Copyright: Copyright (c) 1994 T. Henschell


Table of contents
 CMPQwk Dialogue Guide

This guide is designed to provide comprehensive information about every major CMPQwk 1.42 dialogue. If you're unsure what a button does, or what any of the functions mean on any of the major program dialogues, this guide will explain them, broken out by functional order in the program.

Click on the dialogue name you'd like to examine, when that dialogue appears in the window, click the various parts of the dialogue for explanations about each function or setting. Common functions like Close or Cancel are explained with a common, "generic" text string. Most folks know what Cancel or OK means, I think.

Note that sometimes the dialogues in this file may differ slightly from those in the program as Derek and I made adjustments to the program's interface. Differences should be slight, and usually not significantly related to the function of the program (only the appearance of the dialogue).

Dialogue List

 File Open

 Packet Management

 Add / edit text

 Create a new REP file

 Re-open a REP file

 Message header

 Address book

 Subject list

 Tagline picker

 Message search

 Edit personal dictionary

 Add message to a folder

 View and maintain folders

 Edit rubber stamp

 Forward message

 General configuration tab

 Path configuration tab

 Read configuration tab

 Filters configuration tab

 Replies configuration tab

 Taglines configuration tab

 Fonts configuration tab

 Sound configuration tab

 Editor configuration tab

 Spell checker

 Carbon copies

 Copy pointer file

 Printing setup

Window List

 The Conference list window

 The Quick message list window

 The Read window

 The Write window

  The File Attachment window


File open dialogue
  file open

The file open dialogue is used, appropriately enough, to open QWK files so you can read the contents. You can also use it to manage your QWK files, and to access the QWK Management dialogue, which you will use to set archival options for your QWK library (if you keep one).


QWK has rep

If the letter R appears here, it means this QWK file has a corresponding REP packet. If you create replies, they will be packed into a file with a REP extension, and the next time you look at this dialogue, an R will appear on the same line as the QWK files from that system.


Delete REP

If you have created a REP file for a system, and have uploaded and, then want to delete it, highlight a packet from the system that correspondes to this REP file and click this button. You will be asked if you are sure you wish to do this. The program will delete the REP file when you've confirmed your choice.


Path list

This shows the current path of the directory you are displaying below. If you keep QWK files in different places, you can keep tabs on the current directory by looking at this string.


QWK name

This shows the names of available QWK files (if any) in the current directory. If you have turned off "Use filenames" in General Options, you'll see the name of the system that created the QWK and not the DOS filename. You'll always see the DOS filename the very first time you get a QWK from a system, but once you've opened it, CMPQwk will display the BBS name as well as the DOS filename. It will suppress the filename only if you turn off Use filenames.


QWK date

This field shows the date of the QWK file or files, which is the date they were created on the BBS system from which you obtained them.


QWK time

This shows the creation time of the QWK file (or files) in military time, which goes from 0:100 through 24:00 hours.


QWK size

This shows the size in K-bytes of the QWK file (or files). It's rounded off to the nearest figure, and fractions aren't shown. 1024K would be one megabyte if anybody is confused about that (it's not 1,000 K).


Directory list

The list of available drives and directories into which you can change is shown here. To go up a directory, double-click the mouse on the [..] listing. To change to another drive, double-click that drive identifier. To change to a lower directory, double-click that directory name.


Sort options

This section of the dialogue is where you can change how you view the QWK files in the file display window. You have several options. Click on the options below this part of the dialogue to get an explanation of each one. Changes take effect immediately.


Alphabetical sort

This will sort the QWK packets by DOS filename or BBS name (they're usually pretty close to each other, too). It sorts from A to Z. Since most folks get mail from BBS systems they know, this is probably the best way to sort, as QWK files from your favorite board will always be next to each other, as they will share a prefix name.


Date order - descending

This sorts the QWK file listings by date, descending order, which means the newest packets show up first, the oldest show up last. If you're looking for a new packet, this method will show you the most recent packets first.


Date order - ascending

This sorts the QWK file listings by date, ascending order. Newer packets will appear at the end of the list.


QWK management

This section of the File Open dialogue controls how you want the program to manage (or not manage) your QWK archives.


Edit settings

This button will load the Packet Management dialogue, which allows you to set QWK file management options, including how long to keep packets, and what method (if any) is to be used to rename and otherwise automatically control your QWK archives. Note that QWK files kept anyplace other than the QWK directory specified in the Path option settings will not be "managed."


Ignore QWK management

Check this box if you wish, temporarily, to ignore your QWK managment options. For example, if you go away on vacation and have not yet read your mail, yet are set to delete packets after 7 days. If you don't temporarily disable this, the next time the File Open dialogue appears, it will kill those old---yet unread---QWK files. Also good if you want to read an old QWK you've archived on floppy. Be sure to check this box before you copy the file to the QWK directory specified in the Path option settings.


Delete packet

This button will delete any highlighted QWK packet. The action is not reversible from within CMPQwk, so be careful! You can only delete one at a time, this is for maximum safety.


Rename packet

This button will open a simple edit box that will let you change the name of the highlighted packet (to anything you'd like as long as it's a DOS-compatible filename). If you've run out of automatically-allowable names, you can use this option to create more "room" for the automatic naming routine defined in QWK management.


OK button

This button is used to close the dialogue, and perform the logical action specified by that dialogue. If it is a file dialogue, it will open any highlighted file. If it is a configuration dialogue, it will "finish" your settings and establish them as the program's current settings.


Help button

This button always loads context-sensitive help from where ever it is used.


Cancel button

This button cancels any settings you may have changed, or any file operations that may be applicable. It will "undo" anything except a file or text deletion from a user text field (those are not un-doable once done from within the applicable dialogue).


Close button

This button closes the dialogue, performing the applicable action. Configuration dialogues will thus "set" those options, where applicable. In effect it declares you to be "finished" with what you are doing in that dialogue.


QWK management dialogue
 packet management

The QWK manager is used to control how you want CMPQwk to manage your archives. You can keep up to 26 QWK files for each system before QWK management will tell you that auto-renaming has "failed." If you intend to keep more than that many, you will have to move them into another cold-storage directory.

You find this dialogue from the File Open dialogue, click on the button there that says Edit settings.

CMPQwk will, if you enable auto-renaming, change the names of your QWK packets from [QWKNAME].QWK to [QWKNAME].QWA, QWB, and so on, skipping K and using the alphabet all the way up to Z. After that, you will have to clean house and remove some files.


Days to keep

Enter 0 here to effectively disable the internal QWK manager. Enter as many days as you'd like to keep QWK packets, up to 365. Note that if you get a QWK file from each system you call every day, you will run out of  renaming letters (there are only 26) well before a year is passed. We suggest you set this number to 25 if you get a QWK packet every day and have Auto-renaming enabled.

That way you can keep the maximum number of QWKs and you'll not have to worry about handling your files manually. You'll have a rolling 25-day "aging" process that will clean up the oldest QWKs right as they are about to cause the error message, "Renaming failed."


Auto rename

If you enable this, CMPQwk will rename your QWK packets using the letters of the alphabet from A to Z, skipping K, by changing the last letter of the suffix, QWK. So PATCHBAY.QWK would become PATCHBAY.QWA, the next QWK would become PATCHBAY.QWB and so forth. If you enable this, you should know that you cannot both use this feature and keep QWK files for more than 25 days if you get one QWK per day from the systems that you call. Renaming will fail when it reaches the end of the alphabet if you have not deleted or "aged" the next available letter, which would be "A."

We suggest you use this feature wisely, setting Days to keep to 25 (or less) if you enable this option. Either that or move QWK files manually to another "cold storage" directory after 25 days. If you do not get one QWK per day, then figure out how long you have at your current rate and pick a logical setting to avoid the error message.


Disable QWK management

You can either enter 0 in the Days to keep box above, or click this to turn off QWK management. Either will accomplish the same thing, however this checkbox will leave the number you've selected "ready to use" if you change you rmind and want to re-enable it. This option and the option to "ignore" QWK settings on the File Open dialogue are nice if you go on vacation, have aging set to a low number, and when you get back want to continue reading some mail. You can read the mail, turn the feature back on (from either place) and then the next time the File Open dialogue appears, it will clean up all the old files.


add / edit dialogs
 add / edit dialogues

This common dialogue is used for a number of functions, mostly when the program requires you to enter a new configuration item or text string or edit some text or a configuration item. It is extremely simple to use.


Text entry

This box is where you'll enter the required text. This dialogue is used (with a few minor variations) throughout the program, whenever the user will be asked to maually type in information the program requires.


 create a new rep

This dialogue can be used to create a new rep for a system you have called before (and the program will know what conferences were last available), or you can use it to put a message in conference 0 of a system you haven't called if you know the name of that system's QWK file. To use it with a system you have not called, type in the prefix name of the QWK. To use it from a system you have called, select the system and click on OK to build an empty REP file for that system, into which you can put your messages.


System list

This box shows the names of any systems you may have called. To create a packet destined for that system, click once on the system name and then click OK, or double-click the system name. A new empty packet will be created, and from there you may enter messages into any of the conferences available the last time you got a packet from that system.

Note that if it was a very long time ago, the conference numbers (and names) may have changed, and these changes will not show up until you update CMPQwk's stored CONTROL.DAT record for that conference. Also you should know that enabling the "small QWK" or "small CONTROL.DAT" option on some doors will not give you a complete list from which to make a selection, it will only show you the conferences from which you are set in that door to get mail. To see the complete list on that system, get a packet with any option such as this disabled.


Delete system

If you highlight a system name in the System list box, then click on this button, you will delete the record for that system. Use this button to remove from the system database the name of a BBS you no longer call, or one that has gone out of business. This action is not reversible even if you select Cancel from the dialogue. If you want to re-establish this system's record, you'll need to call it again, or restore the \CMPQWK\CONTROL.SAV directory from your last backup.


Manual REP name

Use this text entry box to specify the prefix name only of a REP whose destination is a system from which you have not yet gotten a QWK. You can only enter a message in conference 0 using this technique, which is generally the "Main Board" on most systems, and probably a safe bet for this technique. You must know the name the system uses for the system to accept the packet.


 re-open a REP

You can add, edit, or delete replies to or from any REP file you may have in your specified REP directory using this dialogue. CMPQwk will save any changes you may make back into the REP, overwriting the prior version.


List of REP files

A list by system name (not DOS filename) is shown for any REP files that may be contained in the specified REP directory established in the paths options. You will not see REP files contained elsewhere on your disk, only those contained in the configured REP directory. Select a system name and press OK to open the REP up for further editing or additions.


message header dialogue
 message header

The message header is used to enter important data used when you create a reply or a new message. You control routing, private flags, and so forth from this dialogue. Look through every button on it and you'll find it has a number of hidden gems even experienced users overlook.


Return receipt

If you check this box when doing RIME mail, you will receive a return receipt from Postlink (sent to the mail door and then sent to you) informing you that the person to whom you sent this message has downloaded it in a QWK file (or read it on-line). It is a confirmation, to the best of the network's ability, that your message was received.


