Cream of the Crop 11/Cream of the Crop 11-2.iso/bbs/abook2.zip/ABOOK2.TXT

Text File | 1996-01-14 | 15KB | 309 lines

Internet Mailer                               Version 2.0   2/96
(C) 1994,1995,1996 K W Risser
All rights reserved.

*** See the end of this document for the changes in this version.

OVERVIEW
  This  software maintains public and private  internet  address
lists  for users of TBBS systems with internet  e-mail  services.
It allows the user to easily select the intended recipient(s)  of
internet e-mail from their own private or the shared public list.
An sample public list is provided with the program.

FEATURES
  This  program  features a full-screen  ANSI  interface.   ANSI
capability is required.
  Reduces internet address entry errors.
  Lists  may  be  viewed in NAME  or  MESSAGE  FREQUENCY  order.
Viewing  the  public list in frequency order interests  users  by
showing which public figures receive the most mail.
  Encourages participation in the political process using repre-
sentatives' addresses in public list to voice opinions.
  This program was written, tested and developed in and around a
heap o' cats.
  Users  may download their private (and public, if  allowed  by
the  sysop)  address  list in either ASCII  or  dBASE  compatible
format.   In addition, an "Import" format may be  selected  which
formats the download file as required when uploading a file to be
imported.  See section on "Import".
  Sysop  maintenance menu features selective deletion of  users,
packing  of databases, importation of data from file format  used
by Ben Cunningham's useful program Internet Address Book, as well
as  a number of program run time options.  These options  include
the  name  (on your TBBS system) of the mailbox to  be  used  for
internet  e-mail; the name of the optional text file to  be  dis-
played when the user types a second consecutive question mark for
help;  whether to allow users to add new public addresses, or  to
edit  existing public addresses; whether to allow users to  down-
load the public address list.  Sysops may also choose to  disable
the  shared public list entirely, using private lists only.   The
new tagging features may be enabled by user privilege level.

CAVEATS
  TBBS  stores the address of an email message in a field  which
is  too small to accommodate some long internet  addresses.   The
Internet Mailer is therefore limited in its ability to send  mail
to long internet addresses.
  In  December 1995, Casey Sprangel of eSoft  Technical  Support
shared his understanding of this situation:
  "The  message file structure which is used by TBBS is  accept-
able  for the application it was designed for; local mail.  Since
1981  this  has  been fine. The addition of  networked  mail  has
changed  the needs so the Newsreader option module was  designed.
This  is an option module which will use a separate message  base
with vastly expanded limits on just about everything involved. It
should be available the first part of 1996."








INSTALLATION
  Create or choose a subdirectory for the Internet Mailer  files
to  reside.  It is best, but not absolutely necessary, to make  a
separate subdirectory for the program to use exclusively.  Make a
menu selection in a TBBS .SDL file, for example:

Entry:
@Cpos(7,50)[I] Internet Mailer
Type=200 Key=I Opt Data=d:\tbbs\abook\abook /q && %BPS%

  Recompile  the .SDL file and place all the program files  into
the  subdirectory that you are going to use.  If  importing  data
from IAB.DBF, put that file into the subdirectory also.  Note the
use of the TBBS %BPS% parameter at the end of the Type=200  line.
This  allows the Internet Mailer to behave a  little  differently
for users of slower modems (2400 and under).  The Internet Mailer
should  not be installed such that it becomes the only method  by
which users can send internet mail, because users with very  slow
modems or non-ANSI terminals will be restricted.

OPERATION

  The user is presented with a screen containing a window.   The
window  contains  a  list of either public  or  private  internet
addresses.   As users scroll up and down through the  list  using
arrow  keys or their ^E, ^X equivalents, the comment line(s)  for
that  entry  appear  at  the bottom  of  the  screen.  Below  the
comment(s)  is a command bar, with the letter of  each  available
command highlighted.

