How To Enter JLBlink and Execute A Command JLBlink is executed by typing "blink" (do not include the quotes) at the DOS prompt. To execute a command, press the keystrokes associated with the command or invoke the Menu System by pressing and select a command. JLBlink commands can also be executed automatically by including the command names(s) on the DOS command line. A complete list of the valid command names that can be executed will be displayed if you type "blink -" (do not include the quotes) on the DOS command line. For example, typing "blink logonauto" (do not include the quotes) will load JLBlink and then execute the LogOn Auto command. You can include as many JLBlink command names on the DOS command line as you like. The commands will be executed in the same order that they are placed on the DOS command line. How To Use the Menu System and Get Help The Menu System is invoked by pressing . The cursor will move to the top of the screen. Use the Left/Right Arrow keys to move the cursor between the command groups on the Main Menu. Place the cursor on the command group name and then press to open a Secondary Menu. Use the Up/Down Arrow keys to move between commands on the Secondary Menu and then press to execute the command. When you invoke the Menu System, an on-line Help System is automatically turned on. As you move the cursor between selections, the bottom of the screen will display a short description of the command. Pressing will display a brief key chart of keystrokes not available from the Menu System. General help files are also available by executing the Read General Help command. How To Log On BIX The LogOn commands are used to activate your modem and to connect you with the Communication Link to log on BIX. If you want to have JLBlink do all the work for you, use the Blink command. This will log you on BIX, download all new messages and mail, upload any messages and memos you have composed, and then log you off BIX. All the commands are executed automatically via Command Script files with no required intervention from you. If you want to log on BIX and do other things, such as CBIX, use the Auto command. The Auto command will log you on BIX and place you at BIX's Main System Prompt (:). If you want JLBlink to download or upload messages and memos for you, use the Communication Link commands. These commands can be executed at any time during your session. How To Log On BIX (Continued) The Manual command does nothing more than initialize your communication port. It will not execute the LogOn.Bmc Command Script used to log on BIX. If you use the Manual command, it will be necessary for you to type all the modem instructions necessary to log on BIX. Once you are on-line with BIX, BIX's Menu System can be used as long as it is turned off before executing any Communication Link command. Refer to the Communication Link Command Summary for a full list of the commands. NOTE: JLBlink requires some BIX Options to be set to a specific value in order to upload and download messages and mail. When you use the Auto or Blink command to log on BIX, those Options are automatically set at the beginning of each session. If you have your current Profile set to automatically place you somewhere other than BIX's Main System Prompt, JLBlink will not work and you will need to change your Profile before using JLBlink. What To Do If The LogOn Script Does Not Work If JLBlink should hang at any point during the log on process, you should first try pressing <^C> and ontinue. If it still does not work, make a note of exactly where the script stopped and then press <^C> and bort. You should then edit the script at the position where the problem is, such as misspelled user id or password. To edit the Logon Script, use the File Edit File command, and then select the Logon.Bmc file. If the script hangs after the "Last On:" message, you should check your BIX Profile and make sure you have it set to place you at BIX's Main System Prompt (:) and not at the Mail or Read prompts. If you should need any assistance in editing the script or determining what the problem is, log on BIX using the LogOn Manual command or your current method and leave a message in the "jlblink" conference. Please supply as much information as possible; at a minimum, the point where the script hangs. How To Interface With BIX Manually The Communication Link commands are used to interface with BIX manually. All Communication Link commands are executed by pressing the keystrokes associated with the command or selecting it from the Menu System. The Menu System is invoked by pressing . The Blink commands of the Communication Link are used to automatically upload and download messages and memos. The File commands are used to edit and transfer files, and to log off BIX. If you want to prepare a message or memo while on-line with BIX, JLBlink's Editor can be used inside of BIX's editor. Follow the normal BIX procedures for posting a message or memo until you reach BIX's editor. At this point, press to invoke JLBlink's Editor. When you have finished composing your message, press to save it, and then press to transmit the message to BIX's editor. You will then be placed at one of BIX's action prompts and you should proceed as usual. How To Log Off BIX If you log on BIX using the LogOn Blink command, you will be automatically logged off BIX with no required intervention. If you log on BIX using the LogOn Auto command, use the Communication Link command File Exit when you are ready to quit BIX. When you execute the command, you will be prompted if you want to exit the Communication Link. Answer yes and the Logoff.Bmc file will be executed to properly log you off BIX, and Tymnet if applicable. NOTE: The key can also be used to exit the Communication Link. Automatic Parsing Parsing is the command that is used to clean and sort the data you have gathered while on BIX, and it is automatically executed after you log off BIX. Parse also builds your BIX Data Base where your messages and memos are stored, and an index of all unread messages called the New Message Log. You will be prompted each time you leave the Read New Messages System as to whether the Log should be updated. If you answer yes, any remaining unread messages will stay in the log, and all read messages will be removed from the log. If you answer no, all messages will stay in the log and reflect their current status. If you need to access the data before it has been cleaned, the untouched files are kept in the \JLBLINK\BLOLD directory. Each time you log on BIX the files will be overwritten with your current session data. How To Read New Memos and Messages From the main screen of JLBlink, pressing or will activate the Read New Messages System and display the first unread message on the screen. The conference order the new messages are placed in is the same order that you have your Conference List on BIX Ordered. The JLBlink Utilities Setup command is used to select whether the messages are downloaded in forward or reference order. If you want to begin reading with a specific conference, topic, or message, use the Read New Messages command. This command can be executed as often as you like to change the conference or topic that you are reading. You will also find the Read Keys to be useful in quickly locating a previous comment or different thread. How To Compose Messages and Memos To UpLoad To BIX JLBlink supplies a versatile screen oriented editor for you to compose your messages and memos to send to BIX. The Editor is automatically invoked when you execute the Post Comment , Say or Mail To command. Before the Editor is opened, the Post command automatically extracts, from the message or memo displayed on the screen, the information needed to generate the proper UpBlink Script. This information is merged with the memo or message you have written when it is saved. When you execute the Post command, the Editor Window will open for you to compose your message. Refer to the Editor command summary in the manual for a list of the Editor commands. When you finish composing your message or memo, press . This will save the message or memo, and then merge it in the proper UpBlink Script. The Post command can be aborted while in the Editor by pressing . How To Edit A Message or Memo Before UpLoading To BIX The File Edit File command is used to edit your messages and memos after you have already composed them. To edit your messages, select the ToConf.Upb file. To edit you mail memos, select the ToMail.Upb file. This command loads the selected file into the Editor. Make any changes or corrections, and then save the file by pressing . If you just want to read a message or memo before sending it to BIX, use the File Display File command. This command will display the selected file on the screen. NOTE: If you want to post a message to a conference/topic you have not downloaded messages from yet, just post the message to any conference topic and then edit the script and replace the wrong conference/topic name with the correct one. How To Exit JLBlink The File Exit command is used to quit JLBlink. When you exit JLBlink from a Read System, you will be prompted as to whether the Log should be updated. If you answer yes, any remaining unread messages will stay in the log, and all read messages will be removed from the log. If you answer no, all messages will stay in the log and reflect their current status. NOTE: The key can also be used to exit JLBlink.