_______
____|__ | (R)
--| | |-------------------
| ____|__ | Association of
| | |_| Shareware
|__| o | Professionals
-----| | |---------------------
|___|___| MEMBER
ÕÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ͸
³ Tag Line Xpress v4.10 ³
ÔÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ;
Copyright (C) 1992,93,94
release date 10/21/94
Introduction
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tag Line Xpress (TLX) is an enhanced tagline manager for offline
QWK mail readers. A tagline is a single line comment that is
added to the end of each message, and is often a funny or
ridiculous statement. Most mail readers available today have
limitations to the amount of taglines they can handle, and one
has to physically select a tagline from what could well be a
sizable collection, or the mail reader will cycle through the
available taglines sequentially or randomly. TLX makes the job
of maintaining and selecting taglines infinitely easier.
Tag Line Xpress (TLX) supports an UNLIMITED number of taglines,
up to 72 characters in length! TLX uses a database to store your
tagline collection, and keeps a count of how many times each
tagline has been used. TLX will read your message, and suggest
taglines from the database depending on the subject and content
of the message, giving priority to lesser used taglines. TLX
supports both QWK and FIDO style taglines. TLX can steal every
tagline from entire QWK, Blue Wave BW and Silver Xpress OPX mail
packets. There is a quote enhancement feature that places a
quote box around the reply. TLX also offers a signature manager
that allows several user signatures. TLX supports and installs
automatically into Silly Little Mail Reader (SLMR), Off Line
Xpress (OLX), Deluxeý, Jabber, SpeedRead (Speed), Blue Wave, 1st
Reader, RoboMail, MegaReader and Silver Xpress. Additionally,
any mail reader that supports a tagline manager can be set up to
use TLX. Full mouse support is available, and all features are
fully configurable. On line context sensitive help is available
at all times. TLX needs a minimum of 380K of system memory to
work, any memory over that including Expanded Memory will be
used for dynamic caching and index buffers.
A tutorial slide show is also included in this package called
TLXDEMO4.EXE that graphically demonstrates the various features
that TLX has to offer. Simply execute this demonstration program
to view the TLX presentation. Press any key to advance screens,
Escape to end the slide show.
ASP Ombudsman statement
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"This program is produced by a member of the Association of
Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the
shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve
a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the
member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can
help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but
does not provide technical support for members' products. Please
write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI
49442-9427 USA, FAX 616-788-2765 or send a Compuserve message
via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536"
Registration
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tag Line Xpress (TLX) is being distributed under the Shareware
concept, you may freely copy and distribute TLX in its original
unmodified archive form. TLX is NOT crippled or restricted in
any way, the shareware version is a fully functional program to
allow you to evaluate its performance - except for the random
appearance of a nag screen reminding you to register. After a
reasonable evaluation period you are expected to register TLX
with the author.
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
All registrations for Tag Line Xpress benefit the American Red
Cross! Please use the enclosed ORDER.FRM and mail it to:
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
First Prince C.C. Marketing
TLX Registration
22 Prince Street,
New York, NY 10012
Support and Orders: (212) 334-1243
FAX: (212) 334-1245
þ Basic registration (validation number only) US $20.00
Please make check payable to the AMERICAN RED CROSS!
Send a Self Addressed Stamped Envelope!
^ ^ ^ ^
þ Printed illustrated user manual includes s/h US $10.00
Comes with v4.00 and BONUS tagline file on disk!
Make this check/money order payable to FIRST PRINCE
New York State residents please add 8.25% tax ($10.83)
The TLX user manual is a detailed 130 page bound manual that
contains over 30 descriptive screen shot illustrations, and is
fully indexed.
Payment accepted by check, money order and postal order. Credit
card (MasterCard/Visa) payments only accepted for the user
manual. International orders must arrange payment in US funds.
The registration number provided will be valid for all future
releases of TLX, however, the author reserves the right to
change the registration method.
The author hosts a support conference on RelayNet/RIME (Janorkar
Support Conference), and also monitors several national echo
networks for support including FIDO, Intelec, SmartNET, CatNET,
ILink and WildNET, in the TAGLINES and SHAREWARE Conferences.
Voice support is available to all users, Monday to Friday from
9am to 5pm at (212) 334-1243 FAX (212) 334-1245. The Authors
Support BBS (Photographers Network BBS) is available 24 Hours at
212-334-5092 @28.8vfc.
If you find a bug or error while using TLX, please PRINT-SCREEN
the error display and mail a printout along with a detailed
description to the author (certain errors will create a file
called TLX.ERR which will contain the technical information
related to the crash). Select the Program Information option
from the Main Menu, and press Enter. This will create a file
called ASSIST.TLX that will help the author better understand
the problem as well as your specific setup. User feedback has
played a vital role in the development of TLX and is welcomed.
Note: This will be the last release of Tag Line Xpress. A new
product is being developed called Tag-X Professional, all TLX
paid registrants will AUTOMATICALLY receive a FREE update upon
release! For a sneak preview of Tag-X Pro, run the demo program
included with this package (TAGXPRV.EXE)!
