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The Best of Windows 95.com 1996 September
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WIN95_09962.iso
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BLAT14.ZIP
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README
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1995-10-25
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166 lines
INDEX
- description
- installation
- what's new in this version
- usage
- examples
- future improvements
- copyright
- authors
- contributors
DESCRIPTION:
Blat is a Public Domain (generous aren't we?) Windows NT console utility that
sends the contents of a file in an e-mail message using the SMTP protocol.
Blat is useful for creating scripts where mail has to be sent automatically
(CGI, backups, etc.) To use Blat you must have access to a SMTP server via
TCP-IP. Blat uses the a DLL ("gensock" or "gwinsock") from WinVN, the public
domain usenet newsreader for windows. Blat can store a default SMTP server
address and a default "From:" field in the registry. The server's address can
be overriden using the -server flag, and the "From:" address using the -f
flag. Input from the console (stdin) can be used instead of a disk file (if
the special filename '-' is specified). Blat can also "carbon copy" and
"blind carbon copy" the message. Impersonation can be done with the -i flag
which puts the value specified in the "From:" line, however when this is done
the real senders address is stamped in the "Reply-To:" and "Sender:" lines.
This feature can be useful when using the program to send messages from NT
users that are not registered on the SMTP host.
INSTALLATION:
If you are upgrading from version 1.3, simply copy Blat.exe over the old one.
If you are upgrading from version 1.2 then just copy the new Blat.exe over the
old one and (optionally) substitue gensock.dll with gwinsock.dll. The new DLL
is used if found on the path, if not Blat tries to load the old one (the new
one is more efficient though).
If you are upgrading from Blat 1.1 or 1.0 (phew!) or you never used Blat before
you must follow these steps:
1) Copy the file "gwinsock.dll" to your "\WINNT\SYSTEM32" directory, or to any
other directory in your path. (Check if you already have it and only copy
the DLL if the date is more recent than the existing one)
2) Copy the file "Blat.exe" to your "\WINNT\SYSTEM32" directory, or to any
other directory in your path.
3) Run "Blat -install yourhost.site.blah.blah youruserid@site.blah.blah"
WHAT'S NEW IN THIS VERSION
- The offset from UTC in the date field was broken. Fixed in this version.
WHAT'S NEW IN VERSION 1.3
- new option for blind carbon copy (-b)
- new option to silence all console output (-q). This option stops printing
any errors or help (try doing 'blat -h -q'...)
- new option to receive input from the console rather than a file (using the
'-' filename).
- fixed the date format to use '+0000' format instead of the strings in
StandardTimeName or DaylightTimeName.
- included the more efficient gwinsock.dll instead of gensock.dll. (Note:
Blat can still use the old gensock.dll.)
- Blat does not need MSVCRT10.DLL or MSVCRT20.DLL anymore.
- Added a file_id.diz for the benefit of BBS sysops (we're so nice!)
USAGE:
Blat <filename> -t <recipient> [optional switches (see below)]
Blat -install <server addr> <sender's addr> [-q]
Blat -h [-q]
-install <server addr> <sender's addr>: set's default SMTP server and sender
<filename> : file with the message body ('-' for console input, end with ^Z)
-t <recipient>: recipient list (comma separated)
-s <subj> : subject line
-f <sender> : overrides the default sender address (must be known to server)
-i <addr> : a 'From:' address, not necessarily known to the SMTP server.
-c <recipient>: carbon copy recipient list (comma separated)
-b <recipient>: blind carbon copy recipient list (comma separated)
-h : displays this help.
-q : supresses *all* output.
-server <addr>: overrides the default SMTP server to be used.
Note that if the '-i' option is used, <sender> is included in 'Reply-to:'
and 'Sender:' fields in the header of the message.
EXAMPLES:
Blat -install smtphost.bar.com foo@bar.com // Sets host and userid
Blat -install smtphost.bar.com foo // Sets host and userid
Blat -install smtphost.bar.com // Sets host only
Blat myfile.txt -s "A file for pedro" -t foo@bar.com
// Sends a file with subject line "A file for pedro"
Blat myfile.txt -s "A file for pedro" -t foo@bar.com -q
// Sends a file with subject line "A file for pedro" and does not print
// informative messages on the console
Blat myfile.txt -s "A file for mark" -t fee@fi.com -f foo@bar.com
// -f option overrides the default sender
Blat myfile.txt -s "A file for pedro" -t foo@bar.com -i "devil@fire.hell"
// -i replaces "From:" line address (but leaves Reply-To: and Sender: lines)
Blat myfile.txt -s "animals" -t fee@fi.com -c "moo@grass.edu,horse@meadow.hill"
// -c mails carbon copies to users moo@grass.edu and horse@meadow.hill
FUTURE IMPROVEMENTS (you can do it!)
1) reorganize the code (fat chance!)
2) get rich (fat chance!)
3) go on holidays... (done: Sri Lanka, NZ, Portugal, France, Denmark)
4) go on holidays again... (any offers?)
COPYRIGHT
License to use Blat
The authors of Blat have placed it in the public domain. This means you
can use it free of charge for any purpose you like, with no conditions being
placed on its use by us. The source code is also available free of charge and
under the same conditions as the executables.
You have permission to modify, redistribute, hoard, or even sell Blat in its
executable or source form. If you do sell Blat, though, we'd appreciate it if
you'd provide your own support (and send us a free copy). We cannot take any
support load for Blat (we've got better things to do).
Various bits of the source code are copyright by other people/organizations.
Look in the source code for copyright ownership.
The authors of the package are not responsible for any damage or losses that
the usage of Blat may cause. We are especially not responsible for the misuse
of the SMTP (or other) mail system.
AUTHORS
Mark Neal (mjn@aber.ac.uk)
Pedro Mendes (prm@aber.ac.uk)
CONTRIBUTORS
We'd like to thank:
the WinVN team - wrote gensock.dll and the excellent WinVN
newsreader from which we copied most of
Blat's code (PD apps are nice!)
Beverly Brown (beverly@datacube.com) - fixed the argument parsing
Bob Beck (rbk@ibeam.intel.com) - added console input (even though we did
not use his code in the end...)