Contents
Table of Contents

Menus:

File Menu

Edit Menu

Letter Menu

Mail Menu

Folder Menu

Topics:

Address Book

Backup/Restore

Command-Line

Delivering Mail

The Desktop

Fetching Mail

Folders

Getting Started

How Do I?...

The In Box

Mail Services

The Out Box

Overview

Reading Mail

Registering RFD Mail

Script Files

Troubleshooting

Writing Mail


File Menu

The File Menu contains the following options:

Import|Letter...

Use this option to create a new letter which contains the text of an existing file.  Selecting this option will display a File Dialog which allows you to select a text file.  Once you have selected a file and pressed OK, a New Letter Window will appear with the contents of the text file as its body.

Import|Address Book...

Use this option to add addresses to the Address Book from a tab-delimited text file.  Selecting this option will display a File Dialog which allows you to select a text file.  Once you have selected a file and pressed OK, the addresses found in the text file will be added to the Address Book.

Export|Letter...

Use this option to create a text file from a letter.  Selecting this option will display a File Dialog which allows you to select a text file.  Once you have selected a file and pressed OK, a text file containing the contents of the currently selected letter will be created.  If you would like to add the letter to an existing text file, merely select the Append check box in the File Dialog before pressing OK.

Export|Address Book...

Use this option to export the Address Book to a tab-delimited text file.  Selecting this option will display a File Dialog which allows you to select a text file.  Once you have selected a file and pressed OK, the addresses in the Address Book will be placed into the text file.

Backup...

Use this option to either backup your letters to protect against data loss, or to transfer letters and folders to another computer.  Selecting this option will display a Backup Dialog which allows you to select a set of letters to backup, and the backup file to place them in.  You can select letters by both Folder and Date Range.  When you press OK, a single backup file is created which contains the selected letters.

Restore...

Use this option to restore letters and folders from a backup file created from the previous menu option.  Selecting this option will display a File Dialog which allows you to select a backup file.  Once you have selected an existing backup file and pressed OK, a Restore Dialog is displayed.  You can then select letters to restore by both Folder and Date Range.  When you press OK, letters from the backup file are placed into the folders you selected, creating new folders if necessary.

Print...

Use this option to send a letter to the printer.  Selecting this option will display a Print Dialog.  Pressing OK will send the currently selected letter to the printer displayed in the Print Dialog.

Printer Setup...

Use this option to choose which print you wish RFD Mail to use, and to set the options on that printer.  Selecting this option will display a Printer Setup Dialog.  Select the printer you wish to print to and press OK.

Preferences...

Use this option to set the global preferences for the RFD Mail program.  Selecting this option will display a Preferences Dialog which allows you to adjust global settings such as Modem Initialization, Default Mail Service, Redial Attempts, Word-Wrap, etc.

Exit

Selecting this option will cause the RFD Mail program to exit.  If you are online, the program will first ask if you wish to abort the phone connection.  If you select Yes, the modem will hang-up and the program will exit.  If you select No, then the modem will continue communication with current Mail Service and the program will not exit.

See also:

Backup/Restore


Edit Menu

The Edit Menu applies to text-editing operations (such as entering the body of a letter, or editing the subject of a letter) and contains the following options:

Undo

Selecting this option will undo the last Cut, Copy, or Paste operation.  Hitting Alt+Bskp will perform the same task.

Cut

Selecting this option will remove the currently selected text and place it on the Windows Clipboard.  Hitting Shift+Del will perform the same task.

Copy

Selecting this option will place the currently selected text on the Windows Clipboard without removing it first.  Hitting Ctrl+Ins will perform the same task.

Paste

Selecting this option will place the text currently on the Windows Clipboard and insert it at the current insertion point.  Hitting Shift+Ins will perform the same task.

Delete

Selecting this option will remove the currently selected text without placing  it on the Windows Clipboard.  Hitting Del will perform the same task.


Letter Menu

The Letter Menu contains options which allow you to create and delete letters, as well as move them between various places on your desktop.  It contains the following options:

New Letter...

Use this option to create a new letter.  Selecting this option will create a New Letter Window and place it on the desktop.  You are then free to specify the address, fill out the subject line, and enter the body of the letter.

Create Reply

Use this option to reply to letter that you have received.  Selecting this option will create a New Letter Window which is based on the currently selected letter and place it on the desktop filled in as follows:

The address will be the address of the person from whom you received the selected letter.

The subject will be the subject of the selected letter prepended with "Re: ".

The body will be a copy of the body of the selected letter.

Forward

Use this option to forward a letter to another destination.  Selecting this option will create a New Letter Window which is based on the currently selected letter and place it on the desktop filled in as follows:

The subject will be the subject of the selected letter.

The body will be a copy of the body of the selected letter.

Edit CC...

Use this option to create and/or edit the list of additional destinations for this letter.  Selecting this option will bring up a CC Dialog with the current list of users which receive a Carbon Copy of this letter.

Delete

Use this option to delete a letter.  Selecting this option will display a dialog asking whether you really wish to delete the current letter.  If you select Yes, then the letter will be deleted.  If you select No, then no action is taken.

To Desktop

Selecting this option will remove the currently selected letter from the In Box, Out Box, or Folder (depending upon where this letter resides), and creates a Letter Window on the desktop.

To Outbox

Selecting this option will remove the currently selected New Letter Window and place the letter into the Out Box.

To Folder...

Selecting this option will display a Letter To Folder dialog which lists all the Folders you currently have.  Selecting a folder from this dialog and pressing OK will cause the currently selected Letter Window or letter to be moved into the specified folder.

Grab Address...

Use this option to quickly place an address from a letter into the Address Book.  Selecting this option will display a Mail User Dialog which contains the address of the currently selected letter.  After making any changes you desire, press the OK button and the address will be added to the Address Book.


Mail Menu

The Mail Menu contains options that allow you to send mail and receive mail from one or more Mail Services.

Deliver Letter

Use this option when you only wish to send a single letter to its destination.  Selecting this option will cause the currently selected New Letter Window or currently selected Out Box Letter to be placed into a Mail Bundle.  A Modem Window will appear which will dial the appropriate Mail Service, and deliver the Mail Bundle to that service.

Deliver Out Box

Use this option when you wish to send multiple letters in one operation.  Selecting this option will cause all letters currently in the Out Box to be placed into one or more Mail Bundles (one bundle for each Mail Service which needs to be called).  A Modem Window will appear which will dial the appropriate Mail Service, and deliver the Mail Bundle to that service.  This occurs for each bundle that needs to be delivered.

Fetch...

Selecting this option will display a Mail Services Dialog which contains all the of the Mail Services currently configured.  Selecting a service and pressing OK will cause a Modem Window to appear, which will dial that service and fetch any mail that may be waiting.  Any letters that are received are placed in the In Box.

Fetch from Default

Selecting this option will cause a Modem Window to appear, which will dial the Default Mail Service  and fetch any mail that may be waiting.  Any letters that are received are placed in the In Box.

Fetch from All

Selecting this option will cause a Modem Window to appear, which will dial each Mail Service in turn and fetch any mail that may be waiting.  Any letters that are received are placed in the In Box.

Poll...

Selecting this option will cause a Mail Poll Dialog to appear, allowing you to set the interval which you wish RFD Mail to automatic fetch mail.

Abort Phone Connection

Selecting this option while a Modem Window  is on the desktop will cause a dialog box to appear, requesting that you confirm that you wish to abort the phone connection.  Selecting Yes will cause the modem to hang up the line, and causes the Modem Window to disappear.


Folder Menu

The Folder Menu contains options which allow you to manage Mail Folders.

New...

Use this option when you wish to create a new Folder.  Selecting this option will cause a dialog to appear which allows you to enter the name of the new folder.  If you press OK, a new Folder Window will appear on the desktop.

Delete

Use this option when you wish to delete a Folder.  Selecting this option will cause a dialog to appear which request that you confirm the operation.  If you press Yes, the currently selected Folder Window and all of its letters is removed from the desktop

Rename...

Selecting this option will cause a dialog to appear which allows you to enter new name for the currently selected Folder Window.  If you press OK, the folder's name is updated

.


Preferences Dialog

The Preferences Dialog allows you to adjust various settings that affect the operation of RFD Mail, such as how to initialize the modem, the word-wrap to use in the New Letter Window, and other miscellaneous settings.  This dialog is accessible by selecting the File|Preferences menu option, and appears below:

(click the mouse over the part of the dialog you need help on)


FileToInbox
Select this option if you want a copy of each letter

you send to be placed into the In Box, after it has

been successfully delivered.


DiscardLetter
Select this option if you want letters to be discarded

after they have been successfully delivered.


InboxToDesktop
Select this option if you want a double-click on a

letter in the In Box to cause it to jump out to the desktop.


InboxToFolder
Select this option if you want a double-click on a

letter in the In Box to move it to a specific Folder.

If you select this option you need to also choose the

folder you want the letter moved to by using the drop-

down list directly to the right of this option.


Redial
This field is where you enter the number of times

that you want RFD Mail to retry a Mail Service

(if, for example, the line is busy) before giving

up on the connection.


ModemInitString
This field is where you enter the Modem Initialization String

that you want RFD Mail to send to your modem before each

call that it places.


DefaultService
This field is where you enter the Mail Service that

you want RFD Mail to fetch mail from when you

select the Fetch from Default option in the Mail menu.


AlwaysFetch
When this option is checked, RFD Mail will always

fetch new mail from a Mail Service.  If this option is

not checked, then RFD Mail will only fetch new mail

if you select one of the Fetch options from the Mail menu.


WordWrap
This field is where you enter the Word-Wrap

column to use in the New Letter Window.


Modem Initialization

The Modem Initialization String is a sequence of characters which are sent to the modem each time a call is placed to a Mail Service.  The string is usually a standard Hayes "AT" command string which sets various parameters inside the modem.

The only extension to the Hayes command set is the addition of the vertical-bar character "|".  The vertical-bar signifies that a carriage return character should be sent to the modem, and that the program should wait for the modem to respond "OK" before sending the rest of the Initialization String.

By default, the Modem Initialization String is set to AT&F|AT&C1&D2| (note the trailing vertical-bar).  This initiates the following sequence whenever a call is placed to a Mail Service:

The "AT&F" command is sent, which resets the modem to the factory default settings

"OK" is returned by the modem.

The "AT&C1&D2" command is sent, which instructs the modem to track the carrier-detect signal, and to hang up the line if the DTR line drops.

"OK" is returned by the modem.

The dialing sequence for the current Mail Service begins.

If you see "ERROR" appear in the Modem Window when you call a Mail Service, then you probably need to customize the Initialization String for your particular modem.  You should refer to your modem's instruction manual for details on how to do this.  You can also try leaving the Modem Init String field in the Preferences Dialog blank, which causes no string to be sent.


MailAddressField
Mail Address:

This field is where you enter your Mail Address assigned to

you by this Mail Service.  For example: "12345,6789" or "J.DOE1".

 In most cases this is the same as your Username (CompuServe

and UNIX accounts for example), or might be different (GEnie, for

example).


UsernameField
Username:

This field is where you enter your Username assigned to

you by this Mail Service and is the value used when you

log into your account.  In most cases this is the same as

your Mail Address (CompuServe and UNIX accounts for

example), or might be different (GEnie, for example).


MailServiceNameField
Name:

This field is where you enter the name of this Mail Service.  It

should be something intuitive (i.e., "CompuServe", "GEnie") but

can be assigned any name you choose.


