SVList from Soft_Ventures rev: 1-Jan-97 ------------------------------------------------------------------ This is the shareware evaluation version of SVList, which was/is designed to be a Windows 95 or Windows NT program, and won't run on Windows 3.x. ------------------------------------------------------------------ To install SVList: 1. Run svl20.exe to install SVList. 2. Read both the Help file, "What is SVList?" and "Quick Start." Thank you for trying out SVList. Your comments are welcomed. Best regards, Rob Stevens Internet: stevensr@cadvision.com (or) 71441.734@compuserve.com CompuServe: 71441,734 Other software available: SVMail - Simple auto-reply mailer for Windows95/NT. SVInstal - Developer's install utility for Windows. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Checkout our web page for the latest updates/info about SVList. Just point your browser to: http://www.cadvision.com/softventures ------------------------------------------------------------------ Here's what's been happening ... (some of which won't make any sense until you start using the software; but then you'll see the important enhancements and improvements on the software over the past few months). Expect more, too. This file contains information not found in the on-line help. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Release Notes: Version 2.0a (January 1 '97) The following changes have been added to help people running lists of more than 100 members. - Timeout can be set higher. - As SVList starts each block of 100 recipients, it stores the starting index (member number) in a file with the same name as the temp file being sent. If it times out during trans- mission, the next time SVList goes to send it will try the temp file again BUT it will look to see which block it was on when it failed and therefore not resend to block(s) that were successful in the previous attempt. - SVList now removes the temp file immediately upon completion of sending. It used to not remove any temp files until all had been sent. - SVList now displays which recipient it is sending the RCPT command for as it sends. This will allow you to see if SVList hangs at the same address each time. It also indicates progress by putting 'member# of total#', ie (127 of 265) - SVList version information now stored in log file so I don't have to ask what version of the program you are running when I receive a log. - SVList now creates a copy of the digest file, adds header/footer to it and sends it. If digest send fails, the original digest is still untouched and can be resent without duplicate header/footers showing up. Version 2.0 (December '96) New Stuff: - Auto Connect/Disconnect [optional] SVList can now make a dialup networking connection, process mail then it'll disconnect. Note: For users who have non-RAS dialup or a permanent Internet connection, a NON-RAS version of SVList is now available upon request. - "Large List" Support - RFC 821 states that SMTP mail servers must be able to buffer at least 100 recipient names for an outgoing message. Some seem to handle more. To comply, SVList now sends multiple messages to a group of no more than 100 recipients at a time ... For example if you have 250 List members, SVList will send out a copy of each message, but do it in three separate "batches" ... i.e. SVList transmits each message to the first 100 members on the list, followed by another transmission to the second 100 list members, and yet again, a third (and final) transmission to the last 50 List members will occur. - List Mail Prefix [optional] - You can specify a string of characters that must be present in the "Subject:" line of a mail message, so that SVList can process it. This is especially helpful for those users who want to run a List using their personal e-mail account-(though still not fully recommended). - "Command" Prefix [optional] - You can specify a string of characters that must prefix a command; e.g. setting a command prefix of "CMD:" means that SVList will not interpret messages containing the word "help," as a command to send a help file, but rather, will look specifically for "CMD:HELP" (with NO blank spaces) to be present before it will treat it as a command. If found, SVList would send out your "HELP" File to the requester. Although the SVList internal "scanning" is not testing for case-sensitivity, it's good practice for your Users to learn to use CAPITALIZED WORDS when issuing a Command when filling in the "Subject:" field. It also makes for easier reading of the Subject field if you are in "Moderate" mode. Also, some Users may on occasion, joke around and enter "Need Help!" or something to that effect, in the Subject field ... but by not detecting "CMD:" as a prefix, SVList would allow the message to "pass through" as a regular posting and not transmit your Help File. - Moderated List [optional] - If this option is selected, each incoming message is presented on a "pop-up" preview window for you to either accept, reject, or ignore; to decide later after reading thoroughly. Rejected messages can either be deleted from the mail server or ignored. You would then use another mail client like Eudora or MS-Exchange to deal with it. - Dissimilar SMTP and POP3 server names - SVList now will support users who have different SMTP and POP3 servers. On our [SETUP] screen, Users should put the same (DNS) name into both fields if their server handles both SMTP and POP3 alike. - Multi-select on List and Digest maintenance boxes - You can now select a group of members and setup their status all at once. Place your mouse pointer over the first one hold down the left button and "drag" the mouse towards you. Let go, and click on the [STATUS] button you want. The highlighted names will all be changed to the status you've selected. - Import/Export of lists - you can now EXPORT your List and/or Digest members to a text file. The e-mail address and status is arranged for you using this format: 'userid@domain,status'. You can also IMPORT from a text file using the format 'userid@domain,status'. Only non-existent addresses will be added; if the address is already in the system it will be ignored. - Timed message box - alert messages that do not prevent SVList from continuing, are displayed on a timed message box. After about 10 seconds, the message box will disappear and SVList will continue processing. - Returned Mail - There is no standard way for SMTP mail servers to report undeliverable mail. I checked ten (10) different servers and got 10 different replies. AArrgghh! SVList looks for "Returned Mail" and "Undeliverable" keywords in the "Subject:" of incoming mail. If found, the messages are placed in the Command file and are not re-transmitted to the List. I think this should trap about 80% of bounced mail. - News Letter Mode [optional] - When selected, SVList will "screen by default" new incoming 'subscribe' and/or 'subscribe digest' Users to 'Read Only'. This enables you to be selective as to whether you open your List to "just anyone" or not. This feature can prevent less-than well-intentioned subscribers from disrupting your List members with spurious postings. For example, if your List exists to provide a forum for a specific group such physicians, stamp dealers, or botanists, you can e-mail the new subscriber and ask for his/her qualifications, which will discourage the goofballs who like to join a list to rail against the