Starting Mail

The Mail application is a tool for exchanging electronic messages with other people on a network or with others who have home folders in your system.

When Mail starts, a window displays the contents of your Active mailbox, as shown in Figure 12-1 on page 12-2. The Active mailbox is where all new messages are delivered.

* Double-click on the Mail icon in the application dock.

or

* Open the /usr/openstep/Apps folder in the File Viewer and double-click on Mail.app.

Figure 12-1

Click on the Get Mail button to receive your undelivered mail. When you become familiar with the Mail application, you will probably want to set it up for automatic delivery. See "Tailoring How You Receive New Messages" on page 13-18 for more information.

When a Mailbox Is Already in Use

If a panel warns that your mailbox is locked when Mail starts up, one of two causes is probable:

• Your Active mailbox is open on another system on the network. Click on Cancel in the panel so the mailbox does not open on this system.
• Your last Mail session ended abnormally, because of a power failure, for example. The mailbox is not open anywhere else so you can click on OK to open it now.

When working on a network, do not open the same mailbox on more than one system at once or you might lose mail from that mailbox. If you tend to log into several systems and you have set Mail to start automatically, you should set it to start hidden, which prevents your Active mailbox from opening at startup. To do so, do the following:

1. Choose Preferences from the Info menu.

2. Then check the Hide on Auto-Launch box in the Preferences panel.

---

Note - You can also use the Mail application by choosing a command from an application's Services menu. See "Standard Commands" on page A-1.

---

Opening Messages

Messages you receive are listed in the summary area of your Active mailbox. When you select a message in the summary area, its contents appear in the message area below, as shown in Figure 12-2 on page 12-4.

1. Select the message you want to look at by clicking it in the summary area.

2. Click on the down arrow button to select the next message, or click on the up arrow to select the previous one.

Figure 12-2

As a shortcut, you can press Return to operate the down arrow button, and you can hold down Shift while pressing Return to operate the up arrow button.

After reading your messages, you can hide Mail. As long as Mail is running, you can tell if there are new messages by the appearance of its icon in the dock (see Figure 12-3).

Figure 12-3

---

Note - You can receive a sound signal when new messages arrive. See "Setting a Sound to Announce New Messages" on page 13-20.

---

Listening to a Recording

You might receive a sound recording in a message. The recording is displayed as an icon, as shown in Figure 12-4. If your computer can play sounds, you can play back the recording, as shown in Figure 12-5 on page 12-6.

1. Double-click on the sound icon in the message.

2. Click on Play in the Lip Service panel.

Figure 12-4

Figure 12-5

The buttons in the Lip Service panel work like those on a standard tape recorder.

Opening a File or Folder in a Message

You might receive a message with a file attached to it--or a folder containing several files. The file or folder is displayed as an icon on which you can double-click to see its contents (see Figure 12-6 on page 12-7).

* Double-click on the file or folder in the message.

Figure 12-6

You can edit the contents of the file and save your changes. If you then send the message to anyone else--for example, by forwarding it--the file with your changes goes with it.

If you want to keep a copy of the file or folder, drag it out of the mailbox window to one of your folders in the File Viewer. You can also drag a graphic image out of the window to keep a copy of it.

Sending a Message

You can send a message to one person, a group of people, or a combination of individuals and groups. You address the message directly to at least one person or group. You can also send a "carbon copy" to anyone else who should see the message. You address and compose a message in a Compose window, shown in Figure 12-7 on page 12-9.

1. Click on the Compose button in a mailbox window.

2. Address the message and type a brief summary of it.

3. Compose your message.

4. Click on the Deliver button.

Figure 12-7

You can type your message, set fonts, and make ruler settings just as you can in any standard document, such as an Edit document. To add a graphic image, drag a TIFF or EPS file into the message from the File Viewer or from another Mail window. You can also paste text or images copied from a Mail window or from another application.

Figure 12-8

When you include a graphic image in a message, Mail delivers a copy of the image. The file that contains the original remains wherever you dragged it from.

If you change your mind about sending a graphic, you can delete it just as you would delete text--for example, by pressing the Back Space key.

If you do not know an address, you can look it up. See "Looking Up Mail Addresses" on page 13-5.

---

Note - For more information on typing, formatting, and adding images, see Chapter 9, "Typing and Editing" and "Adding a Graphic Image" on page 11-1.

