I used agent 6 as my newsreader for several years. About a year ago, I
switched to Thunderbird for reasons I won't bother mentioning here.

But I've recently been having problems with Thunderbird, and I've been
unable to solve them. So I'm back to Agent 6 again, and I only do text
newsgroups--nothing binary. Since it's been a while since I last used
it, I've forgotten a lot and I have several questions:

1. I'm set to show only unread messages. Some newsgroups show a count
(1, 2, or 12) of unread messages, even though no messages show in the
message list pane. Why? How can I fix this?

2.In the message list pane, some newsgroups show threads with all the
messages but the first indented. That's the way I want it, but some
newsgroups don't have the indentation. Why? How can I fix this?

3. I'm still using Thunderbird for e-mail. Is Agent better for e-mail?

Such questions are always a matter of opinion, I know, but I'd
appreciate seeing opinions and explanations of why you feel the way
you do.

4. I'm running Agent 6. I know the current version is 8, but I know
next to nothing about what the differences are. Again, I'd like to see
opinions on whether I should upgrade to 8 and explanations of why you
feel the way you do.

On Thu, 06 Jan 2022 12:11:36 -0700, Ken Blake <Ken@invalid.news.com>
declaimed the following:

>1. I'm set to show only unread messages. Some newsgroups show a count
>(1, 2, or 12) of unread messages, even though no messages show in the
>message list pane. Why? How can I fix this?
>
You may have headers, but not downloaded bodies. Or you are configured
to not see incomplete multipart messages and some of them are of that ilk.

>2.In the message list pane, some newsgroups show threads with all the
>messages but the first indented. That's the way I want it, but some
>newsgroups don't have the indentation. Why? How can I fix this?
>

Is the "home plate with +" depressed? That icon controls if messages
are thread sorted.

>4. I'm running Agent 6. I know the current version is 8, but I know
>next to nothing about what the differences are. Again, I'd like to see
>opinions on whether I should upgrade to 8 and explanations of why you
>feel the way you do.

As I recall, the main changes are an ability to use larger data files,
and handling some newer multipart binary formats.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Agent 8.0 Release Notes

Important: Agent 8.0 is NOT compatible with previous versions of Agent.
Please make sure that you back up your data before proceeding. See
Upgrading to Agent 8.0 for details.

If you're upgrading from a version earlier than Agent 7.0 you've got some
catching up to do. You may want to visit our main contents page to review
what you've missed.

MegaJoining - Automatic Joining of RAR/Split/PAR Files

Background

Usenet was created as and continues to be a communication medium based on
the sending and receiving of text messages. In the early days of Usenet
messages were small, akin to text email. There was (and is) a limit on how
large a Usenet message can be. If a message exceeds this limit then it is
broken up - split - into pieces at the sending end, sent as a set of
messages and then reassembled - joined - at the receiving end. From its
very first release Agent has supported this process, providing built-in
splitting and joining of messages.

With the addition of binary content to Usenet (photos, sounds, video)
another level of splitting and joining became necessary. This led to the
development of RAR files and Split files to deliver the content and PAR
files to provide error correction if one or more of the RAR files or Split
files was lost or damaged in transit. These new series of messages -
archives - were a major step forward but came at the cost of increasing
complexity. With version 8.0 Agent removes the complexity, joining all the
elements of an archive into a single message that can be downloaded and
launched in a single command. This joining is new and powerful, requiring a
new name - MegaJoining!

What's Different with Agent 8.0?

Prior to version 8.0 getting binary data was a multi-step process. With
Agent 8.0 is MegaJoining a two-step process. Here's how they compare.

<SNIP>

Powerful new features

Collapse binary archives together into a single header.

No more hunting around for all the pieces. One header contains your
RAR/PAR/Split files.

Navigation is easy. One entry for one binary file let's you focus on the
end result, not all the pieces.

Keep up to a hundred times more messages in your group folder. A single
header may have hundreds of elements, but the entire archive only counts as
one entry.

Repair damaged files.

Agent computes how many PAR files are required to repair an archive, then
downloads and uses only those files.

Files are fixed automatically. No unnecessary commands or downloads, no
third-party software, no trouble.

Preview a binary file.

Before you download all the elements make sure this is the archive you
want.

Previews start at the beginning of the binary file and last as long as you
want.

Identify and view poster-created sample files.