From: name

This is the field in the header that identifies you, or the person sending the message. You can alter this (CMPQwk doesn't care) however most doors will not accept an altered name unless the conference in which you are writing allows (or demands) alias names. Generally this field will be automatically filled and that will be that.


Private checkbox

This checkbox is used to mark the message you are sending as private, or for the sender's eyes only. Keep in mind the sysop can probably read all mail, and if you are doing mail on the RIME network, you will need to route (as well as flag private) any mail you do not wish to be read by other users. If you check private while doing RIME mail, CMPQwk will automatically route for you by inserting the Postlink code into the message in the RIME-specified style, or the FIDO numerical style so you really don't have to worry about it much.


Routing string

This box holds what CMPQwk thinks is the correct RIME routing information it has extracted from the text of the current message to which you are replying. It hasn't made a mistake at extracting this from true RIME mail yet, so if you want it routed, you can just check the Enable box next to this box and let CMPQwk do the rest. By default CMPQwk enables routing when replying to a routed, private message to you.


Routing enable checkbox

If you want to enable routing of a reply to a RIME message, check this box and CMPQwk will insert the correct routing string into your message for you. By default, the program will check this when replying to a private, routed message you have received, you will not have to manually check it unless you are initiating a new routed message to another RIME user.


Subject: text

This is where you enter the subject of the message you're sending. If you're doing a reply, this will be filled in with whatever the original message has as its subject. If you're doing a new message, you can type in up to 25 characters here, or pick from your pick list by clicking on the button on the right (you must have entered something in the default pick-list, of course). Messages from systems that allow longer than 25 characters (the QWK standard length) will get their subject lines truncated down to 25 characters. This is an unavoidable limitation of the current QWK standard, not a limitation in CMPQwk.


To: name

This is where you enter the name of the person to receive an original message, or if it's a reply, the name of the person who sent the message to which you are replying will be automatically filled-in for you. If you are doing an original message and have set up an address book, you can pick names from it by clicking on the downward-facing arrow to the right of this box. The name cannot be longer than 25 characters unless it is a true Internet address with the @ character on it (in which case it can be whatever length it needs to be).


Header to: tip-of-the-day

If you're doing mail and find you want to respond to the person who received the message (not to the sender, which is normally what you do), drop-down the picklist by using the button on the immediate right of the name, then look at the second name that appears---it'll always be the person to whom that message was sent. Click once on the name there and your reply (including correctly-quoted text from the original author) will be directed to the recepient instead of the author.


To: pick button

This button is used to drop down your pre-configured address book picklist. Scroll through any names you have inserted into the To: picklist until you find the one you want, then click once on it to add it to the message header's too field.


To: add to picklist button

If you want to add the name of a user to your To: picklist, in the process of replying to a message from that user, click this button once. The user's name (or Internet address, if that's what it is) will be added to your To: picklist for you automatically.


Subject pick list button

Click this button to drop down your list of pre-configured subjects (you must have entered some into the Subject picklist dialogue). Scroll through it until you find the subject you want, click that subject once with the mouse, and it will be inserted into the header.


Subject add to pick list button

If you're replying to a message whose subject is one you'd like to add to your default picklist, you need only click this button once to add it to the program's list. From then on, that subject will be available from the Subject pick list button drop-down.


Conference

This box shows the current conference the message to which you are replying is located. If you're creating a new message, you will see the currently-open conference listed here. You may change this by clicking the button to the right to open the drop-down list. When replying, you probably don't want to change conference unless the message is migrating away from the subjects in that conference, or going "off-topic." In that case, you should take the message into the appropriate conference, or make it private (and routed) if an applicable conference doesn't exist on that system. It's bad manners to write messages about something off-topic. Sysops must pay to phone those messages around, and users often pay to download them---and when they're not what they should be, it's disappointing to everybody involved. So be considerate, stay on-topic for the conference you're in.


Header conference tip

Here's a tip if you're doing mail ona huge BBS that has thousands of conferences: click on the conference drop-down, then begin typing what you think is the name of the conference into which you want to put your message---you'll find that a small window will appear. Type in a logical bit of text (say, Dog to find alt.lifestyle.dog.lovers). Press Enter when you're done typing and CMPQwk will jump to the first match it finds. It searches from the "top-down" so if you need to find a like-named conference that appears later, use a different text string. You may also quickly jump by number, if you know the number conference you want to find.


Conference pick list button

Click this to drop down a list of available conferences on the BBS. If you're creating a new message (or moving a reply to a more applicable conference) you can use this to find the conference you want to use. There is a new feature in CMPQwk 1.42 that's especially handy for people doing mail on very large (thousands of conference) systems. Once this list is dropped down, you may type letters to quickly find a match. For example, if you want to leave a message in conference 6,000, the CMPQwk conference, type CMPQwk... and the list will jump to the first match. You don't need to scroll through 6,000 conference names to get to it. Say you want to leave a message in WindowsProgramming but there are fifty other "Windows-something" areas. Type WindowsPro... and CMPQwk will find the first partial match, which will probably be the one you want.


Tagline text

This is where you type in (or let the program pick) a tagline. If you have anything other than an empty tagline file, the program will randomly pick one for you. You can ignore this choice if you'd like, delete it, alter it, or type in (or pick) a new one by clicking on the downward facing arrow to the right of the displayed tagline.


Tagline disable checkbox

If you do not want to use taglines, or the system on which you are doing mail frowns on them, click this button the next time you create a message and from then on (until you un-click it) tagline usage will be suppressed.


Tagline picker button

If you click this, you'll be presented with the tagline picker dialogue, which is also part of your tagline database in CMPQwk. From there you can change active tagline files (you can have many, unlimited-size tagline files), select a tagline from the current one, or do other tagline operations applicable to this. Once you've changed tagline files, that file is the "current" or active file only for that selection, CMPQwk returns to the default tagline file immediately after you close the selection box. You need only have one, the "default" tagline file, and it can be empty if you like (although clicking disable tagline is easier and quickly reversible).


Attachment filename

If the system on which you are doing mail follows the Wildcat!  or PCBoard file attachment protocol (as used in OLX and other readers) you can attach a single file to each message. Type in the name here if you know it, or use the picker button to the right to select a file and CMPQwk will automatically type in the path and filename for you. Please check with your sysop or network administrators before sending files around helter-skelter. They may allow it (but frown upon it when used carelessly). This feature only works on systems with doors compliant to the Wildcat! or PCBoard standard. If your system uses another procedure (and the standards are many and not compatible) it will not work. If you get an error message and the door does not accept your REP, simply re-edit the message by re-opening the REP, and remove the attachment. Re-saved, the REP will be acceptable to the defective or incompatible door.


Attachment picker button

Use this to load the file-picker common dialogue used to "open" a file attachment for inclusion into the message. Navigate as required to locate the file you want to attach, select it, and click on OK to attach it to that reply.


Tagline drop-down

You can pick from any of the available taglines in the currently-active tagline file by opening this drop-down picklist. Select the tagline you want by clicking once on it. The tagline drop-down should show files of any reasonable size, it allocates memory from the global pool as is required to display the file. We suggest, however, that for speed in loading the header you keep your tagline files down to 64K or less. Since you can have, essentially, as many tagline files as you like, this shouldn't be much of a problem. Categorize them logically in smaller files and not only will the pickbox operate more quickly, but sorting and dupe-checking will be faster, too.


Search taglines

If your tagline file is large, you can search for a bit of text. Click this button and type in what you want to search for in the small window that appears. Press ENTER when you've typed what you  to have CMPQwk search for a match. Press the Search again button (beside this one) to continue looking for another hit on the same bit of text.


Search again

Click on this button to search for the same bit of text in the active tagline file. Repeat until you've found the tagline you wanted or run out of matches. This function (and search) only looks in the single "active" tagline file, not every file in the database. Load a different file by using the button with ... on it if you don't get any matches but feel you may in another tagline file in your database. Then repeat the search.


to list dialogue
 address book

The to list is where you store the names (and Internet addresses, when applicable) of people to whom you wish to regularly send messages. You can store long Internet addresses (very long, actually) in the to list, and when you pick them and put them into the message header, CMPQwk will automatically insert the To: user.name@system.name string on the first line of the message as is the convention in QWK-to-UUCP mail doors. If the door on the system you are calling handles it differently, you will need to manually take care of Internet. Also, Auto Internet will need to be enabled in the CMPQwk options configuration. See the main help file for further information on that.

This is the box that will appear when you elect to edit an entry, or add a new entry. When you edit an entry, the program will automatically fill in both fields (where the second field is present) for you.


External editor

This will feed your address book to CMPEdit, allowing you to edit it in "batches," possibly more quickly than inside the editor here. Note that if you want to put in date for field number two, the routing information, it must be surrounded by the square bracket characters [ ]. If you do not do this, the program may treat the second batch of information unpredictably. This is an essential part of the plain text database format. To add Derek Backus with routing, you enter: Derek Backus Internet address [dbackus@patchbay.com] on a line by itself. Only one per line, only one routing string per name. Don't duplicate names, use a "description" instead of a name for those entries with routing data. RIME and Internet are supported.


To list

 This is the window that lists your names and Internet addresses. You may add to or edit any of these addresses by picking the item you want to edit (click it once) and then click on the Edit button. Scroll through it as needed to find the person you want, it is sorted alphabetically, starting with numbers and continuing through the letters. An undocumented (well, it's documented now) trick here, by the way, is to put a leading space on an address that you want to appear at the head of the list. Say you do mail every day with Willie Zenophobe and have 100 names above him in your list. Edit his listing so it appears as [space]Willie Zenophobe and he'll appear before everybody else, even 001@alphabet.com. The text that's in [ ] to the right of the names is the second field, or routing information field.


Add button

Click this button to be presented with a text-entry box that will let you type in a name or address to use. When you're done with that box, click on OK to go back to the main To list dialogue.


Delete button

If you no longer need an entry, highlight it (single-click it with the mouse) and then click on this button to remove it from your database of names and addresses. This action is not reversible after execution except by re-entering the name or address manually, so pay attention to what you have highlighted.


Edit button

If you need to alter an address or user name, highlight the address or name by single-clicking it with the mouse, then clicking on this button. The name will be loaded into the standard text-edit box where you can change it, OK it, and return to the main To list dialogue.


User address book name/description

This is the text entry box where you type in (or paste in through the clipboard) the user's name, if his or her mail is not routed, or the description (up to 25 characters) to be used for a routed entry. CMPQwk will use this field if the second field is empty, inserting it into the To: field of the message header. RIME or FIDO addresses must have a valid user name in this box in addition to routing information in the second box if you want the message to be routed.  If you route to RIME or FIDO you must put a valid user name in the name/description box as well as routing information. The rule is simple: anything in this box for Internet addresses, valid name for everybody else and everywhere else.