This is a list of Official Distribution Sites where Tag-X Pro
will be found, arranged by area code:
Authors BBS - Photographers Network BBS, NY 212-334-5092 @28.8
~~~~~~~~~~~ (first call downloads allowed, follow instructions)
Support BBS - The Systematic BBS, NY 718-716-6198 @28.8
~~~~~~~~~~~ (First call downloads allowed, log in as
FREE FILES AUTHOR)
201-399-4772 201-839-5401 206-367-9131 208-664-2983
212-222-2135 212-749-3268 214-235-5288 214-613-6900
214-964-8726 215-248-2319 215-540-0141 215-698-7677
216-992-6930 218-829-6340 301-645-1049 302-529-1650
305-346-8524 310-676-3534 317-831-9227 318-443-1065
401-732-0258 401-765-6659 401-826-8419 403-285-7167
404-921-1186 404-941-0746 409-321-4637 410-820-6734
410-827-7675 410-827-8789 502-276-9675 502-762-6963
504-347-8152 505-831-4581 508-365-2359 508-797-5112
509-244-6253 509-926-1686 510-483-0203 516-579-7507
518-563-7698 519-351-4364 601-425-9795 602-945-0363
604-357-9942 604-426-8604 604-724-6280 606-886-2881
609-435-1663 610-929-2229 612-753-1943 615-494-7024
616-456-1845 617-354-3230 703-898-7205 704-573-2115
706-694-3295 708-677-6824 713-726-0445 715-345-1327
717-597-7654 718-628-6661 718-716-6198 718-793-8548
718-904-9432 718-983-9152 801-393-0531 803-592-5208
803-821-2220 804-468-6454 804-857-4090 805-258-0413
805-274-1554 805-736-7066 805-946-4107 805-964-4414
806-435-9113 810-664-0437 813-960-5169 814-362-6546
814-825-7905 817-589-1517 901-377-6419 903-465-4022
904-472-5714 905-796-1400 908-329-3216 908-572-9233
909-860-3728 909-862-5319 910-627-5190 912-934-8079
913-784-7171 914-482-3239 914-964-0419 916-546-2095
918-298-9113 918-534-3759
FIDO freq sites (magic name TLX):
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1:278/111 (Systematic, NY) 1:150/420 (US Project, DE)
1:124/2113 (Lunatic Fringe, TX) 1:2619/101 (Utopia Tech, NY)
1:231/1400 (Hearthstone, IN) 1:3652/5 (Glory Bound, SC)
International sites:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NorthPaul BBS Scotland UK +23-645-8256/+23-545-7650
Michelange II BBS Belgium +32-67-211838
Schizophrenic Wolf BBS United Kingdom +44-77-245-6526
PkMt BBS Australia +61-04-285-3349
Devil BBS Israel +972-3-804688
About the American Red Cross
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The American Red Cross is the nation's foremost volunteer
emergency services organization. Their mission is to improve the
quality of human life; to enhance self-reliance and concern for
other; and to help people avoid, prepare for, and cope with
emergencies. They do this through services that are governed and
directed by volunteers and are consistent with its congressional
charter and the principles of the International Red Cross:
humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary
service, unity, universality. For more information, please read
the enclosed REDCROSS.DOC.
What's New
~~~~~~~~~~
Version 4.00 is a major update and rewrite. All existing
features have been enhanced, and several new features have been
added. Added on line context sensitive help. Increased the
length of tagline viewing windows to FULL 72 characters. Deleted
taglines behave differently, and can be restored. New extended
search routines, allowing several operations during the search
process. Twit taglines are shortened to 25 characters. Full
featured signature manager added. The reader signature is now
controlled by TLX to ensure network compliance. A brand new
configuration menu, offering more control over every facet of
program operation. Quote enhancer has been redesigned to fit
within network quoting restrictions. New Full mode eliminates
BATch files, reduces swapping and allows for faster program
operation. Added support for the Silver Xpress mail reader and
Blue Wave OS2. Extended RoboMail support. Speed optimization for
all functions.
Version 4.10 is a minor update. Fixed installation bug when TLX
is not in the same directory as the mail reader. Fixed the User
Signature feature to compensate for Internet signatures that
contain the letters ".COM". Documentation changes.
Upgrading
~~~~~~~~~
From v1.x, v2.x or v3.x: Please remember to backup the TLX
database file (TLXTAGS.DB?) before updating to the new version!
Simply copy the new TLX files over the old files. Run TLX from
the command line and select Install from the menu, the old
tagline database will be detected and converted to the new
format automatically.
The registration number format has changed for version 4. If you
are a registered user of Tag Line Xpress version 1, 2, or 3; it
is necessary for you to obtain a NEW registration number. Since
all registrations for Tag Line Xpress directly benefit the
American Red Cross, you are REQUESTED to send in a registration
fee again. If you feel this is unfair, simply send a letter
about why you think it is unfair (mention your old registration
number), and you will receive a free updated serial number.
