- Main HELP file for The Message Manager -
    Copyright 1989 by Robert Scruggs

[OPENING]
***************************************
═════════ JUST A REMINDER ═══════════
***************************************

This is a SHAREWARE EVALUATION COPY of
The Message Manager.  It is NOT public
domain software.  If you use this pro-
gram, you are expected to pay the $15
license fee.  If you do not use this
program, then erase it or pass it on
to someone else.  This program is ful-
ly functional to provide you the best
opportunity to evaluate it.  It is not
"crippled" in any way.  All comments
regarding The Message Manager are wel-
come.  Complete information on how to
obtain a licensed version of this pro-
gram, along with other benefits, can
be found in the file, LICENSE.DOC.
***************************************
[END]

[MAIN]
The Message Manager allows you to manage
your electronic mail on your OWN time---
instead of using up valuable BBS time.
Choose option 1 to create a message, and
save it to a disk file when finished.
To post the message on a BBS, simply go
through the normal procedures of entering
a message on any BBS, but instead of
typing manually, hit the UPLOAD key on
your telecommunications program, and use
the ASCII protocol to `Upload' your
message. You can always press `F1' while
using this program to obtain more help.
[END]

[CREATE]
If the BBS directory contains the correct
message-length parameters, then select the
BBS format you desire to use.  Otherwise
you may enter new message parameters by
pressing F2.

This option determines the number of char-
acters per line and the total number of
lines available for your message.

You may Update the BBS directory from the
Main Menu.
[END]

[VIEW]
If the BBS directory contains the correct
message-length parameters, then select the
BBS format you desire to use.  Otherwise
you may enter new message parameters by
pressing F2.

This allows you to see how one message
will look under any format.

If your message has delicate spacing, box
characters, etc., this will allow you to
adjust the spacing to various formats.
[END]

[VIEWFILE]

Use the up and down arrow keys to move
through the files, and press ENTER when
the highlight bar is on the file you wish
to view.

If you wish, you may press the first
letter of a file to move the highlight
bar to the desired selection.

If you decide not to view any file, just
press ESC to return to the Main Menu.



The file extension is assumed to be .MSG
since that is how the messages you create
are normally stored.

If you press F2, you will be allowed to
enter a different search key, which will
enable you to select from files other
than those with the ".MSG" extension.
[END]

[UPDATE]
Select the BBS entry you wish to change,
or press `ESC' to quit.  You will first
be promted to enter the name of the BBS,
followed by the message parameters. The
parameters are determined by the BBS you
are calling and will vary from one BBS to
another.  After entering the new info, it
will be saved to the file, BBSLIST.FIL
If you wish to DELETE an entry, simply
highlight the desired selection and press
F10.  If you wish to delete ALL entries,
just delete BBSLIST.FIL from the DOS
command line.
[END]

[NAME]

  Type the name of a BBS you wish to
  record in the directory.

  You may type any name up to 38
  characters long.

  If you change your mind, you may
  press ESC to cancel the current
  changes and return to the main menu.
[END]

[MAXCHARS]

  This number controls the width of the
  message.  You may enter any number
  from 10 to 80.

  This will control the right-most
  boundary of the message, and determines
  where the word-wrap will take place.

  Normally, you should enter the same
  width as the BBS you are uploading to.
[END]

[MAXLINES]

  This number determines the number of
  lines allowed per message.  You may
  enter any number from 1 to 200.

  If the number is greater than the
  height of your screen, you will be
  able to scroll up and down through
  the message.

  Normally, this number should match
  that of the BBS you are uploading to.
[END]

[SAVEFILE]
   Enter a file name to save the message
under.  If the name is 8 characters or
less, the extension "MSG" will be added
for you.  This is normally the easiest
way to keep track of your messages.

   If you choose to add a different file
extension, however, you may do so.

   The Drive and Directory to save the
message to is determined from the Main
Menu option, "Set Colors and Paths".
[END]

[DELETEFILE]
Use the up and down arrow keys to move
through the files, and press ENTER when
the highlight bar is on the file you wish
to delete.

