This is firstly the file RR-HOWTO.TXT with an overview of how ReRead works.
Following below is RRKEYS49.TXT with the deltailed list of command keys.
Finally, the text file RRCHANGE.v49 lists the recent changes - note that
the configuration file has a new default name (RER-CONF.RER), quite a number
of added entries for (newly) configurable features, and a slightly different
format for character remapping - there a separate, and switchable files for
this now&nbs;!
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Oct'04 ReRead v4.9+ (c) REVOBILD H.Claasen 35 Rue du Marteau B-1000 BRUSSELS
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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 !
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
Oct'04 (c) Heimo Claasen REVOBILD 35 Rue du Marteau B-1000 BRUXELLES
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
===========
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 GBœ 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.
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
Oct'04 (c) Heimo Claasen REVOBILD 35 Rue du Marteau B-1000 BRUXELLES
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
< 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:....................................
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
This is the file RRKEYS49.TXT with a detailed list of command keys in ReRead:
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
Oct'04 v4.9+ (c) Heimo Claasen REVOBILD 35 Rue du Marteau B-1000 BRUXELLES
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
=========== ===============================================================
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 lists the available DOS command line switches, the
sets of commands (or "hot" keys) in using the program, and some
short hints for the use of core features like copy-pasting of
mail/text, indexing, naming conventions etc.
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. Letter keys [a]
to [z] (not case sensitive) are used for drivenames, and inside
some submenues.
No [SHIFT]- or [ALT]-shifted keys are used, and there is no
"pointer" (mouse, trackball, o.o.) support.
The description how the switches and keys work is the subject
of this file.
For an overview of how the whole program and its the various
features and work please see the joined RER-HOW.TO text file,
especially for the naming conventions for external utilities to
hook-in, and for the configuration file RER-CONF.RER and other
external/auxiliary data files, like RER-KEYS.RER for changes of
key bindings, and the template RER-CHAR.RER list for character
remapping.
=================================================
DOS COMMAND LINE SWITCHES
to call ReRead from the DOS prompt or in a batch:
=================================================
Normally the program would not need any parameters when called
from DOS, and almost all settings can be changed from within.
Preferred settings can be made permanent in the configuration
RE-READ.USR file.
There may be several RE-READ.USR config-files: the one in the
directory from where ReRead is called is read first; if there
is none, then any first one to be found on the DOS PATH is used.
Command line switches will override defaults and the settings
from the config-file(s); settings in Re-READ.USR will override
internal default values.
The following command line switches are applicable, e.g. in batch programs
(write them separated by a space):
-- to give a target path and/or filename:
-----------------------------------------
[d:\path\]FileName.Ext = Source filename to read, or directory to be listed
! No command line switch char ("/") needed nor allowed with it.
Path names should contain the trailing backslash ("\"); if this is
followed by a single asterix (like in " d:\this\dir\* ") there is no
additional prompt before listing that directory.
-- for different file/folder formats to read/display:
-----------------------------------------------------
/n = News/Mail: reads standard formatted eMail/Newsgroups message files, and
defaults to plain "text" reading of the file otherwise. As this is the
DEFAULT mode for ReRead to start up with, it's always never needed.
/m = fuzzy formatted eMail-files (e.g., "digests"): force item separation
/h = Html-Page, or Text if no mark-up found (no Header information is read)
/sX- File-Series with either "FileName.*" or "*.Ext" given with the DOS call:
/se-[d:\path\]*.EXT will use the same ".EXTension" to read all these
files in the directory specified (or the current as default),
/sr-[d:\path\]Filename.* will use the root FILENAME for all it finds
there with different extensions.
! Do not give a separate target path\filename with this /sX-switch !
*!* ATTN: The functions for handling file series are not further
developed any more, and some part of those are not longer working
or outright broken (incompatible with newer functionalities.)
Use the utility NM2BAG.exe ("Netmail-to-mailbag" from Revobild) to
assemble all sorts of single, one-item mailfiles from downloads with
Netmail or similar MTAs, to folder-type mailbags !
/L-nn = to set length of lines for quotes to be re-formatted and copied
into a Reply file
/q = sets (or leaves) the sharp around reply-eMail addresses
/x = accesses the index listing directly (does not show the first item
first) if it's a mailbag with more than one item
/z = cleans a mailfile/folder of undue ^Z (or ASC 27, end-of-file markers)
!!! Use with care, and NEVER on a binary, non-text file !!!
It will replace ^Z (ASC 26) with space (ASC 32) in the FIRST file read
ONLY. No internal setting possible, must be used with calling RE-READ
from the DOS prompt, and will be inactivated after any first file read.
(The "/t"-switch had been suppresses as from ReRead v4.1+)
-- for different screen types:
------------------------------
/i = re-/invert screen video
/v-nn = to set screen height (vertical) to nn lines; default is 25 lines
/w-nn = to set width (length of lines) of text displayed on screen. Default is
80 characters per line.
-- to change printer port:
--------------------------
/p-N with N = 2, 3, or 4 (in DOS numbering); "LPT1" or "PRN" is the default.
A number N to be used for any other "LPTn".
-- *!* New (v5+): Write the auxiliary file(e) for mail/news fetch/delete:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
/f[=[d:\path\]filename] writes a file with the order numbers of mail items to
delete to the disk, when leaving ReRead. If no specific filename is
given, the default name FLUSHIT.RER is used, and it is written to the
directory where the mail/news folder was is accessed.
To create this file manually, use hotkey [F2] in INDEXING mode.
All settings (and the licensing key) are read from the configuration file
RE-READ.USR somewhere in the DOS Path, thus switches are seldom needed.
But switches set at the command line will then override stored settings.
The configuration file, RER-CONF.RER -!- new name, slightly changed format -!-
will be looked for first in that DOS (sub)directory *from* which ReRead was
called; then in a directory given with the commandline as a target; then from
elsewhere in the DOS PATH. Thus there may be specific configurations files
(e.g., with diffenrent lists for character remapping) in various
(sub)directories, and a general one in the DOS PATH which is used if ReRead is
called from any other directory.- The same scheme is followed with the other
auxiliary files, RER-KEYS.RER for (changed) keybindings, RER-CHAR.RER and own
others for lists of character remappings.
