컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Oct'04 ReRead v4.9+ (c) REVOBILD H.Claasen 35 Rue du Marteau B-1000 BRUSSELS 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 This file gives an overview of funtionalities and features of ReRead. For a detailed list of command keys (hotkeys) used and command line switches available please see the joined file RRKEYSxx.TXT ! RE-READ news: *** ==> NEW FUNCTIONALITIES v4.9+ ! *!* Copy-append of a single Mail/news item directly out of the INDEX listing mode (see INDEXING menu, [F4] command key.) *!* HOTKEY binding - the assignment of keyboard keys to tasks to perform in the program - is now completely configurable. The file "rer-keys.rer" is joined in the original zip-package for this purpose. Keys to use can be assigned ad lib there to the tasks to perform in ReRead's basic modes (DIRectory, FILe and INDEX listing.) [In a next development, change of bindings, and rewriting them to the file, would be done from inside the program.] *!* CONFIGURATION FILE / CHARACTER REMAPPING: The format of the section for char.-remapping has been slightly changed in the configuration file RER-CONF.RER - this config-filename has been changed too, therefore. The earlier config.-file, RE-READ.USR can be stil read though by ReRead (if told so) but there are some new entries in the new format, e.g.: -- reference to the hotkey binding file; -- activation of character remapping, and up to ten reference entries for specific lists (e.g., winno$ <--> IBM/CP 437, or Quoted-Printable, etc.) See commentary in joined template RER-CONF.RER and RER-CHAR.RER files, and below at the entry for char-remapping (via [^F2].) *!* New Commandline SWITCH: /f[=filename] to write files with the order numbers of mail items to delete - see the sections on SWITCHES and INDEXING. =========== =============================================================== RE-READ.exe is a DOS text mode reader for mail and usenet files, Html pages =========== and just any text files: to browse items or files series, copy or edit copied text, reply to mail or to save (parts of) files. It offers directory listing to change between files and to do housekeeping with downloaded mail/news items and files easily, and to decode parts of, or attached, files directly (external decoding utilities are needed for decoding, though, as well as always an external editor). This file is an overview of the program functions and lists the available DOS command line switches, the sets of commands (or "hot" keys) in using the program, and some basic explanations of the core features like copy-pasting of mail/text, indexing, naming conventions etc. ReRead will be further developed and maintained - so please look for a most recent version at http://www.inti.be/hammer ! WHAT IT DOES: - first of all "reading", listing mail and text (or HTML)files, ============= including "digests" from mail/newsgroups (separating mail items which are stuffed together without the standard header/end-of- mail markings), or digesting numbers of files downloaded from mailboxes and stored separately (e.g., with Netmail or -Pro). It tries to leave a maximum of screen space for the contents of text to read, and does not occupy more than an utmost minumum of just a line for its own behalf. Scrolling and moving around on the displayed text is as intuitive and functional as you would expect it - rather similar to V.Buerg's famous LIST. It does "housekeeping" -- to stuff mail items, text, files into their right places comfortably, with highly flexible copy/paste routines; reply to, or create mail to send (with Nettamer, Netmail Pro, and other mailer clients); to apply utilities for decoding received mail or downloads; do some tidying up (even purging unwanted ^Z from mailbags, for instance); and indexing mail items from the mailbags/folders. The indexing services have been completely reworked and largely inproved with ReRead's v3.2+ onward: index information is not taken into (DOS-)memory any more, thus huge mailbags can be handled. Once indexed - the time for this depends entirely on the speed of the disk which holds the file - it allows nearly immediate access to items even in very large files. Index files are rather small (two lines of 80 characters for each item in the mail folder) and are readable and searchable with ReRead or any text file lister too. Please see the doc- file RR-INDEX.txt for details (which are not contained here), especially on the logical choices available, and on file naming conventions. HOW IT WORKS The program has three basic working modes: DIRECTORY LISTING, ============ FILE DISPLAY, and INDEXing, with their own - and, where meaningfull, same - functions to be invoked with hotkeys. These command keys in each mode are either unshifted [Fnn] function keys or [CONTROL]-shifted such ([CTRL] + [Fnn] used together.) Only F-Keys 1 to 10 are used and their [CTRL]-shifted mode, and certainly the arrow keys, PageUp/Down etc. Strict ASCII (letter) keys are used for drivenames. There are no [SHIFT]- or [ALT]-shifted keys used. RE-READ adapts to FOUR different TYPES of SOURCE FILES to read: 1. Regularly formatted eMail or Newsgroups downloaded into folders or "mailbags", like Nettamer's "MAIL.DLU" (or Netscape mail "folders"). This is the default mode and that will mostly read/display just any (text) file, though then without recognizing if it is HTML or otherwise (or badly) formatted; 2. Irregular, non-standard formatted mailbags (with "fuzzy" header formats) containing a number of mail items, especially the DIGEST FILES from mailing lists and newsgroups. Chose this File-Type for forcing expansion of mail digests contained in one mail item; 