MailSlot, when combined with the filesharing capabilities of System 7, creates a simple to use, inexpensive electronic mail system. You simply create a folder, tell MailSlot where this folder is, and when someone on the network copies a document or an application into this folder, MailSlot notifies you! Mail folders can be located on your hard disk or on a remote server.
For best results, each user on your network should be using MailSlot and have their own mail folder to receive mail. To send mail, simply log on the networked computer, and copy your file to the destination computer's mail folder. MailSlot will let them know that they have mail.
MailSlot notifies you of any type of file: text files, drawings, spreadsheets, even entire folders and applications. This means you use your favorite application to create mail and you can send any type of file.
MailSlot requires System 7 and at least two networked computers.
SHAREWARE ISN'T FREE!
MailSlot is Shareware, which means you are welcome to try MailSlot for a few days and distribute it to your friends. However if you wish to keep MailSlot, you must send in the shareware fee. By distributing software in this manner, your costs are kept at a minimum. MailSlot is priced at $10 per copy. A 25 User site license is available for $150 and an unlimited user Site License is available for $300. Please send cash or check. Corporate PO's are also accepted.
Send your name and address plus your shareware fee to:
Tim Bitson
11494 Donner Pass
Alta Loma, Ca. 91737
Don't forget to include your name and address so I can notify you of upgrades and additional shareware products from AnalySYS Software.
MailSlot may be distributed freely on on-line services, user groups, across networks and on floppies as long as this 'Read Me' file is included. SHAREWARE AUTHORS INC. owns exclusive rights to distribution on CD-ROM and all other high capacity (over 2MB) media.
INSTANT INSTALLATION...
If you're not familiar with setting up filesharing, review the Networking and Filesharing book that came with System 7. You can share your entire hard disk or just your mail folder.
To set up MailSlot:
1) Create a new folder to receive your mail. This will be your mail folder. It's best to name it something that other users will recognize easily, such as "Mail Folder".
2) Select your mail folder and set the access privileges to allow the desired level of access. This is done by selecting Sharing... under the File menu in the Finder. To allow everyone access, make sure to select the three boxes for See Files, Read Files and Make Changes next to Everyone.
3) Drag MailSlot 1.1 and MailSlot Setup 1.1 into your system folder. The Finder will ask if you want put these files in the appropriate locations. Click OK. NOTE: If you have installed an earlier version of MailSlot, you must remove both the old MailSlot and MailSlot Setup files!
4) Open the Control Panels Folder and double click on MailSlot Setup 1.1. You will see the MailSlot Control Panel.
5) Click on the 'Select Folder Button'. You Will see the standard file dialog box. Navigate and select the mail folder you created in step 1 and click 'Select'.
6) The name of your mail folder should appear next to "Current Mail Folder:" in the Control Panel.
7) Click on the Radio Button for your choice of sound.
8) Select your preference for the type of notification you want. You can have MailSlot notify you with an Alert, a Flashing Icon or both. When using MailSlot for the first time, it's best to select both Alert and Flash Icon.
8) Click in the Close Box of the Control Panel Window. You will see an alert notifying you that your changes will not take effect until you restart.
9) Restart Your Computer. You will see the MailSlot Icon appear on the bottom of your screen during startup. If MailSlot could not find your mail folder, the icon will have a large 'X' through it.
ﾊ
10) To test MailSlot, drag any document or application into your mail folder (you can use this Read Me file). In a few seconds, you should see a message telling you that you have mail. Depending on your sound selection, you may hear a beep or a voice notifying you that you have mail. Click the 'OK' button to dismiss the alert. A small mail icon should be flashing alternatively with the apple icon over the Apple Menu Items. This is to remind you that you have mail. To reset MailSlot, just drag the document(s) out of your mail folder.
11) Now your set! Be sure to notify other users on your network of the name of your mail folder. When they send you mail, have them place it in your mail folder.
SENDING MAIL
To send a document or an application to another user, log on to their machine and drag your file into their mail folder. The file will be copied into the mail folder on their machine (or a server if you are using one). If the recipient is using MailSlot, they will be notified that they have mail.
To make sending mail to other users on your network easy, you can make an "address book" of other users mail folders. To create a MailSlot "address", simply log on to each users' computer and find their mail folder. Make an alias of their mail folder and drag it onto your hard drive. Then all you have to do to send someone a file is to drag it into their mail folder. If you are not currently logged into that computer, System 7 will do it for you!
ﾊ
You can put all of your mail folder alias's into a new folder and name it something like "Addresses" or "MailSlots". Put that folder in the Apple Menu Items folder located in your System Folder. Then to access other user's mailbox, just pull down the Apple Menu and select the "MailSlots" Folder.
ﾊ
Included is a folder with a custom mail icon. You can use this folder as your mail folder to locate it quickly. Just copy it to your hard drive and select it using MailSlot Setup.
Hints, Tips, and Bugs?
MailSlot does not detect empty folders. This can be useful if several users work on a single computer. Inside your mail folder, create a new folder for each user. Name each something like "Mail For Jim", "Mail For John", etc. When sending mail, put the file inside the folder for the person you want to receive it.
MailSlot also does not detect invisible files. This allows the use of a custom icon for your mail folder. If someone sends you an invisible file (I'm not sure why anyone would!), MailSlot will not notify you.
When copying files across a network, System 7 Filesharing first creates the file, and then copies the contents of the file. MailSlot notifies you soon after the file is created. This could lead to a potential problem. If you drag the file (or folder of files) out of your mail folder before System 7 finishes copying the files, Filesharing could get confused. This has not led to any serious crashes, but some files could get lost. I'm working on this problem but it gets pretty complicated. When I get a fix, I'll release an update to MailSlot. In the meantime, wait until the files have all been transferred completely before moving them out of your mail folder. (You can just wait a few minutes or watch the File Sharing Monitor Control Panel to see when filesharing is busy.)
FOR THE CURIOUS...
MailSlot is simply a program that constantly monitors a folder to see is it contains anything. If it does, MailSlot posts a notification.
MailSlot consists of two parts. The MailSlot Setup is a control panel that is used to select your mail folder and to show you your current mail folder's name. It saves this information in a file called MailSlot 1.1 Prefs in the Preferences folder in your System Folder. MailSlot Setup contains an extension (an INIT) only to display the MailSlot icon at startup. This INIT is removed just after the icon is displayed.
MailSlot itself is a System Extension. This is a background application (actually an "Application Extension") that consumes very little memory or processor time. MailSlot is not an INIT, so you should not experience any conflicts with other INITs installed in your system. This conforms to Apples guidelines against using INITs and patching Traps.
CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE..
Thanks to Greg Robbins at Apple DTS for suggesting the faceless background application approach. This resulted in a cleaner, more compact program. Also thanks to Dennis Smith for providing support and beta testing. Oh, and thanks to Pam for donating her voice!
FOR MORE INFO...
If you have any questions regarding MailSlot, bug reports or suggestions, please contact me. You can send your comments to me at the above address or send them electronically to me at:
America Online: TBitson
AppleLink: ANALYSYS
Thank you in advance for sending in your shareware fee. By doing so, you encourage me and many others to continue to write quality, affordable software.
Tim
Macintosh, System 7 ｩ Apple Computer, Inc.
MailSlot ｩ 1992 T. Bitson AnalySYS Software.
MailSlot was created using Think C. Portions ｩ Symantec.
Distributed on CD-ROM exclusively by ShareWare Authors, inc.
