4. Compose

The ‘Compose’ menu choice takes you to a new message compose page.

• 4.1 From
• 4.2 To
• 4.3 Cc
• 4.4 Bcc
• 4.5 Subject
• 4.6 Addresses button
  • 4.6.1 HTML version
  • 4.6.2 Javascript version
• 4.7 Save Draft button
• 4.8 Priority
• 4.9 Message Body
• 4.10 Attach
• 4.11 Compose in HTML
• 4.12 Spellchecking options
  • 4.12.1 Spellchecker in plain text mode
  • 4.12.2 Spellchecker in HTML mode

4.1 - From

The 'From' field is only displayed if you have enabled multiple identities (through the 'Options'/'Personal Preferences' menu). If you have done so you can choose which identity you want to use, ie which name and email address appear as the ‘From:’ line of your message.

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4.2 - To

In the 'To' field enter the email address of the person you are sending the message to. You can send to multiple people by entering their addresses one after the other, each separated with a comma. You can also press the ‘Addresses’ button to search for specific email addresses to enter into this field.

If you cannot see the full address, do not worry; the text box is fixed length so may not display long email addresses, but all the text entered will be contained within the underlying field (click your mouse within the field and use the left or right keyboard keys to scroll to the end of the text to see).

Please note: you cannot enter real names (eg 'Anne Other') and expect it to look the address up, as the desktop client does. It will accept the value, eg 'Anne Other', but you are likely to receive a 'Mail delivery failed' message in your Inbox or find that, if the mail has been delivered, it has been sent to the wrong person.

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4.3 - Cc

'Cc' is an abbreviation for Carbon copy. If you wish to send someone else a copy of the message, add their address in the 'Cc' field.

Think of this in the same way a memo is laid out. Only the people to whom the message has direct impact would be in the 'To' field, while recipients to whom this is possibly only informative would be in the 'Cc' and/or 'Bcc' fields.

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4.4 - Bcc

'Bcc' is an abbreviation for Blind carbon copy. Use this to send someone a copy of the email without the recipients in the 'To' or 'Cc' fields knowing about it.

Another use for the 'Bcc' field is to enter all the addresses on mailing lists here so that email addresses cannot be obtained and, potentially, used for spamming activities.  Enter your own address in the 'To' field, so that the only address that can be viewed by the multiple recipients is your own address.

Another use for the 'Bcc' field is to add your own email address so that you also receive a copy of your email for audit purposes (ie so that you can sort them into relevant folders later on).

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4.5 - Subject

Type in a relevant heading here. An accurate and informative subject line can be a great time-saver for the people who receive your message.

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4.6 - Addresses button

Please note: entries in your IMSP address books that have no 'Nickname' will not be found by the search tool. This is due to the way SquirrelMail handles address book entries.

Please note: this 'Address Book Search' tool should not be confused with the address book manager accessed via the ‘Addresses’ icon at the top of the page.

This button opens an address book tool, which lets you search your address books and the University Directory.

Depending on your web browser, the address book tool can be accessed in two different modes, either as a plain HTML page or as a Javascript version of the tool, which opens in a new window. The Javascript version is probably the more user-friendly, though your browser needs to be Javascript compatible.

The default setting is to use the HTML version, but you can change to using the Javascript version by going to 'Options'/'Display Preferences'/'Addressbook Display Format' and changing the selection.

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4.6.1 HTML version

The HTML version opens a text box and an address book dropdown list. You can either list the entire address book and select one or more addresses, or search one, or all, for matching entries.

Listing all addresses in an address book

To list the contents of an address book, select the relevant book in the drop-down list and click on ‘List all’.

Searching for an address

To search, enter a first name, surname or nickname for the person you are trying to contact, and click on ‘Search’.

Selecting one or more addresses

Addresses are displayed with three check boxes next to each. These let you add the address to the 'To', 'Cc' or 'Bcc' fields. Select the entries you require by ticking the relevant checkbox and then click the ‘Use addresses’ button. This returns you to the message compose page with the appropriate recipient fields populated from your selection.

Please note: to select addresses using several search terms, you will have to click 'Use Addresses' and then re-enter the 'Address Book Search' tool to make subsequent searches.

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4.6.2 Javascript version

The Javascript version opens a new window and presents the same search fields as the HTML version. Searching and listing addresses from address books is performed in the same way as the HTML version.

