
The Off-line Reading Support Routine
------------------------------------

This routine allows you to write all your new messages, both in the conference
areas and in private mail, to a file for reading offline, and also accepts the
uploading of a file containing your own pre-written messages for posting.  

The process begins by looking to see if there is a putfile in your directory.
If it finds one it asks whether to use that or upload a new one - or whether
you simply don't have any messages of your own to post.  If it can't find a
putfile, you are asked if you would like to upload one. 

If you had a putfile, the program goes around posting your messages. If there
are any it can't deal with, it posts a copy into your grabpad with the error
message it generated so you can decide what to do about them later when you
download the grabpad.  

Then you are asked if you want to grab new messages now - and if you have an
'autorecent' setting, it asks if you want that to be obeyed in your grab.  See
help on setting your user defaults for an explanation of autorecent.

Next prompt - store current pointers? - you should normally answer yes,
because it means that if anything goes wrong with your grabbing you can use
the 'restore' command to set all your pointers back where they were and start
again.  Storing might take a few moments if you belong to a lot of message
areas.

The process will then grab all your public messages and your private mail. 
You should see the area names as they are scanned one by one.  Then you will
be asked if you want to download now.  If you say no, the grabbed messages
will remain in a file called 'grabpad' and you can download it when you are
ready, or zip it or edit it first etc.  PLEASE delete your grabpad as soon as
you download it successfully as this saves disk space for everyone.
 

Format of the putfile
---------------------

Create the header of your first message, as described below.  Then write
whatever you want to say in the message.  The there should be a line which is
just a dot on its own at the beginning of the line.  Then the header of your
next message on the very next line, then the message body then the line with a
dot.  Continue like this until you have written all the messages you want to
write, then finish with a line just containing a dot again!  (If you use Robert
de Bath's offline reader, a correct putfile will be created automatically.)

You can then write five types of messages, private mail post, private mail
reply, area message post, area message reply, and area message comment.


1) private mail post
The first word of the header should be 'mail' followed by 'post' followed by
the recipient's name followed by the subject, which can be one or more words.
Then on the next line begin your message.  Finish it all with a full stop
on a line by itself.

example:
mail post inge Problems with editing
Hi Inge, I am having a few problems with the full screen editor here,
I wonder if you can rewrite the wretched thing please!
.


You may also post same letter to more than one recipient by listing the names
separated by commas - but NO spaces.

example:
mail post inge,thanatos,admin For all of you
I want you all to know I am starting my OWN bbs...
.


2) private mail reply to a mail you have received
The first word is 'mail' then 'reply' then the number of the mail which you
want to reply TO.  The original mail message MUST still be in your mail tray.
If you had deleted it, the reply won't work.

example:
mail reply 1255
Thanks for your mail inge, but I STILL think your editor is rubbish.
In fact I am never going to use it to write a message ever again!
.


3) area message to everyone
The first word is 'area' then the name of the area, then 'post'.  After that
and on the same line, type the subject.

example:
area chatter post This system stinks
I don't know what the rest of you think, but I think that this system is utter
rubbish.  I would like to see it closed down, or asked for a licence fee
of 10,000 ukp.  

Please would everyone call my BBS instead!
.


4) area message as a reply or comment to one you have read.
The first word is 'area' then the area name, then 'reply' OR 'comment'.
After that you need the number of the message you are replying to.  Don't
bother with a subject line here, as the program copies the subject line out
of the original message.

example: 
area windows reply 10 
No I don't agree. You might think that software you mentioned is useful, but I
don't!!!  Why don't you try the utility I have written?  It is configurable
between blowing up your motherboard RAM or your printer port.  
.

Put all your messages under one another in one file, and name it 'putfile'.
Have it ready for uploading when you are asked for it!


Format of the grabpad
---------------------

Downloaded messages have the following format (Fields are numbered from 1):

Line 1 - "Area: <areaname>"
Line 2 - Field 1    - message number within area
         Fields 2-6 - date
         Field 8    - author
         Field 10   - message number it was a reply to (if numeric)
         Field 12   - person it was a reply to (if field 10 was numeric)
	 Field 14   - number of base message (founder message of thread)
Line 3 - replies list (ignore this in an OLR as it cannot remain correct)
Line 4 - "Subject: <subject string>"
Line 5 onwards (until a single dot on a line) - message body
	 
example:
Area: chatter
713 Thu Feb 17 20:05 1994 by inge reply-to 712 by mac base 709
Replies: 714 716
Subject: what a silly BBS

I hate this silly BBS don't you?
.


Downloaded Private Mail messages look like:

Line 1 - "Mail: "
Line 2 - Field 1    - unique message number
         Fields 2-6 - date
         Field 8    - author
         Field 10   - message number it was a reply to (if numeric)
         Field 12   - person it is addressed to
Line 3 - "Subject: <subject string>"
Line 4 onwards (until a single dot on a line) - message body
	 
example:
Mail:
2467 Sun Feb 13 19:53 1994 by android reply-to 1026 by inge
Subject: Hi again

I have just called this BBS once more to give another chance but it is still
rubbish.  

Bye again.
.


	