Copyright: Copyright© 1999 Symantec Corporation.  All rights reserved.
Citation: Copyright© 1999 Symantec Corporation.  All rights reserved.


An Introduction to Internet Mail

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For a variety of reasons, electronic mail is perhaps the most used features of the Internet. Regardless of your areas of interest or expertise, chances are that sooner or later you will use Internet mail! You can use it to:

•	Send messages to individuals.

•	Send binary files, including images, audio files, programs and more.

•	Send text files.

Mail Protocols

Internet Mail Addresses

Encoded files


Encoded files

You can attach any kind of file to your mail messages, even images or executables. However, before your attached files can be sent as mail they have to be converted to a form that mail can handle. This is called encoding.

There are two popular encoding methods: UUencoding and MIME encoding. By default, the mail client uses UUencoding for files you attach to messages. However, MIME encoding is also available; see Default Attachment Encoding in Other Mail Options.


Internet Mail Addresses

Mail addresses on the Internet are made up of two parts, the username and the domain. The domain specifies the computer system or network that you logon to for Internet access, while the username identifies your particular account on the domain system. The username and domain, linked by an ‘@’ sign, form an Internet address. For example, in

president@whitehouse.gov

the username is president and the domain is whitehouse.gov.


Mail Protocols

The Internet Mail Client is designed to receive Internet mail messages from a Post Office Protocol, or POP mail server. As you might expect from the protocol’s name, a POP mail server acts much like a post office on the Internet: it accepts messages from other locations on the Internet and delivers them to you at your request.

To send messages, the Internet Mail Client uses the Simple Mail Transport Protocol, or SMTP.


New Message Menu and Action Bar
New Message Window's Menu and Action Bar

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Action Bar Button	Menu | Item	Description
	File |  Connection  Directory...	Opens the current Connection Directory file, allowing you to create or edit Mail entries, or select entries or groups for addressing the message you’re writing.
	File |  Save As...	Saves your mail message as a standard text file, using a filename you specify.
	File |  Import Text...	Opens a standard file selection dialog, where you can browse for a text file to be inserted into the edit box as part of your mail message.
	File | Print	Prints the displayed message to the currently selected printer.
	File | Exit	Closes the New Message window, returning you to the Internet Mail Client’s main window.
	Edit | Cut	Removes the text you’ve selected in the message edit box and places it in the Windows Clipboard. <Ctrl><X> is the keyboard shortcut.
	Edit | Copy	Copies the text you’ve selected in the message edit box to the Windows Clipboard. The selected text is not affected. <Ctrl><C> is the keyboard shortcut.
	Edit | Paste	Copies the text from the Windows Clipboard and inserts it in the message edit box. <Ctrl><V> is the keyboard shortcut.
	Edit | Select All	Selects the contents of the message edit box.
	Message |  Check Spelling	Checks for words you may have misspelled in the message edit box. If the Internet Mail Client finds words it can’t recognize, it opens the Spelling Checker dialog. For more information, see Using the Mail Client's Spelling Checker.
	Message |  Check Names	Verifies the mail addresses entered in the To and Cc fields, using the Mail entries available in the current Connection Directory file. <Ctrl><K> is the keyboard shortcut.
	Message |  Add Attachment	Opens a standard file selection dialog where you can browse for a file you want to attach to your message.
	Message |  Remove Attachment	Removes a file you’ve attached to your message. If you’ve attached more than one file, you’ll need to select the one you want to remove before selecting this menu item.
	Message |  Open Attachment	Opens the currently selected attachment.
	Message |  Send Message	Send your message to the Outbox folder for delivery.  If you’re connected to the Internet when you select Send Message, the mail client delivers your message immediately. Otherwise, it stores your message in the Outbox folder until you request Deliver Mail in the main window.
	Help!	Opens on-line Help for the Internet Mail Client.


