06-19-93 Added handling instruction support.  Prompts for miles in HXA,
         for hours in HXB and date in HXF type instructions.  Also did
         some badly needed optimizing and a few cosmetic changes.
11-28-90 The Priority line has been extended to allow "EMERGENCY" as
         well as other info to follow the priority type.
         The signature line now allows for 256 characters, the line
         will scroll in a 69 character "WINDOW".  This is the only 
         way to overcome the screen size restriction.  Play with it
         and let me know what you think.
         Many other cosmetic changes as well as smoother running.
         Please send any comments/ideas to VE4UB @ VE4BBS.#SLK.MB.CAN.NA
05-08-90 If you include the ~ character on the signature line in the
         program, it will convert this character to s cr/lf pair.  I
         have also increased the length of the signature line.

 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have now included an abort hot key in MESSAGE.EXE as well as NTS.EXE.
The hot key is ALT-A and will work from anywhere in the program.  The
message will not be saved but your message number MIGHT incremented
depending on where you are in the program.

The NTS.EXE program now has a toggle ALT-T to switch your clock offset
between Daylight and Standard time.  The toggle has no effect if your
clock is set to GMT.

73 < Bill VE4UB (SYSOP) @ VE4BBS.MB.CAN.NA

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
          Bowman Micro-Software Ltd - Selkirk MB - FAX (2O4) 785-8742

 To: ALL PC/XT/AT PACKET USERS    From: Bill Bowman - VE4UB (SYSOP) @ VE4BBS

 Re: Instructions                 Date: Monday, September 12, 1988

                    MESSAGE Version 1.55 INSTRUCTIONS

                     Author:  Bill Bowman - VE4UB

                    Company:  Bowman Micro-Software Ltd
                                 744 Christie Avenue
                                 Selkirk MB  R1A 2H9

                        Telephone: (204) 482-3402
                        FAX        (204) 785-8742
                        24 hr BBS: (204) 785-8518 PCBoard 15.0

       THIS PROGRAM IS PROVIDED FREE OF CHARGE, DONATIONS ARE NOT
       REQUESTED BUT WILL NOT BE REFUSED.  IT IS INTENDED ONLY TO
       PROVIDE ENJOYMENT TO ALL AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS AROUND THE
       WORLD.

      This utility  is designed to allow you to make maximum use of your
 IBM computer whether it is a PC/XT/AT type computer or a clone for the
 sending of NTS, personal messages or bulletins.  The programs create
 files that you can send to your local packet BBS.  There are some very
 small limitations, it is not intended to be used to send information to
 the personal mailboxes since it supports bid as well as hierarchical
 forwarding.  At the moment the W0RLI Vs 7.xx CBBS software is the only
 system that supports this type of forwarding.  For other systems please
 use the normal @ BBS type format.

      The NTS program creates a form for you that adheres to the accepted
 design for use on the HF 14.109 network.  It makes the address, preamble
 and text according to the rules and the information that you are asked
 to provide.  You get an accurate word count as long as you stick with the
 ARRL radio gram format.

      The first time that you run the program  you will  be prompted for
 your information ie: your name, callsign, home BBS or ZIP.  This info is
 stored in a file so that you only have to enter this info once.  Any of
 your traffic, messages or bulletins are given a file name that starts
 with a number and is incremented by one for each new message.  For example
 if you enter a message now using MESSAGE.EXE, the first message will be
 called "1.BBS".  The NTS traffic would be "1.NTS" which makes it easier
 to keep the two distinct types seperate.

      The MESSAGE.EXE program will put a BID on any message that contains
 an @ BBS.  You can change the default to anything that you want when you
 are prompted.  The default BID for your first message would be 1_<your
 call>.  The @ BBS line only displays 20 characters for you to enter the
 forwarding but it is a scrolling window that will allow a route up to 40
 characters ie: VK4BBS.AUS.AU.CA which would allow the message first to go
 to California and further routing to Oceana, Australia and finally VK4BBS.
 I truly believe that this method of forwarding will be the way to go in
 the immediate future.  It requires very minimal sysop maintenance for us
 to do the job correctly.

      Each program contains a text editor that controls word-wrap and uses
 the standard WS commands.  A help window is provided for you to use until
 you become familiar with the commands. To exit the text editor, hit ESC or
 ^W and  you will  be asked if you want  to save  the NTS/MESSAGE.  If you
 wish to print the NTS/MESSAGE out on your printer at this time please make
 sure that the printer is turned on and is  on-line.   If the printer is not
 available the computer will not lock-up but just ignore the printer.  Don't
 worry, if you want  to print the NTS/MESSAGE later, just make a note of the
 number given to you and you can use the DOS PRINT command  to get your hard
 copy whenever you want.  For example: if the NTS/MESSAGE number is 23 then
 just enter the command from the DOS prompt: PRINT 23.NTS or 23.BBS and hit
 the ENTER or RETURN key.

      You can rename the NTS/MESSAGE file  to anything of your choice for
 archival purposes or simply leave the names the way they are.

      If you want to edit the last NTS/MESSAGE that you sent then issue the
 command NTS  MEMO.NTS or MESSAGE MEMO.BBS.  If you want to include any ASCII
 text file in your MESSAGE then include the name of the file on your command
 line:
 MESSAGE <file.ext>

     For those of you that are SYSOPS on the W0RLI CBBS Vs 7.xx software, you
 too can now use these programs.  

 FOR THE INFORMATION OF ANY SYSOP IN OUR LAN THAT WOULD LIKE TO USE MY
 MESSAGE.EXE OR NTS.EXE PROGRAMS, READ ON, THE SOLUTION IS SIMPLE.  WHEN
 THE MESSAGE FILE IS CREATED, COPY IT TO YOUR \BBS DIRECTORY WITH A NAME
 SUCH AND MSG.DOC.  THEN IN THE FIRST LINE OF YOUR FWD.MB FILE MAKE THESE
 TWO ENTRIES:

 IA0024MSG.DOC
 *** EOF

 WITH THESE TWO LINES, WHEN THE FORWARDING TIME COMES UP IT WILL CHECK
 FOR THE FILE MSG.DOC, IF IT FINDS IT, IT WILL THEN CREATE MESSAGES FROM
 THE FILE.  IF YOU HAVE MORE THAN ONE MESSAGE THEN USE THE DOS COPY
 COMMAND TO PLACE THEM ALL IN THE FILE MSG.DOC, FOR EXAMPLE:

 COPY *.BBS C:\BBS\MSG.DOC
 DEL *.BBS

 THE SAME FORMAT WILL WORK WITH THE NTS.EXE PROGRAM. USE *.NTS

 MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE THE FILE IN THE BBS DIRECTORY SINCE IT WILL NOT
 SEARCH FOR SUB DIRECTORIES.  DO NOT CHANGE THE FORMAT OF THE FILE
 CREATED BY MESSAGE.EXE OR NTS.EXE SINCE THEY ARE CORRECT FOR THIS TYPE
 OF IMPORTING.  I KNOW THIS WORKS WELL WITH Vs 7.01+ BUT NOT SURE IF
 EARLIER VERSIONS SUPPORT THIS FORMAT.

     A new feature added is to EXCLUDE your signature line from being
 appended to the file for ARRL, AMSAT etc bulletins.  When you are asked
 for the message type, use the A option.  This tells the program that it
 is an ARRL type bulletin.  The A will be changed back to a B before it
 saves the file.

     The program should make sending messages a lot easier for you. If you
 have any questions please let me know.

 73 de Bill VE4UB @ VE4KV.#wpg.MB.CAN.NA (ex VE4AFO)
