AUTOSIG.DOC

                                    A U T O S I G

                                    Version 7.0b
                                     June, 1995



                               A Communication Program
                              for Accessing CompuServe



























                      Autosig Version 7.0b           June 1995
            Copyright 1995 by James C. McKeown.      All rights reserved.






      I. Introduction.........................................................1
      II. How AUTOSIG Sessions Work: Making your PC do what it does best!.....2
      III. Getting Started - Setting Options..................................4
           A. Installation Checklist..........................................5
           B. Setting Up Your Computer........................................6
                     1. Installing the AUTOSIG Files..........................6
                     2. Adjusting Your CONFIG.SYS File........................6
                     3. Modem settings........................................7
                               a. Low-speed modems............................7
                               b. High-Speed Modems...........................7
      IV. Customizing Your Copy of AUTOSIG....................................9
           A. The Main Menu..................................................10
                     1. Organization of the Main Menu........................10
                     2. Moving Around the Menu...............................11
           B. The PC Options Menu............................................12
                     1. Choosing PC Options..................................12
                     2. Using Command-Line Switches for PC Options...........14
           C. The Host Configuration Options Menu............................15
                     1. Setting Up to Call CompuServe........................15
                     2. Host Configuration Options...........................15
           E. Setting Options on CompuServe..................................25
                     1. Terminal Options.....................................25
                     2. CompuServe Mail Settings.............................26
                     3. Forum Options........................................27
      V. Working On-Line with AUTOSIG........................................29
           A. Off-line Forum Functions.......................................31
           B. On-line Forum Functions........................................34
           C. Intervening in an AUTOSIG Session..............................37
           D. Forum Function Menu Special Keys...............................38
           E. Offline Message Processing.....................................39
           F. AUTOSIG Working Files..........................................45
           G. CIS High Message Number........................................46
      VI. Automatic Operation................................................47
           A. Semi-Automatic Operations......................................48
           B. AUTO - Automatically Access Several Forums.....................49
                     1. Starting AUTO........................................49
                     2. AUTO features........................................50
                     3. Creating Your AUTO List..............................51
      VII. Electronic Mail (CompuServe Mail) Operation.......................52
           A. Setting Up Your Mail "Forum"...................................53
           B. Special Features in CompuServe Mail............................55
                     1. Using the CIS Address Book...........................55
                     2. Binary Mail..........................................55
                     3. Text Files...........................................55
                     4. Sending Mail to MCI Subscribers......................55
                     5. Sending Fax Messages via Mail........................55
                     6. Sending Internet Messages via Mail...................56
                     7. Sending Mail Through Other Gateways..................56
                     8. Sending Messages to Multiple Addresses...............56
                     9. Message Length Limits................................56
      VIII. ATO Terminal Mode................................................58
                     1. Entering Terminal Mode...............................58
                     2. Leaving Terminal Mode................................58
                     3. Vidtex Escape Sequences..............................59




           A. Terminal Mode Function Keys....................................60
                     1. Defining Function Keys...............................60
                     2. Special Characters for Function Keys.................60
           B. Terminal Mode Special Keys.....................................61
           C. Command Mode...................................................64
           D. Protocol File Transfer.........................................65
                     1. Downloading with Quick B Protocol....................65
                     2. Uploading with Quick B Protocol......................66
           E. Non-Protocol Transfers.........................................67
                     1. Using a Log or Capture Buffer File...................67
                     2. Downloading Text Files...............................67
                     3. Non-Protocol (ASCII) Upload from disk................67
      IX. Message Editor.....................................................68
           A. General Description............................................69
           B. Using the Message Editor.......................................70
                     1. Insert and Delete Functions..........................70
                     2. Moving Around in the Editor..........................71
                     3. Block Operations and Formatting......................71
                     4. Message Editor Function Keys.........................72
           C. Importing Files................................................74
           D. Modes of Reply.................................................75
           E. Quoting in a Reply.............................................77
      X. Addressbook.........................................................79
                     1. Addressbook Commands.................................80
      XI. Forum and General Trouble Shooting.................................83
      XII. Acknowledgments...................................................86
      XIII. Disclaimer and Trademarks........................................90
      XIV. Copying and Sharing AUTOSIG.......................................91
      Appendix A. Finding Forum Quick Reference Words........................92
      Appendix B. Command-Line Options.......................................93
      Appendix C. COM Port Addresses.........................................95
      Appendix D. Gateway Processing.........................................96
      Appendix E. DESQview, Windows and OS/2.................................97
      Appendix F. ATO Color Settings.........................................99
      Appendix G. Forum Options (manual)....................................100
      Appendix H. High Message Numbers......................................101
      Appendix I. Latin-1...................................................106





















      I. Introduction

      Don't be daunted by the size of the manual. Effectively it's one for a
      communications program, a database, and an editor. Given that, it's
      pretty small, so hang in there.

      There is a strong human tendency to avoid unpleasant, time-consuming
      tasks, and, for many of us, the reading of an entire manual is one of
      them. Many folks have asked, "I just wanna do it; why not leave the hard
      stuff until later?" That's just what we're trying to do here, and several
      "advanced topics" are in separate files. If you're interested, we en-
      courage you to review these files to take full advantage of all of
      AUTOSIG's features. For further information, consult the following
      documentation files:

           ACLS*.* - Contains the ACLS accounting module and documentation.

           ATOADV.* - Contains documentation for using ATO's script language.

           ATOBRO.* - ATO downloading script creator

      From time to time you may see terms used that don't make sense. Here's a
      quick rundown on some of them:

           SIG - Special Interest Group, or what's now known as a forum (hey,
                  some of us are fossils!).

           PPN - A User ID (comes from "Project, Programmer Number").

           UID - A User ID. A newer term for PPN

           ATO - Shorthand for AUTOSIG.

           CIS - CompuServe Information Service.

           EMAIL, MAIL, or CMAIL - CompuServe Mail, or electronic mail, and
                  formerly Easyplex.
















      Page 1                                              Autosig, Version 7.0b




      II. How AUTOSIG Sessions Work: Making your PC do what it does best!

      Scanning the Forums

      You turn on AUTOSIG. With the press of a single key AUTOSIG calls CIS;
      goes to each forum you normally visit, gathers a list of all the messages
      that have been posted since your last call there in the sections (sub-
      topics) you designate; goes to CompuServe Mail, finds out if you have
      mail and if so downloads it; then logs off from CIS. You skim through the
      list of messages in each forum, marking only those whose subjects inter-
      est you. Then you press another key and AUTOSIG calls CIS again,
      downloads the messages you have chosen, and logs off.

      Or, if you prefer, you can skip gathering the list of messages and simply
      have AUTOSIG download all the new messages in your chosen sections. You
      can choose to have the messages read in chronological order, but it will
      usually make sense to let AUTOSIG read them in "thread" order, following
      each message and any replies before going on to a new topic.

      You can access CIS at 300, 1200, 2400, 9600, 14400 or 28800 bits per sec-
      ond; since you are not reading the messages on-line, it doesn't matter
      how fast they scroll by.

      At any time you choose you can read all the messages that have been
      downloaded. If you wish to answer one of them, a keystroke puts you into
      AUTOSIG's message editor, where you can compose your reply, referring
      back to the original message as often as you wish. Finish your writing,
      hit a couple of keys, and your reply is stored and ready for transmission
      to CIS. Once you have stored your reply, you will be returned to the
      reading screen to read the next message.

      The procedure is the same for CompuServe Mail; there's no second set of
      commands to learn in order to read and reply to your mail.

      If you want to keep a particular message in a permanent file, a keystroke
      instructs AUTOSIG to save that message -- and the permanent file can be
      called up at any time within AUTOSIG or read by other programs, such as
      LIST or a word processor.

      Finally, if you have written any messages to be posted on the forum mes-
      sage boards, one more keystroke makes AUTOSIG call CIS one more time,
      leave your messages, and log off.


      Using the Forum Data Libraries

      ATO uses the CompuServe Quick B error-checking protocol, which for CIS
      users is superior in speed and efficiency to other CompuServe options,
      such as XMODEM. Text files that don't require error checking can be "cap-
      tured" in a file instead of doing a protocol download, if you wish.



      Page 2                                              Autosig, Version 7.0b




      You start AUTOSIG and choose which forum you want to visit. Then two
      keystrokes connects you with CIS and takes you to the forum. There you
      enter the normal CompuServe commands to find and download the library
      file of your choice. If you invoke the CompuServe Quick B protocol, a
      status line shows how the download is progressing. When AUTOSIG notifies
      you that it is complete, you log off with the CIS command OFF or the ATO
      Z command.

      You can also use ATO's script language to write "auto download" scripts
      or use the BRO module (ATOBRO.* in Library 1 on PCCOM) to browse library
      catalogs off-line and automatically generate download scripts. Check the
      Advanced Users Manual (ATOADV.*) for more information about scripts.


      Accessing Other Parts of CompuServe

      AUTOSIG can be used as a simple terminal -- you can use it for con-
      ferences, CB rap sessions, getting stock quotes, and just about anything
      else you can do using CompuServe's ASCII interface. You can do this
      manually or by the use of scripts. Check AUTOSIG Library 1 on PCCOM for a
      script for your favorite area or for a function you want to automate.
      Chances are there's something already written that will do what you want
      or that only needs slight modification to meet your needs. If you don't
      find one, leave a message to "All" or "SysOp" in AUTOSIG Section 1 of the
      PCCOM forum; someone may have written one or be willing to write one for
      you. If you write one yourself, don't forget to upload it to PCCOM
      Library 1 for others to share!

      If at any point you want to check the message board of one of your
      favorite forums, a keystroke will shift AUTOSIG into its automatic mode.
      Shifting back into Terminal mode is just as easy.






















      Page 3                                              Autosig, Version 7.0b




      III. Getting Started - Setting Options

      Before you can use AUTOSIG you must adjust some of your settings on
      CompuServe, customize AUTOSIG itself for your own use, and possibly
      change some switches on your modem (either hardware switches or software
      commands). Only then will ATO and CompuServe work smoothly together.

      Adjustments to make AUTOSIG work aren't complicated, and ATO can make
      many of them for you, but they are critical. The following checklist will
      help you keep track of what you have done and still need to do as you in-
      stall AUTOSIG, so get the pencil out and let's get cracking.










































      Page 4                                              Autosig, Version 7.0b




      A. Installation Checklist

      ON YOUR EQUIPMENT:

      ____ 1. Install the ATO files on your disk
      ____ 2. Adjust your CONFIG.SYS file, if necessary
      ____ 3. Set your modem's switches or issue the equivalent software
                commands

      CUSTOMIZING YOUR COPY OF AUTOSIG

      ____ 4. Define your PC Options entries
      ____ 5. Define your ATO Host entries
      ____ 6. Define your ATO Forum entries

      ON-LINE ON COMPUSERVE:

      ____ 7. Set your CIS Terminal options
      ____ 8. Set your CIS Mail options
      ____ 9. Set your CIS Forum options

































      Page 5                                              Autosig, Version 7.0b




      B. Setting Up Your Computer

      To get your equipment ready for AUTOSIG, you'll need to install the
      AUTOSIG files, either on a floppy disk or in an appropriate directory on
      your hard drive; check the settings in your CONFIG.SYS file or create
      one; and check -- and possibly change -- your modem settings.

           1. Installing the AUTOSIG Files

      The AUTOSIG program consists of the following supplied files:

           AUTOSIG.EXE - compiled, executable program
           AUTOSIG.HLP - the help file
           AUTOSIG.DOC - this manual
           STARTUP.DOC - the quick guide for setting up and using ATO
           CSETUP.SCR - a script file to automate CompuServe setup for ATO

      These are the names used for the current version; the file names for
      other versions may differ. The first two come in the self-extracting ar-
      chive ATOSIG.EXE, and the others are in the self-extracting archive
      ATODOC.EXE. In addition, AUTOSIG will create other files it needs as you
      run it. Place the working copies of these five files -- or at least
      AUTOSIG.EXE, AUTOSIG.HLP and CSETUP.SCR -- in a subdirectory on your hard
      disk (or on their own floppy disk if you don't have a hard disk.)

           2. Adjusting Your CONFIG.SYS File

      ATO needs to open several files when it's running, and to do that it
      needs a FILES= statement of 20 or more in your CONFIG.SYS. Check your
      boot disk for a file called CONFIG.SYS. If you already have a CONFIG.SYS
      file with a FILES= statement of less than 20, you can edit it with a text
      editor or word processor to change the line to FILES=20. If you have a
      CONFIG.SYS file that has no FILES= statement in it, you can simply type
      one in on a separate line. Be careful, however, to save the file as ASCII
      if that's not the native format of your word processor.

      If you don't have a CONFIG.SYS file, you can create one in a text editor,
      or by typing, at a DOS prompt:

           COPY CON d:\CONFIG.SYS[Enter] (replace d with the letter of your
                  boot drive)
           FILES=20[Enter]
           [Ctrl]-Z[Enter]

      If you change your CONFIG.SYS, you must restart your computer for the
      change to take effect.

       * NOTE: If the FILES= in CONFIG.SYS is set to a number higher than 20, *
      that is OK, too. 20 is the minimum number.

      See Appendix E if you plan to install AUTOSIG under Windows, DESQview


      Page 6                                              Autosig, Version 7.0b




      or OS/2.

           3. Modem Settings

      ATO comes configured for use with a Hayes AT-command compatible modem,
      but can accept any modem commands. Thus, ATO is able to support many
      other modems. The ATO crew has access to a limited number of modem types,
      so any tips or hints you have for using ATO on a specific modem would be
      very welcome.

      If you're using a non-Hayes modem, study your manual very carefully to
      determine which settings correspond to the ones specified here for Hayes-
      compatibles. In general, set your modem to return the true state of CD
      (Carrier Detect) and DTR (Data Terminal Ready).

      The setting of the CD (Carrier Detect) and DTR (Data Terminal Ready)
      switches, either in hardware or software, is critical! If these switches
      are not set properly, ATO will respond with "PC is CONNECTED" before
      you're actually connected and continue to claim so after you are no
      longer connected! ATO will still work, but you'll never reliably know
      whether or not you're really connected and you might experience some
      delays as ATO tries to decide if you've really finished a session or not.

      ATO tries to be "smart" in regards to your on- or off-line state and
      depends upon these settings.

                a. Low-Speed Modems

      The following modem switch settings (for a Hayes SmartModem) are recom-
      mended:

           1 - UP              modem disconnects when ATO is exited
           2 - UP    (V1)      modem sends result codes in English
           3 - DOWN  (Q0)      result codes are sent to the terminal
           4 - UP    (E1)      modem echoes characters while in command mode
           5 - DOWN            modem will not answer phone
           6 - UP              enables Carrier Detect sensing

      Except for switches 2, 3, and 6, these settings are optional.

      Different modems can have slightly different commands. If these switches
      aren't compatible with your modem, check your manual for instructions on
      setting CD (Carrier Detect) and DTR (Data Terminal Ready) sensing to "on"
      or "true". If the settings on your modem are different, go ahead and give
      it a try; chances are very good that it will work.

                b. High-Speed Modems

      If you're using a modem with "software switches", enter "Terminal mode"
      using any communications program and get the modem's attention (usually
      with the +++ command) and send it the following string:


      Page 7                                              Autosig, Version 7.0b





           AT&F&C1&D2&W
           or
           AT&C1&D2&W

      If everything took, you should get a big "OK" back from your modem.

      The &F command resets your modem to the original factory settings. &C1
      and &D2 set the software switches necessary to make Carrier Detect (CD)
      and Data Terminal Ready (DTR) turn on and off when they should, and the
      &W writes these settings to your modem's "permanent" memory. (Some modems
      have more than one memory profile; in this case you may want to send the
      modem the string AT&Y0 to make profile 0 the power-up default, and then
      use &W0 instead of &W to be sure that the settings are written to memory
      profile 0.)

      If, for some reason, you need to maintain permanent modem settings that
      are different from these, you can add the &F&C1&D2 to the "Modem Dial
      Command" in your ATO Host Configuration Options setup (see Page 17 for
      instructions) and ATO will switch your modem over on the fly without
      changing your permanent setup.

      Once your modem is properly configured, ATO should report "PC is CONNEC-
      TED" only when you're really on-line to CompuServe.





























      Page 8                                              Autosig, Version 7.0b




      IV. Customizing Your Copy of AUTOSIG

      Now to set up ATO for your own use. There are three parts to this opera-
      tion: setting your PC options (color, printer, mouse, etc.), setting your
      communications options (hosts), and setting your forums.

      To get started, you'll need to start ATO for the first time. Place your
      ATO disk in a floppy disk drive and make that the active drive, or CD to
      the hard disk subdirectory where the AUTOSIG files are. Then, at the DOS
      prompt, type AUTOSIG and hit [Enter]

      DOS will load the program into memory and begin its execution. The first
      time you run it, you'll be prompted for the name you want to use in the
      forums. Different forums have different rules and practices about names,
      some requiring a real name and some encouraging a "handle". You'll be
      able to select a name for each forum as you configure ATO; enter here
      whatever name you expect to use most.

      After you enter your name, you should be presented with the ATO Main
      menu.

































      Page 9                                              Autosig, Version 7.0b




      A. The Main Menu

      Figure 1. AUTOSIG Main Menu
       ______________________________________________________________________

       ------------------      ------------------    -------------------------
       Host Selection | |     Item Selection |       | Forum Selection List
       -----------------|      ------------------    |------------------------
                        |                            |
      >>0) CIS2400      |   cr  Select marked forum  |>>A) Mail      M) *none*
        1) CIS9600      |   Esc Reconfigure PC       |  B) Practic   N) *none*
        2) CIS14400     |   F1  AUTOmatic pass 1     |  C) PCCom     O) *none*
        3) CIS28800     |   F2  AUTOmatic pass 2     |  D) PCApp     P) *none*
        4) Tymnet       |   F3  Edit FORUM options   |  E) PCBBS     Q) *none*
        5) CIS          |   F4  Edit HOST options    |  F) PCFun     R) *none*
        6) CIS          |   F5  Add a new Forum      |  G) PCHW      S) *none*
        7) CIS          |   F6  Delete a Forum       |  H) PCNew     T) *none*
        8) CIS          |   F7  Modify AUTO list     |  I) PCProg    U) *none*
        9) CIS          |   F8  Sort forums by name  |  J) PCUtil    V) *none*
       ------------------   F9  Run ACLS and return  |  K) *none*    W) *none*
                            F10 Exit to DOS          |  L) *none*    X) *none*
                                                     -------------------------

           ^ prev host      ENTER select marked forum        PgUp  prev forum
           v next host      alt-N reset all HMNs to N        PgDn  next forum

           Z  highlight forums with pending R, D, M, or S


        AUTOSIG v7.0b Copyright 1993-95, James C. McKeown       Time  1:54:35p
       _______________________________________________________________________


           1. Organization of the Main Menu

      The Main menu screen contains the Host Selection menu on the left, the
      Item Selection menu in the center, and the Forum Selection List on the
      right.

      The Host Selection menu offers a choice of CompuServe services or speeds
      to call.

      The Item Selection menu selects the operation to perform.

      The Forum Selection List offers a choice of forums to access.

      For the first use of ATO, you must:

           - edit the PC Options entries to set colors, printer lines, mouse,
                  beeper, etc.



      Page 10                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




           - edit the host entries to supply your User ID and password, the CIS
                  phone number, and other service items

           - edit the forum entries to identify the forum(s) you wish to access

           2. Moving Around the Menu

      You tell ATO what to do next by pressing a key, or by moving a mouse cur-
      sor to the appropriate field and clicking the left button:

           - Fn (function) keys perform the operations described in the Item
                  Selection menu

           - [Enter] has two meanings. If the bar on the Item Selection menu is
                  at the top, its normal position, [Enter] takes you immediate-
                  ly to the Forum Function menu for the forum whose letter on
                  the Forum Selection List is currently selected. If you use
                  [Tab] or [Shift]-[Tab] to move the Item Selection bar to an-
                  other action on the Item Selection list, [Enter] performs
                  that action.

           - [Tab] moves the Item Selection bar to the next item; [Shift]-[Tab]
                  moves the Item Selection bar to the previous item

           - [Alt]-N resets all ATO forum High Message Numbers to N>ew

           - [PgDn] or [PgUp] select the next or previous forum in the list and
                  move the ">>" indicator

           - [Downarrow] or [Uparrow] select the next or previous host in the
                  list and move the ">>" indicator

           - a number selects a host

           - a letter from A to X selects a forum and brings up its menu

           - the letter Z highlights all forums that have "work" to do

           - [Escape] selects the PC Options menu for viewing and for editing
                  default options, such as the screen colors, prompt character,
                  etc.












      Page 11                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      B. The PC Options Menu

      Pressing the [Escape] key or positioning the Item bar to "Reconfigure PC"
      and hitting [Enter] brings up the Edit PC Options menu in the middle of
      the screen, overlaying the Item Selection menu. Figure 2 shows this menu
      and its default values.

      Figure 2. PC Options Menu

             _______________________
                 ---------------
                 Edit PC Options
                 ---------------
             Normal color     7,0
             Hilite color     15,0
             Printer lines    58
             /H Hide auto textN
             /K Keep Mail     N
             /M Skip REA WAI  N
             /C Cls each msg  N
             /B Disable kybd  N
             /F Printer FF    N
             /S Forum banners N
             /T Slow screen   N
             /Q Quiet beeper  N
             /U Suppress ^U   N
             /G Prompt char   ^G
             /I Allow mouse   N
             /J Insert mode   N
             Parity masking   Y
             Latin-1 codepage N
               [Press F10 to exit]
            _______________________

      ATO comes with a pre-defined set of these PC Options. Unless you're using
      a mouse or are having compatibility problems, you really won't NEED to
      change any of these. You're probably close to information overload as it
      is.

