Ciao ELM (EmailList Manager) beta version


Ciao ELM (EmailList Manager) is designed to be administrator and subscriber friendly.
SENSIBLE USE OF THIS MASS E-MAIL UTILITY IS NECESSARY.

WARNING! Some servers prohibit the use of e-mail lists or restrict usage.
GENERAL GUIDELINES imposed by many servers and government agencies:
  1. Individuals must subscribe themselves to your list.
  2. Lists of e-mail addresses must not be sold or purchased.
  3. Individuals must have a way to remove themselves off your list.
Some servers/government agencies have additional requirements.  Sending mass mailings of UNSOLICITED e-mail can be classified as spamming with possible penalties, that is why individuals must subscribe themselves to your list.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

NOTE FROM CREATOR

CIAO EMAILLIST MANAGER - (LICENSE)

CIAO EMAILLIST MANAGER - (SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS)

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS FAQ (FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS)


NOTE FROM CREATOR

The Ciao EmailList Manager is intended to assist in the sending of updates/ notifications/ newsletters/ etc. via the web.  It includes:
  • customizing features
  • registry form for your site
  • (Skin-like) highly customizable public sign-up interface
  • supports many categories
  • supports optional/required subscriber data
  • creates custom lists based on categories and subscriber data
  • list viewer in printer friendly format
  • 216 web-safe color chart
  • list import
  • message composer and sender
  • sign-up verification
  • optional administrator notification
  • supports multiple administrators with full or limited access
  • supports multiple site usage
  • supports multiple server usage
  • save and edit messages/templates
  • list editing
  • optional message test send
  • includes security features
  • e-mail address/domain/IP blocker
  • administrator/subscriber friendly with anti-spam features
A single message can be e-mailed to a large number of addresses.  Each recipient has no way of knowing who else is on the mailing list. I hope you find this FREEWARE useful.  If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions that are not covered in this help file, please contact me at: http://www.technobreeze.com/

(PS: Enhancements are welcome and appreciated.)

Sincerely,
B. Drushell
November 20, 2000

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Ciao EmailList Manager - (LICENSE)

Ciao EmailList Manager - a customizable mass e-mail program that is administrator/subscriber friendly.
Copyright (C) 2000 - 2002 Ben Drushell

This program is FREE software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; version 2 of the License.

This program is distributed "AS IS". There is NO WARRANTY. NO implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY. NO implied warranty of FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. The entire risk is with you. See the GNU General Public License for more details.

A copy of the GNU General Public License is included with this program.

For questions regarding the Ciao EmailList Manager license, contact Ben Drushell: http://www.technobreeze.com/

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Ciao EmailList Manager - (SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS)

Ciao EmailList Manager (beta version) utilizes the PHP language and an SQL database server.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:
  • PHP version 3.0.9 and higher
    OR PHP version 4.0.1 and higher
  • A compatible SQL server type...
    Currently this includes:
      MySQL 3.23.xx and higher
      PostgreSQL 7.0.2 and higher
  • Admin program requires a Javascript enabled browser
  • The directory containing Ciao EmailList Manager needs to have permissions set for PHP to read/write files in that directory.
  • A copy of the GNU GPL license "gpl.txt" must be included in the same directory as the program.
  • A copy of the credits "ciaocredits.html" must be included in the same directory as the program.
  • A ZIP or TAR/GZ file utility.

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WELCOME to Step-by-Step Instructions!

The administration & setup program is accessed by: "ciaoadm.php"
The public sign-up interface is accessed by: "ciao.php" and "index.php"
The file "phpinfo.php" is a general information program about PHP on your server.



Database Setup - Admin Utility

To use this module, PHP needs to have read/write
access in the directory Ciao EmailList Manager is installed.


SQL Database Setup
The Beta version of Ciao EmailList Manager requires access to an SQL server. Compatible server names and version numbers are indicated. If you do not know the necessary information, your website administrator or provider should have the information. (NOTE: Your database should be secure and NOT accessible to the general public nor Internet robots.)
STEP 1. Select the type of SQL server.
(Click on the arrow next to the text to view a full list.)

