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MR/2 - A QWK Compatible Mail Reader for OS/2 User's Manual Introduction ============ MR/2 is an offline mail reader for use with QWK compatible mail packets. It is a native OS/2 character-mode reader written in C++, using Zortech's 3.0 release. Simple help screens are available at any time by depressing F1. If you find a spot where HELP is unavailable, please report this to the author. The package was initially tested under OS/2 1.3, however, most later development and testing was performed using 2.0 beta versions 6.149, 6.167F and 6.177H (LA). This IS a shareware package, and does require a registration fee if you choose to continue using it after 30 days. The registration fee is currently $20. When you register, you will be sent an indifvidually serialized MR2.ID file. This file is placed in the MR/2 home directory, and the "NR" markings are removed from the taglines of subsequent replies. Optionally, your serial number can be included in each tagline. The more interest (read: registered users) I get, the more likely I am to continue with improvements. ---------------------------------------------------------------- IMPORTANT: READ THE READ.ME FILE FOR NEW FEATURES AND BUG FIXES ---------------------------------------------------------------- DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY ====================== THIS SOFTWARE AND MANUAL ARE DISTRIBUTED AND SOLD "AS IS" AND WITHOUT WARRANTIES AS TO PERFORMANCE OF MERCHANTABILITY OR ANY OTHER WARRANTIES WHETHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED. BECAUSE OF THE VARIOUS HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE ENVIRONMENTS INTO WHICH THIS PROGRAM MAY BE PUT, NO WARRANTY OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE IS OFFERED. GOOD OPERATING PROCEDURE DICTATES THAT ANY PROGRAM BE THOROUGHLY TESTED WITH NON-CRITICAL DATA BEFORE RELYING ON IT. THE USER MUST ASSUME THE ENTIRE RISK OF USING THE PROGRAM. ANY LIABILITY OF THE SELLER WILL BE LIMITED EXCLUSIVELY TO PRODUCT REPLACEMENT OR REFUND OF PURCHASE PRICE. ---------------------------------------------------------------- MR/2 User's Guide Page 1 Major Features ============== o OS/2 Character mode specific. o Menu and Selection list interface. o Context sensitive help. o Mouse support (although somewhat strange at times) o Multithreaded message searching. Soundexing optional. o Load your existing editor on-demand or edit in another session's window. o Configurable via the MR2.INI text file. o Bookmark-like features using extended attributes attached to each packet. o ANSI support for BBS provided screens (no support for messages.) o No fixed limits for messages, conferences, etc. If enough memory is there, MR/2 can handle it. o Message can be entered for a target BBS, even if no packet for that BBS exists (BBS must have been read at least once with MR/2). o Full tagline support with enhanced tagline stealing. If MR/2 doesn't steal the right line, you can choose another. o Most of the "normal" features of other QWK reader are included or are on the list of future enhancements. Ideas and suggestions are always welcome. ---------------------------------------------------------------- MR/2 User's Guide Page 2 Installing MR/2 =============== Unpack the MR2_100.ZIP file into an appropriate directory ("\MR2", for instance). All MR/2 files should be kept together in the same directory. You must invoke MR/2 only while pathed into this directory - this is the only way that MR/2 will be able to find its supporting files. Unpacking MR2_100.ZIP is all that's involved in installing MR/2. You may choose to create and edit an ".ini" parameter file for MR/2. This file may be used to set up various run-time options. A template file, "MR2INI.ORG" is provided that provides examples of all available parameters along with some explanations. ---------------------------------------------------------------- MR/2 User's Guide Page 3 MR/2 Setup - the MR2.INI file ============================= When MR/2 is invoked for the very first time (actually, any time where the file "MR2.INI" is not found), it will allow for creation of this file. A short prompt will ask for your permission, and if given, the file "MR2INI.ORG" will be copied to "MR2.INI", and the OS/2 system "E" editor will be loaded, ready for you to make any desired modifications. Once the editor is exited, you will see the MR/2 packet selection screen. It is very important to identify the correct "packet path" in the MR2.INI file. This must identify the directory in which all your .QWK packets are kept. MR/2 does include a provisions for changing the "packet path" on demand, in leu of modifying the MR2.INI file and reloading. From the packet selection screen (or the "no packets found" message box), the packet path may be edited by pressing ALT-P. The initial MR2.INI file contains an explanation of each option. Examine and set these options carefully to fit your specific needs. If you fail or neglect to edit the MR2.INI file, the defaults will look for packets in the MR/2 home directory. MR/2's basic install provides a "Welcome.QWK" packet that provides some basic instructions. MR2.INI File Options -------------------- PacketPath=g:\dl\ This is where MR2 will look for packets to read. A wildcard specification is built from this specification, with the FileSpec string appended to it. FileSpec=*.q?? This is the wildcard file specification to use when searching for packets to read. This string is appended to the PacketPath string and all files matching this combination are listed as packets. ---------------------------------------------------------------- MR/2 User's Guide Page 4 Editor=e Editor=epm Editor=q -e..