PasswordField
Password:

This field is where you enter the password necessary

to log into this Mail Service.  Note that for security, only

asterisks " * " will be displayed in this field.


PhoneNumberField
Phone Number:

This field is where you enter the phone number of this

Mail Service.  Note that some services have several

numbers corresponding  to different modem speeds.

Enter the number appropriate for the baud rate that you

specify in this dialog box.


ScriptFileField
Script File:

This field is where you specify the Script File that

should be used when communicating with this

Mail Service.


YourNameField
Your Name:

This field is you specify your "Real Name" as known

by this Mail Service.  This is usually listed somewhere

in email messages that you receive.


BaudRateField
Baud:

This field is where you select the speed that you want

your modem to operate at for this Mail Service.  Check

your modem documentation for more information.


ModemParamsField
Parity, Length, Stop:

These fields are where you select the modem settings

for this Mail Service.  Check with your Mail Service on

what values are appropriate for that service.


ModemPortField
Port:

This field is where you select the port to which your modem

is connected, which can be either COM1, COM2, COM3, or

COM4.  See your computer's documentation for more information.


MailServiceBrowse
Browse:

Pressing this button will cause a File Dialog to appear,

allowing you to choose the Script File for this Mail Service.


Script Files

Unlike most email programs which support only one type of mail service, RFD Mail can be customized to operate with most any ASCII-based electronic mail service.

When you dial in to a Mail Service to send or receive mail, RFD Mail uses a special ASCII text file (called a Script File) which contains the instructions on exactly how to interact with that service.  Currently there are script files for CompuServe, GEnie, MCI Mail, and World Unix accounts, which means that you can use RFD Mail "out of the box" for sending and receiving mail from these types of services.

If you subscribe to another service (a BBS for example) which provides electronic mail, you are free to write your own script for that service.  This would enable you to put that service into the Post Office as a source and destination for mail.

For information on how to write your own scripts, see the topics: Script File Format and Script Overview.


Script File Format

A script file is an ASCII text file, which means that you can create and modify script files using any simple text editor (Windows Notepad, for example).  A Script File consists of a Format Clause, followed by a collection of named States, each of which has a series of statements and exit-clauses.  So the normal operation of a Script File is to enter a state, whereby one or more statements are executed (for example, to send a command to the Mail Service).  The script then waits for an exit condition to become true (for example, a response arriving from the Mail Service), whereupon control passes to the state specified by the corresponding exit clause.

The format for each state is as follows:

Begin STATE-NAME

statement

statement

...

exit-clause

exit-clause

...

End

A sample Script State might be:

Begin SEND_DOWNLOAD_COMMAND

Transmit 'download/xmodem'

Cr

When 'ready for download' Goto BEGIN_DOWNLOAD

When 'unrecognized command' Goto SEND_DOWNLOAD_COMMAND

Timeout 20 Goto RETRY_DOWNLOAD

End

In addition,states may be intermingled with Alias statements, which perform simple text-replacement within the script.  Note that the Alias statement is the only statement that can (and must) occur outside of a state definition.

See also:

Alphabetic List of Script Commands


Alphabetic List of Script Commands

Script Commands are case-sensitive, and occur only in the context of State Definitions.  Each statement, exit clause, and variable is listed below:

Statements:

Alias

Break

Caption

ClearIndex

Confirm

Control

Cr

CreateCC

Download

Exit

Hangup

NextIndex

NewLetter

Transmit

Upload

Exit Clauses:

CarrierLoss

If

Timeout

When

Variables:

INDEX

LETTER

PASSWORD

SERVICENAME

USERNAME

YOURNAME

See also:

Script Overview


Alias Statement
Alias

Usage:

Alias alias-name word

This statement creates an alias called alias-name to be the text value word.  From this point in the script file on, you may enclose the alias-name in percent  (%) signs anywhere a space-delimited or quote-delimited word may occur, and the value word will be substituted in its place.  Note that this is the only statement which must appear outside of a state definition.

A good example of a use for aliases is when the script must wait on the same prompt (using When clauses) in many states throughout the script.  An alias can be created for the prompt at the beginning of the script, and if the prompt ever changes, it only affects the script in one location.  For example:

Alias loginprompt '\nUser ID: '

Begin DIRECT

   Caption 'connected'

   Control C

   When %loginprompt% Goto USERNAME

   Timeout 3 Goto DIRECT

End

Another use of aliases is to affect the flow of control within the script based on some simple values.  For example, an alias can be used to affect the type of login sequence which will be used.  This is convenient for users as they only need to change the script in one place to determine which login type will be used. The following example causes a script to branch to the SPRINT state on startup, but could be easily changed by modifying the connectype alias:

Alias connectype SPRINT

Begin START

   If TRUE Then %connectype%

End

Begin SPRINT

   Caption 'connected'

   Transmit '@'

   Timeout 1 Goto SPRINTCR

End

See the script files for the supported Mail Services for more examples.


Break Statement
Break

Usage:

Break

This command simply sends a 350-millisecond line break to the modem.


Caption Statement
Caption

Usage:

Caption 'caption text'

This command changes the Title Bar of the Modem Window to be the specified text.  Use this command to provide feedback to the user when an "notable event" has occurred.

Example:

Caption 'Delivered Letter'


ClearIndex Statement
ClearIndex

Usage:

ClearIndex

This command resets the value of the $INDEX variable to zero.

See also:

NextIndex


Confirm Statement
Confirm

Usage:

Confirm CONDITION [Successful | Unsuccessful]

This command is used to confirm the status of the most recently uploaded or download letter.

If CONDITION is LETTER.SENT, then a confirmation of Successful causes the letter to be removed from the Mail Bundle.  The letter is then either discarded or placed in the In Box, depending upon what the user chose in the Preferences Dialog.  A confirmation of Unsuccessful causes the letter to be marked as FAIL in the Mail Bundle.

If CONDITION is LETTER.RECEIVED, then a confirmation of Successful causes the letter to be scanned for the subject line and sender (using the Format Clause in the script file) and the letter is then placed in the In Box.

Example:

Confirm LETTER.RECEIVED Successful

See also:

Script Overview


Control Statement
Control

Usage:

Control CHAR

This statement causes the Control Character CHAR to be sent over the modem.  Control characters are essentially the ASCII value of the letter minus 64.  For example, the following statement sends the value 3 over the modem:

Control C


Cr Statement
Cr

Usage:

Cr

This command causes a carriage-return character (ASCII 13) to be sent over the modem.  This is equivalent to the statement:

Control M


CreateCC Statement
CreateCC

Usage:

CreateCC maxitems maxlen Delimiter 'delim'

This statement formats a string (accessed using the $LETTER.CC variable) based on the CC list for the current letter.  The string consists of the addresses of all the people in CC list, separated using the first character in the delim string.  The maxitems field instructs the script to only create a string which contains up to the specified number of addresses.  The maxlen field instructs the script to only create a string which is no longer than the specified length.  If the CC list would create a string which exceeds the specified maxitems or maxlen, then the number of addresses pulled off the CC list is reduced to fit the string to the size restrictions.  Specifying zero for either of these fields indicates that there is no restriction.

The optional second character of the delim string specifies what character should be appended to the string if the entire CC list will not fit the size restrictions.  This allows CC strings to be built that signal the Mail Service that more CC information is to be sent (a trailing semicolon signals this to CompuServe, for example).

If CreateCC does not use the entire CC list in the string, then the LETTER.CC condition will remain true.  The next time CreateCC is executed, it will begin the string with the first unsent address in the CC list.

Example:

;This loop sends comma-separated addresses to the CC prompt,

;with a maximum line length of 80 and a maximum of five

;addresses per line.  Each line is terminated with a semicolon

;if and only if there are more CC addresses.

Begin IF_CC

    If LETTER.CC Then BUILD_CC

    When 'CC:' Goto DONE_CC

End

Begin BUILD_CC

    CreateCC 5 80 Delimiter ',;'

    When 'CC:' Goto SEND_CC

End

Begin SEND_CC

    Transmit $LETTER.CC

    Cr

    If LETTER.CC Then BUILD_CC

    When 'Subj:' Goto SUBJECT

End

Begin DONE_CC

    Cr

    When 'Subj:' Goto SUBJECT

End

See also:

Script Overview


Download Statement
Download

Usage:

Download protocol ['terminator'] Then state1 Else state2

This command initiates a download using the specified protocol (currently the XMODEM, YMODEM, ZMODEM, KERMIT, and ASCII protocols are supported).  The 'terminator' string is optional and may only be specified for ASCII transfers.  If the transfer was successful, then control passes to state state1, otherwise control passes to state2.

The data is stored in a temporary file (usually mail.tmp) which will become a new letter if a Confirm LETTER.RECEIVED statement is executed, validating the success of the transfer.

An ASCII download merely captures all text from the modem, starting with the first ASCII character greater than 32 (ASCII space), and is considered finished when the line is quiet for 5 seconds.  If the 'terminator' string is specified, then the downloaded letter is considered to be the text captured from the start of the transfer up to the line which begins with the specified string.  GEnie, for example, always places the word '=END=' after the last line of the letter.

Examples:

Download XMODEM Then DOWNLOAD_SUCCESS Else DOWNLOAD_FAILURE

Download ASCII '=END=' Then DOWNLOAD_SUCCESS Else DOWNLOAD_FAILURE


Exit Statement
Exit

Usage

Exit

This command causes the script to terminate, closing the Modem Window, and dumping out a transcript of the session to the file modem.log.  If any letters remain in the current Mail Bundle, they are placed back where they originated (either the desktop or the Out Box).


Hangup Statement
Hangup

Usage:

Hangup

This command causes the modem to hangup the line, and the script to terminate.

See also:

Exit


NextIndex Statement
NextIndex

Usage:

NextIndex

This statement increments the value of the $INDEX variable by one.

See also:

ClearIndex


NewLetter Statement
NewLetter

Usage:

NewLetter

This command signals to RFD Mail that the next letter in the Mail Bundle is to be processed.  All commands and variables which refer to the current letter in the bundle (Upload, Confirm, If, LETTER, CreateCC) will now operate on the next letter.

See also:

Script Overview


Transmit Statement
Transmit

Usage:

Transmit (nn) ['string' | $variable]

This command sends the specified 'string' or $variable out the modem, without adding a carriage-return (use Cr for that purpose).

The optional parameter (nn) limits the number of characters transmitted to the number nn.  A use for this is found in the CompuServe script, where the number of characters sent for the subject line is limited to 40, which is a limit imposed by CompuServe.

Examples:

Transmit 'download/pro:xmodem'

Transmit (40) $LETTER.SUBJECT

See also:

$LETTER

$PASSWORD

$SERVICENAME

$USERNAME

$YOURNAME


Upload Statement
Upload

Usage:

Upload protocol [StripCR | StripLF] Then state1 Else state2

This command initiates an upload of the current letter in the Mail Bundle using the specified protocol (currently the XMODEM, YMODEM, ZMODEM, KERMIT, and ASCII protocols are supported). The optional StripCR and StripLF modifiers instruct the upload to strip ASCII 13 and ASCII 10 characters from the letter, respectively.   If the transfer was successful, then control passes to state state1, otherwise control passes to state2.

An ASCII upload is considered finished when the transmit buffer (a 256-byte buffer) clears, and the receive buffer is empty for two seconds.  This guarantees that when this statement completes, the mail service has actually received all bytes of the upload (with none being held locally in the transmit buffer), which could cause false timeouts in the script.  It also guarantees that the mail service has finished echoing the uploaded characters (CompuServe does this, for example), which could potentially confuse later When exit clauses.  As a result, you may see the message "ASCII: send complete" in the Modem Window for a short time while both the transmit and receive lines quiet down.

