flmsg/flmsg-doc/flmsg-quick-guide.html
David Freese e3f0e5ff52 Version 1.0.2
Maintenance release
2010-09-02 16:09:13 -05:00

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<h2>flmsg - quick guide</h2>flmsg is a simple forms management editor for the amateur radio supported standard message formats.&nbsp; These current include:<br>
<ul>
<li>ICS-213 - emergency
management report</li>
<li>Radiogram - NTS message</li>
</ul>
It's data files are pure ASCII text that can
be sent from point to point using the internet, amateur radio, or other
electronic link.&nbsp; The data files are designed to minimize the
transfer size.&nbsp; This is particularly important on amateur
HF.&nbsp; The data file and the transfer file are one in the same, but
can be further encapsulated using either flarq or wrap for the purpose
of confirming the received file integrity.<br>
The File and Template menus are:<br>
<h3>Menu's<br>
</h3>
<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><img style="width: 571px; height: 24px;" alt="" src="flmsg-menus.png"><br>
<table style="text-align: left; width: 100%;" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top;"><img style="width: 146px; height: 192px;" alt="" src="file-menu1.png"><br>
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top;"><img style="width: 255px; height: 194px;" alt="" src="file-menu2.png"><br>
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top;"><img style="width: 204px; height: 194px;" alt="" src="file-menu3.png"><br>
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top;"><img style="width: 226px; height: 216px;" alt="" src="file-menu4.png"><br>
</td>
<td style="vertical-align: top;"><img style="width: 129px; height: 89px;" alt="" src="template-menu.png"><br>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br>
File:<br>
<div style="margin-left: 40px;">New - clear all fields and name the default file "new.f2s" (new.m2s for radiogram)<br>
Open - open an existing file flmsg data files have the extension <br>
<div style="margin-left: 40px;">".f2s", read as "form 2 send" for ics213 forms<br>
".m2s", read as "message 2 send" for radiogram forms<br>
</div>
Save - save the current file to the name in the "file:" display box<br>
Save As - save using a new filename that the user provides<br>View- write the data to specified type of file<br>
<div style="margin-left: 40px;">Html delivery - viewed in default browser, contains only those elements sent to final recipient<br>
Html file copy - viewed in default browser, contains ALL fields including record keeping<br>
Text - viewed in default text editor - suitable for CW / Voice transmission<br>
</div>
Q-forms <br>
<div style="margin-left: 40px;">Import - Import the data fields from a Qforms eXtended Markup Language (xml) file<br>
Export -
Export the data fields to a Qforms compatible xml file</div>
<br>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 40px;">Wrap (Import / Export / AutoSend)<br>
<div style="margin-left: 40px;">Import the data fields from a Wrapped data file<br>
Export the data fields to a Wrapped data file<br>
Create a wrapped datafile and save in the NBEMS.files/WRAP/auto
directory.&nbsp; If running, fldigi will find and automatically
transmit the file.<br>
</div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 40px;">
</div>
<br>
Template: (for ICS213 only)<br>
<div style="margin-left: 40px;">Load - load an existing template file - flmsg template files have the extension ".f2t", read as "form 2 template"<br>
Save - save the current form as a template file, using the default (or current) filename<br>
Save As - save the current form as a template file, user provides the filenam<br>
</div>
<br>
Config:<br>
<div style="margin-left: 40px;">Open the <a href="#Configuring_flmsg">configuration dialog</a><br>
</div>
<br>
Note: data files and template files for ICS213 are identical.&nbsp; The only
difference is their location in the computer directory structure and
their extension.&nbsp; Message files and template files maintain their
uniqueness by virture of their file name.&nbsp; If you reuse a filename
the old data will be lost.<br>
<br>
File locations:<br>
<br>
<div style="margin-left: 40px;">On XP: C:\Documents and Settings\&lt;username&gt;\NBEMS.files<br>
On Vista: C:\Users\&lt;username&gt;NBEMS.files<br>
On Linux: /home/&lt;username&gt;/.nbems<br>
On Puppy: /root/.nbems<br>
On OS X: /home/&lt;username&gt;/.nbems<br>
</div>
<br>
Data files are located in the sub directory "ICS/messages"<br>
Template files are located in the sub directory "ICS/templates"<br>
View files (.rtf, .html, .txt) are located in the "ICS/" subdirectory.<br>
<br>
<h3>ICS-213 messages</h3>
The user prepares, answers and views all data files from the single user interface dialog:<br>
