User's Guide
Main Topics
Introduction
Contents
Getting Started
Using Ding!
Advanced Features
Reference
Frequently Asked Questions
Release Notes
License
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Reference

In the previous sections, we've introduced you to Ding!, set you up with the basics, and brought up some of Ding!'s more advanced features. In this section, the menus and windows that make up Ding! are fully explained, as are a few items that might be helpful in your long-term use of Ding! Some of this will be familiar, but instead of focusing on accomplishing specific tasks, we're grouping this by the features and their appearance in the interface.

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Double-Click

We've provided shortcuts to frequently-accessed events through support for double-clicks. The following icons trigger the indicated events when you double-click them:

  • Peer Icon -- Send an instant message
  • Blinking Peer Icon -- View incoming events
  • Watcher Icon -- View information about the watcher
  • User Icon -- View information on yourself
  • Watcher Peer -- View information on that watcher
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The Toolbar

The buttons of the toolbar are, in order from left to right:

The following sections detail each of the buttons. Click on the name above to jump to the section.

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A quick right-click on your own user icon will bring up a shortcut to a few of the more common preferences you might wish to set.

 

List Functions

These menus are those which help you manage your Lists directly and use the basic functions within Ding! itself.

The following sections detail each of the buttons. Click on the name above to jump to the section.

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Memory time! Squish and minimize Ding! for memory-saver mode.

 

Squish Mode (Toolbar)

The squish option allows you to minimize the Ding! window so that only the Doing field is displayed. While in squish mode, you will be notified when you receive a Ding!. Additional messages or icons that arrive will replace your Doing field so you can quickly deal with them.

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View Display Menu (Toolbar)

Peer Mode

The peers mode displays the peers using different icons to signify whether someone is offline or online and if they are currently busy. The peer window is divided by those in your peer list and those not in your peer list.

Watcher Mode

When you switch to watcher mode, you can tell who is watching you (indicated by the yellow sunglass icon) and who is not (black sunglass icon). The watcher window is also divided into two lists: the watcher list and the denied watcher list.

Watcher List -- peers who have received your permission to watch you and have expressed an interest in your presence information. If you right-click on a peer icon in this list, you get a pop-up menu with the following options:

  • Add to Peers -- allows you to include the peer in your main peer list. You may add a peer and simultaneouly give them permission to see you by clicking on the 'allow' button.

  • Deny -- removes the peer's right to watch you. This will send the peer to the denied watchers list.

  • Delete -- removes the peer completely from your Watcher List.

  • Info -- displays a Viscard window for this peer.

Denied Watchers -- peers who have been denied watch permission. If you right-click on a denied peer icon, you get a pop-up menu with the following options:

  • Allow -- gives the peer the ablilty to watch you.

  • Delete -- removes the peer completely from your Denied Watchers List.

  • Info -- displays a Vizcard window for this peer.

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Use Ding! idle sensing in the Preferences to have Ding! close your door when your screen saver comes on.

 

Busy / Available (Toolbar)

An open door indicates that you are available to fellow peers; a closed door indicates that you are currently busy. If a fellow peer attempts to send you a Ding! while you are busy, they will get a message notifying them of your busy status and if they wish to continue. If they proceed, the message will be delivered as usual.

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Disconnect / Connect (Toolbar)

You may disconnect or reconnect yourself to the switchboard by clicking the icon. If you reconnect, you will be prompted for your login information once more.

If you choose "Save Password" during your initial login, Ding! will automatically connect without the login prompt. Back To Top

 

 

Ding! Menu (Toolbar)

The Ding! menu appears by left-clicking on the rectangular Ding! image on the upper, right-hand corner of your toolbar. In this menu, you will find various options that will help you find and use Ding!'s global functions.

The Ding! menu contains:

Add Peer

Allows you to add any Ding! user to your peer list

Search

With even partial user information such as an e-mail address, phone or organization, you can search for a person using one of several search systems.

Preferences

Accesses the preferences window. Detailed later on this page.

About Ding!/Registration

Brings up the 'About Ding!' window, which tells you the current version and allows you to enter your product registration key to register your copy of Ding!, if you are a commercial user. A valid registration key is needed for help desk and technical support. If you are a commercial user, and have no registration key, please contact Activerse.

Users' Guide

Views this document through your web browser.

Tell A Friend

This feature allows you to spread the word about Ding! to friends by sending an email from the Activerse site.