      However, you may want to change some of these later, or may need to jug-
      gle them because of a compatibility problem, so keep this menu in mind.

           1. Choosing PC Options

           "Normal color" - This allows you to set the colors to be used for
                  the foreground and background for non-highlighted areas.
                  Refer to Appendix F for a list of valid numbers. Note:
                  7,0 may provide the best display on a monochrome monitor.

           "Hilite color" - This setting allows you to set the color to be used
                  for highlighted messages and fields. Refer to Appendix F


      Page 12                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




                  for a list of valid color codes. 15,0 may be best for
                  monochrome. The new color settings take effect when you exit
                  the PC Options menu and return to the Main menu.

           "Printer lines" - indicates how many lines per page AUTOSIG should
                  use when printing.

           "/H Hide auto text" - Y turns off the display of headers and mes-
                  sages during automatic operations. This is useful when your
                  display cannot keep up with your modem.

           "/K Keep Mail" - Y tells CIS to keep (save) CompuServe Mail messages
                  in your on-line Mail work area; N tells CIS to delete them
                  from the on-line work area as soon as it has downloaded them.
                  This affects ONLY on-line save or delete.

           "/M Skip REA WAI" - Y will suppress the automatic Read Waiting func-
                  tion, which downloads any new messages addressed to you when
                  you enter a forum for most automatic operations. Turn this on
                  only if you don't want ATO automatically to get messages for
                  you.

           "/C CLS each message" - Enter Y to clear the screen at the beginning
                  of each message, thus reducing scrolling. Useful if your
                  color monitor flickers while lines roll on and off the
                  screen.

           "/B Disable kybd" - A Y locks the keyboard during auto functions.
                  It's probably a fairly useless function.

           "/F Printer FF" - Use N to eliminate most form feeds that are issued
                  when you P>rint forum messages. Your messages will be printed
                  continuously with form feeds issued only as the printer nears
                  the perforation or end of the page. If you issue a LF or FF
                  directly to your printer, ATO's line counter will get out of
                  sync. Set this to Y to have ATO print out each message on a
                  separate page.

           "/S Forum banners" - Use Y to instruct ATO to automatically put a
                  pseudo-message containing forum announcements in your message
                  file each time you enter a forum. (See also Bulletin under
                  Host Configuration Options on Page 18.)

           "/T Slow screen" - Use Y to eliminate writing directly to the
                  monitor's video display buffer. If you're using a clone and
                  your screen blanks unexpectedly, try this switch.

                  ATO is compatible with DESQview, OS/2 and Windows. You need
                  not use /T unless you have problems, i.e. blank or missing
                  displays.



      Page 13                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




           "/Q Quiet beeper" - Use Y to suppress most of the beeps and bells.

           "/U Suppress ^U" - Enter a Y to stop ATO from sending a ^U before it
                  sends a command. Generally you need to leave this set to N
                  unless you're using a network that cannot accept or that
                  otherwise uses a ^U for its own purposes.

           "/G Prompt char" - The prompt character that AUTOSIG normally recog-
                  nizes is ^G, a bell control character. If you want to use an-
                  other prompt character enter the new one here. The control
                  character is a shifted 6 key followed by the character, rath-
                  er than an actual [Ctrl]-whatever.

                  If you use other communications programs for CompuServe and
                  you'd prefer to use something other than the BEL (^G), try
                  ^B. If you change the prompt here, you also have to change it
                  on CompuServe in the OPtion setting for each forum you've al-
                  ready joined.

           "/I Allow mouse" - Change this to Y to enable mousing around.

           "Parity masking" - Change this to N if you want to enable support
                  for the Latin-1 character set (see Appendix I).

           "Latin-1 codepage" - Change this to Y or C if you want to enable
                  Latin-1 support (see Appendix I).

           2. Using Command-Line Switches for PC Options

      The "slash" options described above can be specified when you load the
      AUTOSIG.EXE program by adding a space, "/", and a letter (upper or lower
      case) to specify the option:

           AUTOSIG /T /B /C

      In effect, this command sets the /T, /B, and /C options to Y for the cur-
      rent session, overriding whatever you have set within AUTOSIG using the
      PC Options menu. Other switches are described in Appendix B.















      Page 14                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      C. The Host Configuration Options Menu

           1. Setting Up to Call CompuServe

      AUTOSIG will automatically log onto CIS, but only if it has certain in-
      formation only you can provide: the phone number to dial, your User ID,
      your password, your modem speed, and what port your modem is on. To set
      these and other options important for logging on, select the appropriate
      host entry via a number and then hit [F4] - "Edit Host Options" from the
      Item Selection menu. This will call up the Host Configuration Options
      menu (Figure 3). (The word "host" refers to the computer system you want
      ATO to access via the telephone -- in this case, CompuServe. It is also
      often used here to refer to a particular configuration you have set up.)

      Figure 3. Host Configuration Options Menu

       _________________________________________________

        F10=Exit  ESC=Abort  PgDn/PgUp to edit next HOST
        ------------------------------------------------
              HOST Configuration Options
        ------------------------------------------------
        Host name               CIS2400
        CIS phone number        111-1111
        Your userid             70000,0000
        Your password           password
        Tymnet address
        LogOn/Off SCRipt file
        Userid: prompt          User ID:
        Password: prompt        Password:
        Comm speed (bps)        2400
        Modem dial commands     ~ATM0V1DT
        COMmunications port     COM1
        Modem Connect text      CONNECT
        Modem Disconnect text   NO CARRIER
        Modem Hang-up command   ~+++~ATH
        Modem Reset command     ~+++~ATZ}
        Host 1st ready prompt   CompuServe|Executive
        Forum function prompt   Forum !
        Bulletin file name
        Host connect response   ^C
        File transfer d:\path

       _________________________________________________


           2. Host Configuration Options

      Even if you never call any service other than CIS, it's often convenient
      to have several different host entries, for each speed you expect to use
      and for each node (telephone number) you may want to call.


      Page 15                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b





           "Host name" - identifies the system you are calling. Enter a 1- to
                  17-character name of your choice, including blanks, commas,
                  or any other characters. The default host names indicate the
                  connection speed in bits per second, but including the speed
                  as part of the name is purely optional.

           "CIS phone number" - enter your local CIS or net telephone number.
                  If you access CIS through Tymnet, prefix the number with a T,
                  e.g. T555-1212. If you use SprintNET (Telenet), prefix the
                  number with the letter G, e.g. G555-1212. (You can also in-
                  clude as part of the number the command to turn off call
                  waiting, if you have this service.) ATO sends both the "Modem
                  dial commands" field and this field to the modem when dial-
                  ing.

           "Your userid " - enter your CIS numbers separated by a comma, e.g.
                  70000,0000.

           "Your password " - enter your CIS password. (Special note: Your
                  password will now be on your diskette or hard disk; remember
                  to keep it secure. Though it may be a hassle, do change your
                  password on CIS periodically and go through the routine of
                  changing it in your configuration file; it's worth the extra
                  time and trouble. If you want, you can leave this field blank
                  and type in your password when CIS asks for it.)

           "Tymnet address " - if you are using Tymnet to access CIS, you can
                  enter the host name here. If omitted, the default is CIS02.
                  If you're not using Tymnet this field is ignored.

           "LogOn/Off SCRipt file" - only if you need to run an external script
                  to take you from connection to the CIS "User ID:" prompt, or
                  if you need special handling to complete logoff and dis-
                  connection, enter the name(s) of the script file(s) here. If
                  only one script file is listed or if the filename is followed
                  by a slash it will be used to log on. If a script filename is
                  preceded by a slash it will be used to log off. If two
                  scripts are listed separated by a slash, the first will be
                  used to log on and the second will be used to log off. This
                  whole feature is used only if you dial in through a service
                  ATO does not support directly. See the ATOADV.* file for more
                  information about scripts.

           "Userid prompt" - No need to change this, unless CIS changes its
                  logon prompt (doubtful).

           "Password prompt" - See comment on "Userid prompt."

           "Comm speed (bps)" - Enter the modem speed to be used, normally
                  1200, 2400, 9600 or 19200 bits per second. Valid entries are


      Page 16                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




                  300, 1200, 2400, 9600, 19200, 38400, 57600 and 115200. Use
                  19200 for 14400-bps nodes, and 38400 for 28800-bps nodes. ATO
                  will not change the baud rate while you are connected; you
                  must log off to change the baud rate.

           "Modem dial commands" - The default commands are for the Hayes modem
                  and should be retained -- unless, of course, your modem is
                  not Hayes-compatible. In that case, enter the appropriate
                  commands here. This field can also be used to extend the
                  telephone number. The default contains "M0"; if you want to
                  hear the handshaking between ATO and CIS, delete these two
                  characters or change them to "M1". You can also include in
                  the modem dial commands any necessary setup commands that you
                  did not want to make permanent in your modem setup when you
                  first installed ATO. The final command must be the actual
                  dial command, D, DP or DT. Use DP if you have "pulse" phone
                  service or DT if you have true "tone" service.

           "COMmunications port" - enter COM1 if your modem is on COM1, COM2 if
                  your modem is on COM2, COM3 if your modem is on COM3, or COM4
                  if your modem is on COM4.

                  In most cases, that should do the job. However if you know
                  that your COM port is using an unusual IRQ (any IRQ other
                  than 3 or 4), then add a slash and the IRQ number to the end,
                  as in COM3/5, which means COM port 3 using IRQ5.

                  If your COM port is using an unusual base address, the full
                  form of the specification ATO will accept is COMx/y/&Hzzzz,
                  where x is the port number, y is the IRQ and zzzz is the ad-
                  dress in hex. If you enter the base address, you must specify
                  the IRQ, even if the IRQ is standard.

                  If you specify the simple COM port and ATO has difficulty
                  talking with your modem, try fully specifying COMx/y/&Hzzzz
                  as in the previous paragraph. (Some computers do not fully
                  set up their COM ports and need a bit of help.)

                  Sorry for the complications, but there's just no one standard
                  for these addresses. For a list of common IRQs and addresses,
                  see Appendix C.

           "Modem Connect text" - tells ATO what your modem sends when the
                  phone is connected. The default is "CONNECT". The match must
                  be exact, including case.

           "Modem Disconnect text" - tells ATO what your modem sends when the
                  phone becomes disconnected. The default is "NO CARRIER". ATO
                  also checks for "BUSY" and "NO DIALTONE". The match must be
                  exact, including case.



      Page 17                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




           "Modem Hang-up command" - tells ATO what to send to the modem to
                  disconnect the phone. The default for a Hayes-compatible
                  modem is "~+++~ATH". By the way, the special character ~
                  (tilde, or squiggle) is used to have ATO pause one second, a
                  } (right curly brace) to send a carriage return, and a ^
                  (caret, or the shifted 6 key) to indicate a control character
                  such as ^D.

           "Modem Reset command" - tells ATO what to send to the modem to reset
                  it. The default for a Hayes-compatible modem is "~+++~ATZ}".
                  Some modems need time to "settle down" after a reset and need
                  a few tildes after the Z.

           "Host 1st ready prompt" - tells ATO what the host will send when it
                  is ready. The default here is "CompuServe|Executive", which
                  means either "CompuServe" or "Executive". The match must be
                  exact, including case.

           "Forum function prompt" - is used to tell ATO what prompt you see
                  when you arrive in a forum. If you have your options set to
                  immediately log you into the message section, change the
                  prompt to "Messages !". For AUTO use (see Section VI),
                  this MUST be "Forum !" (the default).

                  Note carefully that there is a space between "Forum" and "!",
                  and that the word "Forum" has a capital "F" and the remaining
                  letters lower case. The same rules apply to "Messages !", as
                  what appears in this field must match exactly what CIS sends
                  as a prompt.

           "Bulletin file name" - If you want ATO to save CIS logon messages
                  and forum entry messages until the first forum command is
                  sent, enter a filename here, such as AUTOSIG.BUL, for ATO to
                  use. Otherwise the bulletins will not be saved. Include the
                  drive and path with the filename if the file is not to be
                  kept in AUTOSIG's own disk or directory. (Alternatively,
                  forum entry messages can be saved in with the forum messages,
                  see Page 13.)

           "HOST connect response" - This is the code you send CompuServe to
                  tell it you're ready to go. Normally a ^C is what you'll want
                  to use. In the case of 2400 bps or faster MNP nodes, you'll
                  want to insert some tildes to delay sending the ^C. The fol-
                  lowing entry should be adequate:

                           ~~~~~~~^C

                  This allows 7 seconds for MNP handshaking after the CONNECT
                  message before the sending of the ^C.

           "File transfer d:\path" - If you want file downloads to go somewhere


      Page 18                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




                  other than the default drive or subdirectory, enter the path
                  for downloads, followed by a trailing backslash. The follow-
                  ing would cause downloads to go to a subdirectory on drive C:
                  called DOWNLOAD:

                           C:\DOWNLOAD\

                  Please ensure that the path you define is a subdirectory that
                  actually exists on your disk!

                  This path is only used when you download a file from a forum
                  library using a DOW command or hitting [PgDn] at the
                  "Disposition !" prompt after a BRO command. It is not used in
                  non-forum areas (such as MSL and NOVFILES); there the files
                  should wind up either in the current directory or in whatever
                  directory you specify when you provide a filename for your
                  computer.




































      Page 19                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      D. The Forum Configuration Options Menu

      The Forum Selection List comes preset with several predefined, standard
      forum entries. None of them is required, but if you intend to access
      CompuServe Mail, you MUST have an entry containing the word "mail", such
      as, well, MAIL.

      Adding your favorite forums to the Forum Selection List, or deleting
      those already there, or otherwise changing the presets, will be explained
      below.

      To add a forum to the Forum Selection List so that you can access it
      automatically using AUTOSIG, choose item F5 - "Add a New Forum". AUTOSIG
      will take you to the Forum Configuration Options menu (Figure 4) for the
      next unused letter in the list -- in this example, K.






































      Page 20                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      Figure 4. Forum Configuration Options Menu

      ______________________________________________________________________

      ----------------------------------------------------------------------
           Forum Configuration Options           |    Forum Selection List
      -------------------------------------------|--------------------------
      ATO Forum name      *none*                 |    A) Mail      M) *none*
      GO word/page        cis-1                  |    B) Practic   N) *none*
      Files drive:\path   C:\ATO                 |    C) PCCom     O) *none*
      Starting msg # or N N                      |    D) PCApp     P) *none*
      Append msg file y/n Y                      |    E) PCBBS     Q) *none*
      Log sessions    y/n Y                      |    F) PCFun     R) *none*
      Stay connected  y/n N                      |    G) PCHw      S) *none*
      Send forum ^P   y/n N                      |    H) PCNew     T) *none*
      Sections (# or ALL)                        |    I) PCProg    U) *none*
      Addressbook file    C:\ATO\ATO.PPN         |    J) PCUtil    V) *none*
      Default Send Mode   S                      |  >>K) *none*    W) *none*
        ''  Keep Outgoing N                      |    L) *none*    X) *none*
      Name used in forum  Robert Bell            |--------------------------
      --------------------------------------------        PgUp  prev forum
      Press F10 when finished, alt-N for sections.        PgDn  next forum
      Use cursor keys for movement

      ______________________________________________________________________

      The menu provides a list of options for you to specify. Several of them
      have already been filled with default values. Change those that are in-
      correct -- for example, the ATO Forum name and the GO word/page -- or
      that don't reflect what you want AUTOSIG to do.

           "ATO Forum name" - this is the local name you will give to the
                  forum, which will be displayed on AUTOSIG's menus. Enter a
                  name of up to SEVEN characters.

                * Since this name is used to create files, be sure that it
                * contains only valid DOS filename characters. That is, do not
                * use an * (asterisk), ? (question mark), or . (period). If the
                * name you give is too long, ATO will truncate it after the
                * seventh character.

           "GO word/page" - enter the forum "page number" or, even better, the
                  "quick reference word", e.g. PCCOM. You can also include a
                  gateway name, with the syntax gate:forumname, e.g.: CIS:PCCOM
                  or ZNT:UTILFORUM.

                * Remember, ATO is designed to work automatically only with
                * true forums and with mail. ATO will get confused if you enter
                * the go word of a non-forum area, such as MALL or PCNET,
                * because when it gets there it won't see the usual forum or
                * mail prompts from CIS.


      Page 21                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b





                  Appendix A provides instructions for obtaining a current
                  list of forum names and their quick reference words.

           "Files drive:\path" - tells ATO which drive and directory to use for
                  its files. If the field is made blank, ATO will fill in the
                  current directory on the current drive. You can supply a
                  drive and/or path name -- for example, C:\ATO. If the drive
                  and/or path are not valid, this field is blanked, which means
                  that ATO will proceed to fill in the current drive and direc-
                  tory.

                  Exceptions: The AUTOSIG.DFN file is normally in the current
                  drive and directory when ATO is started. If no file by that
                  name exists in the current directory when ATO is started, one
                  is created. (See Page 45 and Appendix B for two ways
                  to put the AUTOSIG.DFN in a different location.) AUTOSIG.HLP
                  must be in the same directory as AUTOSIG.EXE for help to
                  work; and the AUTOSIG.mth (where mth is the three-letter ab-
                  breviation of the current month; see "Log sessions", Page
                  22) log files are created in the same subdirectory as
                  AUTOSIG.EXE itself. All other files can be accessed from the
                  drive and path named here.

           "Starting msg # or N" - normally N is used initially so that all New
                  messages are processed. After you have used ATO to download
                  messages or headers, ATO itself will insert the last message
                  number read here. When you go on-line again, ATO will use
                  this number in place of the CIS High Message Number (HMN) for
                  the Q, H, F, J, and T functions. If you want to reset this to
                  N for the current forum and let CIS use its HMN, you can
                  enter the [Alt]-N command at the Forum Function menu. Or you
                  can reset it for all forums with [Alt]-N at the Main menu.

                  If you want to review all messages available in the forum,
                  you can reset this field to 0.

           "Append msg file" - Enter an N to erase the current message file and
                  create a new one whenever messages are downloaded. Leave it
                  at Y to accumulate messages in the current message file. (An
                  alternative way to accumulate messages in a file is to S>ave
                  the ones you want to keep as you read them within AUTOSIG.)
                  If you do leave the setting at Y, be sure to watch free disk
                  space carefully, and edit message files with your editor or
                  word processor (or erase them using AUTOSIG's K>ill command)
                  when space gets short.

           "Log sessions" - Enter a Y to record on-line time in a log file. The
                  log file name is AUTOSIG.mth, where "mth" is an abbreviation
                  for the current month. Enter an N to disable logging. The log
                  file contents are used by ACLS for accounting purposes, if


      Page 22                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




                  you wish to use it.

           "Stay connected" - Enter a Y if you wish to remain connected after a
                  semi-automatic message upload/download session. If you want
                  to visit other areas of the forum for downloading or whatever
                  during the current call, this option should be set to Y.
                  Enter an N to have ATO disconnect from CIS after completing
                  any semi-automatic on-line function in this forum. AUTO
                  operations (see Section VI) keep you connected until you
                  have visited all the specified forums, regardless of how you
                  have set this option.

           "Send forum ^P" - Enter a Y to instruct ATO to send a ^P immediately
                  after a GO page command. This suppresses CIS messages before
                  the "Forum !" prompt. This mode is not recommended because
                  you can miss important information in the forum news flash
                  and because the [Ctrl]-P can cause CIS not to notify you --
                  and ATO -- when you have messages waiting.

           "Sections (# or ALL)" - Leave this blank if you intend to access all
                  forum sections (subtopics) or if you prefer to use the CIS
                  OPtion command to manage your sections. Otherwise, enter a
                  list of section numbers (example: 1 3 4-8 12 means sections
                  1, 3, 4 through 8, and 12). ATO will access messages from
                  only those sections.

                  You may wish to leave the default blank setting for now, or
                  change it to ALL. When you configure the forum for ATO, ATO
                  will gather a list of the forum's sections; you can then see
                  that list by pressing [Alt]-N in the Forum Configuration Op-
                  tions menu.

           "Addressbook file" - This is the name of the file (example:
                  C:\ATO\ATO.PPN) used to store names and User IDs. You can
                  have different file names for different forums or groups of
                  forums, or a common one for all.

           "Default Send Mode" - Leave this set to S to have any messages you
                  write start out with the standard send mode, letting CIS
                  reformat them to match the screen width of whoever reads
                  them. You can later change the mode for any individual mes-
                  sages that for whatever reason require a different mode.

           "Default Keep Outgoing" - Leave this set to N if you normally don't
                  need to keep a record of messages you send or tend to
                  download a copy of your own messages the next time you visit
                  the forum. Change it to Y if you want ATO to insert pseudo-
                  messages containing the text of your messages in your message
                  file. You can later change the mode for any individual mes-
                  sages, if you want. The default for the MAIL "forum" is Y.



      Page 23                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




           "Name used in forum" - This should already be filled in with the
                  name you entered the first time you started ATO. Make sure it
                  is set to the name you want in this particular forum. The
                  name here will be saved on CIS when you join the forum, and
                  CIS will use that name when you send a message on this forum.
                  Bear in mind that changing the setting here after you join a
                  forum will not automatically change the setting on CIS; to do
                  that, you have to go on-line to that forum and manually ex-
                  ecute an OPtion command.