3. "Series" of (mail) files with either same ROOTname or same file EXTension (like the numbered "MAILnnnn.IN" files from dowloads with Netmail); 4. All text files without any specific (mail) formatting; it checks with such files if they are HTML formatted and can invoke any appropriate, EXTERNAL utility to strip HTML mark-up and to display plain text. Please select the appropriate source type at the opening - with some badly formatted HTML files downloaded, RE-READ may choke if set to read mail or undecoded plain text. Use [F2] from any screen with a directory listing before selecting to open a file to read, or toggle the FILE TYPE at the prompt before opening a file, using the [SPACE]bar. HOW TO RUN IT Call the program from the DOS commandline simply with its name, ============= D:\DIR> re-read -- or any other/shorter you rename it to -- from any DIRectory you are currently in; RE-READ should either be stored in that DIR or in another one on the DOS "PATH", so DOS can find it automatically. In principle it would not need any other parameters nor the "ini-file" RE-READ.USR with any of the specific settings that can be stored in this configuration file. The opening screen will ask if you want to list the files of this or another drive:\directory. You then get a listing of the files in the chosen DIR. The status/bottom lines indicate available functions, among them selection, by using [F2], of the FILE TYPE to read. Move the cursor to the file to read, and press ENTER to have it diplayed. If the cursor is on an upper - [.] or [..] - or on a lower [DIR] entry, these will be listed. Change to next upper directory too by just pressing [.], the dot key. CHANGE DRIVE to navigate through the system be simply pressing one corresponding letter key, e.g., [g] to change to the listing of files at that root directory of drive G:\. Almost all settings - file type, screen colours, width/height, mail header filtering, etc. - can be set or changed inside the program. All can be defined permanently trough entries in the configuration file RE-READ.USR; you can override settings given there with command line switches, or arguments, given together with the program name on the DOS command line. (NOTE for use from Windoze: the Win$-"DOS box" has a tweaked and crippled PATH searching capability. Put the RE-READ.USR configuration file, or even an empty file of this name, in the directory Win$ shows when the DOS-box is called; mostly this will be "C:\WINDOWS>". Otherwise you might get just a blank opening screen when invoking ReRead.) This text here gives a summary of the functions the program provides; for the complete list of hotkeys and command line switches see the joined RRKEYSxx.TXT file (which is always the most recently updated.) Several aspect cannot be treated here, e.g. the intricacies of eMail(ing)/(formats) or the logic of housekeeping with memory and files - please look at the other "MAIL-HOW.TO" and "INDEX" text files of the larger release package. There is a rather verbose, earlier doc file too, with this one, which tries to address some of the questions raised at the Nettamer and other mailing lists and newsgroups. =================== HANDLING IN GENERAL =================== Throughout the program, the [ENTER] key is used to confirm some command - for some critical ones there is a [y]es/[n]o confirmation or likewise -; and [ESC], the ESCAPE key will exit menues or a specific task, or the program. [CTRL]-[ENTER], written as [^ENTER], drops directly to directory listing from both the File Display and Index Display modes. Use [CTRL]+[BackSpace] - or [^BS] - to drop directly to DOS. This works like an orderly break-out (but attention: tasks may not get finished!) Pressing the [SPACEbar] key will bring up and toggle listings of the available command keys or submenues. The status line, the lowest line on the screen (or the one set to it with re- sized displays measure) is used for all inputs and messages from the program, or shows command keys available, with submenues that toggle then back to the status line. Use [SPACEbar] to access the "help" listings available. Directory listing defaults to three colums onscreen, fully scrollable, with indications of current path, free disk place and space used in the presently displayed directory. The number of columns displayed (1, 2, or 3) can be set under the Settings menu or in the configuration file. Both in Directory Listing and File Listing mode, DOS can be accessed directly by using [^F1]: this "shells out" to DOS. A number of other program tasks offer "hook-in" possibilities for any type of external programs - the most important of which would be an editor - and for various decoding utilities: see the naming convention below. The "hook-ons" will invoke external programs (with the defined name; which could be a batch filename too) and with the selected filename under the cursor (from Directory Listing) - or a temporary file (from File Display mode) to which marked parts or the whole of an item displayed is copied to - as argument (like "edit %1" in a DOS batch command). These hook-in facilities can as well be used for other tasks, and RE-READ can serve well as a general shell program. It tries to occupy as little memory it needs - with not too large files loaded about 230 KB - thus you can easily run Nettamer, and certainly Netmail and other small mailer clients, from inside RE-READ directly. The (root file)names of these hook-ins are "harwired" inside the program but as these may be batch programs of all sorts, you can devise your own set of utilities to invoke there ================================== MAIN OPERATING MODES AND FUNCTIONS ================================== If