Change User

Allows for relogin using a different Ding! address and password.

Quit

Quits the application.

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User Menu (Toolbar)

The User Menu is accessible by right-clicking on your own icon next to your name. The menu presently includes:

Info

A click on the "Info" icon will display a window that contains the personal information that you currently display to others. You may edit your information here, and you may set your doing field as well.

 

 

'Peer List' Menu

You can access the Peer List menu by right-clicking on the words "Peer List" at the top of your list of friends. The pop-up menu lets you perform the following functions to your list:

Show Offline

"Show Offline" will toggle your peer list to display those peers who are offline as well as those currently online.

Show Doing

"Show Doing" will toggle your peer list to display the doing fields of your peers, or not, if you wish to conserve even more space.

Add Peer

"Add Peer" will allow you to add a new peer to your list. Functions identically to the "Add A Peer" feature in "Settings".

Sort by Name

"Sort by Name" allows reorganization of your Peer list alphabetically. The alphabetized list will not save at close.

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Peer Menu

Access the peer menu by right-clicking on a peer icon. The menu lets you direct the following actions at the peer you selected:

Message

This brings up the instant messaging window that, when completed, will send an instant message to the peer specified. This can also be accessed by double-clicking on a non-blinking peer icon.

Chat

This brings up a chat request window that, when completed, will initiate a chat session with the selected peer. If a current chat session is in progress this option will allow you to invite additional peers to the same session.

File

This brings up the file sending window, allowing you to send a file to the specified peer.

Delete

This removes the selected peer from your peer list.

Info

This brings up information on the selected peer, including the peer's full name, email address, WhoDP, online status, and availability status. The window also allows you to send Ding!s and display the history window.

History

This lets you view and manage the history file for the specified peer. This item has three options:

  • View -- pop-up the Event History Window to show past events from this peer. It also allows you to view entire messages or files that are too big to display in the window and an option to delete some of the histories.

  • Remove -- erases individual events for the peer.

  • Clear -- erases the entire event history for the peer. This option will ask for confirmation before it actually deletes the history events.

Retry

This option is only available for peers who are marked with a red X. The retry option allows you to retry a connection with a peer or switchboard and reattempt to subscribe to that peer.

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'Peer List' Temporary Menu

The Peer List Temporary Menu is accessible by right-clicking on the word "Temporary" when in Peer List View. There is one option in this menu:

Sort by Name

"Sort by Name" allows reorganization of your Peer list alphabetically. The alphabetized list will not save at close.

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Peer Icons

These are the icons used to indicate peer and user status.

  • A colored icon means that the peer is present and available.

  • A colored icon with a black bar means the peer is present, but busy at the moment.

  • A white icon means your peer is offline.

  • A white icon with a red X through it indicates that a direct connection with the peer is unavailable. Right click on the peer's menu to bring up the "Info" box, where detailed information on why the peer is unavailable.

  • A red X over grey arrows means the switchboard is unavailable either due to network difficulties or the switchboard is non-existent.

  • A white peg with a black X indicates that peer has denied you permission to watch them.

  • Grey facing arrows asks you to wait while the peer's information is currently being obtained and displayed.

  • A question mark indicates that the state of the peer is unknown at this time.

  • A white arrow upon a black background means that a peer has moved to another switchboard.

  • A white question mark upon a black background means that a peer's WhoDP is invalid.

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'Watcher List' Menu

The 'Watcher List' Menu is accessible by right-clicking on the words "Watcher List" while in Watcher View. There is one option in this menu:

Sort by Name

"Sort by Name" allows reorganization of your Peer list alphabetically. The alphabetized list will not save at close.

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Watcher Menu

The Watcher Menu is accessible by right-clicking on watching peer while in Watcher View. There are four options for this menu:

Add to Peers

This adds the selected peer to your regular peer list.

Deny

This denies a watcher from continuing to watch your presence and moves them to the 'Denied Watchers' List.

Delete

This removes the selected watcher from your watcher list.

Info

This brings up information on the selected peer, including the peer's full name, email address, WhoDP, online status, and availability status.

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'Denied Watchers' Menu

The 'Denied Watchers' Menu is accessible by right-clicking on the word "Denied Watchers" when in Watcher List View. There is one option this menu:

Sort by Name

"Sort by Name" allows reorganization of your Peer list alphabetically. The alphabetized list will not save at close.