      When all the Forum Configuration Options are set, save them by using the
      [F10] key. That stores the information to be written to your AUTOSIG.DFN
      file and adds the forum to the Forum Selection List.








































      Page 24                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      E. Setting Options on CompuServe

      AUTOSIG expects to work with CompuServe in particular ways. In order for
      ATO to work properly, it requires certain options. These include command
      mode instead of menu mode (no need for menus when you're going full
      blast) and a prompt character that provides a cue for ATO actions.

      There are three basic areas of CIS you'll have to configure. First comes
      the Terminal section, where you'll tell CompuServe what sort of terminal
      you have, what display and scrolling options you want, etc. Next you'll
      set up CompuServe Mail to send and receive mail for you with ATO. And
      last come the forums, where ATO will set a prompt character that it can
      recognize and change a few other options.

      It's important that each of these options be set, otherwise ATO will not
      see what it expects to see and run into problems. So it's a good idea to
      spend some time to double-check them. The time you spend double-checking
      will be more than paid back in your first AUTOSIG session.

      You can make the settings in Terminal and Mail manually, as documented
      here, or use the script CSETUP.SCR, as documented in STARTUP.DOC. ATO
      will normally make the forum settings itself, however those settings are
      detailed in Appendix G so you know what AUTOSIG is doing or in the
      event you want to do it yourself.


           1. Terminal Options

      You must make sure that CompuServe's settings for your terminal are the
      ones ATO needs to work properly.

      Actually, CompuServe maintains different configurations for your User ID
      at 300, 1200, 2400, 9600, 14400 and 28800 bits per second. You must log
      onto CIS at each transmission speed you use to change the settings for
      that speed.

      Select any forum (but not Mail) by pressing its letter from the Main
      menu. At the Forum Function menu, hit G to Go on-line. Answer Y to the
      question "Do you want to auto-logon? (y/N)". When you get to a "Forum !"
      prompt, hit [Escape] twice to make sure you're in terminal mode and type
      GO TERMINAL [Enter].

           Select menu item 2, "Change Permanent settings"

           Select menu item 2, "Logon/Service Options"
             Set "First Service at logon" to MAIN
             Set "CompuServe Mail waiting" to NOTIFY ONLY
             Set "Personal menu established" to NO
             Set "Forum mode" to MENU

           Hit [Enter] to exit.


      Page 25                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b





           Select "Terminal Types/Parameters"
             Set "TERMINAL type" to OTHER
             Set "Screen WIDTH" to 80
             Set "LINES per page" to 0
             Set "Form FEEDS" to SIMULATED
             Set "Horizontal TABS" to SIMULATED
             Set "Chars. rec'd (CASE)" to U/L
             Set "Chars. sent in CAPS" to NO
             Set "PARITY" to NONE (Note: See Appendix I)
             Set "Output DELAYS" to 0
             Set "ERASE when backspacing" to NO (or YES, if you prefer)

           Hit [Enter] to exit.

           Select "Display Options"
             Set "PAGED Display" to NO
             Set "BRIEF Prompts" to YES
             Set "CLEAR between pages" to NO
             Set "BLANK" lines sent to YES
             Set "Line feeds sent" to YES
             Set "Language Preference" to ENGLISH
             Set "Character Set" to LATIN-1 (Note: You have to set the
                     Terminal Types option "Parity" to NONE before you can
                     set the Display option "Character Set" to LATIN-1. See
                     Appendix I for more information about Latin-1.)

           Hit [Enter] to exit

           Select "Make session settings permanent".
            Reply Y to make the changes permanent.

      Believe me, it's not as complicated as it looks.


           2. CompuServe Mail Settings

      While you're still on-line, you should set yourself up in CompuServe
      Mail, even if you don't currently use it.

      Type GO MAIL and press [Enter] to get there (do not go there from the
      Mail Forum Function menu, since you haven't set things up yet for that to
      work). Then select menu option 5, "ADDRESS Book", then item 5,
      "Enter/Change your NAME/Postal Address". (If you don't get a menu when
      you enter Mail, type SET MODE MENU and press [Enter].) Enter your name
      (your address is optional). When you're done, hit [Enter] to return to
      the CompuServe Mail Main Menu. Then type SET and press [Enter]. Then set
      "EDITOR uses line numbers" to NO, "MODE of operation" to COMMAND, and
      "Output is PAGED" to NO. Then hit [Enter] and reply Y to the question
      "Make changes permanent for future CompuServe Mail sessions? (Y or N)!"



      Page 26                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      That's it. Type OFF and press [Enter] to log off CompuServe.


           3. Forum Options

      To set your forum options -- whether you're already a member of the forum
      or not -- you'll want to use the ATO "join" function. From the Main menu,
      select a host with a number key. Then select the first forum in your list
      -- remember, Mail isn't a forum -- by pressing its letter. From the Forum
      Function menu, press G to tell ATO to Go on-line, then Y to auto-login.
      ATO will dial CompuServe and automatically go to that forum.

      If the forum is set to use menu mode, it should trigger ATO's Autojoin
      function. If not, when ATO reaches the forum, hit the [Escape] key twice
      to enter ATO terminal mode and type [Alt]-J. ATO will then set all your
      forum options as well as collect section and library names for off-line
      use. It will also "join" you if you aren't already a forum member.

           To go to the next forum, hit [Ctrl]-D.

           Reply N to the "logoff" question, if asked.

           Reply N to the "Have you left <forumname>?" question.

           Hit [PgDn] to go to the next ATO forum.

           Hit G to Go on-line. ATO will send you to that forum, where you can
             continue this cycle for each forum on your forum list.

      It's very important that you NOT use any manual GO commands during this
      process, as ATO needs to do it for you in order to keep track of where it
      is and what forums it is gathering information from.

      If you elect to join a new forum of which you're not currently a member,
      just add it to your forum list. When you go there, ATO should detect that
      you're not a member and automatically join you using the name in your
      Forum Configuration. All other forum options will be automatically set.

           Notes: ATO will set the forum to use EDIT, the on-line editor
                  without line numbers. If you prefer to change to LINEDIT, the
                  editor with line numbers, feel free to do so; ATO will switch
                  back for the session only when it enters the forum.

                  Upon entering any forum, ATO will also tell CIS to disable
                  for the current session the receipt of immediate messages
                  sent to you by other on-line users, so that if someone sends
                  you a greeting it won't disrupt an automatic operation. ATO's
                  command to disable sends will produce a harmless "% Invalid
                  command" error message from CIS in forums, such as PRACTICE,
                  where sends are not permitted.



      Page 27                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




                  Autojoin will put you in command mode. If you want to use the
                  forum outside of ATO from time to time but feel uncomfortable
                  without menus, no problem! While I encourage you to eliminate
                  menus (as they can use a lot of time), you can send the com-
                  mand OP;UM YES;S (OPtion;Use Menus YES;Session only) at a
                  "Forum !" prompt to enable menus. (If you like, you can even
                  store this command on a Function key, see Page 60.) Since
                  this setting is only for that session, command mode will be
                  restored the next time you dial in.












































      Page 28                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      V. Working On-Line with AUTOSIG

      Okay, lots of work so far and no fun. Now that the Host and Forum con-
      figurations are complete and correct, let's go on-line and access a
      forum.

      Select the forum you want to visit from the Forum Selection List. When
      you do so, you will see the Forum Function menu (Figure 5). This lays out
      the things AUTOSIG can do for you, and the keystroke commands to do them.

      Figure 5. Example Forum Function Menu
      ________________________________________________________________________

      Host: CIS2400             Forum: PCCom                   Status: Offline

      ------------------------------------------------------------------------
         Online Message Processing      |     Offline Message Processing
      ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        |
      F  Read Forward all new messages  | R  Read and reply offline
      Q  Quick scan message headers     | D  Download marked messages
      H  Scan Headers in message order  | M  Mark message headers for download
      J  Scan headers in thread order   | P  Preview outgoing message file
      T  Read Thread all new messages   | S  Send new messages online
      U  Read new messages to this ID   | V  View SAVEd messages offline
      I  Read ALL messages from this ID | W  Write new messages offline
      A  Read new messages sent to All  | L  List bulletins file
                                        |
      ------------------------------------------------------------------------
      1  AUTO first pass       | B  Beeper ON/off   |  ?  See Help (more keys)
      2  AUTO second pass      | K  Delete files    |  O  Change forum options
      G  Go online/terminal    | N  Update DFN file |  C  Change forum/host
      Z  Send OFF and disconn  | X  Exit to DOS     | ESC Change PC options
      ------------------------------------------------------------------------
       ^v next host                                        <<- ->>next forum
                                       >>_<<
                                  Select a function


      Memory 261696                HMN N        Date 05-08-94   Time  8:16:37p

      ________________________________________________________________________


      The menu is divided into several different areas. Across the top you see
      a reminder of what forum you will be accessing and what host you will be
      dialing to access it. You can change the host from this menu by using the
      up and down arrow keys; and if you've called up the menu for the wrong
      forum, you can find the right one using the [PgUp] and [PgDn] keys or the
      left/right arrow keys.



      Page 29                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      In general, AUTOSIG functions that can be performed on-line on CIS are
      listed on the left; those you do before or after a CIS access are on the
      right.

      There are many choices -- too many, even, to list on the screen. Which to
      choose? Well, it depends on what you want to do.

      But, for starters, to get all new messages on a forum (only from the sec-
      tions you selected on the Forum Configuration Options screen) in thread
      order, pick T.

      Or to quickly grab headers so you can select which threads you want to
      download, pick Q to quick scan headers, M to mark the ones you want, and
      D to download the threads.

      Or, for more details, read on.





































      Page 30                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      A. Off-line Forum Functions

           (?) "See Help (more keys)"

      Displays a help screen. Press [Enter] to clear and return to the menu.

           (B) "Beeper ON/off"

      This toggles the beep that ATO sends when a session sequence or error has
      occurred. The default is beep on.

           (C) "Change forum/host"

      Press C to switch to the Main menu. This is, among other things, a quick
      way to select another forum.

           (E) "Shell to DOS"

      Invokes DOS so that you can run other programs or enter DOS commands. ATO
      remains active and in memory, but the communications line is suspended.
      If ATO is on-line to CIS when you do this, it will stay connected, and
      any CIS charges will continue to mount. To return to ATO, enter the EXIT
      command to DOS.

           (K) "Delete files"

      Use this option to erase/delete the bulletin (B) file or the message (M),
      save (S), header (H), or download (D) file for the current forum. You can
      also respond with an N for none if you change your mind.

           (L) "List bulletins file"

      If you have supplied a bulletin file name in the Host Configuration Op-
      tions menu (see Page 18), press L to read any bulletins stored in it.
      As you read the bulletins, press [Enter] to read the next page or
      [Escape] to exit the bulletin file and return you to the menu. As an
      alternative to pressing L, [Alt]-L will attempt to open the bulletin file
      using the program LIST.COM (or any other executable named LIST), if it is
      in your DOS path. LIST is more versatile than the built-in viewer, allow-
      ing you to scroll forward or backward through the file, among other
      things. LIST is currently available as LIST91.EXE in Library 6 of PCUTIL.

           (N) "Update DFN file"

      This function writes all ATO information to the AUTOSIG.DFN file. This is
      normally done when ATO is properly exited, but you can use it whenever
      you want to be sure, for whatever reason, that the DFN file has been up-
      dated.

           (O) "Change forum options"



      Page 31                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      Press O to switch to the Forum Configuration Options menu, where you can
      change the settings for the current forum (or, by using the [PgUp] and
      [PgDn] keys, for any other forum). Pressing [F3] has the same effect.

           (P) "Preview outgoing message file"

      Press P to preview any replies and original messages you have already
      written, so that you can revise or delete any of them if you wish before
      leaving them in the forum. ATO loads the <forumname>L.ATO file in the
      message editor and presents the messages to you one by one. When you have
      disposed of the last message, AUTOSIG rewrites the <forumname>L.ATO file
      to include your changes.

      You can use the preview function on a reply to change the privacy of the
      message or to change whether you want CIS to reformat (change the end-of-
      line word wrap of) the message.

      You can also use the preview function to change the message from a reply
      to a new message (which also starts a new thread). If you send a new mes-
      sage, you can also use preview to change the message section within the
      forum and the addressee's name and User ID.

           (V) "View SAVEd messages offline"

      If you have saved individual messages while reading them using the S>ave
      command, you can view them from within AUTOSIG by pressing V. If there is
      no <forumname>S.ATO file for that forum, ATO will ask you for the name of
      the file you want to view. While you're viewing a message file, pressing
      V will cause ATO to prompt you for a new message file to view, useful if
      you want to "reply" in one forum to a message in another. Pressing [Left
      arrow] or [Right arrow] will take you to the <forumname>S.ATO saved mes-
      sage file, if any, for the previous or next forum.

           (W) "Write new messages offline"

      In addition to replies, new messages can be prepared offline. Press W and
      you are placed in the send box of the message editor -- discussed in Sec-
      tion IX -- and asked to name the addressee and supply a subject des-
      cription and forum section.

           (X) "Exit to DOS"

      When you have finished an AUTOSIG session, and when you have logged off
      from CIS, press X to leave AUTOSIG and return to the DOS prompt. If you
      are still connected when you press X, you will see this message at the
      bottom of the screen:

           "Exiting to DOS without logging off. OK? (y/N)"

      Hit [Enter] to return to the Forum Function menu, where you can then use
      the Z ("send OFF and disconn"ect) command, or, if you really want to exit


      Page 32                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      ATO while connected, reply with a Y.




















































      Page 33                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      B. On-line Forum Functions

      The most commonly used methods for reading sequences of CIS forum mes-
      sages are available on this menu. Certain others, such as RS (Read
      Search), are available only in Terminal mode.

           (Q) "Quick Scan message headers"

      Downloads message headers using the CIS SCAn QUIck command. Each message
      header represents one or several messages in a thread, and includes the
      message number (for the first in the current thread), subject, subtopic,
      and number of replies. This method is much quicker than H or J scans.

      When all of the message headers have been downloaded, ATO returns to the
      Forum Function menu, where you can use the M>ark function (see Page
      39) to select the messages you want to download and read.

           (H) "Scan Headers in message order"

      H is similar to Q, except that the message headers are downloaded in mes-
      sage number order using CIS's SCAn FORward command, and each represents
      only one message. These headers include the From, To, and Date fields in
      addition to those that are included when you Q>uick scan.

           (J) "Scan headers in thread order"

      J is similar to H except that headers are downloaded in thread order
      rather than in numerical order.

           (D) "Download marked messages"

      If you have downloaded message headers and then marked messages to be
      downloaded, the D command is used to go online and issue the CIS commands
      to download them. (It also works if you stayed online to mark messages
      and download them.)

      AUTOSIG sends a REA THR NUM:n (if the headers reflect threads) or a RIn
      (if the headers indicate individual messages) command to CIS. The
      downloaded messages are captured in a file named <forumname>M.ATO -- M
      for messages -- that can be read and replied to within AUTOSIG.

           (S) "Send new messages online"

      Press S to send the original messages and replies in <forumname>L.ATO to
      the forum.

      AUTOSIG provides insurance in case you have replied to a message that has
      been deleted before you get back on-line. If the forum software can't
      find the original message, your reply will be left as if it was an
      original message to the same addressee and with the same subject.



      Page 34                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      Once the messages are successfully posted, ATO erases the <forum-
      name>L.ATO file.

           (F) "Read Forward all new messages"

      Downloads all messages in message number order by using the CIS forum
      software REAd FORward command. The messages are read beginning with the
      High Message Number specified in ATO's Forum Configuration. AUTOSIG will
      update this number each time you use this function.

           (T) "Read Thread all new messages"

      Downloads all messages in thread order starting with the High Message
      Number that you supplied in the Forum Configuration Options menu. This
      function also updates the High Message Number in your configuration.

           (U) "Read new messages to this ID"

      is the equivalent of CIS's REAd WAIting from the "Forum !" prompt. It
      will read all new messages on the forum that are addressed to you.

           (I) "Read ALL messages from this ID"

      Downloads messages that you have sent by using the REAd SELect command
      with your User ID.

           (Y) "Read ALL messages to this ID"

      Downloads all the messages addressed to your User ID that are still on
      the message board, using the REAd SEArch command and specifying your User
      ID in the "To:" field.

      U, I, and Y are useful for a quick check to see if a message you left has
      been read by the addressee or had any replies, or to delete messages to
      or from you that have served their purpose and have no general interest
      (or are private and therefore inaccessible to other forum members).

      But, unless, under PC Options, you set "Skip REA WAI" to Y or, under
      Forum Configuration Options you set "Send forum ^P" to Y, ATO will
      automatically download any waiting messages to you when you do a Q, H, or
      J scan of a forum, so U is often not necessary. And you'll get any wait-
      ing messages in your chosen sections (see Page 23) in any case if you
      do a T or F.

           [F1] and (1) "AUTO first pass"
           [F2] and (2) "AUTO second pass"

      Invokes AUTO routines to access several forums automatically in one CIS
      session -- discussed in detail in Section VI of this manual.

           (G) "Go online/terminal"


      Page 35                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b





      Press G when you want to use AUTOSIG as a simple terminal program, for
      example when downloading from or uploading to a forum library. ATO will
      dial CIS, log on, go to the forum, and then leave you to issue your own
      commands. See Section VIII for details about the function-key and [Alt]-
      key commands available in this mode. To leave Terminal mode and use
      AUTOSIG's automatic functions again, press [Ctrl]-D or [Ctrl]-X.

           (Z) "Send OFF and disconn"ect

      This command allows you to send the OFF command to CIS and hang up the
      phone. Use this option if you are finished with a CIS access, have the
      Forum Function menu on screen, and see the "PC is CONNECTED" message at
      the bottom of the menu. There is a pause of about four seconds after dis-
      connection so that you can see any final messages, such as your connect
      time, followed by the prompt "[Disconnect detected]". Press [Enter] to
      return to the Forum Function menu.

           (+)  "Go online and gather section and library topics"

      This command dials up CIS and refreshes the message section and library
      names for the current forum.































      Page 36                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      C. Intervening in an AUTOSIG Session

      During automatic operation, any keyboard input (except [Escape]) is sent
      to CIS. Thus, if an error occurs, you can type in the correct command or
      response. Often, when CIS responds to your typed command, AUTOSIG will
      pick up its automatic routine and carry it through.

      If you wish to stop automatic processing, for example if problems develop
      that don't stop AUTOSIG by themselves or you want to abort a mail or
      forum message upload, hit the [Escape] key TWICE to enter Terminal mode
      and regain control. (Once ATO is in Terminal mode, an [Escape] is passed
      through to CIS.)

      Pressing [Escape] ONCE during an automated operation will cause AUTOSIG
      to stay connected at the end of the operation.

      ATO can recover from many CIS errors, but in case it gets stuck it has a
      "deadman" switch that will log it off after two minutes of inactivity.
      Or, if you prefer, you should usually be able to hit [Escape] twice to
      get ATO into Terminal mode, then manually send CIS a [Ctrl]-P or a
      [Ctrl]-C to stop it and regain control. As a last resort if that doesn't
      work, press [Ctrl]-H to have ATO hang up the phone.































      Page 37                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      D. Forum Function Menu Special Keys

      In addition to the labeled letter keys, these special keys are also
      available from the Forum Function menu:

           [Escape] selects the PC Options menu, for reconfiguring your PC op-
                  tions

           [PgUp] moves to the previous ATO forum entry
           [PgDn] moves to the next ATO forum entry

           [Left arrow] moves to the previous ATO forum entry
           [Right arrow] moves to the next ATO forum entry

           [Up arrow] moves to the previous ATO host entry
           [Down arrow] moves to the next ATO host entry

           [Alt]-M invokes the Addressbook processor

           [Alt]-N causes the High Message Number to be changed to N for this
                  forum (see Appendix H)

           [Alt]-W toggles between 43- or 50- and 25-line display modes

           [Alt]-V toggles between Menu and Command modes (see Section VIII)

           [F1][F2] call up menus that let you set a time and date for AUTO /1
                  or /2 to run automatically.

           [F3]   invokes the Forum Configuration Options menu for editing
                  forum items

           [F4]   invokes the Host Configuration Options menu for editing host
                  items

           [F7]   lets you modify the AUTO list or create a new one (see Sec-
                  tion VI)
















      Page 38                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      E. Offline Message Processing

      After you have used AUTOSIG to go online, you may find that each Forum
      Function menu has one or more of the Offline Message Processing options
      highlighted. That indicates that there is an ATO file you can read or
      otherwise process by pressing that letter.

      Also, at the bottom of the menu a suggestion letter will appear in the
      blank above "Select a function." Normally, the letter is the one you
      would press anyway to perform the next logical step in dealing with forum
      messages; for instance, if you've just finished using the D command to
      Download messages, the letter R (for Read) will not only be highlighted
      in the menu but will appear at the bottom, where it can be selected by
      hitting the [Enter] key.