If an archive has a sample included then Agent puts all the sample files
into their own MegaJoined header. This is another way to make sure this is
the archive you want.

Handle password-protected archives.

Agent checks at the beginning of the download to see if a password is
required, allowing you to avoid downloading files you can't open.

Check for suspicious material

Agent checks at the beginning of the download for items that might be
harmful You have the choice to continue or to stop the download..

Start where you left off.

Need to interrupt your download? Agent restarts where you left off, saving
time and disk space.

Use NZB files anytime

MegaJoining works seamlessly with NZB files. Just import the NZB file.
Agent does the rest.

All the features described above work with NZB files also.

Here are some changes you'll see:

The command Preview Archives has been added to the File menu and to the
right-click context menu in the Message List and Message panes.

The command Delete Archive Sources in Folder has been added to the File
menu.

There is a new folder property, Usenet Archives, which allows you to
customize how MegaJoin works.

The Message List pane will be much less cluttered, as large multi-part
postings (which could be hundreds of lines long and scattered among other
postings) now show up as a single line.

The Message pane shows what pieces have been joined and displays details on
the success or failure of the joining process.

Within the Message pane you can retrieve individual files, useful for
browsing or using small files like NFOs and SFVs.

The Message Index (CTRL+I) shows all details of the series, all the way
down to each individual section, where you can download specific elements
or sections.

Agent creates a separate sub-folder for each archive downloaded. You can
track the progress of the download and see if Agent needs to make any PAR
repairs.

Previously when a header was marked incomplete you could only get the body
by treating it like a marked message. Now just double-click the header and
Agent will get all the pieces that are available.

See our MegaJoin FAQ and Getting Started Videos on the Web to learn more.

Other Features and Fixes

Single-Click Links: Prior to Agent 8.0 a double-click was required to
launch any URL. Now you can configure Agent to allow single-click links
from any URL. See the URLs panel on the Options Dialog for details.

Attachment Subfolders: Prior to Agent 8.0, attachment subfolders were
disabled by default. With Agent 8.0, attachment subfolders are enabled by
default for new users. The setting for existing users remains unchanged.
You can configure Agent to enable attachment subfolders in Attachment
Folders panel of the Default Folder Properties dialog.

We have added a Test Connection button to all server configuration panels,
allowing you to make sure your connection details are correct. This will
save you a great deal of time and possible frustration when trying to
create or update your login credentials for news and email servers.

We've added a number of Getting Started Videos on the Web designed for new
users but we think also useful for experienced Agent users.

--
Wulfraed Dennis Lee Bieber AF6VN
wlfraed@ix.netcom.com http://wlfraed.microdiversity.freeddns.org/

On Thu, 06 Jan 2022 12:11:36 -0700, Ken Blake <Ken@invalid.news.com>
wrote:

>1. I'm set to show only unread messages. Some newsgroups show a count
>(1, 2, or 12) of unread messages, even though no messages show in the
>message list pane. Why? How can I fix this?

Press the binoculars next to the 'Subject' in the 'Message List'
to make sure there are only unread messages in your message view.

>2.In the message list pane, some newsgroups show threads with all the
>messages but the first indented. That's the way I want it, but some
>newsgroups don't have the indentation. Why? How can I fix this?

Is this a continue thread? Subject: Re: etc etc
Then this is normal behavior once you get past your indentation
settings.

>
>3. I'm still using Thunderbird for e-mail. Is Agent better for e-mail?

If you use a POP3 email server and SMTP for sending email then Agent
is fine. If not then you should continue to use Thunderbird. I use
Agent for Usenet and Thunderbird for email.

--
/\_/\
((@v@))
():::()
VV-VV

On Thu, 06 Jan 2022 12:11:36 -0700, Ken Blake wrote:

> I used agent 6 as my newsreader for several years. About a year ago, I
> switched to Thunderbird for reasons I won't bother mentioning here.
>
> But I've recently been having problems with Thunderbird, and I've been
> unable to solve them. So I'm back to Agent 6 again, and I only do text
> newsgroups--nothing binary. Since it's been a while since I last used
> it, I've forgotten a lot and I have several questions:
>
> 1. I'm set to show only unread messages. Some newsgroups show a count
> (1, 2, or 12) of unread messages, even though no messages show in the
> message list pane. Why? How can I fix this?