Note that a Confirm statement is necessary to signal to RFD Mail that a letter transmission was successful, as a successful upload does not imply the former.

Example:

Upload XMODEM Then UPLOAD_SUCCESS Else UPLOAD_FAILURE

See also:

Script Overview


CarrierLoss Exit Clause
CarrierLoss

Usage:

CarrierLoss Goto state

This exit clause causes a state transition to state when the modem detects that the Mail Service has disconnected.  If a state does not have a CarrierLoss exit clause, then loss of carrier causes an Error Dialog Box to appear, and the script terminates.

Example:

CarrierLoss Goto END_PROGRAM


If Exit Clause
If

Usage:

If condition Then state

This exit clauses passes control to state state if the specified condition is true.  The valid conditions are listed below:

MORE_LETTERS

This condition is true if there is at least one pending letter in the current Mail Bundle waiting to be delivered.  See NewLetter and Script Overview for more details.

FETCHING

This condition is true if: (1) the user has caused this script to run by selecting one of the Fetch... menu entries, or (2) the Always Fetch New Mail option in the Preferences Dialog is enabled.

LETTER.CC

This condition is true if there is at least one additional destination specified in the CC list that has not been formatted by the CreateCC statement.

This exit clause is unique in that it is executed immediately upon entering the state in which it resides (after any preceding statements of course).  Most other exit clauses occur in the idle time between executing a state's script statements and when that exit clause is triggered.

Examples:

If MORE_LETTERS Then SEND_A_LETTER

If FETCHING Then FETCH_MAIL


Timeout Exit Clause
Timeout

Usage:

Timeout nn Goto state

This exit clause is invoked only if nn seconds elapse and no other exit clause is invoked.  If nn seconds elapse, then control passes to state state.

Example:

Timeout 30 Goto GIVE_UP


When Exit Clause
When

Usage:

When 'string' Goto state

This exit clause is invoked if the connected Mail Service sends the specified 'string'.  If this occurs, control passes to the state state.

The 'string' is straight ASCII text, with one addition: the '\n' tuple.  If there is a '\n' at the beginning or end of the string, then the When statement is triggered if the string occurs that the beginning or end of a line, respectively.  This is useful for setting up watches for command-line prompts, which alway occur at the beginning of a line.

Examples:

When 'You have mail' Goto NEW_MAIL_WAITING

When '\nUser ID:' Goto USERNAME


Script Overview

A script file for RFD Mail must be written to accomplish two separate tasks: sending a Mail Bundle to a target Mail Service, and receiving any new mail from that Mail Service.

Receiving Mail:

To receive mail, a script file typically must enter the service's mail section, and detect the presence of new mail.  If there is new mail, then the script must download each letter one by one, verifying the transfer using the Confirm statement.  Upon each successful confirmation, the script file's filter section will be used to extract out information from the letter.

Sending Mail:

Outgoing mail is packaged in a Mail Bundle, which is merely a collection of letters which are going to the same Mail Service.  The Mail Bundle is diagrammed below:

Note the $LETTER variable, which always references the "current" letter in the bundle.  A script file must use this variable to transfer the letter to the Mail Service, using the Upload, CreateCC, and Transmit commands.  When the transfer has been confirmed successful, the Confirm statement can be used to signal that the letter has been sent, and the NewLetter statement will advance the $LETTER reference to the next letter in the bundle.


INDEX variable
$INDEX

This variable is a simple numeric counter which is always used in the context of a Transmit statement.  A typical use of this counter is to download letters one by one from a service which indexes the newly received letters (GEnie and MCI Mail, for example).

Example:

Begin FETCH_MAIL

   Transmit 'list '

   Transmit $INDEX

   Cr

   When 'Item' Goto DOWNLD_LETTER

   When 'exceeds last' Goto NO_MORE_MAIL

   Timeout 30 Goto GIVE_UP

End

See also:

ClearIndex

NextIndex


LETTER variable
$LETTER

This variable refers to either the current letter in a Mail Bundle (when sending mail) or to the current letter being received (when fetching mail).  It contains six fields, which are as follows:

$LETTER.SENT

This is always used in the context of a Confirm statement, and is used to confirm the success or failure of the letter delivery for the current letter.

$LETTER.RECEIVED

This is always used in the context of a Confirm statement, and is used to confirm the success or failure to receive a letter from the Mail Service.

$LETTER.SUBJECT

This is always used in the context of a Transmit statement, and is used in place of a literal string to cause the script to send the subject of the current letter.

$LETTER.DEST.USERNAME

This is always used in the context of a Transmit statement, and is used in place of a literal string to cause the script to send the destination mail address of the current letter.

$LETTER.FILENAME

This variable is always used in the context of a Transmit command, and is used in place of a literal string to cause the script to send the name of the temporary file used to send or receive the current letter (usually "mail.tmp").

$LETTER.CC

This is always used in the context of a Transmit statement, and is used in place of a literal string to cause the script to send a portion of the CC list, as formatted by the most recent CreateCC statement.

See also:

Script Overview


PASSWORD variable
$PASSWORD

This variable is always used in the context of a Transmit command, and is used in place of a literal string to cause the script to send the user's password for this Mail Service as specified in the Mail Service Dialog.


SERVICENAME variable
$SERVICENAME

This variable is always used in the context of a Transmit command, and is used in place of a literal string to cause the script to send the name of this Mail Service as specified in the Mail Service Dialog.


USERNAME variable
$USERNAME

This variable is always used in the context of a Transmit command, and is used in place of a literal string to cause the script to send the user's user-id for this Mail Service as specified in the Mail Service Dialog.


YOURNAME variable
$YOURNAME

This variable is always used in the context of a Transmit command, and is used in place of a literal string to cause the script to send the "real name" of the user (as known by this Mail Service), specified in the Mail Service Dialog.


Mail Service

RFD Mail alone does not actually perform the delivery of email between users.  This must be done by another computer (or computers, in some instances) that RFD Mail accesses using a modem.  This computer is referred to as a Mail Service.  RFD Mail acts as a "front-end" to a mail service, allowing you to compose and read your letters "off-line", without tying up your phone and accruing unneccessary connect charges.

Unlike many other electronic-mail programs which support a single type of mail service, RFD Mail transparently handles sending and receiving mail from an unlimited number of different mail services.  The mail services provided by CompuServe, MCI Mail, and GEnie are currently supported, and new mail services can be added to the Post Office by writing a Script File which handles communications with that mail service.

Before RFD Mail can operate with a mail service, you need to enter your account information for that service.  This is accomplished by creating or editing a mail service in the Post Office Window, which brings up the Mail Service Dialog for that mail service.

See also:

Delivering Mail

Fetching Mail


Post Office
Post Office:

The Post Office is where RFD Mail keeps a list of Mail Services which you are able to send mail to and receive mail from.  At any time you can see the list of currently available services by opening the Post Office Window located on The Desktop.  This window contains four items:

The New Button.

The Edit Button.

The Delete Button.

The Post Office List, which shows the currently available services.

To create a new Mail Service, press the New button, which will bring up a mostly empty Mail Service Dialog.  Simply fill in the fields of this dialog box, press the OK button, and the new service will be added to the Post Office.

To edit an existing Mail Service, select the entry you wish to change and press the Edit button.  This will bring up a Mail Service Dialog on the Mail Service you selected.  Make the changes you desire and press the OK button.

To delete a Mail Service, select the entry you wish to delete and press the Delete button.  A confirmation dialog will appear, and if you select Yes, the Mail Service will be removed from the Post Office.  Note that you will be unable to delete a Mail Service if either of the following are true:

There are any entries in the Address Book which refer to the selected Mail Service.

There are any letters on the desktop or in any folders which refer to the selected Mail Service.

Shortcuts:

You can edit a Mail Service simply by double-clicking on the desired entry in the Post Office.


Mail Service Dialog

This dialog box allows you to specify the information necessary for RFD Mail to communicate with a Mail Service.  This information includes dial-up information about the service (phone number, modem settings, etc), information about your account (username and password), and the Script File to use when communicating with this service.  The dialog appears below:

(click the mouse over the part of the dialog you need help on)

IMPORTANT:

You should verify that the Script File specified in the dialog matches the Mail Service.  For the currently supported services, here is a table of the correct script files:

GEnie	genie.scr

CompuServe	cserve.scr and cserve_a.scr

MCI Mail	mcimail.scr

World Unix	unix.scr and unix_cis.scr


Address Book

The Address Book is where you maintain the list of people with whom you frequently exchange mail.  Each entry contains information necessary to send mail to and identify mail from a particular person.  This consists of three items: Name, Address, and Mail Service.

Once a person is in the Address Book, you can address letters using their name, or by selecting it from the supplied list in a New Letter Window.  In addition, when a letter is received from a person who is in the Address Book, their real name will be displayed rather than their mail address.

The Address Book is also used to save disk space when storing letters.  If a letter in a folder is sent to or received from a person who is in the Address Book, disk space is conserved by recording a reference to the Address Book rather than storing the person's entire name and address.  The disadvantage to this scheme is that deleting a person from the Address Book may take longer than you expect.

See also:

Address Book Window

Mail User Dialog

Importing/Exporting the Address Book


Address Book Window
Address Book Window:

At any time you can see the list of currently known people by opening the Address Book Window located on  The Desktop.  This window contains four items:

The New Button.

The Edit Button.

The Delete Button.

The Address List, which shows the currently known people.

To create a new person, press the New button, which will bring up a mostly empty Mail User Dialog.  Simply fill in the fields of this dialog box, press the OK button, and the new entry will be added to the Address Book.

To edit an existing person, select the entry you wish to change and press the Edit button.  This will bring up a Mail User Dialog on the entry you selected.  Make the changes you desire and press the OK button.

To delete a person, select the entry you wish to delete and press the Delete button.  A confirmation dialog will appear, and if you select Yes, the person will be removed from the Address Book.  Note that this may take a long time, as RFD Mail must search all folders for letters which reference this person, and will update each matching letter such that is no longer refers to the deleted Address Book entry.

Shortcuts:

You can edit a person simply by double-clicking on the desired entry in the Address Book.

You can quickly grab an address from a letter using the Letter|Grab Address menu option,


Mail User Dialog

The Mail User Dialog allows you to create or change information about another person with whom you exchange mail.  This dialog is accessible from the Address Book Window, which is used to maintain the Address Book.

(click the mouse over the part of the dialog you need help on)


MailUserNameField
Name:

This is the name that RFD Mail will display in the addressee

fields of the Letter Window and Folder Windows.  It can be

any name you wish, with the restriction that each name in the

Address Book must be unique.


MailUserAddressField
Address:

This is the email address as understood by the

Mail Service that this person subscribes to,

and is what RFD Mail will specify to the mail

service when sending a letter to this person.


MailUserSystemField
Mail Service:

This is the Mail Service that RFD Mail will

call to send mail to this person.


Backup Dialog

The Backup Dialog allows you to backup some or all of your letters to a backup file.  Once backed up these letter can be restored at a later date, either to the same RFD Mail installation, or to an installation on another computer.

(click the mouse over the part of the dialog you need help on)

See also:

Backup and Restore


BackupFolderField
Folders:

Use the left mouse button to select the folders

you wish to backup in this box.  You can select

more than one folder.


BackupAllField
All Letters:

Select this button if you want to back up all

letters in the selected folders, regardless of

the date of the letters.


