Computer Life 1995 December/Computer Life December 1995.iso/tapcis/writing.doc

Text File | 1995-08-13 | 40KB | 928 lines

========================================================================

                                                               CHAPTER 6

                                                       Writing & Editing





========================================================================

Online communication is meant to be a two-way street. While you can take
advantage of the immense resources available through forums by reading
the messages posted by others, it is when you become a participant in
the exchange that you get the most out of the time and money you invest
online. TAPCIS makes participating in forums easy.

You can write private messages, too. CompuServe Mail lets you develop
relationships outside the public arena. With links to virtually all
other public mail systems around the world, your CompuServe account can
be used to reach millions of people... or just your closest friends and
family.

See also:
   Sending Files via CompuServe Mail--6-7
   Mailing Lists--6-8
   Addressing--6-3
   Addressing to Your CompuServe User ID--6-9
   Address Book--6-7
   Writing Replies & Forwarding--6-10
   Editor Hotkeys--6-11
   Quoting--6-14
   Frequently Asked Questions--6-15






















                                                 Writing & Editing   6-1

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Writing Messages

When you write a message, you are composing text to be transmitted to
CompuServe. You address a message by filling out an "envelope." The
*envelope* is the name we've given to the screen that asks you to whom
the message is addressed, its subject, where it is to be posted (MAIL,
or a forum name and section), and gives you some options regarding its
delivery. You'll see "Send Message: Envelope" in the upper left of that
dialog.

The message is written using an "editor." The "internal editor" is the
one built into TAPCIS and is the one you will likely use most often.
TAPCIS supports up to two "external editors," which can be text editors
(such as QEdit) or word processors (such as WordPerfect) that you can
set up if you'd prefer to use something else.

The steps for writing a message are: choose a Write option (such as
[W]), address the envelope, compose the message using the editor
([Edit]), return to the envelope, [Release] the message, and go online
to post it (along with any others that have been released) with
Connect | Online [O]. (Note: Connect | New and several of the other
connect options will also process and post outgoing messages.)

You also have the option to hold messages for re-editing later. Only
released messages will be posted online; held ones stay in your Out box
until you release or delete them. Re-editing is as easy as placing the
cursor on the message in the Out box and pressing [Enter], or using
Write | Re-edit.

Write | Write new                                      [W] or [Alt+W][W]

   Write a new message that is unrelated to any message that may be on
   the screen at the time. You fill in the address, subject, and
   destination (forum/section) information.

Write | Re-edit                                   [Ctrl+E] or [Alt+W][E]
Write | Resume                                    [Ctrl+W] or [Alt+W][S]

   These functions let you return to editing a message you have
   previously composed. Re-edit displays a list of the files that are in
   your Out box, either waiting to be sent or on hold. Pick the one you
   want to edit from the list and press [Enter]. TAPCIS will show you
   the envelope of the message where you can change the to, subject,
   send options, [Edit], [Release], [Hold], etc.

   Resume immediately goes into the editor to the last message on which
   you were working. Press [F7] to exit the editor when you have
   finished making changes to the text. You can then change any of the
   envelope fields and options before you [Release], [Hold], or
   [Discard] the message.





6-2   Writing & Editing

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Addressing a Message


                                                Envelope for
                                                addressing a
                                                message.

                                                Shows a public
                                                forum message
                                                directed to the
                                                TAPCIS Forum,
                                                section 14
                                                called "Looking
                                                for...".

                                                Below the
                                                dialog, notice
                                                the message
                                                along with two


To: Field ---

The To: field should contain a valid address. Valid addresses vary
depending on whether the destination is a forum or CompuServe MAIL.

If the destination is a forum and not MAIL, you can address the message
to:

   Everyone, by using the name "All".
   A specific name and UserID, such as "Rick Wilkes 76701,23".
   A sysop on the forum, using "Sysop".
   The primary sysop, as a private message, using "*SYSOP".