\qstartup.mac This is the command MR2 will use when invoking the editor. By default, the system PM editor "e" is used. To use QEdit and pass it a start-up macro (-e parameter), change this line to read: Editor=q -ef:\mr2\qstartup.mac NOTE: when using the PM "E" or "EPM" editors - "word wrap" appears to work great, however, lines are not actually broken with CR/LF's. This causes formatting problems for MR/2. Keep Word Wrap off and include linefeeds by hand. Attributes=NONE Attributes=Extended When preparing to edit reply files, MR/2 can optionally mark these files as type "Plain Text" so, for example, the "E" editor will not force you to set the type before saving. ReplyFile=C:\Reply.Msg Temporary file name used when creating replies. This file can be specified with a full path, making easier to edit it in a separate window. HeaderEditing=Both This controls when the Message header is displayed for editing. Options, relative to actually editing the reply are Before, After or Both. ReplyPath=g:\rep\ Directory where ".Rep" reply packets are built and maintained. ---------------------------------------------------------------- MR/2 User's Guide Page 5 Tagline=@OS2.Tag Tagline=A QWK compatible mail reader for OS/2 This sets the default tagline for MR/2 replies. A single tagline can be "fixed" for all messages (example #2, above), or a file of taglines can be accessed and "rotated" automatically (example #1 - the "@" symbol tells MR/2 to get taglines from the file name following it). With rotating taglines from a file, each message seems to receive a different tagline. A tagline is a humorous or interesting phrase placed at the bottom of each reply. TagMode=RANDOM This sets the tagline file access method. RANDOM will skip around and randomly select the next tagline. SEQUENTIAL will perform a RANDOM seek when MR/2 is first loaded, then move sequentially through the file after that. SerialInTagline=Yes This option pertains only to registered copies of MR/2. If you have registered and have the MR2.ID file in the MR/2 home directory, you may set this parameter as desired. Specifying "YES" (the default), tells MR/2 to include your registration serial number in all taglines. Specifying "NO" will suppress the serial number. In either case, registered users will not see the "NR" marking in their tags. SaveFile=..\save.txt This is the default file to which messages are appended when they are "saved" or filed for later reference. Use the "S" key while viewing a message to append it to this file in printable form. Zipper=pkzip UnZipper=pkunzip -o These are the commands used to archive and unarchive your message packets. If you use something other than PKZip/UnZip, modify these commands appropriately. ---------------------------------------------------------------- MR/2 User's Guide Page 6 Colors=1E171E Colors=0F0E0A Yes, this is crude - I'll include something more friendly later. The first two characters describe the "normal" text color for messages, which is shown here as 1E, or Blue background (1) Yellow foreground (E). The second two are the quoted-text colors, 17 is Blue background (1) with a White foreground (7). The third set of 2 numbers are the message header display colors (the From/To/Subject section on top). This is the only color configuration support at this time. Colors: 0 = Black 1 = Blue 2 = Green 3 = Cyan 4 = Red 5 = Magenta 6 = Brown 7 = White 8 = Gray 9 = Lt Blue A = Lt. Green B = Lt. Cyan C = Lt. Red D = Lt. Magenta E = Yellow F = Intense White I personally have changed to the second example here, which gives a black background with bold-white text, yellow quotes and green header. SkipReadMessages=No If set to YES, MR/2 will bypass any messages you've already read. The problem with this option is that, if a conference contains only previously-read messages, then MR/2 will skip right out of that conference - there's no way to get back in. QuoteBody="%i>",EachLine Describes how MR/2 will quote the lines of the source message when creating a new reply file. The optional %i (which is the only parameter-type variable supported at this time) will be replaced by the message originator's initials. The quote prefix may be placed on EachLine or on the "FirstLine" only (subsequent lines indented). OldQuoteDetect=YES When set to YES, MR/2 will not place the quote prefix in front of reply-file lines that already are prefixed with quotes. This creates (usually) a much cleaner initial reply file. ---------------------------------------------------------------- MR/2 User's Guide Page 7 HeaderInQuote=No You may optionally include the message header in a reply file. This is often used with a clever editor "macro" to create sophisticated quoting styles not natively supported my MR/2. You must be sure to