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1994-02-12
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Post Master Version 2.00
-= For Wildcat! 3.00 and higher systems only =-
** This program is compatible with all 3.XX versions of Wildcat! **
Copyright (c) 1994 Joe Lemoine - All Rights Reserved.
Technical Support and the latest versions!
The NDE BBS (504) 796-5860 (DATA)
Post Master - An automatic message sending program for Wildcat! BBS systems.
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Disclaimer
The author hereby disclaims all warranties relating to this product,
whether express or implied, including without limitation any implied
warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. The
author cannot and will not be liable for any special, incidental,
consequential, indirect or similar damages due to loss of data or any
other reason, even if the author or an authorized the author agent has
been advised of the possibility of such damages. In no event shall the
liability for any damages ever exceed the price paid for the license to
use software, regardless of the form and/or extent of the claim. The user
of this program bears all risk as to the quality and performance of the
software.
Copyright
Regardless of the method of marketing used, Post Master is NOT in the
"Public Domain". It is copyrighted by Joe Lemoine.
License
Post Master is a Shareware product. As such, it is made available to the
general computing public for evaluation. Users are licensed to operate
Post Master on their personal computers for the purpose of test and
evaluation on a trial basis for a limited trial period. It is not
possible to reasonably define any definitive limits of a fair and
equitable time period for evaluation, therefore, it is left to the user's
decision as to its usefulness. If the user decides the program is not of
sufficient merit to warrant purchase through registration with the author,
the program should be removed from their personal computer. Otherwise, if
the program is deemed useful and is in regular use on the user's personal
computer system, registration with the author is required.
Registration
The most convenient way to register Post Master is by calling the support
bbs at (504) 796-5860 and use your Visa/MasterCharge/AMEX credit card to
register online. There is usually only a 24 hour waiting period for your
card information to be checked and the key to be delivered to your bbs.
You may also register Post Master by sending the enclosed REGISTER.FRM
along with a check in the amount of $25.00 to Joe Lemoine at the address
listed below:
Joe Lemoine
77088 Tantella Ranch Rd. #20
Folsom, LA 70437
Post Master - An automatic message sending program for Wildcat! BBS systems.
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Technical Support
Comments and suggestions about Post Master are welcome as well as any
comments or suggestions that you may have in terms of additional utilities
you would like to see written. Please call The NDE BBS! at (504) 796-5860.
I can also be reached via Fidonet at 1:390/3, the Mustang Software Support
BBS, and Compuserve 72320,660.
What is Post Master?
The point of the program is the ability to send one message to one or more
callers from the DOS command line. You start by creating a text file or
use one created for you by another program. Using any of the available
command line parameters you can send this message to callers by name,
security level, or using a merge file created by a program like WCPRO.
Post Master will add the message(s) to the database very quickly. I have
included some examples and suggested uses towards the end of this
documentation.
How do I install Post Master?
Previous versions of Post Master required that it be run from the Wildcat
home directory. Version 2.0 of Post Master now supports the "WCHOME"
environment variable that so many other Wildcat utilities use. If you
want to run Post Master from any directory other than the Wildcat home
directory, simply add the following command to your AUTOEXEC.BAT or
CAT.BAT files:
SET WCHOME=C:\WC30
Make sure and change the drive and directory to match your system.
And that's all the configuration you need to do!
Operation
Post Master is fairly straight forward and most of the information you
need to run the program is in the help screen you can view by running the
program with no parameters or with /?.
Multi-Node
If you run a multi-node system you can safely use Post Master while other
nodes are running since Post Master uses the same file locking routines as
used by Wildcat!. However, Post Master REQUIRES the %WCNODEID%
environment variable to be set.
Post Master - An automatic message sending program for Wildcat! BBS systems.
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Feature List
■ Create a message from a text file and send from DOS command line.
■ Send one message to one or more callers including ALL users
■ Will use a merge list or allow you to specify a security level
■ Automatically maintain high message setting in the conference by purging
the first message, including attachments, when high message is reached.