not told explicitly through a command line entry to open a single (mail) file, ReRead will start up with the display of the listing of the directory from where it is run. The other main operation modes are sort of cascaded: If you open a mailbag or mail "folder" file from there, it goes into File Display mode. From there - and if the file is a mailbag - you can go to Indexing mode; If set to do so in the configuration file, opening a mail file will directly jump to the index display (and to select to go back to reading individual mail items in File Display mode.) DIRECTORY LISTING: Starting up, ReRead will list the directory from where it ================== is run (or any other where it's pointed to by a command line specification). Some of the most used DOS task are available as one-key press, like copy, rename, sort filenames. Navigate through the system by opening a parent directory (cursor on the first "." and ".." entry lines), subdirectories (always listed first, and sorted alphanumerically), or typing just one ASCII letter to pring up a corresponding drive root directory. The [.] dot key pressed will bring up a parent directory too. ReRead does not ask stupid questions, like "Put a diskette in drive A: and press Enter"; after changing a diskette in that drive, it's enough to just type that drive letter again. The "base" or reference dirve:\path _from_ which ReRead was started, will be used for most of the file operations if not another path is defined for this operation. Remember this when inputting a filename for the COPY task using [F4] without defining any path with it. The copy function - hotkey originally set to [F4] - does this task the DOS way, i.e. it copies the whole file as it is (regardless if binary or text) to another drive:\path\ location to be selected. If there had been an earlier selection of a target path, that one will show up with a first time [F4] is pressed; press [SPACE] to empty or edit this buffered pathname, or [F4] once again to pop up a window with selected pathnames stored in the PATHLIST.RER file. Press [F4] once _again_ to navigate through the directory system inside this target window. [ESC] or [ENTER] exits from the target selection window, a path ore even complate path\filename under the cursor there will be placed into the command line buffer for the COPY command. Keying [ENTER] on a filename highlighted under the cursor will open this file in any of the selected modes, with or without mail header filter - look at the status line for which one is active. Change this "File Type" with [F2] before opening the file, or toggle through the File Types with [SPACE] immediately when it opens (there is a prompt for this). The choice of File Type decides how a file is read-in (and displayed). Set to (orderly formatted) "Mail/News" ReRead will try to find out if that file is a mail file with one or more mail items; if this is the case, it will look if there is already an index for it or creates a new index file. Depending on the setting in its config-file, it will then read-in the, or the first, mail item to display, or will jump to show the index listing. If the file is not a mail item or folder, ReRead will consider it as just any (text) file to display. MAIL/FILE DISPLAY: A number of features distinguish ReRead from other file ================== listing or mail utilities. Its intention is to offer a highly individualistic means for ordering and treatment of mails - or any text for that matter. It is highly safe in that it never changes the original shown but only works on (temporary) copies. SELECT/COPY-PASTE: Mark any text line-wise to copy-append it where ever you want it to. The COPY task always APPENDS selected parts elsewhere. Selecting a target follows the sequence described as above: A first press of the hotkey [F4] presents either a target filename used before, or an empty input line to define a target [path\]filename. A second use of [F4] opens the stored list of often used targets - contained in the KEEPLIST.RER file in the directory accessed -, another next keypress of [F4] allows to navigate through the whole directory tree. The filename selected stays in this target buffer, and can be used immediately too for editing this file. Though another file to edit can be chosen in the same manner as well. This makes it easy to switch between as many source and target files you want to, at the same time. CREATE MAIL/REPLY: With a mail item displayed, pressing the "Reply" hotkey - set to [^F5] as default - creates a mail file, taking the address from the item's "From:" or "Reply-To:" header line, and the "Subject:" line as well (preceded by a "Re:", if this was not given in the original). Or mark just any line displayed and containing a valid email address before pressing [^F5]; with no mail displayed and nothing marked, a dummy header will be written into that file which you have to edit then. The filename of the reply is placed into the target buffer so you can switch immediately between editing and quoting from the original. Quotes copied are normally re-formatted with a "> " at the beginning of the quoted line, and to a conventional line length for email (i.e., 76 character positions in all; you can adjust this in settings or overall in the config.) ReRead tries to reformat quoted text in a "clean" way; however, sometimes the result may not be convincing, so you can switch off this re-formatting at any time with the hotkey [^F4]. TREATMENT of sources/"attachments": ReRead never takes action by itself to "open" those pesty "attachments", it displays mails as they are. (Never mind those idiots sending mails where they mean needy to say that their mail may not