Email Checker ™ 
by Rich Love

Copyright 1998
Carnation Software
http://www.carnationsoftware.com
All Rights Reserved

What Does It Do?

Email Checker checks your email at specified time intervals using your email program, AppleScript and OpenTransport/PPP

Email programs supported are:
Claris Emailer or Claris Emailer Lite
Eudora Pro, Eudora or Eudora Light
Mailsmith
Outlook Express

Features

• Flexible options let you check mail at a specified time interval in different ways:
     1. Connect to the Internet, get mail and then hang up.
     2. Connect to the Internet, get mail and don't hang up.
     3. Get mail only when already connected to the Internet.
     4. Get mail when your Mac starts up and continue checking for mail throughout the day.
• If you choose to automatically connect when checking for mail, PPP will dial and connect in the background so you can continue working.
• Easy to set up. Uses your existing email accounts from your email program.
• Status window has a progress bar showing how much time is left until mail is checked again.
• Also shows the PPP connection status (open or closed), baud rate, minutes connected and accumulated hours online.

What Makes This Program So Useful?

1. It does not interfere with your normal computing activities. Just set it and forget it. Email Checker will automatically retrieve your email as soon as it sees a PPP connection and then at the specified time intervals. 
2. The first time you run Email Checker, it installs an alias of itself in the System Startup Folder so it will always be running when you restart your Mac.
3. Works with Claris Emailer, Eudora, Mailsmith and Outlook Express).
4. Status window gives you valuable information about your connection (PPP connection status (open or closed), baud rate and minutes connected.)
5. You can set it to automatically connect when checking for mail and then hang up. This is a great feature if you have an account with your ISP that charges by the minute (since you only need to be online for about a minute to check mail).
6. Keeps track of your hourly online usage so you don't go over your allotted free hours online.

What You Need?

Any Macintosh.
1400K of free memory.
System 7 or later
Appearance Control Panel (and Extension for System 7)
AppleScript 1.1 or later
Open Transport/PPP 1.0 or later

One of the following Email Programs:
Claris Emailer or Claris Emailer Lite
Eudora Pro, Eudora or Eudora Light
Mailsmith
Outlook Express

Welcome to Email Checker
Before you do anything, make sure that your email program is working and you are able to receive mail. Email checker will not be able to check your mail until you do this first. Also make sure that you are using OpenTransport/PPP 1.0 or later (you should have a folder called Open Transport/PPP on your hard drive. Don't confuse the 1.0 version number with older separate versions of PPP and Open Transport).
Read the document called "About Open Transport/PPP" for help with that product.

OpenTransport/PPP is available from Apple at:
http://swupdates.info.apple.com
and is included with OS 8 on the OS 8 CD-Rom in the Software Installers Folder.

You also need AppleScript 1.1 or later.

Carnation Software will not provide free tech support for these NON-Email Checker issues.

Instructions:

Running Email Checker for the first time:

• Where is Claris Emailer?

The first time you run Email Checker, it will ask you where your email programs are.
For instance it might say, "Where is Claris Emailer".
If you have Claris Emailer then navigate to that program and select it.
If you do not have Claris Emailer, then select the Claris Emailer Placeholder file.

Do NOT select a placeholder file if you have Claris Emailer installed on your Mac.

Note: If you install Email Checker and do not have Claris Emailer installed and select the Claris Emailer Placeholder file:

Then at a later time you install Claris Emailer, you will need to drag the Claris Emailer Placeholder file into the trash and empty the trash (or move it to another disk). Then when you run Email Checker again, it will ask for the placeholder file and you can select the real Claris Emailer Program instead. The same rules apply for Eudora, Mailsmith and Outlook Express. This is a bug/feature of AppleScript.

• Account Setup and Enabling Email Programs

When Email Checker detects your email program, it will ask you if you want to enable it.
Answer yes to the email program that you want to check mail from (you can check mail from more than one email program if you wish).

If you enabled Claris Emailer or Outlook Express, Email Checker will ask you to specify which accounts you want to check mail for. You can check mail for up to 3 accounts per email program.