STEP 2. Input your SQL server address.
Example Address:
  • localhost
  • localhost:0000
  • yourdomain.com
  • yourdomain.com:0000
  • 000.000.000.000
  • 000.000.000.000:0000

  • STEP 3. Input your SQL user ID.
    This is the user ID that you would use to access the SQL server via telnet or other means. If you do not know your user ID, your website administrator or provider should have the information.

    STEP 4. Input your SQL password.
    This is the password that you would use to access the SQL server via telnet or other means. If you do not know your password, your website administrator or provider should have the information.

    STEP 5. Input your SQL password again.
    This assures that no typing errors were made.

    STEP 6. Input the database name on your SQL server.
    Sometimes this is assigned by your website administrator or provider. Otherwise, pick a name of your choosing that exists. (If a database does not yet exist, please consult your SQL server documentation for creating a database.) Some SQL servers have database naming restrictions.

    STEP 7. Input the table prefix for database tables.
    This prevents table conflicts if more than one application is using the same database name. The default prefix value is "elm".

    STEP 8. Input the encode value.
    This value is used to encode/decode database data. "0" is default encode type. "1" turns off encode/decode.

    SQL Database Setup Is Complete

    Next Steps Are For User Configuration
    This creates an administrative user for accessing Ciao-ELM. Additional general or administrative users can be added later.
    STEP 9. Input your personal e-mail address.
    This will later be referred to as the login ID.
    Recommendation: use a different e-mail address than the one setup for Ciao sending.

    STEP 10. Input a password you will use for accessing Ciao EmailList Manager.
    ***********If you forget your password***********
    Since no other administrator accounts have been created on your setup yet; if you forget your password, you will need to delete "ciaodb.php". Then re-setup the program.
    *******************************************

    STEP 11. Input the password again.
    This assures that no typing errors were made.

    User Configuration Is Complete

    STEP 12. Carefully read Ciao-ELM's license agreement.

    STEP 13. Click on the "SETUP/AGREE TO TERMS" button.
    If error messages occur, correct the error fields and click "SETUP" again. If no error messages occur, "Database Setup" is complete.

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    General Configuration - Admin Utility

    To use this module, PHP needs to have read/write
    access in the directory Ciao EmailList Manager is installed.


    Configuration
    STEP 14. Input the "URL To Directory"
    This is the URL to the directory where Ciao is residing on your website.
    Example URL:
  • http://www.yourdomain.com/directoryciaoisin/

  • STEP 15. Click on the checkbox, if you want to receive an e-mail notification whenever someone submits a request to join the list.
    This is a good tool to use if you are being harassed by someone entering bogus e-mail addresses.

    STEP 16. Click on the checkbox, if you want to receive an e-mail notification whenever someone has verfied and is added to the list.

    STEP 17. Click on the checkbox, if you want to receive an e-mail notification whenever someone edits their subscriber information.
    This is a good tool for updating alternative databases with information changes.

    STEP 18. Click on the checkbox, if you want to receive an e-mail notification whenever someone has deleted their subscription.

    STEP 19. Input the "From E-mail Address"
    This is the e-mail address that will be used by Ciao-ELM to send e-mail from.

    STEP 20. Input the "From Name"
    This is what people will see the the email's "FROM" field.

    STEP 21. Click on "Use Sendmail To Send Email" option for using Sendmail or a Sendmail interface program.

    STEP 21a. If you choose to utilize sendmail, enter the path to the sendmail program.

    STEP 22. Click on "Use SMTP To Send Email" option to utilize SMTP.
    This is the suggested method for sending email on a win32 system.
    Warning: Some SMTP servers need to be specially configured to permit the IP address of your webserver to send email.

    STEP 22a. If you choose to utilize SMTP, enter the smtp host name.
    Example: smtp.example.com;mail.example.com

    STEP 22b. If you choose to utilize SMTP, enter the SMTP port number.
    The default SMTP port is "110".