It is best to use  All  or a specific person as the address for forum
messages. Most public forums discourage using the  Sysop  address unless
the question concerns forum operations. Messages to *SYSOP (the * at the
front makes the difference) are private, and can only be read by the
primary sysops of the forum, perhaps only by one sysop. Never ask
technical questions of *SYSOP; this address should only be used for
confidential communications to the operator of the forum.

If you are writing a message via CompuServe Mail  and have Forum: MAIL
as the destination, you can address messages to:











                                                 Writing & Editing   6-3

Address         Example

CompuServe:     Support Group Inc. 74020,10
Mailing list:   =mailistname
                { See "Mailing lists" }
Internet:       INTERNET: [e-mail]
America Online: INTERNET: [e-mail]
Prodigy:        INTERNET: [e-mail]
Fax:            Joe U.S.A. User >FAX: [phone]
                Joe International User >FAX: [phone]
MHS:            MHS: support@tapcis
X.400:          X400:(c=COUNTRY; a=ADMD; p=PRMD; s=SURNAME;
                g=GIVENNAME; d=ID:unique ID)
                { Address must be on one line; ()'s are required }
POSTAL:         >POSTAL
TELEX:          >TLX: 1234567

Tip: one way to find someone's address is to have them send you a
message. Then just save their address in your address book using Other |
Address.

Special To: Field Send Options ---

If you want to send a message "return receipt," you can put /R after the
address. This is used when you want to request a receipt from some
addresses but not others. If you want to get a receipt from all
addresses, use the "Mail + Receipt" option on the envelope.

If you put /V after an address, the charge for mailing the message or
file will be "reversed" and paid for by the recipient if that person
chooses to read the message. Use /S if you want to split the charge for
the message between the sender and recipient.

A couple of points about reverse and split charges: 1) It never makes
sense to use these if you are on the alternate payment plan; you're just
adding to the cost since you'll still be charged for the time it takes
to send it, and normally, your recipient would receive it for free under
the standard plan. 2) It is considered extremely poor etiquette to split
or reverse charges on a message to someone who is not expecting it.

Special Keys in To: Field ---

Type in a partial name and press [F2] to search the address book. See
"Address Book Look-up" for more information. Press [Sh+F2] and TAPCIS
will search the current message and present you with a list of valid
To/From addresses found in it, including ones in forwarded messages. (It
won't pick up addresses in the middle of lines, just those that begin
with To: or Fm:.)

In MAIL you can send message to multiple addresses by pressing [F4] from
the To: field. You can go to address book maintenance by using [F3].





6-4   Writing & Editing

Subject: Field ---

Choose the subject of your message with care. It helps other members if
your public forum messages have descriptive titles. For example, "Help"
is less informative than "Supra 14400 Modem Ques." Those who are
scanning headers have only the subject to use to decide whether to read
your message. The more descriptive the subject, the more likely you are
to get the help you need.

Forum: and Section: Fields ---

You can compose a message to any forum you have defined, not just those
in the active set. From this field, start typing the name of the forum,
or use [F2] to show a list, or use the [Right]/[Left] arrows to scroll
through the choices.

In the section field, you can type the section number directly, or use
the [F2] pop-up list or arrow keys. If the section number does not have
a description with it, you may not have access to that section. If that
is the case, CompuServe will reject the message online, and it will be
returned to your Out box with an "E" (error) status code. You can press
[Enter] on that item and change the section number if that happens.

Be sure to choose the section number carefully. Only use a "general"
section if there is not another one that is more suited to your message.
For example, in the TAPCIS Forum, we have a general Section 1 called
TAPCIS Q & A. You can use that section for just about any question. But
if you are reporting a problem, it is better to use Section 4/Problem
reports. Modem questions belong in Section 3/Modems/Hardware/Operating
Systems. Use [F2] to see which is the best section.