Copy the account(s) that you want from the Accounts Available list into the First Account Name, Second Account Name etc.

Eudora Light and Claris Emailer Lite presently support only one account.

Eudora Pro supports multiple accounts called personalities. Email Checker will check mail for all personalities that have been enabled in Eudora Pro. 

Mailsmith supports multiple accounts. Email Checker will check mail for all accounts that have been enabled in Mailsmith.

Eudora Settings

If you are using Eudora, you should set the settings in Eudora as shown below to prevent Eudora alert dialog boxes from interfering with Email Checker.

Mailsmith Settings

If you are using Mailsmith, you should set the preferences in Mailsmith as shown below to prevent Mailsmith alert dialog boxes from interfering with Email Checker.

Email Checker Menus:

Email Accounts Menu

Get Email Now

Gets email from all enabled email programs.

Enable Claris Emailer
Enable Eudora
Enable Mailsmith
Enable Outlook Express

Enables email checking for the checked programs. If Email Checker cannot find the email program on your computer, it will not let you select it.

Sidebar Note:

If you have Claris Emailer, you can use an AppleScript provided with Email Checker that will bring Claris Emailer to the front when new mail arrives. Look in the folder called "Activate Email Script" and read the "Activate Emailer ReadMe" file. 

Outlook Express Accounts
Works the same way as Claris Emailer Accounts.

Claris Emailer Accounts

Email Checker automatically asks Claris Emailer for a list of accounts available.
All you have to do is copy (or drag and drop) the account from the Accounts Available list to the account field below. It does not really matter which account field you copy the account to.

 

Claris Emailer Lite Accounts

Claris Emailer Lite only supports one account at this time. (It is not a limitation of Email Checker).

Mailsmith Accounts

Mailsmith supports multiple accounts.
Email Checker will check mail for all accounts that have been enabled in Mailsmith. 

Eudora Accounts

Eudora Light presently only supports one account.

Eudora Pro supports multiple accounts called personalities. Email Checker will check mail for all personalities that have been enabled in Eudora Pro. 

PPP Connection Menu

Connect Now

If you are not currently connected, Email Checker will tell PPP to dial and connect to your service provider. Mail will not be checked until the next scheduled time interval (Email Checking Frequency).

Disconnect Now

Will tell PPP to disconnect and hang up the phone connection.

Connect When Checking For Mail

Will tell PPP to connect (if not already connected) when checking for mail.
You will want to enable this option if you want Email Checker to automatically connect to the Internet to check mail.

If you want Email Checker to check for mail only when you are online then do not enable this option.

Disconnect After Checking Mail

Enable this option if you want PPP to disconnect after checking Mail

Note:  If Connect When Checking for Mail and Disconnect After Checking Mail are both enabled, you will not be disconnected if you initiated the connection yourself. This means that if you want to have Email Checker connect and disconnect automatically when checking for mail, you can leave the settings that way without worrying about being disconnected when you manually connect.

Hours Accumulated Online...

Options for setting the accumulated time online. See the file called "Hours Accumulated Online Readme" for more information.

Options Menu

Show Status Window

The status window shows information about the connection and how much time remains before email is checked again. Several areas on this window respond to mouse clicks.

 otice the disclosure triangle 

Mouse Clicks:

1. The discolsure triangle at the lower left opens the window larger and displays information about the window. 

2. The latch icon at the lower right will make the "Minutes Connected" display or not.

3. The Email Checker icon to the right of the progress bar will take you to the "About Email Checker" window where you can click to go to the Carnation Software web page or send email to us.

4. The "Minutes left before mail is checked" text or number box will let you change the email checking frequency when clicked.

5. Reset Button will reset the Minutes left back to the email checking frequency.

6. Get Email Now

Email Checking Frequency

This is the time interval for checking email. The default is 10 minutes but you can make it any number of minutes except zero.

Send Mail When Checking For Mail

When this item has a checkmark, Email Checker will send mail that is in the queue when it check for mail.