    STEP 22c. If you choose to utilize SMTP, enter the SMTP timeout.
    This is how long the mail program will wait in trying to connect to an SMTP server. The default timelimit is 10 seconds. This may need to be increased for slow SMTP servers.

    STEP 22d. If you choose to utilize SMTP, enter the Account Name.
    This is name of your mail account on the smtp server. (It is usually the same name as your POP3 account.)

    STEP 23. Click on "Use PHP Mail Function To Send Email" option to utilize PHP's mail function.
    This is NOT advized as there have been bugs with certain versions of PHP regarding the PHP mail function.

    Configuration Is Complete

    Next Steps Are For Optional Subscriber Data
    Automatically, the program requests subscriber e-mail address. This requests additional information (such as: name, city, whatever) from subscribers. This information can also be used to create custom sending lists.
    STEP 24. Click on the either "required", "optional", or "not used"
  • "required" - subscribers must provide that information to join the list
  • "optional" - information is requested of subscriber, but not required
  • "not used" - field is not displayed or used in program (this is the default).

  • STEP 25. Select a field type.
    The options are "text", "select", "radio", "checkbox".

    STEP 26. Type a label name into the blank box for fields used.
    This is displayed to subscribers.

    STEP 27. (optional) Type a default value into the blank box.
    If most of your subscribers will have similar data, use this to supply a default value.
    For the multiple data selections of "select" and "radio", seperate the data items with a semi-colon ";".

    Optional Subscriber Data Is Complete

    STEP 28. Click on the "SUBMIT DATA" button.
    If error messages occur, correct the error fields and click "SUBMIT DATA" again. If no error messages occur, "General Configuration" is complete.

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    Public Sign-up Page Configuration - Admin Utility

    To use this module, PHP needs to have read/write
    access in the directory Ciao EmailList Manager is installed.


    This creates "template.ciao" that is used to generate the sign-up page the public views on your website. If you want a more advanced customization, you can download "template.ciao", add/edit html code, and re-upload the file.

    Page Properties
    STEP 29. Assign a hex value background color for the public web page.
    A link to a web-safe 216-color chart is provided for your convenience.

    STEP 30. Assign a background image URL.
    If no background image is desired, leave this blank.

    STEP 31. Assign a hex value text color for the public web page.
    A link to a web-safe 216-color chart is provided for your convenience.

    STEP 32. Assign a hex value link color for the public web page.
    A link to a web-safe 216-color chart is provided for your convenience.

    STEP 33. Assign a logo image URL.
    If no logo image is desired, leave this blank.

    Page Properties Is Complete

    Next Steps Are For Table Properties
    Table Properties establishes the sign-up form for public interaction.
    STEP 34. Assign a hex background color for the form.
    A link to a web-safe 216-color chart is provided for your convenience.

    STEP 35. Assign a hex text color for the form.
    A link to a web-safe 216-color chart is provided for your convenience.

    STEP 36. (optional) Assign a font value (example: courier).

    STEP 37. Check if you want to verify email addresses using the *NIX sendmail program.
    If you do choose to use this, enter the location of sendmail on your *NIX server.

    STEP 38. Check if you want to verify email domains using the *NIX dig program.
    This checks an email domain for mail servers. (It prevents some mail forwarding services from being added.) Some website service providers disable the dig program for security reasons. If you choose to use the dig validation and valid email addresses are being rejected, dig is probably disabled on your server.

    STEP 39. Assign a welcome message to display at the top of the form.
    A default welcome message is provided.

    STEP 40. Label for the subscriber's profile edit link.

    STEP 41. Label for the subscriber's log-out link.

    STEP 42. Assign an "e-mail prompt" message requesting input of an e-mail address.
    A default "e-mail prompt" is provided.

    STEP 43. Assign an "password prompt" message requesting input of a password.
    A default "password prompt" is provided.