BackupDateField
Date Range:

Select this button if you want to back up letters

in the selected folder that fall within a specific

time period.  If you select this button you must then

enter the desired starting and ending dates below.


BackupFileField
Filename:

This field is where you must enter the filename

of the backup file you wish to write your letters

to.  You can also select a file by clicking the

Browse... button.


BackupAllButton
Backup All:

Click this button if you wish to backup all letters in

all folders  This will begin the backup process, so you

must have selected a file in the Filename field before

selecting this option.


BackupBrowseButton
Browse:

Click this button if you wish to graphically select

the backup file to write.  This will cause a File

Open Dialog box to appear.


Restore Dialog

The Restore Dialog allows you to restore letters from a backup file, which has been previously created using the Backup Dialog.

(click the mouse over the part of the dialog you need help on)

See also:

Backup and Restore


RestoreFileField
Filename:

This area shows the current backup file being displayed

by this dialog.  You can change the file by selecting the

Browse... button.


RestoreFolderField
Folders:

Use the left mouse button to select the folders

you wish to restore in this box.  You can select

more than one folder.


RestoreAllField
All Letters:

Select this button if you want to restore all

letters in the selected folders, regardless of

the date of the letters.


RestoreDateField
Date Range:

Select this button if you want to restore letters

in the selected folder that fall within a specific

time period.  If you select this button you must then

enter the desired starting and ending dates below.


RestoreAllButton
Restore All:

Click this button if you wish to restore all letters in

all folders contained in the backup file.


RestoreBrowseButton
Browse:

Click this button if you wish to reselect the

backup file from which to restore.  This will

cause a File Open Dialog box to appear.


Writing Mail

A fundamental aspect of RFD Mail is the ability to write letters which will be sent to one or more users of one of the Mail Services to which you subscribe.  You begin this process by Creating a Letter, which results in the creation of a New Letter Window where you generate and/or edit the subject and body of your letter.  You also use the New Letter Window to Address the Letter, which specifies to whom the letter will be delivered.

Once the letter is written and addressed, you need to Deliver the Letter, either singly or with a group of other letters.  This will cause RFD Mail to dial the Mail Service to which the letter was bound, transfer the body of the letter to that service, then instruct the service to deliver the letter to the people you specified.  When the letter has been successfully delivered, it will either be discarded, or a copy of it will be filed into the In Box (depending upon what was specified in the Preferences Dialog).


Creating a Letter

There are three ways to create a letter: New, Reply, and Forward.  All of these techniques result in a New Letter Window, but the initial contents of that window varies for each case.

Create a New Letter

This creates a letter with an empty address, subject., and body.  A New Letter can be created by either selecting the Letter|New menu option, or by pressing the New Letter button on The Desktop.

Create a Reply

This option is only available when a letter is selected on the desktop, or is selected in the current folder on the desktop.  You may select this option by selecting the Letter|Create Reply menu option, pressing the Reply To button, or by pressing Ctrl+R key.  This creates a letter with the following properties:

The address is the same as the sender of the original letter.

The subject is the same as the original letter, but prepended with the text: "Re: ".

The body is the same as the original letter.

Create a Forwarded Letter

This option is only available when a letter is selected on the desktop, or is selected in the current folder on the desktop.  You may select this option by selecting the Letter|Forward menu option, or by pressing the Ctrl+F key..  This creates a letter with the following properties:

The address is blank.

The subject is the same as the original letter.

The body is the same as the original letter.

See also:

Writing Mail

Delivering a Letter


New Letter Window
New Letter Window:

The New Letter Window allows you to edit letters that will be sent to another person using electronic mail.  It consists of three parts: the address, subject, and body.  A typical New Letter Window appears below:

(click the mouse over the part of the window you need help on)

Once you have finished entering the address, subject, and body, there are several options:

Deliver the letter immediately using the Mail|Deliver Letter menu entry.

Put the letter in the Out Box for later delivery using the Letter|To Out Box menu entry.

Delete the letter using the Letter|Delete menu entry.

Keep the letter on the desktop.

Export the letter to a text file.

Keyboard Shortcuts:

You can either type an address directly into the To: Field, or you can use the arrows and PgUp/PgDown keys to select an Address Book entry from the drop-down list.

When typing in the name of a person in the Address Book, the first entry which matches will be filled in for you automatically.  Just keep typing until the correct entry is displayed.

You can use TAB and shift-TAB to move the focus between the fields of this window.  The only exception is when you move the focus to the body of the letter; in this case you must use the mouse to move the focus out to another field.

Hitting the Alt-C key will bring up the Carbon Copy Dialog.

See also:

Writing Mail

Addressing a Letter

Delivering a Letter


Addressing a Letter

A letter can specify one or more people to whom the letter should be delivered, all of whom must be members of the same Mail Service.  If you need to send the same letter to people on more than one Mail Service, simply forward a copy of the letter to each set of people on the additional Mail Services.

Specifying a Single Address

In this case, simply use the To: and Via: fields in the New Letter Window to specify the address and Mail Service of the person to whom the letter should be delivered.

Specifying Multiple Addresses

In this case, specify the primary address as described above, then use the CC: button to bring up a Carbon Copy Dialog.  Fill in the CC List in the dialog and press the OK button when the list is complete.

See also:

Writing Mail

Delivering a Letter


Delivering a Letter

Once a letter has been written and addressed, it needs to be delivered to the person(s) to whom it is addressed.  RFD Mail allows you to deliver a letter immediately, or to file letters into the Out Box to be delivered as a group.

Delivering a Letter Immediately

To deliver a letter immediately, select its New Letter Window or its entry in the Out Box.  Once selected, either select the Mail|Deliver Letter menu option, or press the Deliver Letter button.

Filing a Letter to the Out Box

To file a letter to the Out Box, select its New Letter Window.  Once selected, there are three ways to file the letter to the Out Box:

Select the Letter|To Outbox menu option.

Press the To Outbox button.

Minimize the New Letter Window and drag the icon to the Out Box Window.

See also:

Writing Mail

Addressing a Letter

Delivering Mail


NewLettTo
To:

Type the person's email address, or their name as listed in the

Address Book. You can also use the adjacent button to drop

down a list of Address Book entries, which if selected will also

cause the Via: field to be filled in automatically.  In addition, if

you begin to type the name of a person in the Address Book, the

first entry which matches what you type will be filled in automatically.


NewLettSvc
Via:

Use the adjacent button to drop down a list of

currently known Mail Services.  Select the

one that you wish to use to deliver this letter.

Note that if you select an address using the

To: field's drop-down list, this field will be

filled in automatically.


NewLettSubj
Subject:

Enter the subject of your letter here .  Note that

some Mail Services limit the length of the subject.

CompuServe, for example, limits the length to 40

characters.


NewLettBody
Body:

Enter the body of your letter here.  Note that some

Mail Services may have a limit on the length of the

letter you may send.  RFD Mail's limit is approximately

60,000 characters.


Letter Window
Letter Window:

The Letter Window allows you to read mail that has arrived from another person.  Its layout is similar to the New Letter Window, except that none of its fields are editable.  A sample Letter Window appears below:

(click the mouse over the part of the window you need help on)

You have several options once a letter is in a Letter Window:

Leave the letter on The Desktop.

Delete the letter by selecting the Letter|Delete menu option, or by pressing the Delete Letter button.

File the letter to a folder by either selecting the Letter|To Folder menu option, or by minimizing the letter and dragging it to the desired folder.

Export the letter to a text file.


LettWdwFrom
From:

This field displays the email address of the person who

sent this letter.  If that person is in the Address Book,

then the name you specified in that person's entry will

be displayed instead,


LettWdwAt
Via:

This field displays the Mail Service which

was called to fetch this letter.


LettWdwSubj
Subject:

This field displays the subject of the letter.


LettWdwBody
Body:

This area contains the body of the letter.  Use the

scrollable to move around the text.


FlowControlField
Flow:

This field allows you to select the type of Flow Control

that this Mail Service uses.  Note that XON/XOFF is

only recommended for Mail Services which use either

ZMODEM or ASCII file transfers.


LettWdwCC
CC:

Press this button to bring up a list of people

to whom were sent a Carbon Copy of this letter.


NewLettCC
CC:

Pressing this button will bring up a CC Dialog,

allowing you to create and/or edit the current list

of users who receive a Carbon Copy of this letter.

When you have at least one entry in the CC list,

this button will show the current size of the list in

parenthesis.  For example: "CC: (2)".


ModemFlowField
Flow:

This field allows you to select the flow-control

to be used when connected with this Mail Service.

Currently only Xon/Xoff and Rts/Cts controls are

supported.


Carbon Copy Dialog

The Carbon Copy Dialog allows you to create and edit a list of additional destinations to a new letter.  This dialog is accessible only from a New Letter Window.

(click the mouse over the part of the dialog you need help on)

IMPORTANT:

The letter will be sent only to those addresses listed in the CC List (the list box in the center of the dialog).  If you are only sending the letter to one additional person, be sure to press the Add button after entering (or selecting) their name in the Address Field.  Also note that you may only send additional copies of the letter to people who are on the same Mail Service as the main recipient of the letter.  A side-effect of this is that the drop-down list may be only a subset of the Address Book.

Keyboard Shortcuts:

As in the New Letter Window, you can type in an address directly, or use the arrows and PgUp/PgDown keys to browse entries in the drop-down list.

Also as in the New Letter Window, you can type the first part of an address, and the remainder will be filled in automatically for you.

Hitting ENTER after making a change to the Address Field will cause that address to be added to the list (as if you hit the Add button).

Hitting ENTER again (without changing the address field) is equivalent to hitting the OK button.


CCDlgAddressField
Address Field:

Enter addresses directly or select addresses

from the drop-down list into this field.  Use

the Add button to add the current address to

the CC list.


CCDlgListBox
CC List:

This list box contains the list of additional

destinations for the letter.  Use the Delete

button to delete the currently selected addresses.

Double-click an address to move an address from

the list out to the Address Field for further editing.


CCDlgAddBtn
Add Button:

Clicking this button will add the address

in the Address Field to the CC List.


CCDlgDeleteBtn
Delete Button:

Clicking this button will delete the

currently selected address(es) from

the CC List.


Desktop Overview
The Desktop

The main window of RFD Mail (also known as "the desktop") is where you perform all of your email-related activities.  Pictured below is a sample desktop:

(click the mouse over the part of the desktop you need help on)

The desktop initially contains four types of windows:

Post Office

Address Book

In Box

Out Box

As you send and receive mail, the desktop will additionally contain one or more of the following types of windows:

New Letter

Letter

Folder


DTFileMenu
File Menu:

This menu contains entries to allows you to

perform file-related operations.


DTEditMenu
Edit Menu:

This menu contains entries related to text editing

in New Letter Windows and any text-entry field

that occurs within RFD Mail.


DTLetterMenu
Letter Menu:

This menu contains entries which allow you

to perform operations on letters, either in

their own window or contained in a folder.


DTMailMenu
Mail Menu:

This menu contains entries which allow you

to send and receive mail to and from any

of the supported Mail Services.


DTFolderMenu
Folder Menu:

This menu contains entries which allow you

to manage folders of letters.


DTNewLetter
New Letter:

Pressing this button is equivalent to

selecting the Letter|New menu option.


DTReplyTo
Reply To:

Pressing this button is equivalent to selecting

the Letter|Create Reply menu option.


DTToOutbox
To Outbox:

Pressing this button is equivalent to selecting

the Letter|To Outbox menu option.


DTDeleteLetter
Delete Letter:

Pressing this button is equivalent to selecting

the Letter|Delete menu option.


