, and radio buttons are available on most
windows. The left mouse button means Select. If the mouse cursor
is on an active edit field, the left button brings up an
appropriate Pick List, the same way as if you pressed [F2].
The right mouse button works the same way as the [Esc] key, and
returns you to the previous menu.
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.
In several program areas, such as when reading messages, there
are radio buttons used to make screen selections. To make a
selection from one of the radio buttons, move the mouse until the
cursor is on top of the item you wish to select, then click the
left mouse button. For example, when reading messages the radio
buttons include:
[Reply] This button brings up the message entry window and
allows you to reply to the message on screen.
[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. If you have read the first message
in a conference, this button brings up the Conference
Window.
[Index] This button brings up an index of all messages in the
current conference. It is the same as the [I] or
[Insert] keypress.
[Other] This button activates a pulldown menu of additional
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 14
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
message functions.
In many areas of OLX-TD (messages, bulletins, file viewer), you
can click on the bottom half of a window to page down, or click
on the top half of the window to page up.
THE PACKET WINDOW
When you first start Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive, you will
briefly see an introductory screen while OLX-TD is loading. You
will then be shown the Packet Window. Here is a snapshot of the
OLX-TD packet window:
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Offline Xpress Copyright (c) 1991 by Mustang Software, Inc. Version 2.1 │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
╔ QWK Mail Packets ═════════════════════════════════ F:\PRIVATE\WCWORK\NODE28\ ╗
║ BBS Name File Name Size Date Time Read Rep ║
║──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────║
║ MSI HQ BBS MUSTANG.QWK 179k 01-04-92 14:36 39%
║ PROWORK <dir> 11-01-91 17:46 █
║ TCWORK <dir> 10-15-91 16:35 ▒
║ [A:] ▒
║ [B:] ▒
║ [C:] ▒
║ [F:] ▒
║ [G:] ▒
║ [H:] ▒
║ [I:] ▒
║ [J:] ▒
║ [T:]
║────────────────────────────────── Commands ──────────────────────────────────║
║ Packet window commands Global commands ║
║ D - Delete packet R - Rename packet Alt-C - Configuration ║
║ E - Enter message S - Sort packets Alt-D - Shell to DOS ║
║ N - Reread directory U - Mark packet as unread Alt-X - Quick exit ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Offline Xpress 2.1 Mem: 77k 10:44 am
You may use the arrow keys to move the highlight bar over the
packet you wish to read. A handy shortcut is to press a letter or
number key to move the highlight bar immediately to the next
packet that starts with that letter or number. Press [Enter] when
you have highlighted the packet you would like to read.
A list of frequently-used commands appears in the bottom part of
the window. To see a complete list of available commands at any
time, press [F3]. Below is a sample menu screen:
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 15
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
║ MSI HQ BBS ╔ Packets ═════╗ 179k
║ ║ ║dir>
║ ║ D - Delete ║dir>
║ ║ E - Enter ║
║ ║ N - Reread ║
║ ║ R - Rename ║
║ ║ S - Sort ║
║ ║ U - Unread ║
║ ║ ║
║ ╚══════════════╝
║ [J:]
THE READ MENU
Once you have selected a QWK packet to read, Off-Line Xpress 2.1
Test Drive will unpack it into the work directory. It will then
scan and sort the message file and prepare the packet for
reading. When the packet has been prepared, Off-Line Xpress 2.1
Test Drive will display the Read Menu. This menu gives you some
basic information about the packet you have just opened,
including the name of the BBS, the type of mail door which
created the packet, and the name of the person who downloaded the
QWK mail packet (this can be useful information if more than one
person uses your computer).
Here's a screen snapshot of the menu you would see if you had a
mail packet from the Mustang Software HQ! BBS, the support BBS
for Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive:
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 16
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
■ You have connected to the MSI HQ BBS System
■ New phone numbers are available for registered and non-registered callers.
■ See Bulletin 6 for complete phone rotation, and numbers for all 15 lines.
╔ Read Menu ════════════════════╗
║ Packet: MUSTANG.QWK ║~~~~~~~
║ Board ID: MUSTANG ║
║ Door: Tomcat 3.01 ║
▄▄▄▄║ Your Name: GWEN BARNES ║▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
▄▄▄▄║ Packet Date: Sat Jan 04, 1992 ║▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
▄▄▄▄║ Packet Time: 2:24 pm ║────────────────────────────┐▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
▄▄▄▄║ ║TANG SOFTWARE, INC. │▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
▄▄▄▄║ (Bulletins) ║ │▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
▄▄▄▄║ (News) ║pment Home of │▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
▄▄▄▄║ Mail ║ │▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
▄▄▄▄║ Files ║T! and Qmodem │▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
▄▄▄▄║ Exit ║────────────────────────────┤▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
▄▄▄▄║ ║ Qmodem Version 4.3 │▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
▄▄▄▄╚═══════════════════════════════╝────────────────────────────┘▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
MSI - Bringing it all together in '92
MUSTANG │ MSI HQ BBS Mem: 19k 10:49 am
Besides messages, a typical mail packet may also include
bulletins, a list of new files posted on the BBS since your last
call, and a newsletter file from the System Operator announcing
changes and updates to the BBS. The Read Menu lets you choose the
item(s) you wish to read. Note that not all items may be in the
particular QWK packet you have opened. These missing items cannot
be selected and have parentheses around them. Mail packets also
contain a number of control files, which you would not ordinarily
be able to view or access with OLX-TD. These files provide system
information for the mail reader and for the .QWK mail system
which created the packet.
The Read Menu is displayed over the BBS welcome screen as
follows:
BULLETINS If the sysop of the BBS you call for mail has updated
any of the system bulletins, and you have configured
your own settings in the mail door to send bulletins,
they will be included in your mail packet. Selecting
the Bulletins option pops up a Pick List of bulletins,
which you may then select and read using OLX-TD's file
viewer. While reading bulletins, you may save the
bulletin to a file, or search for text within the
bulletin.
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 17
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
NEWS This selection displays the system newsletter file,
using OLX-TD's built-in file viewer.
MAIL This selection takes you to the mail reading function
of Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive, and is explained in
greater detail in the next section of this manual.
FILES This selection displays a list of new files which have
been uploaded to the BBS since your last call. This
option, like the Bulletins selection, is a
configuration item which you may select while you are
logged into the BBS.
EXIT This option saves your replies in a REP file and
returns you to the Packet Window.
THE CONFIGURATION MENU
Press [Alt][N] at any time to view or change your default
configuration. Please refer to Chapter 6, Customizing OLX-TD, for
a complete list of configuration options. Here's a sneak preview
of the main configuration menu:
╔ Configuration ═════════════════════════════════════════ Instructions ╗
║
║ Welcome to the OLX configuration window! This is where █
║ you will tell OLX information it needs to know about your ▒
║ computer and preferences. You can select a screen from ▒
║ the list below or use PgDn to go through all the screens. ▒
║ Make frequent use of the F1 key to get help on each item. ▒
║ ▒
║ Directories ▒
║ General ▒
║ Toggles ▒
║ Editor ▒
║ Replies ▒
║ Packers ▒
║ Colors ▒
║ Function keys ▒
║ Alt keys ▒
║ ▒
║ ▒
║──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────▒
║ Directory and path information ▒
║ F10-Ok ESC-Cancel F1-Help
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 18
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
READING MAIL
THE CONFERENCE WINDOW
If you select Mail from the Read Menu, Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test
Drive displays a list of conferences (or message areas, also
known as folders, SIGs, and echoes). There may be only a few
conferences, or several pages. Following is a sample of a
conference menu, again taken from the MSI HQ! BBS.
╔ Conferences ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ Replies 17 QMODEM (3) 72 ILinkQmode ║
║ Personal (3) 18 Alias 73 ILinkSysop (8) ║
║ 0 Private (83) 19 BetaTomcat 74 ILinkAdmin (14) ║
║ 1 WILDCAT!3 (62) 20 BetaPRO! 75 U'NInetusr ║
║ 2 WILDCAT!2 (3) 21 BetaWM 77 KernNet ║
║ 3 DoorHelp (9) 22 Beta3rdPar 81 MCIgateway ║
║ 4 ExtProtos 23 WCLIST 82 BIXGateway ║
║ 5 Net&Echo (8) 24 BetaWMecho 83 MHSEMAIL ║
║ 6 ModemHelp (10) 25 BetaCIS 84 CIS-MAIL ║
║ 7 LANtastic (7) 26 BetaMCI 85 CIS-PCVENA ║
║ 8 Novell 27 BetaMHS 86 CIS-IBMBBS ║
║ 9 DESQview (1) 28 SLMR (1) 87 CIS-NOVC ║
║ 10 TOMCAT! (5) 50 Test-Drive (2) 88 CIS-BPROGA ║
║ 11 SysopChat (10) 51 MSICorpora (1) 89 MHSWCMAIL ║
║ 12 BBSAds (2) 60 U'NIWC! (14) 99 FidoNetmai (7) ║
║ 13 PRO!Help 61 U'NISLMR (38) 100 WC!Fido (68) ║
║ 14 3rdParty (4) 62 U'NITomcat 101 WCtechFido (4) ║
║ 15 BetaWC 70 ILinkWCAT 103 Astronomy ║
║ 16 AlphaWC (27) 71 ILinkSLMR (24) 104 Aviation ║
╚▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒█▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒╝
You can scroll through the list of conferences using your [PgUp],
[PgDn], [Tab], and arrow keys. Down arrow will move you to the
next conference in the list, Up arrow will move you to the
previous conference. The [Tab] key moves you to the next
conference which contains messages, and [Shift][Tab] moves you to
the previous conference containing messages. [Home] will return
you to the top left corner of the conference window, [End] will
move you to the last conference in the packet.
Two special conferences are listed in the upper left corner of
the Conference Window -- Replies and Personal.