Read Message Menus and Action Bar
Read Message Window's Menus and Action Bar

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Action Bar Button	Menu | Item	Description
	File |  Save As...	Saves the current mail message as a standard text file, using a filename you specify.
	File |  Save Attachment...	If the current message contains an attached file, you can use this command to save it to disk as a normal file. This function is not available if the current message doesn’t contain an attached file.
	File | Open Attachment	Opens the currently selected attachment.
	File | Print...	Prints the displayed message to the currently selected printer.
	File | Exit	Closes the Read Message window, returning you to the Internet Mail Client’s main window.
	Edit | Cut	Removes the text you’ve selected in the message edit box and places it in the Windows Clipboard. <Ctrl><X> is the keyboard shortcut.
	Edit | Copy	Copies the text you’ve selected in the message edit box to the Windows Clipboard. The selected text is not affected. <Ctrl><C> is the keyboard shortcut.
	Edit | Paste	Copies the text from the Windows Clipboard and inserts it in the message edit box. <Ctrl><V> is the keyboard shortcut.
	Edit | Select All	Selects the contents of the message edit box.
	Message |  Add Sender to Connection Directory	Adds the sender to the current Connection Directory.
	Message |  Add/Edit Sender to Connection Directory	Opens an Add Directory Entry dialog in the Connection Directory  with the name of the sender displayed in the Name field.
	Message |  New Message...	Opens the New Message window, where you can begin composing a completely new message. The New Message window is discussed in Writing and Sending Mail.
	Message |  Reply...	Opens the Reply to Message window, where you can write a reply to the current message. The message window opens with the sender’s address from the original message in the To field and its subject line in the Subject field, prefaced by "RE:" to mark your message as a reply.  By default, the mail client includes the original message’s text in your reply.  The Reply to Message window is identical in function to the New Message window, which is discussed in  Writing and Sending Mail.
	Message |  Reply to All...	Opens the Reply to All Message window, where you can reply to the current message, sending your response to all of the addresses that appear in the current message. The window opens with the message’s sender and carbon copy recipient addresses entered in the To and Cc fields, respectively. The original message’s subject line appears in the Subject field, prefaced by "RE:" to indicate that it is a reply to a previous message. By default, the text of the original message is included in your reply. The Reply to All Message window is identical in function to the New Message window, which is discussed in  Writing and Sending Mail..
	Message |  Forward	Forwards the current message to another address.  The mail client opens the Forward Message window, with the original message included in the message edit box. The To and Cc fields are blank, ready for you to specify the forwarding address. The Forward Message window is identical in function to the New Message window, which is discussed in Writing and Sending Mail..
	Message | View Entire Header	Opens a simple dialog to display the full text of the current message’s header.
	Message | Move...	Moves the current message to a different folder. The mail client presents a list of the available folders; select the one you want and click OK to move the message.
	Message | Delete	Deletes the current message. The mail client moves your message to the Deleted Items folder, where it will be stored until you delete it there.  The mail client can automatically empty the Deleted Items folder for you when you exit it. See Empty Deleted folder upon exit in Other Mail Options. When you delete a message, the mail client returns to the main window if no other messages are available. Otherwise, it displays the next message down in the list.
	Message | View Previous Message	Displays the previous message. This function is not available if you’re viewing the first message in a folder.
	Message | View Next Message	Displays the next message. This function is not available if you’re viewing the last message in a folder.
	Help!	Opens on-line Help for the Internet Mail Client.


Reading Your Mail

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To view a message you’ve written or received, select it in the main window’s message list. You can then click on the View Message Action Bar button or select the Message | Display Message... menu item to display the message in the Read Message window. The message’s date and time, addresses and are subject displayed in the upper section of the Read Message window. The message body is displayed in a scrolling list box in the lower section.

Using the Mail Client's Read Message Window lists other features you can use in the Read Message window, and details the menu items which access them. For detailed information about the Read Message window's menus and Action Bar, see Read Message Window's Menus and Action Bar.


Sending and Receiving Mail

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As we mentioned earlier, the Internet Mail Client must interact with your mail server to send and receive your messages. To retrieve mail from your server, click on the Deliver Mail Action Bar button or select the Message | Send and Receive Messages menu item in the mail client’s main window.