DTDeliverLetter
Deliver Letter:

Pressing this button is equivalent to selecting

the Mail|Deliver Letter menu option.


DTDeliverOutbox
Deliver Outbox:

Pressing this button is equivalent to selecting

the Mail|Deliver Out Box menu option.


DTFetch
Fetch:

Pressing this button is equivalent to selecting

the Mail|Fetch from Default menu option.


DTFetchAll
Fetch All:

Pressing this button is equivalent to selecting

the Mail|Fetch from All menu option.


DTAbortPhone
Abort Phone:

Pressing this button is equivalent to selecting

the Mail|Abort Phone Connection menu option.


DTPostOffice
Post Office:

This window allows you to manage the

Mail Services that you send mail to and

receive mail from.


DTAddressBook
Address Book:

This window allows you to manage the

names and addresses of people with

whom you frequently correspond.


DTInBox
In Box:

This window is a special folder, which

contains letters you have received, and

letters which you have recently sent.


DTOutBox
Out Box:

This window is a special folder which

contains letters you have written that

are waiting to be delivered.


DTFolder
Folders:

A folder window contains letters which

you have filed for future reference.


Backup/Restore
Backup and Restore

RFD Mail allows you to save letters from one or more folders to an external file, from which they can be restored at a later time.  This feature can be used to make archival copies of letters for safekeeping, or it can be used to transfer letters from one computer to another.

Backup

To perform a backup, select the File|Backup menu option, which will bring up a Backup Dialog.  Once you have filled in this dialog and pressed OK, the letters in the folders you selected will be placed into the file you specified.

Note: the disk which will contain the backup file must have enough space to store the file or the backup will not be successful.  This is especially important if you backup to a floppy disk, as the program will not prompt you to insert a second disk if the backup file is too large for the first disk.

Restore

To restore letters from a file previously created using the Backup feature, select the File|Restore menu option, which will bring up a File Selection Dialog.  Use this dialog to select the backup file you from which you wish to restore letters.  This will bring up a Restore Dialog, showing the names of the folders which are contained in the file you selected.  Once you have filled in this dialog and pressed OK, the folders you selected will be restored to your desktop.


Format Clause

A script's Format Clause is used by RFD Mail to help extract three important pieces of information from each mail message received from a Mail Service: the Username of the sender, the Real Name of the sender, and the Subject Line of the message.  When a script executes a Confirm $LETTER.RECEIVED Successful statement, RFD Mail scans the letter line-by-line using the Format Clause until it has found these items.

A Format Clause begins with the keyword Format, followed by a series of format-lines, and ends with the keyword Endformat, as shown below:

Format

    format-line

    format-line

    format-line

    ....

EndFormat

The Format Line is a text pattern, which is a combination of literal text and one or more variable specifiers.  There are three valid variable specifiers: $SUBJECT$, $UID$, and $NAME$, which correspond to the Subject Line, Username, and Real Name.  Literal text specifies text that the line must match exactly, with the following exceptions:

A single space in the literal text will match one or more spaces and tabs in the letter.

The two characters \n correspond to the end of the current line.

For example, the Format Line: Subject: $SUBJECT$\n matches any line beginning with the text Subject:, followed by any number of spaces.  The Subject Line of the letter will be the first non-space character thereafter, up to the end of the line.

As another example, the Format Line: From: $NAME$[$UID$] matches any line beginning with the text From:, followed by any number of spaces.  The Real Name of the sender will be the first non-space character thereafter, up to the character '['.  The Username of the sender will be the remaining characters, up to the character ']'.

It is legal to have more than one Format Line which specifies the same variable, as shown in the example at the end of this page.  In such a case, when scanning a letter RFD Mail will simply use the information from the first line which matches one of the Format Lines.  If you need more examples of Format Clauses, see the provided script files for the supported Mail Services.

Example:

Format

Reply to: $SUBJECT$\n

Subject: $SUBJECT$\n

Subj: $SUBJECT$\n

From: [$UID$] $NAME$\n

From: $NAME$[$UID$]

Endformat

See also:

Script File Format


Folders
Folders:

As you begin to send and receive mail on a regular basis, you will want a way to organize the letters that will begin to accumulate in the In Box and on The Desktop.  RFD Mail provides Folders for this purpose.  A folder is simply a named window on the desktop which acts as a container and viewer for multiple letters.  You can use folders to organize and categorize the letters that you send and receive in any fashion that you choose.

A folder on the desktop is divided horizontally into two sections.  The top section contains the list of letters currently in the folder, showing the date, the destination, and the subject line of the letter.  The bottom section contains the body of the letter that is currently selected in the top section.  By scrolling through the top section and selecting letters of interest, you can quickly browse letters that are contained in a folder.

See also:

Managing Folders

Managing Letters in Folders


Managing Folders

There are three basic operations you can apply to folders, which are listed below:

Creating a Folder

To create a folder, select the Folder|New menu option.  This will cause a dialog to appear which allows you to enter the name of the new folder.  If you press OK, a new Folder Window will appear on the desktop.

Deleting a Folder

To delete a folder, select the Folder|Delete menu option.  This will cause a dialog to appear which request that you confirm the operation.  If you press Yes, the currently selected Folder Window and all of its letters will be removed from the desktop

Renaming a Folder

To rename a folder, select the Folder|Rename menu option.  This will cause a dialog to appear which allows you to enter new name for the currently selected Folder Window.  If you press OK, the folder's name is updated.


Managing Mail in Folders

There are several operations that you can apply to the letters contained in folders, which are listed below:

Deleting a Letter

To delete a letter which is in a folder, first select the letter that you wish to delete.  Then, either select the Letter|Delete menu option, press the Delete Letter button, or press the Alt+Del key.  A confirmation dialog will appear, and if you press Yes, the letter will be deleted from the folder.

Moving a Letter to a different Folder

To move a letter to another folder, first select the letter that you wish to move.  The letter may now be moved in one of two ways:

While still holding the left mouse button, drag the mouse to the folder to which you want the letter moved.  During the mouse drag you will see the cursor change to a picture of an envelope.  When the cursor is over correct location, release the left mouse button.

Select the Letter|To Folder menu option.  This will cause a dialog with the list of folders to appear.  Merely select the folder to which you want the letter moved, then press OK.

Moving a Letter to the Desktop

To move a letter from a folder to The Desktop, first select the letter that you wish to move.  The letter may now be moved in one of three ways:

Drag the letter as described above.  Only instead of releasing the left mouse button over a folder, release it over an empty spot on the desktop.   This will cause a Letter Window  with the contents of the selected letter to appear on the desktop.

Select the Letter|To Desktop menu option.   This will cause a Letter Window  with the contents of the selected letter to appear on the desktop.

Double-click a letter in the folder.  This will cause a Letter Window  with the contents of the selected letter to appear on the desktop.

Moving a Letter from the Desktop into a Folder

There are two ways to move a letter which is on the Desktop (i.e.,in a Letter Window), into a Folder:

Select the Letter|To Folder menu option as described above.

Minimize the Letter Window and drag its icon to the folder you wish to move it to.


The In Box
The In Box:

The In Box is a special folder which contains letters you have recently sent and recently received.  Whenever RFD Mail downloads a newly received letter from a Mail Service, it is always placed in the In Box.  In addition, when RFD Mail successfully delivers a letter to a Mail Service, a copy of the letter is placed in the In Box (assuming you selected this option in the Preferences Dialog).

Once mail has arrived into the In Box, the title of the window will contain a number in parenthesis, which is the number of letters currently contained there.  For example, if there are two letters in the In Box, the title will be: In Box (2).  You can use this feature to see at a glance whether RFD Mail has fetched any new mail.

Letters in the In Box can be browsed and handled in the same manner as letters which are in any other folder (see the topic: Managing Mail in Folders for more information).  The one exception to this is how the In Box responds to double-clicking a letter.  If you double-click a letter in the In Box, that letter is either placed on The Desktop, or is placed in the folder chosen in the Preferences Dialog.

See also:

How to Use the In Box

Fetching Mail

The Out Box


How to Use the In Box
How to Use the In Box:

The In Box is meant to be a temporary holding place for newly sent and received letters,  If your email needs are extremely simple, then you can probably use the In Box to store all of the mail you have received.  In the normal case, however, this is not recommended.

When you receive a letter into the In Box, you are free to read the entire letter while it is still contained in the In Box (you can do this even while RFD Mail is still fetching mail).  At this point you have several options:

Delete the letter if you no longer want it.

Move the letter to a folder.

Move the letter onto The Desktop.

You may also choose to just leave the letter in the In Box.  The disadvantage of this, however, is that it becomes less obvious when a new mail has arrived.  If you regularly keep the In Box empty, then the fact that the In Box title has a letter count becomes your cue that you should read the mail that has been received.

See also:

The In Box

Managing Mail in Folders


The Out Box
The Out Box:

The Out Box is a special folder which contains newly written letters you wish to deliver in a single call to a Mail Service.  Only letters in New Letter Windows are eligible to be placed into the Out Box, and may only be removed to The Desktop.

Once you have placed letters into the Out Box, the title of the window will contain a number in parenthesis, which is the number of letters currently contained there.  For example, if there are two letters in the Out Box, the title will be: Out Box (2).  You can use this feature to see at a glance whether you have mail waiting to be delivered.

When you decide to deliver the letters in the Out Box, you may either select the Mail|Deliver Outbox menu option, or press the Deliver Outbox button.  This will cause RFD Mail to dial the appropriate Mail Services to deliver your mail.

Alternatively, you can deliver a single letter that is in the Out Box.  This is done by selecting the letter in the Out Box that you wish to deliver.  You may then either select the Mail|Deliver Letter menu option, or press the Deliver Letter button.  This will cause RFD Mail to dial the appropriate Mail Service to deliver the selected letter.

See also:

Managing Mail in the Out Box

Delivering Mail

The In Box


Managing Mail in the Out Box
Managing Mail in the Out Box:

Managing mail in the Out Box is simply a matter of adding letters from The Desktop, moving letters back to the desktop, and deleting letters in the Out Box.  Each operation is described below:

Adding a Letter to the Out Box:

Only letters in a New Letter Window may be moved to the Out Box.  The first step is to select the letter you wish to move.  At this point there are three ways to get it into the Out Box:

Select the Letter|To Outbox menu option.

Press the To Outbox button.

Minimize the New Letter Window, then drag the window's icon to the Out Box.

Moving a Letter back to the desktop:

If you wish to edit a letter after you've placed it in the Out Box, you'll need to do this operation first.  This operation works exactly as in any other folder.  For detailed information, see the topic: Managing Mail in Folders.

Deleting a Letter in the Out Box:

This operation works exactly as in any other folder.  For detailed information, see the topic: Managing Mail in Folders.

See also:

The Out Box


Fetching Mail
Fetching Mail:

There are three ways to instruct RFD Mail to fetch mail:

Fetch from a Single Service:

To check for and fetch mail from a single Mail Service, select the Mail|Fetch menu option.  This will cause a dialog box to appear, containing a list of Mail Services.   Select the service you want to check and press the OK button.  This will cause a Modem Window to appear, and a call is placed to the selected service.

Fetch from the Default Service:

To check for and fetch mail from your chosen default Mail Service, you must have first specified which Mail Service you want to be the default using the Preferences Dialog.  Once this is done, you may either select the Mail|Fetch from Default menu option, or press the Fetch button.  This will cause a Modem Window to appear, and a call is placed to the default service.