remove all traces of the header before saving the message, as MR/2 makes no attempt to identify or remove it. KeepMessageMarks=YES If set to YES, MR/2 will track the read/replied/saved status of every message, as well as your current position in the packet. This information is stored as OS/2 extended attributes and will stay attached to the file as it is copied or renamed. When a previously read packet is reopened, you will be asked if you wish to return to you previous position. Answering YES will return you to that spot, responding NO will place you at the conference selection screen. ---------------------------------------------------------------- MR/2 User's Guide Page 8 Using MR/2 for the First Time ============================= MR/2's user interface consists mainly of menus, selection lists and confirmation prompts. This, coupled with the context- sensitive help, makes it relatively easy to use, even without a manual. The ESCAPE key will always move you back to a previous menu or list. It can be used to exit MR/2 when the Packet Selection List is displayed. Menus ----- To select from a menu, simply use the up/down arrow keys to highlight the desired option and press enter. Alternatively, you may click on an entry with the mouse. Usually, a "hot key" is defined for each entry. This key is normally the first capitalized character in the selection (e.g., "E" for "Exit" and "M" for "Mail"). Selection Lists --------------- Many MR/2 items are displayed for interaction using "Selection Lists". For instance, the list of available packets, as well as the list of conferences that contain mail, both use Selection Lists. There are several methods for choosing an item from a Selection List. The simplest method involves using the up/down arrow keys to move the highlight bar to the desired element. ENTER is then used to select the highlighted item. If you choose to use the mouse, simply "click" on the desired element. If more than one page of items exist, you may move through the list a screen at a time using the PAGE UP and PAGE DOWN keys. The HOME key may be used to move to the very first item in the list, as the END key moves to the last. Pressing PAGE DOWN on the last page of the list will move the highlight bar to the very last element as well. Some Selection Lists enable other "special" keystroke options. These additional functions will be discussed in their corresponding sections. ---------------------------------------------------------------- MR/2 User's Guide Page 9 Selecting a QWK Packet ====================== After MR/2 has been configured, the first thing that is usually displayed is the Packet Selection List. Displayed will be the names of all QWK packets found, as defined by the path and wildcard specification in MR2.INI. Packets are displayed in date/time-order, with the most recent packet being at the top of the list. To open a packet for reading, simply choose it by highlighting the name and pressing ENTER. The chosen packet will be "unpacked" and readied for reading. Deleting a Packet ----------------- You may delete any packet displayed on the Packet Selection list by positioning the highlight bar on it and pressing ALT-D. A confirmation box will be displayed, and if acknowledged, the file will be deleted and the display updated. Renaming a Packet ----------------- You may rename any packet displayed on the Packet Selection list by positioning the highlight bar on it and pressing ALT-R. A form will be displayed prompting for a "new" name. Fill in the desired new name and press ENTER to rename the file and update the display. You may instead press ESCAPE to cancel the rename. You may delete any packet displayed on the Packet Selection list by positioning the highlight bar on it and pressing CTRL-D. A confirmation box will be displayed, and if acknowledged, the file will be deleted and the display updated. Relisting the Packets Available ------------------------------- Pressing ALT-N will cause MR/2 to rebuild the list of available packets. This is particularly handy when packets are being downloaded in another session and may not show up on an older list. Changing your current Packet Path --------------------------------- The packets normally listed are those found to exist in the packet path specification within MR2.INI. You may change the packet path and wildcard specifiers used to find files "on-the- fly". Simply press ALT-P and modify the displayed specification, then press ENTER to obtain the updated packet list. ---------------------------------------------------------------- MR/2 User's Guide Page 10 Modifying the MR2.INI file -------------------------- While on the Packet Selection screen, access to the MR2.INI file for modifying with the default text editor is provided through the ALT-C key combination. This will call your editor (or the default of the "E" editor, if not specified) and load the MR2.INI file. Once you exit the editor, MR/2 reloads the .ini file, and changes take effect immediately. Entering Message for a BBS without a Packet ------------------------------------------- While on the Packet Selection List, you may press ALT-E to enter messages for any BBS ever accessed through MR/2. This allows messages to be entered for a BBS when