Routing information

If the user has routing information (RIME and Internet are supported) you can enter that here, just as you would when routing the message. For example, to route to Derek Backus on RIME, type in 5092 and the program will put that plus it will automatically add the ->on the first line as is RIME protocol, thus routing the message to Derek. If you put a valid Internet address in this box (such as dbackus@patchbay.com) it will be used instead of the text or name in the name box, above. The address in this second field, when present, always takes command of the outgoing message.


 subject list

The subject list is where you store short strings (up to 25 characters in the basic QWK standard) used to define the subject of your messages. You then pick these strings from the message header when entering a new message (or a reply, if you want to change the subject).


Add a subject

Click this button when you want to add a text string or subject description to your stored list. You can store practically an unlmited number of subjects in the list (more than most people will ever need). They are sorted alphabetically, in ascending order, from A to Z. A standard text edit box will appear for you to enter your text. When you're through, click on OK to close the text entry box, you will return to the main Subject list window.


Delete a subject

If you find you no longer need one of the subject names, highlight the subject text by clicking it once with the mouse, then click on this button to delete it from your stored database. This operation is not reversible once executed without re-entering the entire bit of text manually, so take care to note where the cursor is in the window displaying your subject entries.


Edit a subject

If you want to change something you've already put into your subject database, say you made a typo and didn't discover it before clicking on OK in the text entry box, highlight the subject listing you want to alter and click once on this button. It will load the subject string into a standard text entry box, allowing you to alter it as you wish. When you're finished, click on OK to return to the main Subject list dialogue.


Subject list

This section of the dialogue displays the list of subjects you've entered (or have been imported from your previous reader, if such was the case during CMPQwk's installation. The list is sorted alphabetically, from A to Z. If you want a commonly-used subject to appear before everything else, begin that subject with a space and it will always appear at the top of the list.


 tagline picker

When you are creating a new message or a reply, and click the button with ... on it beside the randomly-selected "default" tagline, you will find yourself staring at this dialogue.


Available taglines

This list box shows you the available taglines in the currently-active tagline file. It could have only one tagline, or it could have thousands, that depends on you. If you want to manually select a tagline, scroll though the list here and double-click a tagline, or click once on one and then click on OK, and the selected tagline will be inserted into your message. If you want to look at another tagline file, see the small box to the bottom left that lists available tagline files.


Availble tagline files

This box lists the tagline files you have established using the tagline control panel in the main CMPQwk configuration panel. If you wish to change active files, scroll through the list here and click on the file you want (click once). It will become the "current" file for that selection process only, and the available tagline window will change to reflect the contents of that file rather than the previously-selected file. You may have as many tagline files as you'd like, and they can be of any practical size.


Tagline search

If you want to search for a tagline with a specific topic or word, click on this button and then enter the bit of text you'd like to find. It works just like any other "find" feature, except that it will collect a list of hits it locates that have a match for what you want to find and display them as if they were a "new" tagline file. You can then select from this list and click on OK to use this tagline inside your message. A handy feature for very large tagline files.


 message search

If you're looking for a specific subject or other bit of text inside a message, the Search function will help you find it without scrolling through hundreds of messages. There is also a "Quick search" which looks inside only the message headers for matches to them. That's the next section.


Conference to search

You select the conference in which to search with this drop-down list. Pick the one you want, fill in the text for which you'd like to search, and you're ready to have CMPQwk examine the packet for your text item.


Search for text

This is the text you want the program to find. Select it wisely, try to find a single, specific word you think would only be in the message (or message header if you've restricted the search to the header only) you're trying to locate. This drop-down will store up to 20 of your entries, so if you frequently look for the same things, they'll be here waiting for you. You can also use the & and | operators (and and or) but you cannot use them in the same search. So you can search for Bob and Ted and Alice but not Bob and Ted or Alice.


Search to:

Search in the to: field in the message headers.


Search from:

Search in the from: field in the message headers.


Search subject:

Search in the subject: field in the message headers.


Search body

Search through the body of the messages contained in the target conference or packet. This is the slowest method of searching. A search restricted to the header (when possible) is the fastest method. Searching through the body is more thorough, however.


 edit personal dictionary

You use this dialogue to edit your personal spelling dictionary. You should edit the personal dictionary before you begin a mail session and use the speller, otherwise your changes will not be used.


Word window

This list shows the contents, sorted alphabetically, of your personal dictionary. You can scroll through this list to change an entry to reflect how you would like it to be spelled (correctly is always nice), or to find an entry you can then delete if you do not need it.


Add entry button

If you want to add a new word to the personal spelling dictionary, click this button and enter the word in the text entry box that will appear. Click on OK once you're finished to add the word to your dictionary. It will be used the next time you load the spelling engine when doing replies. We suggest you add entries before doing any mail during a session.


Delete entry button

If you made a mistake an added an entry you do not want, or while spelling added something by mistake, highlight the entry you'd like to toast and then click on this button. It will be removed from your personal dictionary. This action is not reversible without you manually re-entering the word again.


Edit entry

If you want to change an existing entry, highlight it and click this button. Change the word so it's spelled the way you like and click on OK to continue.


 add message to a folder

If you're reading a message and press S or click on the "Add message to folder" toolbar button, you'll be presented with this selection box that will determine in what folder you'll be storing that message.


Available folders

This list box shows you the available folders into which you could put this message. Select one by clicking it once and then click on OK to use this folder as the destination for your newly stored message.


Add a folder button

If you look at your available folders and decide there is not a logical destination for your new message, you can create a folder into which to put it. Type in the folder name when the dialogue for that purpose appears, click on okay, and then select that new folder when it appears in the Available folders list above.


 view and maintain folders

The View and maintain folders dialogue is the heart of CMPQwk's folder tools. It is what you will use to control how you store message, how you view them, and how you arrange the stored messages into logical folders by topic, BBS system, and so forth.


Folder list

This displays the names of the available folders you have created. You can open a folder by clicking once on it to display the contents in the list below, the message list.


Add folder

If you want to create a new folder to use later when capturing message, click this and enter the long name you'd like to use for that folder, then click on OK to create that new, empty folder.


Delete folder

If you highlight a folder name and click on this button, you will delete this folder and all of its contents. Warning: this cannot be undone from within CMPQwk, if you do this accidentally, and decide it was a mistake, you will need to restore your folder files from your last system backup. Make sure you have highlighted the correct folder before pressing this button. You will lose data if you are not careful!


Message list

The contents of a given folder are displayed here. You can scroll through this list of messages, double-clicking it to load them into the folder viewer of your choice (be it the internal one or Gator Edit, or something else). If you want to delete a specific message and not an entire folder, the cursor must be in this window and a message here must be highlighted.


View message

If you've highlighted a message in the Message list, you can read that message (load it into the internal or external folder viewer of your choice) by clicking this button. A message must be highlighted for this to work.


Delete message

If you find a message you no longer want to keep, highlight that message and press this button. Warning: this action is not reversible. Make sure you've highlighted the correct message. If you highlight the wrong message and click this button, you will have to restore your folder files from outside of CMPQwk by using your last system backup. Use this feature with caution. We suggest also, if you delete lots of folders and messages, that you frequently use the Pack folder database function on CMPQwk's folder menu. See the CMPQwk main help file for more on that.


Edit folder description

If you highlight a folder name and click this you can change the name of the folder to something else. Doing this is preferable than creating a new folder and deleting an unused folder, due to the way the program internally indexes folders. "Recycling" keeps the database small and maximizes the number of folders you can have (you're limited to about 2 billion, you know).


Print selected message

Clicking this button will send the contents of the currently-marked message in the currently-open folder to the printer. It prints plain text only, no fancy formatting (yet).


Move message

If you highlight a message in an open folder, you can click this button to move the message to another folder. Once the selection box is open, pick the folder into which you'd like to copy or move the message (you can scroll up and down through all of your available folders), then click on OK to perform the function.


Copy message to clipboard

This function will work in two ways. In the preview window below, you can mark lines of text from the stored message and then click this button to copy the message into the clipboard. Or you can click it with no text highlighted and CMPQwk will grab the entire message and place it on the clipboard. A fast way to get a message into the clipboard to paste into an ongoing reply or other program.


Message preview window

This window shows a preview (fully scrollable) of the currently-selected message. Use this window to mark text so you can copy it to the clipboard, or to quickly scan through a message without loading the internal or external viewing programs such as CMPView or Gator Edit.


Reply to stored message in folder

You can reply to a stored message (if you have a packet from the host system open, the outgoing reply will be added to the others already there). If you try to reply to a message stored prior to version 1.42, you'll be asked to select the system to which to send the message. If the message contains RIME or Internet addresses, and you've got Auto Internet enabled, or want to route via RIME, the program will fill in that information for you as if you were replying to it from within a packet.


 edit rubber stamps

Rubber stamps are handy tools you can use to create commonly-repeated blocks of text. For example, you can put directions to your house, your mailing address, and so on inside a stamp. The next time somebody asks you for your address, you can just stamp it to 'em rather than re-writing the entire thing. You can put up to 2,400 characters inside a stamp, and you can have as many stamps as you'd like.


Stamp variables list

This section contains the list of variables you can place in a stamp. The list is more or less self-explantory, and will replace the specified symbols in the stamp with the information gleaned from the message header, system date, or QWK file (as applicable) when you use the stamp. This feature is a great help to support professionals who have to send the same message to many different people and want to personalize the stamp a bit. With a touch of work, you can actually program the stamp somewhat, if you think about it.


Stamp description

This is the long descriptions for your stamp. This field is limited to 50 characters.


Stamp text

This is the text contents of the stamp. Stamps may contain up to 2,400 characters, including high ASCII and other characters. You cannot put Windows bitmaps or other types of bitmapped graphics on a stamp. of course, since the destination is going to be plain ASCII text. Note that Internet mail may not allow you to use high ASCII, so stamps you've created using it may not look like they do in this window on your destination system. Use high ASCII sparingly, if at all, on such systems.


Import text button

Use this button to import a pre-existing text file into your stamp. For example, you may have a nice ASCII drawing program you use to create maps, etc. You can slam them directly into your stamp collection without re-doing them in the limited editor we provide for you. You'll see a common file dialogue, navigate until you've found the file you want, select it in the file list window, and click on OK to have it imported. It will be truncated at 2400 characters if it's larger than that (that figure includes spaces, and all other characters).


 forward message

This dialogue is used when you want to forward a message you've seen (or received) to another user for him or her to read.


Private checkbox

Check this box if you want to the forwarded message to be sent as a private message (it can be private whether or not the original was so marked). You should know that a private message on RIME and some other networks must also be routed, which may require you to manually edit the forwarded message to insert routing information. Follow the rules of your network when forwarding messages.


Conference selection

Drop this down to select a conference into which to forward this message. Use care here, do not forward public messages from one conference into another where they are off-topic. Forwarding adds to the bulk of mail that must be shipped around---usually with somebody else paying the freight---so consider telling a friend to look for the message from the sender instead of shipping another copy across the net. If the message was private to you, of course, forwarding makes sense. Your sysop will appreciate your consideration.