After the client establishes a connection to your server, it retrieves your messages. By default, the Internet Mail Client only retrieves your new messages from the server, and deletes each message from the server as it is safely retrieved. You can control these options within Setup; see Mail Server Options.

After it’s retrieved any messages you had waiting on the server, the mail client sends any messages you had waiting in the Outbox folder. As your messages are successfully transmitted, they are moved into the Sent Mail folder for storage.


The Internet Mail Client

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The Procomm Plus Internet Mail Client allows you to conveniently read and reply to Internet mail messages you’ve received. It also helps you manage your correspondence, using an intuitive folder-and-list approach.

The mail client references the Current Mail Options set in the Internet, Mail settings group in Setup to determine how to deliver and retrieve your messages.

An Introduction to Internet Mail

Using the Mail Client

The Internet Mail Client’s Menus and Action Bar


The Internet Mail Client's Menus and Action Bar
The Internet Mail Client’s Menus and Action Bar

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Action Bar Button	Menu | Item	Description
	Rapid Connect No associated menu item.	The Rapid Connect drop down list box allows you to quickly select an address, or a group of addresses without opening the Connection Directory. By default, Mail-class entries are shown in the list box, but you can toggle the displayed class by selecting the appropriate bracketed item from the list. For example, to view Voice-class entries and groups, you’d select the [Voice numbers] item from the list box.
	File | Open Connection Directory...	Displays a standard file selection dialog, where you can select an existing Connection Directory file to be loaded for use.
	File | Connection Directory...	Opens the Connection Directory, where you can create or edit existing entries or groups, or select entries or groups for use as message recipients. <Alt><D> is the keyboard shortcut.
	File | Save As...	Opens a dialog where you can specify a filename to be used to save the currently selected message(s) as a disk file.
	File | New Folder...	Opens a dialog where you can specify a name for a new folder.
	File |  Rename Folder...	Opens a dialog where you can specify a new name for the selected folder.
	File |  Delete Folder...	Deletes the selected folder and any messages it contains. You cannot delete the Inbox, Outbox, Sent Mail or Deleted Items folders.
	File | Print...	Opens the Print dialog to print the currently selected message(s). <Alt><N> is the keyboard shortcut.
	File | Exit	Exits Internet Mail Client.
	Edit | Select All	Selects all of the messages listed in the current folder.
	View |  Action Bars...	Opens the Load Action Bars dialog, where you can specify the Action Bar files you want to use. See Selecting Action Bars.
	View |  Large Action Bars	Toggles the display of the Action Bar between large and small icon buttons.
	View | ToolTips	Toggles the display of the Action Bar ToolTips labels. If this menu item is checked or enabled, the Internet Mail Client will also display brief help information on the Status Line when the mouse cursor is left motionless over an Action Bar button for one second. The ToolTips setting is automatically saved for future sessions.
	View | Status Line	Toggles the display of the Internet Mail Client’s Status Line. The Status Line setting is automatically saved for future sessions.
	Options |  System Options...	Opens the System Options panel within Setup. For more information, see System Options.
	Options |  Internet Connection...	Opens the Internet Connection panel within Setup. For more information, see Internet Connection Options.
	Options |  Internet Mail	Pulls down a submenu, from which you can select a specific panel to access within the Internet Mail group in Setup. For more information, see Internet Mail Options.
	Options | Sort	Selects the entry field used to sort the message list.  You can sort the list by the date and time the message was received, by the sender’s name, by the message subject or by the message size, in ascending or descending order.
	Message | Send and  Receive Messages	Connects to your mail server to deliver any messages you’ve prepared and retrieve messages that are waiting for you. For more information, see Sending and Receiving Mail.
	Message |  Display Message...	Opens the Read Message window and displays the currently selected message(s). For more information, see Reading Your Mail.
	Message | Compose Message...	Opens the New Message window. For more information, see Writing and Sending Mail.
	Message | Reply...	Opens the Reply to Message dialog, using information from the currently selected message for addressing and quoting. The Internet Mail Client gives you extensive control over its message quoting features. See Text Quoting in Mail Reply Options. The Reply to Message window is identical in function to the New Message window, which is discussed in Writing and Sending Mail.