However, the resulting list of matching entries is presented slightly differently: instead of three checkboxes for the 'To', 'Cc' or 'Bcc' fields, there are three links. Clicking a link will immediately add the address to the respective field on the ‘Compose’ page. When you have finished selecting addresses, click the ‘Close’ button to close the window.

Multiple searches can be made using the Javascript version and addresses selected from the final set of results.

You can also click on an email address in the ‘Email’ column. This adds the address to the ‘To’ field of your message and closes the window immediately.

Please see the ‘Address book management’ page for further details.

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4.7 - Save Draft button

If you have been composing a message but are not yet ready to send it, use the 'Save Draft' button to save the message to the 'Drafts' folder. If you want to finish the message later, go to the 'Drafts' folder and open the message.  This returns you to the compose page with your message ready to be worked on.

You can continue composing the message and then either send it to the recipient or return it to the 'Drafts' folder for further work to be done on it later.

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4.8 - Priority

Beneath the 'Subject' field, you can set the priority of a message (for example low, normal, or high) by using the ‘Priority’ drop-down list. A high-priority message might be presented in a different way by the recipient's mail program.

Please note: message recipients control how priorities are handled. They may ignore priority flags, or not even recognise what the flag means, so do not assume that your message will be dealt with any more quickly.

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4.9 - Message Body

The large empty box is for the text of your mail. This is where you type the body of your message.

If a signature file has been saved it will appear here as well.

If your browser is Javascript-compatible, and you have ‘use Javascript’ enabled (see Section 7.2), then you have the option to compose an email in HTML, rather than plain text. The text box shown will have a multitude of icons allowing you to format the text in various ways, such as changing the font size, alignment and colour.

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4.10 - Attach

Located at the bottom of the ‘Compose’ page, this feature allows you to send one or more files with your email. The file must be located on your local machine or network to be attached. You can either

• press the 'Browse' button, which lets you search through your directory structure and select any files to include
• type the name of the file directly into the 'Attach' field (if you know the full path and exact filename)

Press the 'Add' button to list the selected file as an attachment and it will appear below.

Once a file is attached, another button appears: the 'Delete Selected Attachments' button lets you delete any attached file. Select any files you want to delete and press the button.

Please note: there is a limit on the size of emails you can send via the University of Bristol mail servers. This is currently 10MB, therefore your message will only be sent if the total size of your mail (including any attachments) is less than this.

For further information on maximum message sizes, and how to send larger files using the Facility for the Upload of Large Files (fluff), please visit the Email maximum message sizes page.

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4.11 Compose in HTML

Depending on your browser setup, the 'Compose in HTML' button will be located either next to the 'Send' / 'Check Spelling' buttons or directly underneath these option buttons.

Please note: if you select this option after you have already composed your message, and then select 'OK' on the warning message, everything you have written so far will be lost.  If you have already composed your message and do not wish to lose it, highlight the message and copy it to the clipboard before moving to the HTML compose view.  You can then paste your message into the HTML compose window.

The HTML compose window offers a set of icons for formatting your message in WYSIWYG style, so you do not have to know HTML to send an HTML-formatted message.

If you are in the HTML compose view and want to send a plain text message select the 'Plain Text' radio button above the HTML formatting icons.  The warning message that appears is only to inform you that any current HTML formatting will be lost; your message will otherwise remain unaltered.

Please note: the HTML formatting icons remain when you return to plain text mode, but the message will be sent in plain text format.

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4.12 Spellchecking options

There are spellchecking facilities in both plain text and HTML modes.  Both are intuitive to use, but there are some minor differences in functionality between the two.

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4.12.1 Spellchecker in plain text mode

This button is only visible if you have a Javascript-enabled browser. Clicking this opens a popup window listing all spelling mistakes sequentially.

You can change any misspelled word to the suggested choice, add your own new spelling, ignore the error, or add the word to your personal dictionary. See Section 7.7 for further information.

Please note: if there is only one word to correct, you must remember to click 'Change' followed by 'Close and Commit'. Clicking on 'Close and Commit' only will not correct the misspelled word.

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4.12.2 Spellchecker in HTML mode

The HTML compose editor also has a spellcheck facility, which has slightly different functionality to the plain mode version. 

To check spelling click on the 'Check Spell' icon.  Clicking this opens a popup window listing all spelling mistakes sequentially.

You can change any misspelled word to the suggested choice, add your own new spelling, or ignore the error.

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