You will then be asked one more time to
verify your intention.  If you continue,
the file will be ERASED from the disk!

If you decide not to delete a file, just
press ESC to return to the Main Menu.

All messages end with the extension .MSG
[END]

[DRIVE]
This selection determines the Drive that your
messages will be stored on. Press a letter from
A to E, or press `ESC' to abandon this option.
You may enter sub-directories if you continue.
[END]

[CONFIG]
Option 1: Allows you to change colors to
suit your own tastes.
Option 2: Allows you to reset all colors
to their default values.
Option 3: Allows you to select the drive
and directory to contain your messages.
Option 4: Allows you to save your colors
and file path. The file, MMCONFIG.CNF
will be created, and will be referred to
each time you start the program. If you
don't save this info, the defaults will
be used.
Option 5: Returns you to the main menu.
[END]

[EDITOR]
 Common Editing Keys:

 Insert          - Toggle Insert on/off
 Home/End        - Move cursor to start/end of line
 Ctrl-Home/End   - Move cursor to top/bottom of screen
 PgUp/PgDn       - Display previous/next page
 Ctrl-PgUp/PgDn  - Display first/last page
 Ctrl-Left/Right - Move cursor word left/right
 Ctrl-Y          - Delete the current line
 Ctrl-N          - Insert a new line above
 Escape          - Exit edit window
 F2              - Save file, with option to rename
 F7              - Change ANSI colors
 F8              - Display message, with ANSI codes
 F9              - View ASCII chart
 F10             - View another file
[END]

[VIEWER]
   Use the up and dowm arrow keys to browse
through the file being displayed.  You may
also use the Page Up, Page Down, and Home
keys to move about the text.

   Pressing F10 allows you to jump back and
forth between the editor and viewer.

   Pressing ESC will restore the text editing
window to it's original size, closing this
view window.

   If you have installed the CUTPASTE utility,
you may activate it by pressing ALT-F9.  Then
move the cursor to the start of the text to
mark and press the END key.  Next, move the
cursor to the end of the text you are marking,
and press END again.  You may then press F10
to jump to the editor.  Pressing CTRL-F9 will
paste the selected text into place at the
cursor position.
[END]

[VIEWSPEC]

   Type the name of a text file to view.
This allows you to take a look at another
text file while you are editing.

   A good use for this feature is to view
BBS sessions you have "captured" with your
telecommunications software.  You may
capture all new messages posted, and reply
to them while viewing them through this
feature.
[END]

[DIR]

   Type the path to the directory you will be
storing your messages in.  Since you will be
uploading these messages, it's a good idea to store
them in your upload directory, if you have one.

   Example:
                 \PROCOMM\UPLOADS
[END]

[QUITEDIT]
   If you choose to save this message,
you will be prompted for a file name.
The message will then be written to disk
using the file name you provide.

   If you choose to quit without saving,
you will be taken back to the main menu,
and this message will NOT be written to
disk.  If it existed before this editing
session, it will remain on the disk.

   You may also continue editing this
message.
[END]

[ASCII]
You may use the following keys to view the ASCII
chart:

   Up, Down, Page Up, Page Down, Home, End

In addition, if you press any regular key, the
ASCII code for that character will be displayed
at the top of the chart.


To insert an ASCII character into your message,
hold down the ALT key and press the number in the
left column of the chart.

You MUST use the number pad, not the number keys
on top of your keyboard.

[END]

[BADDIR]
   The directory could not be created, due to circum-
stances beyond this program's control. This may happen if,
for instance, you specify a nested sub-directory and the
parent directory does not yet exist. This program will not
create more than one directory at a time, just as the DOS
"MD" command will not. Please double-check your directory
entry.
[END]

[FILESPEC]
   You specify which files to select from
by entering a new search key.  The search
key normally consists of the wildcard
characters "*.MSG", which allows you to
select from files with ".MSG" as the file
extension.
   The default response here is "*.*",
which will allow you to select from ALL
files in the message directory. To select
files in a different directory, you will
need to change the file path via the
"Set Colors and Paths" option on the
main menu.
[END]