Quick Start
~~~~~~~~~~~
This section contains the basic information required to install
and use TLX. It is suggested that you also read the following
sections on the various options in TLX, and the reader-specific
document that is included in this archive (READERS.DOC).
At any time within the program, pressing the F1 key activates
the context sensitive help system.
Simply copy the contents of this archive into your mail reader
directory, or into a separate directory. When TLX is started for
the first time it will attempt to install itself automatically.
It will first ask for confirmation and show the reader type and
version that it has located.
Make a backup of your mail reader configuration file before
allowing TLX to install itself.
If the information that TLX displays is correct (mail reader
name and version number) type Y and it will install itself
automatically into the mail reader.
If you are using any other version of a reader - INSTALLATION
RESULTS ARE UNPREDICTABLE - since the mail reader formats could
well have changed between versions!!! Please read the specific
reader documentation (READERS.DOC) included in this archive for
more information.
Once TLX is installed, you will offered the Configuration menu.
After you finish configuration, TLX will look for a default
tagline file (the mail reader specific tagline file). If one is
found, you will be asked for confirmation before will import the
taglines into the tagline database. If it can not recognize any
tagline files, it will prompt you to enter the filename, and
then read in the taglines. After importing the taglines, TLX
will ask if you want to rename the tagline file. You should
normally answer Yes - so your mail reader will not attempt to
attach a second tagline to your messages.
TLX is now installed and ready for use! If your mail reader will
not allow you to suppress its internal reader signature, you
have to either use the UNTAG.EXE utility provided with this
package; or disable the TLX reader signature.
To use the UNTAG.EXE utility; within your mail reader, edit the
PACKER or COMPRESSION option (for packing REP packets):
Old Option> PKZIP -A
New Option> NEWZIP PKZIP -A
Each reader has a different syntax and different location for
this option, please check the specific reader documentation
(READERS.DOC) for more information.
TLX will have created a batch file called NEWZIP.BAT that is
actually what does the tagline trimming. You will have to edit
this batch file with the correct parameters - depending on the
format your mail reader uses for compressing out-going mail.
When you respond to a message (or initiate a new message) TLX
will first enhance the quoted portion of your reply (a new
message has no quote and will be unaffected) and call your
editor. After you finish editing your reply, TLX will read the
message and suggest taglines based on the subject and content of
the message. You can then select an appropriate tagline from the
suggestions, or select one from the tagline database and TLX
will add it to your message.
Use of disk caching software will make TLX run much faster,
along with every other program you use. It is suggested that a
disk cache be used (especially on slower computers).
Pressing the F1 key anywhere within the program will activate
the context sensitive help system. If you do not wish to use the
on-line help screens, you can delete the help file (TLX.HLP) to
conserve disk space.
Other Readers
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TLX can be installed into other mail readers that are not
currently supported automatically. There are two methods of
installation, the first is a "Classic" TLX installation, and the
second is a "Conventional" tagline manager installation.
"Classic" TLX Installation -
TLX is called instead of your editor; quotes your reply, then
directly loads your editor allowing you to edit your reply, and
finally adds the tagline along with an optional user signature.
You can modify your mail reader configuration to call TLX with
these command line parameters as the external editor:
\path\TLX //BC F * [!]
where \path\TLX is the full path and filename for TLX;
//BC is a switch telling TLX to protect your display cursor;
F indicates the Full feature mode;
* tells TLX to find its database automatically;
and [!] depends on your specific mail reader and is the reply
file name (normally passed as ! or %O check your mail reader
documentation for the exact format).
Next you must change the TLX configuration and enter your editor
name in the indicated field under System Settings. If your mail
reader supports a "standard" (SLMR/OLX compatible) message
header you should enable it. The mail reader quote characters
should be disabled, and the mail reader tagline support should
also be totally disabled. When you reply to a message, TLX will
quote the reply portion and call your editor. After you edit
your reply, TLX will read it and suggest taglines; select one
and TLX will add the tagline to the bottom of your message along
with an optional user signature.
Some mail readers do NOT allow you to disable the default reader
signature! If your messages have double taglines, you have two
choices. You can either use the UNTAG utility provided with this
package, or disable the TLX reader signature from within the TLX
configuration menu. If the TLX reader signature is disabled, all
taglines will be forced into FIDO style without either a tear
bar or a reader signature.
To use the UNTAG.EXE utility; within your mail reader, edit the
PACKER or COMPRESSION option (for packing REP packets):
Old Option> PKZIP -A
New Option> NEWZIP PKZIP -A
Each reader has a different syntax and different location for
this option, please check the specific reader documentation
(READERS.DOC) for more information.
TLX will have created a batch file called NEWZIP.BAT that is
actually what does the tagline trimming. You will have to edit
this batch file with the correct parameters - depending on the
format your mail reader uses for compressing out-going mail.
\path\UNTAG %4
%1 %2 %3 %4 %5 %6 %7 %8 %9
This is how the NEWZIP.BAT looks - you have to determine which
parameter your mail reader is passing as the REPLIES file, and
change the UNTAG % number to that.
