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1991-08-14
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Program : ZmailCFG V1.20
Copyright : August 14 1991, LogiComp Inc.
Written by : Joey P. Lindstrom
Compiler : QuickBASIC V4.5 (Copyright 1990 Microsoft)
This is a SHAREWARE program, if you use this program regularly I ask
that you register it. To do so, simply send me a postcard at the
address listed at the end of this document.
Purpose: To provide an easy way for BBS System Operators to configure
the excellent Zmail mail processing program. An explanation of this
program is beyond the scope of this document: it is expected that the
user of ZmailCFG have some idea of what Zmail does and how it works.
Having a printed manual nearby is a good idea if you are a completely
new user of Zmail, but any experienced user will be able to get along
just fine with the built-in help facility in ZmailCFG (using text
blatantly stolen from the sample ZMAIL.CTL file that comes included
with the Zmail distribution archives).
ZmailCFG works with ZMAIL.CTL files for all "flavors" of Zmail, such
as ZmailH, ZmailF, ZmailQ, etc.
ZmailCFG assumes that the CURRENT DIRECTORY is where ZMAIL.CTL should
be. It will first attempt to read that file and load in all your
previous settings. If it cannot find a valid ZMAIL.CTL file, it
assumes you wish to build one from scratch. It then sets several
"default settings" and immediately prompts you to tell it which
version of Zmail you are using (very important information, I might
add).
As you use the program, you may configure any valid ZMAIL command to
your liking. Feel free to press F1 at almost any time for help on the
current command you are configuring if you have any doubt as to what
to do.
ZmailCFG is designed to be fairly easy to use. It is entirely
menu-driven, simply use the CURSOR keys, PAGE-UP/PAGE-DOWN, LEFT,
RIGHT, HOME, and END to move the cursor-bar around. F1 gives you
help, and ESC will always exit. ZmailCFG was programmed by somebody
with only a small amount of programming experience in the MS-DOS world,
so therefore it's not quite as "polished" as some programs you may have
used. It does do what it claims to do, though. I must apologize for
the rather large size of the program, which was written completely in
MicroSoft QuickBASIC V4.5. There is a LOT of help data built into the
program and it has therefore ballooned to a rather large size.
Features: when you save your work, ZmailCFG will warn you if you have
failed to configure any REQUIRED parameters. If you really want to
you can still save and exit, but you will be given the chance to
change your mind, go back into ZmailCFG, make some changes, and try to
save again.
ZmailCFG will be updated as Zmail gets updated. No doubt future
versions of Zmail will include new configuration files that are not
currently supported by ZmailCFG. I've taken that into account: If
ZmailCFG runs across any unknown keywords, it stashes them into a
special memory buffer. When you save your work, the "unknown"
keywords will be saved along with it, unchanged.
It is *IMPORTANT* that you *TELL* ZmailCFG accurately which version of
Zmail you are configuring. ZmailCFG can handle any version from V1.10
through V1.20 but there are several DIFFERENCES between the
configurations for each of these versions. If you are using V1.16 and
have told ZmailCFG you are using V1.20, you are likely to wind up
saving commands that Zmail V1.16 will choke on.
As mentioned earlier, ZmailCFG requires a certain piece of information
that it normally CANNOT GET from the ZMAIL.CTL file, and that is WHICH
VERSION OF ZMAIL you wish to configure for. Rather than prompt you
for this information every time you use it, ZmailCFG cheats: it stores
this information in the ZMAIL.CTL file itself, hidden behind a
semi-colon so that ZMAIL won't barf on it. An example:
;ZMAILCFGVERSION V1.13
When loading ZMAIL.CTL, ZmailCFG will interpret this line correctly,
thus you don't have to tell ZmailCFG which version of Zmail you are
running every time you run it. You need update this only when you
install a newer version of Zmail (which should come with a newer
version of ZmailCFG as well).
ZmailCFG will not retain any comment lines (ie: hidden by semi-colons)
that were in your original ZMAIL.CTL when you save it back. I had to
make a programming decision here, and to retain all this information
would have required a lot more memory and some REAL hoop-jumping as
far as the coding of it were concerned. I personally feel that if
one has access to a configuration program, comment lines in the config
file become extraneous, unnecessary, useless, and simply a waste of
space. After all, ZmailCFG is designed to REPLACE them, right?
Anyways, that's just my opinion. If I get enough feedback from folks
feeling otherwise, another ZmailCFG will be released to accomodate.
Final Words:
I decided to write this program for two reasons:
1) A user in the ZMAIL echo conference had asked the Zmail author if
such a program were available or were in the planning stages. The
author had no plans to write such a beast (hey, Zmail is a BIG ENOUGH
project as it is!) in the forseeable future. Therefore, I saw a need
to fill and did what I could to fill it.
2) I'm a firm Zmail fan. I think it's an excellent product which I've
loved since the day I got it. Any small contribution I can make to
make Zmail a better product is the least I can offer.
Hopefully I'll be coding some better, and more useful, software
in the future. For now, if anyone can find any bugs with this thing
I'd sure appreciate hearing about them.... just as I'd also like to
hear any other comments or feedback you may have. I can be netmailed
at:
Farpoint Station (HST/V32/V42)
Phone 1-403-226-0867 & 1-403-226-0868
Node 1:134/55 & 1:134/90 in FidoNet
Node 99:9305/55 & 99:9305/90 in GoodEggNet
Node 201:5500/55 & 201:5500/90 in MetroNet
Or snailmailed at:
Joe Lindstrom
34 Harvest Wood Link N.E.
Calgary, AB, Canada
T3K 3X8
Trek on!
[~] Sarek Of Farpoint [~]
Revision History
================
V1.00 - Initial Release
V1.01 - Bug fix: editing a Node$<1 would default to 1. ARGH!
V1.02 - Another buglet, this time in the Online Help Facility, which
would occasionally give you a blank screen until you pressed
a cursor key. Also optimized the NODE/MAP/RETAIN entry
screens for speed, they are a bit smoother now.
V1.03 - Changed a few help screens to reflect the fact that ZmailCFG
works with all "flavors" of Zmail.
- Fixed some problems with monochrome display.
V1.16 - Zmail V1.16 was released (hot on the heels of V1.15, which
was immediately recalled due to a serious bug) with many
bugs fixed but with no changes in the ZMAIL.CTL file. This,
therefore, is merely a maintenance release. V1.03 of
ZmailCFG will still work fine with Zmail V1.16, but this
version should be sent along with Zmail V1.16 to anyone who
requests Zmail from you.
- Change ZmailCFG version numbers so that they will now
reflect a similar version number as the version of Zmail
that it is designed to work with. ZmailCFG will continue to
be backwards-compatible for all previous Zmail versions back
as far as V1.10.
V1.20 - Zmail V1.20 now swaps to EMS/disk and handles record
locking. ZmailCFG now handles the SWAPPATH, QUICKLOCK,
RALOCK, and SBBSLOCK commands.