The    folder    dialog is used to select and display a list of the messages contained in the folder currently shown in the selector adjacent to the button. Changing the folder selection will change the message list. 

Messages are listed from most to least recent, with a user optional number per page. If the total number of messages in a folder exceeds that which can be displayed on a single page a   111-999   dialog is displayed. A specific range of messages may then be selected, automatically changing the displayed message list.  The messages button also may be used to refresh or select the displayed message range list. On the left and right of the range dialog are the two buttons which select the previous and next range of messages respectively.

The listed messages each have individual controls and information associated with them. A checkbox,    button, received date/time, message originator and subject line. A message can be opened by selecting the numbered button, or by clicking on any part of the date, originator or subject.  See help from the    page. Hovering (placing the mouse over) the    button previews the message.

The (checkbox) is used to select one or more messages for action by the   folder   dialog.

The checkbox just above the very first message listed can be used to toggle all the other checkboxes on the page (and therefore select/deselect the messages).  A checkbox at the very bottom of the list can be used to select all messages in the folder (not just the page - CAUTION!)

Using the    button moves the selected message(s) into a folder named "Waste Items". This functions in the role of a waste-basket, allowing subsequent access and retrieval, or final disposal of messages moved there (using its    button). It should be periodically emptied. The user option "Waste Items Folder" allows an alternate name for this folder to be set. (This folder is is not the VMS Mail WASTEBASKET).

CAUTION:     completely removes the message. There is no way subsequently to retrieve it.

The    and    buttons are used in conjunction with the adjacent folder selector to copy or move selected messages into the specified folder. The text entry field to the right of the folder selector can be used to enter the name of a new folder for message storage.

Folder Buttons

An optional setting available from the    page provides a series of buttons representing the message folders down the left side of the message listing page. These buttons have two "short-cut" functions complementing the folder selector dialog and the move dialog described above.

They may be used to directly move to and display the contents of the folder represented by the button. When messages are selected for action using one or more checkboxes these folder buttons will move the selected messages directly to that folder.

Multiple MAIL Files

These are also known as drawers in DECwindows Mail terminology. The default VMS mail collection is stored in the primary file MAIL.MAI, while VMS can use multiple <name>.MAI files to store independent message collections. When multiple collections are present folder selection dialogs present the file name with a trailing "/" and the currently selected file folders with a leading "/". In this example dialog   MAIL/   /NEWMAIL   /example OTHER/   /FolderInOther   "MAIL/" is the primary file, containing folders "/NEWMAIL" and "/example", with "OTHER/" a separate file, containing folder "/FolderInOther".

The message listing    folder    dialog, and the message read   folder   dialog described in the    help, display only the folders of the currently selected mail file. If the desired target file's folders are not currently visible selecting the file name will refresh the list displaying the folders contained in that file.

An optional setting available from the    page suppresses display of all but the primary mail file.