For example:
Old Option> PKZIP -A
New Option> \path\NEWZIP PKZIP -A
will pass the following line to NEWZIP.BAT:
PKZIP -A BBSNAME.REP BBSNAME.MSG
so %1 = PKZIP
%2 = -A
%3 = BBSNAME.REP
%4 = BBSNAME.MSG
What we are interested in is the .MSG file, which is the actual
replies file that will be compressed into the REP packet. In
this case it is %4.
Another example:
Old Option> PKZIP -A -ES
New Option> NEWZIP PKZIP -A -ES
will pass the following line to NEWZIP.BAT:
PKZIP -A -ES BBSNAME.REP BBSNAME.MSG
so %1 = PKZIP
%2 = -A
%3 = -ES
%4 = BBSNAME.REP
%5 = BBSNAME.MSG
In this case %5 is the parameter we want.
While this is definitely not an easy way to eliminate the
duplicate reader tagline, it is unfortunately the only way.
Conventional Tag Line Manager Installation -
TLX can mimic the popular John Hancock tagline manager and
return the tagline in a text file. This method has certain
drawbacks; TLX cannot quote your message, the reader signature
cannot be changed, and the user signature manager is not
available. Simply set up your mail reader to call TLX with the
following parameters:
\path\TLX g * \replypath\REPLY.FIL
where \path\TLX is the full path and filename of TLX;
g is the Generic command line switch;
* tells TLX to find the database automatically;
and \replypath\REPLY.FIL is the full path and filename of the
message file that TLX will read to make suggestions.
The tagline will be returned in a text file (called TLX.TAG by
default). The name of the tagline return file can be changed
from within the TLX configuration menu. Your mail reader must
have the option to read such a tagline return file and use it.
Quoting Guidelines
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
While sensible use of the quote enhancer makes your replies
unique and easier to understand, over quoting makes sysops
upset. Most systems carry EMail messages at no cost to user,
excessive quoting simply inflates their phone bills. Only quote
the portion of text that is relevant, never quote the entire
original message. A few lines are usually sufficient to convey
the original message that you are responding to.
NEVER use high ASCII characters in FIDO or Internet messages!
Several systems on FIDO and the Internet use non-IBM hardware,
which reacts in strange ways to high ASCII characters. TLX has
the intelligence to recognize FIDO based messages, and
automatically use the configured low ASCII quoting style.
Detailed Information
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The following is specific information on the various options and
behavior of TLX. It is not required for using TLX, but is
provided for those want to get the most out of the program.
Expanded Memory
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TLX will normally grab all available Expanded Memory (EMS) and
use it for dynamic caching and index buffers. However, if you
are running concurrent programs or operating under a multi user
environment, you can limit the amount of Expanded Memory that
TLX will use by setting an Environmental Variable:
SET TAGLINE=Ex
where E is the EMS switch and x denotes a numeric value for the
explicit amount of Expanded Memory in Kilobytes - using E0 will
tell TLX to not use ANY EMS memory.
Additionally, with certain VGA video hardware the cursor will
appear deranged. If this is the case you can use the TAGLINE
Environmental Variable to inform TLX that the cursor is
misbehaving with the switch BC
SET TAGLINE=BC
You can use both these switches with the Environmental Variable
by separating them with a semicolon e.g.
SET TAGLINE=BC;E1024
Note that there should be no spaces between the words. Please
refer to your DOS manual for more information on Environmental
Variables.
Supported Tagline Formats
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TLX uses two distinct tagline styles, one for QWK messages and
the other for FIDO messages. Normally TLX will automatically use
the appropriate tagline format, unless you tell it otherwise
within the configuration. A third option is to disable the TLX
reader signature, creating a FIDO style tagline without either
tear bar or reader signature. Note that selecting a tagline
longer than 57 characters will always force TLX into FIDO mode,
since the total line length would exceed network specifications.
QWK Style Taglines:
[optional user signature]
---
þ [reader sig] þ [tagline]
FIDO Style Taglines:
[optional user signature]
... [tagline]
---
* [reader sig] *
Reader Signature Disabled:
[optional user signature]
... [tagline]
@ Variables
~~~~~~~~~~~
TLX supports several @ variables in the tagline, user signature,
reader signature and quote enhancer. Note that some options may
not be available with all mail readers - only SLMR and OLX can
offer full support for all variables. All these variables must
be in upper case (CAPITALS).
These variables are replaced by TLX as follows :
@FROM@ - Message sender's full name
@FROMFIRST@ - Message sender's first name
@FROMLAST@ - Message sender's last name
@TO@ - Full name of message recipient
@TOFIRST@ - First name of message recipient
@TOLAST@ - Last name of message recipient
@SUBJECT@ - Subject of current message
@CONFNAME@ - Name of current conference
@TODAY@ - Current date in form MO/DA/YR
@DAY@ - Current day of week e.g. Monday, Tuesday
@DATE@ - Current date
@MONTH@ - Current month
@YEAR@ - Current year
@TIME@ - Current time in form HOUR:MIN:SEC
@HOUR@ - Current hour in 24 hour format
@MINUTE@ - Current minute
@SECOND@ - Current second
@VER@ - Current TLX version
@SDATE@ - Current time & date in Star Date format
@RND@ - Random quote characters
Only available within QWK quoting text field
@INI@ - Message recipient's initials and arrow e.g. RJ>
Only available within FIDO/QWK quoting text fields
Quote Enhancer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You can configure the quote enhancer to your specific design.
