Category : Communication (modem) tools and utilities
Archive   : TAPDO541.ZIP
Filename : TAPDOC.6

arameters screen. Then, set up
the same forum twice, as in:


TAPCIS Forum Messages 6-13

B TAPCIS Q X
C TAPCIS R 1

With both these forums active, and the one with the first, go online
with ew. Read the messages downloaded in the first forum, then deselect
the "X" forum on the forums screen. Mark the headers, go online with
and then read the messages.

Another way to accomplish the same thing is to set up the forum as a normal
"Q" forum. Then, simply mark all the messages in the section you want to
read using the ection command in header arking.

Another option is to set up the forum twice as above, but with only one
active at a time. You could read all the messages in a particular section
but not update your high message number, as in B below. Then, you can read
the rest of the messages later (forum C) or scan the headers and then read
them (if forum C were a Q forum). You could also set up forum C to read all
sections but #1 (you should read B first, then C, or leave Append on).

B TAPCIS R 1 X
C TAPCIS R






































6-14 Forum Messages TAPCIS

===========================================================================
Reading Messages
===========================================================================

TAPCIS indicates pending messages to read with the exclamation mark
indicator next to a forum number.

[Figure 6-8: Main Menu with Messages to be Read in Forum 2]


If you press the number for a forum with messages, TAPCIS starts to process
the .MSG file. During the processing, two running counters are shown
at the top of the screen:

TAPCIS.MSG loading... Press ESC to cancel
Messages: 257
Sessions: 1

The messages increment as TAPCIS finds a new message which starts with "#:"
in column 1. The session counter tells you how many different online
sessions are recorded in this .MSG file. If you specified Append in the

arameters screen, new messages are added to the old .MSG file until you
explicitly kill the MSG file using the ill command. If you are using the
overwrite parameter, you can still get multiple sessions if unread messages
to you are found during a Quick Scan of headers. The download of the
messages to you will be appended to those marked messages as session 2.

Be patient if you have many messages or are using floppies. TAPCIS must
read to the end of the message file to know the number of messages and to
make moving from message to message while reading as fast as possible. You
can abort this process and return to the main menu by pressing .

[Figure 6-9: TAPCIS Message #0 Forum Announcements/Header]


Message #0 is a special message created by TAPCIS. It contains the welcome
information for the forum and any news flash announcement posted by the
forum administrators (sysops). In the example shown above, the date and
time of this online session is given (all times are in the local time for
the node being called. A message written at 3pm by someone in California
will show as 6pm (18:00) when read by someone in the Eastern time zone).
TAPCIS creates a message number and puts in the fake header to make this
look like a normal message to external message processing programs.

Following the header is the forum name and software version number. The
name after Hello is your name as recorded in the forum membership roles.
You can change it with OPTION;NAME in Interactive mode or see Advanced
Commands page 6-28. Next is the date of your last visit.

The forum message range and the last message you've read are listed. If the
last message read is less than the first message in the forum, you have
missed messages that have scrolled. Mr. Last here has missed 55597 messages
and has yet to read his first message. You should note these numbers if you
have not been on the forum for a while to see whether messages have
scrolled since your last visit. If there has been a scroll, and in the
future you do not want to miss any more messages, you will have to logon
more regularly. While most sysops work to keep the scroll over one week,


TAPCIS Forum Messages 6-15

some very active forums have scrolled in less than a day! The TAPCIS Forum
typically scrolls in 3-6 days.

All public sections are accessible in this example. (Most forums have at
least one private section that the sysops use to communicate privately
about administrative matters. Other forums may also have private sections
for other purposes).

No members were in conference (CO) when TAPCIS downloaded these messages.