When you enter a new message, or reply to a message in your mail
packet, these messages are placed in the Replies conference, so
that you may review and, if necessary, edit or delete them before
sending your reply packet back to the BBS.
The Personal conference contains a copy of all the messages in
the packet which are addressed to you.
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 19
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
The following keys are active at the Conference Window (to see a
complete list of active keys anywhere in OLX-TD, press [F3]:
[A] -- Add
[D] -- Drop
These two options add special control messages to your reply
packet, that tell the BBS mail system to add or drop conferences
from your configuration. To add or drop a conference, move the
highlight bar over the conference you wish to set, then press [A]
or [D]. You will be asked to confirm the change in a little pop-
up window like this:
╔═════════════════════════════════════╗
║ ║
║ Do you want to add this conference? ║
║ ┌─────┐ ║
║ │ Yes │ No ║
║ └─────┘ ║
╚═════════════════════════════════════╝
[E] -- Enter a message
This selection loads your editor, and allows you to create and
save a new message in the highlighted conference
[F] -- Find conf
[N] -- Find next
These selections allow you to search for a conference name from
the list in the conference window. This can be handy when you are
looking for a specific message area but don't want to scroll
through a long list.
A box like this one will pop up, asking you to input the text you
want to search for:
╔ Find in list ════════════════════════════════════╗
║ ║
║ Find: ║
║ ║
║ Enter-Ok ESC-Cancel F1-Help ║
║ ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 20
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
[I] -- Index
Pop up a message index of all message headers in the highlighted
conference. An example follows:
╔ Message Index ════════════════════════════════════════ Conference: ModemHelp ╗
║ 1424 TOM LAMERE STEVE CRIPPEN Non-Answering Modem
║ 1430 STEVE CRIPPEN TOM LAMERE Non-Answering Modem █
║ 1426 STEVE CRIPPEN TIM SAARI HST 12000 Fallback ▒
║ 1432 MINOS TSAUSSIS STEVE CRIPPEN HST 12000 Fallback ▒
║ 1427 STEVE CRIPPEN PETER GRILLONE HAYES V-SERIES 96 ▒
║ 1428 STEVE CRIPPEN JOHN PECK Zoom Internal Modem!!! ▒
║ 1429 STEVE CRIPPEN CHIP BLACK download time ▒
║ 1431 DENNIS PAULSEN MUSTANG SOFTWARE, I Question ▒
║ 1433 JIM BONNER STEVE CRIPPEN Cardinal 9600 v.32 "Error ▒
║ 1434 RUSTY GORDON STEVE CRIPPEN Wrong Baud Rates-2400/REL
╚══ Num ═══ From ══════════════ To ════════════════ Subject ══════════════ Rep ╝
[S] -- Sort
Sort the conferences by name, number, or total number of
messages.
[R] -- Reset
This selection creates a control message which, when uploaded to
the mail door as part of a .REP packet, resets your high message
number on the BBS. This option is useful if you want to reread
mail you have already seen, or if you want to skip ahead and read
more recent messages.
[Tab], [Shift][Tab] -- Next, Previous conference
Move to the next and previous conferences, respectively,
containing mail
[Enter] -- Select
Read messages in the highlighted conference
[Alt][F] -- Find
[Alt][N] -- Find next
[Alt][L] -- Find previous (Last)
Find text within the conference listing (for example, you may
search for a conference by typing all or part of its name, rather
than scrolling through the conference list yourself)
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 21
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
THE MESSAGE SCREEN
Once you have selected a conference in which to read messages,
the message text of the first message is displayed. Following is
a sample:
Date: 01-03-92 (20:48) Number: 1432 Message 4 of 10
From: MINOS TSAUSSIS Reply to: 1426
To: STEVE CRIPPEN Recvd: NO Reply Next Index
Subj: HST 12000 Fallback Conf: (6) ModemHelp Prev Other
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-> -> Every v.32bis modem can connect at 12000.
-> █
-> If you had v.32bis why would you want to connect at 12000? ▒
-> ▒
-> <just because you can...> ▒
▒
Unfortunately, it now gets to be a real problem with the V32Turbos that ▒
are out there. And I'll run out of space for result codes as soon as ▒
USR or someone else comes out with faster modems.... ▒
▒
▒
▒
▒
▒
▒
▒
▒
▒
MUSTANG │ MSI HQ BBS Mem: 15k 11:05 am
While reading 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)
[Ctrl][PgDn] -- Skip to next thread (topic) of messages
[Ctrl][PgUp] -- Skip to previous thread
[A] -- Animate
Displays ANSI-encoded messages in color, at a speed simulating
2400 bps. Press A twice quickly, or [Ctrl][A] to display the
message instantly. If the string [ANSIART] is present on the
first line of a message, Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive will
animate the message automatically.
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 22
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
[B] -- Bulk mark
Bulk mark messages (for later saving or printing). A Pick List
like the one following will pop up, asking you to select bulk
saving according to the To, From, or Subject fields.
╔ Bulk marking ═══════════════════╗
║ ║
║ All messages in conference ║
║ To a particular user ║
║ From a particular user ║
║ Subject text ║
║ Clear all marks in conference ║
║ ║
╚═════════════════════════════════╝
[E] -- Enter new message
Starts your editor or word processor, so you can enter and save a
new message.
[F] -- Find text
Search for keyword(s) or phrase(s) within this conference, or in
all conferences. Enter the words you wish 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], [Insert] -- Index
Pops up a list of all the messages in this conference, showing
message number, sender, addressee, and subject. Press [Enter] to
read the highlighted message. Additional symbols between the
message number and the sender's name in this message index
provide further information on the status of the message:
* means you have read the message
Pt. means the message is private
R means you have replied to this message
√ (checkmark) indicates the message is marked for later saving.
[L] -- Last find
Find last (previous) occurrence of find string.
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 23
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
[M] -- Mark message
Mark this message for later saving. If you want to mark several
related messages, you may find it more efficient to use the Bulk
Mark option.
[N] -- Find next
Find next occurrence of find string.
[O] -- Order (sort)
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 Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test
Drive Configuration to set a default sort order for messages.
Here is an example of the Order Pick List:
╔ Message sort ╗
║ ║
║ Number ║
║ From ║
║ To ║
║ Subject ║
║ ║
╚══════════════╝
[P] -- Print
Make a hard copy of this message on your printer. A window will
pop up, confirming the destination for your message. Note: You
can print to any valid DOS file or device by filling in the Print
to: field in the window. An example window follows:
╔ Print Message(s) ═══════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ ║
║ Print to: PRN ║
║ ║
║ This message ║
║ All marked messages ║
║ Marked messages in conference ║
║ All messages in conference ║
║ ║
║ Enter-Ok ESC-Cancel F1-Help F2-Picklist ║
║ ║
╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 24
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
[Q] -- Request attachment
Some BBS programs allow callers to Attach a file to a message. If
that feature is supported by the mail door which created the
packet you are now reading, this option will send a control
message to the mail program instructing it to include the
attached file in the next mail packet you download.
[R] -- Reply
This selection loads your text editor, and automatically imports
a quoted copy of the message to which you are replying, so that
you may reply to specific items in the original text.
[S] -- Save
The "Save" window is similar to the "Print" Window. You will be
prompted to 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 tagline
Taglines are advertisements or humorous one-liners appended to
BBS messages by many mail reader programs, including Off-Line
Xpress 2.1 Test Drive. If you see a tagline on someone else's
message that you would like to add to your own collection, the
Steal Tagline option will copy the tagline from the message
currently on screen, and add it to your tagline file.
[W] -- forWard message
This selection creates a copy of the message currently on screen,
and allows you to re-address it privately to another person. OLX-
TD adds a line at the beginning of the message indicating the
original addressee, the fact that it is a forwarded copy, and the
name of the original message conference.
[Z] -- Zip to reply
Zip to and from the current message and your reply, and vice
versa. Note that this option is for viewing your own, current
replies you have written while reading this packet.
[K] -- Kill reply (reply conf only)
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 deletion.
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 25
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
[E] -- Edit reply
[R] -- Revise reply (reply conf only)
These options, which are interchangeable, allow you to revise a
message in the Replies conference before you send it to the BBS,
Your editor will be reloaded with your message text and quoted
text, if any.
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 OLX-TD's
data entry screen.
╔ New Message Info ════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ ║
║ From: GWEN BARNES Private: No ║
║ To: ALL Carbon copies: No ║
║ Subject: Sample Message Return receipt: No ║
║ ║
║ Conference: 17 QMODEM ║
║ ║
║ Tagline: MSI - Bringing it all together in '92 ║
║ ║
║ F10-Ok ESC-Cancel F1-Help F2-Picklist ║
║ ║
╚═════════════════════ Press F10 to edit message ══════════════════════╝
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 delete the message if it
isn't from you.
TO
If you are entering a new message, you are prompted to enter a
name here. If you're replying to a message, Off-Line Xpress 2.1
Test Drive 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 for Off-Line
Xpress 2.1 Test Drive to insert in this field.
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 and have Off-
Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive insert your selection into this field.
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 26
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
PRIVATE
Messages on a BBS may be either Public, in which case they can be
seen by all users who have access to the message section, or
Private -- in which case they can be seen only by the sender, the
recipient, and those with Sysop (System Operator) privileges. By
default, your message will be posted as Public; by answering YES
the message will be sent Private.
It is well to note that there is no such thing as truly private
mail on a Bulletin Board system, since users with System Operator
(Sysop) status usually have access to view every aspect of the
system, including private or receiver-only mail. This option is
customarily used for messages which are not of general interest,
and it should not be assumed that private mail will be seen only
by the sender and intended recipient.
It is also important to note that private mail is not always
supported on echomail networks, either because of network
regulations, or because of limitations in the software used to
transport the messages. Before attempting to send private mail
from one BBS to another, please ask the Sysop if this function is
supported.
