
			SignIt VBDOS - 


    Release Information
    SignIt VBDOS Signature Program
    -------------------------------------------------------


	Released as FREEWARE. 


    Brief Introduction to SignIt
    

		      THE PROGRAM

	I orignally wrote SignIt to work with my
    Off-line Mail Reader (OLMR), BLUE WAVE, and then
    to work with Speed Read, when I started using it
    on a QWK system that allowed File Attachments.
    To be able to use SignIt it is necessary to
    set up an EDITOR.BAT file.


		    Quick Setup for QWK

	You can also use SignIt with SLMR, OLX, SPEED
    READ, ROBOMAIL, 1ST READER, Jabber and UniQWK 4.2
    Windows Off-Line Reader. There may be other QWK
    Readers, but they are to my knowledge untested.
    To use SignIt with your QWK Mail then you need to
    start Signit using the "/A" switch so that it will
    add your signature to your QWK reply. Your command
    line would look like;
    signit.exe /A <path to your Reply file>
    

		  Quick Setup for EMail
				       
	You can also use SignIt with your Internet EMail
    program, or your Web Browser if it has been setup to
    use a text file that you have designated. Just point
    SignIt at the text file, and you can change it quickly
    and easily to any Signature file that you have created.
    Since SignIt is a 16bit (DOS /Win3x) program, it won't
    be able to see all of a 32bit (Win9x/ WinNT) filename,
    but you can just tell it to write to the 16bit filename
    ie. In Eudora alternat~1.txt, and it will write to that
    file name. To use SignIt with your EMail or Web Browser
    the command line would look like;
    signit.exe /O <path to your signature file> this will
    exchange your existing signature with the one you selected.


		      INSTALLATION

	Unzip the SignIt archive into either your
    Offline Reader's Directory or to the C:\SIGNIT directory.
    If you are going to use Signit with SPEED READ, then 
    you MUST unzip it to the C:\SIGNIT directory. Why, will
    become more clear when you read the information about
    SPEED READ.

	For additional information Check the Setup for
    your Mail Reader.

    ======================================================
    BWave/Jabber


		    BLUE WAVE / JABBER Setup

	 All you have to do is put the name of the
    executable (SIGNIT.EXE) into your EDITOR.BAT file and
    pass it the same parameters that are being passed to
    your Editor. In English; Tell Sign-It where to find
    your reply file and what it's name is.
    Since BLUE WAVE and JABBER pass this information in the
    same manner I have put the setups for BLUE WAVE and JABBER
    together.

    FOR BLUE WAVE go into setup and where it asks for the
    Editor, put EDITOR.BAT @F. Then save this.

    FOR JABBER. Open the Jabber.cfg file, and where it says:

    EXTERNAL PROGRAMS

    External editor (blank = internal editor)
    {EDITOR=}  change it to {EDITOR=C:\JABBER\EDITOR.BAT}

    Sample EDITOR.BAT file: For BlueWave and Jabber.

    @echo off
    C:\EDITOR\EDITOR.EXE %1
    CD\SIGNIT   ; If SignIt is not in your OLMR Dir.
    SIGNIT.EXE /A %1

    SignIt must be called from the directory where the
    *.SIG files are located. This is so Signit can find 
    your signature files.


    =======================================================
    SLMR/OLX


		    SLMR/OLX Setup

	To use Sign-it with SLMR/OLX, you need to go into the
    configuration and where it says editor put EDITOR.BAT

    Then in your editor.bat file:

    c:\editor\editor.exe %1
    (or) c:\slmr\slme %1
    cd\slmr    <-------  Or Wherever Sign-it is located.
    signit /A c:\slmr\mr$work\reply.msg  <--Pass the Full
				      Path to your
				      Reply File.

