Sending Messages via the Gateway

Sending Messages via the Internet

To send a message to any Internet account (including local CommuniGate accounts, accounts on UUCP hosts, etc.), a FirstClass user should specify a recipient address as:
InternetAddress,CommuniGate
For example, to send a message to the Stalker Technical support, a FirstClass user should enter:
support@stalker.com,CommuniGate
The proper CommuniGate Internet communication module should be already installed.

All addresses are treated as E-mail addresses inside the CommuniGate System (see the Routing chapter of the CommuniGate System Guide). This allows to use the same addressing for faxes, pagers, etc.

Sending Fax Messages

To send a fax to the fax number 415 555 1212, a FirstClass user should enter the following address:
4155551212@Fax,CommuniGate
The CommuniGate Fax communication module should be already installed.
To send a message to an international fax number +49 222 333 4444, FirstClass user should enter:
"+49 222 333 4444"@Fax,CommuniGate
Please note the quote marks needed to enter the international call sign (see the Addresses chapter of the CommuniGate System Guide).

Sending Messages to Pagers

To send a message to the pager with ID number 1234567, served by the paging company PageHost, a FirstClass user should enter the following address:
1234567@PageHost,CommuniGate
The CommuniGate Pager communication module should be already installed, and a descriptor for the host PageHost should be already created.

Formatting Options

The CommuniGate kernel can interpret and decode all types of MIME and attachment encodings. But the system should be instructed which method to use when a message is sent by a user.

Since the FirstClass BBS does not provide any method to specify these options, the CommuniGate FC-gateway checks the first lines of the message body text: all first lines that start with one of keywords MIME, CHARSET, ENCODING (the "key lines") are interpreted as the format option specifications. The gateway removes these lines from the message body text when it submits the message to the CommuniGate Server.

MIME Mode

The MIME keyword specifies the MIME mode to use.

MIME: disabled
MIME: D
MIME: NONE
MIME: N		 These key lines specifiy that no MIME format should be used with the message. Attachment encoding is restricted to the BinHex 4.0 and UUencode methods
MIME: 8bit
MIME: 8		 These key lines specify that the 8bit MIME encoding method should be used.
MIME: quoted-printable
MIME: Q		 These key lines specify that the quoted-printable MIME encoding method should be used.

If a line with the MIME keyword is not found, then the default method specified in the FC-Gateway Settings is used.

Internet Character Set

The CHARSET keyword specifies the Internet Character Set to use when transferring the message over the Internet. The name of a standard character set can be used here:

CHARSET: ISO-8859-1

If a line with the CHARSET keyword is not found, then the Default Internet Character Set is used. The Default Internet Character Set can be specified with the CommuniGator application, in the Server->General dialog box.

Attachments Encoding

The ENCODING keyword specifies the desired attachment encoding method. All methods supported with the CommuniGate Server kernel can be specified here: BinHex 4.0, UUencode, AppleSingle, AppleDouble, MIME stream. Sample:

ENCODING: AppleDouble

If a line with the ENCODING keyword is not found, the server default (BinHex 4.0) method is used.