The highlighted status line at the bottom of the screen shows the forum
name, the current message number (1) and the total number of messages (66).
Pressing while reading messages gives you a complete list of
commands:

[Figure 6-10: Message Read Help]



------------------------------------
Message Navigation


By Line

Down a Line ,
Up a Line ,

By Message Page

Down a Page , ,
Up a Page ack,

By Message

Next <+>
Previous <->, <=>
Jump to # ump
First , <1>
Last , <9>

By Thread

Next ,
Top of thread ,

By Message Section

Next
Previous

By Online Session

First <1>
Next , <2>
Previous
Final <3>


6-16 Forum Messages TAPCIS

By Search Words

Start search
Next occurrence


------------------------------------
Message Replying & Handling


Reply to This Message

eply TAPCIS automatically enters the message editor. The
response will be sent to the sender of the message you
are reading. It is stored as part of the thread by
CompuServe in the same message section as the original.
If the message has scrolled off the forum or been deleted
before your reply is sent, TAPCIS stores the reply as a
new message to the same user and section.

Reply with a New Subject/Section

se Address If you wish to respond to a message, but your response is
leading off in a direction that could be better described
by a different subject, please use the command to
change the subject and possibly the section where the new
thread is stored. This helps to keep the message headers
descriptive and the threads on track.

o Address This starts a new thread with a message addressed to the
To: field of the message you are reading. You are given
the option of pressing to keep the same subject
or entering a new subject.

Change Reply to a Different Forum

hange Some forums such as MAUG, BORLAND, and NOVELL are
actually a collection of forums. This command is used to
redirect a reply from one forum to a more appropriate
forum for the continuation of the discussion.



















TAPCIS Forum Messages 6-17

Delete This Message From the Forum

This command works only on messages to or from your User
ID. It should be used sparingly and almost never on a
public message. The general guidelines are: you should
not delete messages from the forum that provide
information or debate. You should delete messages that
are just thank you's once they have been read (shown by a
(X) after the recipient's name). Private messages
(indicated by a (P) in the first line of the header)
should be deleted by the recipient once read.

The message "DelCIS" appears in a small box in the upper
right of the message after you press . If you go
on to read other messages and later re-read the message
you marked for online deletion, the "deleted" message
will be gone. This command does not affect your .MSG
file!

If you mark a message for deletion in error, you can
correct your mistake provided you do so before you go
online. Use the dit command from the main menu, press
the number <1-8> of the forum where you deleted the
message. Press to select the .SND file. The TAPCIS
editor will appear with the delete command and any other
messages still to send online. Search for the line that
says "DEL nnnnn" where "nnnnn" is the message you
accidentally deleted. Delete that line then exit using
<1>.

Save this message

, The quickest way to save a message to disk is to press
ave. The message will be appended to the .SAV
file. Later if you need to refer back to one of these
saved messages, you can use the iew command from the
main TAPCIS menu.To save the message in a specific file
use the key. TAPCIS prompts you for the
filename:

File name for this message: C:\TAP\TAPCIS.SAV

Notice that if you press that you can still
press to save the message in the .SAV file. You
can enter any valid filename instead of the SAV file. If
the file already exists, TAPCIS will append the current
message to it. The file will contain a copy of the
current message-complete with header-in ASCII format. It
can be retrieved into another message using the Retrieve> function from within the TAPCIS editor.

Print this message

, <*> You can print a message you are reading to the default
printer by pressing . Alternatively, press
the asterisk <*> to print without a formfeed after the



6-18 Forum Messages TAPCIS

message. Make sure your printer is powered, online, and
filled with paper before trying to print a message.


------------------------------------
Message Status Marks

The message reader contains a small status window in the upper right corner
of the screen. This window displays information about the current message;
whether it has been read, printed, saved, deleted, etc. These marks are
reset when you return to the main menu or switch forums. Here is a list of
the various status marks and their meanings:

More - Indicates that the message cannot fit on one screen and more
of the text is up/down/both
Read - You have looked at this message at least once
Saved - Message was saved in the forum.SAV file
Filed - Message was saved in a file you specified
NewFile - Saving the message created a new file
Replied - You have used one of the reply commands on this message
(although you may have cancelled the reply)
Fwded - Message was forwarded
Printed - You printed the message
DelCIS - Message is tagged for deletion from CompuServe. If you need to
reverse this, you'll need to E>dit the forum.SND file from the
main menu.
New - Message is from the most recent session
Old - Message is from a prior session
ERROR! - An error occurred while printing or saving


------------------------------------
Shell to DOS

You can shell to DOS temporarily (if you have enough free memory) using the
key at any time you are running in TAPCIS including while
reading and replying. You will need to type "exit" from a DOS prompt to
return to TAPCIS. Keep in mind that you have very little memory available
when at DOS. This will limit what programs and functions you can perform.