1.1 Perhaps the configuration of your 'Unread Messages' view has
changed?
Go to "View >> Custom Message View >> Manage Views" and check
that the 'Unread Messages' view is still configured the same as
in this screen-shot:

Screen-shot: <http://img4.imagetitan.com/img.php?image=24_unread-messages.gif>

1.2 I don't know whether you are looking at the count next to the name
in the folders pane, or the count appearing in the status bar.

Some of Agent's 'special' folders show a different count next to
the name in the folders pane, instead of the number of unread
messages [1].
If your Agent's database was a little messed up and Agent thought
that newsgroup was also a 'special' folder, then the count might
not be the count of unread messages.
======================================================
[1] For example,
'Drafts' shows the total count of messages.
'Outbox' shows the count of unsent messages.
======================================================

> 2.In the message list pane, some newsgroups show threads with all the
> messages but the first indented. That's the way I want it, but some
> newsgroups don't have the indentation. Why? How can I fix this?

2.1 Turn on threading for the newsgroups which don't have it:

(a) Click the [x> icon in the message list pane header between
"Status" and "Lines", to make it sunk in instead of popped out.

(b) Or, use the menu "View >> Sort Messages by >> ... >> ..."
and pick one of the option containing "Thread".

2.2 If the newsgroup is populated from a mailing list, it is possible
that some or all of the messages do not contain threading information.

> 3. I'm still using Thunderbird for e-mail. Is Agent better for e-mail?
>
> Such questions are always a matter of opinion, I know, but I'd
> appreciate seeing opinions and explanations of why you feel the way
> you do.

3.1 I use Thunderbird for e-mail, because for email I want:
i) IMAP
ii) Better HTML rendering than Agent provides

I still use Agent occasionally with email.

> 4. I'm running Agent 6. I know the current version is 8, but I know
> next to nothing about what the differences are. Again, I'd like to see
> opinions on whether I should upgrade to 8 and explanations of why you
> feel the way you do.

4.1 If you are only using Agent for text newsgroups, not binaries, then
there a small amount but not much for you in the later versions.

You can check out the release notes here to see if any new features
would be of interest to you
<https://www.forteinc.com/release/>

A suggested list from me:
Agent 7.0:
* Improved Connectivity with SMTP (Outbound Email) Servers
* Problems Fixed: Entire lines were missing in some messages that
use multi-byte characters.
Agent 7.1:
* Some users were confused by the status bar message Agent first
displayed when you sampled headers by date. The message showed
the total number of messages available in the group, suggesting
that Agent might actually try to retrieve that many headers. So
we changed the initial message to read "Searching for headers
posted since date for group." Once Agent finds the first header
on the desired date, it updates the message to indicate the number
of headers it really will retrieve.
Agent 8.0:
* Single-Click Links
* We have added a Test Connection button to all server configuration
panels

--
Kind regards
Ralph

Betere byþ oft feðre þonne oferfeðre.

On Thu, 06 Jan 2022 14:23:24 -0500, Dennis Lee Bieber
<wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> wrote:

Thanks very much for your answers below. Some additional questions
follow.

>On Thu, 06 Jan 2022 12:11:36 -0700, Ken Blake <Ken@invalid.news.com>
>declaimed the following:
>
>>1. I'm set to show only unread messages. Some newsgroups show a count
>>(1, 2, or 12) of unread messages, even though no messages show in the
>>message list pane. Why? How can I fix this?
>>
> You may have headers, but not downloaded bodies.

How can I tell if that's the case? Can I set Agent to always download
the bodies? How?

> Or you are configured
>to not see incomplete multipart messages and some of them are of that ilk.

All my newsgroups are text. I thought multipart messages were only
possible for binary messages. Am I wrong? How can I find out? How can
I change the configuration if necessary?

>>2.In the message list pane, some newsgroups show threads with all the
>>messages but the first indented. That's the way I want it, but some
>>newsgroups don't have the indentation. Why? How can I fix this?
>>
>
> Is the "home plate with +" depressed? That icon controls if messages
>are thread sorted.

Thanks very much. Fixed.

>
>>4. I'm running Agent 6. I know the current version is 8, but I know
>>next to nothing about what the differences are. Again, I'd like to see
>>opinions on whether I should upgrade to 8 and explanations of why you
>>feel the way you do.
>
> As I recall, the main changes are an ability to use larger data files,
>and handling some newer multipart binary formats.