    ========================================================
    SPEED READ

		      SPEED READ Setup

	To allow Sign-It to work with SPEED READ, I have   
    written an additional utility called BRIDGE.EXE. If you    
    are using SPEED READ you will need to use BRIDGE.EXE       
	If you are using any DataBase style reader, you        
    may have to use BRIDGE.EXE to allow Sign-It and            
    your reader to work together.                              
							       
	To use Bridge, you must have Editor.bat on the C: drive
    and in the SignIt directory, i.e. C:\SIGNIT\EDITOR.BAT
    would be the path to the Batch file that you run your
    editor and Sign-it from. In the General Setup for SPEED
    READ, you would select for your Editor;
    C:\SPEED\BRIDGE.EXE %s This is, of course, assuming you
    have installed BRIDGE.EXE in the SPEED directory and not
    in the SIGNIT directory. Those individuals using SPEED
    READ _must_ put EDITOR.BAT in the C:\SIGNIT directory.

	This will allow Speed and Sign-It to work together.
    My batch file looks like;
	c:\edit\edit.exe %1
	c:       <----- I have Speed use a RAM Drive 
			as a WORK Drive so I have to change
			to C: drive first, after the editor
			is done.
	cd\signit
	signit /A %1

	This also allows you to use SignIt and your signature
    files with with more than one Mail reader. I presently am
    using both SPEED and Blue Wave, and only need the single
    installation of SignIt.

	If you are using a database style Mail reader or are
    having problems trying to pass the path to your editor
    batch file, then you may want to use BRIDGE and this
    setup. Bridge simply finds out where it is (directory
    /PATH) and the name of the file to be edited (reply.txt
    or .msg) then passes this information to the Editor.bat
    file in the C:\SIGNIT directory. SIGNIT.EXE needs the
    FULL path to your reply file.


    ========================================================
    ROBOMAIL


	I will now turn the podium over to my good friend
    Scott Tinney and he will explain the set up to get SignIt
    to work with RoboMail.

			ROBOMAIL Setup

    In the Robomail configuration Message Settings (page 3),
    Message Editor section, mark the Use External Editor
    check-box and enter:

    EDITOR %T %S

    in the area for the external editor.  I located editor.bat,
    SIGNIT.EXE, and the <signame>.SIG signatures in
    the Robomail directory to avoid the necessity of providing
    pathnames for everything.  D:\QE is my QEdit
    directory and Q is the QEdit executable.
    BTW; Very nice program, you do good work. :)

    rem editor.bat
    @echo off
    d:\qe\q %1 %2
    signit /A %1
		   -={ Scott Tinney | Grove Oklahoma }=-
			    scott@greencis.net

==================================================================
    1ST READER
    

		       1ST READER SETUP

    Go into the Setup and Press "E", or click on (E)ditor.
    You will have to use BRIDGE.EXE to pass the proper information
    to SIGNIT. On the External Editor Cmd Line enter;
    C:\1ST\BRIDGE.EXE %R %O <---Put "R" and "O" if your Editor
    supports loading two files at once. If not then put "R" and
    change the Original File Spec to REPLY.

    You then need to go to (S)witches in setup, cursor down to #3
    and Press [Space Bar] to enable the External Editor.
    You must setup the External Editor Cmd, before you can enable
    the External Editor in the (S)witches area.

    If you have any problems with setting this up, refer to the
    on line help in 1ST READER.

    If your Editor Supports the Loading of two files at once,
    then your EDITOR.BAT file should look like;

    c:\edit\editor.exe %1 %2
    REM %1 is the REPLY file, and %2 is the ORIGINAL message
    c:
    cd\signit
    signit /A %1

    The EDITOR.BAT file must be located in the c:\signit
    directory for you to use BRIDGE, and it must be named
    EDITOR.BAT.

    You can also use 1STEDIT if you would like. I had no
    problem with calling 1STEDIT from the C:\SIGNIT directory.

    If your editor only supports the loading of one file at
    a time then you will only need the %1 after the command
    to call up your editor.

