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Text File | 1994-05-20 | 69KB | 1,381 lines

_______ ____|__ | (R) --| | |------------------- | ____|__ | Association of | | |_| Shareware |__| o | Professionals -----| | |--------------------- |___|___| MEMBER ╒═══════════════════════╕ │ Tag Line Xpress v4.00 │ ╘═══════════════════════╛ Copyright (C) 1992,93,94 release date 05/20/94 Introduction ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tag Line Xpress (TLX) is an enhanced tagline manager for offline QWK mail readers. A tagline is a single line comment that is added to the end of each message, and is often a funny or ridiculous statement. Most mail readers available today have limitations to the amount of taglines they can handle, and one has to physically select a tagline from what could well be a sizable collection, or the mail reader will cycle through the available taglines sequentially or randomly. TLX makes the job of maintaining and selecting taglines infinitely easier. Tag Line Xpress (TLX) supports an UNLIMITED number of taglines, up to 72 characters in length! TLX uses a database to store your tagline collection, and keeps a count of how many times each tagline has been used. TLX will read your message, and suggest taglines from the database depending on the subject and content of the message, giving priority to lesser used taglines. TLX supports FIDO style taglines. TLX can steal taglines from entire QWK, Blue Wave BW and Silver Xpress OPX mail packets. There is a quote enhancement feature that places a quote box around the message. TLX also offers a signature manager that allows several user signatures. TLX supports and installs automatically into Silly Little Mail Reader (SLMR), Off Line Xpress (OLX), Deluxe², Jabber, SpeedRead (Speed), Blue Wave, 1st Reader, RoboMail, MegaReader and Silver Xpress. Additionally, any mail reader that supports a tagline manager can be set up to use TLX. Full mouse support is available, and all features are fully configurable. On line context sensitive help is available at all times. TLX needs a minimum of 380K of system memory to work, any memory over that including Expanded Memory will be used for dynamic caching and index buffers. A tutorial slide show is also included in this package called TLXDEMO4.EXE that graphically demonstrates the various features that TLX has to offer. Simply execute this demonstration program to view the TLX presentation. Press any key to advance screens, Escape to end the slide show. ASP Ombudsman statement ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "This program is produced by a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products. Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442-9427 USA, FAX 616-788-2765 or send a Compuserve message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536" Registration ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tag Line Xpress (TLX) is being distributed under the Shareware concept, you may freely copy and distribute TLX in its original unmodified archive form. TLX is NOT crippled or restricted in any way, the shareware version is a fully functional program to allow you to evaluate its performance - except for the random appearance of a nag screen reminding you to register. After a reasonable evaluation period you are expected to register TLX with the author. ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── All registrations for Tag Line Xpress benefit the American Red Cross! Please use the enclosed ORDER.FRM and mail it to: ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── First Prince C.C. Marketing TLX Registration 22 Prince Street, New York, NY 10012 Support and Orders: (212) 334-1243 FAX: (212) 334-1245 ■ Basic registration (validation number only) US $20.00 Please make check payable to the AMERICAN RED CROSS! Send a Self Addressed Stamped Envelope! ^ ^ ^ ^ ■ Printed illustrated user manual includes s/h US $10.00 Comes with v4.00 and BONUS tagline file on disk! Make this check/money order payable to FIRST PRINCE New York State residents please add 8.25% tax ($10.83) The TLX user manual is a detailed 100+ page bound manual, contains several descriptive screen shot illustrations, and is fully indexed. Payment accepted by check, money order and postal order. Credit card (MasterCard/Visa) payments only accepted for the user manual. International orders must arrange payment in US funds. The registration number provided will be valid for all future releases of TLX, however, the author reserves the right to change the registration method. The author hosts a support conference on RelayNet/RIME (Janorkar Support Conference), and also monitors several national echo networks for support including FIDO, Intelec, SmartNET, CatNET, ILink and WildNET, in the TAGLINES and SHAREWARE Conferences. Voice support is available to all users, Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm at (212) 334-1243 FAX (212) 334-1245. If you find a bug or error while using TLX, please PRINT-SCREEN the error display and mail a printout along with a detailed description to the author (certain errors will create a file called TLX.ERR which will contain the technical information related to the crash). Select the Program Information option from the Main Menu, and press Enter. This will create a file called ASSIST.TLX that will help the author better understand the problem as well as your specific setup. User feedback has played a vital role in the development of TLX and is welcomed. This is a list of Official Distribution Sites where the latest releases of Tag Line Xpress can be found, arranged by area code: Support BBS Systematic BBS 718-716-6198 @14.4 (2 lines) 201-399-4772 201-839-5401 203-834-0490 206-367-9131 208-664-2983 212-737-6192 212-749-3268 212-799-0256 212-876-5885 214-235-5288 214-306-8269 214-613-6900 214-964-8726 215-540-0141 215-698-7677 216-992-6930 218-829-6340 301-645-1049 302-529-1650 304-572-2531 305-346-8524 310-676-3534 313-664-0437 315-393-6504 316-788-9913 317-831-9227 318-443-1065 401-732-0258 404-921-1186 404-941-0746 408-578-7954 409-321-4637 410-643-1479 410-758-4023 410-820-6734 410-827-6725 419-636-8737 502-276-9675 502-762-6963 503-656-9790 503-659-4603 504-347-8152 505-831-4581 508-368-7139 508-927-3757 509-926-1686 516-579-7507 518-563-7698 601-735-3201 602-945-0363 604-724-6280 606-297-2820 609-435-1663 610-929-2229 612-753-1943 615-494-7024 616-456-1845 617-354-3230 619-773-5572 703-898-7205 704-342-2333 706-694-3295 708-731-1017 713-726-0441 714-879-4052 715-345-1327 718-628-6661 718-716-6198 718-793-8548 718-893-2318 718-983-9152 800-542-5921 801-393-0531 801-943-4616 803-592-5208 804-583-0503 805-258-0413 805-272-9792 805-736-7066 805-946-4107 805-964-4414 813-960-5169 813-983-1776 814-362-6546 814-825-7905 817-589-1517 903-465-4022 904-472-5714 908-329-3216 908-572-9233 909-860-3728 909-862-5319 910-627-5190 914-964-0419 916-546-2095 918-446-8441 918-534-3759 FIDO freq sites: 1:278/111 (Systematic, NY) 1:150/420 (US Project, DE) 1:124/2113 (Lunatic Fringe, TX) 1:107/203 (Utopia Tech, NY) 1:231/425 (Hearthstone, IN) 1:3652/5 (Glory Bound, SC) International sites: NorthPaul BBS Scotland UK +23-645-8256/+23-545-7650 Enterprise BBS The Netherlands +31-59503933 HBBS Amsterdam The Netherlands +31-20-6196789 Michelange II BBS Belgium +32-67-211838 Dog & Disk Drive Pub United Kingdom +44-71-587-5180 Schizophrenic Wolf BBS United Kingdom +44-77-245-6526 PkMt BBS Australia +61-04-285-3349 Devil BBS Israel +972-3-804688 About the American Red Cross ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The American Red Cross is the nation's foremost volunteer emergency services organization. Their mission is to improve the quality of human life; to enhance self-reliance and concern for other; and to help people avoid, prepare for, and cope with emergencies. They do this through services that are governed and directed by volunteers and are consistent with its congressional charter and the principles of the International Red Cross: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, universality. For more information, please read the enclosed REDCROSS.DOC. What's New ~~~~~~~~~~ Version 4.00 is a major update and rewrite. All existing features have been enhanced, and several new features have been added. Added on line context sensitive help. Increased the length of tagline viewing windows to FULL 72 characters. Deleted taglines behave differently, and can be restored. New extended search routines, allowing several operations during the search process. Twit taglines are shortened to 25 characters. Full featured signature manager added. The reader signature is now controlled by TLX to ensure network compliance. A brand new configuration menu, offering more control over every facet of program operation. Quote enhancer has been redesigned to fit within network quoting restrictions. Reduced command line length to allow comfortable installation. New Full mode eliminates BATch files, reduces swapping and allows for faster program operation. Added support for the Silver Xpress mail reader and Blue Wave OS2. Extended RoboMail support. Speed optimization for all functions. Upgrading ~~~~~~~~~ From v1.x or v2.x: Please remember to backup the TLX database before updating to the new version! Simply copy the new TLX files over the old files. Run TLX from the command line and select Install from the menu, the old tagline database will be detected and converted to the new format automatically. From v3.x: Simply copy the new TLX files over the old files, TLX will automatically detect the old database and configuration and convert them to the new format. If you are a registered user of Tag Line Xpress version 1, 2, or 3; it is necessary for you to obtain a NEW registration number. Since all registrations for Tag Line Xpress directly benefit the American Red Cross, you are REQUESTED to send in a registration fee again. If you feel this is unfair, simply send a letter about why you think it is unfair (mention your old registration number), and you will receive a free updated serial number. Quick Start ~~~~~~~~~~~ This section contains the basic information required to install and use TLX. It is suggested that you also read the following sections on the various options in TLX, and the reader-specific document that is included in this archive. At any time within the program, pressing the F1 key activates the context sensitive help system. Simply copy the contents of this archive into your mail reader directory, or into a separate directory. When TLX is started for the first time it will attempt to install itself automatically. It will first ask for confirmation and show the reader type and version that it has located. *** MAKE A BACKUP OF YOUR MAIL READER BEFORE INSTALLATION *** If the information that TLX displays is correct (mail reader name and version number) type Y and it will install itself automatically into the mail reader. If you are using any other version of a reader - INSTALLATION RESULTS ARE UNPREDICTABLE - since the mail reader formats could well have changed between versions!!! Please read the specific reader documentation included in this archive for more information. Once TLX is installed, you will offered the Configuration menu. After you finish configuration, TLX will look for a default tagline file. If it finds one it will ask for confirmation and import the taglines into its database. If it can not recognize any tagline files, it will prompt you to enter the filename, and then read in the taglines. After importing the taglines, TLX will ask if you want to rename the tagline file. You should normally answer Yes - so your mail reader will not attempt to attach a second tagline to your messages. TLX is now installed and ready for use! If your mail reader will not allow you to suppress its internal reader signature, you have to either use the UNTAG.EXE utility provided with this package; or disable the TLX reader signature. Within your mail reader, edit the PACKER option: Old Option> PKZIP -A New Option> NEWZIP PKZIP -A Each reader has a different syntax and different location for this option, please check the specific reader documentation file for more information. When you respond to a message (or initiate a new message) TLX will first enhance the quoted portion of your reply (a new message has no quote and will be unaffected) and call your editor. After you finish editing your reply, TLX will read the message and suggest taglines based on the subject and contents. You can then select an appropriate tagline from the suggestions, or select one from the tagline database and TLX will add it to your message. Use of disk caching software will make TLX run much faster, along with every other program you use. It is suggested that a disk cache be used (especially on slower computers). Pressing the F1 key anywhere within the program will activate the context sensitive help system. If you do not wish to use the on-line help screens, you can delete the help file (TLX.HLP) to conserve disk space. Other Readers ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TLX can be installed into other mail readers that are not currently supported automatically. There are two methods of installation, the first is a "Classic" TLX installation, and the second is a "Conventional" tagline manager installation. "Classic" TLX Installation - TLX is called instead of your editor; quotes your reply, then directly loads your editor allowing you to edit your reply, and finally adds the tagline along with an optional user signature. You can modify your mail reader configuration to call TLX with these command line parameters as the external editor: \path\TLX //BC F * [!] where \path\TLX is the full path and filename for TLX; //BC is a switch telling TLX to protect your display cursor; F indicates the Full feature mode; * tells TLX to find its database automatically; and [!] depends on your specific mail reader and is the reply file name (normally passed as ! or %O check your reader documentation for the exact