---

---

Note - For a summary of the buttons in a Compose window, see "Mail Buttons and Commands" on page A-17.

---

You can send your message to computers that do not run OpenStep mail, such as those on a NetWare network. Some of these computers will be able to receive MIME messages, include formatting, graphics, and attachments, but others will not. To be sure that what recipients who are not running OpenStep mail see matches what you send them, set the mail format button to MIME mail before delivering the message (see Figure 12-9).

Figure 12-9

---

Note - Formatting, graphics, sounds, or file or folder attachments generate unintelligible messages on computers that cannot receive MIME mail. If your message is going to other kinds of computers, switch the mail format button to Plain Text before delivering the message.

---

If you log out when a Compose window is open, without saving or delivering the message in it, a panel asks if you want to save your draft before closing it. If you click on Save, the message is saved in your Drafts mailbox.

---

Note - Use only ASCII characters in the address and Subject fields. Mail converts any other types of characters to ASCII characters.

---

What Is Plain Text Mail?

When you click on the Plain Text button in a Compose window, the text in your message is displayed in a fixed-width font, such as Courier. Any formatting is lost and line length is limited to 72 characters.

Also, if there are any graphic images, sounds, or attachments in the message, a panel asks you to remove them. Remove them and click on Plain Text again.

As you type your message, word wrap works as usual. But when you send the message, Return characters are added to the ends of lines, as required by the receiving computer.

You should include only ASCII characters in a message to a computer that does not run OpenStep. Mail converts any other characters to ASCII. For example, it converts an em dash (--) to a hyphen (-).

You can change the maximum line length of plain text messages. See "Expert Preferences" on page 13-29.

Addresses and Some Options for Entering Them

A person's address is usually his or her user name. Your system administrator may also have set up group addresses, such as BP_publicity, that allow you to send messages to a specific group of people.

To send a message to someone on another network, you need to include information about the network. Such an address might look like sammi_wright@globalvoice.com.

You can look up the address of a person or a group on your network with the Addresses panel. See "Looking Up Mail Addresses" on page 13-5. A person's address also is displayed in the summary of any message that person sends to you.

If you want to type a long list of addresses in a Compose window, choose Send Options from the Compose menu and type the list in the Send Options panel (see Figure 12-10 on page 12-12). (This panel has a large area for listing more addresses than can fit in a Compose window field.) Then press the button at the top of the panel to choose a type of address, as follows:

• Choose To or Cc to insert the addresses in the Compose window's To or Cc field.
• Choose bcc (blind carbon copy) to send hidden copies of the message. Whoever you enter here receives a copy of the message, but no other recipients know because the bcc list is not displayed in the message.

Figure 12-10

You can also have replies to your message go to one or more addresses other than your own. Type the addresses in the Reply-To field. When recipients click Reply in their mailbox window to reply to your message, any address you type here is inserted in their To field. If you also want a reply, type your address here too. For more information, see "Replying to a Message" on page 12-16.

You can specify a Reply-To address for all messages you send with the Preferences command in the Info menu. See "Mail Buttons and Commands" on page A-17.

Attaching a File or Folder

You can include a file or even an entire folder in a message, as shown in Figure 12-11 on page 12-13. Just drag the file or folder from the File Viewer or any other Workspace Manager folder window. You can even drag a selection icon into your message to attach all the files and folders in the selection.

1. Click in the Compose window where you want the file or folder to be displayed.

2. In the Workspace Manager's File Viewer, select the file or folder you want to send.

3. Drag the selection from the icon path into the Compose window.

Figure 12-11

---

Note - File or folder attachments generate unintelligible messages on computers that cannot read MIME mail.

---

You can also copy or drag a file or folder from another Compose window or from a mailbox window.

When you click on Deliver, Mail delivers a copy of the file or folder. The original remains wherever you dragged it from.

If you change your mind about attaching a file or folder, you can delete it from the message, for example, by pressing the Back Space key.

Forwarding a Message

You can quickly forward a message to others who may want to read it, as shown in Figure 12-12 on page 12-15.

1. Open the message you want to forward.

2. Click on the Compose button in the mailbox window.

3. Click on Forward in the Compose window.

4. Address the message.

5. Click on Deliver.

Figure 12-12

You can forward several messages all in the same message. Just open each message in your mailbox window and click on Forward in the Compose window. Each message is inserted following anything that is already there.