Fetch from All Services:

To check for and fetch mail from all Mail Services in the Post Office, either select the Mail|Fetch from All menu option, or press the Fetch All button.  This will cause RFD Mail to place a call to each Mail Service in the Post Office, one after the other.

Because RFD Mail relies on Mail Services to actually perform the delivery of email, and because these services are only accessible using a modem, incoming mail cannot just automatically appear in the In Box.  The only time new mail will appear there is when you perform one of the above operations.  So while checking mail is still a manual operation, RFD Mail can check for and download mail much faster than if you were to do it yourself using a simple terminal program.

See also:

How RFD Mail Fetches Mail

Mail Poll Dialog


How RFD Mail Fetches Mail

In order to successfully fetch mail, RFD Mail must accomplish two tasks:

Place a call to the Mail Service with the correct modem parameters.

Log into the Mail Service and instruct it to download any waiting mail to your computer.

To accomplish the first task, RFD Mail uses the Phone, Baud, Parity, Length, Stop, and Port information in the Post Office Entry for the Mail Service.  This informs RFD Mail which phone number to dial, which modem port to use, and what settings to use on that port.

To accomplish the second task, RFD Mail uses the Username, Password, Mail-Address, and Script File information in the Post Office Entry for the Mail Service.  The first three items inform RFD Mail how to log into your account, and the last item is the key to interacting with the service to fetch your mail.  The Script File is a text file which contains all the instructions on how to instruct the Mail Service to check for and download mail to your computer.  Following the Script File's instructions, RFD Mail will log into your account, move into the Electronic Mail area of the service (if necessary), and ask the service if there is any waiting mail.  If there is, then RFD Mail will request to download each letter one by one, then log off when there are no more letters waiting.

As you can see, it is critical that the Post Office entry for each Mail Service you subscribe to must contain the correct information.  To find out more about setting up Post Office entries, see the topic: Mail Service Dialog.


Delivering Mail

There are two ways which you can deliver mail:

Deliver many letters:

To deliver many letters at a time, the letters you wish to deliver must first be placed in the Out Box.  Once this is done,  you may either select the Mail|Deliver Outbox menu option, or press the Deliver Outbox button.  This will cause RFD Mail to dial the appropriate Mail Services to deliver your mail.

Deliver a single letter:

To deliver a single letter, you must first either select its New Letter Window, or select the desired letter in the Out Box.  Once this is done, you may then either select the Mail|Deliver Letter menu option, or press the Deliver Letter button.  This will cause RFD Mail to dial the appropriate Mail Service to deliver the selected letter.

Because RFD Mail relies on Mail Services to actually perform the delivery of email, and because these services are only accessible using a modem, any pending outgoing mail (either in the Out Box or on The Desktop) remains undelivered until you perform one of the above operations.  So even though delivering mail is still a manual operation, RFD Mail can upload and deliver mail much faster than if you were to do it yourself using a simple terminal program.

See also:

How RFD Mail Delivers Mail

Managing Mail in the Out Box

Writing Mail


How RFD Mail Delivers Mail

In order to successfully deliver mail, RFD Mail must accomplish two tasks:

Place a call to the Mail Service with the correct modem parameters.

Log into the Mail Service and instruct it to upload and deliver any pending mail from your computer.

To accomplish the first task, RFD Mail uses the Phone, Baud, Parity, Length, Stop, and Port information in the Post Office Entry for the Mail Service.  This informs RFD Mail which phone number to dial, which modem port to use, and what settings to use on that port.

To accomplish the second task, RFD Mail uses the Username, Password, Mail-Address, and Script File information in the Post Office Entry for the Mail Service.  The first three items inform RFD Mail how to log into your account, and the last item is the key to interacting with the service to fetch your mail.  The Script File is a text file which contains all the instructions on how to instruct the Mail Service to upload and deliver mail from your computer.  Following the Script File's instructions, RFD Mail will log into your account, and move into the Electronic Mail area of the service (if necessary).  If you have so specified in the Preferences Dialog, RFD Mail will first check for and download any new mail waiting for you.  Then for each pending letter, RFD Mail will request to upload the letter, address and deliver the letter.  When all mail has been delivered,RFD Mail will log off the service and hang up the phone.

As you can see, it is critical that the Post Office entry for each Mail Service you subscribe to must contain the correct information.  To find out more about setting up Post Office entries, see the topic: Mail Service Dialog.

See also:

How RFD Mail Fetches Mail


Reading Mail

Once RFD Mail has fetched some mail from a Mail Service, it will remain in the In Box for your perusal.  You can verify quickly if there is any mail in the In Box by checking to see if there is a number following In Box Window's title (i.e., if there are two letters waiting, the title will be: In Box (2)).  You have several options for reading mail once it is in the In Box:

Read the letter while it is in the In Box.

Put the letter on The Desktop in its own Letter Window.

File the letter into a Folder.

Leave the letter in the In Box

For more information on the above options, see the topics:

The In Box

Folders

Managing Mail in Folders

How to Use the In Box

Printing a Letter


Printing a Letter

To print a letter, merely select the letter you wish to print, either in a Letter Window or a Folder, then select the File|Print menu option.

See also:

File Menu


RFD Mail Overview

RFD Mail is a Microsoft Windows (tm) application which acts as an easy-to-use, graphical front-end to many ASCII-based email services.  Important features include:

Easy, graphical editing and browsing of letters.

Transparent handling of multiple mail services.

File letters into folders for future reference.

An Address Book for easy access to often-used addresses.

Send Carbon-Copies of letters within a single mail service.

Send letters individually or in batches via the Out Box.

Backup and Restore sets of folders.

Currently the CompuServe, GEnie, MCI Mail, and World Unix mail services are directly supported by RFD Mail.  It is important to note that RFD Mail alone does not handle the delivery of electronic mail; it relies on the above services to accomplish this.  To use this program you must have an account on one or more of these services.  If you do not have an account, you may contact the services at the following numbers:

1-800-848-8199 --- CompuServe

1-800-444-6245 --- MCI Mail

1-800-638-9636 --- GEnie

1-617-739-9753 --- World Unix (modem connection, use 8N1 and login as "new")

In addition, if you belong to an unsupported mail service (i.e., a local BBS) and do not wish to join another, RFD Mail can be customized to support your mail service.  This is done by writing a new Script File and adding a new Mail Service to the Post Office.  It is helpful to have some experience with other communication script languages (Crosstalk(tm), Procomm(tm), etc.) if you attempt to write a custom script.

IMPORTANT:

This program is shareware.  It is not free software.  If you obtained this copy either from a BBS or a friend, then you are using an UNREGISTERED copy.  You may run the program for an evaluation period of one month.  After this time if you wish to continue using the program you must register by filling out the Program Registration form and sending in the Registration Fee.  This will help guarantee that the program is well supported and enhanced in the future.  The shareware copy of  RFD Mail has the following limitations:

Address Book can only have 10 entries

Desktop limited to four folders of twenty letters each.

Backup/Restore feature disabled.

Registration reminders occasionally appear when dialing out.

Registering the program entitles you to the following:

Personal Unlock Code to disable shareware limitations.

License for all 1.x versions of RFD Mail.

One free update disk mailed to you upon request

Technical support via email.

See also:

Why use RFD Mail?

Minimum Requirements

Program Registration

License and Warranty


Why use RFD Mail?

RFD Mail provides an easy-to-use, graphical front-end to the CompuServe, GEnie, MCI Mail, and World Unix email services.  The benefits of using this program are as follows:

Graphical interface for writing and browsing mail is much easier than using the ASCII-based service directly.

Minimizes online charges, since RFD Mail can send and receive mail faster than can be accomplished manually, and you are free to create and browse letters while offline.

Transparently handles multiple mail services if you belong to more than one.  Fetch mail from all of your services with one button.  Send mail destined for multiple services with one button.  A single Address Book keeps track of all of your correspondents.

Files mail offline into folders for easy organization.

Customizable to use unsupported mail services by writing custom Script Files.


Minimum System Requirements

To run RFD Mail, your system should meet the following minimum requirements:

Windows 3.1 (version 3.0 is not sufficient)

2 meg of RAM (4 meg recommended)

1.5 meg free disk space

80286 processor or higher

Hayes-Compatible modem

Any display except CGA, although this program has not been tested on monochrome displays.


Registration Form
Program Registration - RFD Mail 1.1

(to print this form, select the "File|Print Topic" menu option)

$29.95	Single User License

$_____	MA residents add state sales tax

$_____	Total

Please include a Check or Money Order made payable to Performance Designs.

Name	 _______________________________________________

Company	 _______________________________________________

Address	_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

For the purposes of giving you your unlock code, select the Mail Service from the

Post Office that you will be using most often (preferably one of the supplied Mail

Services such as CompuServe).  Then fill in the following information exactly as it

is found in that service's entry in the Post Office:

Name	____________________________________

Mail-Address	____________________________________

Username	____________________________________

Your Name	____________________________________

I have read and agree to abide by the license agreement:

 Signature  _____________________________________________

Please include any comments or suggestions on the lines which follow.

Use an additional page if necessary.

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

For information about volume discounts, site  licenses, and

technical questions please contact Performance Designs.

Mail form to:	Performance Designs.

P.O. Box 1005

West Concord, MA 01742


License and Warranty

License:

RFD Mail is copyright (C) 1993 by Performance Designs.

Installation of  RFD Mail on your computer system implies agreement with the terms and conditions below.

RFD Mail is distributed as Shareware.  It is not free, freeware, or in the public domain.   Non-registered users are granted a limited license to use RFD Mail on an evaluation basis for thirty days, for the purpose of determining whether RFD Mail is suitable for their needs.  Use of RFD Mail, except for this limited purpose, requires registration.  Use of non-registered copies of RFD Mail by any person, business, corporation, governmental agency or other entity institution is strictly forbidden.

Registration permits a user the license to use RFD Mail only on a single computer; a registered user may use the program on a different computer, but may not use the program on more than one computer at the same time.

No user may modify RFD Mail in any way, including but not limited to decompiling, disassembling or otherwise reverse-engineering the program.

All users are granted a limited license to copy the SHAREWARE version of RFD Mail only for the trial use of others subject to the above limitations, and also the following:

RFD Mail must be copied in unmodified form, complete with the file containing this license information.

The provided RFD Mail documentation must be included with the copy.  No fee, charge or other compensation may be accepted or requested by any licensee.

Operators of electronic bulletin board systems may post the SHAREWARE version of RFD Mail for downloading by their users only as long as the above conditions are met.  Shareware catalog businesses are welcome to post RFD Mail in their catalog listings.

Warranty:

Performance Designs makes no warranty of any kind, express or implied, including without limitation, any warranties of merchantability  and/or fitness for a particular purpose.  Performance Designs shall not be liable for any damages, whether direct, indirect, special or consequential arising from a failure of this program to operate in the manner desired by the user.  Performance Designs shall not be liable for any damage to data or property which may be caused directly or indirectly by use of the program.

The information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Performance Designs.


Troubleshooting

During the course of running RFD Mail, you may run into some difficulties.  One type of difficulty is apparent when RFD Mail displays a dialog box informing you that either an error has occurred or that it cannot carry out the requested operation.  For help with this, see the topic: Error Dialogs.  Another type of difficulty is apparent when RFD Mail has trouble interacting with your modem and/or Mail Service.  For help with this, see the topic: Modem Problems.

See also:

Getting Technical Support


Error Dialogs

If you encounter one of the following Error Dialogs, feel free to contact Technical Support, whether or not you are a registered user.