      The various menu items are discussed here:

           (M) "Mark message headers for download"

      This step normally follows the downloading of message headers done by the
      ATO Q scanning command. (Or an H or J command) Press M and AUTOSIG will
      list the headers one screenful at a time, as in Figure 6 from a Q scan:

      Figure 6. Example (M)ark Screen

      Marking 'PCHw' messages: 20 headers; HMN=446311        BOTTOM  1 - 20
      446278-   0:  DockingStaion I / SCSI        S 0 / General Information
      446279-   0:  computer care                 S 0 / General Information
      446283-   0:  Networking                    S 0 / General Information
      446256-   1:  Line Conditioner & UPS        S 4 / General Hardware
      446258-   0:  Keyboard Interface ???        S 4 / General Hardware
      446264-   0:  VESA slots usage              S 4 / General Hardware
      446268-   0:  Electronics help needed       S 4 / General Hardware
      446271-   1:  New UPS Frontier!             S 4 / General Hardware
      446280-   0:  286 to 386 Upgrade            S 4 / General Hardware
      446281-   0:  CMOS Battery Help             S 4 / General Hardware
      446284-   0:  Graphical System Info         S 4 / General Hardware
      446294-   0:  AIR, MBW and all              S 4 / General Hardware
      446296-   0:  32 bit disk acc+ IN-2000      S 4 / General Hardware
      446297-   0:  iobase, what is it?           S 4 / General Hardware
      446300-   0:  BIOS swap                     S 4 / General Hardware
      446301-   0:  PFC Power Supplies            S 4 / General Hardware
      446311-   0:  Can't control A20 line!       S 4 / General Hardware
      446290-   0:  Voice Recognition             S 13 / 486/P5 Systems
      446298-   0:  Contaq/Award/PCI mb oke?      S 13 / 486/P5 Systems
      446303-   0:  do 64 bit buses exist?        S 13 / 486/P5 Systems

      M>ark   Enter = unmark   ESCape = cancel   F10 = finished

      Use the up/down arrow keys to select messages to be marked. The [PgDn]
      key displays the next screenful; [PgUp] displays the previous screenful;


      Page 39                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      [Home] positions to the top line on the current screen; [End] positions
      to the last entry on the screen.

      Press M to mark a message to be downloaded. Press any other key to unmark
      a message so that it will not be downloaded.

      When the last screenful of message headers is displayed, the top line of
      the screen includes the word BOTTOM.

      The menu at the bottom of the screen offers two ways to leave the Mark
      function. Press [F10] and your markings will be recorded for use by ATO
      for downloading messages and the header file will be deleted. Or press
      [Escape] to abort the function, discard your marks, and retain the header
      file.

       * IMPORTANT! The F10 function deletes the header file, so all desired
       * headers must be marked in one session. If you mark some and exit
       * with [F10], the file will no longer exist.

      If you have elected to use the H or J command, the following display is
      presented:

           Msg# 356658 S3/Reading Messages
                04-May-94  11:41:23
            Sb: Sample msg header
            Fm: Robert Bell 70641,1114
            To: All

           >> << M)ark one, mark T)hread, S)kip thread, Q)uit
                 Enter for next, ESC>ape to abort

      You can M>ark the header to download the single message, use the T>hread
      command to download the entire thread from this point onward, S>kip to
      the next thread, Q>uit, hit [Escape] to abort, or hit the [Enter] key to
      continue with the next message.

      When you have completed marking the message headers, download the actual
      messages by pressing D. (If you use an AUTO /2 pass, this will take place
      automatically whenever ATO finds a file of headers you have marked in a
      forum that has a task assigned in the AUTO list.) The downloaded messages
      are captured in a file named <forumname>M.ATO that can be read and
      replied to within AUTOSIG.

           (R) "Read and reply offline"

      Press R and the messages in <forumname>M.ATO will be displayed, one at a
      time, for you to read and, if you wish, to answer. If a message is too
      long to fit on a screen, an "E>nter For More" prompt will appear on the
      bottom line of the screen. Hitting the [Enter] key will display the next
      page of the message; alternatively, the down/up keys will scroll the mes-
      sage forward and backward on the screen.


      Page 40                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b





      You have two options in the display of messages. The default is the
      "classic" format, which is identical to the on-line format. If you invoke
      ATO with the /N switch on the command line the message header is
      reformatted into two lines to allow more space for text. Try both and
      select the method that works best for you.

      Here is how to navigate through the sequence of messages:

           [Enter] to display the next screen
           [PgDn] to skip to the next message
           [PgUp] to display the previous message
           [Home] to display the first message
           [End] to display the last message
           [Up Arrow] to move the message up one line
           [Down Arrow] to move the message down one line
           X to skip the remainder of the current thread and go on to the next

      More options are available; press [F1] for a help screen that lists them.

      The following option list is displayed at the end of each message:
      _______________________________________________________________________
      Msg: #1234 <Enter> Quit Bak/Top/End/Agn Loc/Nxt Ma Hdr/Pr/Sav Re/Ua/Join
      _______________________________________________________________________

           Q>uit or [F10] terminates the R>ead function and returns you to the
                  Forum Function menu.

           B>ack displays the message immediately before the current message.
                  Multiple messages can be displayed by issuing the B>ack com-
                  mand several times.

           T>op returns you to the top of the message file, displaying the
                  first message. You can also use the [Home] key for this pur-
                  pose.

           E>nd is the opposite of T>op, taking you to the last message in the
                  file. You can also use the [End] key.

           A>gain redisplays the same message -- useful when you are reading
                  the second page of a long message and want to get back to
                  page 1.

           L>ocate finds a string in the current message file. The L>ocate
                  function searches forward throughout the whole file, not
                  simply within the particular message shown on screen. When
                  asked to enter the text string to be located, you can type up
                  to 40 characters including blanks, commas, or other special
                  characters. The search is not case-sensitive.

           [/] (slash) locates a string like L>ocate, but the search is case-


      Page 41                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




                  sensitive; that is, you must match the capitalization of the
                  text you are searching for.

           [^] (caret) locates a string just like L>ocate, but scans the mes-
                  sage file in the reverse direction.

           N>ext locates the next occurrence of a search string in the file.

           [F3] locates the next occurrence of a search string in the file.

           [F9] locates the previous occurrence of a search string in the file.

           M>ail is like the R>eply command (see below) except that the reply
                  is mailed via CompuServe Mail. AUTOSIG issues a MAIL command
                  instead of the POST command.

           H>dr causes a printer formfeed and prints the current message to the
                  printer. This is handy when you want a single message on
                  hardcopy. Compare to the P>rint command.

           P>rint copies the current message to the printer. A title line is
                  printed at the top of the first page, giving the name of the
                  forum and the current time and date. The system printer,
                  LPT1, is used. ATO will send a form feed when it thinks that
                  a printer page is full, unless you set "/F Printer FF" to Y
                  in ATO's PC Options menu, in which case it will also send a
                  form feed to start each message on a new page. Use ATO's PC
                  Options menu to specify how many lines per page to print.

           S>ave appends the current message to a file named <forumname>S.ATO
                  for archiving.

           [Alt]-S saves the current message in any file you want, appending
                  the message if the file already exists or creating the file
                  you specify if it doesn't.

      There are three ways to reply to a message, indicated by the Re/Ua/Join
      series of commands:

           R>eply addresses your new message to the sender of the original,
                  using the R>eply name and User ID as they appear there, and
                  also uses the original message's subject description. This
                  continues the thread to which the original message belongs.
                  (See Section IX for more detail.)

           U>a uses the User ID of the sender of the original message, but lets
                  you supply a new subject description. This begins a new
                  thread.

           J>oin allows you to "join" a message thread in a different way than
                  a simple reply. The J command checks the Sb: in the header to


      Page 42                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




                  find the message # to which the message being read was a rep-
                  ly. This is called the "parent" message. If it finds a parent
                  message, the message you create will be sent as a reply to
                  the parent message, meaning your message will be in the same
                  place in the thread as the message being read. This sounds
                  more complicated than it is, but an example may help. Assume
                  that you are reading a message with the following header:

           #: 61635 S1/Autosig (ATO)
                05-May-91 22:03:21
              Sb: #61571-Multipart messages
              Fm: SysOp Jim McKeown 76702,1102
              To: SysOp Vern Buerg 70007,1212

      If you hit J, you will be composing a message that will reply to #61571
      (which is the parent message to message #61635) and be addressed to SysOp
      Vern Buerg 70007,1212.

      If no backward reference message # is found in the header (say the above
      header was just "Multipart messages", then ATO just creates a new message
      addressed to SysOp Vern Buerg 70007,1212.

      If you choose to reply using any of these options, you are placed in the
      message editor -- discussed in detail in Section IX.

      Upon completing your reply, it is stored in the <forumname>L.ATO file to
      be sent when you go online, and the next message is automatically
      presented for you to read.

           D>el Pressing this key while reading lets you issue the command to
                  CompuServe to delete a message to you or from you on your
                  next pass through the forum. This deletes the message on CIS,
                  not on your computer.

      Not all commands are available for every message. For example, the
      D>elete command is offered only for messages you wrote or that were ad-
      dressed to you.

      This is a lot of information, but don't worry, just hit [F1] at the mes-
      sage read screen and use the help screen until you get the hang of it or
      to jog your memory for those little-used functions.


      Special Note!

      A note not related to ATO but on general forum procedure. It's a good
      idea to leave a message addressed to you posted so that others can bene-
      fit from it. It is particularly a problem if you've posted a question and
      delete all replies. Others will see that you didn't get a reply and it
      generally turns into a wheel-spinning contest.



      Page 43                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      It is considered good form to delete messages that wouldn't be of inter-
      est to others. This would include simple "thanks" messages and especially
      private messages. For this reason, private messages display the first
      header line of the message in inverse video. Please be sure to delete
      your private messages so we can keep this facility in the forum. ATO will
      be pretty persistent about reminding you to delete a private message, but
      it's for a good reason.














































      Page 44                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      F. AUTOSIG Working Files

      In addition to the AUTOSIG.DFN file, ATO creates quite a few files while
      it runs. Most files have a name in the format <forumname>x.ATO, where
      "forumname" is the name you have given to a CompuServe forum in the Forum
      Configuration Options menu and x is a one-letter code indicating the
      file's function. For example, file PCCOML.ATO is a file of messages you
      have written that are to be "left" in the PCCOM Forum message board.

      Note: ATO cannot open Message or Save files larger than four megabytes.
      Should your *M.ATO or *S.ATO files get this large, edit them down or
      rename or delete them and start again.

           H - message Headers, the result of functions Q, H, and J. Erased
                  after headers have been marked and the corresponding messages
                  are downloaded from CIS by AUTOSIG.

           M - downloaded Messages, from functions F, T, D, U, I, A, and Y.

           L - messages to be Left on CIS, from function W or from one of the
                  reply options of functions R or V. Erased after messages have
                  been transmitted by AUTOSIG.

           S - an archival message file, from the S>ave option of function R.

           R - a temporary file created by M>ark and erased after D>ownload has
                  completed placing those messages in the M file.

      These files are searched for on the current drive and in the current
      directory, unless you specify another location in the "Files drive:\path"
      field of the Forum Configuration Options menu or supply an optional DOS
      environment setting for the ATO variable. For example, to tell ATO to use
      the C drive and the path named ATO, you would issue the DOS command:

           SET ATO=C:\ATO

      before starting ATO, or by adding it to your AUTOEXEC.BAT.

      In addition, ATO will create a ZZZZYYYY.$$$ temporary file for various
      purposes, and erase it when you exit ATO.













      Page 45                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      G. CIS High Message Number

      The "Starting msg #" field on the Forum Configuration Options menu is
      automatically updated with the last message number scanned by AUTOSIG
      using the Q, H, or J commands, when you finish M>arking headers with
      [F10]. It's also updated with the last message number downloaded by
      AUTOSIG using the T or F commands. This prevents ATO from repeating the
      same headers the next time it is used to scan the forum. It is necessary
      for Q, H, and J because the CIS scanning commands ATO uses for those
      functions do not update the High Message Number stored in the forum on
      CIS.

      If messages are added to threads you mark between the time you scan CIS
      for headers and the time you download messages, you will get a second
      copy of those new messages if you mark the same thread on your next pass.
      For this reason, it's a good idea to D>ownload messages as soon as pos-
      sible after you scan for headers.

      Letting ATO manage your High Message Number means that you can set up
      multiple instances of the same forum with different names (but the same
      go words) and differing sections active so that you can, for example, do
      a T command in one group of sections and a Q command in the other.

      But, if you prefer to have the forum software manage your High Message
      Numbers, hit [Alt]-N at the ATO Main menu and ATO's internal High Message
      Numbers will be reset to N>ew for all forums.

      Although CompuServe assigns no message numbers to CompuServe Mail mes-
      sages, ATO automatically numbers Mail messages for reference purposes,
      and updates its HMN field accordingly. You can choose any starting number
      by editing the Forum Configuration Options for your Mail "forum."

      For a fuller discussion of ATO and CIS High Message Numbers, see Appendix
      H.



















      Page 46                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      VI. Automatic Operation

      The previous section took you through a taste of what AUTOSIG can do for
      you in one forum. Now it's time to look at AUTOSIG's two methods for
      working with as many forums as you find interesting.

      The first method lets you move around semi-automatically while visiting
      several forums. The second, "AUTO", lets you do the same thing fully
      automatically, while you enjoy your cup of coffee.












































      Page 47                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      A. Semi-Automatic Operations

      To run functions on multiple forums, you must first make sure that all
      but the last one you plan to visit has the "Stay connected" option in
      your Forum Configuration Options set to Y. If you haven't done that, you
      can simply press [F3], either from a Forum Function menu or from the Main
      menu. Change the option to Y and then use [PgDn] or [PgUp] and change it
      in any other forums you need to. [F10] returns you to where you were.

      The procedure for multiple forum actions during one connect session is as
      follows:

      From the Main menu, select the first forum you want to visit.

      Select the Forum Function menu option to perform the task you want.

      After the call is placed and the option you chose is executed, you will
      be presented with the ATO Forum Function menu again. The message at the
      bottom center of the screen should say "PC is CONNECTED". You are still
      connected, and the CIS clock is still running.

      Use the [PgDn] key to bring up the next forum you want to visit. Or hit C
      to change to the Main menu, and then hit a letter to choose the next
      forum.

      After the new forum is selected, enter the action you want ATO to take in
      that forum (i.e.: Q, F, H, T, S, etc.).

      Repeat this process for as many forums as you want to visit.

      Unless the last forum you visit has the "Stay connected" option set to N
      in the Forum Configuration Options menu, press Z to send CIS an OFF com-
      mand to disconnect.




















      Page 48                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      B. AUTO - Automatically Access Several Forums

      AUTO is a feature of ATO that enables an internally generated "batch
      file" to specify a routine for ATO to follow for online sessions. The
      list of actions is stored in the DFN file.

      There are three parts to AUTO:

           - the AUTO list, which you create by pressing [F7] at ATO's Main or
                  Forum Function menu. See Creating Your AUTO List, below.

           - the first AUTO pass, also referred to as /1 or 1 or F1; in which
                  ATO automatically accesses CIS to download Mail messages,
                  message headers, or message threads -- whatever you told it
                  to do when you created the AUTO list. On this first AUTO
                  pass, ATO will also upload any replies you have waiting from
                  a previous session, but only in forums for which there is an
                  AUTO list task.

           - the second AUTO pass, also referred to as /2 or 2 or F2; in which
                  ATO processes your offline requests such as sending replies
                  or downloading messages whose headers you have marked.

           1. Starting AUTO

      AUTO can be started in many ways: by using " /1" or " /2" as part of your
      command to load AUTOSIG, e.g., AUTOSIG /1 or AUTOSIG /2. (The space be-
      fore the slash is necessary.) Use the " /1" only if a AUTO list has al-
      ready been created. Or you can select the "AUTOmatic pass 1" [F1] or
      "AUTOmatic pass 2" [F2] items from the Main menu, or use the 1 or 2 com-
      mands from a Forum Function menu.

      If you use the command-line switches " /1" or " /2", you can also select
      which of your Host settings will be used. Enter the number of the Host
      after the 1 or 2, i.e.: AUTOSIG /13 will do AUTO 1 using Host 3.

      The [F1] and [F2] keys require that you enter the time of day when AUTO
      is to execute. (See Figure 7) If you just press the [Enter] key, AUTO
      will begin immediately. Otherwise, you can enter the time and/or day when
      AUTO is to run. The time must be supplied in the format "hh:mm" where
      "hh" is the hour in military, 24-hour, format, and "mm" is the minutes.
      For example, if you want AUTO /1 to begin at 4:35 pm, you would enter
      16:35.

      If AUTO is to start on another day, supply the date after the time in the
      format ",mm-dd" where the comma is required between the time and date,
      and "mm" is the current month number (e.g. 09 for September), and the "dd
      is the day of the month. For example, to start AUTO at 4:35 pm on Septem-
      ber 19, enter "16:35,09-19" when asked "When?".

      If you'd like to start your AUTO pass from the command line and bypass


      Page 49                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      the menu and function keys, you can use the switch /@hh:mm, where hh:mm
      is the time of day when the AUTO function is to run.

      Figure 7. AUTO /1 and /2 Display for Delayed Operation

      __________________________________________________________________

            Building AUTO list

        When? 20:28,05-22
              hh:mm,MM-DD

            ENTER to run now
            ESCape to cancel


      __________________________________________________________________



           2. AUTO features

      For forums selected on the AUTO list, AUTO /1 or /2 will S>end or
      D>ownload any pending messages automatically as well. Because of this,
      you can use the Q option for a quick scan, then use AUTO /2 to download
      the messages. You can then R>ead them offline, compose replies offline,
      and then use AUTO /2 again to S>end replies.

       * IMPORTANT: Whenever you select AUTO, whether AUTO /1 or AUTO /2,
       * ATO checks all forums in the AUTO list that have commands to see
       * if there are any D or S files. If a listed forum has no commands
       * next to it (all blanks), it is not checked, whether there are D
       * or S files for it or not.

       * Also note that since both AUTO passes automatically S>end and
       * D>ownload, there is no need to put "S" or "D" by your active
       * forums on the AUTO list. You can use an S, however, if you want
       * ATO to perform S>ends or D>ownloads in a forum but no other action
       * in an AUTO /1 pass.

      You can use AUTO /2 any time you want to go online to download messages
      you marked offline or send new messages. It's a good way to see how
      quickly AUTO works. Just remember that you won't be taken back online un-
      less you have a live D or S file in a forum for which any action is
      listed in the AUTO list.

      Also, your choice of Y or N for "Stay connected y/n" in your Forum Con-
      figuration Options is overridden by AUTO, so there's no need to change it
      from what you normally use.

      You can exit out of AUTO at any time by hitting [Escape] twice. If you do


      Page 50                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      it before your modem responds with "CONNECT", AUTO will hang up and
      return you to the Forum Function menu.

           3. Creating Your AUTO List

      If you have never defined an AUTO list, you will need to do so now. From
      the Main menu or a Forum Function menu, press [F7]. You are then
      presented with an AUTO list of forums and commands (see Figure 8).

      Move the cursor next to a forum you wish to access automatically. Enter
      the letter for each command you wish ATO to perform, e.g. Q to download
      Quick Scan headers. Forums where you make no choices will not be part of
      AUTO /1 or AUTO /2. NOTE: Only F should be chosen for Mail.

      Press [F10] when you are finished, and you are returned to the menu from
      which you started. Your AUTO list is stored in the AUTOSIG.DFN file. It
      will maintain this configuration until you change it again.

      Figure 8. AUTO Set-Up Menu

      _______________________________________________________

                                           A Mail____
            Command letter options         B Practic_
        ---------------------------------  C PCCom___
        F  Read Forward all new messages   D PCApp___
        Q  Quick scan message headers      E PCBBS___
        J  Scan headers in thread order    F PCFun___
        H  Scan Forward message headers    G PCHw____
        T  Read Thread all new messages    H PCNew___
        U  Read new messages to this ID    I PCProg__
        A  Read new messages to ALL        J PCUtil__
        I  Read ALL messages from this ID
        Y  Read ALL messages to this ID
        +  Gather section/library names
        S  Perform pending S or D
        ---------------------------------
        Next to the forum name, enter
        the letter(s) for each function
        to perform, up to five commands.
        ---------------------------------

         Press F10 when finished










      Page 51                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      VII. Electronic Mail (CompuServe Mail) Operation

      Although forum messages are one way of communicating when you know that
      the addressee will check the forum, AUTOSIG makes sending messages via
      CIS's electronic mail system (CompuServe Mail) simple. It's a good idea
      to use CompuServe Mail when you're not sure if the recipient is going to
      be on the forum in time to pick up the message before it scrolls off, or
      if you want it to be private.

      In AUTOSIG's Mail routine, messages are reformatted so they can be hand-
      led just like forum messages. You can also send Mail by composing a reply
      to a forum message and then using the M or Y option.









































      Page 52                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      A. Setting Up Your Mail "Forum"

      From the Main menu, select the Forum Selection List letter for Mail (A is
      the default), then press O to go to the Forum Configuration Options
      screen. You can rename the Mail "forum" if you like, but the name must
      contain "MAIL", "Mail" or "mail" in order to work. The CIS page number
      for this forum must be "MAIL" (or, if CIS is your home service,
      "CIS:MAIL"). The importance of the set-up can't be stressed enough -- if
      it isn't right, ATO just won't work. Basically, don't mess with the
      defaults and you'll be OK.

      With the correct parameters, Mail will appear to be identical to the
      forums, with only a couple of exceptions:

           - The "To:" prompt normally takes the name of the person you are
                  sending a message to, with the User ID going on the next
                  line. The "Id:" line will accept a CIS ID number, a MCI Mail
                  number, a fax number, or an Internet address.

           - Some AUTOSIG menu options, because of the way CIS Mail works, are
                  not available. Q>uick scan and M>ark, for example, don't app-
                  ly to CompuServe Mail and are therefore not on the menu.

           - Mail messages are numbered by ATO beginning with number 1. You can
                  change this starting number by going to the Forum Configura-
                  tion Options menu and changing the High Message Number (HMN)
                  for your Mail "forum".

           - If you want to send a Mail message with a return receipt re-
                  quested, enter /REC in the "Sec:" field of the message send
                  box. Note that there is an additional charge for this ser-
                  vice. Other options, such as /REV and /SPL are available in
                  Mail; check the on-line help. The Section field is otherwise
                  ignored.