When you copy a message into a Compose window with the Forward button, all formatting is copied, too, as well as any recordings, graphics, or file or folder attachments.

---

Note - You can remove formatting from a message you are forwarding by choosing Make ASCII from the Utilities menu. See "Mail Buttons and Commands" on page A-17.

---

Replying to a Message

If you want to reply to a message, you can quickly copy the sender's address and subject into a Compose window, as shown in Figure 12-13 on page 12-17. Just click on the Reply button in your Compose window. To then copy the addresses listed in the message's Cc field, click on the button again.

1. Open the message.

2. Click on the Compose button in the mailbox window.

3. Click on Reply in the Compose window.

4. Click on Reply All to also send the reply to those who received a carbon copy of the original message.

5. Type your reply.

6. Click on Deliver.

Figure 12-13

If the sender used the Send Options command to route your reply to an address other than his or her own, clicking Reply fills the To field with that address. See "Addresses and Some Options for Entering Them" on page 12-11.

---

Note - Use Forward and Reply together to include a copy of the original message to which you are responding. If recipients of your message do the same thing, their replies will contain all of the earlier messages in the exchange, and the message history will grow.

---

Recording and Inserting Sound in a Message

If your system can record sounds, you can include a sound recording in a message, as shown in Figure 12-14 on page 12-18 and Figure 12-15 on page 12-19.

You can use the Play button to play back your recording before inserting it. If you do not like the recording, just record over it or click Erase. You can also close the Lip Service panel without inserting the recording. Unless you erase it, the recording will be there when you next open the panel.

1. While composing a message in a Compose window, click on the Lip Service button.

2. Click on Record in the Lip Service panel and record through your computer's microphone.

3. Click on Stop when you are finished.

4. Click in the Compose window where you want the sound icon to be displayed.

5. Click on Insert.

Figure 12-14

Figure 12-15

If you change your mind about sending a recording after you insert it, delete the sound icon, for example, by pressing the Back Space key.

For more information on using a microphone with your computer, see the owner's guide for the computer or for any devices you have attached to it.

Editing Sound

You can edit a recording you have made or received by modifying its waveform in the Lip Service panel, as shown in Figure 12-16 on page 12-20, Figure 12-17 on page 12-21, and Figure 12-18 on page 12-22.

1. Double-click on the sound icon.

2. Click on the waveform button in the Lip Service panel.

3. Select a portion of the waveform or click somewhere in it.

4. Use Edit menu commands to edit the waveform. Or click Record to insert new material.

5. Click on Play to listen to the result.

Figure 12-16

You can select a segment of the waveform, as shown in Figure 12-17. Then click on Play to play back the segment. Click on Record to record over it. Or choose Cut or Copy from the Edit menu to move or copy it.

Figure 12-17

You can also click in the waveform where you want to insert new material (see Figure 12-18 on page 12-22). Then click on Record to record the material, or choose Paste to insert a segment you cut or copied.

Figure 12-18

---

Caution - The Erase button erases the entire recording, even when only a segment is selected.

---

Saving a Draft

You can save the contents of a message you are composing, much as you save the contents of a document, as shown in Figure 12-19 on page 12-23. You might do this when composing a message you want to finish later or to save versions of a message as you type it.

1. Choose Compose from the Mail menu.

2. Choose Drafts from the Compose menu.

3. Choose Save in Drafts from the Drafts menu.

Figure 12-19

If you close a Compose window without saving or delivering the message in it, a panel asks if you want to save your draft before closing it. If you click on Save, the message is saved in your Drafts mailbox.

Each time you save a draft, Mail saves another version of the message in the Drafts mailbox--it does not replace the last version you saved.

Remember to delete drafts you do not need anymore from the Drafts mailbox so they do not take up disk space.

Restoring a Draft

You can restore the last draft of a message you saved so you can resume working in it, as shown in Figure 12-20 on page 12-24. Just choose the Restore Draft command. A Compose window opens that contains your draft, exactly as when you last saved it.

* To restore the last draft you saved, open the Compose menu and choose Restore Draft from the Drafts menu.

* To restore an earlier draft, open the Drafts mailbox, select the message, and choose Restore Draft.

Figure 12-20

To restore an earlier draft, you must open the Drafts mailbox, select the message summary of the draft you want to restore, and choose Restore Draft.

You open the Drafts mailbox using the Mailboxes panel.