------------------------------------
Shell to Program

You can shell from TAPCIS to a program by pressing then typing the
DOS command at the d:\path\file to execute: prompt. You need to have enough
free memory to execute the program or you will get an insufficient memory
error. Before returning to TAPCIS the display will pause and ask you to
press a key. This allows you to view the results (if any) of the program
you ran.









TAPCIS Forum Messages 6-19

------------------------------------
Exit Back to Main Menu

Once you are finished reading messages, press the key to go back to
the main menu. will also return you to the main menu or abort
message replies. These keys are used consistently throughout TAPCIS to
return back to the "previous" menu.


------------------------------------
Build an Address Book

Adding user names and IDs to your address book was introduced in the
CompuServe Mail section on the Address Book (page 5-5). You should review
that section for the exact procedure for adding new entries.

The ddress command should be used while reading messages to add people
to your list. Once a name has been added, you can search the book for that
name when writing new messages. Sending using the address book was also
discussed in the CompuServe Mail section. Unless you create an address list
during your reading of messages, you won't have any names to look up. You
should add the names and user IDs of the sysops in the forums you visit and
other people you expect to hold conversations with.


------------------------------------
Write a Message

While reading messages from others, you may want to write a message to a
person other than the sender or recipient of the current message. Press
rite then address the message and send it as discussed in the next
section.


------------------------------------
Forward a Message

You can forward a message you are reading to any other valid address (even
FAX) by pressing while reading the message. Address the message, and
when the TAPCIS editor appears, a copy of the message will be there for
your comments. Figure Figure 6-11 shows an example of forwarding a message
via Mail.

[Figure 6-11: Forwarding a message via CIS Mail]


You must have Mail active for forwarding to work. The forwarded message
will be sent directly from CompuServe Mail the next time you go online. In
fact, you can forward a message to any active forum. Use forwarding to
other forums sparingly.









6-20 Forum Messages TAPCIS

===========================================================================
Writing Forum Messages
===========================================================================

The basics of writing and editing a message were given in the CompuServe
Mail section under Write a Mail Message beginning on page 5-1. Also refer
to Command Reference on page 3-7. You should review both these sections now
if you have not done so already. In this section we examine the writing of
a forum message and some of the more advanced commands available in the
editor.


------------------------------------
Writing a Forum Message

The rite command is a main menu option. TAPCIS prompts "Forum:" at the
bottom of the screen. Enter the number of the forum to start the message.
will abort the command. To write a message in a forum not shown
on the status line, activate the forum by pressing then the letter of
the forum (to put an asterisk <*> next to the name). If you have not
defined the forum yet, follow the procedure for adding a forum as described
previously.

Entering the To: Address

At the To: prompt you have several choices:

* Type ALL to send a forum message to All members;

* Type the name and user ID of your intended recipient from memory;

* Have TAPCIS look up a name in your address book by preceding a search
string with back slash <\>;

* There is a maximum of 24 characters for the name part of the forum
address

* Type *SYSOP to send a confidential message to the forum administrator
(i.e., "sysop"). This message will be private, although it must be
posted as a "public" message in a public section.

* Type SYSOP without the asterisk to send the message to the next forum
administrator who comes online. The message will be visible to all.

Unlike CompuServe Mail, forum messages cannot be sent to multiple user IDs.
Also, forum messages are usually public-even if you send the message to a
particular user ID. Some forums offer private messages within the forum. It
is strongly recommended that you use Mail for such messages; there is less
of a chance that you will accidentally save a message publicly intended for
private consumption if you write directly in CompuServe Mail. No return
receipt is offered in forum messages. Once a message is read by the
recipient an (X) is added after the user ID in the To: field.

Neither TAPCIS nor the CompuServe forum software checks the user ID you
enter to see if it matches the name you enter. Be careful of typos. You can
send a message to a name alone without a user ID. Doing so means that the
message will not be marked for that person when he or she enters the forum,


TAPCIS Forum Messages 6-21

the person may miss the message entirely, and you'll not be able to tell
that the message has been read. CompuServe only cares about the user ID.
The name itself is ignored.

