User Options

Many aspects of soyMAIL behaviour can be adjusted from default through user options.
Options are grouped into multiple panels according to general function.
Those unavailable for user selection due to site configuration are italicised and

Changes to soyMAIL settings must be actioned using the or button.

General Options

Theme: | colour scheme, button shape, etc.
Check for new mail every: | so many minutes.
You've got mail: | for clients supporting .WAV audio (all Windows based systems) this option allows an audible new mail notification to be provided. Each available audio clip is available to listen to. The file browse dialog allows a personalised notification clip to be uploaded into soyMAIL.
You've-got-mail@: | provides an email address for delivery of a notification of new messages. In addition to any audio notification (above) this option delivers an email to the specified address notifying of any new mail message count.
Language: | English by default, others supported from selection list. Language is the only setting that must be saved and cannot be set using the apply button.
Font size: | 10, 11, 12 points, etc.
Font family: | arial, helvetica, sans-serif, etc., old favourites with others possibly configured locally. There is also a text field below the selector to allow the specification of any other font family available at the local client. This overrides anything specified by the selector.
Charset default: | Folder listing, Options and Contacts pages use this character set. Default is UTF-8. Set to alternate character set (e.g. ISO-8859-1, Windows-1252) if UTF-8 unsuitable.

Message Management

Use only default MAIL file: | where a user has multiple mail files (drawers in DECwindows Mail terminology) this option enabled only presents the contents of MAIL.MAI.
PMDF IMAP: | where a user also employing PMDF IMAP to access mail can have soyMAIL access the IMAP folder information. This compatibility mode has some restrictions.
Message listing order: | either oldest first or most recent first (towards the top of the listing).
Messages per page: | set the range size for message listings.
Folder buttons: | provides the optional folder "short-cut" buttons down the left-side of the message listing page. The selector provides for one (few folders), two (more folders) or three (many folders) columns.
Preview After: | this many seconds. Hovering (placing the mouse cursor over) a message button for this long previews the message.
Message read preference: | plain text, HTML, and the order in which alternatives are selected.
Massage plain-text: | when reading message text; wrap long lines, eliminate extra blank lines, remove any PGP signature.
Images Inline: | where a message has image attachments, display these within the attachment panel following the respective attachment access button. Choices allow this to be set 0 (off), 25%, 50% (suggested), 75% or 100% as initial size of image. Clicking on the image cycles through various other sizes.
Draft Items Folder: | is used to store copies of saved message drafts from the composition page. This option allows a non-default folder ("Draft Items") to be specified.
Sent Items Folder: | when set automatically places a copy of successfully sent messages into the specified folder. "Sent Items" would be a consistent name. This folder should be purged as and when necessary.
Waste Items Folder: | allows the user to specify the name of the folder used to store messages when the button is used ("Waste Items" by default).

Message Composition

Reply quotation prefix: | when replying to a message the original text has this string prepended to each line.
Forwarded quotation prefix: | when forwarding a message the original text has this string prepended to each line.
Compose using HTML editor: | is present if the local site has an optional HTML editor installed. Open this editor by default.
Edit rows: | allows the compose page edit area row (lines) selector steps be specified using a comma-separated list of integers, e.g. 20,30,40
Edit cols: | (same as above but for) column selector steps, e.g. 78,96,132
Wrap at: | allows the message send width steps be specified using a comma-separated list of integers, e.g. 78,96,132
Character sets: | allows messages to be composed using a specified character set. Normally a message is sent using the character set of the user option language (commonly ISO-8859-1). Others may be specified here to be displayed as a selector on the message composition page. For example, to allow messages to be composed using Arabic, Cyrillic or Hebrew characters the option would be The leading "<" on the Arabic and Hebrew examples indicate the script is written right-to-left and the edit area should display accordingly.

Sender Identification

Signature: | determines the source of the signature text. Default takes it from any VMS-defined signature. soyMAIL from a soyMAIL-specific options file. None disables the signature functionality. In addition any user-created signatures (see below) are listed for editing or setting as default. Below the signature selector is a text field allowing the creation of a new signature by name (see below).
Personal name: | for example, Eric Cartman.
From address: | email address the message should appear to originate from. Only required if different to the username@hostname of the soyMAIL generated reply-to. Is combined with the personal name to produce something like Eric Cartman <cartman@sth.pk.us>
Signature Edit: | allows the editing and saving of signature text. Once created, a signature can then be appended to a message during composition. Changes to a signature must be actioned using the button. Multiple user signatures may be created (in addition to the standard soyMAIL signature) by entering a name for the new signature into the text field below the signature selector then using the button. This opens the editing dialog for the new signature. Once the signature has been composed it should then be saved. Once created the new signature is made the default. This can be made permanent by using the button or the previous default may be returned to using the button. A user signature must be the default for the message composition page to display the signature selection dialog. A user signature may be deleted by removing all text and saving.

VMS Mail Options

At some sites (depending on configuration) a VMS Mail options panel will be present.

VMS Mail options are described in the VMS User Manual. Consult this document for specific information.

Changes to VMS settings must be actioned using the button.