Carsten's PPE Collection

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Text File | 1994-06-07 | 20KB | 431 lines

Network Mail Status - Postlink Version ================================================================= First off I would like to thank those users who have offered suggestions and made comments on Status. Some functions and displays, even CleanUp, are the direct result of this input. (1) Generates a network Export mail status bulletin showing each conference (full 24 characters for conference names), 1000 maximum, and the total number of messages exported for current date and total to date for each conferences, total conferences and the total messages to date for the specified network. (2) Generates a network Import mail status bulletin with the same format as the Export bulletin. Since the export routine contains all conference names it is run first to get those names so that conferences with zero imports are still displayed in the import bulletin. I could not find another way to get all conference names. (3) Generates last import bulletin showing last import information: date, time, total messages imported in last import and total messages imported to date. (4) Generates, or appends to the end of, a monthly totals bulletin called network.TOT with each rollover. This bulletin contains the total lines from previous Export and Import bulletins along with header. Supports multiple networks. This program uses Postlink's export / import log(s). Single or separate Import and Export logs. It does a monthly rollover of the LOG(s) using PKZIP.EXE. This archive should contain the following files: CLEANUP.DOC........... Instructions for running CleanUp CLEANUP.EXE........... Postlink log reduction utility DOORS.TXT............. Current list of James Huckabey doors FILE_ID.DIZ........... BBS description file HUCKABEY.TXT.......... Current list of all my software READ.ME............... Update/changes information STATUS.BAT............ Sample batch file STATUS.EXE............ Actual Status program STATUS.DOC............ Instructions for running Status STATUS.CFG............ Sample configuration file STATUS2.CFG........... Sample configuration file STATUS3.CFG........... Sample configuration file Syntax is pretty straight forward: STATUS STATUS.CFG Full path to STATUS.EXE may be used if not in path or in current directory. If you do use a path statement in your execution of Status (not in current dir or in path) you need to set the environment variable "SET STATUS=path to STATUS.EXE" (SET STATUS=C:\UTILITY\OTHER, etc. no ending slash is needed). It is not necessary to add a path statement to the configuration file since the program finds itself. Of course the file must be in location of STATUS.EXE. If the configuration file is not in the same location then use the path statement to it's location. "STATUS.CFG" and can have any file name with the following format. You can use up to 8 characters of your network name for the name of your .CFG file if that helps keep multi-network configurations clearer. This would be the easiest way to do it. Each line must be populated with a valid entry. Paths to bulletins or logs are not needed if they are in or written to the current directory: (1) Unregistered BBS (2) 0000 (3) Network (4) POST1.LOG (5) C:\BBS\BLT7 (6) POST2.LOG (7) C:\BBS\BLT77 (8) C:\BBS\BLT777 (9) PCB CFG line #1 "Unregistered BBS", system name if registered CFG line #2 "0000", valid serial number if registered. CFG line #3 "Network" should be the name of the actual network you are using, one word and case sensitive (Rime, AccessNet, etc.). 18 characters max, longer names are truncated. Say you are making two different network mail runs with the same software, you would use those names here, each in it's own configuration file. CFG line #4 "POST1.LOG" is the path and name of your Postlink Export log. Lines #4 and #6 may contain the same file name if your Export and Import logs are in one file. CFG line #5 "C:\BBS\BLT7" is the path and name for your Export bulletin. CFG line #6 "POST2.LOG" is the path and name of your Postlink Import log. Lines #4 and #6 may contain the same file name if your Export and Import logs are in one file. CFG line #7 "C:\BBS\BLT77" is the path and name for your Import bulletin. CFG line #8 "C:\BBS\BLT777" is the path and name for your Last Import bulletin. If you are not using this option the file can just be written out to the current directory, but it must be generated. CFG line #9 Color and characters used are setup to give you as much control over the output as possible. Not all users can read and handle IBM extended graphic characters (like sight impaired users and voice hardware). Program can use either "=/-" or IBM's extended graphic characters "═/─". Line #9 must contain one of the following options: "PCB" use IBM extended graphic characters and PCBoard's @X0 colorizing codes. "PCB0" use no IBM extended graphic characters and PCBoard's @X0 colorizing codes. "ANSI" use colorizing and no IBM extended graphic characters. "ANSI2" use colorizing and IBM extended graphic characters. "ASCII" use no colorizing and no IBM extended graphic characters. "ASCII2" use no colorizing, but use IBM extended graphic characters. STATUS TOTAL FILE(s) This file, Status Totals, is written to the current directory only. Current directory is the directory where you call STATUS.EXE from. The file name is the first eight alphabetical characters of your network name. That way if you are making multiple network mail runs each network will have it's own totals file. The extension is always "TOT". Please make note that if your copy of Status is not registered that the total file will have "Unregistered BBS" in the BBS line of the bulletin. If you keep the file and register Status you will have to edit the top line of the bulletin or erase the file and start over. This file/bulletin has unlimited possibilities. If you are making more than one Status execution, say for different formats, only the first one will be executed with the rollover. So this file will only contain that color format. It is complete with whatever color codes existed in the original bulletin. The colors can be removed or replaced with whatever colors you want manually using a text editor. The file has a three line header when first created, (1) line with BBS name in it, (2) an explanation of what it is, (3) a header termination line. It then has one line for Export total and one line for Import total followed by a blank separation line. Each successive appendage is three lines total. A year's worth of information would have a total of thirty-nine lines. What you do with this information is up to you. Just another friendly option added to the program. If you are going to use it as an active bulletin it can be copied anywhere you want. Just make sure that if you want the next rollover appended to the end that you keep the file in the current directory for the execution of Status. If you change this directory make sure you move the total bulletin(s) to your new directory. It should be noted that when you start using Status for the first time that if your Postlink log(s) are not just the current month's log(s) that the log does not roll over until the month in the log equals your system's current month (change from earlier versions). The first archive will contain everything to date. The new log will start at the first current month's date Status finds in the current month's log. Bulletins generated will show information only for the current month and from this point on each roll over archive will contain only the previous month's log. Errors Errors are written to the same directory as STATUS.EXE in a file called STATUS.ERR. If the file already exists additional errors are appended to the end of the file. It may be deleted after you have made note of any errors. It's existence it not required by the program. During the start up procedures that program displays "Searching!" while it is looking for the directory STATUS.EXE is located in. Also "Configuring!" while it is reading in and verifying all information in the configuration file. These are to show you what the program is doing should lockups occur. I had problems in these areas and took some time to isolate them. At least now these problem areas can be isolated. Normally these two displays should be very quick and unreadable depending on system speed and Status' configuration. The program confirms each item in the configuration file before it does anything else. Program aborts if each option cannot be confirmed. If Status has trouble finding the log(s) it first tries to create a "no data bulletin" and do an normal error exit. If it cannot create these bulletins it makes an error exit that displays the help screen. These two exits would normally be an error in the configuration file: wrong path, wrong file name, configuration file name not used, etc. If the program has any problems with your log(s) such as no exported conferences found, a bulletin is generated showing that information, but no error information is written to the STATUS.ERR. If no imported/exported messages are found the program aborts writing out a no message bulletin for Export and Import along with writing out to STATUS.ERR. Using Postlink If you are making two or more DIFFERENT network mail runs the only thing you must do is make two or more different POSTLINK.CFG files, one with the name of the LOG file for each network so that ALL logs are not put into one file. I would have no way of knowing what messages came from what network in order to separate them. You would then just have a