Remember: some options, such as attaching a file, are only available for
CompuServe MAIL. If TAPCIS won't let you access a field, it means that
the field doesn't apply for the current forum field selection.

Edit, Release, Hold, and Discard Buttons ---

The buttons at the bottom of the send message envelope are used to:

   [Edit]: Edit or re-edit the current message using the internal editor
      (or optionally an external editor). If you re-edit, you are given
      the opportunity (via a Yes/No screen) to confirm the changes
      before they are made permanent when you exit the editor.

   [Release]: Tells TAPCIS to post the message the next time online.

   [Hold]: Holds this message until it is released, either by the
      [Release] button or from the Out box using Action | Hold to toggle
      off the "H" that will appear next to the message. Use this when
      you want to make certain a message is not posted until you (later)
      released it.

   [Discard]: Discards the current message. It will not be sent.
      However, you can recover the discarded message if you use Write |
      Resume prior to composing any other message.

                                                 Writing & Editing   6-5

   [Cancel]: Is only available if the message has not been edited. Once
      it has been edited, [Cancel] changes to [Discard]. Once there is
      message text, [Esc] will not let you exit the dialog. You will
      need to choose one of the buttons.

Public, Private, Mail, +Receipt ---

These options are mutually exclusive. You can pick only one delivery
option for a message, and the choice depends on whether the message is
being delivered via MAIL or via a forum.

Mail options ---

   Mail: deliver the message and/or file as a normal mail message.

   Mail + receipt: deliver the message via MAIL and request a return
      receipt when the addressee downloads the message from CompuServe.
      Return receipts do not make sense for messages sent to FAX (you
      get one automatically at no extra charge) or the Internet (where
      return receipts are not supported). There is an extra $0.15 charge
      for each return receipt requested.

Forum options ---

   Public: Post as a public message, readable by all forum members. This
      is the default option. (Note: a "public" message to *SYSOP can
      still only be read by the primary sysops on the forum).

   Private: Post as a private message, readable ONLY by the recipient
      who has the user ID you list in the To: field. Private messages
      must be addressed to a specific user ID. Not all forums support
      private messages (the TAPCIS Forum does not). If TAPCIS discovers
      this when it tries to post the message, it will send the private
      message via MAIL instead.

   Mail: Tell CompuServe to deliver the message to the person's
      CompuServe MAIL box rather than in the forum. TAPCIS will post the
      message from the forum, however, so you cannot use Internet and
      other mail-only addresses. For those addresses (and for attached
      files and return receipts), change the Forum: field to MAIL.

Keep Format ---

CompuServe supports computers with different screen widths. To do this,
it reformats forum messages. It will reformat any line that it thinks is
part of a paragraph. This works fine except when you are posting lists
and columnar data.

You can keep text from being reformatted by putting a period or a space
at the beginning of each line of the text. This is the proper technique
to use if you have just a couple of lines that would not appear properly
when reformatted, such as a return address. Indent it a few spaces for
each line, and CompuServe will leave it alone.



6-6   Writing & Editing

Sometimes, you want to force the format to stay the same. We call this
"Keep format" in TAPCIS 6.0. CompuServe and TAPCIS 5.x calls this
"unformatted."

TAPCIS does look at forum messages you compose to see if it thinks they
need to be posted with "Keep format" on. If your text has two or more
consecutive lines that are less than 50 characters long and that don't
begin with a period or space, TAPCIS will automatically check the Keep
format box. This won't save you every time, though, especially if you
are posting tables that extend past column 50. It is the best TAPCIS can
do, however,  without making "keep format" the default option (something
that would be contrary to proper forum etiquette).

MAIL messages are not reformatted by CompuServe so "keep format" is
always checked and cannot be changed for Forum: MAIL.


------------------------------------------------------------------------
Address Book Look-up

To look-up an address in the address book, you can enter a name in the
To: field and either press [Tab] or [F2]. TAPCIS will scan the address
book (that you create using Other | Address or the [F3] Maintenance
function from the To: field).