all previously read packets have been deleted. When you open any packet with MR/2, the BBS control data is copied into the MR/2 home directory. The name of the file will be built from the BBS name "ID", suffixed with ".cfg". For instance, If the BBS ID is NerdNook, then the file will be called "NerdNook.cfg". A list of BBS ".cfg" files is displayed by pressing ALT-E, while the normal Packet Selection List is removed from view. You may use the ESCAPE key to return to the list of packets, or you may choose one of the BBS name for new message entry. Once a BBS name is picked, MR/2 checks for existing replies. If any are found for the specified BBS, you are asked if you wish to keep these, or discard them. Respond appropriately. The Packet Main Menu is now displayed with some of the options disabled. You will only be allowed to enter new messages, as well as review any previous messages. See "Creating New Messages", below, for more instructions on creating unprovoked messages. ---------------------------------------------------------------- MR/2 User's Guide Page 11 The "Unpacking" Process ======================= If you choose a packet for reading, it is unarchived using the unpacking utility defined in MR2.INI. If this command fails, an informational box will be displayed showing the complete command for debugging and correction. After the packet is unpacked, a check is made for existing replies. If replies for the packet's source BBS are found, you are asked if you wish to keep or discard them. If these replies have been previously uploaded to the BBS, you may discard them, otherwise, you will probably want to keep them. If you have not disabled the "bookmark" feature (it's enabled by default), then another prompt may appear. If you have previously read part of the current packet, you will be asked if you wish to return to your previous reading position. Responding YES will place you at the last message MR/2 remembered you reading. Responding NO will place you at the Packet Main Menu. ---------------------------------------------------------------- MR/2 User's Guide Page 12 Packet Main Menu ================ Once a packet is ready for reading, the Main Menu is displayed. The following options are listed: Mail Write new Files News Bulletins Exit MR/2 will examine the contents of the current packet and enable/disable any of these options that are not applicable. For instance, if the packet contains no "new files" listing, then the "Files" option will display de-emphasized and can not be chosen. Mail ---- Select this option to read the messages contained in the current packet. Once selected, a list of conferences with mail will be displayed. If any messages addressed specifically to you are found, a "Personal" conference will be placed at the top of the list for easy access. Next to each conference, in parenthesis, will be the number of messages found in that conference. If more than one screen of conferences exist, you may use the PAGE UP/DOWN keys, or the arrow keys to move through them. HOME and END are also functional here. Searching All Conferences ------------------------- While on the Conference Selection screen, you have the option of searching all conference with mail for one or more text strings. Pressing ALT-F will bring up the Search Criteria entry form. Fill in the text string you wish to find and press ENTER. Matching entries will be queued up and displayed as requested. See the section on searching below for a more detailed description. ---------------------------------------------------------------- MR/2 User's Guide Page 13 Reading Messages ---------------- After Choosing the conference you wish to read, the first message in that conference will be displayed. At this point, a variety of options present themselves. Remember, pressing F1 at anytime while in MR/2 will display a help screen listing the available keystrokes. Pressing F1 while on a message display results in the following information being displayed: ----------------------------------------------------------------- MESSAGE READING HELP The following keys are available while reading messages: ENTER/+ Move forward one message P - Print to "prn" G/- Move backward one message O - Shell a command line I Select individual messages by header information K Kill the current reply (reply conference ONLY) R Reply to the current message/modify a reply S Print the message to the save file F Find text within the current conference N Find NEXT match for current text search L Find PREVIOUS match for current text search X Exit MR/2 fast - without cleanup, on confirmation H/B Move forward/backward by thread T Steal the current message's tagline PAGE UP/DOWN To move forward/backward one screen UP/DOWN ARROW To scroll up/down one line RIGHT/LEFT ARROW To scroll the view right/left HOME/END To jump to the beginning/end of the message spacebar Page forward - next message if at end ESCAPE Exit the current display ----------------------------------------------------------------- Some of these options are self-explanatory and will not be discussed further. Using the Spacebar ------------------ The spacebar will move forward through message one screen at a time. For instance, if a message is three "screens" long, pressing