Internal Program Error

Selection Failed

Invalid Port Name

Specified Baud rate is unsupported

Specified byte size is invalid

The default parameters are in error

Out of memory

Cannot open port

These errors indicate that an internal processing error has occurred.  The only remedy is to contact Technical Support.

The remaining Error Dialogs will occur in normal usage of the program.  Below is a list of these errors, their causes and remedies.  To get further Technical Support on these issues you must be a registered user.

No Folders Selected!

Appears when you are performing an operation that required you to select a folder (Backup, Restore, Letter-to-Folder, etc.), and you did not select one.  To remedy: select the desired folder(s) for the operation.

Selected File is not a Backup File

Appears when you select a file when using the File|Restore option, but the file was not a backup file created by RFD Mail.  To remedy: choose another file, preferably an RFD Mail Backup File.

This Mail Service is still in use!

Appears when you attempt to delete a Mail Service from the Post Office when there are still addresses and/or letters which reference that service.  To remedy: delete the addresses and letters which reference the selected service.

No more folders available

Appears when you attempt to create more than 99 folders.  To remedy: use fewer folders.

Invalid or no Mail Service specified

Appears when you select the Mail|Fetch from Default menu option or press the Fetch button, and there was either no default service specified in the Preferences Dialog or that service has been incorrectly configured in the Mail Service Dialog.  To remedy: specify a default service or correctly configure that service.

Your date range contains no letters to backup

Appears when you attempt to backup a set of folders using a date range which includes no letters.  To remedy: select a date range which will actually contain letters

Cannot backup an empty desktop.

Appears when you select the File|Backup menu option and there are no folders on The Desktop.  To remedy: create folders to be backed up, otherwise this operation has nothing to do.

Letter does not have a valid address

Appears when you attempt to either deliver a letter or place it into the Out Box when there is either no Mail Service specified in the address or that service has been incorrectly configured in the Mail Service Dialog.  To remedy: specify a service or correctly configure that service.

Either the Post Office is empty or none of the Mail Services are correctly configured

Appears when you either select the Mail|Fetch or Mail|Fetch from All menu options, but none of the Mail Services in the Post Office have been correctly configured.  To remedy: make sure that you have correctly filled out the Mail Service Dialog for each of the Mail Services to which you subscribe.

The CC List is empty.  Do you really want to close this dialog?

Appears when you initially open a CC Dialog with an empty CC List, then click OK with the CC List still empty.  In most cases this means that you have entered the address in the Address Field, but have forgotten to actually add the address to the CC List.  To remedy: add the address you specified, or click Cancel if you really want to leave the CC List empty.

The Port is in use by another application

Appears when you request to either deliver or fetch mail, but another application is using the Comm Port specified for that Mail Service.  To remedy: either shut down the other application or disconnect it from the Comm Port.

Modem already in use

Appears when you request to either deliver or fetch mail, but you are already fetching or delivering mail.  To remedy: wait until the current fetch or deliver has completed.

No Timers Left!

Appears when you are fetching or delivering mail and the Microsoft Windows (tm) environment runs out of timers.  To remedy: abort the current phone connection, and shut down other applications which may be making use of timers.

Can't Open Script File

Appears when you request to either deliver or fetch mail, but the Script File specified by the Mail Service is missing or inaccessible.  To remedy: use the Mail Service Dialog to specify the correct script file.

Unexpected loss of carrier, modem offline

Appears when the modem connection is unexpectedly interrupted.  This may be caused by an error with the Mail Service's hardware, Call Waiting(tm), or other phone line troubles.  To remedy: if you have Call Waiting(tm), be sure to include the disable sequence in the phone number for each Mail Service you use.


Modem Problems

There are three classes of modem difficulties: configuration, initialization, and script problems.

Configuration:

If you get an Error Dialog immediately when you attempt to deliver or fetch mail, you most likely have not configured the Mail Service or modem settings properly in the Mail Service Dialog.

Initialization:

If the Modem Window appears, but nothing happens for awhile, then you get a "Dialing Failed" message, check the file modem.log file immediately after the error (this file will be located in the same directory as the RFD Mail program executable):

If it is blank, then you most likely have a communication problem between your computer and your modem.  Refer to your computer's and your modem's documentation for solutions, and perhaps test the connection using a simple terminal program.

If you get the word "ERROR" in the file, then you most likely have a Modem Initialization String specified in the Preferences Dialog that your brand of modem does not understand.   See your modem documentation for a proper initialization string, or just specify a blank string in the Preferences Dialog.

Script Problems:

If the Modem Window appears and says "Connected", but then later it says "Aborting", then there may be a problem with the script file for that Mail Service.  Again, check the modem.log file.  You might see an error message from your service which may give you a clue as to what is going wrong.  Also check the help pages for the specific service(s) you are using (CompuServe, GEnie, MCI Mail, and World Unix) for more information on the types of problems you may see with that service.  If you are unable to determine the problem, you may contact Technical Support whether or not you are registered, as it is our aim to ensure that the supplied Script Files are as robust as possible.

If you find that when you attempt to send a letter, the phone call appears to go smoothly but the letter ends up back in the Out Box, you probably have incorrectly addressed the letter.  When the Modem Window is visible, watch for messages such as: "Bad Address" or "Letter NOT Sent".  Also check the modem.log for similar types of error messages from your Mail Service.  If this is the case, you need to correct the address of the letter.


Getting Technical Support

If you are a registered user, Technical Support for RFD Mail is available via email.  Telephone support will be extended only to users who's problems cannot be resolved over email.  To contact Performance Designs Technical Support, use one of the following email addresses:

PERFORM.DES	(GEnie)

73017,1375	(CompuServe)

572-1706	(MCI Mail)

rfdmail@world.std.com	(Internet)

Please give as complete a description of the problem as possible, and try to reproduce the problem using as few steps as possible.  If it is a problem with Scripts, include the contents of the modem.log file that was produced directly after the failed connection.


How do I?
How do I?...

Write a Letter

See the topic: Writing Mail

Send a letter to someone else

See the topic: Delivering Mail

Read my Mail

See the topics: Fetching Mail and Reading Mail

Check my Mail:

See the topic: Fetching Mail

Reply to a letter I've received:

See the topic: Creating a Letter

Register RFD Mail:

See the topic: Program Registration


Getting Started

Once you have followed the installation instructions in the readme.wri and install.wri files, there are several things you need to do to get RFD Mail up and running.  The program comes with a Post Office which has an initial entry for each of the supported Mail Services: CompuServe, GEnie, MCI Mail, and World Unix.  It also comes with an Address Book which contains Technical Support email addresses.

The first thing you should do is to go to the Post Office Window and edit the entries for the services to which you subscribe.   See the topic: Mail Service Dialog for more information on what you will need to specify.

Once this is done, you need to go to the Address Book Window and delete the addresses which refer to the Mail Services you will not be using.  Then you need to go back to the Post Office Window and actually delete the entries for the services you will not be using.

You should then review the Preferences Dialog to make sure that the settings are to your liking.

You may also want to add entries to the Address Book for people you frequently correspond with  This is optional and can be done at any time.

Please be sure to read the topic pages for each of the Mail Services you will be using (CompuServe, GEnie, MCI Mail, World Unix) to get more information about how RFD Mail interacts with each service.   At this point, RFD Mail is ready to use, and you can begin immediately sending and receiving mail.

See also:

Writing Mail

Fetching Mail

Reading Mail

The In Box

The Out Box

The Desktop


CompuServe

The CompuServe Information Service(tm) is a popular information service which provides a wide array of services, one of which is electronic mail.  If you are not currently a subscriber, you can contact CompuServe directly at 1-800-848-8199 to activate an account.  Alternatively, many software retailers carry CompuServe Membership Kits, which includes a $25 usage credit towards your new account.

The Script File which RFD Mail uses to interact with CompuServe is the file cserve.scr.  This script downloads and uploads mail using the XMODEM file transfer protocol, which is not a particularly efficient error-correcting protocol.  If you are using an error-correcting modem (MNP, v.42, etc.), then there is an alternate script file called cserve_a.scr which will improve the performance of mail transfers.  This script uses a simple ASCII file transfer protocol, which is very efficient but is not error-checked.  Therefore, it is recommended only if your modem provides an error-free connection.

Warning: users of high-speed modems (9600 and above) should consider either using the normal script, or dialing CompuServe at 2400 baud.  This is due to the fact that at 9600 baud, CompuServe may have trouble downloading the letter at full speed, especially if there is a heavy load on the system.  This can cause pauses in the transfer which will cause RFD Mail to incorrectly assume that CompuServe has finished downloading the letter, thereby truncating it.  This has not been a problem at 2400 baud, and is only a problem at 9600 baud when CompuServe is heavily loaded.

To use the cserve_a.scr script, edit the Post Office entry for CompuServe, and set the Script File field to be cserve_a.scr.  In addition, set the Flow field to be Xon/Xoff.

An assumption by both of the script files is that you have not set "Short Prompts" in your User Profile.  If you have changed this setting, you will need to go online ("go profile") and change the setting back to the standard prompts.  Failing to set the standard prompts will prevent you from being able to send or receive mail using this program,

Another assumption is that your prompting level within CompuServe Mail is set to "menu".  If you have changed this setting, you will need to go into the mail area ("go email", then "options") and change the setting back to "menu".  Failing to set the menu prompts will prevent you from being able to send or receive mail using this program,

Alternate Access:

The scripts are initially set up to dial directly to CompuServe Packet Network, which is essentially a direct connection to CompuServe.  If you access CompuServe through either TymNet or SprintNet, the script can be easily modified to log in through those networks.  See the cserve.scr and cserve_a.scr files for details on how to do this.


GEnie

GEnie(tm), the General Electric Network for Information Exchange, is a very popular information service which provides a wide array of services, one of which is electronic mail.  If you are not currently a subscriber, you can contact GEnie Client Services directly at 1-800-638-9636 to activate an account.

The Script File which RFD Mail uses to interact with GEnie is the file genie.scr.  This script downloads and uploads mail using a simple ASCII file transfer protocol, which is very efficient but is not error-checked.  It is therefore highly recommended that you use an error-correcting modem (MNP, v.42, etc.) to exchange mail using GEnie.

Another assumption by the script file is that your "break" character is set to ASCII 3, or Control-C.  This is the default setting for all new GEnie accounts.  If you have changed this setting in your GEnie User Profile, then you either need to change it back, or change all occurrences of the string "Control C" to "Control x" in genie.scr. where "x" is the value of your break character.  Failing to do this results in the script aborting when attempting to upload a letter.

IMPORTANT:

Avoid sending letters which have lines which begin with an asterisk ( * ).  These are assumed to be commands by GEnie, and at best will cause that line to be skipped, at worst will cause the entire letter not to be delivered.  This is an idiosyncrasy of GEnie and is beyond the control of RFD Mail.


MCI Mail

MCI Mail (tm) is a very popular electronic mail service, which also provides other services such as FAX delivery, news, and bulletin boards.  If you are not currently a subscriber, you can contact MCI directly at 1-800-444-6245 to activate an account.

The Script File which RFD Mail uses to interact with MCI Mail is the file mcimail.scr.  This script downloads and uploads mail using the ZMODEM file transfer protocol, which is very efficient error-correcting protocol.  Because it is so efficient, it is recommended that the Flow setting in the Post Office entry for World Unix be set to Xon/Xoff to prevent overrunning either MCI or your local computer.  If you encounter difficulties transferring mail, the script may be easily configured to use the Kermit transfer protocol instead.  See the mcimail.scr file for more details.