The easiest way to use the address book is to create unique "aliases"
for the names you use most often. You do this by putting a name in
parentheses in the comments. For example, if the address "Richard Wilkes
76701,23" had "(Rick) TAPCIS Publisher" in the comments, typing "Rick"
in the To: field and pressing [Tab] or [F2] would find an exact alias
match and replace the name "Rick" with "Richard Wilkes 76701,23".

Another way is to enter a text string that you believe is found in the
address you seek. For example, entering "TAPCIS" in the To: field and
pressing [F2] would search the address book for anyone with TAPCIS as
part of the name or comments. The matches are put in a list; you pick
the one you want from the list and press [Enter]. TAPCIS limits the
number of matches it displays (due to memory limits). If there are more
matches than can fit into the picklist, you will need to enter more
precise text to match.

TAPCIS keeps its address book in the file USERID.CIS. You must add to it
manually. Do this when you are reading messages and want to save a
person's address for future correspondence, using the Other | Address
function. Or, when you write to a person, press [F3] in the To: field to
go to address maintenance where you can use the [Add] button.


------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sending Files via Mail

Binary files can be sent to other CompuServe and MHS addresses via
CompuServe Mail; ASCII files can be sent to all addresses, including the
Internet (which cannot accept binary file attachments at this time). To
do this, fill in the name and path, if necessary  of an existing file in

                                                 Writing & Editing   6-7

the Attach file: field of the send message envelope. For ASCII files you
want to have received as a message, put a slash  "A" (/A) after the
filename (required for the Internet).

If you only want to send the file, you should use [Alt+R] to [Release]
the file for delivery. If you want to include an announcement message,
use [Edit]. TAPCIS adds to the announcement text "Attached file to
follow:" and the name of the file (without drive or path information).
You can delete this line if you'd like.

TAPCIS sends the announcement message first, followed by the file. The
subject for the file is the subject you put in the envelope plus "--
FILENAME.EXT." Therefore, you should keep the subject fairly short and
not attach a file with an embarrassing or confidential filename without
renaming it first.


------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mailing Lists

Mailing lists are a collection of addresses for CompuServe MAIL
messages. You specify a mailing list by putting an equals sign [=] in
front of the mailing list name. For example:

   To: =MYLIST

You can edit a mailing list using the Other | Mailing list command, or
you can create a list by saving a list of multiple addresses (Write a
MAIL message, press [F4] from the To: field, enter the list, and then
use [Save as]).

There is no limit on the size of a mailing list. We have used them to
send to well over 10,000 addresses at one time. We do recommend, if you
are going to be mass mailing, that you have the permission of those who
are going be receiving your message(s). It is against CompuServe rules
to send unsolicited mass mail, especially of a promotional or
advertising nature.  Also keep in mind that under the Standard Billing
Plan, each address is considered to be a separate message.

The mailing lists are by default stored in the Addresses directory in
files with the extension .ML. However, any file can be used as a mailing
list and specified in the To: field. For example:

   To: =C:\DATABASE\ADDRESS\MYLIST.TXT

is a valid specification of a mailing list. Make sure the file has one
valid address per line. If there are any comments as part of the
address, they must come at the end with a [space] and a vertical bar [|
] before them. It is very easy to generate mailing lists out of
databases and other third party programs.

Mailing lists can be nested, meaning you can have mailing list names as
part of a mailing list. When TAPCIS encounters a list name (which starts
with an equals sign), it processes that list and then returns to where
it left off in the original list.

6-8   Writing & Editing

TAPCIS does not attempt to eliminate duplicates from mailing lists.

When the sending of a message to a mailing list is interrupted part way,
TAPCIS creates a temporary mailing list containing the unsent addresses.
The message is returned to the Out box with an Incomplete (I) status
flag. Go online again and the message will be sent to the remaining
addresses on the list without duplication.