    STEP 44. Assign a "category title" to display in the form (seen after subscriber verification or during editing).
    A default "category title" is provided. (You might want to call this "lists" or "survey" or something else.)

    STEP 45. Assign "instructions" to display in the form.
    A default "instruction" message is provided.

    STEP 46. Assign a label for the "Subscribe Button".
    A default label is provided, but you might want to call it something else.

    STEP 47. Assign a label for the "Unsubscribe Button".
    A default label is provided, but you might want to call it something else.

    STEP 48. Assign a label for the "Log-in Button".
    A default label is provided, but you might want to call it something else.

    STEP 49. Assign a label for the "Update Button" (seen after subscriber verification or log-in).
    A default label is provided, but you might want to call it something else.

    STEP 50. Assign a label for the "Forgotten Password Button".
    A default label is provided, but you might want to call it something else.

    STEP 51. Default error messages have been provided for:
  • Required Fields
  • Verification Error
  • Find Error
  • Waiting for Verification
  • Already in List
    These can be edited to your liking.

  • STEP 52. Default OK messages have been provided for:
  • OK Verified
  • OK Updated
  • OK Unsubscribe
  • OK Log-in
  • OK Subscribe
  • OK Log-out
  • OK Forgotten Password
    These can be edited to your liking.

  • STEP 53. Default email messages have been provided for:
  • Signup Message (for those subscribing via "ciao.php")
  • Import Message (for addresses being imported)
  • Forgotten Password Message (for those who forgot their password and clicked on the "Forgotten Password" button)
    These can be edited to your liking.
    Data inserts for the email messages are as follows:

      #VERIFYURL# => Verify URL link subscriber uses to be added to list. (required)
      #URL# => URL to directory Ciao EmaiList Manager resides in.
      #EMAIL# => Email address being subscribed.
      #REMOTE_IP# => IP address of viewer submitting request.
      #REMOTE_HOST# => Remote host address of viewer submitting request.
      #BROWSER# => Browser information of the viewer submitting request.
      #PASSWORD# => Password for editing their subscriber info.

  • Table Properties Is Complete

    STEP 54. Click on the "SUBMIT DATA" button.
    This will generate the file "template.ciao" with the information you have specified. If you would like to further customize the file, download it in ASCII transfer. Then add/edit html code, and re-upload "template.ciao" to the server in ASCII transfer. The file can be edited at any time, as many times as desired.

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    Category Administration - Admin Utility

    After a subscriber has verified, they can choose to join one or more categories of special topic information you create. The number of categories you can create is large.
    EXAMPLE:
  • Travel - Countries of the World
  • Sales - Inventory Products
  • Educational - Courses
  • Survey/Voting - True/False or Yes/No Questions

    Adding a New Category

    STEP 55. Choose "(New Category)" in the select box.

    STEP 56. Assign a 3 character id code for the new category.

    STEP 57. Assign a name for the category.

    STEP 58. Click on the "Add/Edit Category" button.


    Repeat Steps 22-25 For Each Category Added


    Editing a Category
    (If you do not want to edit any categories, skip to STEP 62.)

    STEP 59. Choose the category you want to edit in the select box.
    The Category ID and Category Name will appear in their boxes.

    STEP 60. Enter the changes in category name.
    (NOTE: You cannot edit a category ID.)

    STEP 61. Click on the "Add/Edit Category" button.


    Delete a Category
    (If you do not want to delete any categories, skip to STEP 64.)

    STEP 62. Choose the category you want to delete in the select box.
    The Category ID and Category Name will appear in their boxes.

    STEP 63. Click on the "Delete Category" button.
    This will delete the category and remove subscribers from that category. The subscriber name will still remain on the "All Subscribers" list and any other categories.
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    User Administration - Admin Utility

    If additional personel need access to CIAO, use this utility to create new user accounts and edit/delete accounts. There are two types of accounts:
    • Admin account
      • gives access to Admin Utilities + Mail Utilities.
    • General account
      • only gives access to Mail Utilities


    Adding a New User
    (If you do not want to add any new users, skip to STEP 70.)