Thanks again. As I remembered from long ago, the answer was something
like that and that was why I never upgraded. I'll stay with 6, then.

Four more questions:

5. One of the newsgroups I subscribe to sometimes has messages with
characters in languages like Russian or Chinese. Those characters
don't show in Agent; If I remember correctly, they all show as ? Is
there some way I can configure Agent to show them correctly?

6. If I switch to Agent for my newsreader, I'd also like to also
switch to it for my e-mail client. I'd like to set it up for two
e-mail accounts, one with and Gmail, the other with Godaddy.com, with
my own private domain. I've tried doing this, but I've been unable to
get or send any messages, and get an error message instead . Sorry, I
don't remember the text of the message, but if you need the text, let
me know and I'll find and post back with it.

So I assume I've configured something incorrectly. Any tips on how to
do this?

7. If I can get the two e-mail accounts set up correctly, I'd like to
copy the contact list and the history of read messages I want to keep
from Thunderbird to Agent. Can I do this? How?

8. If I do my e-mail in Agent, I'd like to set up folders for specific
types of e-mail and automatically move message of those types from the
inbox to the appropriate folders when they arrive. Can I do that? How?
Can e-mail filters do that?

Thanks again.

On Fri, 07 Jan 2022 20:29:21 +1300, Ralph Fox <-rf-nz-@-.invalid>
wrote:

Thanks very much for your help.

>On Thu, 06 Jan 2022 12:11:36 -0700, Ken Blake wrote:
>
>> I used agent 6 as my newsreader for several years. About a year ago, I
>> switched to Thunderbird for reasons I won't bother mentioning here.
>>
>> But I've recently been having problems with Thunderbird, and I've been
>> unable to solve them. So I'm back to Agent 6 again, and I only do text
>> newsgroups--nothing binary. Since it's been a while since I last used
>> it, I've forgotten a lot and I have several questions:
>>
>> 1. I'm set to show only unread messages. Some newsgroups show a count
>> (1, 2, or 12) of unread messages, even though no messages show in the
>> message list pane. Why? How can I fix this?
>
>
>1.1 Perhaps the configuration of your 'Unread Messages' view has
> changed?
> Go to "View >> Custom Message View >> Manage Views" and check
> that the 'Unread Messages' view is still configured the same as
> in this screen-shot:
>
> Screen-shot: <http://img4.imagetitan.com/img.php?image=24_unread-messages.gif>

There were a few differences between what I had set and your screen
shot:

"With bodies" was checked.

"U&nread Messages With Bodies" was checked instead of "&Unread
Messages"

"Unread" wasn't checked

I've changed them in this newsgroup, and I'll soon change them in the
others too.

>1.2 I don't know whether you are looking at the count next to the name
> in the folders pane, or the count appearing in the status bar.

Sorry to have not been clearer. I was looking at the count next to
the name in the folders pane

> Some of Agent's 'special' folders show a different count next to
> the name in the folders pane, instead of the number of unread
> messages [1].
> If your Agent's database was a little messed up and Agent thought
> that newsgroup was also a 'special' folder, then the count might
> not be the count of unread messages.
> =====================================================> [1] For example,
> 'Drafts' shows the total count of messages.
> 'Outbox' shows the count of unsent messages.

There was no count ion either of those folders.

> =====================================================>
>
>> 2.In the message list pane, some newsgroups show threads with all the
>> messages but the first indented. That's the way I want it, but some
>> newsgroups don't have the indentation. Why? How can I fix this?
>
>
>2.1 Turn on threading for the newsgroups which don't have it:
>
> (a) Click the [x> icon in the message list pane header between
> "Status" and "Lines", to make it sunk in instead of popped out.

I just did this as Dennis Lee Bieber suggested, and it's OK Now.

>
> (b) Or, use the menu "View >> Sort Messages by >> ... >> ..."
> and pick one of the option containing "Thread".
>
>
>2.2 If the newsgroup is populated from a mailing list, it is possible
> that some or all of the messages do not contain threading information.

No, they all do. They did in Thunderbird.

>> 3. I'm still using Thunderbird for e-mail. Is Agent better for e-mail?
>>
>> Such questions are always a matter of opinion, I know, but I'd
>> appreciate seeing opinions and explanations of why you feel the way
>> you do.
>
>
>3.1 I use Thunderbird for e-mail, because for email I want:
> i) IMAP
> ii) Better HTML rendering than Agent provides

Thanks. I don't read e-mail message in HML, and I use IMAP, so I'll
stick with Thunderbird.