Forwarding message text

CMPQwk will automatically insert a message telling the recipient that he or she has received this message as a "forwarded" message, you may add some more text to if if you'd like, here, or delete this text and put in a unique message, whatever you'd like. If you wish to keep the existing default message, click in this box and scroll to the bottom of the window, then click there again to make sure the highlight is off of the original message. Add what you'd like to say, and when you're finished, press Enter. Note that pressing enter within this box will "finish" the add-on text and send the message on its way. Add on text can only be a single paragraph.


Forward to

Select the user to whom you'd like to forward this message. You can pick from your address book by clicking the downward arrow to the right of the default forwarding name (the first name in your address book). Select the individual you want, or manually type in the name if you know it, and proceed to the other settings in the dialogue. Press Enter if they're acceptable and you want to send the forwarded message.


Forward comment

You can type a few lines into this area and what you type will be added into the forwarded message. So for example, you could add a note explaining why you are forwarding a message, or a note giving your reaction to the message.


 general configuration tab

This panel controls many of the program's most commonly-adjusted options. Click on the option you'd like to see explained.


File open on load

Do you want CMPQwk to automatically make the File Open dialogue appear when the program starts? If so, enable this option. If you often open the program just to browse folders and so on, we suggest you disable this, because you'll just be closing that dialogue all the time, adding a step to your use of the program.


Display splash bitmap

If you like the nifty 3-D carved-looking graphic we created that pops up (and then goes away) as the program is loading, check this box. If you're tired of it, or want maximum speed, then uncheck this box.


Display confirmations

We suggest you leave this checked unless you're a real pro with our program. This turns off all program warnings and confirmations (such as, "Are you sure you want to delete this file?"). Deletions, cancellations, and other somewhat risky operations will take place "immediately" if you uncheck this. I have it unchecked, because I know what I'm doing. If you do not know the keyboard and other functions of CMPQwk inside and out, leave this checked until you do.


Display status bar

If you want to use CMPQwk's status bar, which shows you QWK name and other help information at the bottom of the application workspace, leave this checked. If you're running in VGA or other lower resolutions, and need some screen real-estate, you can uncheck it to gain about a line or a line and a half of working space.


Use filenames

CMPQwk has the ability to view QWK files by the name of the BBS, so if you'd like to see the QWK files that way, un-check this. It will make PATCHBAY.QWK appear as The Patchbay BBS in the File Open dialogue. I prefer this unchecked since it's easier to find a file by the board name, not the ugly and limited DOS filename.


CMPQwk external ANSI viewer

Tells the program to use the CMPView stripped-ANSI viewer to view the ANSI and other files contained in the QWK packets you obtain. The program knows the path and filename of this program, so you don't have to fill it out. If you try another program (destroying the command line for ours) you can click this button to get it back. ANSI isn't viewed in color this way, but it is a lot faster, and the contents inside CMPView can be printed and easily copied to the clipboard, etc.


External ANSI viewer

If you do not want to use the internal color ANSI viewer, or our external "plain text" viewer, but want to specify another plain-text viewer (like Notepad) you can do so here. Type in the full path and program name. The program must accept filenames passed to it on its command line, and can be any type of program, PIF file, and so on. Feel free to experiment here. I know people who are using Qedit, Boxer, and Gator Edit for this function, just to name three. External ANSI viewing must be enabled, of course, for this option to have any effect. See that option below.


Use external ANSI viewer

Enables the external viewer for ANSI files contained in your QWK packets. You'll need to use our external viewer, CMPView, or type in the path and filename to one in the command line box above, for this check to have any effect other than an error-message.


Use default MDI

If you check this, it will disable CMPQwk's tracking of program window placements. When the program is set like this the window behavior is totally "wild" like most MDI applications (for example, Sysedit). No positions are saved, and window state is set by the system to the "default" or "current condition." You can select between this state, Start all windows maximized, or Remember window positions. Only one value for this function can be set.


Start all windows maximized

If you check this value, CMPQwk will not remember the placements of windows but will maximize (full the application workspace) with each in turn as you open it. Remember that you cannot have two states, so if you "size" a window then all the windows beneath it will be "sized" too, and set at their "default" positions. Only one value for this function can be set, you can choose between this setting, Use default MDI or remember window positions.


Default toolbar

This tells CMPQwk to pick the toolbar type on load, using logic that looks at your screen resolution and other settings. This is the best setting, if you change resolutions (in either direction) CMPQwk will load the appropriate toolbar. Laptop users with black and white or grayscale LCD screens should use the mono toolbar, CMPQwk cannot tell a grayscale 256 gray driver from a color driver.


Small toolbar

If you run at less than 800 x 600, or want to conserve application workspace, enable this smaller toolbar. The buttons are less colorful then the large SVGA toolbar, however using this bar will give you more space for text.


Large toolbar

If you find CMPQwk doesn't correctly detect your resolution (and you're running at SVGA or better), you can force the program to load the large toolbar. Users running at 640 x 480 will lose functionality if they enable this toolbar, it is too large for that screen size.


Mono toolbar

If you have a grayscale LCD laptop, we suggest you enable this bar. It will be easier to read on LCD low-contrast screens.


Derek's toolbar

Derek's toolbar contains some functions the others do not (such as print and load QML). Try it, you may like it better...he does! Derek's toolbar is only for SVGA screens, it has the same large size buttons as the Large toolbar specified to the left of this setting, but different graphics and functions.


None (no toolbar)

If you run in low resolutions (640 x 480) you might want to get as much application workspace as you can. Disabling the toolbar will accomplish this. The program will also load faster, and operate a bit more quickly, since overhead relating to updating the toolbar functions will be disabled if it is not loaded. If you have a very slow machine, or a machine running in low-colors, low-rez, we'd like to suggest you disable the toolbar and see if the program isn't more snappy than before.


External folder viewer

You can use an external program (such as Gator Edit) view your folder messages. We suggest you procure Gator Edit and use it for this purpose, but any good ASCII editor or viewer will work. Type in the complete path and filename to the program you want to use. It must accept filenames passed to it on the command line, and it can be a DOS or Windows program, it doesn't matter. You must enable external folder viewing in the check box below for this setting to have any effect.


Use external folder viewer

If you want to use an external program (such as Gator Edit) to view your stored message, you must enable it here, and then fill in the path and filename to this program or PIF file in the command line above. You must do both, neither has effect if the other is not correctly enabled or configured.


Start CMPQwk maximized

Enable this if you always load CMPQwk and and then click the up button on the title bar (making it full-screen). The program will let you skip that step, setting this has the effect of making "full screen" the default loading state of the program. Users with plain VGA should check this box.


Minimize attachment window

If you don't want the File Attachment window intruding on you when you open a packet, you can tell the program to keep it maximized until you switch to it using the Window menu list. If you leave this at the default, and the packet contains any Wildcat! compatible attachments, the program will present you with this window and an icon for the program on your system that's associated with the file. If you do not have a program associated with that file type (or the association is invalid) the window will show an icon with a ? or an ! to indicate unknown or invalid. You may set an association by double-clicking the icon in question (or pressing ENTER while the cursor is on it). CMPQwk will offer to make the association for you and then load the file accordingly.


Remember window positions

If you check this, CMPQwk will remember its position, and the position of all the child windows (one setting for each window type) when you exit the program. Once you find a size and placement you like for each window type, check this box and the next time you open a QWK, the windows will appear as you sized and placed them. It does not remember more than one placement for each window, however. If you think about that, you'll see it's illogical, since the windows are tools, not "specific" things, and multiple instances of the Read, QML and Write windows very rarely (if at all) contain the same thing twice.

Note that the positions remembered will be the last window of a flavor to close before the program closes. This is important, so make sure when you close the last of a batch of Read or QML windows you have that window placed where you want it. CMPQwk will remember if you maximize a window, however opening a sized window over a maximized window will set all windows beneath that one to "sized" as well.


BBS welcome on packet open

If you leave this enabled, when CMPQwk first opens a packet, it will automatically load the Welcome screen the system provides in the packet (if it provides one). You can then use the right mouse button to page through the other ANSI files in the packet, if they exist. Note that if you've set your ANSI viewer to an external program, you won't be able to view much from that right mouse button menu except the Welcome and Session screens. Leave it set to the internal viewer for the ability to browse all of the files automatically upon opening a QWK.


Use long conference names

If you leave this checked, and your mail door provides them (most PCBoard systems do), CMPQwk will display the long conference names (varying lengths) instead of the "standard" thirteen character names used in most QWK packets. This has an adverse effect on the formatting of the Conference list, however, since CMPQwk cannot predict the length of the conference name field, it cannot format the Conference list in three nice columns as it can with the fixed-length names. The end effect of this is that the "number of messages" indicator may appear eight characters away from the left or forty, it is dependant on the length of the conference name. If this doesn't bother you, leave Use long conference names checked.


 path configuration tab

This tab is used to set critical program packer and path (file location) functions. Please pay close attention to how you set these items, failure to set them correctly results in most of the problems users encounter.


QWK path

This is the path where you keep your QWK files. It is probably called DOWNLOAD, or DL, or something else like that, as it's where you download files with your communication program, too (in most cases). Failure to set this path correctly will disable packet management, and force you to navigate through your directories when you wish to open a QWK file to read the contents. It will not, however, cause a program failure.


Picker button

This button is used to select a directory (or file) applicable to the listbox or program function from which you called it. Navigate as required, when you are finished with the common dialogue this button calls, click on OK and that path (or file) will be entered for you into the program function. This button is used throughout the program in this fashion.


REP path

This is the path where you'd like CMPQwk to create and store your REP files. It must exist for the program to create your replies for you to upload to your host BBS, so be careful that the directory you point it to does, in fact, exist---and do this before you attempt to make replies. If at all possible, use the directory picker, it will only show you "valid" directories. Failure to set this path correctly may result in program failure.


Export path

This is the path into which you would like the program to put any messages you export into text files. It's a great way to keep the home directory from being litterered with tons of small text files you've made by exporting messages. Use the directory picker button to locate an existing directory for this function. Failure to set the Export path correctly may result in program failure or erratic functioning.


Import path

This is the path in which you want CMPQwk to look for your text files when you import them. It may be different from or the same as the Export path. Failure to set this path correctly may result in program failure or erratic functioning when importing (or attempting to import) text files.


Work path

This is CMPQwk's most critical path setting, and the one that causes the most problems when incorrectly set. Use the directory picker to set this path, it will assure you of a valid setting. If you type in a path manually for this (instead of accepting the installation default), and this path does not exist, you will get NO CONTROL.DAT messages. To avoid this use the directory picker and let it fill in this information. Warning: if you set this path to a drive or directory that does not exist, you will not be able to open or read QWK mail. If you set this directory to a RAM disk or other "virtual" disk, create replies, and pick Quick exit from the file menu, then crash your system you will lose ALL of your replies. They will not be recoverable. Failure to set this properly will always result in program failure and erratic operation!