    STEP 64. Choose "(New User)" in the select box.

    STEP 65. Enter the user's personal e-mail address.
    This will be used as their login ID.

    STEP 66. Assign a password the user will use to access CIAO.

    STEP 67. Enter the password again.
    This makes sure no typing errors were made.

    STEP 68. Select access privileges.
    • Admin account
      • gives access to Admin Utilities + Mail Utilities.
    • General account
      • only gives access to Mail Utilities

    STEP 69. Click on the "Submit Query" button.


    Repeat Steps 64-69 For Each User Added


    Editing a User
    (If you do not want to edit any users, skip to STEP 73.)
    Editing a user can be used to change passwords, add/reduce administrative access, or change user ID/email address.

    STEP 70. Choose the user you want to edit in the select box.
    The User E-mail and Access Privelege will appear in their boxes.

    STEP 71. Make the changes desired.

    STEP 72. Click on the "Submit Query" button.


    Delete a User
    (If you do not want to delete any users, skip to STEP 76.)

    STEP 73. Choose the user you want to delete in the select box.
    The User E-mail and Access Privileges will appear in their boxes.

    STEP 74. Click on the "Delete Selected User" checkbox.

    STEP 75. Click on the "Submit Query" button.
    This will delete the user and also remove (unsent) messages/templates they have.

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    Block List - Admin Utility

    At times, it is necessary for administrators to block e-mail addresses/domain/IP's due to pranksters, competitors, etc. This feature enables an e-mail address or domain to be blocked from being added to your list OR... a specific IP address blocked from accessing the program.

    Adding a Block
    (If you do not want to add any new blocks, skip to STEP 79.)
    STEP 76. Enter the e-mail address or domain or IP to be blocked.
    Example:
  • anyemailaddress@anywebsitedomain.whatever
  • anywebsitedomain.whatever
  • xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx

  • STEP 77. Enter a reason for the block. (This is optional.)

    STEP 78. Click on the "New Block" button.
    The e-mail list & the verification list will be scanned for matches to be deleted. Subscribers matching a block will be prevented from joining and see a page with no joining message. Blocking can be bypassed via list import, which is only accessable with full admin privileges. A block can be removed at any time by an administrator.

    Adding Block Is Complete

    Next Steps Are For Viewing a Block

    STEP 79. When the Block List page displays, below the "Add New Block" area will be a list of present blocks in existence. If there are more blocks than can be viewed on a single page, use the navagation bar at the bottom of the page.

    Viewing a Block Is Complete

    Next Steps Are For Deleting a Block
    (If you do not want to delete any blocks, skip to STEP 81.)

    STEP 80. When viewing the Block List, find the block you want to remove. Then click on the "(delete)" link pertaining to that block.

    Deleting a Block Is Complete

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    E-mail List Import - Admin Utility

    To facilitate those with existing e-mail lists, this import utility enables list transfer to CIAO. Anti-spam features (that are subscriber friendly) have been added to deter misuse of this utility.

    Creating The Transfer File

    STEP 81. Create the transfer file to be a comma-delimitered text file with an order of fields being:
  • E-mail Address,
  • Option1, Option2, ... Option##
    NOTE: CIAO EMAILLIST MANAGER HAS AN IMPORT LIMIT OF 10KB. YOUR SERVER MIGHT ALSO HAVE A FILE RESTRICTION.


  • Creating The Transfer File Is Completed

    Next Steps Are For File Upload And Import
    (If you would like to use the file import only feature, skip to STEP 85.)

    STEP 82. Click on the "Browse..." button.
    A window will appear showing your computer's files.

    STEP 83. Select the file you want to upload and click on the "Open" button.
    The location of the file on your computer will appear in the form box.

    STEP 84. Click on the "Import File" button.
    The page will display a message that an import is in progress, unless errors occur. An additional pop-up box will appear displaying the progress of import. When the import is complete, the pop-up box will display a "FINISHED" message.