------------------------------------------------------------------------
Receiving Mail from Outside of CompuServe

CompuServe is linked to many other electronic mail services, so you are
reachable by electronic mail even by those without a CompuServe account.
In the following examples, we'll use 77777,1234 as the CompuServe
account number. You should replace those numbers with your own UserID
when giving your address to others.

   Internet: The easiest and most common way to list your electronic
      address is to give your Internet address, which is your UserID
      with the comma replaced by a period, followed by @compuserve.com:
       [e-mail]

   MHS: Novell's message handling service, which is used like the
      Internet to exchange messages with people around the world.
      CompuServe has its own MHS "hub." A local mail system with a
      gateway to CompuServe can reach you at:  MAIL@CSERVE {77777.1234}

   X.400: Give people the codes: c=US, a=CompuServe, p=CSMAIL,
      d=ID:77777.1234, and they should be able to follow their X.400
      addressing instructions to reach you.

   TELEX: Telex to 3762848 COMPUSERVE with TO: 77777,1234 as the first
      non-blank line of the message.

   FAX: You cannot receive faxes via your CompuServe MAIL box.




















                                                 Writing & Editing   6-9

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Writing Replies & Forwarding

When you are reading forum or mail messages, you can send a response to
the current message using one of these commands. Using the Forward
command, you can send a copy of the current or selected items to another
person.


                                                A reply is
                                                being composed
                                                to an incoming
                                                Mail message.

                                                When done
                                                editing, press
                                                [F7] to return
                                                to the send
                                                message dialog
                                                (envelope).

                                                Use [F5] and
                                                [F6] to scroll
                                                the reply in
                                                the upper


Write | Reply                                          [R] or [Alt+W][R]

   Reply to the current message. TAPCIS automatically picks up the
   envelope information (To, Subject, Forum/Section). Compose your reply
   using the editor. The message to which you are replying will be in
   the upper window; you can scroll it using [F5]/[F6].

   When you are finished, press [F7]. You can change any of the envelope
   information before you [Release] the message.

Write | Use from                                       [U] or [Alt+W][U]

   Creates a new message to the person who wrote the message you are
   currently reading (the "from" address). This is typically used to
   create a new thread when your reply is going to go too far off the
   current subject.

   TAPCIS picks up the current information from the message and presents
   it in the envelope. Be sure to change the subject if that was your
   intent.

Write | Use to                                         [T] or [Alt+W][T]

   This is like the "Use from" option, but it shows you a picklist of
   addresses from the current message that includes the "To:" address as
   well as the "From:" address. This command is clever; it also picks up
   any addresses from embedded forwarded messages and offers those to


6-10   Writing & Editing

   you, as well (the same list that is normally available by pressing
   [Sh+F2] in the To: field).

Write | Change                                         [C] or [Alt+W][C]

   This behaves identically to Write | Use from. It is here for
   keystroke and command compatibility with prior versions of TAPCIS.

Write | Forward                                        [O] or [Alt+W][O]

   Forward the current or selected item(s) to another address. TAPCIS
   indents the header of messages with one space to keep them from being
   reformatted by CompuServe or being interpreted as separate messages
   by other TAPCIS users.


------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Editor

The TAPCIS editor is designed for composing short messages for posting
on CompuServe. Type as you would in a word processor, pressing [Enter]
only at the end of paragraphs. Use the arrow keys to move through the
document. Edit by typing in new text, and using the [Backspace] key to
correct mistakes. [Del] will delete the character under the cursor.

When you have completed your editing, press [F7]. If you are editing a
message, [F7] will return to the envelope. [Release] the message so it
will be sent the next time you are online.

If you are replying to a message shown in the upper window, you can use
[F5] and [F6] to scroll the message to which you are replying.