           - If you send a Mail message in mode N, ATO will upload it as ASCII
                  text. If you send mail in mode L, ATO will save the outgoing
                  Mail messages in a temporary file named ZZZZYYYY.$$$ and UP-
                  Load them to CIS using Quick B protocol as a Latin-1 file,
                  whether or not they contain Latin-1 characters (see Appendix
                  I). This is done because CIS won't allow you to send a
                  message containing Latin-1 characters except by upload.
                  However, the method also works for messages with no Latin-1
                  characters. You can also Mail a binary or text file using
                  modes B and T. (See Page 55.)

      Once your Mail "forum" is set up, you'll need to do one more thing if you
      haven't already -- go on-line and configure CompuServe Mail, including
      adding your name to your CompuServe Mail address book. (See Page 26.)

      The CompuServe Mail address book is a list maintained by CompuServe of


      Page 53                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      names and User IDs or other addresses that you enter. Using it means that
      you can send mail by name, and the CIS address book will supply the User
      ID. For ATO's mail functions to work properly, you need to enter at least
      your own name in the list.

      You can also set other options in Mail, such as to use command mode
      (which is faster) and to accept or not accept postage-due messages (such
      as from the Internet or that scroll from a forum). While you're online in
      Mail, type SET and press [Enter]. Then set "EDITOR uses line numbers" to
      NO, "MODE of operation" to COMMAND, and "Output is PAGED" to NO. If you
      set "SHOW Recipients" to YES, CIS will append a distribution list to your
      mail messages.









































      Page 54                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      B. Special Features in CompuServe Mail

           1. Using the CIS Address Book

      When you are using AUTOSIG to send mail to someone who's in your online
      address book, you'll need just an * and the name, as *Joe Smith, on the
      "To:" line. Leave the "Id:" line blank.

           2. Binary Mail

      You can send and receive binary mail -- program files, ARC'd documents,
      etc. -- to and from other CompuServe users via CompuServe Mail.

      To send binary mail, address the message as you would normally but select
      mode B. Then specify the drive, path and filename of the file you want to
      mail as the first and only line of the message. ATO will upload the file,
      ignoring anything else in the message; you must send a separate message
      if you want a cover letter.

      If you receive a binary mail message, ATO will download it automatically
      when you do an F operation in Mail, using the CIS Quick B protocol. It
      will not be part of the regular <MAIL>M.ATO file (where <MAIL> is the
      name of your mail "forum"); each binary message will be saved in a
      separate <MAIL>MSG.nnn file, where "nnn" is the message number assigned
      by ATO. (If your mail "forum" name is longer than five characters, the
      forum name will be truncated to five characters to make an eight-charac-
      ter filename plus a three-character extension.) The <MAIL>MSG.nnn file
      will be in the directory pointed to by the "Files drive:\path" field of
      the Forum Configuration Options menu for your Mail "forum". ATO will in-
      sert a pseudo-message pointer in your <MAIL>M.ATO file with the path and
      name of the <MAIL>MSG.nnn file.

           3. Text Files

      You can also send text (or uuencoded) files through mail, using mode T.

           4. Sending Mail to MCI Subscribers

      You can send electronic mail directly to subscribers on the MCI Mail
      network through CompuServe Mail. You'll need to know the recipient's MCI
      address. Prepare your message in the usual way; the only difference is
      that when you type the "Id:" section, you'll need to format the address
      as follows:

           >MCIMAIL:MCI ID

           5. Sending Fax Messages via Mail

      This service enables you to send text files to anyone, anywhere, with a
      fax machine. You'll need to know the fax machine's phone number, of
      course.


      Page 55                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b





      Create your message in the usual way, either by typing it, or by import-
      ing it into the editor. Put the "Attn:" name in the "To:" area of the
      send box. and then put >FAX:nnnnnnnnnnn in the "Id:" area of the send
      box. Remember that fax numbers should include the country code -- e.g.: 1
      for the United States and Canada, 81 for Japan, 33 for France, 44 for the
      United Kingdom -- and any area or region code, even if the fax is within
      your own country or region. Fax messages are limited by CompuServe to
      50,000 characters or 1,000 lines.

           6. Sending Internet Messages via Mail

      To send mail through the Internet gateway, fill in the Internet address
      in the "Id:" field as:

           >INTERNET:user@some.com

      Messages sent to the Internet must be in 7-bit ASCII, and files sent as
      mail must be no larger than two megabytes.

           7. Sending Mail Through Other Gateways

      ATO can send mail through other CIS gateways, such as NIFTY-Serve or
      X400, or even Telex. Use the form >GATEWAY:address in the "Id:" field.
      For specific information about gateway names and address forms, Go MAIL
      and type HELP. At the "<CR> to continue:" prompt, type three periods
      without hitting [Enter], open a capture log with [Alt]-D, name the log
      and hit [Enter] twice.

           8. Sending Messages to Multiple Addresses

      If you put just an asterisk in the "To:" field and leave the "Id:" field
      blank, then start the message with a series of lines in the form of

           TO: 70000,0000
           TO: 70000,0001
           TO: 70000,0002
           TO: 70000,1000;70000,1001;70000,1002
           TO: >INTERNET:user@school.edu
           TO: >FAX:1(614)555-1234
           etc.

      ATO will upload a copy of the message to each address. The address lines
      must all be on consecutive lines at the very start of the message, and
      you can have multiple addresses per line, separated by semicolons, up to
      a total of 50 addresses.

           9. Message Length Limits

      Unlike forum messages, which are limited to 10,000 characters, outgoing
      Mail messages created in ATO's editor can have up to 500 lines, which


      Page 56                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      translates into at most 40,000 characters. If you need to send a longer
      message, you can use an external editor to create a text file (up to two
      megabytes long) and upload the file using T mode.

      Incoming Mail messages can be as long as two megabytes, but ATO cannot
      save messages longer than about 750 lines (which translates into at most
      60,000 characters) in your <MAIL>S.ATO or any other file. If you get a
      mail message longer then that and attempt to R>ead it, ATO will display
      an error message.

       * NOTE: The entire message will be in your <MAIL>M.ATO file, but you
       * will have to view it in an external file browser (such as LIST.COM),
       * a text editor, or a word processor.








































      Page 57                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      VIII. ATO Terminal Mode

      In addition to automatic access to CompuServe, ATO can be used as a
      simple terminal program. This enables you to:

           - go to other CIS areas

           - upload or download files from the forum libraries

           - save CIS information in a disk file

           - use split screen in a conference

           - talk to your modem, to set up its configuration


           1. Entering Terminal Mode

      Terminal mode is entered by selecting Forum Function menu option G and
      responding Y to the "Do you want to auto-logon? (y/N)" prompt. ATO will
      connect to CIS using the current forum and host.

      When you enter the forum via the G>o on-line function, ATO sends the
      string "OP;SM N;E E;S;SEND OFF", which will put you in non-stop mode and
      disable the receipt of immediate messages sent to you by other on-line
      users. You can manually send OP;SM A;S to put you back into stop-between-
      message mode.

      Terminal mode is also entered when you hit the [Escape] key twice while
      ATO is online in semi-automatic or AUTO mode. The function being per-
      formed will be aborted, and you will go directly into Terminal mode.

      You can also hit the [Escape] key once to tell ATO to first finish the
      function or AUTO pass it is doing and then go into Terminal mode. When
      the function or AUTO pass that is being performed finishes, you will be
      left in Terminal mode. Note, however, that [Escape] pressed at the wrong
      time may abort some functions, such as the upload of a forum message.

           2. Leaving Terminal Mode

      To exit Terminal mode and return to the Forum Function menu, enter a
      [Ctrl]-D key combination. If you have set "Stay connected" in your Forum
      Configuration Options to N, you are asked:

           "Stay connected? (Y/n)"

      Reply Y if you want to stay connected and access more forums. Otherwise,
      reply N and ATO will log you off. ATO then asks:

           "Have you left <forumname>? (y/N)"



      Page 58                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      If you went to another forum while in Terminal mode, reply Y. Otherwise,
      press [Enter]. You can avoid both prompts by using [Ctrl]-X instead of
      [Ctrl-D] to return to the Forum Function menu.

           3. Vidtex Escape Sequences

      If your CIS terminal parameters have you defined as a Vidtex terminal,
      ATO recognizes most of the special escape sequences for clearing the
      screen and positioning the cursor. Please note that Vidtex escape se-
      quences are not processed until you enter Terminal mode. This is done to
      improve performance. Once you are on-line in Terminal mode, Vidtex escape
      sequences will be executed.









































      Page 59                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      A. Terminal Mode Function Keys

      The function keys [F1] through [F10] are available for you to assign CIS
      commands to. Once you've done that, pressing one of these keys will send
      CIS the command you have assigned. You can create a separate set of func-
      tion key definitions for each forum, or you can have a universal set. You
      can create (or modify) these definitions by using the [Alt]-K key com-
      bination while in Terminal mode.

           1. Defining Function Keys

      Pressing [Alt]-K while in Terminal mode results in a display of the cur-
      rent key definitions. Use the cursor positioning keys to pick the F-key
      you want, then use the other keyboard keys to enter or modify the defini-
      tion. The [Enter] key moves to the next key definition line. A carriage
      return is automatically appended to your key definition unless you end
      the definition with a { (left brace) character.

      You do not need to be on-line to define these keys. Select G>o online
      from any Forum Function menu and you'll be asked if you want to go on-
      line. Reply N, and then hit the [Alt]-K key combination.

      Use the [F10] key to finish editing the key definitions and return to
      Terminal mode. The first six characters of each key are displayed as a
      reminder on line 25 of the display whenever Terminal mode is entered. You
      can remove the line-25 display by using hitting [Alt]-C.

           2. Special Characters for Function Keys

      The function key text can contain these special characters:

           { left brace - suppresses adding a carriage return to the text

           ~ tilde - causes a one-second pause before processing the next
                  character. The tilde is not transmitted.

           ^ caret - identifies the next character as a control character, for
                  example: ^C for [Ctrl]-C, ^P for [Ctrl]-P, etc.















      Page 60                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      B. Terminal Mode Special Keys

      In addition to the function keys you assign, ATO provides a number of
      other Terminal mode functions on special keys. They can be used at any
      time while in Terminal mode. You can see a display of these keys anytime
      in Terminal mode by pressing Alt-A.

           [Alt]-A  Terminal mode help, displays a list of [Alt]-keys that you
                  can use

           [Alt]-B  toggles the sending of beeps and bells

           [Alt]-C  clears the screen and removes the line 25 display of the F-
                  key definitions. Use [Ctrl]-[Home] to restore the bottom-line
                  display of F-keys

           [Alt]-D  opens a capture file that records everything that appears
                  on the screen (other than status messages from ATO itself)
                  until you close it by pressing [Alt]-D again.

           [Alt]-E  invokes a DOS shell so that you can execute other programs
                  without exiting ATO. After executing the other program, you
                  will be able to return to ATO at the same point you left by
                  entering the DOS command EXIT.

           [Alt]-F  displays the directory of a selected drive

           [Alt]-G  gathers forum section/topic names from the current forum
                  and saves them in the DFN file. You can display these in
                  Terminal mode or in the Forum Configuration Options menu with
                  the [Alt]-N command, or in the message editor's send box with
                  [PgDn]. Note: Make sure that ATO is set to the same forum you
                  are actually on-line in.

           [Alt]-H  sends the modem the commands to hang up and disconnect

           [Alt]-I  lets you execute one script command immediately

           [Alt]-J  lets you set forum options. Make sure that ATO is set to
                  the same forum you are actually on-line in.

           [Alt]-K  displays the function key assignments and lets you to edit
                  them

           [Alt]-L  toggles Latin-1 translation and parity masking (see Ap-
                  pendix I)

           [Alt]-M  invokes the ATO Addressbook

           [Alt]-N  displays section names for the forum ATO thinks it is in.
                  Press it again to display library names.


      Page 61                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b





           [Alt]-O  copies the current function key definitions for this forum
                  to all your other forums

           [Alt]-P  toggles the system printer on or off to print received data

           [Alt]-Q  saves the current screen as SCREEN.ATO, appending if the
                  file already exists

           [Alt]-R  invokes the PC Options menu so that you can change screen
                  colors or other options

           [Alt]-S  splits the screen (for conferences). All keyboard input is
                  taken from the bottom line and is held in a buffer until a
                  carriage return is entered. The buffered line is then sent to
                  CIS.

           [Alt]-T  executes a script file

           [Alt]-V  toggles Command mode on and off

           [Alt]-W  toggles the screen depth from 25 lines to 43 lines for an
                  EGA monitor or 50 lines for a VGA monitor. Requires an EGA or
                  VGA display and may only be effective for some.

           [Alt]-X  immediately exits to DOS. The modem is not reset.

           [Alt]-7  switches ATO into "7-bit" mode, turning parity masking on

           [Alt]-8  switches ATO into "8-bit" mode, turning parity masking off

           [Ctrl]-[Home]  displays function key labels on the bottom line

           [PgDn]  invokes an automatic download using CIS Quick B protocol.
                  Use this only at the "Disposition !" prompt in a forum data
                  library.

           [PgUp]  invokes uploading of an ASCII file using prompts

           [Up arrow]  invokes the recall buffer, to display the last eight
                  kilobytes of data ATO received from CIS. Pressing [PgUp],
                  [PgDn], [Home], [End] will scroll the display, and S will
                  save the buffer to file, prompting you first for a filename.
                  Pressing [Escape] will exit.

           [Down arrow]  redisplays the last online command

           [Ctrl]-D  returns you, with prompts, to ATO's Forum Function menu

           [Ctrl]-X  returns you immediately to the Forum Function menu



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      Page 63                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      C. Command Mode

      This one is easier to use than to explain. So far you've learned about
      two basic options when you want to perform a function: do it manually in
      Terminal mode or use the ATO Forum Function menus.

      There's also a third option: the "mini-menu" function of Command mode.
      Start ATO with the /V switch (or toggle Command mode on with [Alt]-V) and
      you'll get a one-line prompt instead of a menu.

      You can then enter any valid ATO Forum Function menu command at this
      prompt and, just as you can at the Forum Function menus, you can use the
      [PgUp] and [PgDn] keys to run through your forum list.








































      Page 64                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      D. Protocol File Transfer

      Files from forum libraries can be downloaded from CIS to your system by
      using ATO in Terminal mode. You tell CIS to download a file by using com-
      mands such as READ, TYPE, or DOW when you are given a "LIB n !" prompt by
      CIS, or hitting [PgDn] from the "Disposition !" prompt given during the
      BRO command while in a data library.

      To enter Terminal mode, select the G>o on-line function from the Forum
      Function menu, or press the [Escape] key while ATO is performing an auto-
      matic function such as T, or change the forum option to "Stay connected"
      after a forum command. At the "Forum !" prompt, type LIB n and press
      [Enter], where n is the number of the library you want.

           1. Downloading with Quick B Protocol

      If you use the BRO command, just hit the [PgDn] key at CIS's "Disposition
      !" prompt for the file you've selected, and everything from there on out
      will be automatic.

      The filename used by the library will be used on your system. If you have
      made an entry in the "File download d:\path" field in the Host Configura-
      tion Options menu, the file will be placed in that directory or drive;
      otherwise it will be in the current drive or subdirectory.

      Or, if you are using the READ or SCA command, or are in a non-forum area
      such as MSL or NOVFILES, you must tell CIS to DOWNload the file and the
      protocol you want to use, and (generally) specify the name you would like
      the file to bear on your disk, including any optional path. After that,
      the transfer is automatic.

      The top line of the display during CIS Quick B file transfers tells you
      the name of the file. If you are uploading a file, the file's size is
      also displayed.

      The bottom line of the display is a status line. It tells you the number
      of bytes of "Data:" that have been received and the total number of bytes
      "Sent:" and "Rcvd:". The "Data:" count represents the number of bytes of
      the actual file that have been recorded; "Rcvd:" will be higher, since it
      includes protocol overhead as well as any extra bytes representing blocks
      that had to be re-sent.

      The status line also shows the "Nak:" or negative response due to errors
      and re-transmissions and "Enq:" counts. The NAK value represents the num-
      ber of times CIS requested that a block be retransmitted. The ENQ value
      should be zero. If not, CIS has tried to interrupt the file transfer and
      ATO may have trouble continuing.

      After the transfer you'll see the number of characters transferred, and
      the characters per second.



      Page 65                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




           2. Uploading with Quick B Protocol

      Files can also be uploaded (sent) to forum libraries using Quick B
      protocol. Use the UPLoad command at the "LIB n !" prompt, and follow the
      directions from CIS.

      After asking you to confirm that you have the right to upload the file,
      CIS will ask for the name you want the file to have in the forum library.
      Remember that CIS filenames are limited to eight characters plus a three-
      character extension. It will then ask for a protocol -- generally Quick B
      is best -- and a type -- generally you should specify binary. Finally, it
      will ask for the current name (including path) on your computer of the
      file you want to upload. Once you enter that, ATO will take it from
      there.

      CIS will then ask for a file description, keywords and a title. Just fol-
      low the prompts. If you want, you can write the file description in ad-
      vance and upload it when prompted by CIS by pressing [PgUp] and supplying
      ATO the filename.


































      Page 66                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      E. Non-Protocol Transfers

      Although a protocol transfer is the way to go for program files and will
      guarantee an error-free transfer for other files, there are occasions
      when you will want to use a non-protocol transfer, either to capture a
      short file in a buffer to read off-line, or to log a session or con-
      ference.

           1. Using a Log or Capture Buffer File

      If you wish to record a conference you're taking part in, or to "capture"
      a text file from a library as it reads across your screen, or to just
      catch everything that happens on the screen, ATO will create a log file
      for you.

      The [Alt]-D key combination will open a disk file and begin logging. Any
      data sent by CIS is written to this file until [Alt]-D is pressed again.
      If you haven't closed it before you leave ATO, ATO will close it for you
      when you exit.

      The letter C appears in the lower right corner of the screen to remind
      you that file capture is in progress.

           2. Downloading Text Files

      Although it's generally better to download files of any sort with a
      protocol, you can download text files while you're BROwsing through a li-
      brary. Select R (without [Enter]) at the "Disposition !" prompt, hit
      [Alt]-D, name the file as requested by ATO, and then hit [Enter] twice.
      When the download is complete, hit [Alt]-D again to close the file on
      your PC.

           3. Non-Protocol (ASCII) Upload from disk

      The [PgUp] key initiates an ASCII (not protocol) upload operation. You
      can supply a prompt character for ATO to wait for, or you can let ATO
      upload the file without any delays once you supply the name of a file to
      be transferred to CIS.















      Page 67                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      IX. Message Editor

      The AUTOSIG editor is a key part of the program. Its purpose is to let
      you reply to messages you have downloaded for reading, or to compose and
      send new messages, almost as if you were on-line. Actually, of course,
      it's much better than being on-line: You can do things you could never do
      on-line, including:

           - glancing back as often as you like at the message you are replying
                  to

           - conveniently editing your work, with wordwrap, reformat, cut-and-
                  paste, etc.

           - importing other files into your message

           - automatically inserting the recipient's name and User ID from your
                  ATO Addressbook for new messages

           - and much more -- all off-line so you don't have the meter ticking.

      The message editor will allow you to send messages in nearly any form:
      with CIS formatting, or without; privately with CIS formatting, or
      privately without; and via Mail. You also have the opportunity to change
      any of those choices before sending.




























      Page 68                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      A. General Description

      The AUTOSIG editor is a full-screen editor that makes use of most of the
      function keys on the PC keyboard as well as many [Alt]-key combinations.
      Generally speaking, most of the commands and functions are what you
      should expect if you've used a text editor before. Because it is a full-
      screen editor, you can move around the screen using the cursor keys and
      make changes as you wish.

      The standard screen consists of 25 rows by 80 columns. The first 23 rows
      contain message lines. Row 24 contains the addressee and subject informa-
      tion for the Leave or Reply message. Row 25 lists the function key
      definitions.

      You can hit the [F1] key for help in the editor.

      The editor has full wordwrap. It will advance to the next line at an ap-
      propriate point. In addition you can force a reformat of the rest of a
      paragraph as you edit by using the [Alt]-F function.

      The lower right corner of the screen displays the current line number and
      total number of characters in the message. Forum messages are limited to
      10,000 characters or 500 lines. When you reach that limit, ATO will stop
      accepting characters. (At that point, you can back up to whatever point
      makes sense and hit [Alt]-B to break the message in two.)

      Any lines beginning with a slash (/) are sent without the slash. If a
      double slash starts a line, one slash is sent.

      Any lines beginning with a period or one or more spaces are not
      reformatted by CIS even if the send mode is S, P or M, and the period is
      not sent, unless the send mode is U, X, or Y.





















      Page 69                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      B. Using the Message Editor

           1. Insert and Delete Functions

      The message editor will function in either insert or overwrite mode. You
      choose the default in the PC Options menu area of AUTOSIG (Press [Escape]
      at the Main or a Forum Function menu) by answering Y or N to "/J Insert
      Mode". Whichever mode you select at that point, you can use the Insert
      key to toggle back and forth while you're in the message editor. If you
      want to make a permanent change, though, you'll have to go back to PC Op-
      tions.

           [F5]   inserts a blank line after the current line

           [Enter] at the bottom of message: adds blank lines in Insert mode:
                  splits the line at the cursor in Overwrite: moves to next
                  line, inserting one if necessary

           [Alt]-S splits line at cursor, even if in overwrite mode

           [F6]   deletes the entire current line -- even if you are not at the
                  beginning of the line

           [Ctrl]-[End] erases from the cursor to the end of current line

           [Ctrl]-T  deletes from the cursor to the start of the next word

           [Ctrl]-[Backspace]  deletes the current word

           [Alt]-T  transposes the current and previous characters

           [Alt]-R  restores the current line to the state is was when you
                  moved the cursor onto it, abandoning any edits

           [Ins]   toggles between insert and overwrite mode. The letter "I"
                  appears on line 25 to indicate that the keyboard is in insert
                  mode.