be legible: these are indeed net illiterates.) Which means that you even get all the crap displayed which is sent with bad mailgear. A number of hook-ins are provided to use utilities for decoding the most current formats. Just mark a first line of encoded text, or just the contents of one attachment if there are several, and press [^F8] to select the one to use. ReRead writes a copy from the original which then is fed to the decoder. However, you have to set up a batch file somewhere in the DOS PATH where you define the utility to use, together with at least one DOS template argument ("%1") which will be replaced by the filename of the copy ReRead creates temporary from the original. The four "hardwired" names to call these batches from inside ReRead are: HTMSTRIP -- selected with [H], e.g. for decoding of HTML marked-up text UXDECODE -- selected with [U], e.g. for UU/XXdecoding B64DCODE -- selected with [B], e.g. for Base64 (MIME) decoding QUOTPRNT -- selected with [Q], e.g for reformatting MIME "Quoted Printable" A corresponding, 1-line batchfile, for instance QUOTPRNT.BAT, would read then: qparser %1 %2 /Z=65 Where "%1" is replaced by the name of a temporary file created be ReRead, and "%2" would be replaced by the [optional] target-filename you can input with the second prompt after selecting the [q] choice. In fact you can set up whatever utiliy you want in that batch, as long it accepts a filename to take its input from. This is valid for all other hook-in file(name)s used in ReRead, cf. the specific section below. All not mail-formatted [text] files will be opened and displayed as they are. However, chosing a HTML/ASCII File Type in directory listing triggers a check for an eventual HTML-formatting of the contents: This case given, a prompt for running a (batch file for using a) decoder is called. The (root-)filename for this batch is HTMSTRIP, and by default it feeds the file contents to the probably best HTML-decoder for DOS available, Bruce Guthrie's "HTMLstrip". (Find it at his site, http:// www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lakes/2414) Substitute any other appropriate program name in the batch file for this task. GRAB LINE(S): With the cursor at the beginning of any displayed line, you can ------------- take ("grab") this line - with [F10] as hotkey set as default - and place it in the buffer for editing in the status line. The editing there works a little different from what you'd be used to (a fixed insert mode, delete either with DEL or BS; HOME goes to the beginning of the string, END to its end, ^Home deletes everything in front of the cursor, ^END everything from the cursor on) and the [INS]ert key will add any following line from the display into that editing buffer. The primary intention with this feature is to grab and edit website URLs from running text - where they are often line-broken and malformatted - and edit them to be used as argument with calling a web browser. This is done then by using another hotkey, set to [^F10], which (1.) writes the edited URL into a file named "URL-NAME.RER" and (2.) "shells to DOS" then, to run a batch with the ("hardwired") name of GETHOOK2[.bat] and the edited buffer line as an argument. There are basically two manners to organise the consecutive events: -- If written accordingly, GETHOOK2.bat runs a web browser (or an FTP client) with the (edited) URL as "target" argument; the one-line batch would read: %1 This has DOS-limits as with "shelling out", ReRead remains in memory and thus the free DOS memory left is perhaps too small to run the browser - however, with the newest "Doslynx" (from Fred Macall) this works ! - but the main disadvantage is that you need to be online (and to pay telco fees) while reading though those texts sources from where you'd extract the URLs. -- The batch itself writes another batch which would be the (batch) command to run the browser with the edited http://[URL] as the argument. This allows all available DOS mem to be used by the browser - just drop to DOS directly (with [^BS]) from ReRead and run the batch. I use this variant with a file where I have assembled - with COPY from reading mails and files - a package of URLs to look at when going online. But writing that batch is a bit tricky as you need to have the browser's program name and the URL-argument on one unbroken line. Nevertheless, the solution is comparably simple: Create a file named, e.g, progname.bin (never mind the extension) directly from the DOS command line by typing the line "copy con progname.bin"; after one [ENTER], type the browser program's name followed by one space, then hit [^z] (the keys [Ctrl]+[z]). This will create a file of one line which would not have, contrary to almost all text files, a line end or linebreak at its end. (Check with a "disk" or "hex" viewer or editor !) Then the final syntax of the batch to write the batch ("GETHOOK2.bat") for running the browser would be: type [drive:\path\]progname.bin > runbatch.bat type url-name.rer >> runbatch.bat with "runbatch.bat" being the batch file name to run the browser with the argument coming from the ReRead-edited buffer line. The "tricky" part of the operation would to be done probably once only, as you can reference the same browser program in "[path\]progname.bin" then from everywhere. MAIL/NEWS INDEXING: ReRead expects mail folders or mailbags to consist of the =================== "raw" stream of downloaded mail items, as they have been sent from a POP3 mailbox server: The beginning is marked by a first line of "+Ok [eventually an additional message, or the length of the item in octets]", immediatedly followed by any number of "header" lines, then at least one empty line, separating the header from the mail "body", and finally a single dot - "." - on an own line as a marker for the end of this mail. When you open a file in ReRead set to one of the mail File Types it will first try to find out if this sequence is given and if there are several mails/items in this file. Otherwise, -- in the "Fuzzy-formatted" or "Digest" type, ReRead looks for config.