CARBON COPIES
Answer YES to this question, and Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive
will allow you to send up to 20 additional copies of a message to
a list of names you specify in a popup window. You will be
prompted to specify the message conference in which to place each
carbon copied message and, as usual, a Pick List of conferences
is available by pressing [F2].
RETURN RECEIPT
Some BBS software will generate a return receipt upon request,
indicating the date and time your message was received by the
addressee. If the BBS software supports this feature, you will be
able to request the BBS program to generate a return receipt for
your message when it reaches its destination.
CONFERENCE
This is the conference (message area) 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. Select the conference by highlighting the name with your
mouse or arrow keys, and press [Enter] to confirm your selection.
TAGLINE
This field shows the tagline Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive will
automatically append to your message. You can type your own words
of wisdom here, or press [F2] to view your Taglines Pick List. If
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 27
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
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.
PUTTING IT TOGETHER
THE ANATOMY OF A MAIL PACKET
Mail packets readable by Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive consist
of a standard DOS file name of up to eight characters, with a
three-character extension. The file name of an individual mail
packet is determined by the packet ID of the Bulletin Board
System which created it. The three character extension determines
whether the packet contains BBS mail, or replies.
For example, mail packets created by Mustang Software's own
customer support Bulletin Board System will always be identified
as MUSTANG.QWK, and the reply packet created by Off-Line Xpress
2.1 Test Drive after you have read a MUSTANG.QWK packet will be
called MUSTANG.REP. The Bulletin Board System will only accept
and process reply packets whose names match the BBS's packet ID.
QWK This is the standard extension for the type of mail packets
readable by Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive. These mail
packets are created by a Bulletin Board System using a .QWK
(QMail compatible) mail program. If you download several
mail packets from the same BBS, your terminal program may
rename new downloads to avoid overwriting existing files. In
this case, you may also have files with extensions such as
.QW0, .QW1, and so on. Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive
recognizes these files as mail packets, and processes them
normally.
REP This is the standard extension for the type of reply packets
created by Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive, which can be
processed by the .QWK mail program on the Bulletin Board
System. If you read packets from several different Bulletin
Board Systems, Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive will create a
unique .REP file for each BBS. If, on the other hand, you
read more than one packet from the same BBS, all your
replies will be incorporated into a single REP file matching
the packet ID of the BBS.
GETTING A MAIL PACKET
The process of downloading, reading, and uploading mail packets
is quite straightforward. Here's an explanation of the procedure,
step by step.
If you're connecting to the BBS via your modem, the first step
would be to load your communications program (for example,
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 28
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
QModem), and have it dial the phone number for the BBS. When the
BBS modem answers and connects, log onto the BBS using your login
I.D. (usually your first and last names). Enter your password
when prompted, and answer any additional prompts the BBS may
display.
If you log into the BBS over a Local Area Network (LAN), your LAN
administrator has probably created a menu selection for the BBS,
or provided instructions on how to log on from a command line. If
you are not sure how to do this, please contact your LAN
administrator or Sysop for assistance.
There are many different BBS programs which support .QWK mail --
depending on the BBS you have called, there are many different
ways of getting to the QWK mail system. For Wildcat systems, it
is usually an option on the Message menu. On PCBoard systems it
is usually listed on the DOOR 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.
If you are logged on through the LAN, your .QWK mail packet will
be created for you in your local directory. If you are logged on
with a modem, you will be prompted to begin downloading your .QWK
packet as soon as the mail has been scanned and packed. When your
download has finished, you may log off or return to the BBS main
menu to continue with your online session.
You can then start Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive from Qmodem by
pressing [Alt][M] to read your new mail. If you've entered new
messages or replied to mail during your session with Off-Line
Xpress 2.1 Test Drive, you will now need to upload the .REP
(reply) file to the BBS. To start Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive
from the DOS command line, change to your OLX-TD subdirectory,
and type
OLXTD.EXE [Enter]
To upload REP files, 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.
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, network administrator, or other knowledgeable user for
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 29
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
assistance. Most experienced BBS users are 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 appear to other callers that 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' messages you quote; many people will
skip past messages that begin with a whole page of somebody
else's quoted message.
OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE AND ECHOMAIL (NETIQUETTE)
While your BBS may have some active local message areas, there
are also many large and small groups of Bulletin Board Systems
connected together in echomail networks. There are dozens of
national and regional echomail networks to choose from, with
conferences for almost every conceivable topic.
Some of these echomail networks may be carried on your local BBS,
and this is an ideal place to use an offline mail reader such as
Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive. The large number of messages
generated by the hundreds of participants in a typical echomail
network requires tools such as Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive to
help you manage the mail.
When participating in these echomail 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 echomail networks.
Most echomail networks have guidelines about taste, content, and
topicality. Please take the time to make yourself aware of the
rules set down by the moderators and administrators of the
echomail network. If your local BBS has echomail, you will
usually find bulletins and/or information files about the
echomail 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.
To avoid running afoul of echo conference regulations, save your
fancy signatures and color graphics for local conferences (or
network conferences specifically dedicated for these purposes).
Most echomail networks forbid the use of control characters
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 30
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
(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.
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 31
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
CHAPTER 3 - THE OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE EDITOR
WHAT IS OLXED?
For your convenience, a simple full screen text editor is
included with Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive. The editor is
called The Off-Line Xpress Editor, or OLXED. Off-Line Xpress 2.1
Test Drive comes pre-configured to use this editor to create
messages and replies. You may also find this editor useful for
other purposes -- for example to create and edit batch files.
If you've used other word processors or text editors, many of
OLXED's commands will be familiar to you. Help is available at
all times by pressing [F1], and a list of common functions is
displayed on a status line at the bottom of your screen.
[F1] -- Help
Displays a help screen of OLXED functions
[F2] -- Split
Toggles between split screen and fullscreen mode. For editing up
to two files at the same time.
[F7], [F8] -- Mark
[F5] -- Unmark
Mark and unmark blocks of text. Can be used to copy, move, delete
and paste text from one window to another, if desired.
[F6] -- DelEOL
Delete text from cursor rightward to end of line.
[F9] -- DelLine
Deletes entire line on which cursor is located.
[F10] -- Save&Exit
Write file(s) to disk, exits to DOS.
[Esc] -- Exit
Prompts to save file, exits to DOS.
OLXED also supports Wordstar(tm)-style control keys for basic
functions such as cursor moves, block marking and moving, etc.
OLXED also allows you to edit two files in separate windows,
permitting you to mark and copy blocks from one file to another.
You can start OLXED from the DOS command line by typing
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 32
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
OLXED [Enter]
Here is a brief list of OLXED commands:
Function keys Alt keys
------------------------- --------------------------
F1 Help Alt-A Add new line
F2 Split screen toggle Alt-B Reformat paragraph
F5 Unmark block Alt-C Copy block
F6 Delete to end of line Alt-D Delete line
F7 Mark block boundary Alt-F Reformat paragraph
F8 Mark block boundary Alt-G Delete block
F9 Delete line Alt-H Help
F10 Save and exit Alt-L Mark block boundary
Alt-M Move block
Alt-R Read in text file
Alt-1 Switch to file 1 Alt-S Shell to DOS
Alt-2 Switch to file 2 Alt-U Unmark block
Alt-N Next file Alt-W Delete word
Ctrl Keys:
Function Keystroke(s)
-------------------------- ----------------------------
Character left Ctrl-S or Left arrow
Character right Ctrl-D or Right arrow
Word left Ctrl-A or Ctrl-left arrow
Word right Ctrl-F or Ctrl-right arrow
Line up Ctrl-E or Up arrow
Line down Ctrl-X or Down arrow
Scroll up Ctrl-W
Scroll down Ctrl-Z
Page up Ctrl-R or PgUp
Page down Ctrl-C or PgDn
New line Ctrl-M or ENTER
Tab Ctrl-I or Tab
Delete current character Ctrl-G or Del
Delete character left Ctrl-H or Backspace
Delete word Ctrl-T
Delete line Ctrl-Y
Toggle insert mode Ctrl-V or Ins
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 33
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
CHAPTER 4 - CUSTOMIZING OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE
To pop-up the OLX-TD Configuration menu at any time, press
[Alt][N]. Use your [PgUp] and [PgDn] keys to move between menus,
[F10] to save your settings and return to Off-Line Xpress 2.1
Test Drive, or [Escape] to quit without saving.
The standard configuration provided with Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test
Drive has been designed to work without modification. You should
try using Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive with this configuration
first. Once you are familiar with the program, you may visit the
configuration menu at any time to customize Off-Line Xpress 2.1
Test Drive to your preferences.
While the configuration menu is available anywhere in Off-Line
Xpress 2.1 Test Drive by pressing [Alt][N], making every option
available for modification, there are certain changes which will
not take place until you exit OLX-TD and start it up again (for
example, the work directory Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive is
using will not be changed until you exit).
THE MAIN CONFIGURATION MENU
╔ Configuration ═════════════════════════════════════════ Instructions ╗
║ ║
║ Welcome to the OLX configuration window! This is where ║
║ you will tell OLX information it needs to know about your ║
║ computer and preferences. You can select a screen from ║
║ the list below or use PgDn to go through all the screens. ║
║ Make frequent use of the F1 key to get help on each item. ║
║ ║
║ Directories ║
║ General ║
║ Toggles ║
║ Editor ║
║ Replies ║
║ Packers ║
║ Colors ║
║ Function keys ║
║ Alt keys ║
║ ║
║ ║
║──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────║
║ Directory and path information ║
║ F10-Ok ESC-Cancel F1-Help ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 34
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Here is a brief overview of the main configuration screen, and an
explanation of each section. All the configuration menus include
text which briefly explains the function and operation of the
various settings available. Context-sensitive help is always
available by pressing [F1].
DIRECTORIES
The first page in the Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive
configuration menu tells Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive where you
keep your QWK and REP packets, and where you want Off-Line Xpress
2.1 Test Drive to create the temporary files it uses during
operation.
GENERAL
The second page sets up OLX-TD's general operating parameters.
When Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive starts up for the first time,
it examines your system setup, and fills in many of these options
automatically.
TOGGLES
The third page allows you to customize individual parts of the
program's operation.
WORD PROCESSOR/EDITOR
The fourth page of the OLX-TD configuration menu allows you to
install and configure your favorite text editor or word processor
to use with Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive. OLX-TD will
automatically use this editor to allow you to write messages and
reply to mail. Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive is already set up
for use with its own editor, called OLXED, but you can change
this to work with another editor or word processor. The Off-Line
Xpress 2.1 Test Drive Editor OLXED requires no special
configuration.
REPLIES
This section defines how Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive will
handle your replies. Available settings include whether or not to
quote the original message in your reply, the character string
indicating quoted text, and whether to include taglines at the
bottom of your messages.
PACKERS
.QWK Mail packets are sent in a compressed format to allow
multiple files to be packaged within a single downloadable file.
Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive is able to detect the compression
utility (packer) which created the .QWK packet, and will
automatically use the correct uncompressor (unpacker) to extract
it. This section defines the packers and unpackers to use, and
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 35
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
includes appropriate command line parameters for these utilities.
PKZIP and PKUNZIP are examples of a packer and unpacker commonly
used by Bulletin Board Systems and .QWK mail doors. If these
programs exist somewhere in your DOS PATH, you will not need to
tell Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive what directory they are in --
Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive will find them. These options
should not need to be changed unless for some reason your packer
and unpacker utilities are not in the path. If you are not
familiar with the usage of the DOS PATH statement, now would be a
good time to refer to your DOS manual for a full explanation.
* NOTE These packer and unpacker programs are not supplied
with Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive, but are products
of other companies. You may obtain shareware or
demonstration versions of most of these utilities by
downloading them from the same Bulletin Board System
from which you get your electronic mail, or from the
MSI HQ BBS.
COLORS
The Color selection page allows you to customize the colors Off-
Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive displays on your screen. Off-Line
Xpress 2.1 Test Drive will detect what type of video adaptor is
installed in your computer, and shows the appropriate colors or
attributes for your monitor. The samples shown on the screen will
help you decide what colors to use.
FUNCTION KEYS
ALT KEYS
These two screens allow you to redefine many of OLX-TD's internal
command keys, execute special program functions, and attach DOS
commands to Function keys and Alt keys.
DETAILED CONFIGURATION
This section explains individual configuration items in more
detail, arranged in the same order in which they appear on the
OLX-TD configuration menus. All the configuration menus include
text which briefly explains the function and operation of the
various settings available. Context-sensitive help is always
available by pressing [F1].
To pop-up the OLX-TD Configuration menu at any time while using
Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive, press [Alt][N]. Use your [PgUp]
and [PgDn] keys to move between menus, [F10] to save your
settings and return to Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive, or
[Escape] to quit without saving.
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 36
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
DIRECTORIES
╔ Configuration ══════════════════════════════════════════ Directories ╗
║ ║
║ These two options tell OLX where to look to find your QWK and REP ║
║ mail packets. Note that if you start OLX from the directory where ║
║ you keep your QWK packets, then the defaults will work. If the REP ║
║ directory is empty, then REP packets are placed in the QWK directory.║
║ ║
║ QWK directory C:\OLX-TD\DOWNLOAD\ ║
║ ║
║ REP directory C:\OLX-TD\UPLOAD\ ║
║ ║
║ The Work directory is where OLX stores temporary files it needs ║
║ while you are reading mail. If you like, you may set this to a RAM ║
║ disk for greater speed. ║
║ ║
║ Work directory OLX$WORK ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────║
║ Normally the same as your communications download directory ║
║ F10-Ok ESC-Cancel F1-Help ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
QWK DIRECTORY
This directory is where Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive will look
for the mail packets you download from Bulletin Board Systems.
Your communications program probably has a directory already
configured to receive downloaded files, it is generally most
convenient to make the QWK directory setting in Off-Line Xpress
2.1 Test Drive match the default download directory in your
communication program's settings.
We recommend you specify the full path name here, because if you
specify a directory name with no preceding backslashes, Off-Line
Xpress 2.1 Test Drive will begin looking in a subdirectory off
the current directory. You can always look in other directories
on your disk by using the mouse or arrow keys to highlight and
select the drive letter and directory name from the Packet Menu.
Once again, if you are unfamiliar with the concept of DOS paths
and directories, now would be a good time to consult your DOS
manual for detailed information on these topics.
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 37
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
REP DIRECTORY
This is the directory where Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive will
place reply (REP) packets ready to be uploaded. If this directory
is blank, Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive will use the QWK
directory as specified in the last option. We suggest you use the
default upload path specified in your communications program as
your REP directory in Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive.
WORK DIRECTORY
Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive creates a number of temporary
files during operation, which it removes when you exit the
program. By default, Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive will create a
subdirectory called OLX$WORK, under the directory from where Off-
Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive was started.
NOTE: You should NOT store other files in your OLX-TD work
directory, nor should the work directory for Off-Line
Xpress 2.1 Test Drive point to an existing directory
which contains files. Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive
will abort with an error mess if it finds files in its
work directory which it did not create, and
unpredictable results could occur, including deletion
of all the files in the directory!
For faster access, you may prefer to use a RAM drive to store the
work files. For example, if your RAM drive is drive E:, you would
specify
E:\OLX$WORK
as your work directory. Depending on the size of the .QWK mail
packets you wish to read, you should configure your RAM drive
with a minimum of 512k to accommodate all of OLX-TD's temporary
files. For additional information on how to create a RAM drive,
please consult your DOS manual.
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 38
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
GENERAL
╔ Configuration ══════════════════════════════════════════════ General ╗
║ ║
║ These are OLX's general operating parameters. OLX sets up the ║
║ defaults according to your system configuration, so you should not ║
║ need to change these right away. ║
║ ║
║ Enable swapping Yes ║
║ Swap to XMS/EMS if available Yes ║
║ Drive for swap file ║
║ Enable mouse support No ║
║ Left handed mouse No ║
║ Default packet sort order Date ║
║ Default conference sort Number ║
║ Default message sort order Thread ║
║ Pre-print setup string ║
║ Post-print setup string ^L ║
║ ║
║ (Press SPACE or F2 to change option) ║
║ ║
║──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────║
║ Default swap option when shelling (see help for overrides) ║
║ F10-Ok ESC-Cancel F1-Help ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
ENABLE SWAPPING
When Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive executes a program such as
your packer/unpacker or your text editor, Off-Line Xpress 2.1
Test Drive normally remains in RAM (memory) while the other
program is running. On systems with limited memory, or when Off-
Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive attempts to run a large program such
as a word processor, there may not be enough free memory to
execute the second program.
The Enable swapping option causes Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive
to free up system memory by copying an image of itself to disk or
expanded or extended memory (EMS/XMS), then removing all but a
small portion of its own program from RAM, before executing
another program. When the other program finishes, Off-Line Xpress
2.1 Test Drive will reload itself from disk or EMS/XMS. Note that
you will need at least 300k of free disk space or available
EMS/XMS to use this feature.
You may also override the default swap option for individual
programs executed within Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive. See
Advanced Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive Features for more
information.
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 39
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
SWAP TO XMS/EMS IF AVAILABLE
Normally, if swapping is enabled in the previous configuration
option, Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive will swap to your hard
drive while running external programs. If your computer is
equipped with expanded memory (EMS), or expanded memory using an
XMS driver, you may configure Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive to
swap to expanded memory rather than disk, if sufficient free
extended or expanded memory (approximately 300 kilobytes) is
available.
If your computer does not have enough EMS or XMS available, or if
Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive finds no EMS or XMS driver in your
computer's configuration (in other words if you don't have any
expanded or XMS memory on your system), Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test
Drive will swap itself to disk, using the drive where Off-Line
Xpress 2.1 Test Drive creates its work directory. You may wish to
consult the manual for your computer to determine if expanded or
extended memory is available, and for instructions on how to load
your EMS or XMS driver, if applicable.
DRIVE FOR SWAP FILE
Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive will use the drive specified in
this option for its temporary swap file if XMS/EMS is not
installed, or if there is insufficient free expanded memory
available. When OLX-TD terminates normally, this swap file is
removed, freeing up the disk space it occupied. If you have an
80286 computer with extended memory which you are otherwise not
able to use for swapping, you may wish to configure this extra
memory as a RAM disk or virtual disk. This configuration would
allow near-instantaneous swapping. Please consult the manual for
your computer, and your DOS manual, to determine whether you are
able to make use of this option.
ENABLE MOUSE SUPPORT
Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive will automatically detect the
presence of a mouse driver, and will allow the use of a mouse or
other pointing device to execute many Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test
Drive functions. If you have a mouse, but you do not want to use
it within OLX-TD, you can disable mouse operations by setting
this option to NO.
LEFT HANDED MOUSE
You may reverse the operation of your mouse buttons by setting
this option to YES.
DEFAULT PACKET SORT ORDER
When Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive starts up, it reads your
default QWK directory and sorts the packets by Name or Date,
according to the preference you specify in this option. You can
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 40
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
also temporarily re-sort the .QWK packet window by typing
[Alt][O] (for Order). OLX-TD will then pop up a pick list of sort
options.
DEFAULT CONFERENCE SORT
Message conferences may by default, according to this setting, be
sorted numerically, alphabetically, or by number of messages. To
re-sort the conference window temporarily, press O and select
number, name or total messages.
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. Messages may also be temporarily re-sorted from the
message window by pressing O.
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 default fonts or make other printer settings. If you
would like to include control characters in this string, type
them as ^A for [Ctrl][A]. Please consult the manual with your
printer for information on how to send setup strings.
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 (form
feed). This command will eject the paper from the printer after
printing the message(s). Your printer manual contains more
detailed information on setup strings.