There are three sections in the quote enhancer - the Quote Top,
the Quote Text and the Quote Bottom. You can have up to 128
characters in each of these three options. To force a new line,
use the ASCII 227 character (ã) by holding down the ALT key and
pressing the 2 2 and 7 keys on the numeric keypad. An ASCII
chart and @ variable list can be summoned by pressing the F2 key
within each field. @ Variables can be used within each of these
options. TLX has an alternative quoting method when entering
mail on networks that do not allow high ASCII characters (FIDO
style), as well as the capability to 'Guess' and automatically
use the appropriate quoting format.
User Signature
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TLX can add a signature to the bottom of every message. A built
in signature manager allows you to have several different user
signatures, and select one for each message. You can have up to
128 characters in your signature, and also include @ variables.
To force a new line use the ASCII 227 character ã by holding
down the ALT key and pressing the 2 2 and 7 keys on the numeric
keypad. An ASCII chart and @ variable list can be summoned by
pressing the F2 key.
If you enter a filename in this field, TLX will read the entire
specified file in as a signature. Note that @ variables are NOT
supported within external signature files. A pop up file
directory tree can be called by pressing the F10 key to
'point-n-shoot' signature files. The file directory tree has an
integral ANSI and text file viewer/editor built in. Pressing the
Alt-A key combination will display the ANSI graphics, and
pressing the Alt-V key combination will allow you to view/edit
text files. Note that an ANSI driver (such as ANSI.SYS) must be
loaded in order to view ANSI graphic files.
If the specified file is an executable program (or a batch file)
it will be automatically executed and TLX expects a signature
return file named TLX.SIG which will be added to the message as
a signature. This allows you to run external signature programs
directly from within TLX.
Translation Feature
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You can translate text within the Quote enhancer by creating a
text file called TRANSLAT.TLX (or edit from the Configuration
menu). Basically you specify the text string to find and the
text string to replace with in the format:
Old Text = New Text
where Old Text is the string that will be replaced with the New
String. Capitalization is critical, since only an EXACT match
will be replaced. Typically this is used to personalize your
messages by translating names to short nicknames, e.g.
Joseph = Joe
Douglas = Doug
David = Dave
Doctor = Whats up Doc
For example, this quote addressed to DAVID:
@TOFIRST@ babbled incoherently ...
will be translated into:
Dave babbled incoherently ...
Note that the @ variables are translated first, then the text
translations take place.
Twit Taglines
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Since TLX has the capability of stealing virtually every tagline
from within QWK, BW and OPX mail packets, occasionally you will
want to prevent certain taglines from being stolen. The twit
taglines are stored in a text file called TWITTAGS.TLX, and are
rejected by TLX when stealing and deleted within Maintenance.
Only a partial match is required, so the string:
WRITTEN
will cause the following taglines to be rejected/deleted:
Written by Joe Shmoe at 10:00am
Written in New York by Joe Shmoe
This tagline written on recycled newspapers.
Single characters can not be twitted and are ignored. You can
only have a maximum of 500 twit taglines, if you try to use more
TLX will inform you that there are too many twit taglines. Note
that the number of twit taglines directly affects the speed of
tagline theft and Maintenance. Additionally, TLX will reject or
delete any taglines that contain a standard format phone number
such as:
(212)334-1243
212-334-1243
212.334.1243
212 334 1243
File Directory Menu
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The file directory tree offers a 'point-n-shoot' interface for
selecting files. Use the Up, Down, PageUp and PageDown keys to
navigate the list displayed files, and select by pressing the
Enter key. Pressing the first letter of a file will cause the
cursor bar to jump to the next matching filename. Mouse users
can simply click on the desired filename to select it, the arrow
symbols along the right border of the display simulate the
PageUp and the PageDown keys. Pressing the Escape key aborts
without selecting any files.
The top of the window displays the name of the current directory
being viewed. All available drives will be displayed at the top
of the list, if this list is incorrect you must change the TLX
Configuration (under System Settings, Lastdrive on system) to
reflect the correct last drive available on your system. To
switch to another drive, simply select the desired drive, and
the file listing will be updated.
Next all available subdirectories under the current directory
will be listed, to change directories simply select the desired
directory. The Root directory is denoted by a single dot and the
Parent directory is denoted by two dots.
All available files are listed alphabetically, with their sizes,
dates and time stamps. Pressing the Alt-A key combination allows
you to view the highlighted file in ANSI color (an ANSI driver
such as ANSI.SYS must be loaded in order for this to work).
Pressing the Alt-V key combination activates the internal file
viewer/editor, allowing you to view or edit any text file
directly.
