Usenet 1994 January/usenetsourcesnewsgroupsinfomagicjanuary1994.iso/sources/unix/volume22/elm2.3/part04

Internet Message Format | 1990-06-07 | 49.1 KB

Subject:  v22i063:  ELM mail syste, release 2.3, Part04/26
Newsgroups: comp.sources.unix
Approved: [e-mail]
X-Checksum-Snefru: d6cbfae8 e6d661e1 0483ed69 01e32cf2

Submitted-by: Syd Weinstein <[e-mail]>
Posting-number: Volume 22, Issue 63
Archive-name: elm2.3/part04

---- Cut Here and unpack ----
#!/bin/sh
# this is part 4 of a multipart archive
# do not concatenate these parts, unpack them in order with /bin/sh
# file doc/Alias.guide continued
#
CurArch=4
if test ! -r s2_seq_.tmp
then echo "Please unpack part 1 first!"
     exit 1; fi
( read Scheck
  if test "$Scheck" != $CurArch
  then echo "Please unpack part $Scheck next!"
       exit 1;
  else exit 0; fi
) < s2_seq_.tmp || exit 1
echo "x - Continuing file doc/Alias.guide"
sed 's/^X//' << 'SHAR_EOF' >> doc/Alias.guide
Xtake the Usenet articles in the group ``comp.mail.maps'' and change
Xthem into a file of the form;
X
X    \f2hostname\f1    <tab>    \f2address\f1
X
Xwhich then must be sorted alphabetically and stored in the file
Xpointed to by \f2pathfile\f1 for \f3Elm\f1 (and other
Xprograms) to use.
X.pg
XIf you don't have the program, or don't want to use it, you can
Xsimulate this file by listing machines in the same format.  The
Xexact format expected is;
X
X    \f2hostname\f1<tab>\f2machine-address\f1
X
Xwhere \f2hostname\f1 is a limited identifier (no special characters) and
Xmachine-address MUST contain the sequence `%s' (and consequently
Xany other percent signs that appear in the address must be paired)
Xso that the call in the program ``sprintf(buffer, machine-address, username)''
Xwill generate a valid return address.  This file must be sorted alphabetically
Xfor Elm to use it properly.
X.pg
XBy way of example, here are a few entries from my own file;
X
X.ft CW
X.zf
X.in .5i
X.TS
Xl l.
XHPL    %s@hplabs
XPARC    %s%%Xerox.PA.COM@hplabs
Xamc-hq    %s%%AMC-HQ.ARPA@hplabs
Ximsss    %s%%IMSSS%%AI.STANFORD.EDU@hplabs
Xinfopro    hplabs!infopro!%s
Xinterleaf    sun!interleaf!%s
X.TE
X.ft 1
X
X.in 0
XAs you can see, the addresses can get pretty complicated.  In fact
Xit's due purely to the complexity of addresses that this file
Xis so useful.
X.sp
X.ne 5
XSome brief examples:
X
X.in .5i
X.ft CW
X.zf
X.nf
X$ \f3elm joe@HPL\f1
X.ft CW
X.zf
XTo: joe@hplabs
X$ \f3elm michelle@imsss\f1
X.ft CW
X.zf
XTo: michelle%IMSSS%AI.STANFORD.EDU@hplabs
X$ \f3elm fiedler@infopro\f1
X.ft CW
X.zf
XTo: hplabs!infopro!fiedler
X.ft 1
X.fi
X
X.in 0
XIf you'd like further information on the \f2pathalias\f1 program, try
Xkeeping track of the entries in the netnews group \f2comp.sources.unix\f1 \(em
Xit's posted about once a year or so...
X.sp
X.hn 1 The Domain Routing Database
X
XAnother interesting feature of the
X\f3Elm\f1 system is the shorthand domain routing database.
XThis is the same database (in the same strange format) as used by
Xthe publically available \f2uumail\f1 program.
X.pg
XIn a nutshell, the file contains information of the form;
X
X.in .5i
X\f2domain,   path-to-gateway,  rewrite-template\f1
X.in 0
X
XThe \f2domain\f1 field must begin with a leading `.' and
Xis usually ordered in the same way as the standard
Xdomain entries (that is, ``\s8.HP.COM\s10'' not ``\s8.COM.HP\s10'').
X.pg
X\f2Path-to-gateway\f1 is routing information on how to get
Xto the particular gateway that this domain expects, and
Xalways is a machine/host name (to be found in the pathalias
Xdatabase, see the previous section) preceded by a `>'
Xcharacter.
