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The network structure PPoint is designed for is FidoNet. This is an extremely efficient structure developed by hobbyists throughout the world. FidoNet has been around since the beginning of the PC, and there are currently 15000 plus nodes around the world (not including Point nodes). A FidoNet node is a node that is online 24 hours a day, and connected with other nodes in the same manner. This Fidonet node is registered in an international node list as being a Continuous Mailer or CM (accessible any time). Without getting into the details, a typical FidoNet node is connected to an official Network node, which is connected to a regional node, which is connected to a Zone node. There are several Zones that represent geographical areas of the planet. A Point node is a node which is connected to a FidoNet node as described above. This Point get's it's mail from that node which is called a Boss node, or a Host node. The Point also sends it's mail to the Host for insertion into the network. The Point therefore does not have to be online or accessible continuously, instead it is only network active when the Point user connects to the host to transfer (send/receive) email. Then all mail management is done off-line at the Point users convenience. Point nodes are not in the international node list that is an integral part of the FidoNet structure. They are authorized, created, serviced, and the responsibility of the Host which is an official FidoNet node. All activity from the Point node is managed by the Host, so in fact the Point is like an extension or branch of that node. The Point's address becomes the Host's address, with an extension of .x where x is the Point number. A typical address is (my address) 1:249/114 which is Zone 1, Network 249, and node 114. One of my points have the and address of 1:249/114.7 which is my point number 7. Page 2 PPoint - Professional Point System P P o i n t DESIGN OBJECTIVES The main objective behind the development of PPoint was to create a system that was easy to setup, easy to use, and easy to maintain. The user interface has been designed to offer intuitive navigation thought the various functions and controls. There are certain forced paths, and certain suggested paths, all intended to make email management enjoyable, efficient and effortless. The hardware required is minimal. Any PC with 256k memory and 500k of disk space. The file structure for the email database is an advanced database structure where each message area has 2 files containing all the related information (some older systems created endless individual files for each message taking 512 to 2048 bytes of storage space for each message). OVERVIEW PPoint is a professional network EMAIL management system. It is self installing, FidoNet compatible, and is complete in terms of it's functionality, and automatically installs a few other complex systems it transparently integrates with. PPoint accomplishes all of the tasks required to create, process, and transfer email and files all without the user having to be a computer expert. A Point system is usually a complex assortment of various processors and utilities, driven by a sophisticated batch file which takes an experienced person to setup. Most of the associated utilities and processors are only used to 30% of their respective capacities, whose design were intended for much more complex data processing. Transferring email requires the ability to manage data locally, and transfer it to/from the Host. PPoint handles everything except the mail packet transfer itself. To transfer data from PPoint, we suggest you use the BinkleyTerm mailer system. PPoint will work with other FidoNet compatible mailer systems, however PPoint will automatically do the installation/setup of BinkleyTerm for you. BinkleyTerm is the simplest and most efficient system to use, especially as a point. BinkleyTerm is a system which is freely available for noncommercial use (<=3 commercial sites at one time - see documentation for BinkleyTerm) and is the smallest, most efficient of all the various mail processors. There are Page 3 PPoint - Professional Point System processors that are in some ways easier to setup, and have more features, BUT, Binkley was our choice since WE do the setup for it internally via PPoint, so you don't even notice it. Part of BinkleyTerm's efficiency is size. Some mailers range from 600k to 2megs in disk size, where Binkley is less than 250k. The additional features available in other processors are simply not needed for managing a Point. PPoint also allows you to use your favorite editor. Most users get use to an editor, and prefer to stick with it. Most users prefer QEDIT or TED3. QEDIT is a professional full featured editor, while TED3 is a simple freeware system produced by PC Magazine. If you don't have an editor, use the simple editor included with PPoint called ED. INSTALLATION If you received PPoint on disk, then simply type A:INSTALL and press enter. It will handle the entire installation. If you downloaded an archive of PPoint, unarchive it in any subdirectory. If you don't have one in mind, may we suggest using C:\EMAIL. To install, just run PPOINT.EXE, and read the