List members' professions. If you are satisfied that they would be a welcomed addition then simply change their [STATUS] from "RO" (read only, to "Active" (full access). In fact, you should encourage them to post a short self-description so the other List members could welcome them. - SVList will now detect several of the most common undelivered mail replies. Since there is no standard text sent back by mail servers the best I can do is look for certain commonly used text strings. The returned message is stored in the Private message file for the administrator and not re-processed by SVList. (future version 2.1? will forward undelivered mail to an administrator designated email address - probably his/her own) ------------------------------------------------------------------ Now, so you'll know that we're "earning our keep" .... ------------------------------------------------------------------ Bug fixes: - The Command "WHO" was listing Digest people under 'List' and List people under 'Digest'. - If 'Only Post Messages from Members' was set, SVList would only post Digest member's messages to the Digest and List member's messages to the list. It now posts to both from a member of either category. - When SVList compiled a Digest for sending it went through the digest file looking for occurrences of "Subject:" to build a list of subjects. A problem arose where the body of a message contained the string "Subject:". This happens when people hit the 'Reply' button, many mail clients will repeat the message in the body of the reply. The resulting list of subjects in the out-going digest was kind of confusing. SVList will now just list the first 'subject' after each message designator. Changes: - SVList now sets an internal flag when it starts a 'checkmail' and clears the flag when done. If another checkmail is called while the flag is still set - the new checkmail is aborted. This will stop the problem where a long mail-out is going on when another checkmail is started - the result being the new checkmail ends and closes the socket being used by the still processing mail-out causing it to crash. - More logging has been added to help me track down strange and wonderful problems. - SVList creates a temp file for each message it will mail out. When a send fails there are two choices you have to deal with. 1 - Save the temp file so the message will get send next time 2 - Delete the temp so it won't be sent again. The default behavior will be '1', keep the temp file. SVList will not delete any temp files until all are successfully sent. If you have a large list, >100 members, this can be a problem. If the first 100 get recipients get the message but the send fails on the second 100, SVList will keep sending the same message to the first 100 people. To get around this you can set SVList to delete the temp files even if it fails during the send. The reasoning here is that it is better to have the first people get one message only. See below how to manually set the ini file to zap them files. To have SVList delete temp files even in the case of a send failure... [Options] Zap Temp Files=-1 To have SVList only delete temp files when send completes successfully (note this is the default behavior and SVList will do this even if there is no "Zap Temp Files" setting in the ini file) [Options] Zap Temp Files=0 - Some mail servers require an extra blank line between the header and body of a message. This is very rare but if you are getting list members complain that the messages from your list have messed up headers, you can try turning this option on. To turn on the extra blank line edit the file SVList.ini and add the folowing to the [Options] section: Blank Line=1 Limitations: - Neither the List "Name" nor the Digest "Name" can have any blank spaces in them. This is because SVList uses the name as an integral part of the "To:" field in the outgoing message header and most SMTP servers try to convert the "To:" field into an address. This can result in commas being inserted where the spaces are located with the domain added to the end. If you leave all blank spaces out, the mail server successfully passes the unmodified "To:" information, in its' entirety. - For users who have non-RAS dialup or permanent Internet connections, a NON-RAS version of SVList is available on request. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Version 1.1 (August 96) New Stuff - Receive Only and Post Only status can now be applied to any List or Digest member. Receive Only means the member will receive List/Digest mailings but cannot post. - SVList now sends an "Unsubscribe successful!" message. - If there are no Digest messages stored but you hit send Digest anyway, SVList will tell you there are no Digest messages to send. - SVList does not put up a 'No messages' message anymore. This caused problems for unattended running with screen not minimized; if minimized the message was not shown. - BIGGIE!! => SVList now uses an INI file rather than the Windows registry. Two reasons - 1. INI files are easy to find, edit, and send to your support person and 2. By using an INI file that's located in the directory with SVList, you can have multiple copies of SVList in many different directories that are set to access different mail servers, resulting in SVList being able to support multiple Lists !:-) Known limitations - SVList mails out single messages with all members as recipients. All SMTP Mail servers are suppose to support a minimum of 100 recipients for a mail message. Some mail servers support more than 100. Future versions of SVList will break long lists into 100 recipient groups but for now if your list is > 100 members, you should test it with your ISP's mail server to see if it will work. (Author's Note: The above limitation is no longer a limitation!!) - During development of SVList I was continuously facing frustration by the inconsistency of SMTP mail servers' inept handling of address formats. A format that one server was happy with, another server would reject. As a result, SVList now strips the full address of incoming SUBSCRIBE requests to the minimum workable format of userid@domain. When manually entering List members, you can experiment with "userid@domain (real name)" or try "user@domain " (without the quotes) to see if it works without fail with your server. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Version 1.0b (July 23, 1996) Bug fixes - WHO command not working quite right - well, actually it is not (yet) working at all. - Corrected spelling of "Archive" in menu. - Changed subject of Subscribe Digest welcome message from "Subscribe" to "Subscribe Digest" - When running in Digest mode with no entries in the List, SVList would not send out a welcome message to new subscribers. Changes - Check existence of data file before launching notepad for viewing your *.TXT files. - Send separate message out for every incoming message in List mode. - Strip personal name off address - future versions will have the ability to handle personal names but I am finding too many variations that work fine on one mail server but "bomb "on another. Here's an example: Rob Stevens will be treated as ------------------------------------------------------------------ Version 1.0a (July 11, 1996) Bug Fixes - SVList would crash on sending of Digest if 'Logging' was turned ON and list of subjects > 255 characters. end - Readme.txt rev: 10/12/96