=================================================================
    UNIQWK 4.2

			   UNIQWK SETUP


    If you already have UniQWK setup and running and would like to
    add SignIt to your repertoire of Mail Reading tools and toys,
    then Click on "SET" from the Main Menu, then Click on "SETTINGS".
    In the General Options Dialogue box Click on REPLY OPTION. In the
    Reply Options Dialogue Box Click on [X] Use Internal Editor, to
    remove the "X" from the Box. Then where it says EXTERNAL EDITOR,
    give the path to your EDITOR.BAT file ie. C:\SIGNIT\EDITOR.BAT 
    Since UniQWK allows the use of an external editor, and a DOS
    editor if you prefer, then you can use something like QEdit if you
    want, and have Sign-It for your Signature Files. In the SIGNIT.CFG
    file I would leave the semi-colon in front of the Spell Checker line.
    Since UniQWK has an internal Spell Checker, this feature is not
    needed, although when testing UniQWK I didn't notice any problems
    when this screen popped up. I did NOT try to run my spell checker
    though.

    If you are installing UniQWK for the first time, then just fill in
    the boxes as I have mentioned above, as you work your way through the
    Install. I found that a standard EDITOR.BAT file like you would use
    for Blue Wave works just fine. You do not need to worry about using
    BRIDGE.EXE to get the information to Sign-It in any Special way.

    @echo off
    C:\EDITOR\EDITOR.EXE %1
    CD\SIGNIT   ; If SignIt is not in your OLMR Dir.
    SIGNIT.EXE /A %1

    Sign-It may work with other versions of UniQWK, but I have only
    tested it with ver. 4.2. 

=================================================================

    
    System Requirements

     You will need at least a 386 CPU to use this version of
     SignIt, as I have compiled it using 386 code for optimization
     for the 486 that I run it on.      

    Video Information was From the Old Signit Program
    and may not be correct for the current version.

    Video: EGA or Higher, I have received some comments
	   from users that have CGA that some screens
	   display in unusual colors.

      OS: DOS 3.1 or greater.

    
    Contacting the Author

	I can either be contacted via the regular Mail
    service.

		    Pat Pridgen
		    P.O. Box 183
		    La Grande, Oregon
		    97850

		    Or via Internet;

		    pridgen@OregonVOS.net

	     http://www.oregonvos.net/~ppridgen
    
    Features/Usage


    You can have as many Signatures as a VBDOS FileList
    box will read. Probably stalls at 32,767. Which should be
    more than enough for anyone.

    If you just press Enter when SignIt loads then it will
    default to the 1.sig. You can either select a signature
    with the mouse, and then click on the Signit button, or you
    double click on a filename, and it will be selected. You can 
    also tab over to the File list box, cursor down to the Signature
    that you want, and press ENTER. You can Click on HELP, or Press F1
    while in the program if you have a question or two.
    You can also VIEW a signature file by clicking on the View Button.       
    This is just in case you can't remember what a signature looks like.


    Since most International Networks don't support High
    ASCII (those characters that can't be found on your keyboard), 
    like 254 "",  225"" and several that make those slick double 
    line boxes around your signature (like 205 ""), I recommend 
    that you use the available keys and symbols that are on 
    your keyboard to create your signatures.  This will insure that 
    they reach their destination in the same condition in which they left.

   
	Note: Some Readers, and UNIX have trouble with ASCII 255,
	      so you may want to use the underscore "_".  

   
    Signature Testing
    Testing

	If you want to test drive some of your Signatures
    before sending them into the great beyond, create a
    Batch File. Call it what ever you like, I call mine
    SIG.BAT. I also have another file called TEST.TXT.
    TEST.TXT is just a plain ASCII file, that gives Sign-It a
    place to put your test signatures.

    In your batch file put;

    SIGNIT /A TEST.TXT. (or whatever the name of your file that you
    want to use for testing)

    Then when you type SIG it will call up SignIt, and you
    can try out your new signatures to see what they will
    look like when it is printed to TEST.TXT. You can
    view them with any ASCII editor. DOS's EDIT.COM/EXE is
    fine for doing this, or SEE.EXE included in the Signit
    archive.


    
	All of the above mentioned Off-Line Mail Readers are
    the property of their respective Authors/Companies.


    Signit VBDOS, is a port of my original Sign-It program to the
    VBDOS compiler. It gave me some additional options, More signatures
    and a prettier interface, as far as mouseability, etc. I didn't
    keep the ability to add text or the time and date after the LOGO,
    but, I may later. Just depends on if there is enough user interest
    to bother doing this. 

	   Anyway, have fun with this, that's why I wrote it.

			       Pat 