'Expert' Configuration Options
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There are a few hidden configuration options that can only be
changed by manually editing the TLX.CFG file. These are:
QUOTEALLOW - this option is normally either [G]uess or [A]sk;
but can be changed to [F]IDO or [Q]WK to force FIDO or QWK style
quoting for every message. Users are cautioned not to use high
ASCII QWK style quoting for FIDO messages!
ANSISTRIP - this option forces TLX to strip all lines containing
ANSI codes out during quoting, and is normally set to [Y]es. To
prevent TLX from removing ANSI lines during quoting, change this
option to [N]o.
QUOTETAG - this option is normally set to [N]o; and controls if
the original message tagline will be stripped out when the
message is quoted. To preserve the original tagline, change this
to [Y]es.
BBSPHONE - this option is normally set to [Y]es; and prevents
all BBS advertisement taglines (any tagline with a phone number
in it) from being stolen, and deletes them during Maintenance.
To disable this feature, change this option to [N]o.
TAGTYPE - this option is normally set to Guess; and controls the
tagline style used for each message. It can be changed to FIDO,
QWK or No-bar-FIDO to force each respective style. No-bar-FIDO
forces the tagline into FIDO style, but does not add the ---
tear bar between the tagline and the reader signature.
Configuration
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TLX saves your default settings in an ASCII text configuration
file. You can modify the configuration from within TLX or with a
text editor. If no configuration file is found, TLX will use
default internal values and create a new configuration file. The
available options are:
SYSTEM SETTINGS:
Your Full Name: Your name quite obviously!
Registration Number: Your registration number as stated on your
registration card. Registration of TLX stops the random
appearance of the shareware reminder screens.
Registration Key Code: Your registration key code as stated on
your registration card. Registration of TLX stops the
random appearance of the shareware reminder screens.
Mouse Enabled: TLX offers full support for Microsoft-compatible
rodents. Options are Yes or No.
Path to Mail Packets: When you instruct TLX to steal taglines
from mail packets, it will default to this directory.
When installed automatically, TLX will interrogate the
mail reader configuration and read the correct directory
from there. QWK format mail packets are selected by
default, but TLX also supports Blue Wave BW and Silver
Xpress OPX format mail packets. If no filenames are
specified, TLX will add a wildcard automatically e.g.
*.QWK
Editor Path/Filename: When used in Full Mode, TLX calls your
editor directly, speeding up operation. Enter the full
path and filename for your favorite editor along with
any command line parameters required. When installed
automatically, TLX will interrogate the mail reader
configuration and read the correct information from
there. If this field is left blank, the internal editor
will be used instead.
Editor Minimum Memory: This is minimum amount of memory your
editor requires in KiloBytes. Reducing this number will
dramatically increase the speed of the program. Most
editors can manage with 150 KiloBytes. Using too low a
value will give insufficient memory error messages when
you use the editor, it will then be necessary to
increase this setting.
Lastdrive on System: This tells the file directory tree how many
drives are attached to your system. Enter the letter for
the last drive available on your computer system.
QUOTE ENHANCER SETTINGS:
Quoter Enabled: This option controls the quote enhancer. If set
to No, the quoter will be disabled. Note that disabling
the quote enhancer will leave the message header intact
within the message, and will eliminate all message
specific @ variables.
Guess Quote Style: TLX has the capability to guess what quoting
format is allowed, and automatically use it. If this
option is set to No, TLX will ask you for each message.
A message will appear each time, prompting you to press
the Space Bar to use FIDO style quoting or any other key
to use QWK style quoting. If no key is pressed within 2
seconds, QWK style quoting is automatically selected.
Quote Top QWK Mode: This is the top of the quote box for QWK
messages. You can use @ variables and the TRANSLATE
features in this field. You can Enter up to 128
characters here. Press F2 to summon an ASCII chart, to
force a new line use the ASCII 227 character by holding
down the ALT key and pressing 2 2 7 on the numeric
keypad.
Quote Text QWK Mode: Each quoted line in the message will be
preceded by the contents of this entry. You can use @
variables and the TRANSLATE features in this field. You
can Enter up to 128 characters here. Press F2 to summon
an ASCII chart. Using the variable @RND@ will cause each
message to have random quote characters; and @INI@ will
place the initials of the person you are sending the
message to with an arrow symbol e.g. RJ>. When using
either the @RND@ or @INI@ variables, you cannot have any
extra characters in the field.
Quote Bottom QWK Mode: This is the bottom of the quote box for
QWK messages. You can use @ variables and the TRANSLATE
features in this field. You can Enter up to 128
characters here. Press F2 to summon an ASCII chart, to
force a new line use the ASCII 227 character by holding
down the ALT key and pressing 2 2 7 on the numeric
keypad.
Quote Top FIDO Mode: This is the top of the quote box for FIDO
messages. You can use @ variables and the TRANSLATE
features in this field. You can Enter up to 128
characters here. To force a new line use the ASCII 227
character by holding down the ALT key and pressing 2 2 7
on the numeric keypad. Do NOT use high ASCII characters
in FIDO messages!