Internal packer

Check this to use the built-in fast and reliable internal PKZip-compatible 1.1-2.x packer and unpacker. This is the default, and we suggest you leave it set to this if at all possible.


External Zip/Unzip

Check this radio button to use Phil Katz's DOS PKZip / PKUnzip to pack and unpack your mail. PKZIP.EXE and PKUNZIP.EXE must be in your path or your \CMPQWK directory to use this option, or you will get NO CONTROL.DAT error messages.


External LHA

If the system you are calling uses Yoshi's LHARC, you can enable this packer and unpacker as long as the required executable(s) are on your system and available in your path (or are in the \CMPQWK directory). If the LHA program is not in your path or the home directory, you will get NO CONTROL.DAT error messages upon attempting to open a packer.


External ARJ

If you want to use the ARJ DOS file archive utility, check this option. As with all external packers, the required program(s) must be in your path or in the \CMPQWK directory to avoid errors when unpacking and packing mail.


External WUNA/ARJ

If you want, you can use the fine Windows Unarchive utility by James Hughes to open QWK files, and external ARJ to compress them (sometimes faster than the ARJ-ARJ method by itself). Both programs must be in your path or in the \CMPQWK directory to enable this option.


External other

If you want to use another program (either Windows-based or DOS-based) to open and pack your mail, and the program will take a command-line, you can check this and then enter the command line by clicking the button to the right to bring up the External command line dialogue.


Define external archiver button

click this button to load the command line box for the external other archiver. You must type in the full path and program name to your archiver, and any command line required in addition to the %1 %2 variables for both the unpacker you select and the packer you select. Those variables (supplied by CMPQwk) are used to tell the archiver what files to pack and unpack, and where to put them. Failure to enter this information correctly will result in program failure and erratic operation. An example command line for a "mythical" program is below. Note that both lines require %1 %2 in addition to other parameters they may need.

Unpacker

C:\UTILS\UNPACK.EXE -P -T %1 %2

Packer

C:\UTILS\PACKER.EXE -M -Z %1 %2


High compression option

Check this option to use maximum (and rather slow) compression on your REP packets when they are packed. If you are calling long-distance and uploading large amounts of mail, or are attaching large and uncompressed files to your mail (such as bitmaps) this option will pound the REP down as small as it can go. Note that it will add considerable time to the packing process when ZIP files are attached to a message, or when the REP is unusually large. This is PKZip 2.x compatible format.


Medium compression option

Check this option if you want "normal" compression, or you only rarely attach files that can be compressed to your REP. This is the typical compression setting most folks will use, and it is PKZip 2.x-compatible set to "normal."


None (compression set to zero)

This is the fastest compression, which is none at all. Most users will find this blazing fast, and if you're doing local mail, we suggest you set the packer to this setting. Note that if you're doing mail on a BBS that requires 1.1-compatible packing, you must  set the internal packer to this level to maintain compatibility. This is the same as using PKZip 2.x with the -e0 option.


 read configuration tab

This tab controls how the Read window will behave. Things like sorting order and so forth are controlled here (and from the message menu, too).


Sort by message number

If you check this, messages in the QML will appear with the lowest logical message number first, and the highest message number last. You'll find that "threads" will be broken when they are displayed in this fashion, due to the fact that threads may jump dates (and thus message numbers) as people join in on them. However, this is the default sorting method, and probably the fastest. Scanning conference without threads (like For Sale) is just fine using this method.


Sort by thread

This is the generally preferred method of sorting, it sorts by subject and then by date, and finally by time, so that messages regarding the same subject (or thread) will be displayed in a complete stream, with no breaks due to different dates and times. It is easiest to follow the melee that is netmail if you enable this type of sorting as your default. It is a bit slower than message number (it's sorting on three fields, after all), but much more useful, we feel.


Sort by to:

Use this method if you're trying to locate a message to a specific user, if you know that user's name this alphabetic descending sort on the recipients' names will let you quickly find any user's name in a large conference. Note that Internet names cannot be sorted in any really meaningful way because they aren't really "names" in the general sense of the word.


Sort by from:

This is similar to the Sort by to: function, only it sorts by sender name. Same restrictions and so forth apply here, too. Great when looking for a message from a specific user.


Auto load Quick message list

If you want the program to automatically build the QML when you open a conference (not everybody uses the message index), check this. It'll save you pressing the hotkey if you always want it open.


Notify you of re-read

The program will tell you when you're about to open a conference you've already read before if you check this. If you never forget your place, leave this unchecked. If you're absent-minded like me, check it.


Read replies during scan

When this is checked, the Replies conference will be treated like any other conference, and opened if you go through the end of the packet, back through personal, and into the Replies conference. If you want to skip opening this conference, uncheck this. Note: if you uncheck it, you will find the behavior of the REPLIES conference will force you to re-open it each time you want to edit a reply, it will not "stick" open and let you scan through it.


Auto load ANSIART

If you read a lot of ANSI mail that has [ANSIART] on the first line, and want the color ANSI viewer to load automatically upon reading one of these messges, check this. Unless that line appears on the first line, you'll have to view it manually by pressing "A" to load the color viewer.


Switch to/from in message header

If you want to reverse the position of the To: and From: fields in the message header, check this.


Append export file

If you want your exported text file to have succeeding message exports appended to it (rather than being overwritten or in a discrete file you name), check this. Good for collecting a number of messages into a single text file for use outside of CMPQwk.


Read window follows QML

If you check this (it is checked by default) the QML and Read window are "linked" together, so if you move the QML by using the right arrow key, the Read window will automatically update to reflect the contents of that message. If you have a slower system, or read very large netmail packets, you should disable this. It will allow you to flit about the QML at will, and when you want to view a message, you press Enter to display that Read window. If you go back to the QML and navigate about, you will not change the contents of that Read window unless you press Enter again (or click on the message's header information in the QML with the left mouse button).


Skip personal outside of personal conference

This option is basically a "twit" for yourself, it suppresses the display of your personal mail outside of the boundries of the personal conference. If you get a lot of personal mail, it's nice to not have to scroll through it all again. Some conferences may be "skipped" altogether (as if you had twitted mail) when this is enabled. It is off by default.


Hide Internet header information

This will hide the sometimes multi-page bunch of babble and routing garbage that usually appears in Internet UUCP-to-QWK messages. It completely blows away this stuff so the message begins right at the top of the actual message text. It makes reading UseNet mail a whole lot more fun on VGA systems, I'll tell you that. This is on by default.


Rebuild indexes on load

If you call a BBS that repeatedly gives you bad QWK packets that cause errors or crashes, check this option. It will take a moment longer to open the packet, however CMPQwk will verify and repair the QWK index files on loading, in most cases fixing faulty or corrupt packets. It is off by default, but if in doubt, turn it on and leave it on.


Track Read windows

This option prevents the program from letting you open so many Read windows that you crash the program. We suggest you leave this on, however it will prevent you from opening multiple copies of a conference. This is generally a good thing, so we suggest you leave this checked. If you use the program's MDI features wisely (and don't double-click conferences all over the place) unchecking this will let you open different parts of the same conference.


Enable PCBoard color

If you check this, CMPQwk will automatically shift the Read window to display correct PCBoard color codes. If this is enabled, you may find yourself looking at a black Read window with fonts of various colors, and this is perfectly normal. This option does not affect speed, so if you want to see messages containing the @X color codes, leave it enabled. If you find it disconcerting to come across messages with a black background, uncheck this box. The box is checked by default.


Display subject first

If you'd like to see the subject of the messages displayed in the QML as the first item, check this box. This is a matter of personal test, and it has no other effect on QML behavior, it just controls the "formatting" of the QML.


 filters configuration tab

You can set which messages you'd like to ignore by specifying "filters" to apply to incoming mail. All mail that matches a twit filter will be suppressed from the Read window and QML, however the total numbers in a given conference will show all mail, including twitted mail you cannot see because of your pre-set filters.


Add to list

This button brings up a text entry box that will let you add to the applicable list.


Delete from list

Clicking this button will delete the currently-highlighted item from that list. This action is not reversible without fully re-entering the text you just deleted, so use caution.


Skip mail by

Enter the name of the person from whom comes mail you would like to skip. If you don't want to get mail from Bob Jones, putting Bob Jones in here would suppress the display of any mail authored by a like-name person---on any system you call, by the way. So if you like Bob Jones on one system, and hate him on another, we suggest you leave him out of the filter and just pass over mail from the awful Bob Jones.


Skip mail to

If you don't want to see any mail sent TO Bob Jones (no matter the sender's name), enter his name in here. Again, this will be applied to every packet you open.


Skip mail about

You can enter a partial match for subjects you don't want to read about. For example, I don't want to read about Wave Rider, so I've got Wave Rider in my filter list. I won't see any mail that has that in the subject. I've also got WaveRider, Wave, and Rider, so if you're a horseman or a surfer and you've sent me any mail, sorry, I never saw it.


 replies configuration tab

This tab lets you configure CMPQwk's internal editor, and control text quoting and other options related to replying to a message.


Re-open REPs

This is a CRUCIAL setting: if you do not enable this, CMPQwk will overwrite any existing REP file you have when you attempt to create a new one for the same BBS. If you have NOT uploaded your REP file prior to reading more mail from that BBS, YOU WILL OVERWRITE AND DESTROY all of your replies. Leave this checked unless you are terminally-organized and always upload your REPs without fail. At worst you'd upload some dupes (and better BBS software checks for and destroys dupes).


Split messages

If you do mail on a system where message line length is restricted, check this to split at about 125 lines. The program will correctly mark and address subsequent portions of your messages, including routing on RIME and Internet.


Spell check

If you want to spell-check your replies, check this box. That will enable spell-checking when you attempt to save a reply or original message. You can spell-check manually, too, if you'd like.


Quote original

If you want the text of the message sent to you (or to which you are responding) inserted into the editor for you to quote and comment on, you must leave this checked. If you un-check it, you will find yourself with a blank Write window when replying.


Wrap quotes

CMPQwk will attempt to reformat and correctly wrap the incoming text, making it appear well-formatted after the insertion of quoting characters (the letters and characters that appear to the left of the quoted material).


Raw quote

If you leave this checked CMPQwk will quote a message as it appears in the QWK file. This means it will leave in any color codes or other text effects that may force the message to appear in a manner you might not want. For example, the quoted text might have PCBoard @X codes in it, and that would force your message to appear with colors you might not want if the user reading the final message you send has CMPQwk and has PCBoard color codes enabled. If you uncheck this CMPQwk will strip out any color, italics, and other codes supported by it. This gives you full control over how the message will appear, but when you re-edit a message that has codes you'll have to re-do them.


Tab size

This sets the effective TAB size in the editor. It defaults to 8 spaces, the universal TAB size most systems (and readers) use.


Quote characters

These are the quote characters you'd like to use when quoted material is brought into the editor. For example, %f%l%s > would quote mail from Derek Backus like: Derek Backus > with a space between the name and > character. Follow the guidelines of your network for proper quoting settings. Less is always more when quoting, of course.