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 41
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
TOGGLES
╔ Configuration ══════════════════════════════════════════════ Toggles ╗
║ ║
║ These are "preference" type options that you can modify to change the║
║ way OLX works. If you have not used OLX before, try it out for a ║
║ while before changing these options. ║
║ ║
║ Scroll bars on windows No ║
║ Exploding windows No ║
║ Rename packet after read No ║
║ Snow checking with old CGAs No ║
║ Box around message window No ║
║ Beep on personal message Yes ║
║ To/From instead of From/To No ║
║ Reread messages already read Yes ║
║ Use bookmark files Yes ║
║ ║
║ (Press SPACE or F2 to change options) ║
║ ║
║ ║
║──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────║
║ Turns scroll bars on if you are not using a mouse ║
║ F10-Ok ESC-Cancel F1-Help ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
SCROLL BARS ON WINDOWS
If you are using a mouse, Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive will
display scroll bars on the edges of various windows. If you are
not using a mouse, these scroll bars are not normally displayed.
If you would like to see scroll bars, answer YES to this option.
EXPLODING WINDOWS WITH SOUND
Set this option to YES if you would like OLX-TD's popup windows
to explode, complete with sound effects.
RENAME PACKET AFTER READ
Setting this option to YES will cause Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test
Drive to prompt you to rename a mail packet after you finish
reading it. This is useful for archiving or backup purposes, and
this option is also available by pressing [Alt][R] from the
packet window.
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 42
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
SNOW CHECKING WITH OLD CGAs
Some old CGA (color graphics adapter) cards will show snow on the
screen when running Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive. If you see
interference patterns on your CGA monitor when using Off-Line
Xpress 2.1 Test Drive, set this option to YES. While this option
will slow down the display slightly, it will, in most cases,
eliminate the snow problem. If your CGA monitor does not snow, or
if you use a monochrome system, or EGA/VGA, set this option to
NO.
BOX AROUND MESSAGE WINDOW
Normally, Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive displays a border around
the message on the screen. Set this option to NO if you do not
want to see this box.
BEEP ON PERSONAL MESSAGE
If this option is set to YES, Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive will
make a distinctive sound when it displays a message addressed to
you.
TO/FROM INSTEAD OF FROM/TO
By default, Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive puts the sender's name
above the addressee's name in the message header. This matches
the usual format for business letters and inter-office memos. You
may prefer to see the recipient's name first; in that case answer
YES to this question.
REREAD MESSAGES ALREADY READ
If you would like Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive to skip messages
you have already read, set this option to NO. This will cause
OLX-TD to display your personal messages only once (when you read
them in the Personal conference).
USE BOOKMARK (BOOKMARK.OLX) FILE
Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive will save your place for you in a
message packet, should you need to exit the program and return to
it later. Normally when you finish reading a packet, Off-Line
Xpress 2.1 Test Drive will update its Bookmark file. 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, Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test
Drive will be able to tell you what percentage of the packet you
have read. This information is displayed on the Packet Window.
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 43
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
EDITOR
╔ Configuration ═══════════════════════════════════════════════ Editor ╗
║ ║
║ This is the command OLX will use to execute your editor. If you do ║
║ not specify the "File to take reply text from" here, then OLX will ║
║ add that option to the end of the given command line. ║
║ ║
║ Editor command line OLXED ║
║ ║
║ When you reply to a message, OLX writes the quoted original message ║
║ to the file named in the first option below. When you finish writing║
║ your message, OLX expects to find your message in the second file. ║
║ ║
║ Quoted original message file REPLY.MSG ║
║ File to take reply text from REPLY.MSG ║
║ ║
║ Clear screen before editor Yes ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────║
║ Enter the command which OLX will use to start your editor ║
║ F10-Ok ESC-Cancel F1-Help ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
EDITOR COMMAND LINE
This is the command Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive will use to
load and run your editor. Normally this will just be the name of
your editor -- for example OLXED.EXE (Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test
Drive 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. This option is explained in greater detail in the Advanced
Features section.
QUOTED ORIGINAL MESSAGE FILE
When you reply to a message, Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive
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, adding your own text to
create your reply.
FILE TO TAKE REPLY TEXT FROM
This is the file in which Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive 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
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 44
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Set this option to YES if you would like Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test
Drive 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 Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test
Drive, there can be some color conflict problems with some
editors.
REPLIES
╔ Configuration ══════════════════════════════════════════════ Replies ╗
║ ║
║ These options control how OLX handles your replies and the quoted ║
║ original text. ║
║ ║
║ When to edit reply info Before and after edit ║
║ ║
║ Reply quoting style All ║
║ Quoting prefix string ≈> ║
║ Message header in quoted reply No ║
║ ║
║ Enable taglines Sequential ║
║ Fido-style taglines Yes ║
║ ║
║ (Press SPACE or F2 to change option) ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║ ║
║──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────║
║ Determines when to edit the reply information ║
║ F10-Ok ESC-Cancel F1-Help ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
WHEN TO EDIT REPLY INFO
When you enter or reply to a message, a data entry window will
pop up, asking you to input or confirm the addressee's name,
message topic, conference, and other information. You may choose
to display this information before or after entering your
message, or both before and after.
REPLY QUOTING STYLE
When replying to a message, it is frequently useful to quote
parts of the original message to retain the context of the
conversation. In order to set these quoted portions off from your
own text, Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive will add a short string
of characters to the beginning of each quoted line. Most
commonly, the string consists of the initials of the person being
quoted, separated by a character such as a ->. Off-Line Xpress
2.1 Test Drive will automatically insert the initials in the
quoting prefix when you reply to a message.
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 45
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
There are three styles of quoting the original message in Off-
Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive. All of them involve the Quoting
prefix string (next option). The Reply quoting style option
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
You may define your own quote prefix for use by Off-Line Xpress
2.1 Test Drive; however for the sake of readability, it's usually
best to stick with the conventional quote prefix in the default
configuration. In particular, it is important to avoid using so-
called control characters in your quoting prefix -- these
characters (ASCII 01 to 32) may cause unpredictable results when
viewed on other terminals -- anything from blanking the screen to
turning on the printer!
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. 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 be included in
your reply.
ENABLE TAGLINES
Taglines are informational or humorous one-line advertisements
automatically appended by Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive to each
message or reply. They can be simple and straightforward -- for
example a line advertising your company name and phone number, or
they can be humorous, topical and entertaining.
Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive allows you to store as many
different taglines as you like, and appends them to messages in a
variety of ways -- randomly or sequentially as they appear in the
tagline file, or sticky -- that is, the same tagline will appear
on all messages until you select a new one. The final selection
is no tagline at all.
FIDO-STYLE TAGLINES
Some echomail networks disallow the use of special (high-bit)
characters such as the ■ used in the Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test
Drive tagline. Set this option to YES to change these block
characters to *, making your messages Fido-compliant.
PACKERS
╔ Configuration ══════════════════════════════════════════════ Packers ╗
║ ║
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 46
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
║ These are the commands that OLX will use to pack and unpack mail ║
║ files. Under normal circumstances, these do NOT need to be changed! ║
║ Only if you have renamed one or more of these programs will you need ║
║ to change these options. ║
║ ║
║ ZIP unpacker PKUNZIP ! ║
║ ZIP packer PKZIP ! ║
║ ║
║ ARC unpacker PKUNPAK ! ║
║ ARC packer PKPAK ! ║
║ ║
║ LZH unpacker LHA x ! ║
║ LZH packer LHA a -m ! ║
║ ║
║ ARJ unpacker ARJ e ! ║
║ ARJ packer ARJ a ! ║
║ ║
║──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────║
║ Command to unpack a ZIP file ║
║ F10-Ok ESC-Cancel F1-Help ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
These options tell Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive what commands
to use to unpack QWK packets and pack REP packets. OLX-TD is able
to detect which of several popular packer/unpacker utilities was
used to create the mail packet, and executes the correct program
with the command line switches and parameters specified in these
configuration options.
We strongly recommend that you do NOT attempt to change these
options unless you are sure you know what you are doing. If you
must change them, please remember to keep the ! (exclamation
mark) in the command line. Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive needs
the ! to know where to place the name of the packet being packed
or unpacked.
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 47
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
COLORS
╔ Configuration ═══════════════════════════════════════════════ Colors ╗
║ Message text Yellow on blue │From: YOU Number: 1 (PVT)║
║ Quoted text Gray on blue │ To: ALL Conf: (0) ║
║ Message header Yellow on blue │──────────────────────────║
║ Header field White on blue │>Quoted text ║
║ Private flag White on red │Message text ║
║ Window text Yellow on blue │ ╔═ Window header ════╗ ║
║ Window border White on blue │ ║Window text ║
║ Window header Black on gray │ ║Highlighted text █ ║
║ Scroll bar Gray on blue │ ║ Field Edit field ░ ║
║ Mouse/key button Yellow on cyan │ ║ Button ║
║ Highlight bar Yellow on cyan │ ╚═╔════════════════╗═╝ ║
║ Unedited field Yellow on cyan │ ║ Message window ║ ║
║ Edited field White on red │ ┌──╚════════════════╝──┐ ║
║ Message window Yellow on red │ │ Help window │ ║
║ Help window Black on gray │ └──────────────────────┘ ║
║ Status line Black on gray │ Status line ║
║ (Press SPACE or F2 to change color) └──────────────────────────║
║ (Press D for default color selections) Sample Display ║
║──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────║
║ Color of normal message text ║
║ F10-Ok ESC-Cancel F1-Help ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Each part of Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive's displays can be
configured to your personal color preferences.
To change a color, move the cursor to the screen item to change
or click the mouse button on the list, or a color sample. A
palette of colors will pop up, from which you can select whatever
color you prefer. You may toggle the blinking attribute by
pressing [B] on any item.