■ Allows messages to be flagged as private or for a return receipt.
■ Checks and uses the conference settings for allow private, force private,
allow return receipt, allow attachments.
■ Will allow file attachments to multiple users.
■ Purges message of all control characters below #32
■ Sets the mail waiting flag for callers to whom the message is sent
■ Truncates message lines at 79 characters - does not word wrap.
■ Import a text file directly or an IMP file in the message database dir
■ Updates Quick Stats for Total messages and Today's messages.
■ Test files sized up to the limit of available memory can be imported
due to the ability to split into multiple messages.
Post Master - An automatic message sending program for Wildcat! BBS systems.
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Command line switches
Case is not important but each option must be separated by a space.
/I:<text file>
This is the only required switch. All the others have defaults or are not
necessary to the functionality of the program. The import file must be an
ASCii text file and can be in the current directory or you may specify the
name and path to it on the command line. Post Master will read the file
and extract control characters like the page feed and bell characters. If
this filename has an extension of "IMP" Post Master will simply add the
line <<filename.imp to the message. It will not test for the existence of
this import file, it is your responsibility to place the file in the proper
message subdirectory. If you use the IMP feature, do not specify a path.
As of version 2.0 of Post Master, files that are greater in length than the
maximum lines configured in the target conference definition will be split
into multiple messages. Each message will contain up to the conference
maximum lines less 2 for the overhead text added to each message. You can
disable this feature by using the /D - Disable Splitting switch detailed
below.
@-CODES
The text file can contain @-Codes that are supported by Wildcat. Post
Master will translate them into the appropriate text.
The currently supported codes are as follows:
System Codes
@VER@.........Version Number
@BBS@.........Bulletin Board Name
@SYSOP@.......SysOp's Full Name
@TMSG@........Total Messages on System
@TUSER@.......Total number of Users
@TFILE@.......Totat Number of Files
@TCALLS@......Total Calls to System
Post Master - An automatic message sending program for Wildcat! BBS systems.
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
@-CODES cont.
User Codes
@USER@........Users Full Name
@FIRST@.......Users First Name
@PHONE@.......Users Phone Number
@FROM@........Users Location
@CPU@.........Users CPU type
*@BDATE@.......Users birthdate
@CALLS@.......Users Calls to System
*@MEMO@........Users Memo Date
@SEC@.........Users Security Profile
*@SINCE@.......Users Date of First Login
*@LASTON@......Users Last Call Date/Time
@UPK@.........Users Upload K-Bytes
@UPS@.........Users Number of Uploads
@DOWNK@.......Users Download K-Bytes
@DOWNS@.......Users Number of Downloads
@MAXDL@.......Maximum DL's/day
@MAXDK@.......Maximum KB's/day
*@EXDATE@......Users Expiration Date
Date and Time codes marked with asterisk (*) are formatted according to
the formatting you have specified in Makewild.
/M:<merge file>
The merge file is a list of names you want the message sent to. This list
can be created with a number of programs, but must be an ASCii text file and
must have one name only on each line of the file. ie:
DONALD DUCK
BUGS BUNNY
PORKY PIG
Post Master will read the merge file one line at a time and send a duplicate
message to each of the callers listed.
/L:<security level>
This parameter can be used to send a message to all callers matching
security level.
/L:*
This parameter can be used to send a message to all callers of all
security levels.
Post Master - An automatic message sending program for Wildcat! BBS systems.
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
/T:<message to> DEFAULT = ALL
Use this parameter to send a message to one caller, for instance, yourself.
This persons name does not need to be in the Wildcat! User database so you
can use Post Master to send messages via ECHOmail conferences, but be
careful to follow the Networks rules in this area.
/F:<message from> DEFAULT = SYSOP NAME FROM MAKEWILD
Use this parameter to specify the sender of the message. This caller does
not need to exist in your Wildcat! User database so you can use it to
send messages from "Post Master" and other non-humans.