	Message |  Reply to All...	Opens the Reply to Message dialog, placing the address(es) from the selected message in the To field and the subject in the Subject field, prefaced by "RE:."  The Reply to All Message window is identical in function to the New Message window, which is discussed in Writing and Sending Mail.
	Message |  Forward...	Forwards the selected message to another address. The mail client opens the Forward Message window, with the original message included in the message edit box. The To and Cc fields are blank, ready for you to specify the forwarding address. The Forward Message window is identical in function to the New Message window, which is discussed in Writing and Sending Mail.
	Message | Move...	Opens a dialog where you can move the selected message to another folder.
	Message | Delete	Deletes the selected message(s). The mail client moves you message to the Deleted Items folder, where it will be stored until you delete it. The mail client can automatically empty the Deleted Items folder for you when you exit. See Empty Deleted folder upon exit in Other Mail Options.
	Tools |  Remote Control	Displays the Procomm Remote opening dialog, where you can configure your computer for remote control, call a remote machine or set your machine as a host.
	Tools |  Send a Fax...	Displays the Send a Fax wizard.  If wizards are disabled, the Send a Fax dialog is displayed instead.
	Tools |  Fax Tools |  Fax Manager	Opens the Fax Manager, which you can use to organize faxes you've received or sent, as well as your cover sheets. See The Fax Manager for more information.
	Tools |  Fax Tools |  Fax Viewer	Opens the Fax Viewer, which you can use to view, annotate and print faxes you’ve received or sent. See The Fax Viewer for more information.
	Tools |  Fax Tools |  Fax Status	Opens the Fax Status utility, where you can monitor the status of your fax connection(s) and watch the progress of on-going fax activity. See The Fax Status Utility for more information.
	Tools |  Fax Tools |  Fax Cover  Sheet Editor	Opens the Cover Sheet Editor, where you can create your own cover sheets, or modify those included with Procomm Plus. For more information, see The Cover Sheet Editor.
	Tools |  Scripts |  Start Script	Executes the ASPECT script displayed in the Action Bar’s Script File list box. If a script is already running, you can click on this icon to stop it. The icon is animated whenever a script is running. <Alt><.> is the keyboard equivalent.
	Tools |  Scripts |  Run...	Opens the Run ASPECT File dialog, from which you can execute compiled scripts. <Alt><F5> is the keyboard equivalent.
	Tools |  Scripts |  Compile/Edit...	Opens the Compile/Edit ASPECT File dialog, from which you can create, edit, compile and execute scripts.
	Tools |  Scripts |  ASPECT Editor	Opens the ASPECT Editor, which you can use to create, view or modify text files as well as ASPECT source files. See The ASPECT Editor for more information.
	Tools |  Scripts |  Dialog Editor	Opens the Dialog Editor, which you can use to create or modify custom dialog boxes for your ASPECT scripts. See The Dialog Editor for more information.
	Tools |  Scripts |  User Window Editor	Opens the User Window Editor, which you can use to create or modify custom screens for your ASPECT scripts. See The User Window Editor for more information.
	Tools |  Image Viewer	Opens the Image Viewer, where you can select and view images in many different formats. See The Image Viewer.
	Tools |  Scheduler	Opens the Scheduler, where you can set Procomm Plus to perform functions automatically at a predetermined time. For more information, see The Scheduler.
	Tools |  Action Bar  Editor	Opens the Action Bar Editor, where you can design your own Action Bars for use in the Internet Mail Client window. See The Action Bar Editor.
	Tools |  QWK Mail Viewer	Opens the QWKMail Viewer, where you can view and reply to messages you’ve retrieved from a BBS. See The QWK Mail Viewer.
	Tools |  Caller ID Directory Editor	Opens the Caller ID Directory Editor, where you can add, modify or delete Caller IDs from the current database. See The Caller ID Directory Editor.
	Window |  Change Window	Allows you to change the current window to one of the other modes of operation including the Data Terminal, the Telnet window, the FTP Client or the News Reader.
	Window |  New Window	Allows you to open a new window in one of the other modes of operation, including the Data Terminal, Fax Status, the Telnet window, the FTP Client, the Internet Mail Client or the News Reader.
	Window |  1,2,3...	If you have one or more Procomm Plus communications windows open, they will be listed at the bottom of the Window menu. To make one of them the active window, select it from the menu.
	Help |  Wizards...	Opens the Procomm Plus Wizard Manager dialog, where you can launch wizards to assist you in performing common tasks.
	Help |  Help Topics	Opens the Help Topics dialog for the Internet Mail Client.
	Help |  Script Reference	Opens ASPECT on-line help.
	Help | About  Procomm Plus...	Opens a dialog with information about Procomm Plus.