[Figure 6-12: Selecting Forum Message Section]


Entering the Message Subject

Forum message subjects are important. The subject is used to name the
thread. Those people using the Q-forum method of reading appreciate
subjects like "Stock Portfolio Analysis" rather than a generic "Script help
needed." Make it as descriptive as possible within the limit of 24
characters. When you enter the subject TAPCIS will not accept more than the
24 character limit CIS allows.

Message Section

After entering the To: and Subject:, TAPCIS offers you a list of forum
sections. Look closely at the list and choose the one most appropriate for
your message.


------------------------------------
Editing the Message

The TAPCIS editor is very natural. It uses standard cursor positioning and
has word wrap. Since CompuServe does not offer attributes like underline
and bold, TAP doesn't either. You should use mixed case and save
capitalized words for EMPHASIS only.

A quick reminder of editing keys is available by pressing in the
editor. They are also described in the Command Reference section beginning
on page 3-7. WordPerfect users and users of most other word processors are
accustomed to auto reformatting during text insert and delete. TAPCIS does
not offer this, and you must manually press or
the old WordStar in each paragraph you want to reformat.

[Figure 6-13: TAPCIS Editor at Send Prompt]



------------------------------------
Send the Message

You can finish entering and editing the message with the following keys:

If you've decided not to send the message, press this
function key then enter to confirm the discard.
Once you do this the message cannot be recovered.

This is the normal way to send a message. The menu
shown in the sample screen above appears at the bottom
of the screen. You can also get this menu with two
other keys:




6-22 Forum Messages TAPCIS

Press to send and also save a copy of the message
to the .SAV file. If you have your parameters
set for Keep Outbox File: Always using is
unnecessary.

Use the key to send the message and
also print a copy of the message to the current
printer port (PRN).

Send Options

The send options are slightly different for forum messages than for
CompuServe Mail.

Send: 1 Public; 2 PRI; 3 UNF; 4 Email; 5 PRI UNF; 0 Resume;
X Discard 1

The default option is <1>, so if you want to send the message publicly,
just press or the <1> itself.

To send the message privately, press <2>. TAPCIS sends this message with
the POST PRIVATE command. If the forum software responds that private
messages are not enabled on the forum (they are not on the TAPCIS forum),
the message sent privately via Mail.

Option 3 is for "unformatted" messages. This is used rarely and only when
you don't want CompuServe to reformat the message when it is read by
others. This option is used when you send tabular data. You can avoid
having to use this option by putting periods in front of lines that you do
not want reformatted:

.Things I'd like to see in TAPCIS:
.1) More forums on the forums screen
.2) Enhanced offline message management
.

Then if you have other paragraphs you can still use option 1 which is
preferred over saving the message unformatted.

Option 4 is Email (electronic mail) delivery through CompuServe Mail. You
can send Mail messages right from the forum using this option. The size
limit for such messages is the forum size limit, not the 50,000 (256K after
3/15/89) character limit of Mail.

Use Option 5 Private Unformatted to send a private message in forums that
support private messages without having CompuServe reformat the line
breaks.

Press the zero <0> if you want to resume editing the message before
sending. Any saving or printing of the message you had ordered will be
canceled. Send the message with or
after the resume if you want those options. The
option is like . Press and the message will be thrown away.






TAPCIS Forum Messages 6-23

Transmit the Message

Messages written in the TAPCIS editor are stored on disk in the .SND
file until you send them to the forum with the nline command. The main
menu will tell you if you have messages to send by putting a double-headed
up and down arrow next to the forums with online activity pending.


------------------------------------
Editing the .SND File

Up until you send the message online, you can make changes to the message
by editing the .SND file. The main menu dit option is used to do
this. Enter the forum number if prompted and for the .SND file.

This file is a different format from the message editor. Use caution so
that CompuServe commands are kept intact and at the beginning of lines. To
finish the key is pressed followed by a <1>. Any changes made are
not recorded in the .SAV file, and there is no practical way to do
this.