the spacebar will show you screen two, pressing it again screen three. When it's pressed the next time, the next message in sequence will be displayed. ---------------------------------------------------------------- MR/2 User's Guide Page 14 Mousing Around -------------- Some mouse support is provided when on the message viewing screen. Clicking in various areas or on certain words will perform functions equivalent to the more common keyboard commands. For example: o Click on the bottom "status" line works the same as hitting ENTER. o Click on the next line up (last display line) and you've simulated "spacebar". o Any other line on the bottom half of the message area is a page-down. o Click on any line in the top half of the message is the same as a "page up". o Click on the "==" header dividing line and you've requested the previous message ("G" or "-"). o Click on "Subject:" pages forward by thread, "Conf:" brings up the index and on "Hit" (or where it should be displayed) for the next search. Selecting Messages by Header Information ---------------------------------------- Pressing "I" or the INSERT key will bring up the Message Header Selection List. Messages will be listed, one per display line, providing the message number, from-name, to-name and subject. If a message has been previously read, an asterisk "*" will proceed its entry. If a message has been saved, replied to or killed (replies only), status marks will be placed at the end of the entry ("S", "R", "K", respectively). To select a message, simply move the highlight bar to the desired entry and press ENTER. The mouse may also be used, as well as all other standard selection list keystrokes. When the Message Header List is displayed, the highlight bar will be positioned on the currently displayed message. ---------------------------------------------------------------- MR/2 User's Guide Page 15 Replying -------- When you find a message that you wish to reply to, simply press "R". MR/2 will "quote" the message (i.e., copy the original message with the author's initials) to a reply file and invoke the editor defined in your MR2.INI file, if one is defined. The quoted message is usually modified by trimming off excess lines and making it look more presentable. Add the desired reply to the end of the quoted section. Once the reply is complete, save it and exit the editor. MR/2 will retrieve the modified file and record it as a reply. You will be asked to review and accept the "reply header" information, either before or after editing the reply, or sometimes in both instances. This is "configurable" via an option in the MR2.INI file. Usually, the header will be acceptable unchanged. You do have the option, though, to do such things as change the addressee name, conference, tagline and security status. Also, if you wish to reply and address the message to the original messages addressee, the F3 "Toggle To" function is available. Also, you may pick a different tagline from a list of those available by pressing F2. Using an Editor in a Separate Window/Session -------------------------------------------- While loading an editor "on demand" is usually quick and easy in character mode, using a PM based editor can be cumbersome. For this reason, MR/2 provides an option for editing replies in a separate session. First, the MR2.INI file should contain a line specifying "NONE" for the editor: Editor=NONE You may also wish to declare the name of the "ReplyFile" to be simple and easy to locate (e.g., "C:\Reply"). When you request to reply to a message, MR/2 will quote the message to the named reply file. With the editor option set to "NONE", MR/2 then merely posts an informative "Waiting - press any key" message and waits for a key press. This allows you to switch to another session, load the reply file, modify it, save it and return to MR/2. Once a key is pressed, MR/2 retrieves and records the reply in the normal way. NOTE: You must be sure to save the reply and release the file before switching back to MR/2, as MR/2 provides very little error checking in this mode. ---------------------------------------------------------------- MR/2 User's Guide Page 16 Killing the Current Reply ------------------------- Once a reply exists, the Conference Selection list will include an entry for reviewing replies. You may read these in the same manor as you read regular incoming mail. If you find a reply that you wish to remove, you may "kill" it by pressing the "K" key. After confirming this action, MR/2 will mark the message as "killed". It will still be viewable, but will not be packed in the reply file. NOTE: As long as you don't leave the current session and packet, any killed reply can be "unkilled" easily. Simply move to the message to be retrieved and press "R" to modify the reply. Save the message as-is and the killed status will be removed. Once you exit the current packet and replies are packed, any killed messages are gone forever. Modifying a Reply ----------------- Once at least one reply exists, the Conference Selection list will include an entry for reviewing replies. You may read these in the same manor as you read regular incoming mail. If you find a reply that you wish to modify, you may do so by pressing