The Internet Mail Client's Status Line
The Internet Mail Client’s Status Line

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The Internet Mail Client’s Status Line contains three fields. From left to right, they are:

•	Menu help text.

•	The number of messages available, and the number of messages you haven't read.

•	The current system date and time.


The Mail Client's Folders and Messages Lists

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The first time you run the Internet Mail Client, it creates four folders and places them in the Folders list box:

Inbox

Messages you’ve received will be listed in this folder.

Outbox

Messages you’ve prepared to send will be listed in this folder.

Sent Mail

Messages you’ve written will be moved to this folder after they’ve been sent by the mail client.

Deleted Items

Messages you’ve deleted from other folders will be moved to this folder.

You can configure the Internet Mail Client to automatically delete the contents of the Deleted Items folder when you exit. See Empty Deleted folder upon exit in Other Mail Options.

You can use these folders, and other folders you create, to organize your messages to suit your needs. When you select a folder, the messages list updates to display the folder’s contents. Each message in a folder has a corresponding entry in the list box. Each entry contains the following fields:

From/To

The sender or recipient of the message you received or sent, respectively.

Subject

The subject line of the message you received or sent.

Received/Sent

The date and time the message was received, or if you composed it, the date and time you wrote it.

Size

The size of the message, in bytes.

The first entry in the message list is selected automatically when you open a folder. To select a different entry, just click on it or use the <Tab> and cursor keys to move the highlight bar.

The message list takes special advantage of the right mouse button. Click it to access a variety of functions from the Internet Mail Client's Message menu.


Using the Mail Client

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You can open the Internet Mail Client by:

•	Clicking on the Mail icon in the Start menu's Procomm Plus group.

•	Selecting Window | New Window | Internet Mail... in a Procomm Plus communication window.

•	Selecting Window | Change Window | Internet Mail... in a Procomm Plus communication window.

The Internet Mail Client opens and displays the message folders available on your system. The Internet Mail Client window is divided into three sections:

The Internet Mail Client's Menus and Action Bar

The Internet Mail Client's Folders and Messages Lists

The Internet Mail Client's Status Line

For information about composing, sending, receiving, and viewing messages, see the following topics:

Writing, Sending, and Receiving Mail

Using the Mail Client's New Message Window

Using the Mail Client's Spelling Checker

Verifying Addresses

The New Message Window's Menus and Action Bar

Sending and Receiving Mail

Reading Your Mail


Using the Mail Client's New Message Window

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Action Bar Button	To Do This...	Do This...
	Specify an address for a message	Enter the address directly in the To field, or select it from the Connection Directory by clicking the To button or choosing the File | Connection Directory... menu item.
	Create a Connection Directory Mail entry using an address you’ve entered	By default, the Internet Mail Client does this automatically!  If the mail client doesn’t create your entries automatically, the feature may have been turned off in Setup. For help in enabling it, see Add new outgoing mail addresses... in Outgoing Mail Options.
	Verify addresses you’ve entered manually	Click on the Check Names Action Bar button, or select the Message | Check Names menu item.
	Check the spelling in your message	Click on the Check Spelling Action Bar button or select the Message | Check Spelling menu item. For more information, see Using the Mail Client's Spelling Checker.
	Select text	Click and drag over the text you want, or hold down the <Shift> key as you move over the text with the cursor keys.  If you want to select all of the text in your message, select the Edit | Select All menu item.
	Copy selected text from your message to the Windows Clipboard	Click on the Copy Action Bar button, or select the Edit | Copy menu item. <Ctrl><C> is the keyboard shortcut.
	Cut selected text from your message to the Windows Clipboard	Click on the Cut Action Bar button, or select the Edit | Cut menu item. <Ctrl><X> is the keyboard shortcut.
	Paste selected text from the Windows Clipboard into your message	Click on the Paste Action Bar button, or select the Edit | Paste menu item. <Ctrl><V> is the keyboard shortcut.
	Delete selected text from your message	Press the <Delete> key.
	Import text from a disk file into the body of your message	Click on the Import Text Action Bar button, or select the File | Import Text... menu item.
	Send your message to the Outbox folder for delivery	Click on the Send Message Action Bar button or select the Message | Send Message menu item.  If you’re connected to the Internet when you select Send Message, the mail client delivers your message immediately. Otherwise, it stores your message in the Outbox folder until you request Deliver Mail in the main window. If you want the mail client to hold your messages even when you’re already connected to the Internet, see Send outgoing mail immediately... in Outgoing Mail Options.
	Print your message	Click on the Print Action Bar button or select the File | Print menu item.
	Save your message as a text file	Click on the Save As... Action Bar button or select the File | Save As... menu item.
	Attach a file to your message	Click on the Add Attachment Action Bar button, or select the Message | Add Attachment... menu item to open a standard file selection dialog where you can locate and select the file you want to attach.
	Remove a file you’ve attached	If you’ve attached more than one file, you’ll need to highlight the one you want to view or play. Then, choose the Message | Remove Attachment menu item.
	Close the New Message window without saving your message	Click on the Cancel Message Action Bar button or select the File | Exit menu item.


Using the Mail Client's Read Message Window

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Action Bar Button	To Do This...	Do This...
	Create a Connection Directory Mail entry using the address(es) in the message	By default, the Internet Mail Client does this automatically!  If the mail client doesn’t create your entries automatically, the feature may have been turned off in Setup. For help in enabling it, see Add new incoming mail addresses... in Outgoing Mail Options. Even if you don’t allow the mail client to create entries automatically, you can save a sender’s address as a Mail entry by selecting the Message | Add Sender to Connection Directory... menu item.
	Select text in the Read Message window	Click and drag over the text you want, or hold down the <Shift> key as you move over the text with the cursor keys. If you want to select all of the text in the message, select the Edit | Select All menu item.
	Copy selected text from the message to the Windows Clipboard	Select the Edit | Copy menu item. <Ctrl><C> is the keyboard shortcut.
	Cut selected text from the message to the Windows Clipboard	Select the Edit | Cut menu item. <Ctrl><X> is the keyboard shortcut.
	Paste selected text from the Windows Clipboard into the message	Select the Edit | Paste menu item. <Ctrl><V> is the keyboard shortcut.
	Print the current message	Click on the Print Action Bar button or select the File | Print... menu item.
	Save the current message as a text file	Click on the Save As... Action Bar button or select the File | Save As... menu item. The mail client opens a standard file save as dialog where you can specify a path and filename for the new file.
	Save a file that was attached to the message	Click on the Save Attachment Action Bar button, or select the File | Save Attachment... menu item to open a standard file save as dialog where you specify a filename and/or a path for the attachment.
	Move the message to another folder	Select the Message | Move... menu item. The mail client presents a list of the available folders; select the one you want and click OK.
	Reply to the message	Click on the Reply Action Bar button or select the Message | Reply... menu item. The mail client opens the Message Reply dialog with the sender’s address in the To field and the original message’s subject line in the Subject field, prefaced by "RE:" to mark your message as a reply.  By default, the mail client includes the original message’s text in your reply.
	Forward a message to another recipient	Click on the Forward Action Bar button or select the Message | Forward... menu item. The mail client’s message window opens with the original message included in the message edit box. The To and Cc fields are blank, ready for you to specify the forwarding address.
	Reply to all of the addresses included in the message	Click on the Reply All Action Bar button or select the Message | Reply to All... menu item. The mail client’s message window opens with the message’s sender and carbon copy recipient addresses entered in the To and Cc fields, respectively. The original message’s subject line appears in the Subject field, prefaced by "RE:" to indicate that it is a reply to a previous message. By default, the text of the original message is included in your reply.
	View the previous message	Click on the Previous Message Action Bar button or select the Message | View Previous Message menu item. This command is unavailable if you’re viewing the first message in the message list.
	View the next message in the folder	Click on the Next Message Action Bar button or select the Message | View Next Message menu item. This command is unavailable if you’re viewing the last message in the message list.
	Write a completely new message	Select the Message | New Message... menu item.
	Delete the current message	Click on the Delete Message Action Bar button or select the Message | Delete menu item. The mail client moves your message to the Deleted Items folder, where it will be stored until you delete it there.  The mail client can automatically empty the Deleted Items folder for you when you exit it. See Empty Deleted folder upon exit in Other Mail Options. When you delete a message, the mail client returns to the main window if no other messages are available. Otherwise, it displays the next message down in the list.
	Close the Read Message window	Click on the Exit Action Bar button or select the File | Exit menu item.