-defined separators for mail items _inside_ a standard formatted mail item; -- File Type set to "file Series", ReRead will search for all the single-item mail filenames defined (in the config. file or the command line switch) In all these events ReRead will first look for any INDEX FILE already existing - these are named with the (root-)filename and an extension which takes a first letter/sign from the extension of the folder (or the "file series" template) and adds "_X" for the two other positions of the DOS filename extension. For instance, a mailbag "SurvPC04.apr", containing mails from that mailing list of April '04, would have the index file "SurvPC04.A_X". If none such index file exists, ReRead will create it. If more items have been added to the (main) folder/"mailbag", ReRead prompts for updating the index file, or for "re-indexing" it (which will destroy earlier index marks.) This index file is a text file but is formatted strictly: There is a one-line header with references to the main filename and the volume of it as well as to the number of items indexed. This is followed by entries of two lines each for each mail item of the main file. Each of these lines is precisely 80 positions long, and contains delimited text fields, most of them (eventually shortened parts) from the mail header lines, e.g. date, From: and To: addresses, a major part of the Subject: line. The first entry on the first line is a (formatted) offset for the byte position of the beginning of the mail item. There is a (likewise formatted) entry for the treatment mark (keep/todelete/replied-to). You can read this index file in whatever text file lister but please do not edit - even "clean" editors may cut trailing spaces and thus create havoc. "RE-INDEXING" destroys all earlier index information, including the marks for further treatment - keep/select/delete - and writes a new index file from scratch, while "UPDATE index" appends new entries for mail/news items added to the main file. INDEX "treatment" MARKS: While reading through a mailbag in FILE DISPLAY mode, you can mark the items read directly: -- unmarked mail items (i.e., nothing done there) are kept, by definition; -- using the "Reply" hotkey automatically sets a (informative) "replied" mark for this item in the index file; -- hitting the [DEL] key marks this item for deleting; -- the [INS] key sets a "bookmark" in the index which is used for extracting this item to some other folder. In INDEXING MODE only you decide what is to be done with the original mailbag. As this is the operational mode where indeed some destructive things can be done, most functions demand an additional confirmation after acting on a key: Firstly though you can use the [DEL] (delete) key to toggle any existing Mark, to set the DELete mark ("=d=") if there is none, or to remove it. The same with the [INS]ert key to set/remove "bookmarks" ("***"). The INDEXING TASK hotkeys then trigger the action. Available are: -- DELETING items and exit or reload remaining: This rewrites the original mail folder, leaving out all DELete-marked items; -- EXTRACTING "bookmarked" mails to another fileIfolder - to select - deleting DELele-marked items, and reload either the remaining original file or the target mailbag where selected items have been appended. The target selection follows the same route as copy/append in the directory listing and file display modes. If the target file is a mailbag and already is indexed, the mail items selected are added to the main file and its index file is appended with the entries from the currently treated file. There is a check if the index file of the target file is up-to-date: if this is not the case, the process does not go through, and ReRead prompts for first to update/re-index that target file. BUT attention: If a target file (for where to append mail items) has not been indexed before, and has no index file, ReRead cannot check the correct index values (file volume, number of items) and will happily add not only the newly selected items to the main file but even write an index file which only contains those new items - when reading-in that target file in ReRead, only the newly added items appear, all the earlier seem to have disappeared. This is NOT the case, they are well there but the index (file) is misleading - you must delete it and re-index that file. As a somewhat singular feature in this context, you can copy-append a single mail item from the index list too, by using the [F4] (default-set) hotkey for an item under the cursor. SEARCHing: Both in File Display and Indexing mode, a crude but efficient ---------- search function is available. As yet, it is case sensitive (and therefore the qualification as "crude") and "literal" (an advantage - as the search string thus may contain spaces). In it simple form, a search term input after keying [F7] is looked for either in a presently diplayed mail item only (in File Display mode) or in the index FILE only (in Index Listing mode; note that the index file does not always contain the complete wording of indexed header elements.) The "integral" search feature - using [^F7] in both operating modes - however, goes through the whole mail "folder", including the complete header lines, and stops at an item found there. (Pass