News Module

The System Administrator may create a NEWS file with messages that will be displayed when Ovid begins. When the program starts, Ovid automatically looks for the NEWS file. If one has been created by the System Administrator, the messages in the NEWS.TXT file are displayed to the user.

The NEWS file may be created using most text editing or word processing programs. The file should be saved n the C:\OVID\PUBLIC subdirectory with the filename: NEWS.TXT. A template of this file (called "NEWS.TX") is automatically provided for you when the software is installed. You may simply edit this file, and rename it "NEWS.TXT", or you may create your own NEWS.TXT file. Using the template file is explained in the section "Editing the NEWS.TX File" , below.

There are a few basic points to remember when creating the file:

Understand the basic rules for creating messages
The amount of text that will appear in the news message window will depend on the monitor type you are using. Since the same TXT file is used to display news messages in the Windows and DOS version of Ovid, you may find that the same text file appears slightly different in the DOS screen than it does in the Windows screen. There is a limited amount of formatting allowable in the NEWS.TXT file. Keep the following basic rules in mind:

• Each text line is left-justified. Do not insert tabs or spaces to center text.
• No special character formatting is available, such as the use of special fonts, boldface or italic characters.
• Text is automatically word-wrapped. If you wish to start text on a new line, press <Enter> to insert a new line. Most monitors will display approximately 52-69 characters per line.
• Approximately 18 lines of text will display on most monitors. Text that exceeds the screen limit may be viewed by the user by pressing the arrow- or page-down keys.
• Multiple messages may be created in the news.txt file. After the user presses <Enter> at the first message, the next message is displayed.

Create the NEWS.TXT file in ASCII format

Many word processors use their own formatting and control characters when a file is saved, therefore you should always make sure you save the file as ASCII text.

Creating the NEWS.TXT file

The news.txt file contains the text of all messages to be displayed. Each message in the file must begin with the line:

#message

Each message must end with the line:

#end

The following example illustrates coding for a message that would be displayed to all users when they start the program:

#message

This workstation and the Ovid Search Software for MEDLINE have been provided through the generous support of the Smith Foundation.

#end

If you wish to create a second message to display after the first, simply repeat the above procedure for your second message.

Adding Comments to NEWS.TXT

Comments may be placed anywhere in the news file (even inside messages) for the System Administrator's personal reference when editing the news file. By inserting the pound character (#) as the first character of the left column, that line will be completely ignored by the program (except for those lines that start with the keywords #message or #end).

In the following example, the comment "The following message will be displayed for EVERYONE" will not appear on the message when it is broadcast:

#The following message will be displayed for EVERYONE

#message There will be a MEDLINE training session this Thursday at 4 p.m. in the East conference Hall. All faculty and students are welcome to attend.

#end

Editing the NEWS.TX file
A template for the NEWS.TXT file (named NEWS.TX) is provided for you in the \PUBLIC subdirectory.

Use the DOS EDIT utility (this utility comes with MS-DOS version 5.0) to edit the NEWS.TX file. Then, save the file with the filename NEWS.TXT. When you start Ovid, the file will be automatically recognized, and display at the start of the program. Use the following procedure to edit NEWS.TX:

1. Change to the C:\OVID\PUBLIC directory on the hard drive.
2. type edit news.tx <Enter> to open the EDIT utility for this file.
3. The template text will appear on your screen. You may then add more text or edit the existing text.
4. When you are finished, save your work by using the File/Save-As command (ALT+F+A), and naming the file "NEWS.TXT". EXIT the EDIT program by typing ALT+F+X, or selecting File/Exit.