=======================
DIRECTORY LISTING mode:
=======================
[ESC] from this screen will exit to DOS.
The CURSOR is on the filename highlighted, [ENTER] selects a file to read.
If in a (sub)directory, moving the cursor to one of the lines with a dot only,
and pressing [ENTER] will change the dispay to the next higher (sub-)
directory. Moving the cursor to the upmost left position brings up a prompt
in the bottom (status) line to input any drive:\path\[filename] to got to.
[PgUp] in 1st column brings the cursor there, [HOME] to the dot-line(s).
Command keys in directory listing:
----------------------------------
[a] to [z] - i.e. just any letter-key, changes listing to the drive designed
by that letter and to the root directory there (no colon needed).
[.] - the dot/period key changes to the next upper directory's listing, if
there is one or, in the last instance, to the directory from which
ReRead was called. (This is just to shorten use of arrow keys.)
[SPace] lists other hotkeys and commands available with Directory Listing.
[ENTER] reads in the file named under the cursor.
[F1] - TOGGLEs header line filtering - see bottom/status line of the screen:
changes reading with filtering ON/OFF for HEADer lines of the selected
file (or mail folder) to be read-in.
[^F1]- i.e. [CTRL] hold and [F1] pressed, will go out from RE-READ to the DOS
prompt ("shell" to DOS); the program *stays* in memory.
Type "exit" from a DOS prompt there to get back into RE-READ !
Mind that by changing to another drive:\path in DOS, you will change
the "base" reference directory of the running ReRead too.
[F2] - changes the TYPE OF SOURCE FILE to be read, and toggles through the
four of them defined:
- MAIL/NEWS for regularly formatted mailbags/mail folders (like MAIL.DLU)
- FUZZY MAIL for "digest" type files of mail items, or for badly
formatted mail items (parts of the standard eMail header missing, no
single-dot single line as las one of mail items.)
- FILE SERIES for reading all files with a same file rootname, or a same
file extension, or even all files in a subdirectory, as a series of
separate mail items. (NetMail stores incoming mail like that as
numbered files with a same extension, MAILnnnn.IN.)
- HTML/ASCII for just reading any text file.
[^F2]- to activate and toggle character replacement for text to be displayed.
Replacement character-lists can be defined in RER-CONF.RER the config.
file (see below). A submenu on the status line allows to:
-- (de)activate character replacement; the item on diplay has to be
read-in anew then;
-- change and reload pertinent char-mapping lists.
Char.-remapping affects the _displayed_ text only, not the original.
To save changed text, mark all or parts of an iem on display in FILE
display mode and save via [F4] Copy-Append there.
[^F3]- Hook-in to run another program named "HOOK2" with the filename under
the cursor (and its path) as first argument, *and* two more optional
arguments to input. ReRead 'shells' to DOS with "HOOK2 [filename]" as
a first "%1" argument and additional arguments input as "%2" and "%2".
The batch may run whatever program you write into it; searching for
the batch name "HOOK2.BAT" follows DOS rules, i.e. first in the DIR
listed, then in the one from which ReRead was run, then in DOS PATH.
[F8] - a small setup submenu on the bottom (status) line to change settings.
Adjustable are:
-- Text display width (number of character positions used on screen)
-- Text display height (number of rows used on screen)
-- Word wrap (on/off) with text display
-- Number of columns for directory listing display (1, 2, or 3)
-- Printer port
-- Mailer format (Nettamer or Netmail, and comparable header formats)
-- Bracket setting/stripping with reply addresses for the mailer
-- Reply line length for copied lines to be quoted in replies
-- * Colour settings for text screen and status lines
-- * Size and placement of the window to list buffer files(*)
(*) The registering number sent with the RE-READ.USR configuration file
(to be stored somewhere in the DOS PATH) will unlock some of the less
important but pleasant display setting features, like full colour
setting instead of being restricted to black-on-white or inverted in
the free distribution, resizing and moving of the text windows used to
display the index and the buffer file lists (marked with * above).
Do *NOT* use the setting entries for colour and window size/position
without the configuration file, and without the license number in it,
and stored in the directory where ReRead is called, or at a place in
the DOS PATH available for RE-READ: else input to these sub-submenues
will drop straight out from the program to DOS.
[^F8] *!* function suppressed in ReREad v4.91+ - use editing of config.file !
SAVE actual SETTINGS to a RE-READ.USR configuration file in the
presently accessed directory.
This function is only accessible through this hot key in Directory
listing mode.
There are some of the most current DOS-functions for FILE HANDLING available
in the Directory Listing mode:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
SORT:[F3], COPY:[F4], EDIT:[F5], KILL/DELETE:[DEL], RENAME:[F7], PRINT:[F9]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
[F3] - Sorts the directory listing according to file root name, extension, or
date. Defauts to ASCII-alphanumeric order of filenames; a given order
scheme is kept until an new one is selected; subDIRectories will always
be liste before filenames.
[F4] - COPY is the DOS-like function of copying the entire file elsewhere.
RE-READ does check against inadvertent overwriting of an existing file
with the target name. (Use FILE DISPLAY mode to _append_ a file, or
parts of it, elsewher.)
[F4] prompts for a target PATH to copy the file to: it puts the last
used path for filecopies there and adds the name under the cursor from
the displayed directory listing. The first time in a run, it takes a
pathname from the bufferlist PATHLIST.RER in the presently displayed
directory; if there is no such it uses a default dir-name. The filename
under the cursor is added to this path. A last used target path will
stay in the buffer if not changed via [F4] again.