> I still use Agent occasionally with email.
>
>
>> 4. I'm running Agent 6. I know the current version is 8, but I know
>> next to nothing about what the differences are. Again, I'd like to see
>> opinions on whether I should upgrade to 8 and explanations of why you
>> feel the way you do.
>
>
>4.1 If you are only using Agent for text newsgroups, not binaries, then
> there a small amount but not much for you in the later versions.

Yes, as Dennis Lee Bieber said. I'll stick with 6.

Thanks agin

> You can check out the release notes here to see if any new features
> would be of interest to you
> <https://www.forteinc.com/release/>
>
> A suggested list from me:
> Agent 7.0:
> * Improved Connectivity with SMTP (Outbound Email) Servers
> * Problems Fixed: Entire lines were missing in some messages that
> use multi-byte characters.
> Agent 7.1:
> * Some users were confused by the status bar message Agent first
> displayed when you sampled headers by date. The message showed
> the total number of messages available in the group, suggesting
> that Agent might actually try to retrieve that many headers. So
> we changed the initial message to read "Searching for headers
> posted since date for group." Once Agent finds the first header
> on the desired date, it updates the message to indicate the number
> of headers it really will retrieve.
> Agent 8.0:
> * Single-Click Links
> * We have added a Test Connection button to all server configuration
> panels

On Thu, 06 Jan 2022 20:14:53 -0800, Anthony Soprano
<Soprano@newjersey.invalid> wrote:

>On Thu, 06 Jan 2022 12:11:36 -0700, Ken Blake <Ken@invalid.news.com>
>wrote:
>
>>1. I'm set to show only unread messages. Some newsgroups show a count
>>(1, 2, or 12) of unread messages, even though no messages show in the
>>message list pane. Why? How can I fix this?
>
>Press the binoculars next to the 'Subject' in the 'Message List'
>to make sure there are only unread messages in your message view.

Thanks. I'll 'try that.

>>2.In the message list pane, some newsgroups show threads with all the
>>messages but the first indented. That's the way I want it, but some
>>newsgroups don't have the indentation. Why? How can I fix this?
>
>Is this a continue thread? Subject: Re: etc etc

Yes. It's fixed now; see my other replies.

>Then this is normal behavior once you get past your indentation
>settings.
>
>>
>>3. I'm still using Thunderbird for e-mail. Is Agent better for e-mail?
>
>
>If you use a POP3 email server and SMTP for sending email then Agent
>is fine. If not then you should continue to use Thunderbird. I use
>Agent for Usenet and Thunderbird for email.

Thanks. I use IMAP and I'll do as you do,

On Fri, 07 Jan 2022 11:33:32 -0700, Ken Blake <Ken@invalid.news.com>
wrote:

>On Fri, 07 Jan 2022 20:29:21 +1300, Ralph Fox <-rf-nz-@-.invalid>
>wrote:
>
>
>Thanks very much for your help.
>
>>On Thu, 06 Jan 2022 12:11:36 -0700, Ken Blake wrote:
>>
>>> I used agent 6 as my newsreader for several years. About a year ago, I
>>> switched to Thunderbird for reasons I won't bother mentioning here.
>>>
>>> But I've recently been having problems with Thunderbird, and I've been
>>> unable to solve them. So I'm back to Agent 6 again, and I only do text
>>> newsgroups--nothing binary. Since it's been a while since I last used
>>> it, I've forgotten a lot and I have several questions:

On more question: how can I set Agent to get all new Usenet messages
every ten minutes?

On Fri, 07 Jan 2022 16:02:29 -0700, Ken Blake <Ken@invalid.news.com>
declaimed the following:

>
>On more question: how can I set Agent to get all new Usenet messages
>every ten minutes?

To my knowledge... You don't.

Agent still has the "online is costly" attitude from the 80s/90s when
one would dial-up, fetch messages, post queued messages, and hang-up -- one
then reads/replies to posts while off-line. (Note that it has a whole page
of options for dial-up networking. Which is likely another reason it
doesn't do IMAP <G>.)