    File Upload And Import Is Completed

    Next Steps Are For File Import

    STEP 85. Upload via FTP (ASCII mode) the import file to the directory in which Ciao EmailList Manager resides. Enter the name of the file in the text box provided.

    STEP 86. Click on the "Import File" button.
    The page will display a message that an import is in progress, unless errors occur. An additional pop-up box will appear displaying the progress of import. When the import is complete, the pop-up box will display a "FINISHED" message.


    File Import Is Completed


    End Of Step-by-Step Instructions

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    FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

    What is the catch?
    There is NO catch. Ciao EmailList Manager is FREE and intended to STAY FREE. It is designed as OpenSource to enhance the standards of e-mail lists, assist Internet businesses/organizations/individuals, and be subscriber friendly. It is protected under the GNU General Public License (GPL) agreement.

    What are the list size limitations?
    Ciao EmailList Manager mixes the use of modern day web programming techniques and old COBOL techniques to provide the stability necessary for handling very large lists. I have tested the system using a list of 20,000 subscribers. Others have reported list sizes well over 50,000 subscribers. Theoretically the only limitations are that of your SQL database, server, and network. This gives room for VERY large list sizes. (If you do experience a size limitation, please contact me regarding the size limit and your server specs.)

    Why won't the program run?
  • Make certain a copy of the files "gpl.txt" and "ciaocredits.html" is in the same directory as the program.
  • Make certain PHP has read/write privileges to the directory containing Ciao EmailList Manager. (For those that are security conscious, the settings can be changed back once setup is complete.)
  • This program is configured for the module version of PHP (not the CGI version). If you are using a CGI version of PHP, your website administrator or provider should have the information necessary for re-configuring this program.
  • Create the program "phpinfo.php". It contains one line of code "<? phpinfo() ?>". Check to make sure that "track_vars" is on. If "track_vars" is not on, create a ".htaccess" file (or the appropriate configuration file for your server) and set it to "1". Directions for editing PHP configurations is available on the PHP.net website.
  • If none of these solutions fix the problem, please contact me at: http://www.technobreeze.com
  • How do I get the sign-up form to appear on my MAIN web site page?
    Method One:

    A customized template ability is one of the many features in Ciao. A highly customized interface can be made to look like a main website page or any other page.
    1. Use the "Sign-up Page Configuration" administrative utility.
    2. Download the file "template.ciao" in ASCII text transfer.
    3. Add/Edit/Delete html code in the page.
    4. Re-upload the file "template.ciao" in ASCII text transfer.
    Method Two:
    1. Pull up the file "ciao.php" in your browser.
    2. View the HTML source from the browser.
    3. Copy the HTML code <form...>....</form>
    4. Insert that code into your main page.
        You can alter the code as to color and layout, but not the names of buttons or text boxes. Altering the names would make the program unable to receive the information.
    5. Alter the <form> tag on your main page as follows:
      <form method="post" action="ciao.php">

    What type of databases will Ciao EmailList Manager work with?
    The alpha version of Ciao EmailList Manager only worked with MySQL 3.23.xx and higher.

    The beta version of Ciao EmailList Manager supports many SQL database types. These are specified as options in the setup process. At the time of this writing, MySQL and PostgreSQL are supported.
    Versions Used For Testing:
    • MySQL 3.23.xx and higher
    • PostgreSQL 7.0.2 and higher
    Time permitting or if others volunteer, additional datbases will be supported at a later date.

    I forgot my administrative password! How do I access the program?
  • If you have limited admin access, a person with full admin abilities can reassign a new password for you.
  • If you have full admin access (and not the only one with full admin access), another with full admin access can reassign a new password for you.
  • If you are the ONLY person with full admin access, you will need to delete "modules/ciaodb.php". Then re-setup the program. The database information remains intact IF the new setup is linked the same as the old.
    It is recommended: DO NOT FORGET YOUR PASSWORD!
  • Why can't I see the field labels or error messages?
    Check the table background color and table text color assigned in "Sign-up Page Configuration" administrative utility. Try contrasting colors. A web-safe color chart has been provided for your convenience.