X.pg
X\f2Rewrite-template\f1 is the most interesting of the
Xthree, and is akin to a printf string for C.  The
Xchanges are that instead of `%s' `%d' and so on, the
Xactual ``percent'' values represent various parts of
Xthe address, namely;
X
X.in .5i
X.TS
Xc l.
X\f3Symbol    Represents\f1
X%U    The username in the To: address
X%N    The remote machine name
X%D    %N + domain information
X%R    path to %N from pathalias
X%P    \f2path-to-gateway\f1 entry
X%%    The `%' character
X.TE
X.in 0
X
Xwith this very un-intuitive setup, let's look at a few entries
Xfrom the domains database and then see how they work:
X
X.nf
X.ft CW
X.zf
X.in .5i
X\&.EUR.UUCP, , , %R!%U
X\&.ATT.COM, >att, , %P!%D!%U
X\&.HP.COM, , , %R!%U
X\&.UUCP, , , %R!%U
X\&.COM, >hplabs, , %P!%U@%D
X\&.CSNET, >hplabs, , %P!18:12:[e-mail]
X\&.EDU, >hplabs, , %P!%U@%D
X.ft 1
X.fi
X.in 0
X
X(Note the presence of a third field that is always null.
XThis is for compatibility with the \f2uumail\f1 program.
XAlso notice that there is a space after each and every comma,
Xeven if that field has an entry.)
X.pg
XTo see how it all works, let's suppose that we want to send a message
Xto `[e-mail]'.  This would break down into the following fields:
X
X.nf
X.in .5i
X%U = \f2jad\f1
X%N = \f2cs\f1
X%D = \f2cs.purdue.edu\f1
X.in 0
X
X.fi
XWhen the \f3Elm\f1 program matches the \f2.edu\f1  entry
X
X.nf
X.in .5i
X.ft CW
X.zf
X\&.EDU, >hplabs, , %P!%U@%D
X.ft 1
X.in 0
X
X.fi
Xthe other field instantiated would be:
X
X.nf
X.in .5i
X%P = \f2path to hplabs\f1
Xtemplate = \f2%P!%U@%D\f1
X.in 0
X.fi
X
XIf, say, our path to \f2hplabs\f1 was \f2hpcnoe!hplabs\f1, then
Xthe fully expanded address would be:
X
X.nf
X.ft CW
X.zf
X.in .5i
Xhpcnoe!hplabs![e-mail]
X.ft 1
X.in 0
X.fi
X
X\f1and so on.
X.sp
XWhat does this mean to the average user?  It means that you can
Xfor the most part send mail to people on different networks by
Xsimply using their full address, including any domain information,
Xso that mail to addresses like ``[e-mail]'' will work,
Xa message to ``[e-mail]'' will work and so on!
X.sp
X.hn 1 Other Stuff not Covered Yet
X
XProbably the biggest question you have in your mind right now
Xis ``But how the heck does this relate to my existing \f2Berkeley Mail\f1
Xaliases and the lower-level \f2sendmail\f1 alias system??''  Well,
Xrest assured that if you \f2really\f1 want to have
Xyour aliases down in the transport you can.  No problem.  All you'll
Xneed to do is to turn off the address validation routine in \f3Elm\f1.
X.pg
XAnd for those ex-\f2Berkeley Mail\f1 fans, you can translate your
Xaliases into the format that \f3Elm\f1 wants by running them
Xthrough the \f2awk\f1 script listed in the appendix.
X.pg
XFinally, if you have any problems or questions, try looking in
Xthe \f2newalias\f1 manual entry, or dropping me a line at the
X``usual'' email address.
X.bp
X.ce 99
X\f3Appendix One
XAn AWK Script for Translating Aliases from
Xa \f2Berkeley Mail\fP ``.mailrc'' File to an \f2Elm\fP ``.elm/aliases.text''
XFile\f1
X.ce 0
X.sp
X.nf
X
X.ta .5i
X.ft CW
X.zf
XBEGIN { print "# Elm .elm/aliases.text file, from a .mailrc file..."