==============================
There is a command key SUBMENU here, indicated on the 2nd. status line:
==============================
-- [TAB] brings up a first target path from a buffer file PATHLIST.RER:
this is an ASCII file kept (or eventually created) in the directory
which RE-READ accesses at that instant. Cycle through the entries
there with any key, select any path\(filename) with [ENTER]; or:
-- [F4] pressed *again* brings up a point-&-select window to chose for
target pathnames from this PATHLIST.RER. Move the cursor there with
the Up/Down arrow keys, scroll pages in this window with the PgUp/
PgDown keys.
If this PATHLIST.RER list is not established in the presently read
directory, *another* keypress of [F4] will bring up the present or
an earlier (for copies of files) accessed directory listing in this
window.
Command keys inside the selection window:
-- [ESC] to exit the window of target lists; if a PATH-name had
been under the cursor in the window, this one will be put as target
path into the input-line in the bottom, plus the filename of the
file where the cursor is in the presently accessed directory.
-- Any letter key - [a] to [z] - brings up the root directory of
listing of that in the target window;
-- [ENTER] on any of the PATH-names to navigate. When the cursor
is over a FILE-name, this one will be placed (with its path) into
the bottom line as copy-target: thus it could be overwritten - so
either edit this or navigate again in the directory tree.
-- With pressing the [*] key you can select any *filename* under
the cursor in this window for replacing the default PATHLIST.RER
buffer filename.
With the cursor back on the input line down:
-- [ENTER] accepts the target path (and perhaps a different filename)
quoted/input into the bottom line;
-- [BACKSPACE], as key indicated by "[<--]", allows to EDIT this string
of a shown;
-- [SPACEBAR], indicated as "[SP]" key, will prompt for an input of a
new, eventually fully specified target path\filename - DOS rules do
apply with that, you need not type a drive name if the presently
displayed directory is the same (but well the preceding "\"), and
you can use ".\subdir\" if the target path goes to a subdirectory
of the one from where ReRead has benn started.
You can rename the copied file in the targeted path by typing a
(new) filename after the target path.
-- [+] will add the new (or edited) target name to the buffer file.
-- [ESC] exits the cursor from the input line back to the dir-listing,
aborts copy.
Target names input or selected from the buffer lists are meant to be
PATH definitions - and must have a trailing backslash therefore ! -;
a full path\filename[.ext] specification can be given too, to copy
the file to the selected path under another filename there. However,
if you give a full file specification, mind that the copy *overwrites*
any existing file with that same name (there is a safety prompt).
The buffer file, PATHLIST.RER, may contain any DOS path (and even file)
specification.
If there is no PATHLIST.RER existing yet in the presently displayed
directory, a new such buffer file there can be created with pressing
the [+] (plus) key with any target path in the input line at the bottom.
See the corresponding description of APPENDING file CONTENTS (linewise
marked or as a whole) below, under the FILE DISPLAY section. Some more
notes on the buffer files and their use are still further down.
[F5] - EDIT: invoke the editor with the filename under the cursor as the file
to edit. This is a "hook-in" which will run any batch program nearest
in the DOS Path named as "edit". Write this simply as a one line batch,
"[editor-prog.name] %1 [additional arguents if needed]".
[F6] - a hook-in to run a program named "HLIST" (no extension) with just the
filename under the cursor as an argument. "HLIST" can be an executable
like HLIST.EXE (this is the original purpose: a quick HTML-viewer)
or any HLIST(.BAT) which may call any other program to run.
[DEL]- to DELETE the file under the cursor. There is a "security prompt" to
confirm by pressing [y]; any other key will avoid deleting.
[F7] - RENAME the file under the cursor. Prompts for input of
(and just that; may NOT be used to copy/move to another directory).
[F9] - Selects the file under the cursor for printing and sends the ENTIRE(!)
file - as it is ! - to the printer. Use the print function in FILE
DISPLAY mode to print only selected/marked parts of a file.
==================
FILE DISPLAY mode:
==================
SCROLL DISPLAY:
-- Arrow [Up] or [Down] will scroll the SCREEN display 1 line up or down.
-- [Page Up] or [PgDn] scroll the screen display 1 page each time.
-- [CTRL]-[PgUp] and [CTRL]-[PgDn] will move to the start or end of the item
currently displayed (or to start and end of a file if it's one item only).
MOVE CURSOR:
-- [Home] and [End] move the CURSOR up/down 1 line on the screen.
-- [CTRL]+[Home] and [CTRL]+[End] move the CURSOR to the first or to the last
screenline respectively.
CHANGE / GOTO ITEM (No.):
-- [Left] and [Right] will bring up the PREVIOUS or the FOLLOWING message, if
the File Type is NEWS/MAIL (with several items), or the previous and next
file of a FILE SERIES with the appropriate root or extension of selected
series of filenames given.
-- Normal NUMBERs - typed with keys [0] to [9] and concluded by [ENTER] - will
bring up the corresponding news/mail items if there are several. Thus [1]
or [0] goes to the start of the file containing several messages, a number
given of the total number of messages (or any higher) will bring up the
last item, some number in-between, the item numbered and contained in a
bulk file. The number of the message presently displayed and entered again
will read the item text in anew (e.g. with header switched on/off, or
char-replacement switched).
In File Display mode, the status or command line (the last line on the screen)
displays the file currently loaded, the message number, and the total number
of messages of a Mail/Newsgroup file (or the total number of files if the
File-Type handled is a group or File Series with a same root filename or
same extension).
Command keys in File Display Mode:
----------------------------------
[SPACE] - HELP submenu for the [Fx] keys: list functions available via F-keys,
and accesses (via [F8] again) to change settings. Exit from the menu
with [ESC] or [ENTER], toggle helplines/key lists with [SPACEbar].
[^F1] - shells out to DOS; type "exit" at the DOS promt to re-enter RE-READ.
[F1],[F2] - MARK start/end line of any displayed text to copy/edit/print/
decode:
[F1] sets START or top mark at the line of the cursor,
[F2] set END mark after, and including, the preceeding line.
[F3] - UNMARK.
[^F2] - TOGGLEs/SWAPs character remapping ON/OFF (both from File Display and
from Directory Listing) as defined in the char.remapping list to use.