Check Mail When Email Checker Starts Up

When this item has a checkmark, it will cause Email Checker to check for email immediately when you first run the program.  Email will only be retrieved if the PPP connection is open (unless Connect When Checking for Mail is checked under the PPP Connection menu).

Launch Email Checker When Mac Starts Up

When this item has a checkmark, it will cause Email Checker to start up each time your Mac is re-started. This is the normal mode of operation. It places an alias of Email Checker in the Startup Items Folder inside of the System Folder. Unchecking this item removes the alias.

Registration

Email Checker will run for a 30-day evaluation period. It will then expire unless you have paid the $25.00 registration fee. You will not be able to download another demo and use it if the first demo has expired.

You can register online at the Carnation Software web site
http://www.carnationsoftware.com
Just click on the Online Registration button and it will automatically open up your web browser and connect to our web site.

After you fill in the registration form online, a registration number will be emailed to you.
Click on the Enter Registration Number button and enter that number.

You will not need to re-register Email Checker when you upgrade to new versions of the program.

Connect Automatically When Starting TCP/IP applications
(This is a PPP Control Panel Option)

One of the advantages of using Email Checker is that you can set  the option in your PPP control panel to connect automatically when any TCP/IP application starts up. For instance, if you are not online and are composing a letter in your email program, when you click on Send, PPP will automatically dial and connect to the Internet and send mail.

When checking for mail, Email Checker will not send a check mail command to your email program unless you are online (PPP does not try to dial). Usually this is the way you will want it to work. If you want PPP to dial automatically when checking for mail then set the option in Email Checker under the PPP Connections Menu called, "Connect When Checking for Mail"

Shareware - Pay Your Fair Share

Just think of it this way - for only $25.00 you are getting a very useful program to automate your email checking. So, please take a few moments to register.
You will receive free tech support and upgrades for version 2.

Please register one Email Checker program for each Macintosh: 
$25.00 per user; the price is $10.00 per user for quantities of 10 or more. We take credit cards (VISA, MasterCard, AMEX) or checks.

4 Ways to Register:

1. Use your credit card and register online.
Select "Registration..." from the Options Menu and click on "Online Registration"
The address is:
<http://www.carnationsoftware.com/carnation/EmailChecker.html>

2. Send registration info and check or credit card information to:
Rich Love
Carnation software
PO Box 608
Carnation, WA  98014

You can use the registration form in the file called "Register Email Checker".

3. Fax registration and credit card information to:
Carnation Software
Fax (425) 333-4902

4. Call Carnation Software:
Phone (425) 333-4288

Technical Support and Troubleshooting

Help is available from Carnation Software for Email Checker problems, questions and bug reports. Please do not contact us with questions about your Email Program.
You can send email to support@carnationsoftware.com

Email Checker just sends AppleScript commands to your email program.
If your email program does not respond properly, you need to check the settings in your email program.
Email Checker uses the account names you have set up in Claris Emailer and Outlook Express (Eudora Light only supports one account so Email Checker does not have to check for an account name).
You need to set up your email accounts properly and get them working from within your email program before attempting to use Email Checker.

• Where is Claris Emailer Lite?

If you have been using Email Checker with Claris Emailer Lite and you recently upgraded to the full version of Claris Emailer, and you have removed the Lite version from your hard drive, you will get the message, "Where is Claris Emailer Lite". Just navigate to your new full version of Claris Emailer and select it.

Note that if you have not removed the Lite version, Email Checker will continue to use Claris Emailer Lite instead of Claris Emailer.

