Message Features Software Documentation
20-January-1993
 
New Features / Version Notes
 
     o    The size of a message has been expanded to 10,000
          characters.
 
     NOTE:  With the initial release of Message Features users of
     DOS CIM, MAC CIM and NAVIGATOR will not be able to post a
     10000 character message.  Current development of HMI will
     allow for this in the very near future.  There is no
     limitation on the size of messages that can be read.
 
     o    READ THREAD command now displays messages in
          chronological order and also in section order.  i.e., all
          new messages in thread order from section 1, then all new
          messages from section 2 and so forth.  This feature
          provides users with the context of messages.  Given below
          is a hypothetical display in the current Production
          software, and new order of display with Message Features:
 
     Hypothetical Production Display   Message Features Display
     Sec #   Msg & Replies             Sec # Msg & Replies
 
     S4   Message # 11  R R R R        S2   Message # 2   R R R
     S2   Message # 2   R R R          S4   Message # 11  R R R R
     S13  Message # 21  R R R R R R    S6   Message # 9   R
     S6   Message # 9   R              S8   Message # 5   R R R
     S8   Message # 5   R R R          S13  Message # 21  R R R R
 
          The complete command syntax for the READ THREAD is given
          below for reference.
 
          The new display order applies to the READ THREAD command
          and all its switches.  The complete command syntax for
          the READ THREAD is given below for reference.
 
       READ THREAD [NEW]  [ALL] [NUM #] [START: ##] [SECTIONS:]
 
          No modifications have been made to REAd FORward or REAd
          REVerse commands.
 
     o    When a READ nnnn command is issued (without any other
          switches), where nnn is a message number, it defaults to
          READ THREAD nnnn as it does in current production
          software.  Therefore the new display order applies to
          this command as well.
 
     o    Another change is to the snapshot "high message number"
          -- the highest message on the board at the time a
          snapshot is taken.  The user will not be able to view any
          message above this "high number" until a new snapshot is
          built.  This change was done in an effort to ensure that
          users would not miss any messages on the board.  The
          impact of this change is that an ASCII user will no
          longer be able to read a reply they posted immediately;
          this is already true in the HMI (CIM) interface.
 
          If the user wants to read the reply, he will need to
          issue a new REAd or SELect command so another snapshot
          will be built to include their reply.  In HMI, they will
          need to "Freshen Messages" under CIM 2.x for this change
          to take effect.
 
     o    When the user issues a PARent, ROOt, or REAd replies
          command while reading a particular message, when they
          return to the message the command was issued from, the
          header of the message will be displayed along with the
          message "** Enter RER to reread, REP to reply, or <CR>
          to continue".  Current production software displays the
          entire message again.
 
     o    Since a message can now be 10000 characters in length and
          a message that long would scroll off a member's screen
          quickly, we have introduced "paged message display".
          After 24 lines of a message have displayed, members will
          see a "Press CR for more:" prompt if they have paged
          message display enabled.  At that prompt the user can
          enter return to continue reading the message, M to return
          to the Read Action prompt (thereby not reading the rest
          of the message), or S to scroll rest of the message
          without pausing.
 
          To enable "paged message display", a member can enter SET
          PAGED YES at any forum prompt.  This will turn on paged
          message displaying for this and any forum the member
          enters during the current session.  To make the change
          permanent, the member needs to GO DEFAULT, choose option
          2 (Change permanent settings), choose option 3 (Display
          options), and then change option 1 (PAGED display) to NO.
 
          Entering a SCROLL command at the Read Action prompt will
          scroll the messages no matter what option the member has
          selected.
 
     o    There is no longer a limit on the number of lines a forum
          message can have.
 
     o    A new command has been added to the Editor - /MAIL.  If
          the user wants to mail a message, he no longer needs to
          exit the editor and then specify MAIL.  Now he can
          specify /MAIL from within the editor.  All the parameters
          required for the MAIL command are the same as the /POST
          command parameters.
 
     o    If the user wants to mail a message from within a forum,
          they are limited to 50,000 characters - not 10,000
          characters per message for forum messages.  Production
          software limited the user to the size of a forum message
          but the Message Features software has removed that limit.
 
     NOTE: A fix will be implemented in a future version of HMI
     that will allow HMI users to mail a message containing 50,000
     characters.
 
     o    Other important commands to remember:
 
     REA NUM;NNNN - This command allows users to read an individual
     message number. (RI is still supported.)
 
     REA THR NUM: - Allows you to read only the thread you are
     requesting. (RT nnn ONLY is still supported.)
 
 
Removal of "Old" Forum Commands:
 
     To reduce maintenance and gain resources, we have removed
     support for the following "old forum" commands from the forum
     software.
 
A.  Two character commands:
 
BR   -   Browse (Correct command is BRO)
FM   -   Forward Mail (Correct command is FMA or FMB)
RM   -   Read Marked (Correct command is REA WAI or RW)
RO   -   Read Old
SD   -   Scan Delete
SE   -   Send  (Correct command is SEN)
TO   -   Touch
US   -   User Status (Correct command is USE or USERS)
WH   -   Who (Correct command is WHO)
 
GU   -   Guide (use HELP)
SB   -   Section Names (use NAMe)
CB   -   Conference (use CO)
 
B.  One character commands:
 
C    -   Continue
E    -   Exit (use EX or EXI)
L    -   Leave message (use COMpose)
V    -   View Interests (Use MEMber)
 