A prompt on the status line ask to set ON/OFF remapping, or to swap
its sense from left to right or inversely with reading the char-list.
A further submenu allows to change/replace such lists; which have to
be named in the config.-file as "CharSet = " entries.
Type the current mail "Msg.#" to read-in the the item anew to display
changes.
This remapping works only with files/mail items which are read-in
completely into memory; thus it is not applicable with "long" files.
* This function works with a registered copy only *
[^F3] - toggels WRAPPING of text according to set line length on/off.
[F4] - COPY MARKED text - or *ALL* of the item, if nothing is marked !! - to
the target or copy file (see below). The status line will ask for
confirmation of a filename presently used as target, or allows input
of any new such. (A more extensive section on buffers for these file-
names, KEEPLIST.RER and its use is below and in the general docfile.)
===================
There is a SUB-MENU available (as with Directory Listing):
===================
NAVIGATING through directories (new functionality since v3.3+):
-- [F4] pressed *again* pops up a text window which lists target path
and file names from the buffer file to select from - if there is
any such KEEPLIST.RER file in the presently accessed directory;
a signal beep that there's none (yet).
-- [F4] pressed *once AGAIN*, the presently accessed directory
is listed in the target names window. Practical if current
threads are kept there - no need to put them into the buffer.
-- [a] to [z] LETTER keys pressed will put the root directory list
of the corresponding drive into the selection window.
-- [ENTER] with the cursor on any entry line in the buffer window:
-- if this is a FILENAME.EXT: grabs this as the target filename
and puts it (with its path) into the status line, thus defining
the 'path\file.ext' where to append any text to;
-- if this is a (SUB-)DIRECTORY name: brings up a file listing
of *this* (sub-/higher) directory into the buffer window to
select the target filename from, or to continue navigating.
-- [*] instead of [ENTER] selects any FILEname under the cursor as
a new filename buffer list (thus replacing or reloading the
default KEEPLIST.RER for instance; each new listing erases the
former content of the buffer window).
-- [TAB] enters the names from that list to the input line too, and
allows to toggle through the list (with any key but ENTER); this
is an alternative access mode instead of using the pop-up window.
-- [SPACEbar] empties the input line and a new target can be written
in there directly; be sure to write the full drive:\path\filname
specification if this file resides not in the directory from which
ReRead hs been run (the "base" directory,in difference from the
currently acdessed diectory.)
-- [+] adds that target name from the status line to the list in the
buffer file; if there is no such KEEPLIST.RER yet in the presently
accessed directory, it will be created.
-- [<--] BACKSPACE starts editing for \path\filenames in the status
line.
Remember that this copy function works as a text- and linewise APPEND
to a target file. Marked text blocks - or ALL of the displayed file/
item if nothing is marked ! - will be ADDED to the named target file
or a new file with this name (if the target file does not exist yet).
Since ReRead v3.1 there is a point-&-select window to chose target
filenames from KEEPLIST.RER, with another keying of [F4], though the
alternative to bring up the buffer list with [TAB] into the selection
line, and to toggle though the list there, is maintained.
For some non-screen output gear this is preferable.
!OBS! If you append a mail item to an already indexed folder, the old
index will not longer correspond to the length and number of items
previously indexed and registered in the joined index file. It has
to be indexed anew; it may be updated (on a prompt in the indexing
service) if added items are compatible to the mail folder format.
Joining mail items, or pasting *parts* of them to a folder
type of file (e.g. a thread) which you want to read then as a proper
item of this sort, must be done with a minimum of the folder-type
mail "format", including the "essential" header lines (Date:, To: or
From:, Subjet: lines), *and* the item separator, usually the single
one-dot line (or the "digest" item separator, the case being).
Please see the specific documentation on indexing, RR-INDEX.vXX.
[F5] - EDIT (marked parts/whole item copied before to) the "target" file:
the key invokes an *external* editor program, with as an argument the
filename present in the immediate buffer of the Copy/APPEND function;
or if you just have created a reply-mail, that filename will appear
as target in the status line. Press SPACEbar to empty that target
name and to input another. (You can as well use [F4] first to pick
any target name from the buffer file, or from the directory - go
back with [ESC] to the file display, and then select [F5] to edit.)
The NAME of an EDITOR Prog. you want to use is conditioned ("hard-
wired") to "EDIT" - without any extenstion; so this can be any editor
program found first in the current directory or on the DOS-Path, or
a batch file to call the editor to be used, with a placeholder ("%1")
for the file to be edited: RE-READ passes the full DOS specification
- drive:\path\filename.ext - to it. When you leave the editor you get
back directly to where you were before within RE-READ, thus switching
back and forth is just one keystroke.
The "target" file for the editor - the same name as the one for any
copy to append to - will stay the same as long as you do not change
it expressedly. Thus you can move around in a mailbag or thread of
mails or between just any text files to assemble bits and quotes for
some work in progress, and go back and forth between editing.
[^F4] - TOGGLE reply formatting, see below after [F5]/[^F5]:
[^F5] - [CTRL]+[F5], from the display mode for mail files, will create a new
mail REPLY file: it takes the address from the presently displayed
mail item, and the "subject" from there. If the mail header contains
a line with a "Reply-To:" address, then his one is taken in the first
hand. If the "From:" address is different from the "Reply-To:", e.g.
in mailinglists, then mark the "From:" line with [F1] and press [^F5]
then to select the list address instead of "Reply-To:" address of a
list contributor for the reply.
You can override any automatic selection of the "Reply-To:" / "From:"
addresses by marking any line which contains a useable eMail address
with [F1] *only* (i.e. the "top line" marker for copies; do NOT use
any end-mark by [F2]). If such a line is marked/highlighted, [^F5]
takes any first valid eMail address from there, instead of from the
"From:" or "Reply-To:" lines.
