The Bat FAQ

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The Bat FAQ

The TBUDL/TBBETA Rogues Gallery
RITLabs The Bat! Homepage! ... Screenshots
Templates explained ... Changing the TB button icons (glyphs)
Regular expression macros ... Filtering ... Some template / Quick Template samples
Regular expression tutorial ... Macro, filter and template Library

Beginners resources: TB Message Board

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This FAQ has been prepared using the BrainStorm mind mapping and thinking tool. It makes it easier to maintain these pages and makes the pages interactive.

Navigation may be a little confusing at first, but it is quite simple really.

Click on the '+' sign to reveal more detail about a specific topic.

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Any user having problems navigating this FAQ in this form, you can view a PDF version of the entire FAQ site. It weighs in at 900kb and is a little rough around the edges, but it may ease your frustration. My thanks to James Senick for creating it. You can also download a zipped version of the same PDF for offline viewing.

I am also working on a flat version of the FAQ. Again - not pretty, but it's no effort to read.

Is there a user mailing list?

There are three English Language User Discussion Lists (UDLs) that you can get help on.
The first and most popular is 'The Bat User Discussion List (TBUDL)' which is for questions concerning the official releases of The Bat!.
The second is 'The Bat Beta Testers (TBBETA)' which is for discussion concerning beta releases of The Bat!.
The third (and newest list) is The Bat! Technical List (TBTECH) where users exchange ideas and help each other with regular expression macros.
One thing you'll be pleasantly surprised to find is that the program developers not only monitor these lists, but actually participate as well.
Click here to see the comprehensive list of TB user discussion lists

Is there a compiled list of keyboard shortcuts?

Yes! The maintainer of this list is Dmitry Potapenko
Shortcuts in English or Russian.
Douglas Hinds has contributed a list of differences for the Spanish keyboard.
New HTML indexed version (English) for v1.52f converted by John Seymour

Why is The Bat! being blocked as a spamming tool?

Some ISPs are blocking mail with a "The Bat" X-Mailer header under the misconception that The Bat! is a spamming tool
Using The Bat! to send UCE (spam) is strictly forbidden by the user licence
If you come across an ISP or company that is doing this, please send them to one of the following URLs:
http://www.silverstones.com/thebat/spammer.html
http://www.ritlabs.com/ru/products/thebat/advice_detail.php?ID=189
These pages explain exactly what is going on and that The Bat! is as much a victim of the spammers as the ISPs and their customers

About The Bat!

What is The Bat!
- The Bat! is an extremely flexible e-mail client with extensive capabilities not found in other e-mail clients.
- What language was it written in?
  
  The Bat! up to v1.x53 is written in Delphi 2.
  The Bat! v2.x from v1.54 is written using Delphi 6.
- Features of The Bat!
  - Migrating from other email programs
    - It can import your old messages with the built in import wizard:
      
      Microsoft Outlook Express v4.xx
      Netscape Communicator v4.xx
      Netscape Mail v2.xx/3.xx
      Eudora Lite/Pro
      Pegasus Mail v2.xx
    - It can import address books from any client that can export to these formats:
      
      .INI
      Comma Separated File
      Tab Separated File
  - Receiving messages
    - Mail Ticker (tm)
      
      This is a cool feature seen nowhere else.
      It looks like a Wall Street stock ticker, but it shows you the header info from your new messages.
      From, To, Subject etc.
      Double-clicking on a message from the ticker will bring up all the messages set to display in the ticker in a virtual folder.
      Using the Mail Ticker (tm) means that The Bat! can spend most of its time hiding in the tool tray.
    - Filtering system
      
      An unbelievably awesome, power-packed suite of filtering tools. Pass data to external programs, auto-responders, macro enhanced templates, selective downloading filters etc.
    - Manage your mail directly on the POP/IMAP server.
      
      The Bat! features a message dispatcher which allows you to preview the mail while it is still on the server
      Decide which messages to download
      Decide which messages to delete without downloading
    - Automatic mail retrieval w/auto log-off
  - Writing messages
    - Real-time automatic spellchecker.
      
      As you type, it underlines questionable spellings, and a single right click will let you choose the correct spelling while a double right click will replace the word with the closest correct spelling automatically.
    - Very powerful message editor.
      
      This is great.
      How many times have you wanted to cut out a certain little block of text, but as you drag your mouse down it highlights the entire line?
      In this editor, you can just select the text you want.
      It's also a free caret editor which means that wherever you click in the message is where you'll start typing.
      Automatic line wrapping options
      Automatic formatting options
      Auto-format will automatically reflow the text within a paragraph
    - Multiple accounts that can be changed on the fly.
      
      There's more, each folder you create to save messages in can have its own identity (To, From, Reply-to), macro enhanced templates etc..
      This is my most favorite aspect of The Bat!
      You can make it do just about anything.
    - Draft message functionality
      
      You can work on your messages, and leave them in your outbox until you're finished and want to send it.
    - Versatile message addressing with the Address Book
      
      A very cool address book function that let's you choose e-mail addresses very similar to the way you run programs from the Windows Start button
      or
      choose favorites from the favorites dropdown menu.
      The address book also supports vCard as well as being able to place actual pictures of your contacts in the address book.
      Another feature is the ability to define macro enabled templates for each contact or group of contacts in your address book.
      That means you can personalize your messages for each type of person or individual person.
  - Security features
    
    IMAP, APOP, PGP, MD5, iKey, POP before SMTP verification.
  - Looking after your mail
    
    An excellent built in search engine that is very quick, and displays your results in a very logical, easy to use format.
    A park function, where you can make a message stay where it is at. No accidental deletions or moving it to the wrong folder.
  - Full 32 bit multi-threading.
    
    You can check mail on all of your accounts, and write/read messages at the same time.
  - Support for more than 15 different languages, with the capability to switch between them on the fly, and new ones being added as time goes on.
  - Run Mailing Lists
    
    You can run mailing lists as well as full fledged discussion lists like MajorDomo and Listserv.
    'The Bat! User's Discussion List' used to run from a copy of The Bat!.
    All it had to do was to check the POP3 account, and filter, modify, correct the To: From: and Reply To: headers, then mail it out to everyone on the list. No fuss, no muss.
    Take a look here for the step-by-step guide on how to do it.
Who wrote it?
- Stefan Tanurkov
  
  Born - 19th of April, 1974
  Horoscope - Aries
  Education - Moldavian State University, specialized in mathematics and computer science.
  Working experience - Professional since 1990, with RIT - since 1993
  Author of Dos Navigator (DOS Shell)
  Status - Married
  Life style - Fatalistic optimist :-)
  He initiated the The Bat! project.
- Max Masiutin
  
  Born - 14th of September, 1977
  Horoscope - Virgo
  Education - Comprehensive school
  Working experience - Professional since 1994, with RIT - since 1996.
  Author of Argus (Fido mailer for Win95/NT)
  Status - Married
- What language was it written in?
  
  The Bat! up to v1.x53 is written in Delphi 2.
  The Bat! v2.x from v1.54 is written using Delphi 6.
Where can I get it?

RITlabs download web site