back into reading/displaying this item, and press the Simple-search key again to go to the line containing the search expression.) Not that you can use the GRAB LINE hotkey - default set to [F10] - to take any line wher the cursor is placed into the buffer to edit, and then use this edited string for searches. ====================================================== BUFFER/STORAGE FILES "KEEPLIST.RER" AND "PATHLIST.RER" ====================================================== With its COPY/APPEND functions RE-READ can make use of stored target names for pathes to COPY whole files to - from DIRECTORY LISTING -, and for filenames (with their pathes) for to APPEND marked parts, or whole mails, to a file from FILE DISPLAY mode. You can store in, and call up from, buffer files any number of target path or path\file names. From DIRECTORY LISTING, you can use (or create) a buffer file with path names to copy files to, with [F4]: enter a drive:\path\ specification - include the trailing "\" ! - and then add this target to the list pressing the [+] key, to the file PATHLIST.RER (this will be created if it does not exist). Any time you use [F4] to copy a file from the listed directory to somewhere else you can access the stored path-list by using the [TAB] key at the sub-menu given - this will bring up the first path name stored in PATHLIST.RER, and any further keypress will toggle through all the pathnames listed there - or [F4] again to pop up a window listing the target path-names: [ENTER] to select one. The file highlighted under the cursor in the directory listing will be copied to this location. Note that this is the DOS-like COPY routine which MAY OVERWRITE an existing file with the same name in the target path ! There is a security check and ensuing prompt, to avoid this. From FILE DISPLAY mode a similar routine applies to copy-APPEND to targets, which are FILES: the names are stored in a buffer file, KEEPLIST.RER, which can be accessed with the same sequence - first [F4], then [TAB] (and then any key to toggle through) or [F4] AGAIN to show a window with the target names to scroll through and select from. Remember that the copy routine from reading a FILE or mail/news in RE-READ will append to, not overwrite, a target file. Target filenames in that buffer file should be complete "filespec", i.e. the drive:\path\filename.ext; input accordingly if it's a new target. Both buffer files, PATHLIST.RER and KEEPLIST.RER, are specific for the (sub-) directory handled at the moment, and reside there: you can maintain different buffer files of target names in various directories, depending on the tasks to do - housekeeping for instance with directory maintenance, or ordering mail and usenet items from mailbags downloaded to different directories with using different ISP accounts. PATHLIST.RER and KEEPLIST.RER are plain-text files and can be edited with any clean editor. Format is simply one path or [path\]filename per line, resp. If the target to copy/append to is not contained in the list of the buffer file but somewhere else on the disk(kette), then press [F4] *again* while the buffer list is displayed in its window: This will bring up a listing of the presently accessed directory into the list window - move the cursor to the possible target and press [ENTER] to grab this target filename to the status line. You can edit the target filename there, or go back and discard this target name. If you [ENTER] with the cursor on a higher/lower directory, the display will be updated correspondingly. Access other drives directly by typing one of the letter keys [A] to [Z] when the selection window is desplayed. [ESC] will exit the cursor from the buffer file window (and copies a target name to the buffer in the edititing line. ============================== CHARACTER REPLACEMENT (TABLES) ============================== With reading-in single mail items you can switch on/off (with [^F2]) remapping of characters and strings for display. This does NOT change the original mail or file content but only the display on screen (and the way ReRead keeps the read-in item in memory) - correspondingly, if you copy-paste the whole item (without marking lines) elsewhere, the original char.set is copied; if you copy/paste *marked* lines, then the *displayed* character set is copied. One translation list must be included in RER-CONF.RER, the configuration file. Define any number of characters or of signs (max length 8 positions) between the "Liststart" and "Listend" lines there (max number of exchanges is 255). See the joined template configuration list for the syntax. Character translation is done with *reading-in* of items; replaced char.s are only contained in the DISPLAYED lines, thus not changed in the original. Accordingly, the changed char.s are only preserved in a copy of this *display* (i.e., the lines taken into memory), and then from copies of "marked lines". To use the feature to reformat a whole text, first mark from the top to the last lines displayed, and then copy(-append) to a file (with a new name), with character remapping activated *before* reading-in the original. REMark on "Quoted-printable": Using a specific list for QP-coded 8bit-entities can only replace these codes - the basic adaption of QP-induced line breaks is done conveniently (when re-mapping is activated; you need NOT place a remapping entity for "=20" into the char list !) but MS-produced pseudo- "quoted-printable" is an abominable mess in that respect; probably resulting from the miserable file format of the used "composer" there - line breaks appear (or lack !) almost completely arbitrary, and certainly not at meaningful places... So do not expect ReRead