TO WRITE A NEW MAIL, use this feature with any address (list) - bring
the address file up as displayed file, mark the relevant line with
[F1], and press [^F5]. In fact you can take just any line in just any
(text) file containing a valid eMail address for this purpose, thus
it's not even necessary to edit a specific file in a specific way: if
there is a "word" - i.e., an unbroken sequence of characters - which
contains the characteristic "@" in it, this will be parsed out as an
eMail address (but! - only a first such "word" in a line is taken. If
you need more addresses, use [F4] copy function or an editor to paste
them in, once the reply file has been created.)
A status line prompt asks to confirm - just [ENTER] - or to swap (by
pressing [SPACE]) the name of the reply mail file. Up to 10 different
name templates can be defined in the RE-READ.USR config (see there!).
ReRead completes the template with a running number and checks for
already existing send-mail files (in the default or in the defined
mail-out directory) and up-numbers correspondingly.
The name of the Reply/new mail item is taken into the buffer for a
current copy/edit filename:
-- if you want to write/edit immediately, just press [F5] to invoke
the editor with it;
-- mark lines to copy from the presently displayed file to this new
mail file, using [F4]. If it is a mail reply, a prompt proposes to
use reply-formatting; press [SPACEbar] to switch reply-formatting off.
You can switch this off/on at any moment with [^F4] too (see next).
In reply to a Usenet/Newsgroups item a "post"ing mail head is created
with the name(s) from the "Newsgroups:" line of the displayed item.
!!! The header format and file template name presently (ReRead v4.1+)
can be used only for Nettamer's posting function to newsgroups !
The "Subject:" line is from the original and a prefix "Re: " is added
to the header line created; but you can edit this surely in changing
to the editor directly with [F5].
If the file type is set (HTML/ASCII) for a file to read - and thus no
header information from the displayed one is available - you can mark
with [F1] any text line containing an eMail address (i.e., any "word"
with the characteristic "@" in it) which is then extracted from that
line and placed into the reply file as address to use. This way you
can start to write any new eMail directly from an address list, or
from reading just any text.
You can order an additional RE-READ.DOC and an extensive MAIL-HOW.TO,
for descriptions of the mail format, (reply-)mail headers and the
various ways to address multiple copies and /CCs of mail.
Using [^F5] changes the "target" file name in the buffer (used last
for to append-to, or to edit) and places the appropriate mail file
name there as target - you can immediately mark-and-copy lines from
the original message to the Reply file, or go directly into editing
this reply, calling your editor with [F5].
Note that reply files are created in, and reside in, the "base" DIR
from which RE-READ was called and the name, placed in the buffer of
targets to append to, will have the whole path to that DIR too; or
the specific path for reply-files defined in the RE-READ.USR config.
This allows to move through different (sub)directories and files to
mark/paste lines to this reply file; any immediate/subsequent use of
[F4] will bring up this target path\filename in the first hand. This
is different from using the copy-append routine without having first
created a reply file: [F4] (and input of a filename then) will chose,
or create, a new file in that directory which is currently read, not
in the directory where RE-READ was started from.
Thus check the path given in the prompt with a file to append to,
when this one is to be in another directory. Switch off the "reply
formatting" in this case (there is a prompt).
Marked lines for copy-append from the original are LINE FORMATTED as
"replies" (if this is switched on), that is, with "> " as first signs
on a line and a line length of max 76 chars (as default; this can be
changed in Settings through the [F8] command key, or in RE-READ.USR).
[^F4] - [CTRL]+[F4] TOGGLEs this reply formatting OFF/ON. Also any change to
another message item will toggle off the reply-formatting (but will
not change automatically the name, in the buffer, of the target file
for copies, until another use of [^F5] or an own input via [F4] of a
target-file name).
[F6] - displays the INDEX LISTING of mail/news items in the folder or of the
separate mail items read as files series.
==> With the switch set in the "RE-READ.USR" configuration file you
can go directly into Index Listing mode from the outset of opening a
mail folder. Otherwise and as default, ReRead immediately displays
the first item of a mail folder.
There is a sub-menu at the status line for different functions to use
in INDEX LISTING MODE:
=========SUB_MENU INDEX-LISTING=============================================
KEYS USED IN THE SUB-MENU OF INDEX LISTING:
===========================================
!! Many F-keys are used differently in this submenu !!
== Keybindings here have been changed from v4.5+ on ==
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
[SPACEbar] toggles through the menu/key-listing lines.
[Up]/[Down] Arrow keys move the pointer/cursor (line in invers video)
[PageUp]/[PageDown] Scroll index page-wise with 20 lines each time.
The first/last lines will change with different start/end
lines of the index listing; the chunk range (20 or less each)
will change with smaller general setting for display lines.-
[ESC] Exits from Index Listing back to the MAIL ITEM last read;
when switching from mail reading to the index listing, the
mail item read is at the top row of the index list-page shown.
[ENTER] selects the mail/news in the cursor line to read (or go to).
* [nnn] input any NUMBER (and hit [ENTER]) to move the index display to
the entry for that mail item.
- "0" or "1" goes to the beginning of the index, highest or
any higher number of mails in the folder moves to the end of
the index listing.
* [^PgUp/^PgDn] goes to start/end of index listing as well.
[F1] Toggles to show either "To:" or "From:" fields on the index line.
----------
* [CTRL] + [ENTER] Exits from Index Listing directly to the DIRECTORY
Listing, and updates the index file.
* [CTRL]+[BACKspace] Drops out directly to DOS, *without* any updating!
----------
Each index line shows either the number of lines, or a MARKER at the
right end of the displayed line:
[DEL] Toggles the DELete mark, " =d= ", for the msg under the cursor,
* or sets any other marker OFF.
[INS] Toggles the BOOKmark, " *** ", ON/OFF.
* - Use this function too to extract/copy one item, and recompose
the rest of the folder: see below for [^F6] ! -
[+] Toggles the REPLYmark, "*r*" OFF/ON.
*** and *r* serve as "keeper" too (unmarked is kept anyway).
----------
*! [F4] Copy(-append) the SINGLE ITEM under the cursor to a file/folder:
This works as the append-copy task under FILE display mode, and
allows a signle mail/news item from the folder to be appended
elsewhere. (Target selection as described under FILE mode.)