The editor has a variety of commands available, to navigate through the
document, block copy/move/delete, save, search, and import. For many
commands, alternate keystrokes are also available. Pick the keystrokes
with which you are most comfortable, using the table below as a guide:

Editor Keystroke Commands ---

Function                      Keystroke(s)         Alternate

Help - Editor Keys            F1
Exit                          F7                   Alt+X or F10
Print & Exit                  Sh+F7
Discard message               Alt+D
Hold message                  Alt+H
Release message               Alt+R

Character Left                Left                 Ctrl+S
Character Right               Right                Ctrl+D
Word Next                     Ctrl+Right           Ctrl+F
Word Previous                 Ctrl+Left            Ctrl+A
Line Up                       Up                   Ctrl+E
Line Down                     Down                 Ctrl+X
Line Beginning                Home                 Ctrl+Q S

                                                Writing & Editing   6-11

Line End                      End                  Ctrl+Q D
Screen Up                     PgUp                 Ctrl+R
Screen Down                   PgDn                 Ctrl+C
Screen Top (of doc)           Ctrl+PgUp            Ctrl+Q R
Screen Bottom (of doc)        Ctrl+PgDn            Ctrl+Q C
Window Top                                         Ctrl+Q E
Window Bottom                                      Ctrl+Q X

Delete Line                   Ctrl+Y               Ctrl+Y
Delete to End of Line         Ctrl+End             Ctrl+Q Y
Delete Word                   Ctrl+BS              Ctrl+T
Delete Character              Delete               Ctrl+G
Delete Left                   Backspace            Ctrl+H
Tab                           Tab                  Ctrl+I
Back Tab                      Sh+Tab
Insert Line                   Enter                Ctrl+N
Toggle Insert/Replace Mode    Insert               Ctrl+V
Reformat                      Ctrl+F3              Ctrl+B

Block Beginning               F4 or Alt+F4         Ctrl+K B
Block End                     Sh+F4                Ctrl+K K
Block Word                    Ctrl+F4              Ctrl+K T
Block Beginning of Line       Alt+F6
Block End of Line             Sh+F6
Block Copy                    Sh+F8                Ctrl+K C
Block Move                    Ctrl+F8              Ctrl+K V
Block Delete                  Sh+Del               Ctrl+K Y
Block off (hide)              F4                   Ctrl+K H
Blocking using arrows         Hold [Shift] and use arrow keys,
                              [Home], [End], [PgUp], and [PgDn]

When replying to a message, the message to which you are replying is
shown in the upper window. Use these four keys to scroll that region of
the screen:

Top window Screen Down        F6
Top window Screen Up          F5
Top windows Line Down         Ctrl+F6
Top window Line Up            Ctrl+F5

Save                          Alt+S                Ctrl+K S
Save As                       Alt+A                Ctrl+K X
Search                        F2                   Ctrl+Q F
Search Next                   Ctrl+F2              Ctrl+L
Import file                   F9                   Alt+I or Ctrl+K R
Import current or
  selected item(s)            Sh+F9
Clip from a file              Ctrl+F9
Clip from selected msgs       Alt+F9
Macro recording               Ctrl+F10
Macro playback                Alt+F10              Alt+M
Spell check (TAPSPELL.BAT)    Alt+K
   * Spell checking requires installation of TAPSPELL.ZIP from the
   registered users library 9 of the TAPCIS Forum, or another ASCII
   spelling checker that interfaces with TAPCIS using TAPSPELL.BAT.

6-12   Writing & Editing

Formatting for CompuServe ---

Forum messages are normally reformatted by CompuServe for the reader's
terminal width. This can interfere with column alignment, addresses,
etc. You can avoid this reformatting in two ways. You can check the [X]
Keep format box in the envelope dialog, or put a space at the beginning
of lines you don't want to reformat, with blank lines above and below.
Here are some examples:

Rick Wilkes             ends up as...   Rick Wilkes Publisher
Publisher

[Space]Rick Wilkes      ends up as...    Rick Wilkes
[Space]Publisher                         Publisher

You can use a period instead of the space as well, so long as you use
the period on the first line of the paragraph as well.. The period will
not be shown by CompuServe, as long as the message is not posted with
the [_] Keep format box checked on the envelope. In MAIL the lines are
not reformatted, so you don't need to worry about these reformatting
techniques for MAIL messages..