<br>
<img style="width: 580px; height: 459px;" alt="" src="flmsg-ics213.png"><br>
<img style="width: 580px; height: 459px;" alt="" src="flmsg-ics213-b.png"><br>
<br>
ICS213 message files are distinguished by the extension "f2s".&nbsp; Template files are assigned the extenstion "f2t".<br>
The data file for this example "MedEm_001.f2s" contains:<br>
============================= file contents ============================<br>&lt;flmsg&gt;1.0.0b1<br>
&lt;to:5 k2lbm<br>
&lt;p1:0 <br>
&lt;fm:5 w1hkj<br>
&lt;p2:0 <br>
&lt;d1:10 2009-09-29<br>
&lt;t1:9 00:03 UTC<br>
&lt;sb:29 Situation Report - F3 tornado<br>
&lt;s1:11 Dave Freese<br>
&lt;p3:16 On scene manager<br>
&lt;s2:12 Helen Freese<br>
&lt;p4:11 Coordinator<br>
&lt;d2:10 2009-09-29<br>
&lt;t2:9 00:22 UTC<br>
&lt;mg:211 1. # injured 4<br>
2. # casualties 2<br>
3. # displaced 30<br>
4. Available doctors 1<br>
5. Available nurses 2<br>
6. Request:<br>
&nbsp; a. shelter 30<br>
&nbsp; b. morgue transport 2<br>
&nbsp; c. ambulance transport 4, from Hazel Green UMC to City Hosp.<br>
<br>
&lt;rp:100 Expect ambulance by 03:00 UTC<br>
Coronor pickup by 08:00 UTC<br>
Shelter ready at Hazel Green High School.<br>
============================= file contents ============================<br>
<br>
The two principal output files are <a href="ics213_doc.html">html view document</a>, and <a href="ics213.txt">ascii text document</a>.<br>
<h3>Radiogram message</h3>The user prepares, and edits from the Radiogram tab:<br>
<br>
<img style="width: 579px; height: 460px;" alt="" src="flmsg-rgm.png"><br>
<br>
The CK value will be computed for you when the data is saved or a text
document created for printing or transmission.&nbsp; You can also force
a CK by pressing the "ck" button.<br>
<br>
ARL message creation is aided by a dialog which is exposed when the ARL MSG button is pressed<br>
<br>
<img style="width: 531px; height: 290px;" alt="" src="arl-selector.png"><br>
<br>
The number of "fill" edit entries will vary with the requirement of the
selected ARL message.&nbsp; Multiple ARL messages may be inserted into
the Message text.<br>
<br>
Pressing the Check button on the maint Radiogram tab will force all of
the fields to be tested for correctness.&nbsp; The Message text will be
converted to upper case, the leading and trailing spaces and
end-of-line characters removed.&nbsp; Periods and commas will be
converted to the stop character character, 'X', unless they are an
integral part of a word, such as <span style="font-style: italic;">NBEMS.files.</span>&nbsp; The precedence and handling fields are fixed to the selector values.<br>
<br>
The records tab contains data relevant to the transmission and receipt of the message:<br>
<br>
<img style="width: 580px; height: 459px;" alt="" src="flmsg-rgm-b.png"><br>
<br>
The two principal output files are <a href="radiogram.html">html view document</a>, and <a href="radiogram.txt">ascii text document</a>.&nbsp; The ascii text document is correctly formatted for CW or voice transmission.<br>
<h3><a name="Configuring_flmsg"></a>Configuring flmsg<br>
</h3>
The configuration items for flmsg are just a few and can be changed on the configuration dialog:<br>
<table style="text-align: left; width: 100%;" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"><img style="width: 455px; height: 268px;" alt="" src="config-dialog.png" align="top" hspace="5"></td>
<td style="vertical-align: top;">
<ul>
<li>Date format - select the date format that will be used for both ICS213 and Radiogram<br>
</li>
<li>Time format - select the time format that will be used for both ICS213 and Radiogram</li>
<li>Radiogram format -</li>
<ul>
<li>Fill in the data relating to the originating amateur station<br>
</li>
<li># words per line to be used when formating the radiogram message text</li>
</ul>
<li>Wrap - compress data when wrapping - not recommended unless message is very large<br>
</li>
</ul>
<br>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<h3>Qform data file<br>
</h3>
flmsg can read and write Qform ICS213 data files.&nbsp; The Qform data
file is larger by virtue of the xml structure.&nbsp; The file size
ratio is less when the content is larger.<br>
<h3>Viewing the data in a printable format</h3>
The program can produce a viewable document in ASCII text and Hypertext Markup Language (html) file
formats.&nbsp; After creating the document flmsg will request the file
to be opened by the default viewer / editor for that type of document.<br>
<h3>Html Text Format<br>
</h3>
The html Text Format file that the File/Write menu item produces can be
opened with any web browser program.&nbsp; Use that
software for printing the report.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
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