When writing messages in channels or in direct messages, GCmessage provides additional functionality beyond just basic text.

Sending Direct Messages

Select the person that you wish to send a direct message to. 

You can search for users by clicking the pen symbol at the top of the page. This will reveal a pop-up window where you can type in a user’s name.

 You can select just one user to direct message or you can create a chat with multiple users. 

Type your message in the dialogue box at the bottom of the screen. 

If you want to add breaks in your text, you can press the SHIFT + ENTER on your keyboard to go to the next line. 

To send your message, press Enter on your keyboard or click the Send button (paper airplane symbol).

Sending files

You may send files in channels or in a direct message. 

To send a file in either a channel or direct message, click the plus (+) icon in the dialogue box at the bottom of the page. 

Under the sub-heading Add files from, click Computer to open your file explorer. 

 Select the file on your hard drive that you wish to send and click Open. 

From here you may rename the file and add a file description. Once you have filled out the desired fields, click Send.

You have now sent your file! The user in the channel or direct message where you uploaded the file can now download or view the file.

Emojis

You can add emojis to any of your messages. 

To do so, click the Emoji icon located in the dialogue box at the bottom of the page. 

Once you've found the emoji you would like to add, click it to add it to your message. 

You are also able to add emojis to your message by typing ":" in the dialogue box then typing the name of the emoji. A pop-up with autocomplete options will appear as you type.

@ mentions

You can user @ mentions to notify someone that you are talking about them or to them, to notify them of a specific message, or to draw their attention to a specific conversation. 

To do so, in the dialogue box, type "@" and select who you want to mention. You have the option to mention: 

• all users in the channel; 
• all active users in the channel; or 
• an individual user.

To mention an individual user, type the user's name and a list of users will appear with name suggestions. You can mention multiple users in one text.  

For further information on how to interact with existing messages, visit: What options are available for interacting with existing messages?