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 48
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
FUNCTION KEYS & ALT KEYS
╔ Configuration ════════════════════════════════════════ Function keys ╗
║ ║
║ OLX allows you to specify commands that should be executed when one ║
║ of the following function keys is pressed. Two special commands are ║
║ @SAVE and @VIEW (see F1 help for list of commands). For example: ║
║ ║
║ @SAVE C:\QWK\SAVE.TXT (saves current message) ║
║ @VIEW SESSION.TXT (displays SESSION.TXT) ║
║ QMODEM (runs Qmodem) ║
║ ║
║ F3 @MENU ║
║ F4 ║
║ F5 ║
║ F6 ║
║ F7 ║
║ F8 ║
║ F9 ║
║ ║
║ ║
║──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────║
║ DOS command to execute when this function key is pressed ║
║ F10-Ok ESC-Cancel F1-Help ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
╔ Configuration ═════════════════════════════════════════════ Alt keys ╗
║ ║
║ Alt function keys (Press F1 for a list of all commands) ║
║ ║
║ Alt-A Alt-N @CONFIG ║
║ Alt-B Alt-O ║
║ Alt-C Alt-P @PICKLISTS ║
║ Alt-D Alt-Q ║
║ Alt-E Alt-R @SHELL ║
║ Alt-F Alt-S ║
║ Alt-G Alt-T ║
║ Alt-H @HELP Alt-U ║
║ Alt-I Alt-V @VIEW ║
║ Alt-J Alt-W ║
║ Alt-K Alt-X @EXIT ║
║ Alt-L Alt-Y ║
║ Alt-M Alt-Z ║
║ ║
║ ║
║──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────║
║ DOS command to execute when this function key is pressed ║
║ F10-Ok ESC-Cancel F1-Help ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
You may attach various Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive functions
and DOS commands to function keys and [Alt] keys, which will be
available anywhere within Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive.
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 49
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
You may also re-assign many of Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive's
internal commands to suit your own preference. This allows you to
customize your copy of Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive to use the
keys you've already become accustomed to in other programs.
If for example you prefer to bring up the configuration menu by
typing [F4] instead of the default [Alt][N] or [F4], select the
Function keys menu, move the cursor to F4 in the pick list, and
type
@CONFIG
in the data entry field, then press [F10] to save your changes.
The Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive functions which can be
reconfigured in this way are:
@HELP Context-sensitive help display
@CONFIG Configuration options
@PICKLISTS Pick-list menus when available
@SHELL Shell to DOS
@VIEW Invoke internal file viewer
@EXIT Exit OLX-TD
@SAVE Save current message to text
@MENU Return to OLX-TD menu
Remember to include the @ sign before these keywords.
Here are a few more examples of configurable function key and
[Alt] key assignments:
@SAVE -- If you define a function key or [Alt] key (for example,
[Alt][S]) as:
@SAVE C:\OLX-TD\SAVE.TXT
Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive will then save the current message
to C:\OLX-TD\SAVE.TXT whenever you press [Alt][S].
@VIEW -- If you define a function key or [Alt] key (for example,
F4) as:
@VIEW SESSION.TXT
Using its internal file viewer, Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive
will view the SESSION.TXT file (a capture file of your online
mail door session, which is placed in your .QWK packet by some
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 50
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
mail doors, including Qmail and Tomcat). You may also specify an
absolute path name to view a file on your disk (such as one of
your save files).
Note that the default path to VIEW a file is OLX-TD's work
directory -- to view a file in a different subdirectory, the VIEW
command must contain the complete path and filename to the file
you would like to view.
You may also use function keys and [Alt] keys to execute commonly
used DOS applications from Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive -- for
example, you may load directory management program by assigning
the following string to, for example, [Alt][D]:
C:\UTILS\DIRMAGIC.COM
OLX-TD would then shell out and run the application according to
the command line specified. When the application finishes (in the
case of DIRMAGIC, when you press the [Esc] key to exit), OLX-TD
will immediately swap back in and resume from the same place you
left off.
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 51
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
CHAPTER 5 - ADVANCED FEATURES
PICK LISTS
Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive has a number of Pick Lists which
can save frequently-used data for a number of program functions.
You may pop-up a Pick List by pressing [F2] on a field which has
an associated Pick List. You may then use your mouse or cursor
keys to select the item you wish to use, then press [Enter] to
fill in the edit field. You may also cycle through the items in
the Pick List one by one, by pressing the space bar on an edit
field.
The Pick Lists are maintained by pressing [Alt][P] anywhere in
Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive, or by calling them directly by
pressing [F2] on an appropriate field. The pick list edit
commands are:
[A] Add a new entry to the end of the Pick List. If you popped
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 [A]. You can edit the text if you like,
and press [Enter] to save it, or [Esc] to discard your
change.
[D] Delete an entry from the Pick List. You will be asked to
confirm the deletion.
[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.
[F] If you want to find an item in the Pick List but only
remember a small part of it, use the [F] command to find
bits of text in the Pick List.
[N] This command will find the next occurrence of the last [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 Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive are:
TAGLINES
This Pick List contains the taglines Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test
Drive will append to your messages.
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 52
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
TO
If there is a person or group of people to whom you frequently
send messages, you may enter their names in the TO Pick List.
This is also convenient if you correspond with people who have
names that are difficult to spell. Other useful items for this
Pick List are the @TO@ and @FROM@ variables. Off-Line Xpress 2.1
Test Drive will fill in these two items from the message header
currently on screen -- see the next section for information on
Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive variables.
SUBJECT
This is a list of frequently-used message subjects.
FIND
If you regularly use the FIND feature of Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test
Drive, you may wish to save your favorite search strings in a
Pick List. Remember, multiple text strings can be searched at
once by separating them with semicolons.
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 OLX-TD's
@-Variables. These variables are described in the next section.
SKIP
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, Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive will skip over all
messages To and From that user. For other types of filters, use
the following formats:
F:SOME NAME
This will cause Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive to skip all
messages From SOME NAME.
T:ANOTHER NAME
This will cause Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive to skip all
messages To ANOTHER NAME.
S:BORING SUBJECT
This will cause Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive to skip all
messages whose Subject is BORING SUBJECT (or Boring Subject,
since the filter is not case sensitive).
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 53
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
COMMAND LINE PARAMETERS
Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive has a command line option to
specify the name and path of a configuration file to be loaded
instead of the default CONFIG.OLX. For example, if you have a
different configuration for Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive when
running under DESQview, for example, you might want to use
OLXTD /C:CONFIG.OL1
This will use the file CONFIG.OL1 as the configuration file
instead of the standard CONFIG.OLX.
You may also use this option to allow different people to use
OLX-TD on the same computer, each with a path to their own mail
directories, and their own customized configuration.
You may also specify a packet name and path on the Off-Line
Xpress 2.1 Test Drive command line to open it right away, for
example
OLXTD C:\OLX-TD\MUSTANG.QWK
USING TWO FILES WHEN REPLYING
Many text editors are able to edit two files at once, each in its
own window. A useful application for this feature would be to
load the original message in one window, and write your reply in
another window, then use block marking to copy text from one
window to the other.
When editing in this manner Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive will
write the quoted original message to a temporary file named
ORIGINAL.MSG, and open a second window with a filename of
REPLY.MSG for your reply. It will call your editor with both file
names as parameters. When you have finished writing your reply,
Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive will save 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.
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 54
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
@-VARIABLES
These are substitution variables which tell Off-Line Xpress 2.1
Test Drive to replace the @-Variable with some text which is
generated from OLX-TD'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).
@QWKDIR@ Replaced by default .QWK directory, from the OLX-
TD configuration.
@REPDIR@ Replaced by default .REP directory, from the OLX-
TD configuration.
@SUBJECT@ Replaced by current message subject.
@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.
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 55
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
@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.
@YYMMDD@ Replaced by date, in yymmdd format (i.e. 920106).
USING @-VARIABLES
PICK LISTS
One of the more useful ways to make use of @-Variables is in Pick
Lists. If you like to mark and save messages to a text file while
you are reading, it makes sense to use a file name which will
help you keep track of the contents, so that you can refer to it
quickly. Along with your own selections, the following items in
your Save/View Pick List will allow you to select relevant file
names without retyping:
@CONFNAME@
@DATE@
@FROM@
@TO@
Your "To" Pick List might contain the following, along with your
own frequently-used selections. These would automatically
substitute the name of the sender or recipient of a message to
which you are replying:
@FROM@
@TO@
TAGLINES
@-Variables also work in taglines, and are automatically filled
in when the message is saved. Try this one, just for fun:
Right now, I have @MEMORY@k left!
MANUALLY SPLITTING LONG MESSAGES
In order to maintain compatibility with BBS software and
net/echomail protocols, Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive limits the
maximum size of a message to 80 columns wide by 150 lines long.
If your message should exceed those limits, Off-Line Xpress 2.1
Test Drive will separate it into two or more parts.
In order to maintain the continuity of long messages as far as
possible, Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive will attempt to split
the message at a paragraph break or other logical point at or
before about 145 lines (to allow for taglines and network origin
lines at the end of each message).
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 56
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
If you prefer to indicate the appropriate page break points
yourself, the following characters entered on a blank line at the
left margin will force a page break at that point.
.PG
Please note, if you later edit a reply which has been broken in
this way, Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive 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.
It's also important to note that some echomail networks do not
support messages longer than 99 lines. In that case, you may need
to split these long messages manually, using the .PG command, to
prevent echomail software from truncating your messages.
SELECTIVE SWAPPING
There may be times when you wish to override your default Enable
Swapping Y/N setting in the configuration section of Off-Line
Xpress 2.1 Test Drive for individual programs.
For example, if swapping to disk seems slow, you may prefer to
keep Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive in memory for external
programs requiring relatively little extra memory, like your
packer and unpacker, and swap out only for large programs, for
example a full-function word processor. You would configure
Enable Swapping to NO, then for your editor command line, enter
something like this:
SWAP:BIGEDIT
This would cause Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive 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. Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive
provides two levels of support for this operation:
1. Every time you open a packet, Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive
updates BBSINFO.OLX. This file contains conference
information for the packets you have read. If you would
later like to enter messages for a particular BBS but don't
have a QWK handy, Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive will let
you write messages using the conference information in the
BBSINFO.OLX file.
