Creating an Outgoing Message

An outgoing message is a message you send to someone else.

To create an outgoing message, select New Message from the Message menu. A new Outgoing message window entitled No Recipient, No Subject is displayed with the blinking insertion point situated at the start of the To: field. The composition window consists of the title bar, the icon bar, the message header, and the message body.

Title Bar
The title bar provides information about incoming and outgoing messages, including the name of the sender (if it is an incoming message) or addressee (if it is an outgoing message), the time and date the message was delivered or sent, and a brief message summary. New messages are labeled No Recipient, No Subject until they are sent or queued. Queued messages do not have a time stamp until they are sent.

Icon Bar
The icon bar consists of a series of objects that are displayed just under the title bar. It allows you to control your message's priority, override some of your preference settings for that message only, and send or queue the message. There are three combo boxes and six buttons. Each of the six buttons may be turned on or off for the current message by clicking on it. If there is a shadow around the button (indicating that the button is depressed) the button is turned on. The popup menus and buttons are described below.

Priority Combo Box
The leftmost object in the icon bar is the Priority combo box. For most messages, the priority is (Normal). If you want to indicate that your message is of higher or lower priority than a normal message, use this combo box. Priorities are discussed in the "Message Priorities" section.

Signature Combo Box
The Signature combo box allows you to automatically attach your signature to the end of each message you send. Signatures are discussed in the "Creating a Signature" section.

Attachment Type Combo Box
The Attachment Type combo box allows you to select what format documents that you attach to outgoing messages are encoded in Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME;) or Bin Hex. MIME is best for recipients with MIME (for more information on MIME, see Appendix D) and Bin Hex is most compatible with old Macintosh mailers and previous versions of Eudora.

Quoted-Printable Encoding
If this button is on, quoted-printable encoding may be used when sending messages that contain long lines of text or special characters. When on, it is used for all attachments. It is recommended that this button always be on.

Text As Document
If this button is on, plain text files attached to messages are incorporated into the message as part of the message body.

Word Wrap
If this button is on, a carriage return is not required at the end of each line you type in an outgoing message; Eudora automatically wraps text to the next line, with line breaks at roughly 76 characters per line.

Tabs in Body
If this button is on, hitting the [tab] key within the message body results in Eudora inserting enough spaces to move the insertion point to the next tab stop. This mimics the way tabs work on many terminals. If this button is not on, hitting the [tab] key returns the caret to the To: field of the message header.

Keep Copy
If this button is on, a copy of each sent message is kept in the Out mailbox (their summaries are marked with an "S" in the far left column of the Out mailbox window, indicating that they have been sent). These messages are saved until they are deleted or transferred to a different folder.

Send or Queue
If the Immediate Send option in the Settings dialog (Sending Mail) is turned on, the rightmost button in the icon bar is labeled Send. Clicking the Send button immediately sends the message. Otherwise, this button is labeled Queue, and has the same function as the Queue for Delivery command under the Message menu (upon clicking this button, the message window closes and the message is held in the Out mailbox, marked ready for delivery).

Message Header
Outgoing message headers consist of six fields: To:, From:, Subject:, Cc:, Bcc:, and Attachments:. Each field holds a different piece of information. The To:, Subject:, Cc:, and Bcc: fields can be directly edited.

To move the insertion point from field to field, press the [tab] key or click in the desired field with the mouse. When entering information into the fields, you can use the standard Windows text-editing tools provided under the Edit menu. Here is a brief description of the intended contents of each field:

To:
The intended recipient's e-mail address, or a nickname you have defined (see the "Creating and Using Nicknames" section). Multiple addresses are allowed, but must be separated by commas.

From:
The sender's e-mail address. This is usually your POP account plus your real name. You can use a return address other than your POP account by entering the desired address in the Return Address field of the Settings dialog (Personal Information).

Subject:
Brief text indicating the contents of the message. This field can be left blank (though it is a breach of e-mail etiquette to do so).

Cc:
E-mail address or nickname of person to whom a copy of the message is to be sent. Multiple addresses are allowed but must be separated by commas. This field may be left blank.