Command bar keys
P Toggles between PUBLIC and PRIVATE lists.
F List by message frequency.
B Go to bottom of list.
1 Go to top of list.
E Explode  record  so  details can be reviewed,  and  edited  if
private (and public also, if permitted by the sysop)
A Add a new address to the list.  Prompts user to choose between
public and private before adding.  Records who added and when for
public  list entries.  Addresses are limited to 60 characters  in
length until TBBS allows the use of longer addresses.
S Search  the  list.  Searches for first occurrence  if  regular
search  if  performed by simply entering  the  addressee's  name.
Searches  for  specified string anywhere in name or  comments  if
preceded  by an equals sign.  Search resumes to  next  occurrence
using the = key.
= Repeat or resume previous search.  If last search was a  regu-
lar  search, finds first occurrence.  If last search was  an  ex-
tended  search  (search  string was preceded by  =),  finds  next
occurrence.  If search is unsuccessful, highlighted entry is  not
changed.
? Displays a brief help summary where the comment(s) are usually
displayed.   If  ? is pressed twice consecutively, and  the  help
text  file specified in the maintenance menu options is  present,
it will be displayed.
D Downloads  the list, in either ASCII or dBASE compatible  for-
mat,  to the user's computer.  Public list downloads are  allowed
only if they have been so permitted by the sysop via the  mainte-






nance menu program options.
ENTER  Pressing  enter selects the highlighted entry as  the  ad-
dressee for an internet e-mail message.
<SPACE> Redraws the screen.
K (Maintenance  access level users only) Kills an entry  without
having to edit the entry first.
V Display  version  number  and licensee  information.  (New  in
version 1.5; used to be at program exit.)

MAINTENANCE MENU
! Invokes  the maintenance menu, for sysop use.  Access to  this
menu is restricted according to the maintenance menu level speci-
fied.   Displayed at the bottom of the screen is a  string  where
each  character represents a possible tbbs line.  A period  means
that  the  line is not using the Internet Mailer program,  or  no
modem is connected.  An X indicates that the user on that line is
currently  using  the  program.  The line is  updated  while  the
program waits for a menu selection.  Many of the menu options are
not  available  if any other user is using  the  Internet  Mailer
(i.e., more than one X), as they require exclusive access to  the
data files.
Maintenance menu keys
  1 Deletes  a specific Internet Mailer user and their  personal
addresses.
  D Delete  users and addresses for users who have not used  the
program for more than a specified number of days.  After specify-
ing the number of days, the program will tell you how many  users
meet that criteria and ask whether to delete them.  A bug in this
function has been fixed in version 1.5.
  A Deletes  ALL  users and addresses.  No  backups,  no  safety
after you type YES to proceed. Zap!
  O Program options
    *  Specify the name of Internet e-mail box, as used in  your
tbbs installation.  This is case-sensitive.
    *  Specify the name of a text file for extended help, to  be
displayed when the question mark key is struck twice consecutive-
ly.  This feature allows the sysop to customize the extended help
screen  as desired.   This file may contain ANSI codes.  If  this
file  does  not exist, the second question mark  has  no  special
function.
    * Specify whether to allow users to edit any address in  the
public  list.   This does not effect users' ability  to  add  new
public  entries, or to edit public entries that they added.   Yes
or T for True, No or F for False.
    *  Specify whether to allow users to download the public ad-
dress list.  Yes or T for True, No or F for False.
  P Packs databases by removing deleted records.  This  improves
performance  and  conserves disk space.  Choose  this  option  to
repair damaged index files, if needed.
  L Allow  specification of the privilege level for unrestricted
access  to the program, allowing access to the  maintenance  menu
and exemption from restrictions.
  I Imports  data  from  IAB.DBF.   This  allows  users  of  Ben
Cunningham's  useful Internet Address Book program to move  their
data  into this Internet Mailer program.  Usually this option  is
not  selected to accomplish this.  When the address book  program
is run for the first time, if the file IAB.DBF exists in the same
directory, the data will automatically be imported.







NOTES
  The program requires the presence of ABLISTS.DBF,  ABUSERS.DBF
and  ABSETS.DBF.  If the .NDX files are not present or have  been
deleted, the program will re-create them.  In fact, if the  index
files are damaged due to unexpected system or power failure, they
can  be deleted.  If you do delete the index files, make sure  no
one else is using the program at the same time.  All the  indices
have  the .NDX extension.  If the program crashes, the next  time
it is executed, the indexes will be rebuilt automatically.