* [F7] SEARCH the index for a string (to input). This searches ONLY
the Index file; mind that the index file stores From:- and To:-
addresses and the Subject: line not completely but concatenated.
(though somewhat longer than the short 1-line display per item.)
* [^F7] searches THROUGH THE WHOLE folder for a string to input, and
moves the coursor to the index line for a mail item found.
The search string stays in memory and can be used to search
through this item (just press [ENTER] and [F7] there again.)
This search function includes header lines of mails too !
* [F10] GRAB a line from the index listing and edit it; result is used
for searching. (Handling see below for [F10] in File Display.)
[F2] updates the present index list (rewrites the index file) *AND*
* writes a "bulk"-file for use with GETMAIL (a NETBAS script) that
numbers all mail item (order) numbers to delete.
This file, default name FLUSHIT.RER, will not be produced
with the automatic index update when exiting a mail-bag file.
With the command line switch "/f[=filename]" however, the file
is created/updated with exiting from ReRead. (See GETMAIL doc)
* [^F2] - as in file display mode - TOGGLEs/SWAPs char-remapping.
* [^F3] likewise, toggles WRAPping in mail item displaying.
----------
=====Changing/Rebuilding the Mail Folder:============================
=====A confirmation prompt must be answered with the [Y]es key=======
[F5] DELETES all =d=elete-marked items, rewrites the mail folder and
exits to DIR listing,
[^F5] rewrites the folder without delete-marked items and reloads it.
----------
[F6] APPENDS all not delete-marked items to another file (to select),
and DELETES the old, original folder file and its index file.
[^F6] extracts and appends ***bookmarked items to a file (to select),
DELETES all =d=marked items and rewrites and loads the (cleaned-
out) original folder.
MAKE SURE THAT TARGET FOLDERS ARED INDEXED CORRECTLY BEFORE
APPENDING NEW ITEMS !
================================================================
! Attention ! Whis joining to another mail folder: If the target
folder is not indexed yet, an index is created there which will
contain only the newly added items - and reading in this newly
assembled folder-file will show only those new items. Delete the
newly created index file (name.?_X) and re-index the folder !
If there had been an earlier but incorrect Index File there will
be an error message - re-index the target folder before joining
new items !
=====================================================================
==== ! See seperate text RR-INDEX.txt on indexing routines ! ========
==== ! Be careful with, and aware of, their use as these ============
==== ! functions can discard mail items *definitely* ! ==============
=====================================================================
With functions to join/append items to a folder, the selection window
can be used as with the File Listing mode by pressing [F4], if needed
repeatedly, for target names to store/append to. The same navigation
rules apply.
When switching from File Display into Index Listing, the presently
shown mail item is always the one at the top of the index page shown,
with the cursor placed on it there.
=========end of submenu INDEX LISTING / continued FILE display mode:==========
[DEL] - from File display directly: SET a DELETE mark in the index: This
sets the delete mark unconditionally. (Change it in INDEXing mode.)
[INS] - from File display directly: SET a bookmark/KEEPer mark in the index
These keys only SET the respective marks, when text is displayed;
to change these marks, go into Index Listing (with [F6]), where the
same keys TOGGLE the markings.
[F7] - FIND the line with a searched string of characters in displayed text.
This is a rather crude search function, looking only for EXCACT
matches; length of search string may not excede 80 chars. There's a
beep if nothing is found else the display moves the line with a match
found to the current cursor position. Repeat a following search for
the same searchword with [F7] and [ENTER]; or input another. This
routine cycles through all lines of the item/file displayed, and will
eventually get to the line from where it was started if no match is
found (with the "higher" beep in this case).
[^F7] - search for the string IN THE WHOLE MAIL FOLDER. The next found item
containing the search string is displayed.
You have to press [F7] again, and [ENTER] to go directly to the line
with the searched string.
* Use [F10] to grab a line from the file displayed, or the index, to
edit it and use it as the input for the string search - see below !
[F8] - SETTINGS submenue: Toggles, with [F1] for HEADer, [F2] for FILE TYPE,
[F3] for word wrapping ON/OFF, and once more with [F8] goes to change
a number of other settings - the number of screen lines to display,
screen width (line length), the printer port to use, line length for
Reply-formatted lines, toggle use (or not) of sharp with
eMail addresses, buffer file window measures/placement, etc.
(See the general doc RR-HOW.TO and the remarks in the configuration
file, RE-CONF.RER (in earlier versions named "re-read.user".)
[^F8] - presents a prompt to decode (UU/XX-, Base64-, HTML-encoded parts of)
files displayed: Mark first, with [F1] the line from where-on, in the
original, this file should be decoded.
The auxiliary EXTERNAL UTILITIES needed for decoding various formats
must be available in the directory from where RE-READ was called, or
in the DOS PATH - * SEE THE RR-HOW.TO ! *
The submenu offers a selection among 4 hook-ins, the (root-)filenames
of which are "hardwired":
[b] - B64DCODE -- e.g. for Base64 (MIME) decoding
[h] - HTMSTRIP -- e.g. for decoding of HTML marked-up text
[q] - QUOTPRNT -- e.g for reformatting MIME "Quoted Printable" text.
[u] - UXDECODE -- e.g. for UU/XXdecoding
[F9] - PRINT marked part - or ALL if nothing is marked ! - of a displayed
item.
To print just one line, marking with [F1] is enough, you need not use
to mark the end with key [F2].
* This is valid too for the copy-APPEND routine using [F4] *
[F10] - GRABS THE LINE AT THE CURSOR from the display, cuts leading or
tailing whitespace, and puts it into the bottom/status line do edit
it. The result - on pressing [ENTER] - will be kept in a buffer; this
can be used:
(a) as the search string with the FIND functions [F7]/[^F7], or
(b) as the argument to write into an external file for use with a
hook-in, in the directory from where ReRead was called, and under the
filename "URL-NAME.RER".
