═══ 1. Outbound Manager ═══ You are currently in the SOB outbound directory manager. The outbound directory is where a mail tosser, such as Squish, places mail that is to be delivered to other systems by a FidoNet such as BinkleyTerm. The list that is displayed, are the contents of your outbound directory and contain the following columns: Address This is the address the mail is to be sent to. If a node has more than one item, only the first item has the address. An address of N/A indicates that SOB could not determine a correct address for the file. Type This column indicates the type of file. See the file descriptions below. Date The date the file was last written to. Time The time the file was last written to. File Name/Path The filename and or complete path for the file. The complete path is used in FLO files and in Update Request type request files. The file types are defined as follows: ArcMail This is an archived mail file, and is sent as a file attach. This file contains compressed mail packets, typically echo mail. An ArcMail file is supposed to be included in a file attach file. If an ArcMail file is orphaned SOB allows you to un-orphan the file by creating a new file attach file or add it to an existing file. After an ArcMail file is sent to the targeted system, it is truncated to a length of zero. This indicates to mail processor that the file has been sent and not to add any new mail packets. The file filtering in SOB allows you to eliminate truncated ArcMail files from the display. Fiat This file contains a list of files to be sent to another system. Each file attach file, has it's list of files displayed immediatly after it. If you do not wish to see these files, the file filtering in SOB will prevent these entries from being displayed. A file attach file has a flavor (priority) that is described below. FileReq This is a list of files, that your system is requesting from another. The files to be requested are listed immediatly following the file request entry. If you do not wish to see these files, the file filtering in SOB will prevent these entries from being displayed. NoConnect This file contains the number of times your system attempted to connect to the target system. This count is displayed after the file name in the file name column. If you do not wish to see these files, the file filtering in SOB will prevent these entries from being displayed. NodeBusy This indicate that either BinkleyTerm is connected to, or attempting a connection to the node, or that a mail processor such as Squish is packing mail for that node. If you do not wish to see these files, the file filtering in SOB will prevent these entries from being displayed. Poll This file is used to force a call to a remote node. This file may also contain netmail messages that have not been added to an ArcMail bundle. A Poll is also used to send a file request file. Tick This file is produced by a file distribution processor, such as Tick. Other These are files that do not fit any of the above descriptions. If you do not wish to see these files, the file filtering in SOB will prevent these entries from being displayed. The Flavor or Priority for FLO and packet files are as follows: If anyone has a better definition of these, I would appreciate very much if you would send them to me. Crash Typically high priority mail that is sent immedialty. Direct Send directly to the destined system without routing thru other systems. Hold Mail is to be held until the target system calls your system or until you call the other system. Leave Mail will never be sent. Normal Sent "Normally" based on the mailer event setup. Mail processors create most of the entries in your outbound area. SOB's outbound manager gives you the ability to easily maintain and manipulate your outbound area. You can generate Polls, request and send files, and delete old or undeliverable mail. To manipulate any of these entries, select an entry by pressing enter on the highlighted entry, or double click with the right mouse button and you will be presented with an Actions Menu ═══ 2. Options Menu ═══ This menu presents the options that are available to you in using SOB: Configuration SOB Configuration File Filtering Filtering on certain files types in the outbound display. Exit Terminating SOB About A Brag dialog that seems to be present in all OS/2 PM applications. ═══ 2.1. Configuration ═══ This option allow you to configure SOB with the information it needs to operate. ═══ 2.2. File Filtering ═══ This option provides file filtering, to allow some flexability in controlling what files are displayed in SOB's outbound window. ═══ 2.3. Exit ═══ This option will terminate SOB. Prior to exiting, the position and size of SOB's window will be saved. The next time SOB is started it will be at the same location and will be the same size as the last time you used it. ═══ 2.4. About ═══ This is nothing more than a Brag item. The About selection typically tells who the author is and displays copyright information. Every OS/2 PM application seems to have one, so I have included it. ═══ 3. Misc. Outbound Menu ═══ This menu provides several misc. functions for your enjoyment and comfort: Cleanup Outbound. Rescan your outbound. Generate a Poll. Request a File from another system. Send a File to another system. Update Request a file from another system. Change Outbound Zone. ═══ 3.1. Cleanup Outbound ═══ This sub-menu provides several house keeping options to keep your outbound area nice and tidy. ═══ 3.1.1. Clean Up Noconnects ═══ This clean up option will delete files with an extension of *.