Quote Text FIDO Mode: Each quoted line in the message will be
preceded by the contents of this entry. You can use @
variables and the TRANSLATE features in this field. You
can Enter up to 128 characters here. Using the variable
@INI@ will place the initials of the person you are
sending the message to with an arrow symbol e.g. RJ>.
When using the @INI@ variable, you cannot have any extra
characters in the field. Do NOT use high ASCII
characters in FIDO messages!
Quote Bottom FIDO Mode: This is the bottom of the quote box for
FIDO messages. You can use @ variables and the TRANSLATE
features. You can Enter up to 128 characters here. To
force a new line use the ASCII 227 character by holding
down the ALT key and pressing 2 2 7 on the numeric
keypad. Do NOT use high ASCII characters in FIDO
messages!
TAGLINE SETTINGS:
Automatic Tagline Select: If this option is set to Yes, TLX will
automatically add a tagline without any prompting. This
option works along with the next option, if that is set
to Yes (Random) a random tagline will be automatically
added to the message; and if the next option is set to
No (Suggestion) the first suitable tagline suggestion
will be automatically added to the message.
Random Tagline Select: If this option is set to Yes, TLX will
pick a random tagline instead of making suggestions.
Reader Signature Enabled: If this option is set to No, the tear
bar and the reader signature will be eliminated. This is
useful for mail readers that force their own reader
signature into every message, creating double taglines.
Tagline Return Filename: This option is only relevant if you are
using TLX in the Generic mode. Enter the name of the
tagline return filename here.
LIST MAINTENANCE:
User Signature: Press the Enter key to activate the signature
manager. You can Add, Edit and Kill user signatures, as
well as select the default user signature that will be
added to all your messages. @ variables and signature
files are supported by TLX.
Reader Signature: Press the Enter key to activate the signature
manager. You can Add, Edit and Kill signatures, as well
as select the default reader signature that will be
added to all your messages. @ variables are supported,
the default setting @VER@ is replaced with the current
TLX version number.
Twit Taglines: Press the Enter key to activate the Twit tagline
editor. You can add, edit and delete twit taglines
interactively within the editor.
Translate List: Press the Enter key to activate the Translate
list editor. You can add, edit and delete translate
strings interactively within the editor.
COLOR SETTINGS:
All colors within TLX are fully user configurable. The active
option name is indicated on the left of the screen, and a sample
display window allows you to see how your color choices will
appear. Pressing the Up and the Down arrow keys change the color
of the active option, and pressing the Left and the Right arrow
keys move to the previous or the next option. Press the Escape
key to exit and return to the Configuration Menu.
Add Tagline File
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This option allows you to add text (ASCII) tagline files into
the tagline database. Taglines up to 72 characters in length are
supported. Each tagline must be on a new line, any lines longer
than 72 characters will be rejected. TLX also recognizes
RoboMail style .RTF tagline files.
If TLX can recognize a default text tagline file, it will prompt
you with the filename. TLX looks for a mail reader to determine
the default tagline filename. Press the Enter key to select the
offered file, or enter the full path and filename of the text
tagline file to import. You can press the F10 key to activate
the pop up file directory tree, offering a 'point-n-shoot'
interface for selecting files. Pressing the Escape key during
the import will abort the process.
All taglines that are less than 72 characters in length will be
imported into the tagline database. Blank lines in the tagline
file are ignored, as are any lines that begin with a semicolon.
Taglines are not checked for duplicity during import, you can
use the Maintenance mode to sort the database and eliminate
duplicate taglines.
After TLX has successfully imported all taglines into the
tagline database, you will be informed how many taglines were
imported, and you will be prompted to rename the tagline file.
TLX will always suggest the name TAGLINES.BAK, if a file already
exists with this name the rename process is cancelled. Press the
Enter key to accept the filename that TLX has suggested, or type
in a new filename. You can press the Escape key if you do not
wish to rename the text tagline file.
Dump ASCII Text File
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This option allows you to export the entire Tagline Database to
a text (ASCII) file. Enter the name of the text file you wish to
create, or press the Enter key to accept the default filename
suggested by TLX. If the file already exists, you will be asked
if you wish to Overwrite the file, or Append to it. Selecting
Overwrite will delete the existing file and create a new text
tagline file. Selecting Append will add the new taglines at the
end of the existing tagline file.
A progress bar indicator will appear, showing progress during
the Dump operation. Pressing the Escape key will abort the
export immediately, however the specified text file will exist
and contain all the taglines that were processed.
Browse Database
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Browse Menu offers an interactive interface to manipulate
the Tagline Database. The Browse window will display up to ten
taglines at a time, along with the amount of times each tagline
has been used. The top right corner of the window shows the
current location within the tagline database.
To edit a displayed tagline, move the highlighted cursor bar
over the tagline and press the Enter key. Mouse users can simply
click on the desired tagline. A smaller window will appear,
allowing you to edit the tagline. Pressing the Alt-K key
combination will delete the tagline. Pressing the F2 key will
activate the pop up ASCII chart along with the @ variable chart.