X    print ""
X    }
Xnext_line == 1 {
X    next_line = 0;
X    group = ""
X    for (i = 1; i <= NF; i++) {
X      if (i == NF && $i == "\\\\") sep = ""
X      else                       sep = ", "
X      if ($i == "\\\\") {
X        group = sprintf("%s,", group)
X        next_line = 1;
X      }
X      else if (length(group) > 0)
X        group = sprintf("%s%s%s", group, sep, $i);
X      else
X        group = $i;
X      }
X      print "\\t" group
X    }
X$1 ~ /[Aa]lias | [Gg]roup/ {
X    if ( NF == 3)
X      print $2 " = user alias = " $3;
X    else {
X      group = ""
X      for (i = 3; i <= NF; i++) {
X        if (i == NF && $i == "\\\\") sep = ""
X        else        sep = ", "
X        if ($i == "\\\\") {
X          group = sprintf("%s,", group)
X          next_line = 1;
X        }
X        else if (length(group) > 0)
X          group = sprintf("%s%s%s", group, sep, $i);
X        else
X          group = $i;
X        }
X        print $2 " = group alias = " group;
X      }
X    }
X
X.ft 1
X.fi
XNote: this script is contained in the release under the name ``mailrc.awk''
Xin the utilities directory ``utils''.
SHAR_EOF
echo "File doc/Alias.guide is complete"
chmod 0444 doc/Alias.guide || echo "restore of doc/Alias.guide fails"
echo "x - extracting doc/Config.guid (Text)"
sed 's/^X//' << 'SHAR_EOF' > doc/Config.guid &&
X.\" @(#)$Id: Config.guid,v 4.1 90/04/28 22:41:00 syd Exp $
X.\"
X.\"  A guide to the ELM alias system and so on.
X.\"  format with:
X.\"      'troff tmac.n Config.guid > Config.fmtd'
X.\"
X.\"  (C) Copyright 1986, 1987 Dave Taylor
X.\"  (C) Copyright 1988, 1989, 1990 Usenet Community Trust
X.\"  Elm is now in the public trust. Bug reports, comments, suggestions, flames
X.\"  etc. should go to:
X.\"    Syd Weinstein        [e-mail] (dsinc!elm)
X.\"
X.\"  $Log:    Config.guid,v $
X.\" Revision 4.1  90/04/28  22:41:00  syd
X.\" checkin of Elm 2.3 as of Release PL0
X.\"
X.\"
X.tm Have we been run through "tbl" first?? I hope so!
X.po 1i
X.ds h0
X.ds h1
X.ds h2
X.ds f0
X.ds f1
X.ds f2
X.nr Hy 1
X.nr Pt 1
X.nr Pi 0
X.lg 0
X.nf
X.na
X.rs
X.za
X.sp |3.0i
X.ce 99
X.ps 20
X\f3Elm Configuration Guide\f1
X.sp 4
X.ps 12
X.ss 14
X.vs 14
X\f2How to install and customize the Elm mail system\f1
X.sp 2
XDave Taylor
X.sp
XHewlett-Packard Laboratories
X1501 Page Mill Road
XPalo Alto CA
X94304
X.sp 3
Xemail: taylor\s-1@\s+1hplabs.HP.COM  or  hplabs\s-1!\s+1taylor
X.sp 3
X>>> Elm is now in the public trust. Bug reports, comments, etc. to: <<<
X.sp
XSyd Weinstein
XDatacomp Systems, Inc.
X3837 Byron Road
XHuntingdon Valley, PA 19006-2320
X.sp
Xemail: elm\s-1@\s+1DSI.COM  or  dsinc\s-1!\s+1elm
X.sp 3
X.ps 18
X\f3\(co\f1\s12 Copyright 1986,1987 by Dave Taylor
X.ps 18
X\f3\(co\f1\s12 Copyright 1988, 1989, 1990 by The USENET Community Trust
X.ps 10
X.ss 12
X.vs 12
X.fi
X.ad
X.bp 1
X.sv 5v
X.ps 14
X\f3Elm Configuration Guide\f1
X.ds h0 "Elm Configuration Guide
X.ds h1
X.ds h2 "Version 2.3
X.ds f0 "May 1, 1990
X.ds f1 "Page %
X.sp
X.ps 10
X(Version 2.3)
X.sp 2
XDave Taylor
X.sp
XHewlett-Packard Laboratories
X1501 Page Mill Road
XPalo Alto CA
X94304
X.sp
Xemail: taylor\s-1@\s+1hplabs.HP.COM  or  hplabs\s-1!\s+1taylor
X.sp 2
X>>> Elm is now in the public trust. Bug reports, comments, etc. to: <<<
X.sp
X.sp
XSyd Weinstein
XDatacomp Systems, Inc.
X3837 Byron Road
XHuntingdon Valley, PA 19006-2320
X.sp
Xemail: elm\s-1@\s+1DSI.COM  or  dsinc\s-1!\s+1elm
X.sp 2
XMay 1, 1990
X.ce 0
X.sp 3
X.pg
XThis document is intended as a supplement to the \f2Elm Users Guide\f1
Xand \f2Elm Reference Guide\f1
Xand should be of interest mainly to people at a site either installing
Xor maintaining the source code to the \f3Elm\f1 mail system, or
Xmodifying the code.