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Watcher Icons

These are the icons used to indicate watcher status.

  • Yellow glasses mean the watcher is currently online and has you on their list.

  • Dark glasses mean the watcher is not currently online, but you are on their list.

  • Glasses with a circled slash indicate that peer is currently denied to watch you.

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Preferences

The Ding! preference window allows you to view and change information that affects the appearance and behavior of the peer list, watcher views in the peer window, and the history sub-application. The window is a tabbed notebook view that allows you to select from several option categories.

General Tab
Allows you to set the basic look of your client.
  • Display Offline Peers -- toggles display of offline peers.
    Default: [no]

  • Doing Field Display -- defines the method used to display the peers' Doing fields. You can check the box to turn doing fields on or off.

  • Notify me when someone new wants to watch me -- sends you a message indicating that a new peer is watching you.
    Default: [yes]

  • Approve new watchers by default -- toggles whether new watchers are automatically approved.
    Default: [yes]

  • Sense when user is idle -- after a preset time of inactivity, Ding! changes the user state automatically.
    Default: [yes]

  • Idle sensor busy time out - your status will changed to available after [x] number of seconds.
    Default: [0]

  • Idle sensor offline timeout -- Ding! will disconnect after [x] seconds of inactivity.
    Default: [900]

  • Sounds on -- Ding! sound effects will play if on.
    Default: [yes]

  • Sounds scheme -- Select from options of the Ding! sound effects available in your sounds folder.
    Default: [default]

History Tab

InBox -- These options effect the display and behavior of the inbox list in the history view window.

  • Keep IMs -- toggles whether to retain instant messages that have been read in the history buffer
    Default: [yes]

  • Keep Chat Requests -- toggles whether to retain chat requests
    Default: [no]

  • Keep Files -- toggles whether to retain received files
    Default: [no]

OutBox -- These options effect the display and behavior of the outbox list in the history view window.

  • Keep IMs -- toggles whether to retain instant messages that have been read in the history buffer
    Default: [yes]

  • Keep Chat Requests -- toggles whether to retain chat requests
    Default: [no]

  • Keep Files -- toggles whether to retain received files
    Default: [no]

Text Tab

These options allow the user to change colors and fonts for some of the text elements of the display. Clicking on the color square will bring up a palette to change your default colors; clicking on the text bar launches a font chooser to change your text appearance.

Online peers

  • Color -- color used to display the names of online peers
    Default: [blue]

  • Font -- font used to display the names of online peers
    Default: [TimesRoman, 12pt, bold]

Busy peers

  • Color -- color used to display the names of the busy peers
    Default: [black]

  • Font -- font used to display the names of busy peers
    Default: [TimesRoman, 12pt, bold]

Offline peers

  • Color -- color used to display the names of offline peers
    Default: [white]

  • Font -- font used to display the names of offline peers
    Default: [TimesRoman, 12pt, bold]

Doing fields

  • Color -- color used to display all the Doing fields
    Default: [black]

  • Font -- font used to display the Doing fields
    Default: [TimesRoman, 12pt, italic]

Directory Tab
Sets the defaults for determining Ding!'s LDAP Search feature.
  • Directory service -- the directory used for Ding! searches
    Default: [Ding! Peer Finder]

  • Enabled -- it is turned on
    Default: [yes]

  • Service name -- lists the current directory

  • Host -- the working host
    Default: [ldap.activerse.com]

  • Port -- the port number used
    Default: [389]

  • Search base string -- the default locations to begin searches
    Default: [null]

The Buttons

There are three buttons located at the bottom of the Preferences window:

  • OK -- saves the changes and activate them after the window has been closed

  • Cancel -- closes the window without saving any of the changes

  • Apply -- activates the settings

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Ding! also supports unicode for special characters!

 

Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts are implemented for functionality without a mouse. The current set are for Instant Message (IM) use only.

  • ^S -- sends an IM.

  • ESC -- cancels an IM.

  • ^R -- replies to an open IM.

  • ^A -- selects an IM buffer.

  • ^X -- cuts text in an IM.

  • ^C -- copies text in an IM.

  • ^V -- pastes text in an IM.

  • ^INSERT -- pastes text in an IM.

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© 1997 by Activerse Inc. All rights reserved.
Last updated on Thursday, January 15, 1998

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