Using the Mail Client's Spelling Checker

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The Internet Mail Client provides an integrated spelling checker that you can use at any time to check your message before you send it. To access the spelling checker, select the Message | Check Spelling menu item or click on the Check Spelling Action Bar button.

The spelling checker immediately begins processing the contents of the message edit box. If it encounters a word that appears to be misspelled, it opens the Spelling Checker dialog. The questionable word appears in the Not in dictionary edit field at the top of the dialog. You can either click in the field and make any corrections directly, or choose another word from the Suggestions list box, then click on Change to apply your corrections or use the selected word in the Suggestions list box.

If the misspelled word is one that's likely to appear more than once within your message text, click on Change All to correct all occurrences of the misspelled word with the correct spelling.

If the spelling checker questions a word that's actually spelled correctly, click on the Ignore button to continue checking your message without changing the questioned word. If the word is one that's likely to appear more than once in your message, click on Ignore All to mark all occurrences of the word as correct.

The spelling checker also provides a user-defined dictionary. Once a word as been added to the user-defined dictionary, the spelling checker will recognize it as a valid word for your message. This is a useful feature if you often refer to product or location names, or use technical terms that might include words that aren't in the standard dictionary.

If the spelling checker questions a word that is correctly spelled, you can add it to the user-defined dictionary by clicking on Add to User Dict.

Once it's verified the entire message, the spelling checker displays a simple message box. If you want to close the Spelling Checker dialog without verifying the entire message text, click on Exit.


Verifying Addresses

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The Internet Mail Client always verifies addresses before sending your messages. It does this by first comparing the contents of the To and Cc fields with the Mail entries in the current Connection Directory, then by testing the fields for valid Internet mail addresses.

The Internet Mail Client considers a mail address "valid" if it satisfies the format described in Internet Mail Addresses.

If you’ve entered an address that doesn’t appear in the current directory, the Internet Mail Client prompts you with a dialog to determine whether you want to create an entry. If you click on Yes, the Add Address dialog is displayed to allow you to provide the information for the new entry.

This is the default behavior; it can be enabled or disabled in Setup. See Add new outgoing mail addresses... in Outgoing Mail Options.

If you’ve entered an address that resembles an entry in the current Connection Directory, the Internet Mail Client replaces the information you entered with the entry’s Name field, and uses the entry’s Address value when preparing your message for transmission.