2. If you have never opened a QWK file from a particular BBS
before, Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive 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
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 57
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
BBS ID for Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive to create a proper
REP packet).
To use (1), press [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, Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test
Drive 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 [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). When you have exited from your editor, Off-Line
Xpress 2.1 Test Drive will save your message and pop-up the New
Message Info window again for another message.
When you have finished entering and saving messages, press [Esc].
A window will pop up, asking you to confirm whether to abort the
current message. Since OLX-TD does not have a packet open, it has
no way of determining when you have finished creating your
replies. Simply confirm that you want to abort your message. Off-
Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive will then create a new REP file, which
you may then upload to the BBS.
PCRELAY REROUTING
If you are a user of an echomail 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,
Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive will automatically re-route the
message back to the sender.
NETMAIL INITIALS SUPPORT
If you use Mjrmail on a MajorBBS system, and participate in
echomail SIGs, you will be familiar with the Netmail userid used
by the echomail software. If you reply to a message from Netmail,
Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive 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 OLX-TD).
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 58
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
APPENDIX A - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Question: I can't see any mail packets ??
Answer: That's because the .QWK directory in the Directories
section of your configuration is blank, or is not
pointing at the directory where your mail packets are
stored after you download them from the BBS. Try
setting the .QWK directory to the same path as your
communication program's download directory.
In the meantime, you can easily change drives and
directories from the packet window, by moving the
highlight bar to the desired directory or drive and
pressing [Enter]
Question: I get an error message about "File not found" when I
try to open a packet and I end up back at the packet
window. I can see the packet in the window, so what
happened?
Answer: The most likely cause is that your packers and
unpackers are not in your DOS path. Since OLX-TD needs
these auxiliary programs to execute, they must be
present on your disk, in your DOS path. If you do not
have the necessary packers and unpackers, they may be
downloaded from most Bulletin Boards. Ask your Sysop
(System Operator) for assistance, and consult your DOS
manual on how to set your PATH.
Question: OLX-TD said something like "PKUNZIP has returned the
following error code", and then a number. What does
this mean?
Answer: This means that an external program executed by OLX-TD
has for some reason failed, and has sent an error
message to OLX-TD. A common example would be error code
50 from PKUNZIP, which indicates that your disk is
full, and PKUNZIP cannot continue. For a full
explanation of these error codes, and what to do about
them, you need to consult the documentation for
whichever external program generated the error message.
Question: I'd prefer to use my own text editor or word processor
with OLX-TD, rather than the one that's supplied with
the program. How can I do this?
Answer: Go to the [Alt][N] Configuration menu, and select
Editors. Then type in the name and path of the editor
you want to use. You may need to turn swapping on if
your editor requires a large amount of memory to
execute.
Question: Okay, I've done that, and now my Wonder-Whiz Word
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 59
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Processor loads just fine from OLX-TD. But all the
messages I saved turned to garbage when I looked at
them again in OLX-TD. What's wrong?
Answer: If you're using a word processor with OLX-TD, you need
to remember to save your files in ASCII Text, Non-
Document or Dos Text mode. Most word processors add
special binary formatting codes which make your
document look nice on screen when you're in your word
processing, but can look scrambled when viewed from
other programs. The manual with your word processor
should explain how to save plain ASCII files, which
OLX-TD requires.
Question: OLX-TD gave me an error message about "Work Directory
not empty", then it died. What does that mean?
Answer: OLX-TD will refuse to operate if it finds files in its
work directory that it did not create. This is to
protect your files if for some reason your work
directory in OLX-TD points to some existing directory
on your disk, since OLX-TD will delete its work
directory when it finishes reading a packet. Go back to
the Configuration menu, and set your work directory to
an empty directory, or to the default OLX$WORK.
Question: How can I get OLXED to import a text file on disk so I
can save it as a message?
Answer: [Alt][R] to "Read" a text file. Type in the file name
and path, hit [Enter], and your file will appear in the
OLXED editing window.
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 60
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
APPENDIX B - ERROR MESSAGES
Most error messages in Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive are not
fatal and will allow you to continue using Off-Line Xpress 2.1
Test Drive (although you may not be able to complete the function
which caused the error message). However, there are some error
conditions which Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive is unable to
recover from. These errors are listed below:
Could not change to <DIR> directory
This message means Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive was unable to
change to its work directory after creating it.
Could not change to <DIR> directory (was probably deleted)
This message means Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive 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 Off-Line Xpress
2.1 Test Drive under a multitasker or over a Local Area Network
and accidentally have deleted OLX-TD's work directory while Off-
Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive is running. If this check was not
made, Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive 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 Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive could not
create a directory that it needs. Try creating the named
directory from DOS to help Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive.
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 Off-Line Xpress 2.1 Test Drive 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 Off-Line
Xpress 2.1 Test Drive 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.
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 61
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Insufficient memory: OLX cannot continue
This is similar to the previous message in that Off-Line Xpress
2.1 Test Drive 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.
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 62
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
APPENDIX C - GLOSSARY
This is a glossary of terms commonly used by telecommunications
enthusiasts, as well as words specific to offline mail reading
and Bulletin Board Systems. We hope you find the information
useful.
ARQ
Automatic Repeat Request. A general term for error control
protocols featuring hardware detection and retransmission of
defective data. This term is used primarily by US Robotics.
ASCII
American Standard Code for Information Exchange. A 7-bit binary
code representation of letters, numbers and special characters.
It is universally supported in computer data transfer.
Asynchronous
Data transmission in which the actual data is preceded by a start
bit and followed by a stop bit since the time between transmitted
characters varies. Compare Synchronous.
Auto Answer
The modem feature which enables detection of a ring and answering
without assistance from a program.
Baud Rate
The number of discrete signal events per second occurring on a
communications channel. It is often referred to as Bits per
second (BPS) which is technically inaccurate but widely accepted.
BBS
Bulletin Board System.
Bit
Binary Digit. A single basic computer signal consisting of a
value of 0 or 1, off or on.
Buffer
A memory area used for temporary storage during input/output
operations.
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 63
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Bulletin Board System
A host system, into which callers may dial with their modems to
read and send electronic mail, upload and download files, and
chat online with other callers.
Byte
A group of Bits acted upon as a group, which may have a readable
ASCII value as a letter or number or some other coded meaning to
the computer. It is commonly used to refer to 8-bit groups. 1
kilobyte = 1,024 bytes; 64K = 65,536 bytes or characters.
Carrier
A continuous frequency capable of being either modulated or
impressed with another information-carrying signal. Carriers are
generated and maintained by modems via the transmission lines of
the telephone companies.
Conference
An area of public messages on a Bulletin Board System, usually
with a particular topic and, often, a conference host or
moderator to guide the discussion. Also called Folder, SIG (for
"Special Interest Group") or Echo.
CCITT
A French acronym for the International Telephone and Telegraph
Consultative Committee. This international organization defines
the standards for telephone equipment such as the Bell 212A
standard for 1200 baud, CCITT V.22 for 2400 baud and CCITT V.32
for 9600 baud.
CPS
Characters Per Second. A transfer rate estimated from the bit
rate and length of each character. If each character is 8 bits
long and includes a start and stop bit for Asynchronous
transmission, each character needs 10 bits to be sent. At 2400
baud it is transmitted at approximately 240 CPS.
CRC
Cyclical Redundancy Check. An error-detection technique
consisting of a cyclic algorithm performed on each "block" of
data at the sending and receiving end of the transmission. As
each block is received, the CRC value is checked against the CRC
value sent along with the block. Many protocols including XMODEM-
CRC and ARQ will request a resend until the block is received
correctly.
Download
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 64
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Receiving a file from a Bulletin Board System, using a terminal
program (for example QModem) and a transfer protocol (for example
Zmodem).
DTE
Data Terminal Equipment. The device that is the originator or
destination of the data sent by a modem.
DTR
Data Terminal Ready. A signal generated by most modems indicating
a connection between the DTE (computer) and the modem. When DTR
is "high" the computer is connected.
Data Compression Protocols
Compression of data by the modem allows more information to be
transferred in a shorter time frame. Protocols for data
compression include CCITT V.42bis and MNP 5,
Data Transmission Protocols
These are standards for modulation and transmission of data at
various speeds. The standards are Bell 103 & V.21 for 300bps,
Bell 212A & V.22 for 1200bps, V.22bis for 2400bps, V.32 for
9600bps and V.32 bis for 14,400bps. Proprietary protocols are
also used extensively for higher baud rates.
Echomail
Public Message Conferences on a Bulletin Board System which are
shared and distributed among other Bulletin Boards as part of an
Echomail Network.
Expanded Memory
Extra memory (above 640k) on your XT or AT-compatible computer,
which is installed with an EMS driver, and may be used by some
programs to store data.
Extended Memory
Extra memory (above 640k) on your 80286 or 80386 compatible
computer. Not normally usable by DOS applications, but may be
configured as a virtual drive or a disk cache on an 80286
computer, or as Expanded Memory on an 80386 computer.
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 65
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Flow Control
A mechanism that compensates for differences in the flow of data
to and output from a modem or computer. Either hardware or
software can be used for this control to prevent data loss.
Hardware flow control using the modem makes use of a buffer to
store data to be sent and data received. Flow control is
necessary if the Communications port is locked at a higher rate
than the connection rate.
Error Control Protocols
These are various modem-based techniques which check the
reliability of characters or blocks of data at a hardware level.
Examples include MNP 2-4, V.42
Freeware
Computer software which may be distributed on Bulletin Board
Systems, and for which the author requests no license fee or
registration fee.
Full Duplex
Signal flow in both directions at the same time. It is sometimes
used to refer to the suppression of online LOCAL ECHO and
allowing the remote system to provide a REMOTE ECHO.