X.sp
XIt is \f2required\f1 that installation be done by using the
X\f2Configure\f1 script supplied with the system.  Please see the
Xfile \f2Instruct\f1 for further information on running \f2Configure\f1.
X.sp
XThe remainder of this document will discuss the various questions
Xasked by the \f2Configure\f1 script and the
Xoptions available via direct editing of various files and
Xparameters.  As indicated above, almost all of the sites that install
X\f3Elm\f1 should find the \f2Configure\f1 script more than
Xsufficient.
X.hu Using Configure
X.pg
X\f2Configure\fP is a shell script that will automatically determine the
Xtype of system it is running on and tune the parameters of Elm to fit
Xthat system and its environment.  Where the installer has a choice, it
Xasks questions of the installer.  \f2Configure\fP provides its own
Xinstructions when run, so they are not repeated here.  However, when
Xthe installer is presented with a choice, this next section explains
Xsome of the options available.  Not all the questions or options to
Xthose questions are explained.
X.sp 2
X.pg
XEnable calendar feature?
X.sp
XElm has a feature to take specially marked lines within mail messages
Xand add them to a file for use by the system calendar program.  The
Xcommand to do this extraction needs to be enabled to work.  There is
Xalso a follow on question regarding the name of the calendar file:
X.pg
XDefault calendar file?
X.sp
Xwhich is usually calendar on most systems.  This file will reside in the
Xusers home directory, not their .elm directory.
X.pg
XDoes your /etc/passwd file keep full names in Berkeley/V7 format (name
Xfirst thing after ':' in GCOS field)?
X.sp
XElm uses the full name from the password file if it is available.
XThere are two major ways this name is stored.  Berkeley/V7 systems
Xplace the name as the entire GCOS field string, that is it starts
Xdirectly after the ':' that delimits the fields.  USG
X.ux " Systems" (
XGroup, or AT&T) systems put the users name after a department number
Xand separate it from that number by a '-'.  The end of the users full
Xname in these systems is a '('.  Look at your /etc/password file and if
Xeither version applies, answer yes to that version.  If neither
Xapplies, answer no.  Elm can still get the users name from the
X".fullname" file in their home directory.
X.pg
XEvery now and then someone has a (gethostname, uname) that lies about
Xthe hostname but can't be fixed for political or economic reasons.
XWould you like to pretend (gethostname, uname) isn't there and maybe
Xcompile in the hostname?
X.sp
XElm needs to know the correct name of the host on which it is executing
Xto be able to create the proper headers for the outbound mail.  Some systems
Xuse one name for uucp and another name for the system and others just don't
Xreply to the subroutines with the proper name.  In this case it will be
Xnecessary to compile in the name.  In all other cases this should not
Xbe needed.  It is provided just in case there is a problem with your
Xsystem.
X.pg
XDoes your mailer understand INTERNET addresses?
X.sp
XElm will work with systems that can process the `@' character of INTERNET
Xformat addresses or with the `!' format of uucp addresses.  If your
Xmail delivery agent understands the `@' format addresses, they should be
Xused and this question is answered yes.  If when you send mail with the
X`@' format addresses (such as [e-mail]), they bounce, then answer this
Xquestion no.
X.pg
XAm I going to be running as a setgid program?
X.sp
XOn USG type systems and many other types,
Xaccess to the mailboxes and the mailbox directory
Xis via the group permissions.  The mail user agents, such as Elm, need
Xwrite access into this directory to be able to move the mailbox around
Xdue to internal editing and to create lock files.  If the permissions
Xon your mailbox directory are drwxrwxr-x, then Elm needs to be a setgid
Xprogram.
X.pg
XWhat is the default editor on your system?
X.sp
XIf no editor is specified in the users \f2.elm/elmrc file,\f1 this is which
Xeditor to use.  The editor is used to compose outbound mail messages.
X.pg
XWhat pager do you prefer to use with Elm?
X.sp
XThis is the standard pager to use for reading messages.
XBesides the usual system pagers, two Elm specific internal options
Xexist: builtin and builtin+.  The built-in pager is faster to execute
Xbut much less flexible than the system provided pagers.  The + version
Xjust clears the page before displaying the next page.  Otherwise the
Xtwo versions are identical.