For example, suppose you have a Connection Directory entry named "FJ Garvin" with an address of "fredjg@garvinsoft.com". You could enter it manually in a message address field by specifying:

FJ

or

fredjg@garvinsoft.com

In either case, the Internet Mail Client would recognize that the information you’ve provided matches the "FJ Garvin" entry. It would replace the information you entered with "FJ Garvin" in the message address field and use the entry’s Address field to complete the message.

If you entered an address that resembles more than one Mail entry in the current Connection Directory, the Internet Mail Client opens the Check Names dialog and displays the matching entries. Highlight the entry you want to use, and click on OK to return to the message window. If you don’t see an entry you want to use, you can click on Create to create a new Connection Directory entry, or click on Cancel to return to the message window.

If you need help in creating a new entry, see Step-by-Step: Adding a Mail-class Entry.

The Internet Mail Client always verifies addresses in the To and Cc fields when preparing to send messages. However, you can have Procomm Plus verify addresses without sending your message by clicking on the Check Names Action Bar button or select the Message | Check Names menu item.


Writing and Sending Mail
Writing, Sending, and Receiving Mail

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The Internet Mail Client’s message window makes it easy to write messages. You can open the window in several different ways:

•	By clicking on the New Message Action Bar button or selecting the Message | New Message menu item in the mail client’s main window.

•	By selecting one or more Mail entries or groups in the Connection Directory and clicking on its New Message button.

The message window opens with the entry or entries you selected entered in the To field. If you selected one or more groups, each entry within the group will be listed separately in the field.

•	By selecting a Mail entry or group from the Rapid Connect Action Bar control in one of Procomm Plus’s main communication windows.

The message window opens with your selection entered as the message’s address. If you selected a group, each entry within the group will appear separately in the To field.

As described in Sending and Receiving Mail, the message window is also used if you reply to or forward mail you’ve received. If you’re writing a new message, the window is titled New Message. If you’re replying to or forwarding an existing message, the title changes appropriately.

The New Message window provides its own menus and Action Bar, but its most important features are the controls you use when you write a message. See the controls described below, and also review Using the Mail Client's New Message Window.

To

You can click in the associated edit field and enter a recipient’s Internet mail address directly, or click on the To button to select entries or groups from the Connection Directory.

If you selected one or more Connection Directory entries or groups to open the message window, your selection(s) will be listed in the edit field when the window opens. If you’re replying to an existing message, the message’s sender will be listed.

Cc

If you want to send a "carbon copy" of your message to one or more users, click in the associated edit field and enter their Internet mail address(es) directly, or click on the Cc button to select entries or groups from the Connection Directory.

Subject

Click in this field to enter a subject line for your message. If you’re replying to or forwarding an existing message, its subject line will appear here automatically.

The attached file list

If you’ve attached one or more files to your message they will appear in this list.

By default, attached files are UUencoded; see Encoded files.

The message edit box

You can either enter your message directly in the edit box at the bottom of the New Message window, or use the File | Import Text... function to import a text file. You can also take advantage of the Window Clipboard to cut, copy and paste text from and to the message body.

By default, the Internet Mail Client formats messages to a maximum line width of 80 characters. You can change this value in Setup; see Word wrap after [ ] characters in Mail Reply Options. However, keep in mind that some mail systems on the Internet cannot handle longer lines.

After you’re finished with your message, just click on the Send Message Action Bar button or select the Message | Send Message menu item to save and send it.

If you’re already connected to the Internet when you select Send Message, the mail client delivers your message immediately. Otherwise, it stores your message in the Outbox folder until you click on the Deliver Mail Action Bar button or select the Message | Send and Receive Messages menu item in the main window.

If you want the mail client to hold your messages even when you’re connected to the Internet, see Send outgoing mail immediately... in Outgoing Mail Options.

Please review Using the Mail Client's New Message Window for a discussion of other features you can use in the New Message window and the menu items which access them. For help with the spell checker, please see Using the Mail Client's Spelling Checker. In addition, the New Message window's menus and Action Bar are discussed in New Message Menu and Action Bar.