Bcc:
"Blind" carbon copy. Like addresses listed in the Cc: field, addresses listed here receive copies of the message. Unlike addresses listed in the Cc: field, addresses listed here do not appear in the message header of the recipients. This is useful when you want to send a copy of a message to someone without everyone else knowing you did so. Multiple addresses are allowed but must be separated by commas. This field can be left blank.

Attachments:
List of documents being sent along with the message. Specify these through the Attach Document command under the Message menu (see the "Attachments" section). To delete an attachment from a message, select it by single-clicking on the attachment title and press the [delete] key. You cannot enter information directly into this field. This field can be left blank.

Message Body
After filling in the fields, move the insertion point to the space below the message header. Type the body of the message here. Feel free to use the standard Windows text-editing tools provided under the Edit menu (see the "Summary of Menu Commands" section).

If the Word Wrap button on the icon bar is turned on, you don't need to press [Enter] at the end of each line of text. The text wraps to the next line automatically. If this option is not set, be sure to type [Enter] at the end of each line or your message may not be legible on the recipient's computer. To use tabs in the message body, press the Tabs in Body button in the icon bar.


Saving an Outgoing Message for Later Changes

Sometimes it is convenient to save an outgoing message either as a safeguard when typing long messages, or so you can return to it later to edit or add more text.

To save the message while the outgoing message window is open, select Save from the File menu. The message window does not close, but the current version of the message is saved in the Out mailbox. You might notice that the title appearing at the top of the message window changes from No Recipient, No Subject to what you typed in the To: and Subject: fields of the message.

If you now close the message (by clicking the close box in the upper left-hand corner of the message window, or by selecting Close from the File menu), it can be re-opened from the Out mailbox for further changes. As with any message summary listed in a mailbox window, it can be identified by the contents of its To: and Subject: fields. A bullet (· ) in the far left column of a message summary listed in the Out mailbox indicates that the message is being indefinitely held there and is queueable. Such messages remain in the Out mailbox until they are queued and sent or deleted.

If you try to close an outgoing message window without specifically saving that version of the message, an alert is displayed asking if the message should be saved or the changes discarded. If you select Discard and the message has never been saved, the message is deleted.


Sending A Message

One-Step Send
Two-Step Send
Timed Messages
Sending Queued Messages on Check
Quitting with Queued Messages
Editing a queued message
Changing the Status of a Queued Message
Keeping Copies of Outgoing Messages

One-Step Send

If the Immediate Send option in the Switches dialog is turned on, select Send Immediately from the Message menu to immediately send a current message. Alternatively, the rightmost button appearing in the icon bar at the top of the current message window is labeled Send. Click this button to send the current message.

A progress window is displayed momentarily at the top of the screen indicating the progress of the transmission.

Two-Step Send

Some people may prefer to compose many messages and transmit them all at once. Eudora lets you queue messages in the Out mailbox for delivery at a later time (this is particularly handy if you are not always connected to your network when using Eudora). However, this is only possible if the Immediate Send option in the Settings dialog (Sending Mail) is turned off.

To accomplish the first step for any outgoing current message, select Queue For Delivery from the Message menu. Alternatively, the rightmost button appearing in the icon bar at the top of the current message window is labeled Queue. Click this button to queue the current message for later delivery.

Either of these selections closes the message window (if it was open), saves the message in the Out mailbox and marks it as queued, meaning ready to be delivered. Queued messages are marked by a "Q" in the far left column of the Out mailbox.

For the second step, select Send Queued Messages from the File menu. This sends the queued message (or messages). A progress window is displayed momentarily at the top of the screen indicating the progress of the transmission.

Timed Messages

It is possible to tell Eudora to send a message at some specific time in the future. To do this for the current outgoing message, select Change Queueing... from the Message menu. The Change Queueing dialog is then displayed.

If you choose Right Now, the message is sent immediately upon clicking the OK button. If you choose Next Time Queued Messages are Sent, the message is sent the next time queued messages are sent. If you choose On or After, you can use the time and date fields to fill in the time when the message should be sent. The message is saved in the Out mailbox with a Q in the status column, just as if it were a normal queued message. However, the message is not actually sent until the specified time arrives.