the "R" key. The message will be displayed for modification using the default editor. Make the desired changes and save the message and MR/2 will place the updated message into the reply file. Searching --------- You may search a conference for one or more text strings. Messages found contain the string(s) will be displayed, one at a time. Searching is multithreaded, meaning that while your viewing the first (or subsequent) matching message, MR/2 will continue to search through the rest of the messages for more. To search the current conference, simply press "F" while on any message from that conference. This will invoke the Search Criteria Entry form. Fill in a text string to search for and press ENTER. You will have to wait until MR/2 finds the first match, which will then be displayed for your viewing. When a "hit" is displayed, MR/2 will attempt to display the message so that the message line containing the matching text is the second display line. If the match was caused by the From, To or Subject fields, then the message is displayed at its starting point. ---------------------------------------------------------------- MR/2 User's Guide Page 17 While performing the search, MR/2 constantly updates the bottom line of the screen with information on its progress. Additionally, while viewing search result, "Hit x of xx" is updated in the upper right corner of the display. Multiple Search Strings ----------------------- You may search for more than one text strings in a single pass by separating the different strings with backslashes "\". MR/2 will check each message for each separate string, and will call the message a "match" if any one of them is found. Soundex Searching ----------------- MR/2 also supports "soundex" searching, or searching for sound- alike words. To request a soundex search, simply prefix the search text with an ampersand "&". For instance, "&Windoze" will match Windows, windoze, etc.,. The soundexing algorithm is very loose, requiring the use of larger words in order to avoid a hit on every message. Examining Search Results ------------------------ You may move freely through any resulting message hits by pressing "N" for the "Next" message, or "L" for the "Last" or previous message. Alternatively, you may use the mouse to move forward by clicking on the "Hit x of xx" status area. Requesting a new search will destroy the results of the previous search. Escaping to the Conference Selection List will also discard the results. If you request a "next" or "previous" record, and you are at the beginning or end of the list of hits, MR/2 will post an information box and wait for a key. Searching All Conferences ------------------------- As mentioned previously, you can search for text in all conferences by pressing ALT-F on the Conference Selection List. The search process will be performed in a manner similar to a single conference search. When reviewing messages found in this way, many of the keystrokes normally available are disabled or their behavior is modified. For example, since there is no sequential "next" record, pressing ENTER will give you the "next" message hit. ---------------------------------------------------------------- MR/2 User's Guide Page 18 Saving to a Text File --------------------- If you wish to save any message to a text-based save file, press "S" while viewing the message. This will invoke the Save File Name form with the default name of the last file name used. You may used this file name simply by pressing ENTER. You may make any manual changes to the name desired and then press ENTER. If you wish to select from a list of existing save files, pressing F2 will provide a list from which to choose. The list if built from scanning the disk for wildcard matches built using the currently displayed name. You may place wildcards in the displayed specification to control the displayed list. Reading by Subject/Thread ------------------------- You may move forward or backwards through messages based on subject by pressing "H" for forward movement or "B" for backwards movement. You may also click the mouse on the Subject area of the message to move forward by thread. Fast Exit from MR/2 ------------------- You may exit MR/2 quickly any time you are reading a message by pressing "X". This will bypass the display of all menus and selection lists normally performed when you use ESCAPE to "back out" of the program. It will also suppress the packing of replies and the cleanup of the work directory. This will allow you to reenter MR/2 at a later time, and pick up exactly where you left off. Spawning an OS/2 command line ----------------------------- While somewhat redundant, access to the OS/2 command line is provided by pressing "O" while viewing a message. You MUST remember to use the "exit" command to return to MR/2. Printing -------- You may format any message to the default "prn" device by pressing the "P" key. No prompting for confirmation is performed, and error checking is non-existent. ---------------------------------------------------------------- MR/2 User's Guide Page 19 Stealing Taglines ----------------- MR/2 has the ability to "steal" a tagline from the current message and add it to the tagline file specified in MR2.INI. While