Open Transport/PPP
Email Checker requires Open Transport/PPP 1.0 or later. It contains an AppleScript scripting addition, called "PPP Commands". It is placed in the "Scripting Additions" folder within the "Extensions" folder by the Open Transport/PPP installer (OS 8.5 uses Remote Access Commands instead of PPP Commands). This file must be present for Email Checker to function. You will get an error when you try to run Email Checker (and it will quit) if you don't have this file installed or there is some other major problem with Open Transport/PPP. Please do NOT contact Carnation Softare regarding Open Transport/PPP installation problems (unless you want to pay $75 per hour in tech support fees :-)

OpenTransport/PPP is available from Apple at:
http://swupdates.info.apple.com
and is included with OS 8

AppleScript Error -1757 When Attempting To Run Email Checker
This error is caused by AppleScript being installed improperly. It cannot find the Dialect file.
This can happen if you install some new software and it inappropriately installs an older version of AppleScript. Note that Email Checker does not install any AppleScript files. This information is provided as a courtesy since it can be a real pain to figure out which files belong where.

Location of AppleScript files.

OS8.5  (and iMac running OS 8.1 or later)

You should have a Scripting Additions folder in your System Folder.
That is where your Remote Access Commands scripting addition is. (Email Checker also needs this file)
Hard Drive:System Folder:Extensions Folder:Scripting Additions:Remote Access Commands.
If this file is not found by Email Checker it will warn you that PPP is not installed correctly.

You should also have a Dialects folder inside of the Scripting Additions folder. 
If you are path-minded:
Hard Drive:System Folder:Scripting Additions:Dialects
Inside of the Dialects folder is your language dialect file (usually English Dialect).
Email Checker needs this dialect file or it could get -1757 error.

In your Extensions folder you should have the AppleScript Extension (version 1.3.2 or later) and AppleScriptLib (version 1.2.2 or later).

OS8.0 and 8.1

(OS8 has two Scripting Addition folders. System 7 has just one)

You should have a Scripting Additions folder in your System Folder.
You should also have a Dialects folder inside of the Scripting Additions folder. 
If you are path-minded:
Hard Drive:System Folder:Scripting Additions:Dialects
Inside of the Dialects folder is your language dialect file (usually English Dialect).
Email Checker needs this dialect file or it could get -1757 error.

You will also have a Scripting Additions folder inside of your System Extensions folder.
That is where your PPP Commands scripting addition is. (Email Checker also needs this file)
Hard Drive:System Folder:Extensions Folder:Scripting Additions:PPP Commands.
If this file is not found by Email Checker it will warn you that PPP is not installed correctly.

In your Extensions folder you should have the AppleScript Extension (version 1.1.2 or later) and AppleScriptLib (version 1.2.2 or later).

System 7

Your Scripting Additions folder should be inside of your System Extensions folder.
Hard Drive:System Folder:Extensions Folder:Scripting Additions
The PPP Commands file should be there and the Dialects Folder also.
Inside of the Dialects folder is your language dialect file (usually English Dialect).
Email Checker needs this dialect file or it could get -1757 error.

In your Extensions folder you should have the AppleScript Extension (version 1.1)

Legal Stuff

Email Checker is distributed as shareware.  This means that you may evaluate it free for 30 days, but if you continue using it beyond that time, you must pay a $25 (US) registration fee.

Email Checker may not be sold for profit without the express written permission of Rich Love and Carnation Software, Inc.

Carnation Software, Inc. cannot be held responsible for data lost or damaged email.  No warranty is given or implied. 
Email Checker uses AppleScript commands to retrieve email. The AppleScript commands are supported and documented by their respective Email Program Companies. Carnation Software cannot be responsible for the AppleScript command functionality within those Email programs.
Carnation Software, Inc. cannot be held responsible for damages resulting from the use of Email Checker.

Email Checker is a trademark of Carnation Software.
Claris Emailer, Eudora, Mailsmith, Outlook Express and AppleScript are trademarks of there respective companies.

Credits

Email Checker was written by Rich Love using FaceSpan (a very nice AppleScript programming environment)
http://www.carnation-software.com

Thanks to Hi-resolution software for the free use of the BetterInfoFor osax
Their website is at http://www.hi-resolution.com/

Thanks to Allan Freid for extensive early testing and lots of feedback.

FaceSpan information can be found at
http://www.facespan.com

Version History

1.0 Released March 14, 1998
===========================
The version history is available online at
<http://www.carnationsoftware.com/carnation/EmailChecker.html>