$$* ═══ 3.1.2. Clean up Truncated ArcMail ═══ This cleanup option deletes all ArcMail bundles that have been sent. After an ArcMail bundle is sent, it is truncated to a length of zero. The zero length indicates to a mail tosser, such as Squish, the bundle has been sent and not to add any additional mail packets to the bundle. ═══ 3.1.3. Clean up Other ═══ This clean up option, deletes files that are listed with a type of Other Other files, are files that are in the outbound and are not recognized by a mailer such as BinkleyTerm. ═══ 3.1.4. Clean up Missing ═══ This clean up option will delete from *.?LO files, any entries that can't be found. *.?LO are labeled as FiAtt ═══ 3.1.5. Clean up Empty FiAT ═══ The cleanup option deletes any *.?LO that do not have any entries. ═══ 3.1.6. Clean up ALL ═══ This cleanup option will delete all of the files eligible for cleanup, which are: o No Connects o Sent (truncated to zero length) ArcMail bundles. o Files labeled as Other. o Files listed as missing in *.?LO files. o *.?LO files that have no entries. ═══ 3.2. Outbound Rescan ═══ This Misc menu causes a rescan of the current outbound area, and a refresh of the outbound display. ═══ 3.3. Generate a POLL ═══ This Misc menu option will generate a POLL packet, which causes Binkley to call another system. You should not generate a POLL unless you do not have mail destined for the targeted system, or unless you wish to create a POLL with a higher priority than current waiting mail targeted for the system to be polled. ═══ 3.4. File Request ═══ Generates a File Reqest. Your system will request a file or files from another system. ═══ 3.5. Send a File ═══ Send one more files to another system. ═══ 3.6. Update File Request ═══ This item allows to request a file that is new or older than a file with the same name currently on your system. ═══ 3.7. Change Outbound Directory ═══ Change to the outbound for a different zone. ═══ 4. Selected Item Actions Menu ═══ You have selected an item in the you outbound area. This menu offers several actions that can be performed on the selected item: Re-Address This option allows you to re-address a Flow or Packet file. Change Flavor Change the Flavor of a Flow or Packet file. Erase Erase any file on the outbound display. Un-Orphan Un-Orphan an ArcMail bundle. ═══ 4.1. Selected Item Actions Menu ═══ Change the destination address of the selected Flo or Packet file. ═══ 4.2. Change Flavor to Crash ═══ Change the Flavor (priority) of the selected item to Crash ═══ 4.3. Change Flavor to Direct ═══ Change the Flavor (priority) of the selected item to Direct ═══ 4.4. Change Flavor to Hold ═══ Change the Flavor (priority) of the selected item to Hold ═══ 4.5. Change Flavor to Leave ═══ Change the Flavor (priority) of the selected item to Leave ═══ 4.6. Change Flavor to Normal ═══ Change the Flavor (priority) of the selected item to Normal ═══ 4.7. Erase Item ═══ Erase/delete the selected entry ═══ 4.8. UnOrphan ArcMail ═══ ArcMail requires that a Flow file has the bundle name in it, in order for the bundle to be sent. This option will create the Flow file for the selected ArcMail bundle if it does not exist. ═══ 5. SOB Configuration ═══ This dialogs allows you to provide SOB with information it needs in order to function. The information you enter here, is saved in a file named SOB.INI., located in the subdirectory that was current when SOB was executed. Upon subsequent executions, SOB If the SOB.INI file is deleted, the configuration dialog will be presented the next time SOB is executed. Network Address This is your FidoNet node number. BBS Name Your BBS or System name. Though not required for this release, it will be required for future enhacements. SysOp Name Your name. Though not required for this release, it will be required for future enhacements. Node List Dir The location of your nodelist files. Note: Do not enter a trailing back slash. Outbound Dir The location of your outbound area. SOB expects that outbound areas for zones other than your zone, will be this name with the foreign zone appended as an extension. This extension will a hexadecimal representation of the zone. For instance, if your zone is zone 1 with an outbound called MYOUTBOUND, and you have an outbound are for zone 14, SOB will expect an outbound