format). Then change the TLX configuration and enter your editor name. If your mail reader supports a "standard" message header you should enable it. The mail reader quote characters should be disabled, and the mail reader tagline support should also be totally disabled. When you reply to a message, TLX will quote the reply portion and call your editor. After you edit your reply, TLX will read it and suggest taglines; select one and TLX will add the tagline to the bottom of your message along with an optional user signature. Some mail readers do NOT allow you to disable the default reader signature! If your messages have double taglines, you have two choices. You can either use the UNTAG utility provided with the package, or disable the TLX reader signature from within the configuration menu. If the TLX reader signature is disabled, all taglines will be forced into FIDO style, there will be no tear bar and no reader signature. To use the UNTAG utility, edit the PACKER configuration in your mail reader, and insert NEWZIP.BAT before the Compress command: Old Option> PKZIP -A New Option> \path\NEWZIP PKZIP -A TLX will have created a batch file called NEWZIP.BAT that is actually what does the tagline trimming. You will have to edit this batch file with the correct parameters - depending on the format your mail reader uses for compressing out-going mail. \path\UNTAG %4 %1 %2 %3 %4 %5 %6 %7 %8 %9 This is how the NEWZIP.BAT looks - you have to determine which parameter your mail reader is passing as the REPLIES file, and change the UNTAG % number to that. For example: Old Option> PKZIP -A New Option> \path\NEWZIP PKZIP -A will pass the following line to NEWZIP.BAT: PKZIP -A BBSNAME.REP BBSNAME.MSG so %1 = PKZIP %2 = -A %3 = BBSNAME.REP %4 = BBSNAME.MSG What we are interested in is the .MSG file, which is the actual replies file that will be compressed into the REP packet. In this case it is %4. Another example: Old Option> PKZIP -A -ES New Option> NEWZIP PKZIP -A -ES will pass the following line to NEWZIP.BAT: PKZIP -A -ES BBSNAME.REP BBSNAME.MSG so %1 = PKZIP %2 = -A %3 = -ES %4 = BBSNAME.REP %5 = BBSNAME.MSG In this case %5 is the parameter we want. While this is definitely not an easy way to eliminate the duplicate reader tagline, it is unfortunately the only way. Conventional Tag Line Manager Installation - TLX can mimic the popular John Hancock tagline manager and return the tagline in a text file. This method has certain drawbacks, it can not quote your message, the reader signature can not be changed, and the user signature manager is not available. Simply set up your mail reader to call TLX with the following parameters: \path\TLX g * \replypath\REPLY.FIL where \path\TLX is the full path and filename of TLX; g is the Generic command line switch; * tells TLX to find the database automatically; and \replypath\REPLY.FIL is the full path and filename of the message file that TLX will read to make suggestions. The tagline will be returned in a text file (called TLX.TAG by default) the name of the tagline return file can be changed from the TLX configuration menu. The mail reader must have the option to read such a tagline return file and use it. Quoting Guidelines ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ While sensible use of the quote enhancer makes your replies unique and easier to understand, over quoting makes sysops upset. Only quote the portion of text that is relevant, never quote the entire original message. Detailed Information ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The following is specific information on the various options and behavior of TLX. It is not required for using TLX, but is provided for those want to get the most out of the program. Expanded Memory ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TLX will normally grab all available Expanded Memory (EMS) and use it for dynamic caching and index buffers. However, if you are running concurrent programs or operating under a multi user environment, you can limit the amount of Expanded Memory that TLX will use by setting an Environmental Variable: SET TAGLINE=Ex where E is the EMS switch and x denotes a numeric value for the explicit amount of Expanded Memory in Kilobytes - using E0 will tell TLX to not use ANY EMS memory. Additionally, with certain VGA video hardware the cursor will appear deranged. If this is the case you can use the TAGLINE Environmental Variable to inform TLX that the cursor is misbehaving with the switch BC SET TAGLINE=BC You can use both these switches with the Environmental Variable by separating them with a semicolon e.g. SET TAGLINE=BC;E1024 Note that there should be no spaces between the words. Please refer to your DOS manual for more information on Environmental Variables. @ Variables ~~~~~~~~~~~ TLX supports several @ variables in the tagline, user signature, reader signature and quote enhancer. Note that some options may not be available with all mail readers - only SLMR and OLX can offer full support for all variables. All these variables must be in upper case (CAPITALS). These variables are replaced by TLX as follows : @FROM@ - Message authors full name @FROMFIRST@ - Message authors first name @FROMLAST@ - Message authors last name @TO@ - Full name of message recipient @TOFIRST@ - First name of message recipient @TOLAST@ - Last name of message recipient @SUBJECT@ - Subject of current message @CONFNAME@ - Name of current conference @TODAY@ - Current date in form MO/DA/YR @DAY@ - Current day of week e.g. Monday, Tuesday @DATE@ - Current date @MONTH@ - Current month @YEAR@ - Current year @TIME@ - Current time in form HOUR:MIN:SEC @HOUR@ - Current hour in 24 hour format @MINUTE@ - Current minute @SECOND@ - Current second @VER@ - Current TLX version @SDATE@ - Current time & date in Star Date format @RND@ - Only available within QWK quoting text @INI@ - available within FIDO/QWK quoting text Quote Enhancer ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You can configure the quote enhancer to your specific design. There are three sections in the quote enhancer - the Quote Top, the Quote Text and the Quote Bottom. You can have up to 128 characters in each of these three options. To force a new line, use the ASCII 227 character (π) by holding down the ALT key and pressing the 2 2 and 7 keys on the numeric keypad. An ASCII chart and @ variable list can be summoned by pressing the F2 key within each field. @ Variables can be used within each of these options. TLX has an alternative quoting method when entering mail on networks that do not allow high ASCII characters (FIDO style), as well as the capability to 'Guess' the quoting and tagline format allowed! User Signature ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TLX can add a signature to the bottom of every message. A built in signature manager allows you to have several different user signatures, and select one for each message. You can have up to 128 characters in your signature, and also include @ variables. To force a new line use the ASCII 227 