As of this release, RFD Mail only supports the delivery of mail to MCI Mail addresses (i.e., to people who have MCI Mail accounts).  MCI Mail does support delivery to outside mail systems (such as CompuServe and the Internet), but the way in which this is implemented prevents RFD Mail from supporting this feature.  If user demand is high enough, this feature may be added in future releases of RFD Mail.


Program Registration

The Program Registration process is automated, and can be done from within RFD Mail.  Alternatively, you may print out the Registration Form contained within the online help.  It is highly recommended that you use the automated registration.

To begin the registration, select the Help|Register RFD Mail menu option.  This will bring up an Unlock Dialog, where you can enter the Unlock Code to disable the shareware limitations.  At this point, since you do not have an Unlock Code, you should press the Form... button.  This will bring up a Registration Dialog, where you enter your personal information (Postal Address, etc.).  Once you have correctly entered data into this dialog and pressed the OK button, two copies of the order form will be created:

The Printable Form:

A file called orderfrm.txt is created, which is filled in with your address and other information necessary to create your Unlock Code.  If possible, RFD Mail will immediately run Windows Notepad(tm) and load that file into the text window.  From here you should print out the form, complete any missing information, and mail the form with your payment to Performance Designs.  Upon receipt of the Registration Form, we will send your Unlock Code via U.S. Mail, and will also send it via email if your email address is accessible from one of the supported Mail Services.

The Electronic Form:

In addition to the orderfrm.txt file, a New Letter Window is created which is addressed to RFD Mail Technical Support, and contains the Registration Form in the body of the letter.  You should deliver this letter via one of the supported mail services.  Having this electronic copy in addition to the printed copy enables us to reduce the chance of an error occurring in your Unlock Code.

If you are on CompuServe, you have the option of paying online by typing go swreg at any "!" prompt, and looking up RFD Mail under the keyword "RFD".   Once you have paid the fee online, you need only to deliver the Electronic Form in order to receive your Unlock Code.

Once you have received your Unlock Code, select the Help|Register RFD Mail menu option, and enter the Unlock Code into the Unlock Dialog.  Once you have entered the correct information, all shareware limitations will be removed, and your copy of RFD Mail is now officially registered.  Please note that the entire program is now unlocked, not just for the Mail Service which you specified in the Unlock Dialog.

Updates:

Registering the program grants you a license to all 1.x versions of RFD Mail.  Your Unlock Code is guaranteed to work for all versions before 2.0.  If you desire, you may make one request the for a disk containing the latest version of RFD Mail to be mailed to you. After you have requested an update, future 1.x updates can be requested for a nominal handling fee, or can be obtained on your own via standard shareware distribution channels. Send email to the Technical Support address for more information.

Registration Fee:

The cost to register RFD Mail is $29.95, with an additional $1.50 sales tax for Massachusetts

residents.  Payment can be by check or money order, or in the SWREG forum of CompuServe

as described above.

See also:

Unlock Code

Unlock Dialog

Registration Dialog


Unlock Code

Your Unlock Code is a special code derived from four fields of a Mail Service: the Name, Mail-Address, Username, and Real Name.  See the Mail Service Dialog for more information about these fields and how they are used.

When you use the automated registration, an order form is created which specifies the information in those fields, allowing us to determine the Unlock Code to send to you.  It is therefore critical that you follow these guidelines:

If you don't use the automated registration, be sure to print neatly on the registration form, and double-check the accuracy of your information.  Also check to make sure that none of those fields have any leading or trailing spaces in them.

Once you have your Unlock Code, be sure to specify the same Mail Service in the Unlock Dialog as on the registration form.

It is highly unlikely that you should ever need to change the fields in the Mail Service from which your Unlock Code was derived.  If this is absolutely unavoidable, you may request a new Unlock Code.  Please be reasonable about this.

See also:

Program Registration


Unlock Dialog

This dialog is accessible via the Help|Register RFD Mail menu option.  There are two fields, which when correctly filled in, will remove the shareware limitations of RFD Mail:

Unlock Service:

This should be set to same service that was specified either on the Program Registration Form or in the Registration Dialog.

Unlock Code:

This should be set to the Unlock Code that was mailed to you after you submitted a registration and paid the registration fee.

Once those two fields have been correctly entered, pressing the OK button will remove the shareware limitations.  If you get an error instead, check the following:

Did you use the automated registration procedure?  If so have you changed anything in the Post Office since then?

Did you copy down the Mail Service information correctly and neatly on the Registration Form?

Are you sure the Unlock Code you typed in matches exactly what was sent to you?  (watch out for confusion between the letter "l" and the number "1")

If all of the above is true, then it is possible that the Unlock Code is incorrect.  Send email to Technical Support to allow us to resolve the issue.

If you do not yet have an Unlock Code, press the Form... button to bring up the Registration Dialog, and fill in the requested information.

Helpful Hint:

You should receive your Unlock Code via US Mail and electronic mail.  When you receive the electronic copy of the code, be sure that the letter is selected before bringing up this dialog.  RFD Mail will attempt to find the Unlock Service and Unlock Code in the letter and automatically fill in the correct information for you.

See also:

Program Registration


Registration Dialog

This dialog is accessible from the Form... button on the Unlock Dialog.  This dialog contains fields which will be used to generate an order form to register your copy of RFD Mail, which are as follows:

Name, Company, Address, City, State, Zip

Enter your Postal Address in these fields, so that we know where to deliver your Unlock Code and any updates to the program.

Mail Svc:

Select the Mail Service you subscribe to, or if you subscribe to more than one, select the one you use most often.  Not only will this service be the basis for your Unlock Code, but it also provides us with an email address with which to provide you with Technical Support and information about bug fixes and updates.

Once you have filled in the dialog and pressed the OK button, you will be presented with the completed Registration Form, and a new letter containing this form will appear on the Desktop.

See also:

Program Registration


World Unix

World Unix, part of the Software Tool and Die system, is a public-access UNIX(tm) service which provides access to Internet mail, newsgroups, file transfer, and more.    If you are not currently a subscriber, you can contact Software Tool and Die directly at 1-617-739-9753 using your modem (set to 8N1) to activate an account.

The Script File which RFD Mail uses to interact with World Unix is the file unix.scr  This script downloads and uploads mail using the ZMODEM file transfer protocol, which is very efficient error-correcting protocol.  Because it is so efficient, it is recommended that the Flow setting in the Post Office entry for World Unix be set to Xon/Xoff to prevent overrunning either World Unix or your local computer.

Because your account with World Unix is highly tailorable, the script file may not work "out of the box" if you have modified your login procedures.  If you encounter difficulties with the script, contact either staff@world.std.com or rfdmail@world.std.com to get further assistance.

Alternate Access:

World Unix is accessible via the CIS Packet Network.  If you are not local to the Boston area you may find this to be an economical way of accessing your account.  To do so, merely change the phone number in the Post Office entry to be a local CompuServe access number, change the script file from unix.scr to unix_cis.scr, and change the Flow setting to None.  This alternate script file uses ZMODEM to download mail, but Kermit is used to upload mail due to limitations of the CIS Network.  Kermit is extremely inefficient, especially over a packet network, but unfortunately this is the only protocol that works at all in the upload direction.

Other Options:

The unix.scr file is highly configurable through liberal use of script aliases.  For example, if you use a shell other than /bin/csh (tcsh for example), you can easily adjust the script to accomodate your shell's prompt by changing the "prompt" alias.  You can also easily select a transfer protocol other than ZMODEM if you are having upload or download difficulties.  These and other options are documented within the unix.scr file itself.


Importing/Exporting the Address Book

You have the option of importing and exporting the contents of the Address Book to and from tab-delimited text files.  Each line of the text file is an address, with each field of the address separated by a tab character, as shown below:

name  [tab]  address  [tab]  mail service

When importing from a text file, any errors or warnings are displayed in a list after the import is complete.  The following warnings or errors may occur:

A line in the text file had an unrecognizable format.

An address in the file was already contained in the Address Book.

An address in the file referred to an unknown Mail Service.

See also:

File Menu


Importing/Exporting a Letter

Import:

To import a letter from a text file, select the File|Import|Letter menu option.  When importing a letter, a New Letter Window is created on The Desktop.  The address and subject line will be blank, and the body of the letter will contain the contents of the text file.  If the text file exceeds 60000 characters in length, a warning message will be displayed and only the first 60000 characters will be placed in the body of the letter.

Export:

To export a letter to a text file, select the letter you wish to export, the select the File|Export|Letter menu option.  This will result in the letter being written to the selected file, with a header containing the date, source or destination, and the body of the letter.  If you wish to append the letter to an existing text file, merely select the Append check box before pressing the OK button.

See also:

File Menu


Mail Poll Dialog

This dialog is available from the Mail|Poll... menu option, and allows you to set two time intervals which RFD Mail will use to automatically fetch your mail.  The dialog appears below:

(click the mouse over the part of the dialog you need help on)

Note that the Fetch All polling command takes precedence over the Fetch Default command if the two time intervals cause an overlap in polling.  For example, if RFD Mail is set to do a Fetch Default every 30 minutes and a Fetch All every 60 minutes, then the following scenario will occur (assuming RFD Mail is started at 12:30):

1:00 - Fetch Default

1:30 - Fetch All (overrides the Fetch Default scheduled for 1:30)

2:00 - Fetch Default

2:30 - Fetch All (overrides the Fetch Default scheduled for 2:30)

(and so on)

See also:

Fetching Mail

Mail Menu


PollAnnounceField
Announce New Mail:

Checking this box causes RFD Mail to display a dialog box

containing the number of letters fetched (if any) after polling

for mail.  The dialog box will be displayed for 10 seconds then

will automatically close.


PollDefaultField
Fetch Default:

This field determines the interval at which you

wish RFD Mail to check for new mail by dialing

your default Mail Service (as defined in the

Preferences Dialog).


PollAllField
Fetch All:

This field determines the interval at which you

wish RFD Mail to check for new mail by dialing

all of  your configured Mail Services.


Command-Line Options

RFD Mail supports several options on the command line.  These options, combined with an automatic scheduling program, enable timed delivery or fetching of email:

-deliverOutBox

This option causes RFD Mail to immediate perform a "Deliver Outbox" command.

-fetchAll

This option causes RFD Mail to immediately perform a "Fetch All" command.  When the session is complete, a dialog box containing the number of letters received (if any) is displayed.

-fetch

This option causes RFD Mail to immediately perform a "Fetch Default" command.  When the session is complete, a dialog box containing the number of letters received (if any) is displayed.

-exit

When combined with one of the above options, this option causes RFD Mail to immediately exit after performing the requested command.

-profile filename

This option causes RFD Mail to use the specified initialization file, rather than the default rfdmail.ini file from the Windows directory.  This option is useful if you wish to install more than one copy of RFD Mail on the same machine.

Note that if the -fetch, -fetchAll, and -deliverOutBox options are combined on the same command line, only one of the commands will be performed.  The options are listed in priority-order above, with -deliverOutBox having the highest priority, and -fetch having the lowest.

See also:

Mail Poll Dialog


Mailing Lists

As of this release, the RFD Mail Address Book does not directly support mailing lists.  This is planned for a future release.

As a workaround, you can manually login to the Mail Service(s) to which you subscribe, and set up a mailing list there.  For World Unix users, this entails adding an alias to the .mailrc file, see the  mail man page for more details.  For other systems, simply go into the mail area and follow that system's procedures for setting up a list.  Once this is done, you merely address the letter to the name of the mailing list you created, and deliver the letter to that address.