You can then - either by "shelling to DOS", or from DOS and outside
of ReRead - access this saved sequence by any means, and specificly
for launching of, or as input to, another program with the (text)
contents of this file as an argument.
This is what ReRead does when using [^F10], see next section.
There is immediately an EDITING mode invoked for the text taken into
the bottom line: It works in insert mode, any letters keyed are added
at the cursor position; delete with the [DEL]ete or [BACK]space keys.
*!* The Editing functionality here is specific for the purpose:
Characters are always inserted, and the [INS]ert key has a special
function: in file display mode, it JOINS A NEXT LINE after the marked
text to the one already in the editing line (up to two additional
lines) - this in order to join line-broken URL names.
Use [DEL] or [BackSpace] in the usual way to erase characters.
- [Home] and [End] will set the cursor to the beginning or end
of the string, respectively, and move the string in the
one-line editing "window" at the bottom line accordingly.
- [^Home] will erase the part of the string BEFORE the cursor,
- [^End] will erase the part of the string from and AFTER the cursor.
- [ENTER] ends editing and accepts the string, and returns the cursor
to the display,
- [ESC] empties the string and goes back to the display.
[^F10] - immediately to run after [F10] and the editing of the buffer line:
This will launch another hook-in for any (batch) program with the
name "GETHOOK2.bat" and the CONTENTS of "URL-NAME.RER" as argument:
Thus if you put a batch file with the name of a program and the "%1"
placeholder in the DOS PATH, it will be run by ReRead (by dropping to
or shelling to DOS) as the batch file with the placeholder argument,
as "GETHOOK2 %1". The edited buffer line is stored in URL-NAME.RER,
which is just a temporary, one-line file in the current directory and
can be used in any similar fashion.
Mind that [^F10] "shells out" to DOS, and ReRead stays in memory; as
ReRead will take as much memory space as its own footprint and that
of the file/mail read there may not be enough free memory left to run
a larger program, like LYNX (but HTGET would do fine, a packet driver
has to be present then). In this case, modify the GETHOOK2.bat file
so that it just *writes* another batch to run after exiting to DOS -
press [^F10] to execute the batch, thereafter [CTRL]+[BackSpace] to
drop out to DOS directly, and to run the newly written batch file to
launch the Lynx with the appropriate URL.
But see RR-HOW.TO for some tricky (trapping) aspects in this.
==============================================================================
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 !
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Oct'04 (c) Heimo Claasen REVOBILD 35 Rue du Marteau B-1000 BRUXELLES
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===========
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 GBœ 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.
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Oct'04 (c) Heimo Claasen REVOBILD 35 Rue du Marteau B-1000 BRUXELLES
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
< 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:....................................
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
The following is the file RRCHANGE.V49 describing the recent changes of
ReRead's working and setup, continuing related remarks on the earlier major
changes:
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Oct'04 v4.9+ (c) Heimo Claasen REVOBILD 35 Rue du Marteau B-1000 BRUXELLES
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===========
RE-READ.exe -- recent changes and improvements up to v.4.9+
===========
A nagging bug has been quashed, finally - the one that produced a bad _index_
file with re-indexing (the main, mail/news folder had not been affected) with
very large mail folders. All tests went well with the larges available mail
folder here, of more than 2000 items and some 9 MB volume in all.
There are two "known" - and rather trivial - bugs left to chase - if you find
another one, please tell.
This issue will be the last in the present form of an all-integrated unit - it
is getting too fat with a footprint of 220+ KB: future version will maintain
the same ways and manners to use the program which will be modularised though
radically internally. The screen and command key interface will remain rather
the same, following the principle of using as little screen surface for the
program's use and as much as available for its purpose, i.e. to display files,
mails items, directories, index listings etc.
In this perspective, changes and additions in ReRead v4.9+ "externalise" some
functions already: Thus, the data for character remapping has been moved out
into a separate auxiliary file - and at the same time, this allows up to ten
different remapping lists/tables to be used -, and the new functionality for
freely assigning all hotkey bindings depends on a new, external definition
file which can be easily edited ad lib.
These two changes are the most visible ones as they employ new auxiliary files
and imply an in part new organisation of the configuration file; which gets a
new default name in consequence:
RER-CONF.RER - the (default name for the) configuration or "ini" file, has a
slightly different format in its last section, the one concerning the way of
remapping characters between the original (mail or text) file and its display:
the idea is to have not a whole - pehaps long - list/table inside this config
file but a list of 'toggable' files for char remapping lists/tables to use -
and change - on the fly from inside the program.
For this purpose, a template file RER-CHAR.RER is joined with examples for how
to use the selectable lists for specific character sets, e.g. to translate
between codepages or ISO-sets, or to re-translate "Quoted-Printable" tokens to
your machine-"native" character sets.
The long-standing task of having free choice of assigning hotkeys - or the key
press for a command function in ReRead - has been accomplished with a routine
to allow this through an external key deninition file RER-KEYS.RER: Any of the
available functions in ReRead, in the various modes of the program (directory,
file, index listing and in the buffer/"target" window - can now be assigned to
any of the available keyboard definitions. ReRead uses the [Fx] keys, and the
arrow/pagekeys mostly, and their [CONTROL]-shifted condition.
(No [ALT]- or [SHIFT]-keying is used in ReRead, as almost all known TSRs for
instance, work with especially the former.)
Further in view of using ReRead for offline steering of mail handling, a new
command line switch /f[filespec] has been added to write automatically the
list file of mail items to delete, FLUSHIT.RER - in combination with the mail
fetch script AUTOPOPx.NBS (and the NETBASic interpreter) this facilitates the
fully batch-handled mailfetch procedure allowing to sort mail downloads at and
from a POP3 server (and deleting Spam at the server, instead of paying dowload
fees for that crap with dial-up connections.)
The following is the "changes" file of v.4.7+:
----------------------------------------------
A number of internal changes have been made, the most visible one is the
index listing indicating bytes volume of mail items, in stead of number of
lines per item.