--
Wulfraed Dennis Lee Bieber AF6VN
wlfraed@ix.netcom.com http://wlfraed.microdiversity.freeddns.org/

On Fri, 07 Jan 2022 11:12:10 -0700, Ken Blake <Ken@invalid.news.com>
wrote:

>On Thu, 06 Jan 2022 14:23:24 -0500, Dennis Lee Bieber
><wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
>
>Thanks very much for your answers below. Some additional questions
>follow.
>
>
>>On Thu, 06 Jan 2022 12:11:36 -0700, Ken Blake <Ken@invalid.news.com>
>>declaimed the following:
>>
>>>1. I'm set to show only unread messages. Some newsgroups show a count
>>>(1, 2, or 12) of unread messages, even though no messages show in the
>>>message list pane. Why? How can I fix this?

The drop-down that allows you to see "All Messages" or "Unread
Messages also has the option of seeing only unread messages posted in
the last 7 days. Older unread messages still figure in the count, but
are not visible.

--

Tony Cooper Orlando Florida

On Fri, 07 Jan 2022 19:13:40 -0500, Dennis Lee Bieber
<wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> wrote:

>On Fri, 07 Jan 2022 16:02:29 -0700, Ken Blake <Ken@invalid.news.com>
>declaimed the following:
>
>>
>>On more question: how can I set Agent to get all new Usenet messages
>>every ten minutes?
>
> To my knowledge... You don't.

I was afraid of that, since I couldn't find a setting for it.

> Agent still has the "online is costly" attitude from the 80s/90s when
>one would dial-up, fetch messages, post queued messages, and hang-up -- one
>then reads/replies to posts while off-line.

Yep. It's only a minor problem, but I wish I could do it.

> (Note that it has a whole page
>of options for dial-up networking. Which is likely another reason it
>doesn't do IMAP <G>.)

On Fri, 07 Jan 2022 16:02:29 -0700, Ken Blake wrote:

> On more question: how can I set Agent to get all new Usenet messages
> every ten minutes?

To do this, to use an automation program which sends menu
commands and/or keystrokes to Agent.

Here are some automation programs which have been used:

* AutoIt <https://www.autoitscript.com/> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AutoIt>
* AutoHotKey <http://www.autohotkey.com/> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AutoHotkey>
* PowerPro <https://groups.io/g/PowerPro> <https://web.archive.org/web/20210507013944/http://powerpro.cresadu.com/>
* WinBatch <https://www.winbatch.com/> <https://web.archive.org/web/20210628104957/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winbatch>

See the "The Forte Agent unattended off-line reading mini- FAQ".
While it is out of date (and the links are no longer valid),
it will give you a general introduction.
<http://web.archive.org/web/20021201163528/http://pages.quicksilver.net.nz/geoffm/Agentfaq.htm>

Also see these previous threads
* 2014: Automating newsgroup header retrieval
<https://groups.google.com/g/alt.usenet.offline-reader.forte-agent/c/YKxQ6AnTKZY/m/1B5ZXIVsR9gJ>
* 2013: Schedule downloads
<https://groups.google.com/g/alt.usenet.offline-reader.forte-agent/c/D9h3665I-X8/m/jXmv2ZFkjEUJ>
* 2010: Get Usenet headers every 10 minutes - how?
<https://groups.google.com/g/alt.usenet.offline-reader.forte-agent.modified/c/8YFyDr8Ucn4/m/E3WEFNxEvpMJ>
* 2010: Automated 'Get New Headers'
<https://groups.google.com/g/alt.usenet.offline-reader.forte-agent/c/66ug5SLzqm4/m/fi4hO-QQ7wEJ>

--
Regards
Ralph

"Ne sorga, snotor guma! Selre bið æghwæm, þæt he his freond wrece, þonne he fela murne."
-- Beowulf.

On Sat, 08 Jan 2022 16:28:43 +1300, Ralph Fox <-rf-nz-@-.invalid>
wrote:

>On Fri, 07 Jan 2022 16:02:29 -0700, Ken Blake wrote:
>
>> On more question: how can I set Agent to get all new Usenet messages
>> every ten minutes?
>
>
>To do this, to use an automation program which sends menu
>commands and/or keystrokes to Agent.
>
>Here are some automation programs which have been used:
>
> * AutoIt <https://www.autoitscript.com/> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AutoIt>
> * AutoHotKey <http://www.autohotkey.com/> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AutoHotkey>
> * PowerPro <https://groups.io/g/PowerPro> <https://web.archive.org/web/20210507013944/http://powerpro.cresadu.com/>
> * WinBatch <https://www.winbatch.com/> <https://web.archive.org/web/20210628104957/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winbatch>

Thanks very much. I already use AutoHotKey, but I've never used it to
do anything repeatedly at some interval. Can you post the commands I
should enter there?