to correct the absolutely crappy layout from the M$ Outhouse Exploder. You can use the QP-parser from Revobild ("QPARSER.exe") - as a hook-into decoding (see at the [^F8] entry for FILE display mode above) which uses an identical format of a character remapping list. to reconstitute a M$-massacred text into a readable format. ========================= PROMPTS AND SOUND SIGNALS ========================= Where reasonable there are visual confirmations of sorts, for any action from selected routines: the status line (last line at the bottom of the screen) goes back to its former state, or shows some symbol for actions that takes place (and time, with copying for instance) - some dots, or a mention like "...please wait..." or so. There are some - few - sound signals where this seems not feasable or where special attention is requested: a lower key "A" (400 Hz) as a confirmation of a task done (with creating a Reply mail with header, for instance), or in order to make attent for a waiting input (e.g., to confirm deleting a file). A high pitched "A" (800 Hz) is used as a warning sound: with invalid filenames for copies, pathes to change to, or other error conditions. ======================== AUXILIARY PROGRAMS USED: ======================== As for editing and HTML decoding, RE-READ needs external utilities to decode transfer-encoded files, like UU/XX-, Base64-encoded attachments, or parts of files, when using [^F8] to decode "on the fly". The names for these programs are fixed inside RE-READ to their root filename: EDIT -- to invoke an (external) editor: From DIRECTORY listing, with the filename under the cursor, from FILE display, with the name of the file last used as target for copy-append, or of an email created. From FILE display mode: HTMSTRIP -- e.g. for decoding of HTML marked-up text UXDECODE -- e.g. for UU/XXdecoding B64DCODE -- e.g. for Base64 (MIME) decoding QUOTPRNT -- e.g for reformatting MIME "Quoted Printable" text. GETHOOK2 -- runs a batch with the previoulsy edited buffer contents as argument From DIRECTORY listing mode: HOOK-IN -- e.d., for a short and fast HTML-lister like "Hlist" for browsing the file under the cursor HOOK2 -- forwards the file under the cursor as first argument to the program invoked, and accepts additional input of a second and third argument You can use any appropriate utility program for these respective tasks, which may be even batch files with commands to call such utilities with their proper name and specific arguments. The four "decoder" hook-ins - accessed via [^F8] in FILE display mode - work specificly on either the whole file as displayed, or a marked part of it: RE-READ calls the utility with the fixed name mentioned, and creates a copy, a temporary input-file "RER-TEMP.ENC", as well as the name of an output file; both names are given as arguments to the utility to be called: the temporary input file is where the marked part of the original is copied to - or the whole message (with mail reading, or the whole file with one text read) -. The original (mail-)file remains unchanged. The decoding utiliy will use this temporary file copy, RER-TEMP.EMC as its input file to work with. MIME/Base_64 decoders often take the name for their output file from the "name=..." line of the MIME header, and would give an error message to any other (given) output filename; best thus to use that name (which is in plain text in the header) as output file to read then - don't bother about any error messages from the decoder regarding output filenames: you can always adjust the target filename for decoded items, to be read with the editor, in a following step. However, with these decoderts the "local copy path" switch in the configuration file would not work; see below In fact you can "hook in" just any utility (or batch to run such) with one of these fixed root-names; it is called with the temporary copy file as name in an argument, regardless if that is needed or not; and the temporary file will be deleted afterwards in any case. Output from the decoder utilities would be written to the directory which the called _decoder_ prog. would consider the "current" DOS path, i.e. the DIR from which ReREad is run. There is a switch (new since v4.9) to set in the config.file, "LocalCopy = 1" to have these copies in the presently accessed directory. This works on the four decoder hook-ins in File Display mode only. HOWEVER, you can write those batch files quite well in a way that output files get written to one common destination path too, for instance for a QP-parsing batch named QUOTPRNT.BAT, this could be [d:\path\] qparser %1 E:\PATH\%2 /fr to place the decoded file or passage in "E:\PATH\" (with being the target name you type in at th prompt to call the decoder.) In this case, you _must_ set the "LocalCopy = 0" switch, i.e. to OFF - or else you would get a DOS pathname mix-up and no decoding at all. (ReRead does the pitched error-sound in this case but this wouldn't verbosely explain why.) ========= TROUBLE ? ========= There had been some reports that ReRead wouldn't start at all, showing a blank screen. Apparently this happens only if both of two conditions are given, that (1.) the program is run in a (pseudo-)DOS-"Window" in Winno$, and (2.) it can not find, or there is no configuration file in the current directory or in the DOS PATH. -- Setting the config.-file in the current directory would mend this. ReRead should run without any confi.