Reformatting ---

The editor reformats as you insert. If you delete characters, you may
need to reformat the paragraph using [Ctrl+B] before releasing.

Importing ---

Import file                              [F9] or [Alt+I] or [Ctrl+K] [R]
Import current or selected items                                 [Sh+F9]

   Import file lets you retrieve an ASCII text file into the editor
   where it can be edited and revised as part of a message. You can
   specify the full path for the file, or if you have saved file names
   and descriptions as part of IMPORT.TAP, you can look up and select
   from that list.

   You can also import the current message or library description into
   the editor using [Sh+F9]. If you selected items prior to entering the
   editor, [Sh+F9] will import those items instead of the current item.

Clipping ---

The clipping feature lets you take text snippets from other sources and
paste them into the editor. From the editor you use one of these
commands to start the clipping:

Clip from selected msgs                                         [Alt+F9]

This takes the current or selected items and puts them into the clipping
buffer. You block what you want to copy to the editor and then press
[Enter].



                                                Writing & Editing   6-13

Clip from a file                                               [Ctrl+F9]

This command brings up a dialog where you can select the file from which
you want to clip. The file is then loaded into the clipping buffer.
Block what you want to paste into the editor, and press [Enter].

   From this dialog you can specify a specific filename or a name with
   wildcards. You can pick either FOLDERS.TAP (a list of saved message
   folders) or IMPORT.TAP (a list of files you have recorded for
   importing into the editor). You can also press one of the Quick pick
   buttons: [Quote] for quick quoting of the current or selected
   messages (same as [Sh+F9] above), [forum.msG] for the current forum
   message file, [forum.caT] for the file of library descriptions,
   [forum.saV] for the current forum .SAV folder, or [Userid.cis] for
   the TAPCIS Address Book.

   Once you are in the clipping buffer, you can use the normal block
   commands shown below or the mouse to highlight the text you want to
   clip. You can use [F2] to search the text to find a starting point in
   a long file. Press [Enter] to paste the block to the editor. Use [F7]
   to exit.

Function                      Keystroke(s)         Alternate

Exit the clipping buffer      [F7]
Paste blocked text            [Enter]
Search                        F2                   Ctrl+Q F
Search Next                   Ctrl+F2              N
Block Beginning               F4 or Alt+F4         Ctrl+K B
Block End                     Sh+F4                Ctrl+K K
Block Word                    Ctrl+F4              Ctrl+K T
Block Beginning of Line       Alt+F6
Block End of Line             Sh+F6
Block off (hide)              F4                   Ctrl+K H
Blocking using arrows         Hold [Shift] and use arrow keys,
                              [Home], [End], [PgUp], and [PgDn]

Quoting ---

Quoting is the process of including as part of a reply an exact quote of
what was written in a prior message. The quote is often offset from the
text of the reply using greater-than signs, as in:

   >> TAPCIS 6.0 is an AMAZING product. I cannot imagine using
   >> CompuServe without it. I can't believe how much time and money
   >> I'm saving. And the message management tools are terrific!

   I couldn't agree more!

I do not encourage quoting (except for glowing reviews such as this
quote <grin>). I believe that with the proper message management tools
(which TAPCIS provides), quoting is seldom necessary. On the Internet
and on BBS systems, quoting is often needed because a message is not
linked back to the original message. On CompuServe, this is not the
case; messages are threaded.

6-14   Writing & Editing

If you do choose to quote, keep in mind that for every person who
appreciates the quotes there is another that is offended by having to
read and pay for the same words again. So keep the quote short,
especially in relation to the information you add. And there are some,
like me, where quoted text induces a form of dyslexia, making message
exchanges containing quotes very difficult for us to follow.