On Sat, 08 Jan 2022 08:56:44 -0700, Ken Blake wrote:

> Thanks very much. I already use AutoHotKey, but I've never used it to
> do anything repeatedly at some interval. Can you post the commands I
> should enter there?

I do not have AutoHotKey. I do use AutoIt for other things.
If I were to automate Agent to get new headers, I would do it
with the three steps shown in this screen-shot (5s animated loop).

screen-shot (animated loop): <http://img4.imagetitan.com/img.php?image=24_automate-agent-ani-loop-5s.gif>

1. Send Ctrl+H to Agent to activate the menu "Get New Headers in Desks".
2. Wait for the dialog "Get New Headers in Desks" to appear.
3. Activate the 'OK' button on the dialog "Get New Headers in Desks".

--
Kind regards
Ralph

ζητεῖτε καὶ εὑρήσετε

On Sun, 09 Jan 2022 08:23:35 +1300, Ralph Fox <-rf-nz-@-.invalid>
wrote:

>On Sat, 08 Jan 2022 08:56:44 -0700, Ken Blake wrote:
>
>> Thanks very much. I already use AutoHotKey, but I've never used it to
>> do anything repeatedly at some interval. Can you post the commands I
>> should enter there?
>
>
>I do not have AutoHotKey. I do use AutoIt for other things.
>If I were to automate Agent to get new headers, I would do it
>with the three steps shown in this screen-shot (5s animated loop).
>
>screen-shot (animated loop): <http://img4.imagetitan.com/img.php?image=24_automate-agent-ani-loop-5s..gif>
>
> 1. Send Ctrl+H to Agent to activate the menu "Get New Headers in Desks".
> 2. Wait for the dialog "Get New Headers in Desks" to appear.
> 3. Activate the 'OK' button on the dialog "Get New Headers in Desks".

OK, thanks anyway. I don't know to translate that to AutoHotKey, so
I'll just leave things the way they are, unless someone else can tell
me how to do it.

On Sat, 08 Jan 2022 12:32:58 -0700, Ken Blake <Ken@invalid.news.com>
wrote:

>On Sun, 09 Jan 2022 08:23:35 +1300, Ralph Fox <-rf-nz-@-.invalid>
>wrote:
>
>>On Sat, 08 Jan 2022 08:56:44 -0700, Ken Blake wrote:
>>
>>> Thanks very much. I already use AutoHotKey, but I've never used it to
>>> do anything repeatedly at some interval. Can you post the commands I
>>> should enter there?
>>
>>
>>I do not have AutoHotKey. I do use AutoIt for other things.
>>If I were to automate Agent to get new headers, I would do it
>>with the three steps shown in this screen-shot (5s animated loop).
>>
>>screen-shot (animated loop): <http://img4.imagetitan.com/img.php?image=24_automate-agent-ani-loop-5s..gif>
>>
>> 1. Send Ctrl+H to Agent to activate the menu "Get New Headers in Desks".
>> 2. Wait for the dialog "Get New Headers in Desks" to appear.
>> 3. Activate the 'OK' button on the dialog "Get New Headers in Desks".
>
>
>OK, thanks anyway. I don't know to translate that to AutoHotKey, so
>I'll just leave things the way they are, unless someone else can tell
>me how to do it.

On the other hand, I see that Autoit is free. If you can tell me how
to do it with Autoit, I'll download and install it, and give it a try.

On Sat, 08 Jan 2022 12:35:48 -0700, Ken Blake <Ken@invalid.news.com>
wrote:

Ralph, on the off-chance that you didn't see this, I'll try again.

If you did see it , but just didn't know how to do it, thanks anyway
again.

>>OK, thanks anyway. I don't know to translate that to AutoHotKey, so
>>I'll just leave things the way they are, unless someone else can tell
>>me how to do it.
>
>
>On the other hand, I see that Autoit is free. If you can tell me how
>to do it with Autoit, I'll download and install it, and give it a try.