name of MYOUTBOUND.00E for zone 14. Note: Do not enter a trailing back slash. Suppress Message If this box is checked, SOB will not present any confirmation message boxes. ═══ 6. Net Address ═══ Enter a standard FidoNet address. ═══ 7. Zone Change ═══ This dialog presents a list of zones that SOB knows about based on the name of your outbound. To display the contents of a zone's outbound just select the outbound directory from the list. ═══ 8. Send, Request, Update Request files ═══ This dialog provides the following functions: Send File This function allows you to send files to another system. Request File This function allows you to request a file from another system. Update Request This function allows you to request a file that is newer or older than a file with the same name on your system. Depending on the function requested, some of the following controls will not be visible. Node Enter the Node or Nodes where the request is to be sent to. Click on Accept and the node number will be placed in the list box. You may delete nodes in the list box by selecting one or more entries. File Enter the name of the file you wish to send or request. Click on Accept and the file name will be placed in the list box. You may delete one or more file names in the list box by selecting one or more entries. Password The password the remote node may require when requesting files. This control is not visible when sending files. Files Dialog Selecting this will display another dialog. With this other dialog you may browse your various subdirectories and select multiple files, even entire directories to send to another system. This control is available only when sending files. Priority The flavor/priority with which the request is to be made. If anyone has a better definition of these, I would appreciate very much if you would send them to me. Crash Typically high priority mail that is sent immedialty. Direct Send directly to the destined system without routing thru other systems. Hold Mail is to be held until the target system calls your system or until you call the other system. Leave Mail will never be sent. Normal Sent "Normally" based on the mailer event setup. ═══ 9. Generate a poll ═══ Generate a poll to force you system to call or POLL another system. The node field is the standard FidoNet node number of the node you wish to poll. If anyone has a better definition of these, I would appreciate very much if you would send them to me. Crash Typically high priority mail that is sent immedialty. Direct Send directly to the destined system without routing thru other systems. Hold Mail is to be held until the target system calls your system or until you call the other system. Leave Mail will never be sent. Normal Sent "Normally" based on the mailer event setup. ═══ 10. File Filtering ═══ File filtering allows to to customize the files that are displayed in the outbound display. By default all files in the outbound are displayed. To not show a certain file type, un-check the corresponding file type. The file types you can remove from the display are: Busy These files are created when you mailer is in session with another node, or you mail packer is packing mail destined for another node. No Connect This file type contains the number of failed connection attempts when trying to call a node. Other These are files that are ignored by your mailer front-end. Files in .REQ These are a list of files you are requesting from another node. Files in .?LO These are a list of File Attach files. In other words, a list of files you are sending to another system. Typically, they are ArcMail bundles. Truncated ArcMail When your mailer successfully sends an ArcMail bundle to another system, the ArcMail bundle is truncated to a length of 0. Un-Checking this box will keep truncated bundles from being displayed. ═══ 11. Packet / Bundle Flavor ═══ If anyone has a better definition of these, I would appreciate very much if you would send them to me. Crash Typically high priority mail that is sent immedialty. Direct Send directly to the destined system without routing thru other systems. Hold Mail is to be held until the target system calls your system or until you call the other system. Leave Mail will never be sent. Normal Sent "Normally" based on the mailer event setup. ═══ 12. Nodelist Editor ═══ The SOB nodelist editor is a full and complete Version 7. nodelist editor. You can change information for an existing node, delete an existing node, or add a new node. You can also perform searches on the nodelist for a specific node, a SysOp name, or a partial last name. The editor screen is divide into 5 sections: Address Bar The address bar displays the Zone, Net, Node, and HUB in formation for the node selected from the list box. By changing either the Zone or the Net number, then selecting the List button, the list box will contain an entry for each node in the Zone:Net. General Info This section contains then