character π by holding down the ALT key and pressing the 2 2 and 7 keys on the numeric keypad. An ASCII chart and @ variable list can be summoned by pressing the F2 key. If you enter a filename in this field, TLX will read the entire specified file in as a signature. A pop up file directory menu can be called by pressing the F10 key to 'point-n-shoot' signature files. The file directory tree has an integral ANSI and text file viewer/editor built in. Pressing the Alt-A key combination will display the ANSI graphics, and pressing the Alt-V key combination will allow you to view/edit text files. Note that an ANSI driver (such as ANSI.SYS) must be loaded in order to view ANSI graphic files. If the specified file is an executable program (or a batch file) it will be automatically executed and TLX expects a signature return file named TLX.SIG which will be added to the message as a signature. This allows you to run external signature programs directly from within TLX. Translation Feature ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You can translate text within the Quote enhancer by creating a text file called TRANSLAT.TLX (or edit from the Configuration menu). Basically you specify the text string to find and the text string to replace with in the format: Old Text = New Text where Old Text is the string that will be replaced with the New String. Capitalization is critical, since only an EXACT match will be replaced. Typically this is used to personalize your messages by translating names to short nicknames, e.g. Joseph = Joe Douglas = Doug David = Dave Doctor = Whats up Doc For example, this quote addressed to DAVID: @TOFIRST@ babbled incoherently ... will be translated into: Dave babbled incoherently ... Note that the @ variables are translated first, then the text translations take place. Twit Taglines ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Since TLX has the capability of stealing virtually every tagline from within QWK, BW and OPX mail packets, occasionally you will want to prevent certain taglines from being stolen. The twit taglines are stored in a text file called TWITTAGS.TLX, and are rejected by TLX when stealing and deleted within Maintenance. Only a partial match is required, so the string: WRITTEN will cause the following taglines to be rejected/deleted: Written by Joe Shmoe at 10:00am Written in New York by Joe Shmoe This tagline written on recycled newspapers. Single characters can not be twitted and are ignored. You can only have a maximum of 500 twit taglines, if you try to use more TLX will inform you that there are too many twit taglines. Note that the number of twit taglines directly affects the speed of tagline theft and Maintenance. Additionally, TLX will reject or delete any taglines that contain a standard format phone number such as: (212)334-1243 212-334-1243 212.334.1243 212 334 1243 File Directory Menu ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The file directory menu offers a 'point-n-shoot' interface for selecting files. Use the Up, Down, PageUp and PageDown keys to navigate the list displayed files, and select by pressing the Enter key. Pressing the first letter of a file will cause the cursor bar to jump to the next matching filename. Mouse users can simply click on the desired filename to select it, the arrow symbols along the right border of the display simulate the PageUp and the PageDown keys. Pressing the Escape key aborts without selecting any files. The top of the window displays the name of the current directory being viewed. All available drives will be displayed at the top of the list, if this list is incorrect you must change the TLX Configuration (under System Settings, Lastdrive on system) to reflect the correct last drive available on your system. To switch to another drive, simply select the desired drive, and the file listing will be updated. Next all available subdirectories under the current directory will be listed, to change directories simply select the desired directory. The Root directory is denoted by a single dot and the Parent directory is denoted by two dots. All available files are listed alphabetically, with their sizes, dates and time stamps. Pressing the Alt-A key combination allows you to view the highlighted file in ANSI color (an ANSI driver such as ANSI.SYS must be loaded in order for this to work). Pressing the Alt-V key combination activates the internal file viewer/editor, allowing you to view or edit any text file directly. 'Expert' Configuration Options ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There are a few hidden configuration options that can only be changed by manually editing the TLX.CFG file. These are: QUOTEALLOW - this option is normally either [G]uess or [A]sk; but can be changed to [F]IDO or [Q]WK to force FIDO or QWK style quoting for EACH message. ANSISTRIP - this option forces TLX to strip ANSI codes out during quoting, and is normally set to [Y]es. To prevent TLX from removing ANSI lines during quoting, change this to [N]o. QUOTETAG - this option is normally set to [N]o; and controls if the original message tagline will be stripped out when the message is quoted. To preserve the original tagline, change this to [Y]es. BBSPHONE - this option is normally set to [Y]es; and prevents BBS advertisement taglines (any tagline with a phone number in it) from being stolen. To disable this feature, change this option to [N]o. TAGTYPE - this option is normally set to [G]uess; and controls the tagline style used for each message. It can be changed to [F]IDO, [Q]WK or [N]o-bar-FIDO to force each respective style. Configuration ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TLX saves your default settings in an ASCII text configuration file. You can modify the configuration from within TLX or with a text editor. If no configuration file is found, TLX will use default internal values and create a new configuration file. The available options are: SYSTEM SETTINGS: Your Full Name: Your name quite obviously! Registration Number: Your registration number as stated on your registration card. Registration of TLX stops the random appearance of NAG screens that remind you to register. Registration Key Code: Your registration key code as stated on your registration card. Registration of TLX stops the random appearance of NAG screens that remind you to register. Mouse Enabled: TLX offers full support for Microsoft-compatible rodents. Options are Yes or No. Path to Mail Packets: When you instruct TLX to steal taglines from mail packets, it will default to this directory. When installed automatically, TLX will interrogate the mail reader configuration and read the correct directory from there. QWK format mail packets are selected by default, but TLX also supports Blue Wave BW and Silver Xpress OPX format mail packets. If no filenames are specified, TLX will add a wildcard automatically e.g. *.QWK Editor Path/Filename: In [F]ull Mode, TLX calls your editor directly, speeding up operation. Enter the full path and filename for your