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Chat Help: Scrolling Files in IRC Clients

PC Instructions for mIRC
Index

Preparing Files for Scrolling
Scrolling Files
Setting Up Aliases to Scroll Files
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ChefMad's Mac Instructions For IRC

Preparing Files for Scrolling

Scrolling files (recipes or whatever) during IRC chats is not hard at all. It does take a little pre-work to make the best presentation. However, in a pinch, it can be done without the preparation. If you are going to host a Chat, the preparation pays off big.

Basically you can scroll any ASCII text file. That means you CAN NOT scroll WordPerfect, MSWord, or other high end word processor files without saving them as an ASCII text file. If you have Cookbook software, such as MasterCook, Meal Master, Key Home Gourmet, etc. you can export the recipe and save it as a separate file; or you can copy the recipe to the Windows Clipboard and then paste it into Notepad and save it.

OK...you have your text file (if you can read it in NotePad, it will scroll OK). It can be edited in NotePad to look the way you want it to. One or two suggestions: After the ingredients and between each paragraph, put a single period on a line by itself -- that is a visual aid to those reading the text as it scrolls; also, when you are looking at your recipe in your text editor, put a carriage return at the end of each line of description, and keep each line short -- about five inches -- this helps keep the server from "flooding" and you losing your connection. It also makes for a better presentation.

Preparing Files for Scrolling | Scrolling Files | Setting Up Aliases to Scroll Files
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Scrolling Files

Now, assuming you were able to get online, and connected to StarChat, and find the right channel (#FareShare, of course), it is time to take the leap! After all this intro, it is pretty simple. The syntax for the command, which is typed into the box at the bottom of the channel window, is as follows:

/play [drive]:[dir/subdir]/[filename.ext][scroll speed]

That equates to the following if you have a recipe on your hard drive called hotpepr.txt:

/play c:/recipes/spicy/hotpepr.txt 1900

I prefer to get on IRC a day or two before the chat when I am hosting, and scroll each of the text files I plan to use. I will often make some fine tuning changes to the text files afterwards to make certain they look like I want.

If you are hosting a chat, you may want to create "aliases" that contain the /play and filename command. That way you only need to type a few characters into the command line. It makes it a lot easier.

Preparing Files for Scrolling | Scrolling Files | Setting Up Aliases to Scroll Files
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Setting Up Aliases to Scroll Files

This really makes it easier to scroll pre-prepared files.

Click on the icon in the tool bar that has the "/a" on it. Scroll down to the end of the aliases already there. Without leaving a blank line, type in the following script:

/F1 /play [drive]:[dir/subdir]/[filename.ext][scroll speed]

Note, after the "/F1" the rest of the command is the same as you would type manually. Repeat that script down the page, one for each file you want to scroll. (Tip: After doing the first one, test it, then copy and paste as many as needed, changing the "F" key number and the file name in each line.) Make a list of the "F" keys and the names of the files with which they are associated -- that becomes your guide as you work the chat.

To execute the scrolling aliases, in the channel simply announce you are going to scroll, for example, a hot pepper recipe, and then press "F1". If it has been keyed in properly, the file will scroll like a charm. As mentioned earlier, it is really smart to set the files and aliases up and then test them live on IRC to make sure they all work and they look OK.

And the best part is you can get all the help you need on this website or from any of the founders. You will find when you are in the channel, everyone is your friend and no one cares if you make a mistake. Just being there and sharing your thoughts and/or your recipes is the important thing!

Preparing Files for Scrolling | Scrolling Files | Setting Up Aliases to Scroll Files
Comments or Questions?

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ChefMad's Mac Instructions For IRC

Updated August 27, 2000