How To Quote ---

   Clip from the current message: Press [Alt+F9] to go to the clipping
      screen. Use the mouse or the Sh+Arrow keys to highlight the text
      you want to quote. Press [Enter] to do the clip. Clip any other
      text you also want to quote in the same way. Press [Esc] or [F7]
      to return to the editor. Remove any extraneous text using the
      editor keys. You can use [Ctrl+F9] to clip from another file.

   Import the whole message: Use [Sh+F9] to import the whole message to
      which you are replying. Then, remove the header information and
      the extra lines. It is bad form to quote more than you are adding,
      so be sure to delete as much as possible before adding your
      comments. You can use [F9] to import a different file.

   Macro to offset quoted text: Create a macro using [Ctrl+F10] that
      does the keystrokes [Home]. [Space], [>], [>], [Space], [Down],
      [Home]. Next, press [Ctrl+F10] and assign the macro to one of the
      number keys (we use 9). Then, once you have clipped text and
      deleted extra lines, put the cursor on the first line of the quote
      and press [Alt+9] repeatedly until the quote is indented.

Splitting Long Messages ---

CompuServe forums have a limit of 10,000 characters per message (roughly
128 full lines in the editor). If you need to post a single message
longer than that, you can break it up into multiple messages yourself,
or you can put /split on a line by itself in the middle of the message
in one or more places, and then keep typing without starting a new
message. Split messages are posted as one original message with the
additional parts posted as replies to each other. This keeps the text
together as one branch of the thread.


------------------------------------------------------------------------
Frequently Asked Questions

*** How do I keep a message I've written from being delivered?

Use the [Hold] button from the send message dialog rather than
[Release]. You can also go to the Out box with [Ctrl+O] from the main
menu, position to the message you want to hold, and use Action | Hold
[H]. When you are ready to re-edit the message, press [Enter] on the
message from the Out box or use Write | Re-edit and pick it from a list
while reading messages. You can also use Action | Hold again from the
Out box to change the H status back to release (no status flag showing
in Out box). If you want to delete the message, use [Del] on the item
from the Out box.

                                                Writing & Editing   6-15

*** The downloaded copy of a message I wrote on the forum had all the
formatting changed. How do I keep that from happening?

Check the "Keep format" box on the send message dialog (envelope). That
tells TAPCIS to instruct CompuServe to preserve the formatting. Use this
when posting program fragments, columnar data and reports, but not when
writing normal messages that consist of paragraphs CompuServe should
reformat according to the recipient's line width settings.

*** How do I reformat text after deleting characters from the middle of
the line?

The editor automatically reformats when you insert text, but it doesn't
do so when you delete text because that can disturb the formatting of
tables. Instead, you must use [Ctrl+B] to reformat the current paragraph
from the current line down.

*** Can I recover a message I discarded accidentally?

Yes. Use Write | Resume [Ctrl+W] immediately and the text will be
recovered. If you write another message or start a reply, you will lose
the text. The most recent discarded text is saved in LASTEDIT.000 in the
SEND\ subdirectory.

*** What is the size limit on messages and files?

A forum message has a 10,000 character limit. Use the /split command in
the editor if you need to send more information than that. In MAIL the
limit is 2 megabytes, more than enough for even the most verbose jabber
jaws. The 2MB limit also applies to ASCII or binary files attached to a
MAIL message.

*** After releasing a message I realize that I want to make a change to
it. Is there an easy way to resume editing that message?

You can use Write | Resume by pressing [Ctrl+W] to resume editing the
last message you were working on, even if you discarded it. Also,
Write | Re-edit [Ctrl+E] will show you a list of messages that you can
pick for re-editing where you can change the text as well as the
envelope information (to, forum, section, and send options).
















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