TEMP1.CFG, TEMP2.CFG and when you call postlink you just copy TEMP1.CFG POSTLINK.CFG, then on next run you might copy TEMP2.CFG POSTLINK.CFG, etc. A simple batch file might look like one of these: SET STATUS=C:\UTILITY CD \POSTLINK COPY TEMP1.CFG POSTLINK.CFG POSTLINK CALLER.CFG STATUS STATUS.CFG SET STATUS= SET STATUS=C:\UTILITY CD \POSTLINK Copy TEMP2.CFG POSTLINK.CFG POSTLINK CALLER2.CFG C:\UTILITY\STATUS STATUS2.CFG SET STATUS= Perhaps you want to make a bulletin with the PCBoard @X0 codes and one using straight ASCII codes and yet another using ANSI codes. The .CFG files would contain the bulletin names and the form setting (#9): STATUS STATUS.CFG (.CFG with PCB, uses ANSI codes and IBM extended graphic characters) STATUS STATUS2.CFG (.CFG with ASCII, ASCII and no IBM extended graphic characters) STATUS STATUS3.CFG (.CFG with ANSI, ANSI colors and no IBM extended graphic characters) You just call STATUS as many times as needed, with as many configuration files as needed to generate whatever formats you want. On my 386/33 it takes less than twenty seconds to run the program on a 6,500 line test log (from three BBS systems). PKZIP.EXE used by the Status Program "PKZIP.EXE" must be somewhere in your path or in the current directory. When the month changes in the export/import.log the program archives the current log into a file using 'ML'+ the current date (ML010193.ZIP, etc.). It also includes the current logs (1 or 2) and all three bulletins. It creates this in the directory that contains the log file(s). The program then rewrites the log using only the current new month's data. This way there is only one month's log data in your Postlink log(s). I have corrected the archiving problems with the log(s) while SHARE.EXE is loaded. This was not my error, but something with DOS, Share and Borland's Pascal. I don't know who is at fault. The bulletins are added to the archive so the last information posted on the BBS before rollover is available should this information be required by the you. If you do not want the previous month's log(s) simply delete the archive from your hard drive. In your calling batch file you can add "IF EXIST ML*.ZIP DEL ML*.ZIP" and this will auto-delete the archive. There must be at least one meg of free disk space for the archive to be executed. I have no idea the possible sizes and if anyone has problems with the archive with one meg as the minimum please let me know and I will increase the size of the free space required. I have been unable to trap PKZIP.EXE errors from within my Turbo Pascal 7.0 programs. I believe PKZIP handles them and does not pass them along to operating system. The Status Program If you don't like the program please write to me and explain why. Send me any suggestions you might have. If they enhance the overall program I will try to incorporate part, some, all, in the next release. This program package represents many hours of programming, testing, updating and more testing as well as LD telephone calls to get it tested and to distribute the beta and release copies. Please support my efforts and register your copy. Status Registration Send BBS information and one of the following in $ U.S. (1) Registration via mail............................$10 (outside U.S. please add $2) (2) Registration and latest version via mail......... $12 (outside U.S. please add $4) Include diskette size. (3) Registration and latest version via mail and copy of all James Huckabey Doors and PC software...... $15 (outside U.S. please add $5) Include diskette size. Option: 1: [ ] 2: [ ] 3: [ ] Diskette Size: 360: [ ] 1.2: [ ] 720: [ ] 1.44: [ ] Your current version number: [ ] Please supply name of BBS to be added to program, up to sixty characters. Anything longer than that will be truncated, no exceptions. This is to be on one line of code and must be legible since the serial number is based on exact syntax. I cannot be responsible for unreadable data. Please print. Case sensitive! Example: "Jim's Graphic BBS". In Status it comes out as the following in all bulletins generated: ==================(Jim's Graphic BBS)================== [-------------------------------------------------------------] FROM: Name: --------------------------------------------------- Address: --------------------------------------------------- City: --------------------------------------------------- State & Zip: --------------------------------------------------- NODE ID: SITE NO: ---------------------- --------------------- Phone(voice): (data) ---------------------- --------------------- Your registration number and any diskettes, if requesting current version or other software, are sent by return mail. James Huckabey 3621-A Fraser Street Bellingham, Washington 98226-2473 U.S.A. (206) 671-2868 (voice, Pacific) I do have a US Robotics 14.4 DS modem!