viewing a message with a tagline you want to swipe, press "T". MR/2 will attempt to determine which of the lines is most likely a tagline, an extract this line. The chosen line is displayed for confirmation, and you may make any desired changes to it at this time. If the line automatically selected is not the tagline you want, you can use the up and down arrow keys to scroll through the current message's lines. Once the line is displayed, you may modify it as desired, then press ENTER to save it. Write New - Creating New Message -------------------------------- Replying to existing message is fun, but if you want to start a new "conversation", what do you do? When you wish to create a new, "unprovoked" message, Select this option, "Write new", from the Packet Main Menu. The Conference Selection List will be displayed, but it will be different from the display of conferences with mail. All conferences supported by the source BBS will be listed, and no count or messages is given. Choose the conference where the new message is to be posted. You will then be walked through a procedure identical to "replying" to a message. The Message Header form will default to a target user of ALL, you may change this as desired. Also, since you are not replying to an existing message, no quoting is performed, and an empty reply file is provided. Enter your new message and save it. MR/2 will add it into the reply file for uploading to the BBS. You may review and edit any "new" messages by accessing the replies conference. To MR/2 and all other QWK readers, new messages are just replies with no reference message. New File Listings ----------------- If a "new files" listing was provided in the QWK packet, this option will be displayed using "bright" letters and may be selected. If chosen, the new files listing will be displayed for your viewing. You may use the Page Up and Down keys to move about the file, as well as the arrow keys, spacebar, HOME and END keys. As an added option, you may press "E" to view the file listing using your specified editor. NOTE: Requesting to "edit" the file with your Editor set to NONE won't really do much. ---------------------------------------------------------------- MR/2 User's Guide Page 20 Bulletins --------- If the current packet contains any bulletins, this option will be displayed using "bright" letters and may be selected. If chosen, a list of all bulletins found will be displayed. If you pick any bulletin from the list it will be displayed for your viewing. You may use the Page Up and Down keys to move about the file, as well as the arrow keys, spacebar, HOME and END keys. As an added option, you may press "E" to view the bulletin listing using your specified editor. NOTE: Requesting to "edit" the file with your Editor set to NONE won't really do much. While viewing a bulletin, pressing ESCAPE will take you back to the Bulletin Selection List. Pressing ESCAPE at this point will return you to the Packet Main Menu. The NEWS File ------------- If a "news file" was provided in the QWK packet, this option will be displayed using "bright" letters and may be selected. If chosen, the news file will be displayed for your viewing. You may use the Page Up and Down keys to move about the file, as well as the arrow keys, spacebar, HOME and END keys. As an added option, you may press "E" to view the file listing using your specified editor. NOTE: Requesting to "edit" the file with your Editor set to NONE won't really do much. Exiting the Current QWK Packet ------------------------------ You can exit MR/2 by pressing ESCAPE at the Packet Selection List, or by using the "Fast Exit" option while viewing a message. Fast Exit does not perform cleanup nor does it actually pack your replies. Its purpose is to provide a quick way to exit MR/2 where the intention is to return shortly and work with the same packet. Exiting by escaping from the Packet Selection screen is the more "normal" way of leaving MR/2; all packets are closed and all reply message saved using this method. ---------------------------------------------------------------- MR/2 User's Guide Page 21 CONTACTING THE AUTHOR ===================== You can contact me in a number of ways. Unfortunately, I can't provide a phone number at this time. US Mail: Nick Knight 1823 David Ave. Parma, Ohio 44134 Fido netmail: 1:157/2 to "Nick Knight" Fido Echomail: Echomail messages to me are discouraged, as keeping them "on topic" and interesting to the masses would be difficult. I do read OS2, OS2PROG, C_PROGRAMMING, C_PLUSPLUS and DR DEBUG daily, though. OFFLINE echo also (deals with mail readers), this might be THE place to ask public questions, eh? Direct BBS: Leave a message on the Nerd's Nook BBS (1:157/2) at (216) 356-1772, 356-1872 or 356-1431. I check in here multiple times a day. I will also keep the most recent copy of MR/2 posted here. Other boards (non-local) will get updates at my convenience. Nerd's does support file requests (157/2 or 157/3) Optionally, I call into PC-OHIO regularly. Compuserve: I check in here only when I have to. Try mail to my user ID - 76066,1240, although this isn't the best approach. ---------------------------------------------------------------- MR/2 User's Guide Page 22