X.hu Other Configurable Parameters
X.pg
XThe following parameters rarely need to be changed, but are provided if
Xyou need them.  \f2Configure\fP does not prompt for their values.  To
Xchange them, edit the \f2hdrs/sysdefs.h\f1 file directly after running
XConfigure.
X.lp FIND_DELTA 1.0i
XThis is the delta that the binary search of the pathalias database
Xwill use to determine when it's slicing up a single line, rather than
Xa multitude of lines.   Ideally, this should be set to 1 byte less
Xthan the shortest line in the file...the default is 10 bytes.
X.lp MAX_IN_WEEDLIST 1.0i
XThe maximum number of headers that can be specified in the weedout
Xlist of the \f2.elm/elmrc\f1 file.  A suggested alternative approach if this
Xnumber is too small is to specify initial substrings in the file
Xrather than increasing the number.  For example, say you want to
Xweedout the headers ``Latitude:'' and ``Latitudinal-Coords:'', you
Xcould simply specify ``Latitud''" and match them both!  Furthermore
Xyou could also specify headers like ``X-'' and remove all the user
Xdefined headers!
X.lp MAX_HOPS 1.0i
XWhen replying to a G)roup, this is the maximum number of hops that
Xa message can have taken.  This is used to try to optimize the
Xreturn address (remove cyclic loops and so on) and regular use
Xshould show that the default of 35 is plenty more than you'll
Xever need!
X.lp system_text_file 1.0i
XThis is the source text file for the system level aliases.
XSee either the \f2newalias(1L)\f1 man page, or \f2The Elm
XAlias System Users Guide\f1 for further details.
X.lp system_hash_file 1.0i
XThis is the file that contains the hashed version of the system
Xaliases.
X.lp system_data_file 1.0i
XThis is the other file the \f2newalias\f1 command installs in the system
Xalias area and contains the actual addresses for each of the aliases
Xcontained in the hashed data file.
X.lp ALIAS_TEXT 1.0i
XThis is where the individual users alias text file lives.
X.lp ALIAS_HASH 1.0i
XWhere the hashed aliases are stored,
X.lp ALIAS_DATA 1.0i
Xand where the alias address data itself is kept.
X.lp DEBUGFILE 1.0i
XThe name of the file to put in the users home directory if they choose to
Xuse the `-d' debug option.
X.lp OLDEBUG 1.0i
XThe name of the file to save the previous debug output as.  (this feature
Xwas added to ensure that users wanting to mail bug reports wouldn't
Xautomatically overwrite the debug log of the session in question)
X.lp temp_lock_dir 1.0i
XDirectory for lock files for XENIX.
X.lp temp_file 1.0i
XTemporary file for sending outbound messages.
X.lp temp_form_file 1.0i
XA place to store temporary forms (for Forms Mode) while answering them.
X.lp temp_mbox 1.0i
XPlace to keep copy of incoming mailbox to avoid collisions with newer
Xmail.
X.lp temp_print  1.0i
XFile to use when creating a printout of a message.
X.lp temp_edit 1.0i
XFile to use when editing the mailbox file on XENIX.
X.lp temp_uuname 1.0i
XWhere to redirect output of the \f2uuname(1M)\f1 command.
X.lp mailtime_file 1.0i
XFile to compare date to to determine if a given message is New
Xsince the last time the mail was read or not.
X.lp readmsg_file 1.0i
XFile to use when communicating with the \f2readmsg\f1 program (see
Xthat program for more information)
X.lp smflags  1.0i
XDefines the flags to hand to \f2sendmail\f1 if and when the program
Xchooses to use it.
X.lp smflagsv 1.0i
XDefines the flags to hand to \f2sendmail\f1 in verbose voyuer mode.
X.lp mailer 1.0i
XIf you don't have \f2sendmail\f1, this is the mailer that'll be used.
X.lp helpfile 1.0i
XThe help file name prefix.
X.lp ELMRC_INFO 1.0i
XThe file containing textual messages associated with each
X\f3Elm\f1 variable setting in the users \f2``.elm/elmrc''\f1
Xfile.  This is used when the user chooses to auto-save the
Xoptions from within the main program.
X.lp elmrcfile 1.0i
XThe name of the automatic control file within the \f2.elm\f1
Xdirectory. (currently \f2elmrc\f1)
X.lp old_elmrcfile 1.0i
XWhen a new elmrc file is saved, the old one is also saved, being
Xrenamed to whatever this identifier is set to.
X.lp mailheaders  1.0i
XThe name of the optional file that users may have that will be
Xincluded in the headers of each outbound message.
X.lp dead_letter 1.0i
XIf the user decides not to send a message it will instead be saved
Xto this filename in their home directory.