general information for a node. To change a nodes information, just start keying the new information. Once data is entered, you will enter update mode. You will notice that the Upd and the Cancel buttons will become activated, and you will be in update mode. To save your changes, select the Upd button, or to discard your changes, select the Cancel button. While in update mode, most of the other buttons will be inactivated. Flags These are the characteristic flags for the node. Action Bar The action buttons allow you to perform certain actions. Some of the buttons are mutually exclusive therefore, some will be disabled while others are enabled. For example, while in update mode, you are not allowed to add a new node. Node List Box SOB maintains 2 lists. The first is a list of the nodes in a net. When you first enter the nodelist editor, this list contains nodes in your net. Selecting the List button will refresh this list with the nodes in Zone:Net from the address bar. The second list, is the hit list from a search. Once a search has completed, the Swap button will become activated allowing you to swap back and forth between the two lists. ═══ 12.1. Address Info ═══ The address bar show the zone, net, and node of the node whose information is displayed in the general info section. If the node belongs to a HUB, the HUB number is also displayed, otherwise the HUB number is 0. You should notice that in most cases, the node number field is not active. This is because it is not a modifyable entry. The only time the node number field is activated is when you insert a new node into the nodelist. Selecting the List button, will a list of nodes contained in the Zone:Net of the address bar. ═══ 12.2. General Info ═══ The general information section of the nodelist editor is where most of the information for a node is contained. The information presented here belongs to the Zone:Net from the address bar. To change to a different node, select the desired node from the list box on the right side of the window. SysOp Name Name of the system operator for the node. Typically, if a SysOp has more than one node, his name will be in the SysOp index only once. If changing or adding a new node would cause a duplicate name in the index, you will be asked if you want the duplicate index entry created. Note: When adding a new node, or updating a node, the SysOp name is required. System Name Simply, the system name. (what can I say) Location City, State and possbily country where the node is located. Telephone Phone number of the system. Enter this just as your system would dial it. Note: When adding a new node, or updating a node, the phone number is required. Password This is the password your system will send when connecting to this node. Modem Type I haven't the foggiest idea. If anyone can offer an explanation, I'd appreciate it. Modem Baud This is your modems maximum baud rate, with a maximum of 9600. Note: When adding a new node, or updating a node, the baud rate is required. User Cost Cost for a BBS user to send a net mail message to this node. Call Cost The actual cost for your system to call this node. ═══ 12.3. Nodelist Flags ═══ These are the flags currently used by Binkley. If you are aware of any others, please let me know and I will include support for them. Zone Flags this node as a zone Cordinator. Region Flags this node as a regional cordinator. Host Flags this node as a network host, or network cordinator. HUB Flags this node as a HUB cordinator within a net. CM Flags this node as a continious mail node. In other words, this node is capable of receiving mail 24 hours a day. ═══ 12.4. Action Bar ═══ The button bar is where all of the actions on the nodelist are initiated. Depending on the mode you are in, some of the buttons will not be activated. Quit This button terminates the nodelist editor. Add Adds a new node. When selected, all fields are cleared. You then must enter the information for a new node. You will notice that Node will be activated on the address bar. The node number must be filled in. If Zone and Net are omitted, they will default to your Zone and net. Del Selecting this button will delete the node being displayed. Before deleting the node SOB will ask you for confirmation prior to actually deleting the node. Note: If you have suppressed the "Are you sure" message in the configuration dialog, you will not see the message Upd When you select Add or if SOB When you are finished with all of your changes, selecting this but will apply your changes to the nodelist. Cancel This button becomes activated at the same time the Upd button becomes activated. Selecting this button will cancel any changes you have entered. Search Initiates a search of the nodelist. You can do a search for a specific node number, a full SysOp name, or a partial last name, a system name, or the location of a system. If none of the radio buttons in the search argument dialog are clicked, SOB will