screens. Later, highlight each pulldown menu item, and Press F1 for a description of it's use. The following files are required to operate PPoint... PPOINT.EXE The Main program PPOINT.HLP Help file data PPOINT.HLX Help file index PPOINT.HLT Help file index ED.EXE (or any Editor) (Usually in an archive named POINT???.ZIP) The following files are created by PPoint... PPOINT.CFG PPoint's configuration file BINKLEY.CFG Binkley's configuration file BINKLEY.ADD User's Binkley modify file BINKLEY.EVT Binkley's event file MAILER.BAT Batch file used internally to call Binkley MAIL\PPOINT.ARE Area configuration file The following are additional files you will need to install BinkleyTerm as your mailer. These should either be in your Page 4 PPoint - Professional Point System path, or on your PPoint directory. Editor... You should use QEDIT or ED, or any other TEXT EDITOR. DO NOT use a word processor unless it can take a file name on the command line, and save files in TEXT or ASCII format with NO special control characters which most word processors use. A simple editor called ED comes with PPoint. It has the very basic features required, and is limited to 312 lines of text. Most messages should never exceed 100 lines. QEDIT.EXE An editor (Usually in an archive named QEDIT???.ZIP) Archiver... PKUNZIP.EXE An unarchiver (Usually in an archive named PKZ???.EXE [this is a self extracting archive - no unarchiver needed]). Other archivers can be used also. PPoint automatically detects the archiving method used for incoming packets. PPoint supports: PKUNZIP, LHA, ARJ, ZOO, PAK, PKUNPAK Mailer... These should be in your PPoint directory. Note: The current version of Binkley is 2.50. BT EXE 232686 09-15-91 11:39p This is the mailer. BINKLEY LNG 13328 09-15-91 10:13p " " (Usually in an archive named BEXE_???.ZIP) BNU COM 11232 10-26-89 1:56a This is a fossil. (Usually in an archive named BNU???.ZIP) ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ Basically, you need the following for a complete setup... │ │ │ │ POINT???.ZIP, PK??????.EXE, BEXE_???.ZIP, and BNU???.ZIP │ │ (bnu can be substituted with OPUSCOMn or X00) │ │ │ │ YOU ONLY NEED THE FILES LISTED ABOVE OUT OF EACH ARCHIVE. │ └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ If you want to use a different mailer, then just alter a file PPoint creates called mailer.bat to accommodate. However, we strongly recommend using Binkley. Page 5 PPoint - Professional Point System ADVANCED NOTES PPoint supports 4d Point addressing (type 2+). This means it will work with current hosts like Squish or Front Door. This packet design is the latest most efficient structure. AREA TAG names have a maximum length of 60 characters. CARBON COPIES of messages can be sent if you have a list of names in a text file in the format... first last,zone:net/node{.point} first last,zone:net/node{.point} Entering CC:filename.ext in the TO: field of a message, causes carbon copies to be sent to all in the list. Command line controls: /P initiates an immediate poll when ppoint is run /E exits to dos after the first poll /OUT process outbound mail /IN process inbound mail /OUT/IN process both PPoint has one unique feature that is designed to work with mailers like Binkley. If you Poll your Host and there is no mail, the mailer will not exit back to PPoint. To force the mailer to exit, have your Host put a small text file called PPOINT.$$$ in a requestable position. The Host might make a Freq name of HOST which locates PPOINT.$$$. This can be placed on PPoint's autofreq list, causing it to arrive every time the Host is polled. If PPoint detects a file called PPOINT.$$$ in the inbound directory, it will delete it making the process all very transparent. Multiple Boss Addressing PPoint can be used for managing multiple boss addresses. If you have more than one boss, you might consider this replacement for MAILER.BAT. This is the batch file ppoint uses to operate your mailer (binkley). @echo off bnu :s bt if errorlevel 40 goto exit if not exist out\*.* goto exit goto s :exit bnu /U Page 6 Distribution, and Registration PPoint is marketed as shareware. It may be used for a 20 day trial period, and then must be registered. PPoint is fully functional. There are no timers, or limits imposed. There are no keys required for installation. Your honesty is our only protection against insufficient future development funds, and we have learned to trust in that with the success of our other shareware products. To register, please fill out the REGISTER.TXT application. You can load it into your word processor or editor, and edit it, or copy it to your printer and do it by hand (COPY REGISTER.TXT PRN). Harvey Parisien Box 323 Station A Kingston, Ontario Canada K7M 6R2 Registering PPoint is only necessary once, and entitles you to new versions of PPoint as they are released. The latest versions of PPoint will be available on your favorite SDS system, or directly from FidoNet 1:249/1. NON COMMERCIAL users may register for $ 15.00. Registration is $85.00. (Group rates available) LEGAL STUFF DISCLAIMER - This program is provided as is. You may use it at your own risk. There is no warranty of any kind or any form covering this program. The author may in no way be held liable for