Spy questions

I've tried to play spy. I really have. I just can't do anything good with it. Here's my question... can you attack while cloaked/disguised or do you have to decloak/undisguise first?

It seems when fighting spies that I get attacked all the time by spies who are either cloaked or disguised when they attack me, only then becoming visible. Maybe I'm wrong, since I rarely see the attack itself coming. However, when I play spy, if I am cloaked or disguised, I can click the attack button on my mouse all day long and it does nothing. Not a damn thing. Except with the sapper, which works fine.

I know I suck as a spy, but am I missing the key to knowing how the class works?

Paladin the exiled site moved to:

forums.the-exiled.org

Don't want you to think anyone's ignoring you... also - I never play spy (1 hr at it!) but Bundy, Blood and Mikers are master spies and I'm sure could give you some tips.