Press the Enter key to save your changes, or press the Escape
key to abandon them.
Pressing the Alt-K directly over a highlighted tagline will
delete it. The Used counter will be replaced by the letters DEL,
pressing Alt-K again will reverse the deletion and restore the
tagline. Deleted taglines are only removed during Maintenance,
and they are ignored during Searches and Suggestions.
Pressing the Space Bar will Mark the highlighted tagline with a
check mark. Marked taglines retain their status until they are
unmarked. The Marked Taglines Menu option allows you to
manipulate all marked taglines (see below).
Pressing the Alt-R key combination will prompt you for
confirmation, then revive ALL deleted taglines.
Pressing the Escape key will return you to the Main Menu.
There are six options available within the Browse Menu.
Add New Tagline - this option allows you to add a new tagline
directly. A window will appear, type in the new tagline and
press the Enter key to accept, or press the Escape key to abort.
Pressing the F2 key activates the pop up ASCII chart and the @
variable list.
Search for Tagline - this option allows you to search for
taglines. TLX has a very powerful search capability. You can
enter a portion of the string that you want to find, and even
place more than one string at once separated by semicolons ";"
for example:
CAT;DOG;CAR
will search for all taglines that contain the strings CAT DOG
and CAR in them. All searches begin at the beginning of the
tagline database, to continue an existing search pattern from
the current location within the database, use the Next Match
option (explained next). A progress bar indicator shows progress
during the search. There are three toggles available, Mark, Dump
and Kill. Press the Space Bar to toggle the check mark within
each entry to select it, and press the Enter key when done. If
the Mark toggle is set, all matching taglines will be marked. If
the Dump toggle is set, all matching taglines will be dumped to
a text (ASCII) file. If the Kill toggle is set, all matching
taglines will be marked as deleted. The number of taglines being
affected is displayed below the progress bar. Pressing the
Escape key during the search will abort the process immediately.
If none of the three toggles have been set, the search process
will stop at the first matching tagline, and the highlighted
cursor bar will be placed over it. If no matching taglines are
found, a message will be displayed to that effect.
Next Match - this option continues an existing search from the
current location within the tagline database. The Mark, Dump and
Kill toggles are ignored, and the search process will stop at
the next matching tagline. A progress bar indicator shows
progress during the search, pressing the Escape key will abort
the process immediately. If no matching taglines are found, a
message will be displayed to that effect.
Twit a Tagline - this option allows you to add a new Twit
tagline to the list of unwanted (twit) taglines, only a partial
string is required. Pressing the Alt-E key combination will
activate the internal editor, allowing you to edit the entire
twit tagline file. When Adding taglines and Stealing taglines,
any tagline matching an existing Twit string will be ignored;
and during Maintenance any tagline matching a Twit tagline will
be deleted. Note that only a partial match is required.
Jump to Record - this option allows you to navigate longer
distances within the tagline database. You can enter an explicit
tagline record number to jump to (the size of the tagline
database is displayed); pressing the PageUp key will jump to
beginning of the tagline database, and pressing the PageDown key
will jump to the end of the tagline database. Pressing the
Escape key will abort the Jump and remain at the same record.
Marked Taglines - this option allows you to manipulate all
Marked taglines within the database. There are three toggles
available; Unmark, Dump and Kill. Use the arrow keys to navigate
them, and press the Spacebar to toggle the check mark with each
field. All three toggles are acted on, so if all three have been
set - all Marked taglines will be Unmarked, Dumped to a text
file, and also marked as deleted. Pressing the Escape key or
leaving all three toggles unselected will abort the operation.
Press the Enter key to accept. A progress bar indicator shows
progress, pressing the Escape key will abort the process
immediately. The number of taglines being affected is displayed
below the progress bar.
Steal Taglines
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Steal Tagline Menu allows you to steal all recognizable
taglines from entire QWK, BW and OPX format mail packets. After
a mail packet name is entered, the file is decompressed using
the appropriate decompression program (which must be in the TLX
directory, or in your system path). All recognizable taglines
will then be displayed consecutively. The following options are
available during tagline theft:
Yes Steal it - this will steal the displayed tagline, and
continue the process.
Edit & Steal - this allows you to edit the displayed tagline
before stealing it. The F2 key activates the pop up ASCII chart
along with the @ variable list. Press the Enter key after making
any changes, or press the Escape key to discard the tagline.
No Steal - this will reject the displayed tagline and continue
the process.
Rest Auto - this will automatically steal ALL following taglines
with NO user prompting. If a wildcard mail packet specification
was used, all available mail packets will be stolen from
automatically. It is NOT possible to interrupt the process once
this option has been selected.
Twit a Tag - this allows you to enter a Twit string for unwanted
taglines. Pressing the Alt-E key combination will activate the
internal editor, allowing you to edit the entire Twit tagline
file.
Quit Steal - this cancels the stealing operation. If a wildcard
mail packet specification was used, the next available mail packet
will be decompressed and processed.
Command line operation
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All TLX options can be called from the interactive menu or by
passing command line parameters. The syntax for command line
operation is:
TLX