-file (and its internal default settings), so even a dummy/empty file present with the default name (RER-COF.RER) should do. -- In some (really rare) cases, setting the "/i" switch on the command line would mend the condition. Apparently there are weird firmware BIOSes which do not like the inverted, black-on-white default colour setting. Sometimes, files or mail items are not displayed, even if ReRead evidently (as visible from disk activity) had read-in the file. -- Most trivial reason may be the undue presence of "raw" FF (form forward, or chr$(12) bytes) or even a misplaced "EOF" (chr$(26) or end-of-file marker) in a mail item. EOFs must be physically extinguished before running the file: use the "/z" switch (!exclusively with text files, never with binary files or Zip- or other compressed!) to clean up this file. FF-bytes normally are filtered in ReRead when text is read-in for display but sometimes the one or other slips through; most DOS systems have the ANSI screen driver loaded, so this triggers undue page changes, and a sequence of seemingly empty screen pages - sometimes with scrolling up/down, lines of print get shortly visible. Changing File Type to Mail/News may help with ordinary (non-mail) text files. -- With a (single) mail item in a file, the expected header may be inclomplete or malformatted. Switch the Header-reading to "ON" (with [F1] in directory listing, or via the first setting menu accessible with [F8]), or even add one empty line at the very beginning of the file/item by editing it physically. =================== Further Development =================== Bugs -- there are and must be some -- and inconveniencies of handling have to be dealt with ... the author will be grateful for any critical feedback especially about ergonomical aspects; by now (v4.9+), for instance, all key bindings can be changed. The licensed edition comprises an "ini" file, to be put once and for all somewhere into the DOS PATH, which unlocks a few, lately added features which are not yet functional in the free distribution (other colour setting than the black/white inversion, placing of the buffer files window, and the use of character remapping). A major revision of the complete lay-out (which will not be finished very soon though) will dissolve the hitherto fixed status line(s), and make the whole display adaptive to any number of columns/rows, leaving the whole display for either text or directory listings. (Which implies moving the indications of available function/hot keys into pop-up windows; as a step towards this, the key assignments have been made completly re-mappable.) This will inevitably lead to the use of pop-up window(s); however, the present version will be kept and maintained and bug-fixed, as a window-less display seems preferable for users of Braille boards. ============================================================================== If you try out this version of RE-READ I would be interested to get critical feedback - and I would be glad if you decided to order a user license and find it useful to work with. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Please look for the newest versions at http://www.revobild.net ! 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Oct'04 (c) Heimo Claasen REVOBILD 35 Rue du Marteau B-1000 BRUXELLES 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 =========== RE-READ.exe is (c) COPYRIGHTED and may only be used under licence to =========== the conditions specified therewith. No warranty is given. The programme develops continuously and the author would be only too glad to receive suggestions or to adapt it to special requests: write to the address or eMail to Heimo Claasen at ==> revobild [typographic-at] revobild.net This SHAREWARE distribution of RE-READ.exe is fully functional, except for some specific additional functions (colour setting, character remapping): THE LICENSED version can use these newest/added features ! To order: FROM: REVOBILD SEND: 15:00 EUR (or equivalent), Heimo Claasen by giro/transfer (net!) or cheque (if in 35, Rue du Marteau GB� or US$ add equiv. of EUR 11:0 for B - 1000 BRUSSELS bank fees and thank the Thatcherites): GIRO ACCOUNTs: Belgium: 000-1136823-80 (Postcheque) Germany: 0240744506 / BLZ 370 100 50 *** Payment through VISA/MASTER card: Please SNAIL the form below ! *** PROCEDURE: ADD EUR 2:50 (or equivalent) for SHIPPING AS DISKETTE (and *do* mention format: "360", "720", "1.2", or "1.44", as well as READABLE address!). Normal procedure: A licensed "ini-file" will be sent by eMail, which unlocks the free available version. A full package can be sent encoded by eMail too. That file - after eMailed convention about its name - could as well be set up and downloaded from the REVOBILD web place. 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 Oct'04 (c) Heimo Claasen REVOBILD 35 Rue du Marteau B-1000 BRUXELLES 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 < Print from here and send by ordinary mail - DO NOT eMAIL CARD DETAILS ! > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ORDER FORM To: REVOBILD / Heimo Claasen 35 Rue du Marteau B - 1000 BRUXELLES I herewith subscribe for a license for unlimited, individual use of the the offline reader program REREAD, by REVOBILD/Heimo Claasen, Brussels, accepting the program's condition as is, without any further warranties. Name: ................................................... Full Address: ................................................... ................................................... ................................................... eMail Address:................................................... I accept my VISA/MASTER card account to be charged with the sum of EUR 15:00 (or equivalent) VISA/MASTER card No: ......./......./......./....... Exprg:...... Date:........... Signature:.................................... 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