any damage of any form in connection or arising from the quality and/or use of this program and any associated files included with it. Registered users feel free to contact me via NETMAIL for instant support... Harvey Parisien, FidoNet 1:249/114 (route via 1:249/1) ** YOUR FEEDBACK, AND SUPPORT IS APPRECIATED ** Page 7 U S E R S G U I D E RUNNING PPOINT When you run PPoint, by entering PPOINT at a DOS prompt, or selecting it from a system menu, it will display a title screen, and then immediately bring you to the main pulldown menu interface. (You can turn off the title screen on the setup menu if it annoys you.) The use of pulldown menus has been implemented to organize your availability of various functions at different times, and by separating them into separate related areas. The first pulldown menu is the set of functions that relate to HOST connections, and management. The next pulldown menu contains functions related to MAIL management. This is the menu you first arrive on when you run PPoint, since it's the area most commonly used. The other two menus are OPTIONS, which is where not so common functions are made available, and the SETUP. The Setup menu contains all of the various user definable options, and settings required to operate and maintain PPoint. A TYPICAL PPOINT SESSION A typical PPoint session might start where you would choose HOST TRANSFER on the HOST pulldown menu. This will transfer any outstanding mail created by your system to your Host, and process any incoming mail or files from your Host. Your system automatically dials your Host, connects, and transfers information. When a Host transfer is complete, and if you have received mail, you will find yourself on the MAIL pulldown menu, on the selection READ NEW MAIL. This is the next logical choice you would make when mail is received. (See REFERENCE GUIDE) ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ To continue, create an up-to-date REFERENCE GUIDE. Run │ │ PPoint and press F1 for a help screen. Select Help Index │ │ and select the last choice which is Print User Reference Guide. │ │ This will print a complete function by function guide to │ │ running PPoint. This guide is a complete printout of your │ │ online Help text. │ └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ Contact me via NETMAIL... Harvey Parisien, FidoNet 1:249/114 (route via 1:249/1) Page 8 Error Codes Code Message Code Message 1 NEXT without FOR 52 Bad file name or number 2 Syntax error 53 File not found 3 RETURN without GOSUB 54 Bad file mode 4 Out of DATA 55 File already open 5 Illegal function call 56 FIELD statement active 6 Overflow 57 Device I/O error 7 Out of memory 58 File already exists 8 Label not defined 59 Bad record length 9 Subscript out of range 61 Disk full 10 Duplicate definition 62 Input past end of file 11 Division by zero 63 Bad record number 12 Illegal in direct mode 64 Bad file name 13 Type mismatch 67 Too many files 14 Out of string space 68 Device unavailable 16 String formula too complex 69 Communication-buffer overflow 17 Cannot continue 70 Permission denied 18 Function not defined 71 Disk not ready 19 No RESUME 72 Disk-media error 20 RESUME without error 73 Feature unavailable 24 Device timeout 74 Rename across disks 25 Device fault 75 Path/File access error 26 FOR without NEXT 76 Path not found 27 Out of paper 80 Feature removed 29 WHILE without WEND 81 Invalid name 30 WEND without WHILE 82 Table not found 33 Duplicate label 83 Index not found 35 Subprogram not defined 84 Invalid column 37 Argument-count mismatch 85 No current record 38 Array not defined 86 Duplicate value unique index 40 Variable required 87 Invalid operation null index 50 FIELD overflow 88 Database needs repair 51 Internal error 89 Insufficient ISAM buffers Page 9 The latest version of PPOINT is available from the following nodes, or on your favorite SDS site. PPOINT Support Sites use F/req name of: POINT US Preston Smith, Colorado Springs, Colorado 1:128/77 2400, HST/DS CANADA Bill Cassidy, Kingston, Ontario (NEC) 1:249/1 HST/DS 16.8 CANADA Bill Cassidy, Kingston, Ontario (NEC) 1:249/50 ZyXEL 16.8 UK Cliff Jones, Lowestoft, Suffolk, England 2:254/71 9600/HST UK Cliff Jones, Lowestoft, Suffolk, England 2:254/44 2400 CCITT GERMANY Peter Kaszanics, Essen, Germany 2:245/100 HST GERMANY Peter Kaszanics, Essen, Germany 2:245/8 V32Bis ITALY Giancarlo Cairella, Milano, Italy (NEC) 2:331/300 HST DS/PEP ITALY Giancarlo Cairella, Milano, Italy 2:331/301 HST AUSTRALIA Peter Lane-Collett, Brisbane, Queensland 3:640/306 2400 CCITT Other works by Harvey Parisien ╓────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╖ ║ Magic FREQ names for 1:249/1 HST/DS -or- 1:249/114 ZyXEL 16.8 ║ ║────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────║ ║ DB = CONTACT MANAGER, PIM, & Generic dBASE III+ Database Mgr ║ ║ RAD = dBASE III file compatible, BBS or REMOTE online database ║ ║ HLIST = HLIST File List Compiler for files.bbs systems. ║ ║ OMENU = oMENU the Ultimate disk Menu System ║ ║ POINT = PPoint - Professional Point System - easy and automatic ║ ║ HARVEY = "Harvey the Robot" automated message mailer *.PKT format ║ ║ OFFLINE = The easy to use, QWK offline reader. ║ ╙────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╜