In addition, with mail/news items (in a "folder") having as a first line
"+top nnnn", ReRead recognises the bytes volume of the item (given with
that "nnnn") with writing the index file of the folder.- This has been
added in connection with the NETBASic download script, AUTOPOP.NBS, in
order to give a better indication of item volumes with downloads of the
headers only from a POP3 mailbox.
(AUTOPOP.NBS adds that first line to the HEADER-only download file.)
The following is the "changes" file of v.4.54:
----------------------------------------------
There have been no changes in the file and index file formats, so earlier
indexed files from v3+ onwards should work Ok. too.
FALLBACK to straightforward text file display is now working reliably and
almoast always regardless of "file type" set.
Small differences remain, depending on the file type set:
-- set to "News/Mail", ReRead will display a non-mail(-folder) file
as plain text but would not automatically recongnise a HTML file
formatting (and will not prompt for HTML-stripping either);
-- set to Text/Html, it would not recognise (and not filter out)
mail file (headers), and would not index a folder. (It wouldn't
touch the index file neither, thus no problem there.)
[SPACE]: now consistently used to show up/toggle display of the available
command keys throughout the program. A difficult choise as many
wellknown DOS programs use either of [ESC], [F1] or [F10] for a
similar task. However, it seems more rational and consistent to
use [ESC] generally to "bail out" from something, the F-keys for
program-specific tasks. And the [SPACEBAR] is an ergonomic logical
key to use in situations of "uncertainty" - to try some reaction
without doing some perhaps risky action.
[a]-[z]: Just typing one letter key in Directory Listing or in the input
mode of a target windows will change listing (of directories, or of
targets in any of the selection windows) to the root directory of
the drive with that letter: e.g., pressing [e] will display E:\
and the directories and files there. Facilitates easy navigation
throughout the whole local system, and with all of the tasks for
file and file contents household.
Listings in the buffer windows (the windows for selecting target
files from) have been modified to include trailing backslashes in
names of (sub)directories. Which makes it easier to distinguish
filenames from directories names.
[.] -- just the dot key pressed in Directory Listing mode will get you up
to the next higher DIR, if there is one; in the last instance to
the dir from where youl called ReRead. This shortens use of arrow
keys quite a bit.
[^F2] -- Character remapping:
The command key now works throughout the program, in all states
(Directory Listing, File Display, and Indexing)
Char. remapping can be used in both directions on the list defined
in the config.file RE-READ.USR - FROM the entities left of the
equation mark TO the ones on the right, AND VICE VERSA -, thus even
for *encoding*.
Note that char remap works only on the DISPLAYED text, not on the
original (which is not changed): To use it for encoding, *mark* the
(entire) text with [F1] at the start and [F2] after the last line
of a remapped text, and then paste it somewhere with [F4], _after_
having re-read in the original with the charmappiug activated.
[^F3] -- Toggle Wrapping is available throughout the different modes too.
WRAPPING: Much improved algorithms both for display of files/mails - those
ugly formatted M$-Woid "TXT"-saved monstrosities get nicely
readable now; without getting well-formatted texts disturbed - and
for quotes in reply-mails.
So Wrapping can be set permanently to "on" in the configuration file,
without (almost) ever disarranging well-formatted mails.
INDEX LISTING: Better navigation, with [HOME] to top, [END] to bottom row
of displayed lines, [^PgUP] and [^PgDn] to start/end of the index
list.
[F7] -- SEARCH has been redone and is available in both File Display mode
and Index Listing mode:
-- in File Display, as before, searches for a "literal" string.
-- This can be grabbed by [F10] now as a line from the display and
edited.
-- in Index Listing: serches for the string in the index file (thus
even more complete than the displayed index lines.)
[^F7] -- in (Mail/News) File Display mode: earches through the WHOLE mail
folder and displays the mail item found with the string in it;
-- in Index Listing: searches through the WHOLE MAIL FOLDER text and
presents the indexed list line with the mail which contains the
searched string.
[^F8] -- in File Display mode: NEW hotkey binding in stead of [^F3], to invoke
DECODING via the 4 hook-ins for UU-XX/HTML/Base64/QP, respectively.
[^F8] -- in Directory Listing mode: SAVE SETTINGS - *new* command key:
Writes the presently used setup to the presently accessed directory.
Relevant for saving/replicating corrected char-remap lists.
Saves Colour foreground/background setting after change too - which
was difficult before, to make permanent after trials through lots of
variations with toggling through the colour combinations.
DEPRECATED - reading in "series of files" and setting "File Type" accordingly,
is broken with using command line switches, and would not work
properly any more in manual selection when reading-in those numbers
of (filename or extension equal) numbers of files from a download
directory:
Both reading-in and indexing (by the program), and handling (for
Re-Read users) had been too intricate and error-prone. The task can
be done reliably and in a much more flexible way ba the external
program "nm2bag.exe" (from REVOBILD) which builds mail folders from
numbers of downloads in different directories.
Almost all of the (known) bugs are thought to be squashed now .
// Heimo Claasen // // Brussels 2002-05-05
The WebPlace of ReRead - and much to read ==> http://www.revobild.net
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LEGALESE NOTICE:
The most general disclaimer applies, : There is no warranty and no
liability for using the program, not even for reading this text.
I have changed the "distribution policy" fundamentally. The program is, as
before, free for *individual* use (not in a business or organisational
environment) in its "public" version. The use of some lately added functions
through a licensing key - colour settings, char remapping - which had been
available before only with registering and for a licence fee, is now
available on simple request by email.
HOWEVER, above what is noted extensively anyway in the "ReRead-KEYS.vXX"
manual/text file, no support is given for free any more (this costs my work
time). The same for additional information, e.g. about mail file formats,
/CC-ing and the like - all that is freely available on the Net, and if you
want *me* to explain it again, you have to pay for my work time with
subscribing to a support license.
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Oct'04 v4.92 (c) Heimo Claasen REVOBILD 35 Rue du Marteau B-1000 BRUXELLES
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