NewsReader

NewsReader 2.0

A Newsbyte reader for Windows

By Paul Kaliciak

How Do I...

Setup NewsReader

Read a Newsbyte file

Export a story from NewsReader

Save my preferences

Other Information


Setting Up NewsReader
Setup NewsReader

      NewsReader comes with default settings

that might work fine for you;  if not, you can

change them.

      From the menu bar, select View, then

Preferences.  Or, use the Button Bar.  Once

in the Preferences dialog, you can tell

NewsReader what directory you normally

keep your unzipped Newsbyte files in.

You can change the way Newsbyte stories are

displayed by selecting a new font or font size.

      You can also choose the mode in which

NewsReader displays Newsbyte files.  If

you select Use Newsbyte Flyout, every time

you ask to see a new file, a window will pop

up with a list of all the Newsbyte files you

have in your directory.  If you choose

Cycle Thru Newsbytes, then NewsReader

will simply show you the first Newsbyte file

it finds, then a second, third, etc.

      Any changes you make are for your current

session only.  If you want to save them, read

about Saving Preferences.


Reading a Newsbyte File
Read a Newsbyte file

     Select View, then Newsbytes,

or use the Button Bar.

     Depending on your system, NewsReader

will take 10 to 20 seconds to convert the

Newsbyte text to its own format.  If you are

a real speed demon, and want to keep working,

you can:  NewsReader will multi-task.  Perhaps

even better, you can minimize NewsReader,

and while you work, the caption below the icon

will give you a progress report.  When it is ready,

NewsReader will redisplay itself!

     The main screen is divided into two regions:

the Headlines list, and the Story window.  Click

on a headline, or down arrow through the list.

If you are using the keyboard, the TAB key

simply toggles between the Headlines list and the

Story window.

     Note that NewsReader now supports window

screen sizes up to 1024 x 768, or lets you shrink

it to a quarter the size of VGA.  If you want to save

the window position for future sessions, see

Saving Preferences.


The Button Bar

The icons are short cuts for the

following menu items:

View -> Newsbytes

       File -> Append To {File Name}

               File -> Print Story

                        Edit -> Copy

                                View -> Preferences

                                         Help -> Contents

                                                  File -> Exit


Exporting A Story
Export a story from NewsReader

with Saving To A File, Printing and Copying

Saving To A File

     There are 3 different ways NewsReader

can export text to a file.  All of them

are accessed from the File menu; only

one is available on the Button Bar.

     File, then Save As will let you make

up a new file with just the current story.

While the .txt extension is only a

recommendation, remember not to exceed

the 8(letter).3(letter) DOS file naming

rules.

     Notice after you do this that the name

of the file you just saved is now at the bottom

of the File menu.  If you would like to add

more stories to this file, select this new

menu entry, or press the Append button on

the Button Bar.  If you want to continue adding

to this file in future sessions, make sure you

read about Saving Preferences.

     The final possibility is File, Append To

File...  Use this to add the current story to a

text file other than the one listed on the File

menu.  (BE VERY CAREFUL!  Make sure you

are not adding text to something other than

a normal ASCII text file.  If you aren't sure of

this, DON'T DO IT.  Appending text to a program

or document will ruin it.)

Copying To The Windows Clipboard

     If you wish to copy the entire story to the

clipboard (to paste into another program), select

Edit, Story Copy.  You can highlight a portion

of the story, and select Edit, Copy, or use the

Button Bar

Printing A Story

     Before printing, you may want to check that you

have the correct Printer selected and configured.

Choose File, Printer Setup....

     To print the current story, select File, Print Story,

or use the Button Bar.  Note that NewsReader

will only use the Arial True-Type font at a set size,

no matter what font you have chosen under

Preferences.


Saving Preferences
Save my preferences

     If you have changed any of NewsReader's

settings using View, Preferences, and

would like to make them permanent, make

sure you choose File, Exit Saving Changes.

     An important note: If you reposition and/or

resize NewsReader's window, or if you want to

continue appending to the file name at the

bottom of the File menu, make sure you

Exit Saving Changes.

     If you simply wish to exit, choose File, Exit,

or use the Button Bar.


Other Information

Help

     You can always get quick help by reading

the Status Bar at the bottom of the screen.

You can get context-sensitive help by pressing

F1 while any menu selection is highlighted, or

by right-clicking on any icon on the Button Bar.

You can see the help contents by choosing

Help, Contents.

NewsReader Files

     NewsReader does not alter any of your

system files.  It will write a newsread.ini file

in its start-up directory.  It comes with the

following files, which you can install anywhere

on your system:

          Newsread.exe (the program)

          Newsread.hlp (the help file)

          Newsread.txt (program/installation notes)

          3dlabel.vbx (Visual Basic Custom Control)

          Hmeter.vbx (Visual Basic Custom Control)

          Opendlg.vbx (Visual Basic Custom Control)

     Of course, since NewsReader 2.0 was written using

Visual Basic 2.0, the file Vbrun200.dll is required.

NewsReader 2.0

     NewsReader 2.0 was written for fun, by Paul

Kaliciak.  It is offered as freeware, and may be copied

freely provided all the above files are included, and not

altered in any way.

     The author assumes no responsibility for anything that

happens to your system while using NewsReader (not

that anything should happen).  Like all software, you are

using it at your own risk.

     If you have any comments, suggestions or (perish the

thought) bug reports, leave a message for me on

CompuServe, at 70242,3375.

     Finally, enjoy NewsReader 2.0!  I hope it makes your

daily Newsbyte reading a little easier, and a little more

graphical!