           [Del]   deletes the character at cursor location

           [Backspace] except at the beginning of line, deletes the character
                  to the left of the cursor. At the beginning of a line, it
                  moves the line to the end of the preceding line.

           [Alt]-G   calls up the Latin-1 character screen, allowing you to
                  select an extended character to insert in your message. You
                  can scroll the cursor around the screen and hit [Enter] to
                  insert the current character into your message, or you can
                  type the number associated with a character and that charac-
                  ter is inserted. You must enable Latin-1 support both on
                  CompuServe and in ATO to use extended characters. (See Ap-


      Page 70                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




                  pendix I.)


           2. Moving Around in the Editor

      There are many ways to move around within the message you are composing:

           Cursor keys  move the cursor in the arrow direction

           [Home]  moves to start of line

           [End]   moves to the end of text on current line

           [Ctrl]-[Left] moves the cursor to the previous word

           [Ctrl]-[Right] moves the cursor to the next word

           [PgUp]  displays the prior 23 lines

           [PgDn]  displays the next 23 lines

           [Ctrl]-[PgUp] moves to the first line of text

           [Ctrl]-[PgDn] moves to last line of text

           [Tab]   moves the cursor to the next TAB column. The TAB columns are
                  1, 9, 17, 25, etc.


           3. Block Operations and Formatting

      As you write and edit, you may want to add or delete portions of the mes-
      sage, or rearrange them to a new order. The message editor has a full as-
      sortment of tools for the purpose.

           [Backspace] at beginning of line, joins the current line to the end
                  of the previous line

           [Alt]-B  breaks the message into a linked thread; useful for mes-
                  sages longer than the 10,000-character forum message size
                  limit

           [Alt]-F  reformats the rest of the paragraph, beginning at the cur-
                  sor

           [Alt]-J  joins the following line to the current line

           [Alt]-S  splits the line at the current cursor position

           [Alt]-L  begins/ends line marking (preserving line endings)



      Page 71                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




           [Alt]-Z  begins/ends text stream marking (allowing reformat)

           [Alt]-C  copies the marked block to the current cursor position

           [Alt]-Q  inserts a block marked from the Remind screen as a quote at
                  the cursor location

           [Alt]-M  moves the marked block to the current cursor position

           [Alt]-D  deletes the marked block

           [Alt]-O  restores a deleted block

           [Alt]-U  unmarks a marked block


           4. Message Editor Function Keys

      While creating new messages (W) or replying (R) to a message, line 25 of
      the screen displays the following function key assignments: (Remind is
      not available for a new message.)

      "1Help 2Cancel 3Remind 4n/a 5Insert 6Delete 7Alter 8n/a 9Import 10Done"

      Nearly the same set is available when previewing (P) and editing the mes-
      sages you have already written but not sent:

      "1Help 2Cancel 3n/a 4n/a 5Insert 6Delete 7Alter 8SendALL 9Import 10Done"

      The list below shows the action of the function keys. The W, P, R in
      parentheses indicate where there are different actions for W>rite, R>eply
      or P>review.

           [F1] Help (WPR) displays editor help info

           [F2] Cancel (WR) aborts the current message and returns to the Forum
                  Function menu.
                Cancel (P) deletes the current message from the <forum-
                  name>L.ATO file and displays the next, if any.
                (WPR) You will be asked to verify abort/delete. If you wish to
                  skip verification, you can use [Alt]-[F2].

           [F3] Remind (R) redisplays the message being replied to. You can use
                  the cursor keys to scroll the message up and down, and use
                  the [Alt]-Z and [Alt]-L keys to mark quotes to insert in your
                  message with [Alt]-Q or [Alt]-C. [F1] displays a help screen.
                  [Escape] returns to your reply.

           [F4] n/a not used

           [F5] Insert (WPR) inserts a line after the current line


      Page 72                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b





           [F6] Delete (WPR) deletes the current line

           [F7] Alter (WPR) allows you to change your original choices for ad-
                  dressee, subject, section number, or method of sending

           [F8] SendALL (P) confirms keeping the current message and all sub-
                  sequent messages in the <forumname>L.ATO file for sending.
                  Useful when you need to alter one message and do not want to
                  [F10] through all the others in the file.

           [F9] Import (WPR) reads a file into the editor work area. See
                  Importing Files, below.

           [F10] Save (WPR) saves the current message in <forumname>L.ATO

           [Alt]-[F10] (WPR) saves your message to <forumname>L.ATO just as
                  [F10] does, and also marks the message to be saved in <forum-
                  name>S.ATO when it is uploaded to CIS. Use if you want to
                  keep a copy without having to hit [F7] and setting "keep copy
                  on file" to Y, or [F10], K, S to do the same thing.

      When you are finished editing and use [F10] to save the message, you
      receive the prompt:

      "S>aveA>lter infoC>opy to another userR>eturn to editK>eep copy on file"

      where: S>ave stores the message in <forumname>L.ATO for sending later,
      A>lter presents the send box for changes, C>opy stores the message and
      presents the send box for entering "To:" for another recipient, R>eturn
      returns to editing, and K>eep marks the message to be saved in <forum-
      name>S.ATO when it is uploaded to CIS.





















      Page 73                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      C. Importing Files

      When you press [F9] to tell ATO to import a file, it reads a file from
      disk into the editor work area. Thus, you can insert text from files
      directly into your messages. You can write your messages in a word
      processor and spell-check them, then save them as DOS text or ASCII and
      import them into ATO.

      When you press [F9], ATO asks you what file to import:

           "Enter IMPORT filename > C:\ATOS\"

      If you know the name of the file you wish to import, you can type it in
      at the end of the path shown. If it is in a different directory, you can
      also edit the path. If you do not know the name of the file, ATO can show
      you a directory. Press [Enter] to see a directory for the drive and path
      shown, or type in a new drive and path and press [Enter]. ATO will then
      display a list of files in that directory.

      Enter the name of the file you wish to import, or press [Enter] again to
      change to another directory. If ATO cannot find the file, you will
      receive the message:

           "Key 'X' to abort; any other key to retry."

      Press X to cancel the import request, or press [Enter] to re-enter the
      drive and path names.

      When you import a file while writing a message, the file stays where it
      is on your disk, but a copy of its contents becomes part of the message
      you are writing and is displayed on your screen.

      Because the ATO message editor has a 10,000-character limit on message
      size, the file you wish to import must be within that size, or must be
      edited to size. Or, if it's a forum message, the message can be broken
      into a linked thread with [Alt]-B.

      If the imported file contains characters that are not permitted in the
      character set ATO is using, ATO will replace those characters with an at
      sign (@) (see Appendix I).













      Page 74                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      D. Modes of Reply

      When you write (W) a new message or alter [F7] a new message or a reply,
      you are presented with a send box:

      Figure 9: Message Editor Send Box

      ________________________________________________________________________

                                 Edit Message
                              Enter information
      ------------------------------------------------------------------------
       To:
       ID:
       Subj:
       Sec:
       Mode: S   Keep copy on file: N   New thread: Y
      ------------------------------------------------------------------------
       To:   Enter addressee name.     Make both blank to abort.
       ID:   Enter addressee ID.      <PgUp> for addressbook access.
       Sec:  Enter forum section.  <PgDn> for Section List.
       Mode: Enter one letter
         S> Save    (CIS reformats)
         U> Save    (no reformatting)
         P> Private (CIS reformats)
         X> Private (no reformatting)
         M> Mail    (CIS reformats)
         Y> Mail    (no reformatting)
      Keep copy on file: Y means keep outgoing message in Saved message file
      New Thread:        Y means message will create a new thread, NOT a reply
      ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                             <Esc>=Cancel

      <F1> Help                    <F10> Edit message

      ________________________________________________________________________

      If your message is a reply, all of the fields will already be filled in
      for you. If you would like to change the contents of any of them, move
      the cursor to the field you want to change and type the new information.

      If you are writing a new message, you will have to supply the information
      in the send box. Enter the name of the person to whom you wish to send
      the message after "To:" in the window.

      Place the person's user User ID after "Id:". If you don't know the ID and
      have saved a file of user names and IDs in the ATO Addressbook, press
      [PgUp] to get access to your Addressbook. Remember that forum messages
      can only be sent to CIS User IDs, not to Internet mail addresses or MCI
      accounts.



      Page 75                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      Determine which section of the forum seems most applicable and enter the
      number of that section on the next line. If you have gathered a forum's
      section (subtopic) names online -- by using [Alt]-G in Terminal mode, by
      an Autojoin function, or by a + operation -- you can call up that list by
      pressing the [PgDn] key or the [Alt]-N key combination.

      Finally, choose a mode of sending the message.

      "S" will send the message and permit CIS to reformat it to the screen
      width set by anyone who reads it. This is best for most messages, since
      not everyone has the same screen width. Remember that message lines that
      are indented or that start with a period will not be reformatted.

      "U" will send the message exactly as written. This is convenient if your
      message consists of tables, code or configuration file listings that
      would be jumbled by CIS reformatting it, but annoying to others with dif-
      fering terminal widths if the message is ordinary text.

      "P" sends the message privately on forums where this option is enabled.
      If the forum doesn't have private messages enabled, ATO will send it to
      the addressee via CompuServe Mail, if that option is allowed on the
      forum. And if Mail isn't allowed, ATO will retain the message in the
      <forumname>L.ATO file so you can try some other way.

      "X" is like P, except ATO instructs CIS to not reformat the message

      "M" sends the message as CompuServe Mail by using the MAIL command, if
      that option is allowed on the forum. If not, ATO will retain the message
      in the <forumname>L.ATO file.

      "Y" is the same as M, but tells CIS not to reformat

      Press [F1] for help, and [F10] when you're done.




















      Page 76                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      E. Quoting in a Reply

      Quoting from a message in the reply uses the same text-marking commands
      you would use to move or copy text within your own messages. The dif-
      ference is that quoting is done from the remind screen, which shows the
      message you are replying to. Get to the remind screen by pressing [F3].

      Use [Alt]-Z stream marking at each end of the block to select text, which
      can start or end in the middle of a line. This allows the text to reflow
      when you [Alt]-C copy it or [Alt]-Q quote it into the message.

      Use [Alt]-L line marking to grab text only when the line endings are sig-
      nificant, such as in a table or batch file, and you want to preserve
      them.

      From the editor:

           With the cursor where you want the quote to appear, press [F3] to
                  see the original message.

           Mark the beginning and end of the text you want to quote using
                  [Alt]-Z for stream or [Alt]-L for line marking.

           Press [Alt]-Q. The text will be inserted into your message at the
                  cursor position, indented and with a > at the beginning of
                  each line to mark it as a quote. Line-marked text will keep
                  the lines as they were; stream-marked text will be
                  reformatted.

           You can also use [Alt]-C to copy marked text from the remind screen.

           Or you can press [Escape] to return to your message (so you can
                  reposition the cursor, if necessary) and then press [Alt]-Q
                  or [Alt]-C to copy or quote.

      Some blunt words about the etiquette of quoting:

      AUTOSIG provides the ability to quote text from the original message. But
      just because you CAN do it does not mean you SHOULD do it.

      Quoting originated for a good reason: Services such as the Internet and
      BBS conferences have no way to tie messages together, so there is no way
      for a reader to find out what message the writer is replying to.

      On those services, quoting a little of the original message helps the
      reader know what your message refers to. If you are familiar with other
      services, you know that quoting can be overdone. Many people get so
      carried away with it that it becomes a hindrance to communication instead
      of a help.

      CompuServe provides message threading, which is why quoting has


      Page 77                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      traditionally not been used here. In fact, it is strongly discouraged in
      most forums. Many CIS users are proud of this tradition and feel that it
      makes for messages that are more carefully written and easier to read.

      Also, on a service that charges by the minute, excess verbiage costs
      money. So before you quote:

           - Ask yourself if it is really necessary. Most people do not need to
                  be reminded of what they said, and if they do, only a few
                  words are needed.

           - Be sensitive to how others do things. If someone doesn't quote
                  you, he probably does not see the need for you to quote him.
                  Keep in mind that some people feel strongly enough about the
                  issue that they will not even bother to read your message if
                  you quote indiscriminately.

           - Use the stream-marking method to grab only the relevant text.
                  Pasting a block of lines that contain trash at the beginning
                  and end is the same as telling your reader that you are too
                  lazy to quote carefully.

      Having said all that, there are some cases where being able to quote text
      can be an aid to communication. That is why AUTOSIG provides the ability
      to do it. But quoting is like a lot of other tools; it is most effective
      when you know why you are using it.



























      Page 78                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      X. Addressbook

      ATO allows you to maintain your own local address book of up to 2000 user
      names and IDs. Using ATO's Addressbook makes finding people's names and
      ID numbers easy. About 420K of available memory is required to run ATO
      with the Addressbook database.

      The Addressbook is one of those features that's much easier to use than
      it is to explain, so here's a short summary of functions. After getting
      the flavor of the Addressbook, your best bet is to go for it.

      The Addressbook is invoked by using the [Alt]-M command at the Main or a
      Forum Function menu or while V>iewing or R>eading a message, or by press-
      ing [PgUp] while in the send box while W>riting or replying to a message.

      The name of the Addressbook database file for each forum is defined in
      the ATO Forum Configuration Options menu. The default is AUTOSIG.PPN. You
      can have an Addressbook database file for each forum, or share the same
      file among some or all of your forums.

      The display consists of a command menu and a list of names and addresses,
      such as User IDs, fax numbers or Internet addresses. Only User IDs are
      valid in forums; the others can be used in Mail. You can enter a letter
      to invoke a function, or press a cursor-positioning key to scroll the
      display. The cursor-positioning keys are:

           [Home] - moves to the first entry

           [End] - moves to the last entry

           [Down arrow] - moves to the next entry

           [Up arrow] - moves to the previous entry

           [PgUp] - moves back a screenful

           [PgDn] - moves ahead a screenful

      The current entry is highlighted in the list of addresses. This is the
      entry that is the subject of any C>hange or D>elete commands, and of the
      P>aste command.

      You can exit the Addressbook by using the Q command to save changes and
      quit, or hit the [Escape] key to not save any changes and abort.

      The display gives you the name of the current Addressbook file and of a
      file that contains downloaded CompuServe messages. You can change to a
      different Addressbook file with the B command, or message file with the M
      command.




      Page 79                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      The Addressbook menu appears as follows:

      _______________________________________________________________

            Autosig Address Book

        A - Add an entry
        B - switch address Book
        C - Change highlighted entry
        D - Delete highlighted entry
        E - Erase address book
        F - Find name or ID
        L - sort by Last name
        M - switch Message file
        N - sort by Name
        P - Paste entry in Send Box
        R - Repeat Find to next
        S - Sort by ID
        U - Update book from msg file
        Q - Quit, return to ATO

      >>_<<  Select a letter


      Msg file: \ATOS\PCCOMM.ATO


      Use ESCape to abort, no updates

      ________________________________________________________________


           1. Addressbook Commands

           A Add an entry

      You are asked to enter a new User ID and name. A CIS User ID must be two
      numbers separated by a comma. The name can be up to 24 characters long.
      Follow the CIS convention. The new entry is added to the end of the file.
      For example, you could enter:

           User name 70000,0000

      User IDs can also be added while R>eading messages with ATO. When you use
      the [Alt]-I command to insert a name, that entry is added to the end of
      the Addressbook database for that forum. When the Addressbook is invoked,
      you are prompted whether or not you want to add the inserted name.

           B switch address Book

      You are asked to enter the name of the Addressbook file you want dis-


      Page 80                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      played. You can include a drive and/or path name. For example,
      C:\ATO\PCCOM.PPN is acceptable.

           C Change highlighted entry

      You are prompted to supply new name and address information for the cur-
      rent entry.

           D Delete highlighted entry

      The highlighted current entry is deleted. The next entry, if any, becomes
      the new current entry.

           E Erase address book

      You are prompted to verify that you want to delete the Addressbook
      database file, and can reply with Y to delete the file, or N to keep the
      file.

           F Find name or ID

      You are prompted for a text string. The Addressbook searches the database
      file for that text. The search is case insensitive. If the text is found
      in an entry, that entry is made the current entry.

           L sort by Last name

      The Addressbook database file is sorted by ascending order of user last
      names. Middle initials are ignored, as are items in parentheses or square
      brackets. Other items as part of the name may obscure the sort.

           M switch Message file

      You are presented with a menu of forum names. Type in the letter for the
      forum message file that you wish to use. Alternatively, you can type in a
      file name that represents a file of downloaded CIS messages. You can in-
      clude a drive and/or path name. For example, C:\ATO\PCCOMM.ATO is accep-
      table.

           N sort by Name

      The database file is sorted by user name in ascending order. The sort is
      case insensitive. That is, the names "bill" and "BILL" are treated as the
      same name.

           P Paste entry in Send Box

      The user name and address are returned to AUTOSIG, copying the informa-
      tion into the "To:" and "Id:" fields in the send box of the message
      editor.



      Page 81                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




           R Repeat Find to next

      Used after a successful Find command, the R command searches for the next
      occurrence of the text in the database file.

           S Sort by ID

      The database file is sorted by User ID in ascending order.

           U Update book from msg file

      The Addressbook scans the current CIS message file for message headers.
      It then extracts the user names and IDs from the "Fm:" line. When a new
      User ID is encountered, you are given the prompt:

           Add xxxxx,xxxx    new user
           Y>es, n>o, s>top asking, q>quit?

      Respond with a Y to add the new name, an N to bypass, an S to stop asking
      and add all the remaining new names, or a Q to stop processing the mes-
      sage file. Duplicate addresses are ignored.

           Q Quit, return to ATO

      You are returned to ATO, and, if any changes were made, the Addressbook
      database file is re-written.

           ESC Abort, no updates

      You are returned to ATO and no updates are processed. The database file
      remains unchanged.






















      Page 82                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      XI. Forum and General Trouble Shooting

      Problems can arise when CompuServe is acting up and sends something ATO
      doesn't expect. Most of these problems are trapped and fixed automatical-
      ly, but, given the large number of possible miscues that CIS can
      generate, not all can be fixed. Here are some of the possible ones:

      ATO won't dial the phone

      Check to see if ATO is talking to the modem by, from a Forum Function
      menu, pressing G to go on-line, then N to not log on. Type AT (use capi-
      tal letters) and hit [Enter]. If your modem is on and working and con-
      nected to the port ATO thinks it's connected to, it should respond "OK".

      If it doesn't, try changing the "COMmunications port" setting in the Host
      Configuration Options menu, as detailed in Section IV, Page 17.

      If everything else is correct, you may need to add some tildes (~) to the
      end of the "Modem Reset command" string or the beginning of the "Modem
      dial commands" string specified on your Host Configuration Options
      screen, to let the modem settle down after the reset.

      ATO dials, and connects, but never gets a "Password:" prompt

      Double-check that your Host Configuration Options menu "Host Connect
      Response" is ^C. You may need to insert one or more tildes (~) before the
      ^C. Also double-check the "Modem connect text" string on the same menu.

      ATO freezes at a "Forum !" prompt

      Hit [Escape] twice to make sure ATO is in Terminal mode, then press
      [Alt]-J to have ATO reset the CIS forum options to match its own.

      ATO freezes somewhere other than a CIS prompt

      Most likely CIS is busy. You can wait for up to two minutes -- at which
      point ATO's "deadman" switch will kick in and hang up the phone. Or, if
      you prefer, you can hit [Escape] twice followed by [Ctrl]-C. This should
      put you into direct contact with CIS at a menu that gives you several op-
      tions, including logoff. Select that one and try again later. Or press
      [Alt]-H to tell ATO to hang up the phone.

      % Invalid command

      This harmless error message occurs when ATO enters forums where immediate
      message sends are prohibited, such as PRACTICE. In such a case, you can
      safely ignore it.

      Message sent to wrong forum

      This can happen using AUTO on a very noisy phone line. What has happened


      Page 83                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      is that CIS sent a false signal causing ATO to think that it had moved on
      to another forum. This error never happens on a good connection. There's
      no way ATO can fix it. FEEDBACK to CIS might help.

      Files Busy (Code xxnn)

      This is a CIS message that, unfortunately, gives you only two choices:
      wait it out or pull the plug. None of this is unique to ATO; you'd have
      the same problem if you logged on manually. If you choose to pull the
      plug, hit [Alt]-H to have ATO hang up the phone. Once CIS recognizes your
      action, it will log you off.

      òò Characters

      This symbol is encountered when there is a lot of noise on the line. Your
      best bet is to abort ATO as quickly as possible if you see this symbol
      repeatedly.

      "PC is CONNECTED" message

      This message is normal when CIS answers the call, but is incorrect if
      seen at any other time unless you are actually connected. This is caused
      by one of two problems; the setting of DTR in your modem or a serial
      cable that doesn't have a full complement of pins. Some communication
      programs will let you get by with less than five pins. ATO, because it
      wants to carefully monitor what's going on, needs a DTR pin. See Modem
      Settings, Page 7.

      CompuServe Mail problems

      You can name the CompuServe Mail "forum" whatever you like, as long as
      the name contains "MAIL", "Mail" or "mail".

      And you must enter at least your own name in your on-line Mail address
      book. See CompuServe Mail Settings, Page 26.

      Although ATO makes CompuServe Mail look and act like a forum, when you
      leave a message using mode L, you are actually doing a file transfer,
      rather than a line-by-line dump.