Quote first line

Select the quoting characters you want used on the first line of the message. It can match the setting for the "other lines," which would make all quoted lines appear the same.


Quote other lines

Specify here the quote characters you want to use on all quoted material except the first line. You can set this to match the first line, or make it different if you want to isolate the following lines from the first (which usually has %f %l on it).


Message quote text

If you'd like the message to begin with a quoting string, such as, "Bob said this:" you can put that string in here. Use the characters shown below the text entry box for variables. For example, "%f %l babbled about %s," would come out, "Derek Backus babbled about CMPQwk," if the message to you was from him and about CMPQwk. Use this feature sparingly, it is commonly frowned-upon by sysops who must pay phone rates to ship this extra bit of (usually meaningless) text around.


Message quote characters

These characters are pretty self-explanatory, each one represents a variable you can use in the message quote string. Use them as you would the words or names they will represent in the final message.


Auto signature text

This is the text entry box where you can enter whatever you'd like to appear in your automatically entered signature. This is a real time-saver, CMPQwk will sign your messages for you when you save them. If you do lots of mail, it takes away the drudgery of manually importing a special signature file or other text file if you use one. You must enable auto signature (below the entry box) to have what you type in here take effect.


Auto signature variables

Your signature can contain variables like the date and time. These are self-explanatory, I think. Use them as you would the variables (like the time you wrote the message) themselves. For example, you could have: Written at %t on %d to put the time and date at the end of your signature.


Import text

If you've used a drawing program to create a high ASCII or other signature, you can import it into CMPQwk's signature text box directly by using this button, selecting the file, and clicking on OK. The limit for a signature is 2400 characters, including spaces.


Auto signature enable

You can enable or disable the automatic insertion of a signature text block by checking or un-checking this option. If you temporarily wish to turn off signatures (but want to leave the signature text box containing something) you can do that here. It will remain off until you re-enable it.


Auto internet

If you do mail on a system that uses a QWK to UUCP gateway, you should probably enable this. It will cause CMPQwk to handle Internet addresses in a special way. The program will detect the @ sign used in all Internet addresses, and put the correct To: user.name@host.name string on the first line of the message, as is the standard for Internet-to-QWK mail doors. If you door does something "non-standard" you should disable this feature, but you'll have to manually handle Internet routing information.


Internet style

If the QWK to UUCP program used by your host BBS is picky about the case of the To: string used for Internet routing, you can change the default (all upper case) here. The only finnicky door at this writing is UQWK (this door also will create invalid packets, too, so be careful when using it).


FIDO style

It seems the FIDO network hosts cannot agree on a standard for routing (it is different according to just about any sysop we talk with). Well, set the FIDO routing format string here however your host wants it, I'm sure it will differ from the host across town, but at least you can configure this now to make one system happy.


  taglines configuration tab

The tagline manager in CMPQwk 1.42 is quite powerful. You can have a virtually unlimited number of taglines (and unlimited-size files), and select between them (which file is "active") on the fly while doing mail. You edit, sort, and define a default tagline file from this panel.


Tagline list

This window displays the long descriptions you have assigned to your tagline files, or the default tagline file shown in this sample (if you haven't created any long descriptions). To modify a description, click it in this window and then click Edit to the right. You can have long descriptions for all of your tagline files, and virtually as many tagline files as you'd like.


Current default tagline file

This displays the long description of the tagline file you have currently assigned as the "default" or "active" tagline file. You can change this at any time from the message header, as well as from here. To change this, highlight a file and click the Set default button on the bottom right or double-click a tagline description.


Add tagline to database

If you want to add a new tagline file to your list (it must be an already-created text file, with one tagline per line), click this button, enter a long description in the text entry box that appears, and assign a text file with the file picker that is available from this secondary dialogue. You can add essentially as many files as you like to your tagline database.


Edit tagline description

You can change your description at any time (and keep the file assigned to it the same) by clicking this and altering the description. Use this if you make a typo, or wish to enter a more descriptive bit of text than you did initially.


Remove tagline from database

If you no longer wish to use a file that you have been using, highlight a file and click this button. Note: this operation is not reversible without you manually adding the file again to the database. This operation does not destroy or alter the text file used for this entry, it is left on the hard disk untouched. If you want to delete the actual text file, you must do that manually using File Manager.


Sort current file

Highlighting a description and clicking this button performs a sorting and dupe-stripping operation on your tagline file. Depending on the size of your file, it might take a few moments or it might take a few hours. We suggest you keep the files below 200K for maximum speed when dupe-checking and sorting (and besides, nobody needs more than that many taglines on one subject anyway).


Edit current file

This will load the tagline file into CMPQwk's editor CMPEdit. Add, alter, or otherwise mangle your tagline file as you wish, however be sure to keep it one tagline to a line and no longer than about 58 or so characters per line.


Set current file as default

If you highlight a long description and click this button, you will make that file your "active" tagline file, or the currently-used one when you enter a message from that point on until you change to another file.


Tagline style box

This box allows you to view the basic tagline style CMPQwk will use. This is the "preview" window of how your tagline will look after you've clicked on the Change button and edited it.


Tagline style characters

This is the current variable (or variables) suppoted by the tagline style box. This feature may change as we add features (such as time or date). They are self-explanatory.


Change button

When you click on this button, you will load the Tagline format editor, and it will allow you to alter the basic tagline format more or less "at will." The changes you make there will be reflected immediately in the preview window below this button, as well as in any messages you do after changing the format. Messages created prior to a change will not be altered.


Tagline edit box

This is the box where you can set the basic tagline style you want to use. You may set it all on one line or use multiple lines. Check with your network adminstrator or moderator before using more than one line, however, some nets forbid it. Note that whatever you do, the total contents of the tagline style box cannot exceed 250 characters, and that includes the required CMPQwk %v %r (that's 12 characters out of 250). Most folks will need no more than those and %t to actually put a "tagline" on the tagline line. If you do FIDO mail you must not use high ASCII box characters in your tagline, use the * character (asterisk) instead.


Character map button

This button loads the Windows Character Map utility with the proper font set so you can get special high ASCII characters into the tagline box (such as the little black box character most readers use to preface a tagline). Select the character you want, copy it to the clipboard, then click into the tagline style area and press SHIFT+INSERT to put that character (or characters) into the tagline you're designing.


 fonts configuration tab

If you want to change CMPQwk's default font selections for the Read, Write, Conference list, ANSI, and Quick message list windows, you can do so here. This is also where you enable and disable colorized Read windows, and enable or disable 'text effects," or the creation of italics and underline from "straight" ASCII codes commonly used in E-Mail.


Other fonts drop-down

Use this drop down list to select the window whose fonts you wish to change. You can select from the Conference list, QML, ANSI viewer and Write window (all of which use fixed fonts only). Pick the window you want to modify, then use the select font button below to pick a font. The font for that window will be displayed in the small sample window below the drop down list. Each window can have different fonts. To solve problems with incorrect OEM or fixed fonts that produce ANSI windows with ä in them, choose the Terminal font in your ANSI viewer window setting.


Set all fonts to match sample

Use this button if you want to quickly assign the sample font to all three of the fixed-font windows (the QML, Write window, and Conference list). It's a timesaver, and they can all use the same font if you like. If you've fouled up the fonts and wish to set them all back to a single fixed font and then modify them from there, this will do it.


Font picker button

Use this button to load the common font dialogue we use to let you select a font for a specific window. Pick the font you want from those shown, then click on OK to see a sample of that font in the Font configuration tab display.


Font sample box

This box will show you a sample of the font you have picked, as it will appear in the program's window. Font changes you make will take effect immediately once you've closed the configuration panel.


Header sample box

This box shows a sample message header as it will appear in the program. When you set the fonts for the message header, you can see how they will look before closing the Font configuration tab. Scale and all other attributes are represented here as the program will display them.


Read window font sample

This window shows a sample Read window as it will appear in the program. Note that you can see the effect of color and text effects options (as well as fonts) "live" in this window. If you were not sure what text effects was, click it on and off to see just what this feature does. Your color choices are represented, too, exactly as they will appear in the program once you've established your settings here.


Select header font button

This button loads a common dialogue from which you can pick a font to use in the message header. To save space, you can pick a small font, and the Read window header will appear a bit smaller (saving some screen space). VGA users should pick as small a font here as possible, if they're in doubt about the header contents, they can always click the header button to see what's supposed to be up there.


Header background color

Click on this button to define the background color of the message header displayed in a Read window. Choose a solid color that contrasts with the body of the message background color, and you'll be able to quickly see which text is what. Black background with a white font looks pretty nice on most monitors, but choose what you like to see.


Message font button

This button lets you select a font to be used in the Read window "body" or the actual message contents. Use caution here, some fonts don't contain a complete ASCII character set. We suggest you use MS Line Draw, which has a full set of line-drawing characters, and it is also fully scalable, with a complete set of sizes from 8 all the way up to Texas-size.

To select a font color, drop down the pick box in the lower left.. Examine the sample box after every choice to make sure it shows what you think it shows. Windows will not display "dithered" colors in a text window, so you will only get "pure" colors that are available on your system. This is a limitation of Windows, and users with high-color drivers will get to pick more colors than users with 256 color drivers, who may find themselves with, really, only about 16 choices, most of which are unpalatable.


Background color button

Use this button to choose your background color. See the advisory for choosing color as explained in the text color button pop-up.


Quote color button

Use this button to choose the color of quoted text. See the advisory for choosing color as explained in the text color button pop-up. Note that CMPQwk does the best it can to determine what was quoted text, however it may make errors in judgment and color non-quote text if there are many high ASCII characters in the body of the message. This is harmless and doesn't affect program function or message editing when you reply to the message.


Enable italics and underline

Watch the sample Read window when you click this (make sure color is enabled). If you want to translate the common conventions of BBS mail into "real" italics and underlining, enable this. Be forwarned, however, if you have a slow machine, that this will slow the already sluggish color Read window a bit more due to the decoding required to interpret the extra information. On very fast machines with extremely fast video adapters it's a nice luxury, though. Color must be enabled to use italics and underlining.


 sound configuration tab

CMPQwk 1.42 is fully sound-enabled. You can set all sorts of sounds for all sorts of internal program events. You should use some common sense, however, because you can have conflicting sounds if you set some for longer duration WAV files.


Sound actions

This is a list of program events to which you can assign sounds (see the box on the right). Note that it is possible to assign "conflicting" sounds if you choose adjacent events for even moderately-long WAV files. We allow you this because you do not have to pick a sound for an event, and some folks wanted sounds for some events (and not for others) and other folks wanted sounds for the other events. Just watch what you do, and you'll enjoy this feature. To hear the sound associated with an event, double-click the event name with the left mouse button. If no sound is tagged for that event, then you won't hear anything.