Note: For the message to be sent at the correct time, Eudora must be running when the message is due to be sent. If Eudora is not running, the message is sent the first time Eudora is run after the selected time has passed.

Sending Queued Messages on Check

If the Send on check option in the Settings dialog (Sending Mail) is turned on, every time a manual or automatic mail check occurs, all queued messages are sent, thus saving you the step of selecting Send Queued Messages.

Quitting with Queued Messages

If you quit Eudora after you have queued messages, but without sending them using Send Queued Messages, Eudora gives you the opportunity to send the messages before you quit.

If you quit with timed messages, and the messages are due to be sent within the next 12 hours, Eudora warns you and gives you the opportunity to send them.

Editing a queued message

To edit a queued message, open the Out mailbox and double-click on the desired message summary to open its composition window. Make the necessary edits and re-queue the new version of the message with the Queue For Delivery or Change Queueing... commands from the Message menu or the Save command from the File menu. You can also re-queue the message using the Queue button on the icon bar. The message is returned to the Out mailbox with a queued status. If you close the changed message without choosing one of these, an alert is displayed asking you to verify the changes.

Changing the Status of a Queued Message

A message that is queued but as yet unsent may be unqueued using the Change Queueing... command. Open the Out mailbox and select the desired message summary. Then, select Change Queueing... from the Message menu and click on Don't Send. This changes the message status from queued (Q) to saved (S). The message is held in the Out mailbox until it is either deleted or re- queued and sent.

Note: You can also send a message immediately or change it to timed send using the Change Queueing... command.

Keeping Copies of Outgoing Messages

Once a message is sent, it is put into the Trash mailbox unless the Keep copies of outgoing mail option in the Settings dialog (Sending Mail) is turned on or the Keep Copy button in the icon bar is on. In these cases, the message is left in the Out mailbox and is annotated with an S in the far left column of the Out mailbox indicating that the message has been sent.


Password Protection

There is password protection on mail checks to your account on the POP server. Each time the Eudora program is opened, your password is requested prior to the first mail check, whether it is conducted automatically or manually. If automatic checking is set in the Settings dialog (Checking Mail), a dialog requesting your POP server account password is displayed upon first opening Eudora. If automatic checking is disabled, the same dialog is displayed at the time of your first mail check.

Type in your password and click OK. If you make a mistake before clicking OK, simply backspace and re-enter the password correctly.

If your password is rejected, an error message is displayed indicating that you have entered the wrong password (see below). Select Check Mail from the File menu to redisplay the password dialog.

Note: Remember that the Eudora password may be case- sensitive (depending on your POP server), so it must be typed in exactly or it is rejected.

As long as it is running, Eudora remembers your password. If you don't want it to remember (when, for example, you are away from your PC), select Forget Password from the Special menu. At your next mail check you are prompted for your password again.

Another password-related option is Save password, which is in the Settings dialog (Checking Mail). This option makes Eudora remember your password from one session to the next (you NEVER have to enter your password again, even if you quit and restart Eudora). This option should only be used if your PC is in a secure location.

Finally, the Change Password... command in the Special menu can be used to change your POP server password if your POP server machine is running a compatible password-change server. You'll be asked to enter your old password once, and your new password twice.

Note: For information on password-change servers, see Appendix A, Password Change Server of this manual.


Checking For and Receiving Mail

Automatic Checking
Manual Checking
Leave Mail on Server Option
Skip Messages Option
Stopping a Mail Check

The POP server is the machine where your mail is received and stored until it is transferred to the Eudora program on your PC. Your POP server account is specified in the POP Account setting in the Settings dialog (Getting Started).

Note: To best understand the functioning of the POP server with respect to Eudora, please see Appendix C.

There are two methods to check your designated POP server to see if you have new mail. One method is automatic and the other is manual. Both methods deliver any mail addressed to you from the POP server to your PC. Before any checks are made, however, the POP server requests your account password.