      Message you sent arrives To: and From: you

      ATO tries in several different ways to recover from inability to send a
      reply to a message. As a last resort, ATO will send your message to you.
      If it looks like you're talking to yourself, it simply means that ATO and
      CIS couldn't find any other way to deliver the message.

      % NTWCPR -
      % NTWJRP - Job Rec.

      ATO will wait out most CIS problems and resume faultlessly. However,


      Page 84                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      there is one situation -- a CIS failure followed by a recovery -- when
      CIS asks you to send a [Ctrl]-Q. If you do this manually at the CIS
      prompt, ATO will recover as well. If you don't, CIS will disconnect you
      in about two minutes (if ATO's "deadman" switch doesn't disconnect you
      first) and ATO will return to the Forum Function menu.

      ATO sends a P>rivate message by Mail

      Some Sysops have chosen not to permit private messages. If ATO finds this
      to be the case when it tries to send a private message, it will mail it
      instead, if mailing is permitted from that forum.

      ATO hangs up or aborts a file transfer

      File transfers can fail for any number of reasons, including so much line
      noise that CIS simply aborts. By watching the NAK and ENQ values, you can
      get an idea of how smoothly a transfer is proceeding. An excessively high
      NAK value indicates that the line connection is poor and you should
      probably log off and call back. It may help to try another phone number,
      or lower the baud rate.

      Double-check your download path in the ATO host configuration area. If
      you've incorrectly defined a path name and ATO attempts to open it, DOS
      will refuse since it doesn't exist.

      AUTO /2 won't run

      Some modems can't handle the speed at which ATO sends commands, and the
      hang-up command from AUTO /1 will remain in the modem's buffer. Adjust
      your Host Configuration Options entry and insert one or more tildes (~)
      between the +++ and the ATH in the "Modem Hang-up command" string.






















      Page 85                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      XII. Acknowledgments

      AUTOSIG was inspired by a program called SUPER.SIG for the TRS100, which
      was written by Howard Benner. The first version of AUTOSIG was written
      from scratch entirely by Vern Buerg simply to save on his monthly bills.

      It was further expanded and modified by Vern Buerg, Frank Lipschutz, and
      others as part of the what was then the INF Project Group established by
      Don Watkins, SysOp of what was then IBMNET. A sister program, ACLS, was
      written by Tom Neff and updated by Don Watkins. ATOBRO, ATO's library
      manager and download script generator, was written by Vern Buerg and Don
      Watkins.

      Several ATO versions through 6.9a were written by Vern Buerg and Jim
      McKeown. The current version of ATO was written by Jim McKeown, but is,
      of course, heavily dependent on the previous work.

      Manual versions prior to 7.0a were written by Don Watkins. Special thanks
      to Robert Bell for his careful and effective work on the current manual.
      Other members of the beta group contributed to the development of the
      other auxiliary files and commented and gave suggestions on the manual,
      the Latin-1 facility, and many other important parts of the program.

      A very special thanks to those who helped test the numerous interim ver-
      sions of ATO. Space limits individual thanks, but without them ATO would
      not be where it is today. Kudos to, in no significant order:


            Adam Horwitz [76013,55]             Bob Banasik-BestPhotoLab
      Adrian Godfrey[EURFOR] [71154,2013]             [71333,2742]
               Alan [100017,537]                 Bob Blair [75330,2723]
            Alan Albee [76166,3342]             Bob Simmons [76170,1753]
          ALBERT RANDALL [72163,622]            Bob Springer [72700,2003]
            alec jason [71137,2632]            Bob Zambenini [71147,1565]
          ANDREW HILSON [100113,153]             Brad Hill [71333,2165]
           Anton Monroe [70304,3663]          Brent K. Wilcox [73377,2041]
          Arne Kullander [100334,212]          Bruce Copeland [70621,3373]
           Art Mercier [72277,3255]             Bryant Evans [76447,373]
            Art Zemon [72406,3275]             Cal Kutemeier [72257,3522]
         Arthur L. Wilde [72561,1737]          calvin williams [75446,414]
        BARRY J BUSCHELMAN [71234,1360]      Carol E. Wexelbaum [73062,1634]
        Barry Kirchgessner [75117,700]         Carolyn Cooper [72241,2651]
           Barry SADLER [100356,65]             CHARLES CAIN [72271,2663]
           Ben Klausner [76337,1730]          Charles D. Lease [71544,2003]
           Bert Coules [100121,615]        Charles Marslett[STB] [75300,1636]
            Bill Baker [73260,3444]         Charles McLaughlin [100064,3716]
          Bill Bechtold [76446,1736]            Chris Joyner [75460,2101]
           Bill Foster [73003,2554]             Chuck Lucas [76104,2642]
            Bill Harris [70674,364]             clark welden [76117,2212]
            Bill Lentz [72204,2167]             Cliff Scott [71033,3370]
           Bill Sutton [76437,2254]         Clinton D. Huntemann [71247,2065]


      Page 86                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




           Craig Sharp [73417,2320]            Geordan Rosario [70274,460]
            Curt Berner [71044,66]           George Gillburg/CA [73137,1733]
           Dan Ferguson [76702,771]             George Power [75270,2165]
           Dan Gallmeyer [73100,256]            GERRY PAREJA [73627,3210]
             Dan Patt [75006,654]               Greg Kudasz [73160,1164]
           Dan Rearick [70461,1240]              Greg Lewis [73412,1361]
           Dan Williams [71043,1474]            Greg McMurry [71370,3320]
         DAVE R. MEDELLIN [73424,3616]        Gunars V Lucans [76177,2250]
           Dave Konkel [72241,1603]            H George Anghel [70473,617]
          Dave McLaughlin [70110,505]            HANK ELIOT [72520,132]
          Dave Morrison [76050,2275]           HAROLD RODGERS [71610,2624]
           David B. Smith [71763,72]            Herb Ray/Wash.Sqr.Sftwr.
          David Farmer [100241,2316]                  [72500,1736]
            David Lein [72260,2150]           Howard Cherniack [75026,3723]
           David Morgan [70004,1161]          J. M. Winterroth [74260,2674]
             David Pool [76701,25]             Jack Freymuller [75270,10]
          David Rayner [100142,2072]           Jack H. Pincus [71277,245]
          David Turcotte [70150,540]          Jack M. Germain [73040,1366]
         David W. Dorsey [72411,3123]         JACK W. DOCKERY [73174,1447]
          Dean Yamamura [70671,3000]         James W Strickland [70323,3033]
           Denise Petty [75060,2733]             James Bach [76555,273]
         Denny C. Briley [71261,2003]            James Woods [70475,504]
           DICK ANNETT [72634,3240]              Jamie Clay [76703,4204]
          Dick Dennison [74270,3636]             jana moore [71044,3313]
           Dick Parker [71730,3651]             Jane Goodale [71116,302]
           Dick Roberts [71224,2731]             JASON ADAMS [74227,764]
           Dirk Lipper [100271,1054]            Jay Shilstone [71240,334]
           Don Goyette [71601,3624]            Jean L. Cooper [70253,1114]
             DON MANZ [71603,2451]              Jeff Menkes [72144,1424]
         Donald M. Nolin [72010,2370]           Jeremy Cole [71620,1114]
        Ed Ackerman [ML&B] [74736,1516]          Jim Butler [74766,1460]
             Ed Brown [73377,125]               Jim Franklin [72136,224]
            Ed Crosby [72060,2466]               Jim Hanlon [76127,310]
             Ed Flinn [73127,1476]                jim ide [76336,1405]
             Ed Girou [76702,542]                Jim Kronman [76703,431]
            Ed Wrinkle [74774,134]              Jim Michael [70304,3567]
        Edward M. Geleske [71603,3150]        Joachim Mueller [100416,2110]
            Elyse Zois [74204,1455]              Joe Hester [74435,1547]
               Emily [75016,37]              Joe MacRae [Adesk] [76702,1302]
          Eric Rosenberg [73307,110]             joe potter [70441,1527]
            Eric Smith [74017,3122]              Joe Reynolds [76704,37]
           Ernest Galvan [73347,226]              Joe Wise [75236,3454]
         Ernest Thiessen [71740,1034]         John Arrowsmith [100015,324]
          FRAN MACMILLAN [70214,1004]          John Augustine [75300,1112]
         Frank Billington [72714,3306]           John Boney [75020,760]
          Frank Lipschutz [76010,354]           John Francis [71600,300]
          Frank Thynne [100014,1244]            John Lawless [70262,363]
          Fred Ringwald [75310,2320]            JOHN MISSING [72732,1151]
           Froma Bessel [75300,2021]            John Murphy [71664,1364]
           Gary Campbell [76274,676]             John Paul [71260,3103]
           Gary Thoenen [71333,2240]            John Pickens [73157,2410]


      Page 87                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




           John Pitts [100242,2550]           Randal DePriest [76004,1541]
          Jonathan Kimrey [71371,330]           ranney Munro [76257,1666]
          Jordan Powell [74206,2521]           Ray H. Bowler [72733,1531]
           Jordan Sacks [71023,775]            Ray Marcontel [75430,2272]
           jude dashiell [70731,112]            Ray Moulden [76702,1766]
           Julius Dohany [73567,306]             Ray Pelzer [70475,1263]
            Kelly Carls [72623,102]         Ray Reyes [TandyNet] [76703,3100]
            Ken Coons [72603,3174]              Ray Saunders [72740,764]
          Ken Englander [71441,1025]          RAYMOND E. PALMER [73204,76]
             Ken Kemon [73340,267]            Raymond T. Kaya [71230,2500]
            Ken Reisig [73132,3154]          Rhonda Morgenstern [72050,452]
            Ken Watson [102003,415]              Rich Knapp [74133,2732]
          Kenn Hom [ML] [74403,2571]          Richard E. Helton [74244,671]
           kevin holmes [73564,347]            Richard Jagric [75460,1743]
         Larry Cottingham [71370,3405]          Rick Morgan [71672,1650]
          Laurie Stoker [73162,2775]           RICK N POWERS [70401,3170]
          Lawrence Couey [76247,2212]      Rob Blaine/ECONO-SOFT [73267,1664]
            Lenny Abbey [72277,566]              Rob Brown [70713,1040]
           Leo Angevine [73412,1363]             Rob White [100113,702]
           Leo Angevine [76347,2464]         Robert Ash/AMERITEL [70271,314]
           Lewis Siegel [73777,3631]            Robert Bell [70641,1114]
           Lou Poppler [71231,2724]            Robert G. Perry [71564,657]
        Louis Vonderscheer [72117,3112]        Robert Hirmer [100347,2333]
           Mark A Young [71340,276]            Robert Kelsoe [74365,1613]
             Mark Job [74660,3175]              Robert Pavel [74017,345]
        MARSHALL G MULLETT [72607,3160]         Roel Bazuin [100326,105]
          Martin Brewer [72144,3117]            Ron Barovick [73614,2045]
          melvyn heath [100302,3263]             Ron Fibich [72774,3661]
          Michael Drury [76545,1031]             Ron Scott [73567,1044]
          Michael Harper [72311,1133]           Ron Wichner [73167,2500]
        Michael J. Stirrat [71513,2103]       ronald j bartle [100317,2547]
          Michael Jones [72163,3341]          Ronald N. Ermann [74347,3230]
         Michael Scholz [100141,3541]          Ross Williams [71753,2543]
        Michael Tannenbaum [74431,3317]          Roy Zider [70055,1365]
           Mike Furlan [76340,1224]          Ry Smith (Chicago) [73364,1331]
         Mike Holman Sr. [71613,3064]          SANDOR T BOXER [76556,2100]
           Mike House (Loveland,CO)        Scott Bowden-Henderson [73743,3450]
                 [75000,1427]                   Scottv [Autodesk Retail]
          Mike Rafferty [76660,3250]                   [76702,533]
           Nancy Wilson [74044,1632]          Serge Laviolette [72235,210]
            Nate Lenow [76702,1721]          Sheldon Belinkoff [76177,3361]
           Neil Iwamoto [71410,3417]          Sid Schaefer/NC [71170,2506]
           Neil R. Ross [71230,3576]          Stanley Bartkus [74723,2266]
            Nelson Ford [71355,470]            Stephen Berch [70473,3337]
           Paul Heymont [71370,3353]           Steve Elliott [71062,2012]
          Paul M. Ryther [72411,1211]            Steve Mera [72634,2245]
           Paul Munoz-Colman (PCal)             Steve White [74007,2331]
                 [71141,1224]                 Steven C Wilson [70404,2741]
           Paul Whiting [73357,3324]            Steven Raimi [73340,1062]
           Peggy Noonan [71760,1140]            Steven Shank [71521,431]
            R J Decker [70320,172]              Steven Stern [70327,135]


      Page 88                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




          STUART B SUSS [70700,2430]       Tyrone Horton [ZyXEL] [71333,2734]
          Susan Cushman [73741,2667]           Vincen PUJOL [100060,1675]
          T. Raj Singh [100042,1177]            Walter Dnes [73710,3066]
      Ted Dickens [HP Forum] [76701,272]       Wayne Breisch [71257,2501]
            ted shapin [76040,322]              Wayne Leman [72617,2371]
            Tim Shields [70751,131]             Will Baldwin [76200,275]
           TODD HASKEN [70661,2664]              Will Conway [73121,623]
           Tom Fleming [72064,1006]           WILLIAM OPPENHEIM [75445,342]
            Tom Kinkley [74736,466]         William R. Mussatto [76347,3217]
             Tom Neff [76556,2536]              Wing F Yuen [71321,2673]
              Tony B [73261,2231]              Wolf Kunisch [100302,3270]
          Toshi Makihara [75201,3424]          Yorck Reymann [100415,2222]
          Tracy Winslow [71211,2216]           Yves Leurquin [100276,3573]


      If you'd like to participate in ATO beta testing, we'd be delighted to
      have you participate. Send e-mail to Jim McKeown (76702,1102) for
      details.



































      Page 89                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      XIII. Disclaimer and Trademarks

      IBM, Microsoft, DESQview, Windows, OS/2, and Hayes are registered
      trademarks. If we missed any, our apologies.

      This program is, of course, offered as is. We can't guarantee it will
      work on every permutation of equipment. We will make an honest effort to
      correct and/or consider adding any features you ask for. If you do have a
      problem, please be sure to let us know.












































      Page 90                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      XIV. Copying and Sharing AUTOSIG

      This document and the AUTOSIG.EXE file comprise the ATO program
      ("software"). This software is copyrighted material and is subject to
      limitations by the copyright holder ("author") as to its use and dis-
      tribution.

      You may use the software, make copies of the software, give copies to
      anyone, and distribute it via electronic means. There is no charge for
      this software, but you must include a copy of this document file with any
      copies that you make.

      You are specifically prohibited from charging or requesting donations for
      any copies, from modifying the software, from distributing the software
      with commercial products without prior written permission, and from dis-
      tributing this software, either alone or with other material, if any fee
      is charged. There are no exceptions without written permission.

      Some earlier versions of AUTOSIG were supplied with the source code.
      While we encourage and welcome competition in the field of navigational
      programs, the use of ATO source in commercial products has resulted in
      the source being withdrawn. Those wishing source code and commercial-use
      agreements should contact the author.

      There is no warranty of any kind given. The author is not liable for
      damages of any kind. By using this free software, you agree to this.


      The software is:

              Copyright 1995 by James C. McKeown. All rights reserved.






















      Page 91                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      Appendix A: Finding Forum Quick Reference Words

      CompuServe has more than 650 public forums. Not only are more being added
      all the time, but the existing ones are being rearranged as sections are
      added or deleted, or merely changed. Any list of forums provided here
      would be outdated before it could be uploaded.

      So how do you find what's what and what's where? Ask on CompuServe!

      Select the Practice forum (from ATO's Main menu, press the letter next to
      "Practic" in the Forum Selection List), then press G to Go online and Y
      to logon. At the CIS "Forum !" prompt, type LIB 1 and press [Enter].
      Then, at the "LIB 1 !" prompt, type BRO KEY:FORUM AGE:90 and press
      [Enter]. This tells CIS to BROwse library listings that have "forum" as a
      keyword and were uploaded (or updated) within the last 90 days.

      Currently, there are two such forum listings: FORUMS.LST and FORSEC.ZIP.
      The former is plain text you can download and use right away, while the
      latter has been ZIPped (compressed with PKZIP.EXE), so you need a current
      version of PKUNZIP.EXE or another compatible ZIP extractor. (You should
      be able to find PKUNZIP in Library 6 of the PCutil forum or in Library 11
      of PCvenC.)

      Read the file descriptions as they go by. When you see something you
      like, press [PgDn] at the "Disposition !" prompt to have ATO download the
      file to your machine. It will keep the filename used on CIS and store the
      file in the directory you specified for "File download d:\path" in your
      Host Configuration Options menu. Hit [Enter] again when you get to the
      second "Disposition !" prompt.

      Or, if you don't want the file, just hit [Enter] at the first "Disposi-
      tion !" prompt.

      When you get back to the "LIB 1 !" prompt, type OFF and hit [Enter] to
      log off, or hit [Enter] to get back to the "Forum !" prompt, then hit
      [Ctrl]-D to return to the Forum Function menu, from which you can press Z
      to have ATO log off CIS.
















      Page 92                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      Appendix B: Command-Line Options

      You can supply one or more command-line options to change the default
      operation of ATO. Each switch must begin with the slash (/) character.
      Many of the switches can be set permanently in the PC Options menu in
      ATO. The command-line switches, if used, will override those settings,
      but only for the current session.

      Command-line switch letters can be in upper or lower case. For example,
      AUTOSIG /1/Q/Z is the same as AUTOSIG /1/q/z

      Here is a list of the option switches and their effects:

           /B tells ATO not to accept input from the keyboard during AUTO

           /C causes the screen to be cleared before each message is displayed

           /D tells ATO to bypass carrier detection

           /E enables error debug mode to print all error messages on LPT1

           /F disables sending a form feed to the printer before printing each
                  message

           /H tells ATO not to display forum messages during automatic or semi-
                  automatic operations

           /I tells ATO that a mouse is available

           /J changes the message editor's initial input mode to insert

           /K sets the Mail message disposition to Keep

           /M tells ATO not to send a REA WAI when appropriate

           /N selects new-style message headers for reading

           /P tells ATO to send a [Ctrl]-P at forum entry to minimize forum in-
                  troductory messages

           /Q turns off the speaker for quiet operation

           /R<filename> uses <filename> instead of AUTOSIG.DFN

           /S causes ATO to put forum entry information in the <forumname>M.ATO
                  file

           /T tells ATO to use normal BIOS routines for displaying to the
                  screen

           /U suppresses ^U prefixing (sending [Ctrl]-U before sending com-


      Page 93                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




                  mands)

           /V tells ATO to use Command mode instead of Menu mode

           /Y tells ATO to bypass logon messages and Mail checking (quick
                  logon)

           /Z tells ATO to return to DOS after logging off

           /1 invokes the AUTO first pass immediately. A number 0-9, cor-
                  responding to one of your numbered hosts, can be added to
                  this switch. /13, for example, will cause ATO to do an AUTO
                  /1 pass using your Host 3.

           /2 invokes the AUTO second pass immediately. You can specify a host;
                  see /1, above.

           /@hh:mm supplies the time of day when the AUTO function is to run.
                  Used in conjunction with the /1 or /2 switches.

           /4 instructs ATO to run in 43-line mode with an EGA display, or 50-
                  line mode with a VGA

           /Gx supplies a new prompt character, where x is a letter; for exam-
                  ple AUTOSIG /GH results in ATO using the [Ctrl]-H character
                  (backspace) as a prompt rather than the default [Ctrl]-G
                  (BEL) character.

           /L<ext> supplies an optional file extension for ATO files; the de-
                  fault is ATO. For example, /LOLD would use the extension .OLD
                  for all <forumname>*.ATO files.

           /X<filename> supplies the name of a script file to execute, e.g.
                  /XDL would run the file called DL.SCR. This is handy for
                  doing automatic file transfers. This must be the last item on
                  the command line.

















      Page 94                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      Appendix C: COM Port Addresses

      There is no one standard for COM ports, but these are the most common:

                     Address   IRQ
           COM1      03F8      4
           COM2      02F8      3
           COM3      03E8      4
           COM4      02E8      3












































      Page 95                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      Appendix D: Gateway Processing

      There are a number of areas on CIS that require ATO to pass through a
      "gateway". The area on the other side of the gateway contains one or more
      forums with a menu structure of their own -- sort of like a miniature
      CIS.

      The best-known of these areas in ZiffNet, operated by Ziff-Davis.

      To have ATO go through a gateway, add the gateway name prior to the forum
      name on the "GO word/page" entry in the Forum Configuration Options menu,
      For example:

           ZNT:UTILFORUM

      will allow you to go through the gateway to the ZiffNet area and the
      forum specified.

      You can return to CompuServe forums by using the CIS "gateway" prefix
      again for your next forum. For instance:

           CIS:PCCOM

      will take you back to CompuServe and log you into the PCCOM forum.

      This means that if you have forums set up on ZiffNet and on CIS, you
      should include the gateway prefix on all forums.

      For greatest efficiency, you should minimize your gateway crossings by
      logging on to your home service and visiting its forums before crossing a
      gateway to visit the forums on the other side. This is easiest if you
      sort your Forum Selection List so that the forums are in gateway order.

      Temporarily rename your forums to start with numbers in the sequence you
      want, then press [F8] on the Main menu to sort forums by name. Then you
      can restore the forum names to whatever you had before.

















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      Appendix E: DESQview, Windows and OS/2

      AUTOSIG works well under DESQview (under which it was written) and OS/2
      (under which the manual was written). It also works under Windows.