X.lp unedited_mail 1.0i
XIn the strange case when the mailer suddenly finds all the directories
Xit uses shut off (like \f2/usr/mail\f1 and \f2/tmp\f1)
Xthen it'll put the current
Xmailbox into this file in the users home directory.
X.lp newalias 1.0i
XHow to install new aliases..(note: you MUST have the '-q' flag!)
X.lp readmsg 1.0i
XWhat the \f2readmsg(1L)\f1 program is installed as.
SHAR_EOF
chmod 0444 doc/Config.guid || echo "restore of doc/Config.guid fails"
echo "x - extracting doc/Elm.cover (Text)"
sed 's/^X//' << 'SHAR_EOF' > doc/Elm.cover &&
X.\" @(#)$Id: Elm.cover,v 4.1 90/04/28 22:41:01 syd Exp $
X.\"
X.\"  Cover sheet for the ELM mail system...
X.\"  format with
X.\"    troff tmac.n Elm.cover > Coversheet.fmtd'
X.\"
X.\"  Elm is now in the public trust. Bug reports, comments, suggestions, flames
X.\"  etc. should go to:
X.\"    Syd Weinstein        [e-mail] (dsinc!elm)
X.\"
X.\"  (C) Copyright 1986, 1987 Dave Taylor
X.\"  (C) Copyright 1988, 1989, 1990 Usenet Community Trust
X.\"
X.\"  $Log:    Elm.cover,v $
X.\" Revision 4.1  90/04/28  22:41:01  syd
X.\" checkin of Elm 2.3 as of Release PL0
X.\"
X.\"
X.po 1i
X.ds h0
X.ds h1
X.ds h2
X.ds f0
X.ds f1
X.ds f2
X.nr Hy 1
X.nr Pt 1
X.nr Pi 8
X.lg 0
X.nf
X.na
X.rs
X.za
X.sv |3.0i
X.ce 99
X.ps 25
X\fBThe \s26Elm\s25 Mail System\fR
X.sp 2
X.ps 14
X.ss 16
X.vs 16
X\fIA Replacement Mailer for All Unix Systems\fR
X.sp 3
XDave Taylor
X.sp
XHewlett-Packard Laboratories
X1501 Page Mill Road
XPalo Alto CA
X94304
X.sp
Xemail: taylor\s12@\s14hplabs \ or \ hplabs!taylor
X.sp 4
X>>> Elm is now in the public trust. Bug reports, comments, etc. to: <<<
X.sp
XSyd Weinstein
XDatacomp Systems, Inc.
X3837 Byron Road
XHuntingdon Valley, PA 19006-2320
X.sp
Xemail: elm\s-1@\s+1DSI.COM  or  dsinc\s-1!\s+1elm
SHAR_EOF
chmod 0444 doc/Elm.cover || echo "restore of doc/Elm.cover fails"
echo "x - extracting doc/Filter.guid (Text)"
sed 's/^X//' << 'SHAR_EOF' > doc/Filter.guid &&
X.\" @(#)$Id: Filter.guid,v 4.1 90/04/28 22:41:03 syd Exp $
X.\"
X.\"  A guide to the Elm Filter program
X.\"  format with:
X.\"     'tbl tmac.n Filter.guid | troff > Filter.format'
X.\"
X.\"  (C) Copyright 1986, 1987 Dave Taylor
X.\"  (C) Copyright 1988, 1989, 1990 Usenet Community Trust
X.\"
X.\"  Elm is now in the public trust. Bug reports, comments, suggestions, flames
X.\"  etc. should go to:
X.\"    Syd Weinstein        [e-mail] (dsinc!elm)
X.\"
X.\"  $Log:    Filter.guid,v $
X.\" Revision 4.1  90/04/28  22:41:03  syd
X.\" checkin of Elm 2.3 as of Release PL0
X.\"
X.\" Revision 3.8  90/03/26  15:12:06  syd
X.\"
X.tm Have we been run through "tbl" first?? I hope so!
X.po 1i
X.ds h0
X.ds h1
X.ds h2
X.ds f0
X.ds f1
X.ds f2
X.nr Hy 1
X.nr Pt 1
X.nr Pi 8
X.lg 0
X.nf
X.na
X.rs
X.za
X.sp |3.0i
X.ce 99
X.ps 20
X.ss 18
X.vs 12
X\f3The Elm Filter System Guide\f1
X.sp 4
X.ps 12
X.ss 14
X.vs 14
X\f2What the filter program is, what it does,
Xand how to use it\f1
X.sp 2
XDave Taylor
X.sp
XHewlett-Packard Laboratories
X1501 Page Mill Road
XPalo Alto CA
X94304
X.sp 3
Xemail: taylor\s-1@\s+1hplabs.HP.COM  or  hplabs\s-1!\s+1taylor
X.sp 3
X>>> Elm is now in the public trust. Bug reports, comments, etc. to: <<<
X.sp
XSyd Weinstein
XDatacomp Systems, Inc.