favorite editor. When installed automatically, TLX will interrogate the mail reader configuration and read the correct directory from there. If this field is left blank, the internal editor will be used instead. Editor Minimum Memory: This is minimum amount of memory your editor requires in KiloBytes. Reducing this number will increase the speed of the program. Most editors can manage with 150 KiloBytes. Using too low a value will give insufficient memory error messages when you use the editor, it will then be necessary to increase it. Lastdrive on System: This tells the file directory menu how many drives are attached to your system. Enter the letter for the last drive available on your computer system. QUOTE ENHANCER SETTINGS: Quoter Enabled: This option controls the quote enhancer. If set to No, the quoter will be disabled. Note that disabling the quote enhancer will leave the message header intact within the message, and some @ variables will not work. Guess Quote Style: TLX has the capability to guess what quoting format is allowed, and automatically use it. If this option is set to No, TLX will ask you for each message. A message will appear each time, prompting you to press the Space Bar to use FIDO style quoting or any other key to use QWK style quoting. If no key is pressed within 2 seconds, QWK style quoting is automatically selected. Quote Top QWK Mode: This is the top of the quote box for QWK messages. You can use @ variables and the TRANSLATE features in this field. You can Enter up to 128 characters here. Press F2 to summon an ASCII chart, to force a new line use the ASCII 227 character by holding down the ALT key and pressing 2 2 7 on the numeric keypad. Quote Text QWK Mode: Each quoted line in the message will be preceded by the contents of this entry. You can use @ variables and the TRANSLATE features in this field. You can Enter up to 128 characters here. Press F2 to summon an ASCII chart. Using the variable @RND@ will cause each message to have random quote characters; and @INI@ will place the initials of the person you are sending the message to. Quote Bottom QWK Mode: This is the bottom of the quote box for QWK messages. You can use @ variables and the TRANSLATE features in this field. You can Enter up to 128 characters here. Press F2 to summon an ASCII chart, to force a new line use the ASCII 227 character by holding down the ALT key and pressing 2 2 7 on the numeric keypad. Quote Top FIDO Mode: This is the top of the quote box for FIDO messages. You can use @ variables and the TRANSLATE features in this field. You can Enter up to 128 characters here. To force a new line use the ASCII 227 character by holding down the ALT key and pressing 2 2 7 on the numeric keypad. Do NOT use high ASCII characters in FIDO messages! Quote Text FIDO Mode: Each quoted line in the message will be preceded by the contents of this entry. You can use @ variables and the TRANSLATE features in this field. You can Enter up to 128 characters here. Using the variable @INI@ will place the initials of the person you are sending the message to. Do NOT use high ASCII characters in FIDO messages! Quote Bottom FIDO Mode: This is the bottom of the quote box for FIDO messages. You can use @ variables and the TRANSLATE features. You can Enter up to 128 characters here. To force a new line use the ASCII 227 character by holding down the ALT key and pressing 2 2 7 on the numeric keypad. Do NOT use high ASCII characters in FIDO messages! TAGLINE SETTINGS: Automatic Tagline Select: If this option is set to Yes, TLX will automatically add a tagline without any prompting. This option works along with the next option, if that is set to Yes (Random) a random tagline will be automatically added to the message; and if the next option is set to No (Suggestion) the first suitable tagline suggestion will be automatically added to the message. Random Tagline Select: If this option is set to Yes, TLX will pick a random tagline instead of making suggestions. Reader Signature Enabled: If this option is set to No, TLX will NOT use a reader signature, and all taglines will be forced into FIDO mode. Tagline Return Filename: This option is only relevant if you are using TLX in the Generic mode. Enter the name of the tagline return filename here. LIST MAINTENANCE: User Signature: Press the Enter key to activate the signature manager. You can Add, Edit and Kill user signatures, as well as select the default user signature that will be added to all your messages. @ variables and signature files are supported by TLX. Reader Signature: Press the Enter key to activate the signature manager. You can Add, Edit and Kill signatures, as well as select the default reader signature that will be added to all your messages. @ variables are supported. Twit Taglines: Press the Enter key to activate the Twit tagline editor. You can add, edit and delete twit taglines interactively within the editor. Translate List: Press the Enter key to activate the Translate list editor. You can add, edit and delete translate strings interactively within the editor. COLOR SETTINGS: All colors within TLX are fully user configurable. The active option name is indicated on the left of the screen, and a sample display window allows you to see how your color choices will appear. Pressing the Up and the Down arrow keys change the color of the active option, and pressing the Left and the Right arrow keys move to the previous or the next option. Press the Escape key to exit and return to the Configuration Menu. Add Tagline File ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This option allows you to add text (ASCII) tagline files into the tagline database. Taglines up to 72 characters in length are supported. Each tagline must be on a new line, any lines longer than 72 characters will be rejected. TLX also recognizes RoboMail style .RTF tagline files. If TLX can recognize a default tagline file, it will prompt you with the filename. Press the Enter key to select the offered file, or Enter the full path and filename of the text tagline file to import. You can press the F10 key to activate the pop up file directory menu, offering a 'point-n-shoot' interface for selecting files. Pressing the Escape key during the import will abort the process. After TLX has successfully imported all taglines into the tagline database, you will be informed how many taglines were imported, and you will be prompted to rename the tagline file. Press the Enter key to accept the filename that TLX has suggested, or type in a new filename. You can press the Escape key if you do not wish to rename the text tagline file. Dump ASCII Text File ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This option allows you to export the entire Tagline Database to a text (ASCII) file. Enter the name of the text file you wish to create, or press the Enter key to accept the default filename suggested by TLX. A progress bar indicator will appear, showing progress during the Dump operation. Pressing the Escape key will abort the process