Half Duplex
Signal flow in both directions, but only one way at a time. It is
sometimes used to refer to activation of LOCAL ECHO which causes
a copy of sent data to be displayed on the sending display.
Host System
Another name for a Bulletin Board System (BBS)
Local Area Network (LAN)
A group of computers joined with cables and software, allowing
hard disks and other devices to be shared among many users.
Mail Door
A subsection of a Bulletin Board System which creates .QWK mail
packets.
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 66
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
MNP
Microcom Networking Protocol. A set of hardware error protection
protocols (MNP levels 1 - 4) and data compression techniques (MNP
level 5) developed by Microcom, now in the public domain. It
makes use of CRC and retransmission of defective blocks by
checking performed within the modem.
Netmail
Private electronic mail which is transmitted by a user calling
one Bulletin Board System to another user calling a different
Bulletin Board System.
NRAM
Nonvolatile Random Access memory. A user-programmable memory chip
whose data is retained when power to the chip is turned off. NRAM
is used in many modems to store default settings.
ON/OFF Hook
A descriptive term referring to manually lifting a telephone
receiver (taking it OFF Hook) and replacing it (going ON Hook).
OFF Hook produces a busy signal on the phone line.
Packer
A program to compress multiple files into a single file,
such as PKZIP, ARC or LHARC
@GLOSS Packet
A mail packet (with a .QWK extension) from a host system
Parity
An error detection method used in both communications and
computer memory checking to determine character validity.
Communications now makes use of more efficient "block" checking
although parity must still be matched in a communication session
for transfer to take place correctly. Host communication in the
BBS environment omits parity checking (no parity).
Protocol
A system of rules and procedures governing communications between
two devices. File transfer protocols in your communications
program refer to a set of rules governing how error checking will
be performed on blocks of data.
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 67
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Public Domain
Computer software on which no copyright exists (usually by a
specific statement to that effect by the author), and which may
be freely used and distributed.
Remote Echo
A copy of the data being received is returned to the sending
system for display on the screen. See Full/Half duplex.
Shareware
Computer software which is distributed on the "Honor System",
which may be freely copied and distributed, but for which a
registration fee or payment is required for continued use beyond
an initial evaluation period.
Sysop
The SYStem OPerator of a Bulletin Board System. The person
responsible for setting up and maintaining the BBS.
Thread
A group of BBS messages and replies linked and sorted by topic.
Unpacker
A program to uncompress a file from a Packer
Upload
To transfer a file from your computer to another computer, using
your terminal program (for example Qmodem) and a transfer
protocol (for example Zmodem)
V.21
CCITT standard for modem communications at 300bps. Modems made in
the US follow the Bell 103 standard.
V.22
CCITT standard for modem communications at 1200bps, compatible
with the Bell 212A standard used in the US and Canada.
V.22 bis
CCITT standard for modem communications at 2400bps. It includes
automatic fallback to 1200bps and compatibility with Bell 212A
and V.22 modems.
V.23
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 68
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
CCITT standard for modem communications at 1200bps with a 75bps
back channel. It is used in the United Kingdom.
V.32
CCITT standard for modem communications at 4800 and 9600bps. It
includes automatic fallback to 4800 when line quality is poor.
V.32 bis
CCITT standard for modem communications at 14400bps with
automatic fallback to 12000, 9600, 7200 and 4800bps. As line
quality improves communications speed can also be increased to
the next higher rate.
V.42
CCITT standard for modem communications that defines negotiation
for LAPM error control. V.42 also includes support for MNP error
correction protocol levels 1 - 4.
V.42 bis
CCITT extension of V.42 that adds data compression to the V.42
correction protocols.
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 69
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
INDEX
ADD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 19, 24, 32, 43, 44, 51, 59
AMERICAN EXPRESS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
ANIMATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
ASCII TEXT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4, 59
BBS . . . . . . . 1, 2, 5, 11, 14-21, 24-29, 35, 54-58, 62, 65-67
BBSINFO.OLX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
BOOKMARK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41, 42
BORDER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42, 47
BULLETIN BOARD SYSTEM . . . . . . . . . . 2, 5, 26, 27, 35, 62-67
BULLETINS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14, 16, 17, 29
CAPS LOCK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
CARBON COPIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25, 26
CGA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
COMMAND LINE . . . . . . . . . . 28, 31, 35, 43, 46, 50, 53, 56
COMMUNICATIONS PROGRAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27, 36, 37, 66
COMPRESSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10, 34, 64, 66, 68
COMPUSERVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
CONFERENCE . . . . 13, 18-26, 29, 38, 40, 42, 44, 54, 56, 57, 63
CONFIGURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 28, 34, 37, 39, 56
CONTROL MESSAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20, 24
DATA ENTRY WINDOW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
DEFAULT . 10, 11, 17, 23, 26, 36-40, 42, 45, 47, 49, 50, 53, 54,
56, 59, 66
DELETE . . . . . . . . . 14, 15, 18, 24, 25, 31, 32, 45, 51, 59
DOS . . 4, 10, 13, 14, 23, 27, 28, 31, 32, 35-37, 39, 48-50, 54,
58-60, 64
DOWNLOAD . . . . . . . . . . . 5, 11, 20, 24, 27, 28, 36, 58, 63
DOWNLOAD DIRECTORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36, 58
DROP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
ECHOMAIL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26, 29, 45, 55-57, 64
EDIT FIELD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13, 47, 51
EDITOR . 1, 2, 4, 9, 17, 19, 22, 24, 25, 31, 33, 34, 38, 43, 44,
53, 56, 57, 58
EGA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
EMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4, 38, 39, 64
ERROR MESSAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58-61
EXIT . . . . . . . . . . 12-14, 16, 17, 31-33, 37, 42, 48-50, 57
EXPANDED MEMORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4, 39, 64
EXTENDED MEMORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4, 38, 39, 64
FIDO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18, 44, 45
FIND . . . 4, 5, 19, 20, 22, 23, 29, 31, 35, 36, 43, 51, 52, 62
FLOPPY DISK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9, 10
FLOPPY DRIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4, 9, 10
FORWARD MESSAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
FUNCTION KEYS . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 13, 17, 32, 33, 35, 48-50
HEADER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42, 44, 45, 47, 52
HELP . . 1, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17-19, 23, 25, 28, 29, 31-36, 38, 41,
43-49, 55, 60
HIGHLIGHT BAR . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 14, 19, 47, 51, 57, 58
INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1, 13, 20-22, 69
INSUFFICIENT MEMORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60, 61
KEYBOARD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 12
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 70
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
KILL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
LOCAL AREA NETWORK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28, 60, 65
LOG OFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
LOG ON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
LONG MESSAGES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55, 56
MAIL DOOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15, 16, 20, 24, 49, 65
MAIL READER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1, 9, 16, 24, 29
MARK . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1, 14, 22, 23, 31, 32, 46, 53, 55
MASTERCARD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
MENU . . . . . . . . . . . . 1, 12-18, 28, 33-36, 48, 49, 58, 59
MESSAGE AREA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19, 26
MODEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20, 21, 27, 28, 62, 64-68
MODERATOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
MONOCHROME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
MOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . 4, 8, 13, 26, 36, 38, 39, 41, 47, 51
MOUSE CURSOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
MSI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5, 14-16, 18, 21, 25, 35
MUSTANG SOFTWARE . . . . . . . . . . . . 1, 2, 6, 14, 15, 20, 27
NETIQUETTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
NEW FILES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16, 17
NEWSLETTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16, 17
OLXED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1, 4, 9, 31, 32, 34, 43, 59
ORDER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5, 23, 35, 38-40, 44, 55
PACKER . . . . . . . . . . . . 5, 34, 35, 38, 46, 56, 57, 66, 67
PAGE BREAK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
PATH . . . . . . . . . . . 10, 11, 17, 33, 35-37, 50, 53, 58, 59
PCBOARD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
PCRELAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
PERSONAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 18, 41, 42, 47
PICK LIST . . . . . . . 10, 12, 13, 16, 22-26, 40, 49, 51, 52, 55
POINTING DEVICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4, 39
PRINT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1, 3, 23, 24, 38, 40
PRINT SETUP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38, 40
QMAIL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27, 50
QMODEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16, 18, 25, 28, 48, 64, 67
QUICK START . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9, 10
QUOTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29, 34, 44, 45, 53
QWIKMAIL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
QWK MAIL . . . . . . . . . . . 10, 14-16, 27, 28, 34, 35, 37, 65
RAM DRIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
REGISTRATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 3, 65, 67
REPLY 1, 2, 5, 13, 18, 19, 21, 24, 25, 27-29, 34, 37, 43-45, 53,
56, 57
REQUEST ATTACHMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
RESET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
RETURN RECEIPT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25, 26
SCROLL BAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
SHELL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13, 14, 32, 48-50, 60
SLMR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9, 10, 18
SNOW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41, 42
SORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14, 15, 20, 23, 38-40
SOUND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41, 42
SOURCE CODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
SPLIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31, 32, 55, 56
MUSTANG SOFTWARE, INC. OFF-LINE XPRESS 2.1 TEST DRIVE 71
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
STEAL TAGLINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
SWAPPING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4, 10, 38, 39, 56, 58
SYSOP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5, 16, 25, 26, 28, 58, 67
TAGLINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 24-27, 45
TECHNICAL SUPPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1, 2, 5
TSR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
UNMARK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31, 32
UNPACKER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5, 34, 35, 38, 46, 56, 67
UPLOAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25, 28, 36, 37, 57, 63, 67
VGA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
VISA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
WARRANTY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
WELCOME.QWK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10, 11
WILDCAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18, 28
WORD PROCESSOR . . . . . . . . . 1, 2, 4, 22, 34, 38, 56, 58, 59
WORK DIRECTORY . . . . . . . . 10, 15, 33, 36, 37, 39, 50, 59-61
XMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4, 38, 39
ZIP TO REPLY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24