X3837 Byron Road
XHuntingdon Valley, PA 19006-2320
X.sp
Xemail: elm\s-1@\s+1DSI.COM  or  dsinc\s-1!\s+1elm
X.sp 3
X.ps 18
X\f3\(co\f1\s12 Copyright 1986, 1987 by Dave Taylor
X.ps 18
X\f3\(co\f1\s12 Copyright 1988, 1989, 1990 by The USENET Community Trust
X.ps 10
X.ss 12
X.vs 12
X.fi
X.ad
X.bp 1
X.sv 5v
X.ps 14
X\f3The Elm Filter System Guide\f1
X.ds h0 "Elm Filter Guide
X.ds h2 "Version 2.3
X.ds f0 "May 1, 1990
X.ds f1 "Page %
X.sp
X.ps 10
X(Version 2.3)
X.sp 2
XDave Taylor
X.sp
XHewlett-Packard Laboratories
X1501 Page Mill Road
XPalo Alto CA
X94304
X.sp
Xemail: taylor\s-1@\s+1hplabs.HP.COM  or  hplabs\s-1!\s+1taylor
X.sp 2
X>>> Elm is now in the public trust. Bug reports, comments, etc. to: <<<
X.sp
XSyd Weinstein
XDatacomp Systems, Inc.
X3837 Byron Road
XHuntingdon Valley, PA 19006-2320
X.sp
Xemail: elm\s-1@\s+1DSI.COM  or  dsinc\s-1!\s+1elm
X.sp 2
XMay 1, 1990
X.ce 0
X.sp 3
X.pg
XOne of the greatest problems with the burgeoning electronic mail
Xexplosion is that I tend to get lots of mail that I don't care about.
XAmusingly, perhaps, I have the equivalent of electronic junk mail.
XNot amusing, however, is the fact that this can rapidly
Xaccumulate and end up taking over my mailbox.
X.pg
XAt the same time I often get mail that, while it is interesting
Xand important, can easily be filed to be read later, without ever
Xactually having to cluttering up my incoming mailbox.
X.sp 2
XThis, then, is what \f2filter\f1 does!  The \f2filter\f1 program
Xallows you to define a set of rules by which all incoming mail should
Xbe screened, and a subsequent set of actions to perform based on whether
Xthe conditions were met or not.  \f2Filter\f1 also has the ability to mail
Xa summary of what actions it performed on the incoming mail as often as
Xyou'd like.
X.ne 5
X.hu Writing the Rules
X.sp
XThe language for writing \f2filter\f1 rules is pretty simple, actually.
XThe fundamental structure is;
X.nf
X.ti .5i
Xif  (\f2condition\f1)  then  \f2action\f1
X.fi
XWhere \f2condition\f1 is constructed by an arbitrary number of
Xindividual conditions of the form ``\f2field\f1  \f2relation\f1  \f2value\f1''.
X(an optional further type of rule is of the form ``always \f2action\f1''
Xbut should only be used as the last rule in the ruleset, for obvious
Xreasons).
XThe \f2field\f1 value can be;
X.nf
X.in .5i
Xsubject
Xfrom
Xto
Xlines
Xcontains
X.in 0
X.fi
Xwhere, if ``lines'' is chosen, the \f2relation\f1 can be any of the
Xstandard relationships (`>', `<', `>=', `<=', `!=' and `=').
XIf another action is
Xchosen, ``contains'' can be used as the relation, ``='', or, if you'd
Xlike, you can skip the relationship entirely (e.g. `subject "joe"').
XThe \f2value\f1 is any quoted string that is to be matched against
Xor number if ``lines'' is the field being considered.
X.sp
XIndividual conditions are joined together by using the word ``and'',
Xand the logic of a condition can be flipped by using ``not'' as the
Xfirst word (e.g. `not subject "joe"').  We'll see more examples of
Xthis later.
X.sp
XNote that the ``or'' logical conjunction isn't a valid part of the
X\f2filter\f1 conditional statement.