immediately. Browse Database ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Browse Menu offers an interactive interface to manipulate the Tagline Database. The Browse window will display up to ten taglines at a time, along with the amount of times each tagline has been used. The top right corner of the window shows the current location within the tagline database. To edit a displayed tagline, move the highlighted cursor bar over the tagline and press the Enter key. Mouse users can simply click on the desired tagline. A smaller window will appear, allowing you to edit the tagline. Pressing the Alt-K key combination will delete the tagline. Pressing the F2 key will activate the pop up ASCII chart along with the @ variable chart. Press the Enter key to save your changes, or press the Escape key to abandon them. Pressing the Alt-K directly over a highlighted tagline will delete it. The Used counter will be replaced by the letters DEL, pressing Alt-K again will reverse the deletion and restore the tagline. Deleted taglines are only removed during Maintenance; they are ignored during Tagline suggestions. Pressing the Space Bar will Mark the highlighted tagline with a check mark. Marked taglines retain their mark until they are unmarked. The Marked Taglines Menu option allows you to manipulate marked taglines (see below). Pressing the Alt-R key combination will prompt you for confirmation, then revive ALL deleted taglines. Pressing the Escape key will return you to the Main Menu. There are six options available within the Browse Menu. Add New Tagline - this option allows you to add a new tagline directly. A window will appear, type in the new tagline and press the Enter key to accept, or press the Escape key to abort. Pressing the F2 key activates the pop up ASCII chart along with the @ variable chart. Search for Tagline - this option allows you to search for taglines. TLX has a very powerful search capability. You can Enter a portion of the string that you want to find, and even place more than one string at once separated by semicolons ";" for example, using: CAT;DOG;CAR will search for all taglines that contain the strings CAT DOG and CAR in them. All searches begin at the beginning of the tagline database, to continue an existing search pattern from the current location within the database, use the Next Match option (explained next). A progress bar indicator shows progress during the search. There are three toggles available, Mark, Dump and Kill. Press the Space Bar to toggle the check mark within each entry, and press the Enter key when done. If the Mark toggle is set, all matching taglines will be marked. If the Dump toggle is set, all matching taglines will be dumped to a text (ASCII) file. If the Kill toggle is set, all matching taglines will be DELeted. The number of taglines being affected is displayed below the progress bar. Pressing the Escape key during the search will abort the process immediately. If none of the three toggles have been set, the search process will stop at the first matching tagline, and the highlighted cursor bar will be placed over it. If no matching taglines are found, a message will be displayed to that effect. Next Match - this option continues an existing search from the current location within the tagline database. The Mark, Dump and Kill toggles are automatically disabled, and the search process will stop at the next matching tagline. A progress bar indicator shows progress during the search, pressing the Escape key will abort the process immediately. If no matching taglines are found, a message will be displayed to that effect. Twit a Tagline - this option allows you to add a new Twit tagline to the list of unwanted (twit) taglines, only a partial string is required. Pressing the Alt-E key combination will activate the Twit file editor, allowing you to edit the entire twit tagline file. When Adding taglines and Stealing taglines, any tagline matching an existing Twit tagline will be ignored; and during Maintenance any tagline matching a Twit tagline will be deleted. Jump to Record - this option allows you to navigate longer distances within the tagline database. You can Enter an explicit tagline record number to jump to (the size of the tagline database is displayed); pressing the PageUp key will jump to beginning of the tagline database, and pressing the PageDown key will jump to the end of the tagline database. Pressing the Escape key will abort and return to the same location. Marked Taglines - this option allows you to manipulate all Marked taglines within the database. There are three toggles available; Unmark, Dump and Kill. All three toggles are acted on, so if all three have been set - all Marked taglines will be Unmarked, Dumped to a text file, and also DELeted. Pressing the Escape key or leaving all three toggles unselected will abort the operation. Press the Enter key to accept. A progress bar indicator shows progress, pressing the Escape key will abort the process immediately. The number of taglines being affected is displayed below the progress bar. Steal Taglines ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Steal Tagline Menu allows you to steal all recognizable taglines from entire QWK, BW and OPX format mail packets. After a mail packet name is entered, the file is decompressed using the appropriate decompression program. Each tagline will then be displayed. Yes Steal it - this will steal the displayed tagline, and continue the process. Edit & Steal - this allows you to edit the displayed tagline before stealing it. The F2 key activates the pop up ASCII chart along with the @ variable chart. Press the Enter key after making any changes, or press the Escape key to discard the tagline. No Steal - this will reject the displayed tagline and continue the process. Rest Auto - this will automatically steal ALL following taglines with NO user prompting. If a wildcard QWK packet specification was used, all QWK packets will be stolen from automatically. Twit a Tag - this allows you to Enter a Twit string for unwanted taglines. Pressing the Alt-E key combination will activate the Twit tagline editor, allowing you to edit the entire Twit tagline file. Quit Steal - this cancels the stealing operation. If a wildcard QWK packet specification was used, the next available QWK packet will be decompressed and processed. Command line operation ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ All TLX options can be called from the interactive menu or by passing command line parameters. The syntax for command line operation is: TLX <option> * \path\filename.ext where TLX is the program name; <option> is the specific option desired; * tells TLX to automatically find the TLX database; and \path\filename.ext is the option specific filename. The supported command line options are: TLX I Installs TLX in the current directory. TLX C * Configure TLX defaults. TLX A * Add text tagline file to the database. TLX M * Maintenance mode, sorts the tagline database and removes duplicates. TLX S * \path\packet.ext Steal taglines, \path\packet.ext is the full path and filename of the mail packet to steal from (wildcards are valid). TLX Q * \path\reply.fil Quote message, \path\reply.fil is the full path and filename of the message reply file to quote. This option is ONLY available via the command line. TLX T * \path\reply.fil Tagline mode, \path\reply.fil is the full path and filename of the message reply file that TLX will read (for suggesting taglines) and add the tagline to. TLX F * \path\reply.fil Full quote and tagline mode, \path\reply.fil is the full path and filename of the message reply file that TLX will quote and read (for suggesting taglines) and add the tagline to. In this mode TLX will call your message editor directly, and is much faster than using the Q and T modes together. TLX G * \path\reply.fil Generic tagline manager mode, \path\reply.fil is the full path and filename of the message reply file that TLX will read (for tagline suggestions). In this mode TLX does not directly write to the message file, but sends the mail reader a tagline return file containing the selected tagline. TLX B * Browse the tagline database. TLX D * Dump tagline database to ASCII text file. TLX H or TLX ? Displays the program information screen, pressing the Enter key will perform a system diagnostic and create a file called ASSIST.TLX that should be sent back to the author if there are any bugs or questions. Using TLX ~~~~~~~~~ Depending on your configuration choices, TLX will behave differently. If you have chosen the default settings, without automatic tagline selection and without random taglines; TLX will read your message and make several tagline suggestions based on the subject and message contents. The window will be titled Tagline Suggestions, use the arrow keys and the PageUp and PageDown keys to navigate the list of suggestions and press the Enter key to select. You can also press the highlighted digit to the left of the tagline to select it. The numbers on the right side of the taglines indicate how many times each tagline has been used. Your current location within the displayed tagline list is indicated on the upper right corner of the tagline window. Mouse users can simply click on the tagline of their choice, or click on the arrow symbols on the right side of the screen to simulate the PageUp and PageDown keys. If you have chosen to use Random taglines, TLX will use taglines at random instead of intelligent suggestions. If you choose to have taglines automatically added, TLX will add a suitable tagline without any prompting (and you will not see this menu). Pressing the Alt-R key combination will cause the highlighted cursor bar to jump to a random tagline. This works in both Tagline Suggestions, and within the Tagline Database. Pressing the Alt-K key combination will delete the highlighted tagline, and the word DEL will appear in place of the used counter. Pressing the Alt-K key combination on a previously deleted tagline will reverse the operation, and restore the tagline. Deleted taglines are physically purged only during Maintenance. Pressing the Space Bar will mark the tagline (a √ check mark will appear on the left side of the selected tagline). Marked taglines can be later processed from within the Browse Menu. TLX supports multiple taglines. Due to EMail Network restrictions, multiple taglines can only be added within the body of the message. Pressing the Alt-A key combination will add the highlighted tagline to end of the current message. This process can be repeated as often as you wish, adding several taglines within the message body. Add New Tagline - this option allows you to add a new tagline. The new tagline will be added to the current message, and will also be added to the tagline database. Pressing the F2 key will activate the pop up ASCII chart along with the @ variable chart. Press the Enter key to accept the new tagline, or press the Escape key to cancel the operation. Search for Tagline - this option allows you to search for taglines. TLX has a very powerful search capability. You can Enter a portion of the string that you want to find, and even place more than one string at once separated by semicolons ";" for example, using: CAT;DOG;CAR will search for all taglines that contain the strings CAT DOG and CAR in them. All searches begin at the beginning of the tagline database, to continue an existing search pattern from the current location within the tagline list, use the Next Match option (explained next). A progress bar indicator shows progress during the search, and pressing the Escape key will cancel the operation immediately. There is one toggle option available during searches, use the Space Bar to toggle the check mark within the box, press the Enter key to accept or press the Escape key to cancel the search operation. If the Add All toggle is set, all matching taglines will be added within the body of the current message (multiple taglines). A counter will indicate how many taglines were added. If the Add All toggle is not set, a normal search will occur, and stop at the first matching tagline. If no matching taglines are found, a message will be displayed to that effect. Next Match - this option continues an existing search from the current location within the tagline list. The Add All toggle is automatically disabled, and the search process will stop at the next matching tagline. A progress bar indicator shows progress during the search, pressing the Escape key will abort the process immediately. If no matching taglines are found, a message will be displayed to that effect. User Signature - TLX offers a fully featured user signature option. You can have several user signatures, and choose which one to use. A pop up signature picklist will appear, use the arrow keys and the PageUp and PageDown keys to navigate the list of displayed signatures and select one by pressing the Enter key, pressing the first letter will cause the highlighted cursor bar to jump to the next matching signature. Pressing the Escape key will cancel the operation and return to the tagline selection menu. Mouse users can simply click on the desired signature, clicking on the arrow symbols on the right border of the window will simulate the PageUp and PageDown keys. Signature selection is 'sticky', meaning the signature that you choose will continue to be used automatically until you choose another. Pressing the Alt-A key combination allows you to add a new signature, and pressing the Alt-E key combination allows you to edit the highlighted signature. TLX supports @ variables as well as signature files! You can Enter an explicit text signature, or Enter the path and name of a signature file, which will be imported into your messages automatically. The pop up file directory menu is available by pressing the F10 key. If you leave a blank line and press the Enter key it creates a blank signature, pressing the Escape key cancels the operation. Pressing the Alt-K key combination will delete the highlighted signature. Change