determine if the search argument is a nodenumber or a SysOp name and use the appropriate index for it's search. If a radio button is clicked, the entire node index is read looking for a match to your search argument. If you have generated the entire 6 zone nodelist, this search may take awhile. On my 50mhz 486, it takes approximatly 30 seconds to pass the full nodelist. Once the search is completed, the list box will contain a list of nodes that matched the search criteria, with the current node, the first node found. The Swap key will become activated at the completion of the search. This allows you to switch between the hit list, and the list of nodes in a net from when the List button was last pressed. List Selecting this button, will list all the nodes in the Zone and net that are displayed in the address bar. Swap Switches between a list of nodes that is the result of a search and the list of nodes from when the List button was last pressed. ═══ 12.5. Node List Box ═══ The list box contains the list of nodes from either the last time the List button was selected, or a successful search was completed. Selecting any node number in the list, will display that nodes information. ═══ 13. Nodelist Editor ═══ Specify the argument you want used to search the nodelist. You can specify a specific node number, a full SysOp name, or a partial last name, a system name, or the location of a system. If none of the radio buttons are clicked, SOB will determine if the search argument is a nodenumber or a SysOp name and use the appropriate index for it's search. If a radio button is clicked, the entire node index is read looking for a match to your search argument. If you have generated the entire 6 zone nodelist, this search may take awhile. On my 50mhz 486, it takes approximatly 30 seconds to pass the full nodelist. ═══ 14. Keys Help ═══ Accelerator keys provide a fast way of performing common functions. When two keys are joined by a plus sign (+), use these two keys together. Press and hold the first key and then press the second key. GLOBAL KEYS ESC Terminates an active dialog. F1 Context sensitive help. Alt Activates the menu bar. Alt+F4 Terminates SOB OUTBOUND DISPLAY KEYS Enter Activates the Actions Menu for the highlighted item. Esc If displayed, terminates the Actions Menu Alt+C Activates the Configuration dialog. Alt+F Activates the File Filtering dialog. Alt+H Displays the Help menu. Alt+L Performs a Rescan of the current outbound. Alt+M Displays the Misc Menu menu. Alt+N Invokes the Node Editor. Alt+O Displays the Options Menu menu. Alt+P Invokes the Poll dialog. Alt+R Invokes the Request File dialog. Alt+S Invokes the Send File dialog. Alt+U Invokes the Update Request File dialog. Alt+X Exit SOB Alt+Z Invokes the Change Zone dialog. Alt+0 Displays the Cleanup sub menu. Alt+1 Clean up Clean Up Noconnects. Alt+2 Clean up Truncated ArcMail. Alt+3 Clean up Other. Alt+4 Clean up Missing. Alt+5 Clean up Empty FiAT. Alt+6 Clean up All. NODELIST EDITOR DISPLAY Esc Terminates the Nodelist Editor. ═══ ═══ Squish is a mail tosser and packer written and Copyrighted by Scott Dudley. ═══ ═══ Binkley is a FidoNet(tm) mailer front end written and copyrighted by Bit Bucket Software. ═══ ═══ FidoNet is a Trademark of Tom Jennings. ═══ ═══ Tick if anyone know the author of this software please send me a netmail so I could include it here. ═══ ═══ If anyone has a better definition of these, I would appreciate very much if you would send them to me. Crash Typically high priority mail that is sent immedialty. Direct Send directly to the destined system without routing thru other systems. Hold Mail is to be held until the target system calls your system or until you call the other system. Leave Mail will never be sent. Normal Sent "Normally" based on the mailer event setup. ═══ ═══ Format of a Version 7 Nodelist A Version 7 nodelist has 3 seperate components: Node Index The node index contains an entry for each node found in a raw nodelist. Each index entry contains a pointer into the data file for that nodes information. Sysop Index The SysOp index contains at least one entry for each SysOp in the nodelist. Most Version 7 nodelist compilers will remove duplicate names within the same Net. Most of these same compilers also provide options for allowing duplicate names in the SysOp index. When updating or adding a new node, and an entry for the SysOp exists in the SysOp index, SOB will ask if you want a duplicate SysOp index entry. Data File The data file contains all of the information for a node. Each of the indexes contain a pointer to it's information within the data file. Each of the above indexes is based on a variation on the B+-tree algorithm and is derived from the balanced tree algorithm in Aho, Hopcroft, and Ulman. For a more indepth understanding of B-trees and other data structures see "The Design and Analysis of Computer Algorithms", by Aho, Hopcroft, and Ulman (Addison-Wesley, 1974).