NOTE: When using either the /T or /F parameter in a door batch file you
can use the key word DOOR as in /F:DOOR to send the message from the
person in the door at the time. Example uses would include sending
a WELCOME.MSG to a caller who has passed your call back verification
or sending a message to yourself after someone enters a certain door
so you can monitor it's usage.
/S:<message subject> DEFAULT = Message from Post Master
Use this parameter to change the default message subject.
/A:<attached file>
Enter the complete path and filename of the file you want attached and Post
Master will copy it to your Wildcat! attach directory and give it a unique
filename. Be aware that if you send the same file to more than one caller,
you will have one copy of the attached file for message Post Master creates.
Post Master will NOT monitor your disk space.
/P
Use this parameter to change the message to a private message. This will be
overridden by any conference specific parameter you might have set.
/R
Use this parameter to toggle the return receipt flag. This will be
overridden by any conference specific parameter you might have set.
/C:<conference number> DEFAULT = 0
Post Master will send messages to any established conference. It defaults
to conference 0 as does Wildcat! itself, but it will NOT create a conference
database if one does not exist.
Post Master - An automatic message sending program for Wildcat! BBS systems.
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
/D
Disables splitting of messages. Post Master will split files into
multiple messages if they are over the line limit specified for the target
conference. Use this switch if you only want to post one message
containing up to the conference limit lines of the specified file.
/O
Override conference settings. This switch gives Post Master permission to
ignore the conference settings for allowing private messages, return
receipts, and file attachments.
/X [Registered version only]
Disable's the Post Master tag line to allow messages to keep that personal
touch.
/N:<new program name>
If for any reason you wish to change the name of the executable file to
something else you will need to run Post Master with this parameter once
after the name change. You might want to change the name to PM.EXE, so you
would use the DOS rename command to do this and then run: PM /N:PM.EXE
NOTE: Post Master cannot be made READ ONLY or HIDDEN due to the way it
"clones" the registration information inside the EXE file.
Post Master - An automatic message sending program for Wildcat! BBS systems.
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Suggested uses:
Some of the uses I have discovered or have been told of for Post Master are:
■ Send a message to yourself from your new user questionnaire
POSTMSTR /i:c:\wc30\ques\quesnew.001 /t:your name /f:post master /p
■ Send the output of your nightly mail run to yourself
POSTMSTR /i:c:\robo\robocomm.log /t:your name /f:post master /p
■ Send a mass mailing to all "MEMBERS" about new features of you BBS
POSTMSTR /i:member.msg /f:your name /m:member.lst /p (by list)
or
POSTMSTR /i:member.msg /f:your name /l:member /p (by security level)
or
POSTMSTR /i:member.msg /f:your name /l:* /p (ALL users)
■ Send a newuser letter to all new users with a membership letter and
registration file attached and a receipt back to you that they read it.
POSTMSTR /i:welcome.imp /a:member.zip /p /r /s:Welcome the The Boardwalk!
■ Update registered users of a company's software to a new version
POSTMSTR /i:update.txt /m:register.lst /p /s:Release of version 2.0!
There are many more possibilities for you to discover. Have fun!
Post Master - An automatic message sending program for Wildcat! BBS systems.
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Acknowledgements
Post Master was written in Turbo Pascal v7.01 from Borland International
with additional help from Turbo Power Software in the use of their
outstanding Btree Filer and Object Professional libraries for Turbo
Pascal. The original coding for Post Master was written by Dave Cody of
Boardwalk Software and the success of the program to this point must
be credited to his hard work and programming ability.
I would also like to thank MSI since none of this would have been possible
without them and their excellent bulletin board program, Wildcat!. And
lastly, Gwen Barnes who came up with the original idea for the program.
Thanks!
Other programs by Joe Lemoine
WcEDIT! - Offline Message Reader/User editor for Wildcat sysops.
AFTCALL - Combination of 3 utilities in one for Front Door/Wildcat
Sysops.
ADDTIME - Give additional time to users during off-peak periods.