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QWK Reader Manual
version 0.15
INTRODUCTION:
QWK Reader is an off line newsgroup reader for the Apple IIGS.
It requires a few helper programs to do its job completely. It can launch a
dialer program to dial up the service. And it can launch an unzipper to unzip
the QWK packet. If ProTERM(r), the only dialer in this version that can use
macros, is used as the dialer the file QWKR.Mac, from the proterm subdirectory,
must be in the same directory as PT3.System file.
MENUS:
Apple--
About QWK Reader
The usual
File--
Get new packet... This item may due different things depending on how the
preferences are set.
If a dialer is chosen, it will run the dialer using the macros to retrieve the
QWK packet. See CREATING MACROS later in this file for more information.
If an unzipper is chosen, it will run the unzipper after the dialer. Or it will
just run the unzipper if no dialer was chosen. When the packet is unzipped all
you need is the messages.dat and control.dat file.
It will then read the control.dat and messages.dat files in the folder chosen in
preferences. Index files will be created for all the newsgroups. It will make
menu items in the News Groups menu for all the newsgroups.
If for whatever reasons you want to rebuild the menus and indexes from the
messages.dat and control.dat files, you can do so by holding down the SHIFT key
while choosing 'Get new packet' from the file menu. Then neither the dialer nor
the unzipper will be called, but the menus and indexes will be rebuilt.
Unpack packet.. This launches the unpacker if one is assigned in the locations
dialog window.
Recreate indexes... This recreates the indexes and newsgroups menus from the
control.dat and messages.dat file in the packet location subdirectory.
Save article... This brings up a standard file dialog window allowing you to save
an article to a text file. The text saved will be from the highlighted line to
the end of the article.
Send response... This item runs the dialer and sends responses and mail that you
have created using the program.
Delete files... Deletes files.
Close Closes any open NDA window
Quit The usual. Quits the program
Edit--
Undo, Cut, Copy, Paste, Clear
The usual stuff.
Locations
This is how you tell the program where various programs and files are located.
To the left in the locations window are buttons describing what needs to be set.
You can manually type in path names in the edit lines to the right, but you can
also click on the button and a file dialog box will come up letting you search
for the path or file. For subdirectories choose "Done" when you are in the
subdirectory. For files and programs "Choose" the file.
Packet location: This is where the QWK packet is to be put. This is where the
program will look for the control.dat and messages.dat files.
Reply location: This is where the program will put the replies and mail. And
where it will be looked for when it is uploaded to the service.
Unzipper: This is the path name of the unzipper program
Signature file: This is the path name of your signature file.
Dialer: This is the path name of the dialer program.
Zipper: this is the path name of the zipping program.
For whatever helper program you are not using leave that line blank. The packet
and reply locations must be filled in with valid paths.
Setup This is where you choose the name, phone number and other parameters needed
to call the online service. The 'REP name' is the name of the reply packet that
the service expects to receive.
News Groups--
Posts Use this to create an original message to post to a news group you have
selected in the menu.
Follow up Use this to respond to an article in a newsgroup.
Newsgroup names The following menu items will be the newsgroup names and/or
email. Select the newsgroup you want to read from.
Mail--
Reply Use this to reply by email to a newsgroup articale or to email
Originate Use this to create an original email.
CREATING MACROS:
The only dialer this version supports macros for is ProTERM(r). If you use some
other dialer besides ProTERM(r), you can still list it in the locations dialog
window and manually create the QWK packet and download it to the directory chosen
in the locations dialog window. If you are not using ProTERM(r) as your dialer
you can skip this section on creating macros.
The first time you select 'Get new packet' with ProTERM(r) as the dialer a
ProTERM(r) service file is created named xxxxxR where xxxxx is the name of the
service set in the setup dialog window. The service is then called with auto
logon ON. When you are connected you need to login as usual. Then you need to
give whatever command is needed by your service to create the QWK packet. After
the packet is created you need to give whatever command to your service that
sends a zmodem save to your computer with the name of the service (ie sz
xxxxx.qwk). Where xxxxx.qwk is the name of the QWK packet. Then save the logon
macro using COMMAND-N. Now use Receive Zmodem to download the file. When the
file is done downloading, Quit ProTERM(r). The next time you select 'Get new
packet' the service will be called and the packet downloaded automatically and
then ProTERM(r) will quit automatically.
If something in your service should change and the macro fails, you can go into
ProTERM(r) and delete the service named xxxxxR or you can delete the file named
PTD.xxxxxR located in the PT3.DIAL subdirectory of ProTERM(r). Then you use the
above procedure to create another auto logon.
READING ARITCLES AND MAIL:
When you select one of the newsgroups or email from the 'News Groups' menu you
will be given a list of articles and/or email. The menu item will become checked
and the name of the newsgroup will be on the subject line in the window. The
number to the left will be a count of the articles in that newsgroup. The number
to the right of that will be the number of articles in the thread. The text
after that will be the name of the thread of article(s). To read an article you
need to hilight it then select it. You can hilight it be clicking on it with the
mouse pointer or bye scrolling through the list with the up and down arrow keys.
You can select an article bye pressing the RETURN/ENTER key with the article
hilighted or double click the mouse on the article.
Once you have selected and article you can read it. To go to the nextarticle you
can press the SPACE bar. To return to the list of articles press the left arrow
key. If you highlight a line of text, from that line to the end of the article
will be saved when you save the article.
Version 0.xx does not support creating a reply packet, so any function to reply
to email or an article is not implemented yet.