PATHWORKS for DOS Mail User's Reference

This document is an intermediate and advanced user's reference manual for PATHWORKS Mail for DOS, specifically for Version 4.1 or higher, published in August 1991. Its primary purpose is to describe the mail menus and commands users can utilize to perform various mail tasks from their personal computers.

The manual is structured into several key sections:

• Introduction to Mail: Covers the initial configuration of Mail using MAILSETU to create a MAIL.INI file, explains core interface terms like the Browser and message flags (e.g., read, marked, deleted, new, binary attachment, highlighted), and outlines methods for choosing menu options (mouse, hot keys, arrow keys). It also details the functionalities supported by different server types (VMS, OS/2, ULTRIX).
• Mail Menus (Read, Send, Folder, Message, Filter, Group, Other): Each menu is dedicated a chapter, explaining its options and how to use them. These menus allow users to read selected or new messages, compose and send new mail (including to distribution lists or with binary attachments), forward, reply to, or annotate existing messages. Users can manage folders by checking for new mail, switching folders, listing directories, and searching message headers or body text. Message-specific actions include deleting, marking, moving, copying, extracting to files, and printing. The Filter menu enables viewing messages based on criteria like sender, subject, content, or status, while the Group menu facilitates batch operations (move, copy, print, extract, unmark) on marked or all messages. The Other menu provides miscellaneous tasks such as purging deleted messages, suspending Mail to access the operating system, modifying user profiles, and logging into servers.
• Mail Commands: This section provides a comprehensive alphabetical reference of all commands that can be entered at the Mail prompt, detailing their purpose, guidelines, format, parameters, qualifiers, and examples.
• Appendices:
  • Using Mail Without the Command Prompt: Explains how to disable the command prompt and perform Mail operations using key sequences, defining keyboard, mouse, and menu options via dedicated definition files (MAILBRWS.DEF, MAILEDIT.DEF, MAILVIEW.DEF).
  • Using a Callable Editor: Describes the process of specifying and utilizing an external callable editor (e.g., SEDT) for message composition, including details on macro files and escape sequences for editor integration.

The document serves as a comprehensive guide for users to effectively manage their electronic mail within the PATHWORKS for DOS environment.