[Figure 6-14: Editing the .SND File]


Figure 6-14 shows the SND file containing the message we just wrote. The
"L;All;Stock Portfolio Analysis" is the internal TAPCIS "Leave" command
followed by the To: field for this message (All) and the subject (Stock
Portfolio Analysis). You can edit these as long as you keep the right
format and do not exceed the maximum lengths for these fields (24 is safe).

The message text follows. Edit the message as you please, but do not exceed
the CompuServe maximum message size.

The "/ex" is added by TAPCIS (in CompuServe Mail, if the /EX is
capitalized, the message is sent return receipt requested). It ends the
message upload into the editor. The "S2" saves the message in forum section
2. Change the section number if you want, but make sure the section number
you enter is available to you. Both the /ex and Sn must be on lines by
themselves. Be careful when you edit or reformat messages that they stay as
shown.

If other messages were pending, they would all be in this file. If you make
a mistake, the best bet is to press to discard these changes.
You can then go back and edit the .SND file again.


------------------------------------
Maximum Message Length

CompuServe forums have a maximum message length of approximately 2250
characters. This works out to roughly 30 lines or 350 words. At line 24 of
your message, TAPCIS will put this warning on the bottom status line:

Approaching message size limit of 2250 characters, or an average 30 lines

When you hit line 30 in your message, the warning changes to:



6-24 Forum Messages TAPCIS

EXCEEDING message size limit of 2250 characters, or an average 30 lines

These limits are approximate, and if you follow TAPCIS' warnings, you'll
never have a message truncated. Some people can squeeze slightly more than
2300 characters into a message without getting cut short.


------------------------------------
Splitting Long Messages

Avoid sending messages that get truncated by keeping your messages within
the 30 line limit. On the rare occasions where you need to write a message
longer than 30 lines, use the "/split" command. This works in a slightly
peculiar way. When you get down to the end of one message, press ,
then type the word: /split on a line by itself in lowercase. Then store
the message. Immediately write another message (or reply to the same
message again). It does not matter how you address this second message. The
message you write immediately after a /split is sent as a reply to your
first message (in effect the second message will be sent to you as a
reply).

Why should you do this? It keeps the threads together. If you write two
separate new messages-even if they have the same subject-two new threads
are created. A multi-part reply sent with /split's are read in their
entirety before any replies. Otherwise, replies to part one would be read
before your part two. That is confusing, and TAPCIS gets around this
"limitation" in the forum software with split.

The "/split" automatically adds "[More]" to the end of the message and
"[Continued]" to the beginning of the next. You need not add these
yourself. Also, you should put the "/split" at the end of the message so
that the "[More]" is placed in the right spot.


------------------------------------
Retrieving Text into a Message

An ASCII file can be retrieved into a TAPCIS message using the Retrieve> function. The program prompts you for the file to retrieve into
the message currently being edited:

File name [d:][\path\]filename.ext: C:\FILES\WELCOME.MSG

The drive and directory path are shown in brackets since they are optional
if the file to retrieve is in the current subdirectory. Otherwise, enter
the whole name as is shown above. If you create messages using WordPerfect
or any other external editor or program that creates a "formatted" file,
you must convert that file to a plain ASCII format before retrieving it
into TAPCIS. In WordPerfect this is done using the
key and the option to save in DOS Text format (not generic WP format).









TAPCIS Forum Messages 6-25

------------------------------------
Search Another File/Import

You may want to refer to another file while composing a message and
possibly import a select part of that file into the current message. The
function allows you to do this.

Press and TAPCIS prompts:

F1 or string to search:

If you want to look at an entire file (assuming each line has at least one
space in it), press at this prompt. Otherwise enter a
string of characters to search for in the file. This string is case
insensitive.

Next TAPCIS prompts you to press to cancel the search, to
search the message file for this forum, to search the save file for
this forum, to search the USERID.CIS file, or to enter a specific
filename. The prompt appears in the top window:

F1> cancel M> .MSG file V> .SAV file U> USERID or enter file to search

If the string you entered is found in the file, the first "hit" will appear
highlighted in context. On the right side will be letters in brackets
labeling each line. The status line will show something like this:

F1> Quit; Import: A>-T> lines Z> all; X> New; PgDn scroll; PgUp top;


If you want to import one of the lines shown into the current message,
press the letter corresponding to the line. returns you to the
message. Pressing will continue the search to find the next
occurrence (if any). Use to import all the lines. starts a new
search. You can use to go back to the top of the searched file, and
to scroll down in the searched file.