Automatic Checking

Eudora automatically checks for mail if you tell it how often to do so. From the Special menu, select Settings.... Then select Checking Mail. The Checking Mail settings include an option entitled Check for mail every ? minute(s). Type in a value and Eudora automatically checks for mail at the desired interval whenever it is running (even if you are using other applications on your PC). For example, if you type in 15, Eudora checks for mail every 15 minutes. In fact, 15 minutes is a good minimum interval, as checking mail more frequently puts an unnecessary load on your POP server.

Note: If automatic checking is set, the Check Mail command under the File menu displays the next time that an automatic check is scheduled to occur.

When Eudora does an automatic check, you can be notified of new mail in one or all of three different ways: an alert dialog, a special sound, or the opening of the In mailbox. These options are turned on or off in the Settings dialog (Getting Attention). In addition, if Eudora is minimized when new mail arrives, the minimize icon also changes when new mail arrives.

Note: For the sound alert to work, you may need a sound driver for the PC speaker (see Appendix A, PC Speaker for a source for this driver).

When you receive notice that new mail has arrived, select Eudora from the task list or press [Alt] + [Tab] to switch to Eudora. Mail usually arrives in the In mailbox. The messages are listed in the order they are received, with the most recent message listed last.

If the In mailbox is not already oopen, select In from the Mailbox menu. Unread messages are designated by a bullet (· ) in the far left column of the message summary. Double-click anywhere on a message summary to open the message. Incoming messages are saved indefinitely in the In mailbox until they are deleted or transferred to another mailbox.

Manual Checking

You may check for mail manually at any time by selecting Check Mail from the File menu. If you haven't successfully entered your password since opening the Eudora program, you are prompted for it.

A Progress window is displayed momentarily at the top of the screen as the POP server is checked. If there is a problem reaching the POP server, an error message alert is displayed. To rectify the problem, review the POP server field in the Settings dialog (Getting Started) for correctness. If there is no obvious error, contact your company's Eudora support coordinator.

Note: If you ever have a problem of this type, the numbers in the ()'s are very important. Record these numbers for reference when reporting the problem.

If there is no mail waiting at your account on the POP server, the Sorry, you don't have any new mail alert is displayed. Click OK. You may check for mail again later.

If there is new mail, it is transferred automatically from the POP server to Eudora on your PC. A progress window is displayed at the top of your screen allowing you to monitor the mail transfer.

If the Use an alert dialog box option in the Settings dialog (Getting Attention) is turned on, the You have new mail alert is displayed, stating that new messages have been delivered.

Depending on your settings, the In mailbox window may display. Mail arrives in the In mailbox. Unread messages in the In mailbox are designated by a bullet (· ) in the far left column of the message summary. Double-click anywhere on a message summary to open the message. Incoming messages are saved indefinitely in the In mailbox until they are deleted or transferred to another mailbox.

Leave Mail on Server Option

During a mail check, Eudora normally transfers your incoming messages from your account on the POP server to your PC, and deletes them from the POP server. This may prove awkward for people who sometimes want to read mail from a secondary PC. It results in non-consolidated storage of messages -- if you read mail through a secondary PC, you wouldn't be able to act on that mail from your primary PC.

The Leave mail on server option in the Settings dialog (Checking Mail) solves this dilemma. If this option is turned on, Eudora transfers all of your new messages from the POP server to the PC you are presently using (presumably a secondary PC), while keeping copies of those messages in your account on the POP server. On the next mail check from the secondary PC, Eudora ignores the copies of previously read messages and looks for new ones.

When using your primary PC, you would then turn the Leave mail on server option off, so that all messages (new ones as well as copies of old ones you read through other PC systems) are transferred to and consolidated on the one primary system. The Leave mail on server option should be used with care, since it can result in a buildup of messages on the POP server machine.

Skip Messages Option

If the Skip big messages option in the Settings dialog (Checking Mail) is turned on, Eudora does not download messages that exceed 40k bytes. Instead, it downloads only the first few lines of such messages and adds a note at the bottom stating that the whole message has not been transferred. This can be useful on slow connections. To download the complete message, click on the Fetch icon in the incoming message window (see the "Incoming Message Window" section) and check mail again.

Stopping a Mail Check

If you want to stop a mail check in the middle (because it is taking longer than anticipated), click the Stop button in the progress window or press the [Esc] key.