WAV files list

This pane shows the list of WAV files in the current directory. You can use it to navigate (just like the Windows Control Panel Sound Applet), and you can have the sounds for some events in one directory, and others in another, the sound panel doesn't really care. When you choose an event and then attach a sound to that event, (by clicking on a WAV file name in this list) you can hear the event's sound by left-button double-clicking the WAV file name or the event name. I'd like to suggest that you try short sounds at first, you might drive yourself nuts with a fury of noise if you pick long sounds.


Current path

This shows the current path (directory name and drive identifier) from which you are choosing sounds.


Enable sounds

If you want to enable sounds, this box must be checked. If you want the program (and the help file) to shut up, then un-check this box.


Stop system for sounds

Because you can set up a situation where four or more WAV files are supposed to be playing in quick succession (for example, you could pick exit which would save a reply, close a packet, and exit the program), you can enable this feature which will prevent the program from preceding to the next function (they normally run concurrently with playing sounds) until the sound has finished playing. This will slow the program down, but some folks will want to do this, so we put it in. Note that it might time-out background downloads, so be careful when checking this if you do background file transfers.


Voice announcements

If you've downloaded the optional CMPQwk Sound Upgrade files, you can manuall install them (see instructions in the file) and turn on voice annotation by checking this. The install program for this upgrade does this automatically. If you want to disable voice announcements, you can do that by un-checking this box. Note that the program will check for the correct sound directory and files, and if they're not present, it won't let you enable this function.


 editor configuration tab

This tab is used to set the specific text-handling behavior of the Write window. While it is related to the Replies tab in some respects, these text-handling functions deserved their own spot.


Fixed tabs

This tells CMPQwk to use "fixed" tabs. Fixed TABS are also called "dumb" TABs, they'll "jump" forward the number of spaces specified in the box above, regardless of where any TAB used on the line above is. In other words, the TAB becomes like a "blank section" of a certain number of spaces that you can insert into a line. It is not something that will always put you at the same place on each line (like a typewriter), but it will always "jump" the same amount of spaces.


Real tabs

These are like the TABs on a typewriter. This means when you hit the TAB key, it will move the cursor to the next TAB's position (defined by the number of spaces in the box above). That might be one space forward (say you've 8 spaces into a line) or it might be 8 or more, depending on the size you've specified for your TABs and where the cursor is. Imagine it as a fixed ruler incremented in "spaces" across the top of the page, then you put marks on it every 8 spaces. Those marks are the TAB settings, and they are "fixed" relative to the page and will always be at the same place on each line..


Smart tabs

These are the most powerful, and also the easiest to use. Say you want to create a column nine spaces out. Begin the first line of this column by spacing out nine times. Type the first word you want in this column, press RETURN, then hit the TAB key. You'll jump the cursor so it is directly under the previous column, which you "marked" by adding those spaces. Play with this feature and you'll see it's the "smartest" and most powerful setting here.


Editor right margin

This setting specifies where you want text to wrap inside CMPQwk's editor. We suggest you set this to 72 or less (the maximum acceptable setting on most systems).


Wrap right margin

This setting determines at what column highlighted text will wrap at when you select "wrap paragraph" from the menu. You can have it wrap to a lesser column than the other page setting, Editor right margin. Useful for creating tables or special sections within a help file that you want to appear "isolated" from the rest of the text.


Font conversions

This is used to convert OEM text (DOS) to Windows ANSI text and then back again when you save replies. This setting should be the most useful for users in non-English countries who encounter problems with special characters. Until we support full codepage switching, this will help. It is not---and we know this---a total solution for this problem.


No conversion

This is the default setting, and unless you are using a foreign codepage, we suggest you leave it set to this. You may get unpredicable results if you enable conversion and are not doing foreign OEM packets.


 spell checker

This is the dialogue you'll see when spell-checking a reply or original message.


Original word

This is the text that the speller thinks is spelled incorrectly. In other words, if you goofed and it caught you, here is where it will display that to you. If you want to edit this word to fix an error rather than take the suggested word, click on it here and it will replace the word in the suggestion edit box. If you change your mind again, click on one of the suggested words to put it back into the edit box.


Suggested word

This is the word that CMPQwk thinks is the best possible replacement for your original word. Depending on how you misspelled the original (or if you did at all) it may or may not be what you want. If it isn't a good suggestion, you can click on one of the words in the suggestion list, below. Note that if CMPQwk can't find a word it thinks is logical, it will put "no suggestion" in this box. We figure no suggestion is better than a stupid one. It will search through the first 6,000 likely candidates before putting up this message, however. If you see "no suggestion" you'll have to manually correct the word and pick replace when it is fixed.


Word list

This is the list of suggested words that CMPQwk thinks might be good alternatives. If the suggested word in the box above doesn't fit what the word should be, perhaps a better suggestion might be in this box. You can scroll through it to look for alternative words. Double-clicking a word here is the same as clicking it once and then clicking Replace, it will insert that word into the Suggested word box and replace the word in your message the speller thinks is in error.


Replace button

Click this button to replace the "found" word or suspected error with the word displayed in the Suggested word box. The speller will replace the word and then continue checking the document.


Add to dictionary

Click this button to add the "found" word or suspected error to your personal dictionary. This will add the word and then continue checking the document.


Skip word

Click this button to tell the spell checker to ignore the suspected spelling error. If that word appears elsewhere in the document, it will flag it again, however.


Skip all

This button tells the speller to skip the suspected error in every case. This option will take effect during the entire session (as many packets as you read in a single session with the program). It is a global function, in other words, it will skip that word in every message you do until you close and re-start the program. This list is held in memory, so we suggest you use this function sparingly, or add the word to your personal dictionary so the word is always skipped.


Cancel and save rep

Click this to tell the speller, "Enough of this spell-checking nonsense, save the message and lemme out of here!"


Replace all

This function will---for the duration of your session and in every reply---change the flagged word to the replacement you selected without intervention on your part. If you use this feature the replaced item will be inserted into every message you do if the flagged item is found, and you won't have a chance to approve of the replacement. If that's fine by you, this can speed up fixing common mistakes you always make.


 carbon copies

Carbon copies are used to send multiple copies of a message to different users. Currently they can only be sent in the same conference, however they are quite handy when sending messages or memos to a workgroup or company department.


Add CC list to message

If you want a list of the names (or Internet addresses if Internet mail) of those people to whom you send a carbon of this message added to each message, check this. This box is "sticky," so if you check it, from then on (unless you uncheck it) all CC's will have this list added in. The format is: CC: then a space, then a column of names or addresses of those folks on the CC list.


To list source window

This window shows you the names in your address book as possible sources of names. You can pick from this list by highlighting a name and clicking the "Add" button.


Carbon to list

This is the list of names to which a copy of the message will be sent. It can include Internet addresses, in which case the Internet address will be converted to the first line To: username@hostname convention used by UUCP to QWK gateways.


Add

Click this button once you've highlighted the name of a person to whom you'd like to send a copy of the message. Highlight another name (if you want to send more copies) and click it as required to add the names you want. Note that the names will be removed from the list on the left to prevent you from sending multiple copies of the message to the same person.


Remove

Highlight a name on the right side of the dialogue and click this button to remove the request to send a copy to this person. Highlight another name and click it as required to remove those names you have decided should not get a copy, or those names you put into the "copy to" list by mistake.


Remove all

Click this to clear the "copy to" window and start over. It will also remove the original recipient's name from the list, too, preventing the reply from being sent out at all. Put that person's name back into the list to insure that they get a copy unless you've decided to cancel the message entirely.


Import

One of CMPQwk's most useful workgroup features is its ability to import a plain ACSII text file of names into the carbon dialogue. You can use this to create workgroup lists of those people to whom you regularly send message, and then quickly get that entire list (no matter how large) into the "copy to" window. Extremely useful for anyone who needs to send "bulk mail" on a QWK-based network. Click the button, locate the txt file you want to import using the file picker, and click on OK to bring it into the "copy to" list. If you make a mistake and import the wrong file, click on Remove All to clear the list and start over.


Add a name

You can type a user's name (or Internet address) into this box to add them to the routing list in the event they are not in your main address book file.


 copy PTR file

This function is used to reset the last-read pointers on the BBS door to those just before you got your last packet. This is used in case you have a corrupt QWK (and need to get another copy of it) or in the event you lost or otherwise cannot use the original QWK that contained those messages.


Pointer name

This lists the DOS filename of the pointer file. This is the file that contains the information used to reset the BBS door's record of what messages you last downloaded. It will reset them to the exact same point as they were immediately before you got the last (abortive or corrupt) packet.

To use this file, copy it to the directory you use for your communications program uploads, call the BBS, and upload it to the mail door (there is generally an option to "upload pointer file" on most doors. Once you've done this, the door will use the file to reset your last-read pointers, you can then re-download a QWK with the messages you had problems with in the prior QWK.


Pointer date

This is the date of the pointer, displayed here to let you confirm that this is, in fact, the pointer date you wish to reset to.


Pointer BB system

This is the name of the system from which you got the QWK packet (and this this pointer file). It's usually easier to find a pointer file in a list of ugly DOS filenames when it's next to the name of the BBS you called. We like looking for names, not ugly 8.3 anagrams.


 printing setup

These two boxes allow you to control CMPQwk's printed output by altering fonts used and page setup.


Current printer selected

This displays the current default Windows printer. If you drop down the list (assuming you've got more than one printer, such as a FAX modem or color printer) you can choose another printer. Changing it here and then clicking on OK will set that printer as the default printer for all other applications, too.


Print button

To quickly print without changing options, the moment this dialogue comes up click this button. If you want to set options prior to printing, set them, then click this button. This begins the print job without further requests for permission. It means print this thing now and stop asking questions!


Page setup button

Clicking this loads the next dialogue (illustrated directly below this one). If you want to change page settings, you will click this, alter the settings so you like them, then OK out of that box and back to this one to print.


Print all pages

Enable this (the default) to print all pages of the message. If you only want the first page (about 60 lines, varying by printer) you'll want to click on the From/To option. below.


Print selected

If you've marked text prior to selecting print or pressing "P" in the Read window, this option (shown disabled here) will be enabled. It will format and print only the sections you've marked. Handy when you need to print only a snippet.


Print from to...

If you only want the first page, for example, click on this and enter 1 in the first box and 1 in the second box. If you're not sure what "pages" you want, in most cases it's better to print the entire message and keep what you want. Since messages don't have page numbers (usually) the program will require you to use some guesswork here. If in doubt, figure 60 lines per page with most printers.


Current printing font

This sample box shows what font you have selected for use in printed messages. If you click on the Font button in the Page setup dialogue, you can change this. Once changed, this box reflects the new font. What you set here will become the default font for all printing sessions until you change it again.


Printer setup button

This loads the printer setup for the currently selected default printer. What you'll see then varies widely by printer and driver, consult the manual for your printer (or the Windows manual) for more details about that.