6-26 Forum Messages TAPCIS

===========================================================================
TAPCIS Forum Registration
===========================================================================

****> Be sure to follow these instructions to register in the TAPCIS
Forum and gain access to closed section and library 9. Our
customers receive access to pre-release software and are active
in shaping the future developments of the program. By registering
online in the TAPCIS Forum, it also gives us a record of your
user ID so that we can notify you of future releases.

* Press rite to send a message to the TAPCIS Forum (TAPCIS must be
listed as a forum at the bottom of the screen; press its number when
asked).

* Address the message to "*SYSOP" (the asterisk is vital).

* Use "TAPCIS Registration" as the subject.

* Select section 1 for the message.

* In the message include the name and address information of the
purchaser of the software, phone number, your account number from
Support Group Inc. (if known from your receipt or invoice), and the
TAPCIS registration number. If your number includes the letter "T" it
is a temporary number. Once you get your permanent number from the
Support Group, send a similar message with that number.

* Send the message "public." By addressing it to "*SYSOP" you insure
that only the sysops of the forum can read the message with your
number. Please do not send this message via CompuServe Mail. It must
be in the forum.

* Allow a day or two for your access to section and library 9 to be
enabled. Then, use again to get an updated list of sections
and libraries. To leave room on the forum for more public messages,
unless there is a problem, your request will not be acknowledged.






















TAPCIS Forum Messages 6-27

===========================================================================
Advanced Commands
===========================================================================

The advanced commands display in the top box when you press dvanced from
the main menu. They are used for specialized purposes that become more
obvious as you use CompuServe forums actively.

[Figure 6-15: Advanced Commands Menu]



------------------------------------
Advanced Commands Summary

The advanced commands create entries in the .ADV file which will be
acted upon the next time you go online with the command. The results of
these commands are stored in the .MSG file and can usually be read
by reading messages as you normally do.

Go online and read only new messages sent to you in one particular
forum only. This is like the command when the normal menu is
shown, where TAPCIS goes online immediately and reads new messages
marked for you in all selected forums.

Read new messages in a Forum addressed to ALL.

Read ALL messages in a Forum (old and new) addressed To you.

Read ALL messages on this Forum (old and new) sent By you

Go online and delete all (P)rivate message from or to you if they have
already been read. You should delete private messages to you as you
read your private messages in forums where private messages are al-
lowed. If you forget to delete private messages you've read, this
advanced command will get rid of them for you. Do not delete public
messages of interest to others. This command will not affect public
messages.

Enter a "User" selected command. This creates an online script. The
command becomes part of your .SND file and must be one that
CompuServe recognizes as well as one that will cause the forum
software to end its output with a Forum! prompt. Valid commands
include:

HIGH;12345
Reset high message number to 12345

HIGH;L
Reset high message number to the last message in the forum

HIGH;D
Reset the high message to its value when you entered the forum.
This is useful for resetting the high message after a search or
another advanced command that might reset the high message count.




6-28 Forum Messages TAPCIS

REA FRO:JOAN STA:0
Read all messages from Joan starting with the first message that is
still in the forum.

REA TO:MARILYN STA:50000
Read all messages to Marilyn starting at 50000

REA NEW SUB:TAPCIS
Read only new message that have "TAPCIS" in the subject

REA THR NUM:12345
Read the thread that begins on message 12345

REA THR DAYS:2
Read all threads from the last two days

OPT;NAM;First Last;P
Change your name in a forum

OPT;SKI N;P
Turn off the OPTION Skip Messages You Write

ANN;1;7;T
Read Forum Announcements 1 and 7.

These functions may be chained as may times as you like in as many Forums
as you like. Please do not use the dvanced ser function for
navigation between Forums or if you are not certain of the appropriate
command.

Advanced commands are the first commands sent when TAPCIS enters a forum.
Thus, if you want to set your high message number back and do a scan or
read, you can do it in one pass.


























TAPCIS Forum Messages 6-29