to Database/Suggestions - this option allows you switch between the tagline suggestions and the tagline database. You can switch between the two indefinitely. Reader Signature - this option allows you to customize the default reader signature used in each message. If you have disabled the reader signature within the configuration, using this option will have no effect. TLX will automatically add the ■ or FIDO compliant * indicators before and after the selected reader signature. You can have several reader signatures, and choose which one to use. A pop up signature picklist will appear, use the arrow keys and the PageUp and PageDown keys to navigate the list of displayed signatures and select one by pressing the Enter key, pressing the first letter will cause the highlighted cursor bar to jump to the next matching signature. Pressing the Escape key will cancel the operation and return to the tagline selection menu. Mouse users can simply click on the desired signature, clicking on the arrow symbols on the right border of the window will simulate the PageUp and PageDown keys. Signature selection is 'sticky', meaning the signature that you choose will continue to be used automatically until you choose another. Pressing the Alt-A key combination allows you to add a new signature, and pressing the Alt-E key combination allows you to edit the highlighted signature. TLX supports @ variables within the Reader Signature! Press the Enter key to accept, or press the Escape key to cancel the operation. Pressing the Alt-K key combination will delete the highlighted signature. View/Edit Message - this option allows you to view and edit the current message. The internal editor supports most WordStar style CONTROL key commands, such as: UpArrow/Ctrl-E = move up one line DownArrow/Ctrl-X = move down one line LeftArrow/Ctrl-S = move left one space RightArrow/Ctrl-D = move right one space Ctrl-LeftArrow/Ctrl-A = move left one word Ctrl-RightArrow/Ctrl-F = move right one word Home = move to beginning of line End = move to end of line Ctrl-Home = move to top of window Ctrl-End = move to bottom of window PageUp = scroll back PageDown = scroll forward Ctrl-PageUp = move to beginning of file Ctrl-PageDown = move to end of file Enter = move to next line Del = delete character at cursor Backspace = delete character left of cursor Tab = insert spaces Ctrl-Y = delete line Ctrl-T = delete word right of cursor Ctrl-B = reformat paragraph Ins/Ctrl-V = toggle insert/overwrite mode F10/Ctrl-W = save text and exit Escape = abandon changes and exit After saving your changes, the message is scanned again and new tagline suggestions are generated. Edit Tagline - this option allows you to make changes to any tagline on the fly. Use the arrow keys to navigate the displayed list of taglines, and press the Enter key to choose one. Mouse users can simply click on the tagline of their choice. Pressing the F2 key will activate the pop up ASCII chart along with the @ variable list. Pressing the Escape key will discard any changes and return to the tagline selection menu. Pressing the Enter key will add the modified tagline to the current message; to permanently save your changes press the CONTROL Enter key combination. Twit a Tagline - this option allows you to add a new Twit tagline to the list of unwanted (twit) taglines, only a partial string is required. Pressing the Alt-E key combination will activate the Twit file editor, allowing you to edit the entire twit tagline file. When Adding taglines and Stealing taglines, any tagline matching an existing Twit tagline will be ignored; and during Maintenance any tagline matching a Twit tagline will be deleted. Jump to Record - this option allows you to navigate longer distances within the tagline suggestions or database. You can Enter an explicit tagline record number to jump to (the size of the tagline database is displayed); pressing the PageUp key will jump to beginning of the tagline database, and pressing the PageDown key will jump to the end of the tagline database. Pressing the Escape key will abort and return to the same location. Modify Configuration - this option allows you to make changes to the default configuration settings, any changes that you make will take effect immediately. QWK/FIDO Toggle - this option allows you to control the tagline style that will be used for the current message. TLX has the capability to automatically Guess what style to use, respecting the different EMail network environments. Using the QWK style places the tagline below the tear bar, and using the FIDO style causes the tagline to be above the reader signature and the tear bar. The reader signature prefix and suffix are also altered, using a ■ for QWK messages and a * for FIDO messages. Note that choosing a tagline that is longer than 57 characters will automatically force FIDO style, since the tagline would be too long to fit in the allocated space. Disclaimer ~~~~~~~~~~ Tag Line Xpress (TLX) is Copyright (C) 1992,1993,1994 R.Janorkar all rights are reserved. License is hereby granted for the free distribution of this program in its original unmodified archive form. Tag Line Xpress (TLX) has been released as true Shareware, with all features available for evaluation purposes. Tag Line Xpress is provided with NO warranties, expressed or implied. Use it at your own risk. The author of Tag Line Xpress (TLX) will NOT be liable for any damages, direct or indirect, arising from the ability or disability to use Tag Line Xpress (TLX). The use of Tag Line Xpress (TLX) on your computer system indicates your acceptance of these disclaimers. Thanks go to ... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The ßeta test team: Ron 'Q' Kulick, Harris 'Speedy' Lam, David 'The Man' Kaufman, Rick 'Trekky' Alvey, Tom 'Smurf' Murphy, Rick 'Mega' Burwell, Joe 'Wave' Eversole, Dane 'BABBLE' Beko, Joe '100' Sitko, Mufutau 'Field Marshal' Towobola, Karen '4C' Davis, Vern 'Earnest' Hall, Richard 'Robo' Hsiung, Edwin 'Multi' Million, Joe 'Rock' Johnson, John Stewart, Stuart Krivis, Frank 'Professor' Fitch, and Bob 'Utopia' Glasser for making his Fido site available, Marcus 'Modem' Byron for his invaluable help, the author of SLMR/OLX Greg Hewgill and MSI, the folks at the American Red Cross, the 250+ registered users of TLX! Copyright notices ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Off Line Xpress and Silly Little Mail Reader are copyrights of Mustang Software Inc; John Hancock is the copyright of Dan Moore and/or Silicon Frog; Speed Read is the copyright of J.E.Smith; Jabber is the copyright of Della & Muegge Enterprises; Deluxe² and 1st Reader are copyright of Mark Herring; MegaReader is the copyright of Kip Compton; PKZIP is the copyright of PKWare Inc.; Blue Wave is the copyright of George Hatchew; RoboMail is the copyright of Dan Parsons and/or Parsons Consulting; Silver Xpress is the copyright of Santronics and/or Hector Santos; and other products mentioned in this documentation may be copyrights of other software companies.