ORDERING INFORMATION
  Version 1 of the Internet mailer is available for $29.95  from
Chuck  Burke at [phone].  Or call The Dance of Shiva  with
your  modem,  at [phone].  Or you may contact  the  author
directly  at   [phone] (voice).  Or you  can  send  $29.95
directly to Kurt Risser, 1270 South Floyd Street #1,  Louisville,
KY  40203.  All orders placed by mail are shipped promptly.
  Other  titles  in the Heap O' Cats collection  are  The  Online
Purity  Test, the Event Calendar, SLIPTUNE, an  internet  service
provider  client software automated setup utility for  the  IPAD,
and the PIQUE internet .BAG file preprocessor.

HISTORY

UPGRADES and PRODUCT SUPPORT
  Registered  users of this software should contact  the  author
and supply their voice phone number, e-mail and mailing  address-
es.   This information will enable us to let you know about  pro-
gram updates.  Registered users may download updates to version 1
of  the program if they are released.  If you contact the  author
with this information, we can make sure you always have the  most
recent version.

  Kurt Risser   [phone] (voice)
  [e-mail]
  1270 South Floyd Street #1
  Louisville, KY  40203.

VERSION 1.2 CHANGES
  This  version limits users to 30 characters for  internet  ad-
dresses, because TBBS does not allow passing of addresses  longer
than this.  TBBS will truncate any characters after 30.  When the
Internet Mailer 1.1 is used with an address in excess of 30 char-
acters,  the internet message was sent anyway, resulting  in  the
sending of internet mail with invalid addresses.  The 1.2 version
does  not allow users to specify internet addresses greater  than
30 characters, unless...

VERSION 1.3 CHANGES
  Sysops now can delete (kill) an address entry from the  selec-
tion screen without having to edit the entry first.
  Sysops  can Move a public entry into the private list  of  the
user who added the entry.
  Screen speed improvements for all users, and special  handling
of users with slower modems.  The program may be passed the %BPS%
parameter via the TBBS Type command Opt Data line (see  installa-
tion example) for speed sensitivity.






  In order to make users more aware of what kind of address they
are  adding, users are now prompted to explicitly choose  private
or public.
VERSION 1.4 CHANGES
  Automatic  rebuilding  of indices if  program  has  previously
crashed.  Change in demo version registration information.
VERSION 1.5 CHANGES
  A  new program option has been added.  Sysops may set  whether
or not users may ADD entries to the public address list.  This is
in  addition to the existing option, which determines whether  or
not  users can edit public entries.  Note that if users  are  not
allowed to add public entries, then they will not be able to edit
public entries, unless they are the user who originally added the
public entry or have maintenance level access (sysop).
  The  advantage formerly conferred upon the program by the  use
of ASR's host monitor TSR product has been added without the  use
of that product.  In other words, the Internet Mailer now has the
same TBBS-imposed limits on the length of an address that it  did
before  when  using  the ASR product,  which  is  60  characters.
Formerly, the Internet Mailer address length limit was 35 charac-
ters when not using ASR's host monitor TSR program.
  A bug which prevented sysops from deleting inactive users  has
been fixed.
  A  bug which prevented users from Quitting when  prompted  for
the type of file they wish to download has been corrected.
  A  bug  caused the program to crash after pressing  'B',  then
using  the up arrow to scroll all the way back to the top of  the
list.  This has been fixed.
  The  exit screen, with the licensed BBS name and the  author's
name,  no  longer is displayed when quitting the  program.   This
screen  may now be invoked by pressing 'V' when running the  pro-
gram, so that program version identification can be made.

VERSION 2.0 brought a message recipient tagging system and allows
user up to 24 'extra' private lists.  It  also features addition-
al  sysop  Options such as switching on or off the  public  list,
allowing  & disallowing users to edit public addresses  independ-
ently  of whether they are allowed to add public entries;  simple
file statistics for sysops.
This  new  version of the Internet Mailer is  now  available  for
$59.95,  or as an upgrade to version 1 customers for a charge  of
$30.00 ($25 before 03/01/96)

Registered  users  of version two are eligible to  download  free
updates,  as  and  if they become available,  for  no  additional
charge.