@DATABASE SpewTag2.4b.guide
@WORDWRAP
@AUTHOR Simon Speight
@$VER: SpewTag.Guide for SpewTag 3
@NODE Main "SpewTag 3"

                                  @{u}SpewTag 3@{uu}

                               This version by

                                @{b}Daniel Brooke@{ub}
 
                      Original version by Mat Bettinson

                     This version written on 21st Mar 95!

                                @{"Introduction " LINK Intro}
                                @{"   Useage    " LINK Use}
                                @{"   Credits   " LINK Credit}
                                @{"   History   " LINK History}
                                @{"   Contact   " LINK Contact}


                       (SpewTag.guide by @{b}Simon Speight@{ub})
@ENDNODE
@NODE Intro "Introduction"

                               @{u}Introduction@{uu}

    Spew is a program to generate random text through use of rule files, and any of you who have used it will know how funny and bizarre the outcomes can be.  With the aid of a well edited Spewlib, you can even have some fun insulting all your friends, and hiding behind the banner of randomness!  Wouldn't it be good if there was an easy way to append a Spew output to every E-mail message you sent?  Well, now there is.

    To be fair, the idea isn't new; the idea was posted originally in the SPOT FidoNet echo, and was seized upon by Mat Bettinson (hi Mat!), who ably turned his hand to his trusted ARexx and whipped out a script that would add a Spew output onto your message.  This was a wonderful idea, but due to the extra hassle of making sure RexxMast was running when you ran your mail tosser (and a few minor problems with the script itself) it never really caught on in the way it deserved to.

    Enter SpewTag - the executable.  Identical principle, different approach.  Now you can have those Spew tag-lines without the hassle of an ARexx script.
@ENDNODE
@NODE Use "How to use SpewTag"

                                  @{u}Useage@{uu}

    This program is made to be as user-friendly as is possible.  To install the program simply copy the files "SpewTag" and "Spew" to your C: directory, copy the file "SpewTag.config" to your S: directory, and copy the SpewLibs to a directory of your choice.

    Now, the config file.  This is merely an ASCII file containing your personal settings for SpewTag.  Load this into any text editor, and you should then set the following parameters;

 @{b}EDITOR=@{ub}

    Here you should enter the name and full path of your preferred text editor.  This can be over-ridden by using the @{b}ED=@{ub} option in the command line, eg @{b}SpewTag ED=C:Ed@{ub} would use C= Ed editor regardless of the config setting.

 @{b}SPEWLIBPATH=@{ub}

    Here you should enter the path leading to your Spew libs (must end with a "/" or ":" character).

 @{b}SPEW=@{ub}

    Here you should enter the full pathname of your copy of the Spew executable (either as comes in this archive, or your own).

 @{b}LENGTH=@{ub}

    Here you should enter the length of lines you wish to use - SpewTag will format the Spew output to lines of this length to avoid any nasty effects when the tag-line is added to your message.

    After these settings you may make a list of your favourite SpewLibs - these will be used if you use the @{b}RANDOM@{ub} command line option.  If present, SpewTag will read this list of SpewLibs, and choose one at random.

 @{u}Command line useage@{uu}

    In the "Editor" option in your mailer (designed with @{i}Spot@{ui} in mind, but will work with any mailer with an optional editor), you should use this syntax;

    @{b}SpewTag <File Name> <SpewLib|RANDOM> [EDITOR=<Editor>]@{ub}

 @{b}<File Name>@{ub} - the file which you wish Spew's output to be appended to (for use in @{i}Spot@{ui} it is sufficient to simply put @{b}%s@{ub} in here).

 @{b}<SpewLib|RANDOM>@{ub} - name of the SpewLib you wish used for a tag-line.  If the @{b}RANDOM@{ub} option is specified, SpewTag will search the list of SpewLibs at the end of the config file, and pick one at random.

 @{b}[EDITOR=<Editor>]@{ub} - an optional parameter to over-ride the @{b}EDITOR=@{ub} setting in the config file.
@ENDNODE
@NODE Credit "Who did what?"

                                  @{u}Credits@{uu}

                             Original Idea - ????

                     Original Application - Mat Bettinson

                      Executable Coding - Daniel Brooke

                          This Guide - Simon Speight
@ENDNODE
@NODE History "History of executable SpewTag"

                                 @{u}History@{uu}


2.1a   o added a config file
       o function to pick a random spewlib
2.2    o bug fixes
       o option to turn dots at the start of tagline on/off
2.3a   o you can now override the editor in the config file by using
         the option editor= in the command line
2.3b   o option to override the dots setting by using dots=on/off on
         the command line
2.4    o removed dot functions, cos they were useless.  It now
         automatically adds the dots.
       o put text formatting into spewtag
       o slight speed improvements
2.4a-  o massive speed improvements and many bug fixes! :)
2.4e
3.0    o This final (hopefully!) release version!     

@ENDNODE
@NODE Contact "Contact"

    If you find any bugs in SpewTag, or can think of any ways to improve it, drop one of us a netmail;


@{b}Daniel Brooke@{ub}:  FidoNet  - 2:255/80.8     AmigaNet - 69:101/11.12
                         - 2:256/503.12   AmNet - 39:131/2.12

@{b}Simon Speight@{ub}:  FidoNet  - 2:256/503.3    AmigaNet - 69:101/11.3
                                          AmNet - 39:131/2.3
@ENDNODE