    How do I know the number of subscribers that received a message and the number of sending errors?
    In the "Sent Message Archive", view the message that was sent. The header information will include the approximate number of messages sent.

    At the bottom of the archived message is a list of sending errors.

    Why won't the program send email?
    Some ISP's, networks, and firewalls block the sending mail ports. Depending on how the PHP mail function was configured for your server, sending may be affected by this.
    User tip by: Bob Hurt

    Why can't I find the files "modules/ciaodb.php", "modules/ciaocfg.php", and "modules/template.ciao"?
    These are generated files created by the setup routine.
    (ciao_s00.php, ciao_s01.php, and ciao_s03.php)
    If you have run the setup routine and the files are still missing, make certain PHP has file writing access to the directory Ciao EmailList Manager resides in.

    Once the needed files are generated and customized, it is advisable to remove PHP's "write" access to the files and directory for security purposes.

    I made a mistake in the initial database setup... How do I start setup from the beginning?
    Delete the file located at "modules/ciaodb.php".
    You might want to also delete generated tables in your SQL server from the previous installation attempt.
    Reload the browser page for "ciaoadm.php".

    How do I setup multiple page templates?
    The file "template.ciao" is the default template used when no other template is defined. To create more page templates, copy the file template.ciao to another name... example "name1.ciao". Then link to the program "ciao.php" via the link "ciao.php?template=name1". (Replace "name1" with the file name of your choice.)

    How do I link a category to a page template?
    Make a copy of the file "template.ciao" and name it after a category's three letter ID.
    Example: I have a category ID of "php" for the category "PHP Software". I would then have a template file by the name "php.ciao".

    Then link to the program "ciao.php" via the link "ciao.php?category=php". (Replace "php" with the category ID of your choice.)

    When a person subscribes to a category specific page, they will not see the other categories listed.

    How do I setup the template to link to my header/footer include files?
    Edit the file "template.ciao" so that in between the special <# and #> tags the following code is included.

    header="yourheaderfile.html"

    footer="yourfooterfile.html"

    (You can also include PHP files.)

    How do I get around the import list verification?
    Ciao EmailList Manager is a true opt-in email system. Opt-in means that all subscribers must verify their desire to be on the list. Even the import feature must go through this verification process. To remove the import verification, you either need to program the change yourself or hire a programmer to make the changes.
    Warning: Ciao EmailList Manager has a parts check that might need altering also : )

    How do I upgrade the software to a newer version?
    If you are upgrading from the "alpha" version of Ciao-ELM, install the "beta" software into a new directory. Setup the software so that new SQL tables are created. Then utilize the "DB Upgrade" utility. "DB Upgrade" lets you import data from "alpha" version (without user re-verification).

    If you are upgrading from another "beta" version of Ciao-ELM, upload the files to your website (do not upload any directories). Then upload the files located in the "modules" directory to your website's "modules" directory. (Warning: If you upload the directory itself, some servers will delete the contents of that directory first... thereby deleting needed configuration files.)

    These upgrade instructions were provided for existing users of Ciao EmailList Manager. The upgrade procedures allow the software and/or database to be upgraded without the loss of data and NO need for re-verification.

    How do I create HTML-email?
    A tutorial on HTML-email is available at "http://www.technobreeze.net/synopsis/htmlemail/".

    How do I get Ciao-ELM to work with MySQL 3.22.xx?
    Ciao-ELM uses the MySQL 3.23.xx feature of calling "DISTINCT" inside of a sql function. This statement causes the program to ignore duplications when utilizing custom categories in Ciao-ELM. To make Ciao-ELM MySQL 3.22.xx compatible, you will need to remove the code phrase "DISTINCT" from all of Ciao-ELM's program files. WARNING: By doing this, duplicate sends can occur when sending to a custom category.


    End Of FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

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    Last update to ciaohelp.html was on March 28, 2002
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