Primary left header

This displays the text and replaceable values to be used in the primary header that appears on the left side of the page. You can use both text (a small description, for example) and the replaceable values explained on the bottom of the dialogue. We feel those are self-explanatory, and should not be confusing. The BBS system name used in the packet (not the DOS filename) is what's used in %f. variable


Primary right header

This displays the text and variables used in the primary right header. What you can do here is---essentially---identical to what you can do with the primary left header. Small text entries or variables will work in all of the headers, just as you suspected they would.


Secondary left header

I'd be willing to bet you clicked on Primary left header first and already know what I'm going to say here. Same variables, small text entries. Yes, you got it right...and if you click on Secondary right header, you can guess what I'm going to tell you there...


Secondary right header

Had to click anyway, eh? Don't blame you. Round up the usual variables, they'll do what you want here, too.


Left margin

This one can appear complex. It's really not. But it does allow you to set the left margin using very finely-adjustable values. A value of 180 on most printers means a one-half inch margin. If you want to adjust it back and forth, begin with changes of 40 (just add 40 and 180) and you'll find the results will give you an adjusted margin that will work well for you. You can move it by even smaller numbers, although you'll need a microscope to see the changes caused by values below 5. However, you can adjust by an amount that small if you want precision margin settings. Break out a ream of paper and a steel ruler, and get it how you like it. For my taste, I left it right at 180 and I'm happy. Values of more than 200 may cause the right margin to go off the page on most printers if the font is larger than 9 points. Change with caution.


Printing font button

Clicking this will load a common dialogue for selecting a font to use when you print. You can use any font on your system (and any pitch) but beware selecting too large a font, or a font without high ASCII characters if you print a message with graphics. Not all fonts (in fact, mostly none) have the high ASCII characters commonly used in BBS mail. MS Line Draw does (available on most BBS systems in the file GC0651.EXE or Zip), but Arial, for example, does not. If you don't have any high ASCII in your document, it won't matter. Do not select a size much beyond 12 point or your right margin will go off the page in most cases with most printers and most left margin settings. Your best bet is to use a fixed-pitch font like Courier New, although it won't print high ASCII, it is easy to read and prints quickly on many printers.


 the conference list window

This is the first window you will see when you open a packet. It is "home base" for CMPQwk. If there is no Conference list, there is no packet open.


Conference view selector

This checkbox determines whether you will see the names of "empty" conferences or not. Note also, that if you have enabled the "small QWK" or "small packet" options on your mail door, you may not see all of the conferences the system offers. When unchecked it will show every conference listed in CONTROL.DAT. If the door didn't add the names of conferences in which you got mail, you won't see any difference when this is unchecked. It varies from door-to-door.


Conference name

This is the list of names for the conferences. The name you see here may be slightly different from the name you see when you're on the BBS locally, it will probably be shorter.


Conference number

This shows the logical numbers assigned to the conferences on the BBS.


Number of messages

This shows the number of messages in each conference.


 the read window

This window, of course, is where you will probably spend the most time. It is the window CMPQwk uses to display the contents of each message, as you browse through the packet.


Date:

This field in the Read window header area shows the date the message was written. The time the message was created is shown in parentheses to the right of the date in the format (hour:minutes).


From:

This field in the Read window header area shows the name of the author of the message.


To:

This field in the Read window header area shows the name of the user to whom the message was sent. It might also say "All," which means that no particular user was the designated recipient of this message. Usually messages sent to All are requests for information, help, or opinions. Feel free to respond to messages sent to All, the more people who do respond to them, the better.


Subject:

This field shows the subject of the message, although with netmail a lot of times you'll find this field doesn't mean much of anything (threads wander randomly around the topic of discussion). When you sort by thread in the QML, you'll be sorting on this field, then the date of the message, then the time of the message.


Message number

This field shows the number assigned to this message by the BBS system. If you want to bring a message to someone's attention, you can refer to it by conference number and message number. As long as the sysop doesn't "renumber" his database (most sysops do it pretty infrequently) those numbers will apply.


Conference

This field shows the conference in which the message originated. Usually conferences are broken out based on "topics" to be discussed there.


Status

This field displays the private/public status of the message.


Deleted

This field displays the "deleted" status of a Read window inside the REPLIES conference.


Message count

If the message has multiple parts, this displays the number of parts and the number of the current message in relation to the total number.


Attachment to an outgoing message

If you've created a reply with an outgoing file attachment, the name of the attached file will show up here. Inbound messages (those not in the REPLIES conference) will not show anything here. File attachments for inbound messages are handled by the File Attachment window. To find out more about that window, jump to the Attachment Window section.


Quoted text

Text formatted like this paragraph (although the quote string and colors may be different) is the text to which the author replied. It is from the message to which the author of the current message replied.


New text

This is new material, if you replied to this message, this would become "quoted" material. It is the text written by the author of this message.


 the quick message list

This is the window you will use to navigate through packets (espeically large packets). It can do many of the functions the Read window can do (such as export, print, and so forth) and you can de-link it from the Read window, allowing you to quickly navigate through huge packets without waiting for the contents of the Read window to update.


Message number

This is the number assigned to this message by the BBS from which this message originated. If you have sort by number turned on (vs. sort by Thread, To, or From), the next message in the QML would be the next logical message number, or this number incremented by 1. If you have either of the other sorting options enabled, the numbers will not necessarily appear in order.


Message from:

This is the name (or handle) of the author of this message.


Message to:

This is the name (or handle) of the designated recipient of the message. It might be to "All," too.


QML Subject

This is the subject of the message, although you'll find that this field often doesn't really describe what the message is about. If you have enabled sort by "thread" the reader will sort the QML listings using this field, then the date field, then the time field. This means that flowing "discussions," (called threads in netmail) will appear as they were created, as the original message first, and then subsequent replies and comments following as they were added into the BBS database by other users calling one after another.


 the write window

Here is the window you'll use to create new, outgoing mail. It is the editor in CMPQwk, and for 1.42 it is more powerful (and full-featured) than prior versions.


Save button

You may use the mouse to click this button in order to save your reply. If you've enabled spell-checking, CMPQwk will first spell-check the message, and then save it into the REPLIES conference.


Cancel button

If you've changed your mind, and have decided you do not want to create this message (or reply) clicking this button will cancel the process and put you back into the window that was on top prior to starting the reply.


Header button

If you find that you wish to change the status of any of the message header information, such as the private flag, or the subject (they have a way of migrating off-topic), or even the destination conference (if it would be logical to put the message elsewhere).


Copy button

This button will allow you to copy to the clipboard any text you have marked. You can use the past button to paste it back into the message (or another message later on).


Cut button

You use this to cut to the clipboard, which copies the text and removes it from the outgoing reply in the same step. If you want to move a paragraph, this is the simplest way to accomplish that.


Paste button

Use this button to paste into the message, at the cursor's position, the material you've copied or cut to the Windows clipboard. Make sure the cursor is where you want it to be inserted before selecting this button.


CC button

This button is used to start the CC or Carbon Copy process. It will spell-check the message first (if you've enabled that) then it will open up a dialogue that will allow you to specify which users will receive the message. You may also import a text file into the CC dialogue and in one stroke create a long list of recipients for the message. See the CC dialogue for more details.


Header display

This area displays the contents of the message header, with the exception of the private status and the attached file name (if any). Those are displayed on the Write window status bar.


Quoted text

If you've got Quote original checked in the Replies configuration tab, you will see material brought into the Write window from the original message. The style of quoting character may be different here, and the font may be diffierent (it depends on what font you select), but the idea is the same. Always quote only what is required to remind the original author what he or she was talking about, so trim as much out as you can. Over-quoting is a waste of network bandwidth, and costs the sysops money to ship around. Help them keep costs down, quote the smallest amount that you can use to get the point across.


New text

This is an example of new text, or what you'll be adding to the message during the course of creating your reply or original message.


Cursor line

This box on the Write window status bar shows the current line position of the Write window cursor. If the cursor is on line 400, this number will be 400. If it's on line 10, it will say 10 here. Pretty simple item, really.


Cursor column

This box on the Write window status bar shows the current column position of the cursor. That means how far in characters is the cursor from the left margin. This is handy when you're trying to type a specially-formatted bit of text and want all lines to be shorter than the normal width, or you're trying to draw a box with high ASCII or something. It's nice to be able to glance down and see how far you are from the margin (vs. counting those manually).

write


Insert status

This box shows the insert/overtype status. Insert status defines whether or not your keystrokes are put "between" text already on the page if you click in the middle of a line, or if they are put "on top of," which means that the original text is to be overwritten.


Message status

This box used to be in the message header in version 1.42, it's not in the status line. It displays the public/private status of a message. A private message will only be seen by the intended recipeient (and possibly the sysop on the system). A public message is there for all to see. If you're discussing something you feel is confidential, make the message private. If not, public is better. Note that on some netmail systems, you must also enter routing information to send a public message. Consult your sysop or the net moderator for instructions about that.


Current time

Since it's easy to get lost writing (and reading) mail, we put the current time on the Write window status line. This display is updated once per minute, and shows the time in A.M. and P.M.


Attachment name

If you've attached a file to this outgoing message, the name of the file will show up here. If you haven't attached a file, this box will say <none>. It doesn't show the full path or file size, just the name. See the main help file for more information about file attachments and how they work (or don't work) on the varying types of BB systems.


You are here!

Yep, this is the tab you're reading about. If you want to see another tab, clicking the name of the tab (in any section that shows a tab) will take you to the tab you've clicked. Since you just clicked a tab where you already are, there's nowhere for me to go, so we'll stay right here.


 the file attachment window

This is a very simple window, with only a few options involved. Click on the items in the window to see what they are (and how you can act on them, where applicable).


Minimize File Attachment window

This button will minimize the window when clicked once (the arrow) or double-clicked (the - button in the upper left-hand corner). Once opened, you cannot close the File Attachment window (nor do you need to do so).


Maximize File Attachment window

This button will make the window fill the application workspace. If you've got a lot of attachments and want to quickly scope them out, this will let you do just that.


File icon

This is the icon for the program on your system associated with this file type. In this example, it's Notepad, since the attached file is a text file sent to me. It could be an Ami Pro icon, a Word icon, and so forth. If the system hasn't got an association for this file type, or cannot find the association specified in WIN.INI, then it will put up either a ! icon (invalid association) or an ? icon (no association). You may double-click these icons to repair the current association or create a new association. If there is a recognizable program icon here, you may press Enter on it to load a dialogue that will let you copy or execute the file (load it into the program on your system that reads that file type).


From

This is the name of the person who sent you the message with the attached file.


Subject

This is what the message that has the attached file is about.


Message number

This is the message number the BBS has assigned to the message with the attached file.


File name

This is the DOS filename of the attached file (not the strange alphanumeric name the system might use, but what the person who sent you the file called it).


File size

This is how large the attachment is. If you're going to copy it to a floppy, for example, this will tell you how much space needs to be free before you do that.


Conference

This is the conference from which the message with the attachment originated.


Nothing here!

There's nothing here, so why are you clicking here? Bored, eh?