      AUTOSIG needs no special settings for DESQview. A "Memory Size" of 440 is
      adequate as long as you don't intend to shell out to DOS. Enter
      AUTOSIG.EXE in the "Program" field of your DVP, and your ATO drive and
      directory in the "Directory" field. Set "Writes directly to screen" to Y,
      "Displays graphics information" to N, "Virtualize text/graphics" to T,
      and "Uses serial ports" to the number of the COM port your modem is on,
      even if you have a mouse on another port and you want to use it with ATO.

      Under Advanced Options, set Starting height, width row and column to
      bring it up in full-screen mode, Set "Allow Close Window command" to N,
      "Can be swapped out" to N, and "Runs in background" to Y. Then hit
      [Enter] to save the DVP and update your DESQVIEW.DVO file.

      Under DESQview Setup, Advanced settings, Performance Options, set "Op-
      timize communications" to Y.


      For Windows, just create a new ProgMan program item with its "Command
      line" pointing to d:\path\AUTOSIG.EXE, replacing "d" with the drive your
      ATO directory is on and "path" with the name of the ATO subdirectory.
      Make sure that the "Working Directory" in the Program Item Properties box
      points to your ATO drive and directory.

      You don't need a PIF to run ATO under Windows, but you can use one if you
      want to try running ATO in the background.

      There's is also a Windows front-end for ATO, called WinATO. It's avail-
      able as shareware from Ray Saunders (72740,764).


      OS/2 is a little more complicated.

      Just create a program reference object for ATO by dragging a program ob-
      ject from the templates folder. On the first page of the settings
      notebook point the "Path and filename" to d:\path\AUTOSIG.EXE (or
      whatever) and the "Working directory" to d:\path (or whatever).

      On the next page, chose either "DOS full screen" or "DOS window".

      Then click on "DOS Settings". Set "COM_DIRECT_ACCESS" to Off, "ID-
      LE_SENSITIVITY" to 100, "IDLE_SECONDS" to 60, "HW_TIMER" to On, and
      "INT_DURING_IO" to On. Also, since ATO does not use EMS, XMS, or DPMI
      memory, you can conserve system resources by setting these options to
      zero.

      Then click on "Save".


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      On the Window page, click on "Display existing window".

      On the General page, type in whatever name you want and drag an icon into
      the "Current icon" window.

      Double-click on the title-bar icon to close the settings notebook.

      Since an OS/2 window can't keep up with text coming in at 9,600 bps or
      faster, either use [Alt]-[Home] to toggle to full screen while on-line,
      or, under ATO's PC Options, set "/H Hide auto text" to Y.

      Note that OS/2 has an 1,100 interrupt-per-second limit for VDMs, which
      might cause characters to be dropped when using a 14,400-bps node. If you
      have a 16550 UART, OS/2 can handle the speed with its default COM.SYS and
      VCOM.SYS drivers, since the UART's FIFO buffers allow buffer-aware
      programs, such as AUTOSIG, to read multiple characters per hardware in-
      terrupt. Make sure the buffers are active by, at an OS/2 command prompt,
      entering:

           MODE COMn:19,,,,BUFFER=AUTO

      where n is the com port AUTOSIG is using.

      If you don't have a buffered UART, you might try Ray Gwinn's (71154,575)
      shareware SIO.SYS and VSIO.SYS drivers, which emulate a 16550 FIFO inter-
      face. The SIO drivers are available in Library 2 of the PCCOM forum and
      Library 3 of OS2USER. To find the current version, type

           BRO SIO*.*

      at the "LIB 2 !" prompt. Note that installing the SIO drivers changes the
      options available in the "Session:DOS settings" notebook page. Follow the
      instructions in SIO's documentation for the additional DOS settings.



















      Page 98                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      Appendix F: ATO Color Settings

           Code      Color
           0         Black          NOTE: Colors 0 to 15 can be used
           1         Blue                 for the foreground value
           2         Green                (the first of the two color
           3         Cyan                 numbers).
           4         Red
           5         Magenta              Only colors 0 to 7 should
           6         Brown                be used for the background
           7         White                value (the second number).
           8         Gray
           9         Light Blue
           10        Light Green
           11        Light Cyan
           12        Light Red
           13        Light Magenta
           14        Yellow
           15        High-intensity White


































      Page 99                                             Autosig, Version 7.0b




      Appendix G: Forum Options (manual)

      When you use the AUTOSIG Autojoin feature, ATO makes the following
      changes to your forum OPtions on CIS:

           FORUM OPTIONS                           Changed to:
            1 INITIAL menu/prompt [Forum]          [Forum]
            2 Forum MODE [MENU]                    [COMMAND]

           MESSAGES OPTIONS
            3 PAUSE after messages [Always]        [Never]
            4 NAME [Your Name]                     [Your Name]
            5 Prompt CHARACTER []                  [^G] (See note)
            6 EDITOR  [EDIT]                       [EDIT]
            7 SECTIONS [...]
            8 HIGH msg read [0]
            9 REPLIES info [Count]
           10 TYPE waiting msgs [NO]               [NO]
           11 SKIP msgs you posted [NO]

           LIBRARY OPTIONS
           12 Library DISPLAY  [Long]              [Long]

      Note: ATO's default prompt character is [Ctrl]-G, but you can change this
      in ATO's Edit PC Options menu.

      If you currently use LINEDIT, the editor with the line numbers, on CIS
      you can continue to use this editor with ATO -- it will work fine.
      Autojoin will change to EDIT, the editor without line numbers. EDIT mes-
      sage uploads are be faster, but you might find that EDIT is a little har-
      der to use if you leave messages in "real time". Like many options in
      AUTOSIG, this area is as flexible as possible.

      After you let ATO Autojoin the forum, simply reset your on-line forum OP-
      tions to use LINEDIT. ATO will change it back on the fly for that session
      only as it enters the forum.

















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      Appendix H: High Message Numbers

      ATO's High Message Number (HMN) and its relationship to the CompuServe
      CIS HMN are confusing to a lot of people. This appendix will attempt to
      provide some additional information, which will hopefully be helpful in
      understanding the use of HMNs.

      ATO maintains a separate HMN for each forum. It uses its HMN for one pri-
      mary purpose: to provide a bookmark so that you are offered the op-
      portunity to scan or read all messages (in selected sections, if ap-
      propriate) on a particular forum.

      Thus, the ATO HMN is only updated when you have scanned or read all mes-
      sages in a forum up to a particular point. Given the ATO functions, this
      means that the only functions that change the ATO HMN are F "Read Forward
      all new messages", T "Read Thread all new messages", and M "Mark message
      headers for download".

      These are the only ATO operations that give you the opportunity to read
      or scan all messages. Whenever one of these operations is performed, ATO
      will update its HMN to one higher than the highest message number that
      was available to that operation. In the case of F and T, that will be one
      higher than the highest message number on the forum at the time of the F
      or T operation. The rules for Mark are more complex and will be explained
      further below.

      The CIS HMN is kept by CIS for each forum and shows the highest message
      number you have read -- either using ATO to grab messages or through some
      manual operation. CIS includes most read operations in this count, though
      it excludes REAd WAIting.

      In general, the CIS HMN is irrelevant to ATO operations. The CIS HMN may
      be either higher or lower than the ATO HMN. (If you wish, you can force
      ATO to use the CIS HMN by setting the ATO HMN to N. This should be done
      only when you have a specific purpose for doing so, such as using ATO on
      two different computers.)

      As promised, the following is an explanation of the way the ATO HMN is
      affected by Mark. When you do a Quick scan, ATO picks up the requested
      headers starting with its current HMN for that forum. (H and J scans
      operate similarly to Q). It also picks up the current highest message
      number in the forum at that time.

      Note that this highest message number in the forum -- which will be dis-
      played at the top of the screen during Mark -- may not appear as a header
      on your Q list at all for at least three reasons.

           It may be a reply to a lower-numbered message that is already in the
                  header list. That is, the highest-numbered message may be
                  part of a thread represented in the header list by an earlier
                  message.


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           It may be a private message or message otherwise unavailable to you
                  (such as in a closed section).

           It may be a message in a section you have not selected.

      The ATO HMN will not be changed as a result of the Q operation, because
      you haven't done anything with the headers yet. Only when you do the Mark
      operation and exit with [F10] will the ATO HMN be updated. The new number
      will be one higher than the highest message number that was on the forum
      at the time of your Q run.

      If any of the three situations outlined above have occurred, the new HMN
      will not be one higher than what you saw in your header list.

      Now you go to download messages. When you do this, ATO goes on-line and
      reads messages in each thread you have marked, starting with the message
      number you marked, which will have been the lowest numbered message in
      the marked thread that was above the HMN at the time of your Q operation.

      If new messages have been added to any of the marked threads between the
      Q and D operations, those new messages will be downloaded also and will
      be available to be read. However, the ATO HMN will not be updated to
      recognize this.

      The reason the ATO HMN is not updated to recognize you have received mes-
      sages with numbers higher than the ATO HMN is that doing so would risk
      having you miss the opportunity to read other messages (in threads you
      didn't mark or in new threads) that might have been posted in the inter-
      im. The downside of this design decision is that the next time you do the
      Q, M, D sequence, you will get these added messages downloaded if you
      mark the same threads.

      Since this is a bit complex, an example may help. Assume that you do a
      Quick scan when the ATO HMN is 1000 and the highest message number on the
      forum is 1020. When you complete the Q operation, the forum HMN will
      still show as 1000, since Q does not affect the ATO HMN.

      When you do the following Mark operation, you will see something like:

      Marking 'PCApp' messages: 4 headers; HMN=1020   BOTTOM          1 - 3
      1004-     3:  DE: Getting User Input +    S 3 / DBMS
      1007-     2:  Pop-up Rolodex              S 7 / Gen. Apps
      1006-     0:  Chit-chat                   S 8 / Village Inn

      The first line shows the forum, total number of headers, highest message
      number on the forum at the time of the Q, and which of the headers are
      displayed on the screen (needed when you have too many headers to display
      on the screen at once). The second line shows there is a thread with the
      topic "DE: Getting User Input +" that is in Section 3, whose topic is
      "DBMS".


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      The lowest-numbered message in the sections you scanned that is greater
      than or equal to 1000 (the ATO HMN at the time of the Q) is 1004, and
      there are a total of four messages in the thread that have message num-
      bers between 1000 and 1020, inclusive. The 3 indicates there are three
      "replies" in the thread, though they may not all be replies to 1004.
      Let's assume those messages are 1004, 1005, 1011, and 1018. The thread
      identified as 1007 has messages 1007, 1010, and 1019.

      Note that each of these threads may have messages with numbers lower than
      the indicated number, but those numbers would be lower than the ATO HMN
      at the time of the Q. Thus it is assumed the user already had an op-
      portunity to check out those messages in earlier ATO operation for this
      forum.

      Now assume that you mark only the first thread, then press [F10]. At this
      point ATO's HMN for the forum will be updated to 1021, one higher than
      the highest-numbered message on the forum at the time of the Q. Note that
      the header list did not include message 1020, or any other message number
      above 1009. The possible reasons for this are enumerated above.

      The fact that you did not see those message numbers is considered to be
      no problem because you have either seen the threads containing those mes-
      sage numbers (and had a chance to mark them) or those messages are un-
      available to you (either because of CIS restrictions or your own choice
      to exclude certain sections).

      Now assume you download marked messages, but several hours have passed
      between the time you did the Q and the time of the D, and messages 1021
      through 1025 have been posted in the meantime. Further, the messages and
      their topics are:

           1021:         DE: Getting User Input +
           1022:         new topic 1
           1023:         new topic 2
           1024:         DE: Getting User Input +
           1025:         new topic 2

      The D operation will pick up messages 1004, 1005, 1011, and 1018 as ex-
      pected based on their availability at the time of the Q scan. The D
      operation will also pick up messages 1021 and 1024. This occurs because
      the command ATO sends to CIS says "give me message 1004 plus all messages
      with higher numbers in the same thread." Since 1021 and 1024 are in the
      same thread, CIS sends them along also.

      This will mean that the CIS HMN will be 1024. However the download opera-
      tion does not change the ATO HMN, so the ATO HMN is still 1021.

      You might reasonably ask: "Why does ATO not update its HMN to recognize
      that I've seen messages 1021 and 1024?" The answer is that, were ATO to
      do so, the next Quick scan would start with message 1025 and you would


      Page 103                                            Autosig, Version 7.0b




      not have the opportunity to consider reading messages 1022 and 1023.

      If ATO did update its HMN to recognize the extra messages you received,
      the Mark screen done at this point would look like (assume 1026 was added
      after the download, but before the Q):

      Marking 'PCApp' messages: 1 headers; HMN=1025   BOTTOM          1 - 2
      1025-     0:  new topic 2                 S 3 / DBMS
      1026-     0:  DE: Getting User Input +    S 3 / DBMS

      You would have the opportunity to mark those headers, but you would
      totally miss the opportunity to even know that new topic 1 had been
      available and you would miss message 1023 in a thread you might be inter-
      ested in. For this reason ATO does not update its HMN in this situation,
      and Q done at this point would give you a Mark screen like this:

      Marking 'PCApp' messages: 1 headers; HMN=1025   BOTTOM          1 - 3
      1021-     2:  DE: Getting User Input +    S 3 / DBMS
      1022-     0:  new topic 1                 S 3 / DBMS
      1023-     1:  new topic 2                 S 3 / DBMS

      Now if you mark the first thread, you will get messages 1021 and 1024
      again as well as 1026, which was not captured with the download. However
      you will also have an opportunity to mark and capture 1022 on new topic
      1, and if you mark new topic 2, you will get 1023 as well as 1025.

      So the basic difference here is that the ATO method has the possibility
      of picking up duplicates of messages posted to the forum between the Q
      and D operations. However the ATO method will not skip messages in other
      threads -- either old, but unmarked, or new -- that were posted between
      the Q and D. You will have an opportunity to Mark all messages available
      to you in your selected sections, without having to worry about missing
      any.

      The best suggestion to minimize the duplication of messages in successive
      ATO Q, M, D sequences is to minimize the time between the Q and D opera-
      tions.

      If you prefer to risk skipping messages you may be interested in at the
      cost of making sure you don't get duplicates due to overlap, you can
      easily set the ATO HMN to N. This will tell ATO to use the CIS HMN, which
      has been updated for all messages read in the download operation, as the
      starting point for its next Quick scan.

      As a shortcut to setting HMN to N, you can simply hit [Alt]-N at the
      Forum Function menu -- or you can hit [Alt]-N at the Main menu to update
      the ATO HMN for all forums to N. One of these will have to be redone
      after each Mark operation, though, since each Mark operation will set the
      ATO HMN for that forum based on the ATO method described above.

      The only way to get no overlap, but no skipping, would be to have some


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      way of tracking whether you have read each individual message and then do
      some fancy footwork. At present the individual message tracking is not
      done, nor are there any plans to do it since it would require a lot of
      disk space with little apparent benefit. Even were ATO to do it, online
      time would not be reduced since CIS provides no way to skip the dupli-
      cates. So the best ATO could do would be to read the messages and not
      save them if it knew they had already been read.

      Also note that the F and T operations do not suffer from this overlap, so
      there is no need to worry about overlap if you're using those operations.
      In those cases the CIS and ATO HMNs move together. The ATO HMN will al-
      ways be one greater than the CIS HMN, since ATO will use its HMN as the
      first message to be read on the next F or T operation.

      F and T operations can be quite costly, though, so they should only be
      used when you expect to want to read a large proportion of the messages
      available in a given forum. Also, the T operation should probably be used
      in preference to the F operation. They each get the same messages, but
      the T operation has them organized by thread, while the F operation has
      them sequenced by message number, which probably makes it more difficult
      to figure out the whole conversation since related messages are not
      together.































      Page 105                                            Autosig, Version 7.0b




      Appendix I: Latin-1

      ATO supports the Latin-1 character set CIS optionally uses to allow ac-
      cented letters and other extended characters in forum messages and mail
      to other CIS users. Even if you speak only English, you should consider
      enabling Latin-1 support, since the extended character set includes such
      items as fractions and exponents that might change the meaning of a mes-
      sage if you see something else on your screen.

      To see the extended characters, however, you must have an EGA, VGA, or
      higher resolution display, and must be running DOS 3.3 or greater, or
      OS/2. This is because ATO maps CIS's Latin-1 characters to DOS Codepage
      850.

      Under DOS or DOS and Windows, in order for this to work, you must have:

           DEVICE=C:\DOS\DISPLAY.SYS con=(ega,437,1)

      in your CONFIG.SYS, and:

           C:\DOS\MODE con cp prep=((850)c:\dos\ega.cpi)

      in your AUTOEXEC.BAT.

      Then, on CIS, GO TERMINAL and:

           Choose "Change permanent settings"
           Choose "Terminal type/parameters"
           Set "PARITY" to NONE or ZERO
           Back out of there and choose "Display options"
           Set "Character Set" to LATIN-1
           Make the settings permanent, and logoff

      Off-line, press [Escape] to open the PC Options menu.

      At the bottom of the menu, set "Parity masking" to N, and "Latin-1
      codepage" to C or Y.

      When you set up for Latin-1, CIS uses eight data bits and no parity. Ac-
      tually, ATO always uses eight data bits, but ignores or "masks" the
      eighth bit if you leave "Parity masking" at the default Y. If you leave
      parity masking on, you will be telling ATO that you want it to strip that
      bit, which will mean you won't see any Latin-1 characters, and will get
      nonsense results instead if any extended characters are sent. (You'll
      still get nonsense if you do nothing, because CIS will helpfully "trans-
      late" the extended characters into the seven-bit ASCII character set,
      changing fractions into blanks, for example, and the cents sign into a
      c.)

      A C in the "Latin-1 codepage" field means that you want ATO to try to use
      Codepage 850 and, if it thinks that changing to that codepage is success-


      Page 106                                            Autosig, Version 7.0b




      ful, to translate the CIS output to Codepage 850 and translate your out-
      going messages from Codepage 850 to Latin-1. A Y in the "Latin-1
      codepage" field means do the translation in any case.



      Under Windows, set ATO's PC Option "Latin-1 codepage" to C or Y if you
      want to use ATO or other DOS programs to read and write your messages, or
      N if you want your messages to be in Windows' native character set.



      Under OS/2, you should already have Codepage 850 support by default.
      Check for a:

           CODEPAGE=437,850

      statement in your CONFIG.SYS. (CODEPAGE=850,437 also works.) Then follow
      the steps above for setting up CIS and ATO.


































      Page 107                                            Autosig, Version 7.0b




      Index



      Addressbook,    23, 38, 61, 79
      Addressbook Commands,    80
      Append,    22
      AUTO pass,    35, 38, 49, 94
      AUTOEXEC.BAT,    45, 106
      Autojoin,    27, 100
      Beep,    14, 31, 61, 93
      Bulletin,    18, 31
      Call waiting,    16
      Capture file,    61, 67
      Carrier Detect,    7
      Colors,    12, 99
      COM port,    17, 83, 95
      Command mode,    38, 62, 64, 94
      Command-line switches,    14, 49, 93
      CompuServe Mail,    13, 26, 52, 79, 84
      CONFIG.SYS,    106
      Configuration options,    12, 15, 20, 25, 53
      Deadman switch,    37, 83
      Delete message,    43
      DESQview,    13, 97
      Disconnect,    36, 61
      Downloading files,    55, 62, 65, 85, 92
      Downloading headers,    34, 101
      Downloading messages,    34, 45, 50, 101
      DTR,    7
      Duplicate messages,    104
      EDIT,    27, 100
      Editor,    68
      Environment,    45
      Etiquette,    43, 77
      Exit to DOS,    32, 62, 94
      Fax,    55, 79
      Files,    6, 18, 22, 45, 93
      Forum configuration,    20, 27, 31, 61, 83, 100
      Forum functions,    29, 30, 48
      Forum selection,    29
      Function keys,    60, 72
      GO words,    21, 92, 96
      Hang up,    36, 61
      Help,    22, 31, 41, 43, 61, 69, 72, 76
      High Message number,    11, 22, 38, 46, 101
      Host configuration,    15
      Import into editor,    73, 74
      Internet,    56, 79
      Interrupting operations,    37
      Invalid command,    27


      Page 108                                            Autosig, Version 7.0b




      Latin-1 character set,    14, 61, 70, 106
      Libraries,    92
      Locate,    41
      Logoff,    36, 61
      Mail,    13, 42, 52, 79, 84
      Main menu,    10
      Marking headers,    39, 101
      Menu mode,    27, 38, 62, 94
      Modem commands,    7, 17, 18, 83
      Modem configuration,    7
      Modem speed,    16
      Mouse,    11, 14, 93
      OS/2,    13, 97, 107
      Parity,    14, 62, 106
      Password,    16
      Phone number,    16
      Problems,    83
      Prompt character,    14, 94
      Quoting,    72, 77
      Read messages,    40
      Recall buffer,    62
      Reply,    42, 75
      Save messages,    42, 45, 73
      Scripts,    16, 61, 62, 94
      Section names,    23, 36, 61, 100
      Send box,    32, 61, 75, 79
      Shell to DOS,    31, 61
      Spell-check,    74
      Split screen,    62
      SprintNET,    16
      Starting message number,    11, 22, 38, 46, 101
      Stay connected,    23, 48, 50
      Telenet,    16
      Terminal configuration,    25, 106
      Terminal mode,    35, 58
      Tymnet,    16
      Uploading files,    55, 62, 66, 85
      Uploading messages,    34, 45, 50
      User ID,    16
      View messages,    32
      Windows,    13, 97, 107
      Write messages,    32, 75











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