X.sp
XFinally, <\f2action\f1> can be any of;
X.nf
X.in .5i
Xdelete
Xsave   \f2foldername\f1
Xsavecopy  \f2foldername\f1
Xforward  \f2address\f1
Xexecute  \f2command\f1
Xleave
X.in 0
X.fi
Xwhere they result in the actions;  \f3delete\f1 deletes the message;
X\f3save\f1 saves a copy of the message in the specified foldername;
X\f3savecopy\f1 does the same as save, but also puts a copy in your mailbox;
X\f3forward\f1 sends the message to the specified address;
X\f3execute\f1 feeds the message to the specified command (or complex
Xsequence of commands) as standard input;
Xand \f3leave\f1 leaves the message in your mailbox.
X.sp
XFoldernames can contain any of a number of macros, too, as we'll see in
Xthe example ruleset below.  The macros available for the string fields are;
X.ft CW
X.zf
X.TS
Xcenter;
Xlf3 lf3
Xl l.
XMacro    Meaning
X.ft CW
X.zf
X%d    day of the month
X%D    day of the week (0-6)
X%h    hour of the day (0-23)
X%m    month of the year (0-11)
X%r    return address of message
X%s    subject of original message
X%S    ``Re: \f2subject of original message\fP''
X.ft CW
X.zf
X%t    current hour and minute in HH:MM format
X%y    year (last two digits)
X.TE
X.ft 1
X.sp
XThe rules file can also contain comments (any line starting with a `#')
Xand blank lines.
X.sp
XThe file itself needs to reside in your .elm directory off your home directory and be
Xcalled \f2.elm/filter-rules\f1.  Here's an example:
X.nf
X.ft CW
X.zf
X # $HOME/.elm/filter-rules
X #
X # Filter rules for the Elm Filter program. Don't change without some
X # serious thought. (remember - order counts)
X #
X # (for Dave Taylor)
X # rule 1
X if (from contains "!uucp") then delete
X # rule 2
X to "postmaster" ? save "/tmp/postmaster-mail.%d"
X # rule 3
X if (to "culture" and lines > 20) ? save "/users/taylor/Mail/culture"
X # rule 4
X subject = "filter test" ? forward "hpldat!test"
X # rule 5
X if [ subject = "elm" ] savecopy "/users/taylor/Mail/elm-incoming"
X # rule 6
X subject = "display-to-console" ? execute "cat - > /dev/console"
X.fi
X.ft 1
X(notice the loose syntax \(em there are lots of valid ways to specify a
Xrule in the \f2filter\f1 program!!)
X.sp
XTo translate these into English;
X.sp
X.nr TW \w'1. 'u
X.in .5i
X.ti -\n(TWu
X1. All messages from uucp should be summarily deleted.
X
X.ti -\n(TWu
X2. All mail to postmaster should be saved in a folder (file) called
X/tmp/postmaster-mail.\f2numeric-day-of-the-week\f1
X
X.ti -\n(TWu
X3. All mail addressed to `culture' with at least 20 lines
Xshould be automatically appended to the folder
X/users/taylor/Mail/culture.
X
X.ti -\n(TWu
X4. All messages that contain the subject `filter test' should be forwarded to
Xme, but via the address `hpldat!test' (to force a non-user forward)
X
X.ti -\n(TWu
X5. All messages with a subject that contains the word `elm' should be saved in
Xthe folder ``/users/taylor/Mail/elm-incoming'' and also dropped into my
Xmailbox.
X
X.ti -\n(TWu
X6. Any message with the subject ``display-to-console'' will be immediately
Xwritten to the console.
X.in 0
X.sp
XNotice that the \f2order\f1 of the rules is very important.  If we, for
Xexample, were to get a message from `uucp' that had the subject `filter test',
Xthe \f2filter\f1 program would match rule 1 and delete the message.  It
Xwould never be forwarded to `hpldat!test'.  It is for this reason that
Xgreat care should be taken with the ordering of the rules.
X.ne 5
X.hu Checking the rules out
X.sp
XThe \f2filter\f1 program has a convenient way of check out the rules you
Xhave written.  Simply invoke it with the \f3-r\f1 (\f3r\f1ules) flag;
X.nf
X.in .5i
X% \f3filter -r\f1
X.ft CW
X.zf
X.in .5i+\w'Rule 1: 'u
X.ti .5i
XRule 1: if (from = "!uucp") then
XDelete
X.ti .5i
XRule 2: if (to = "postmaster") then
XSave  /tmp/postmaster-mail.<day-of-week>
X.ti .5i
XRule 3: if (to = "culture" and lines > 20) then
XSave  /users/taylor/Mail/culture
X.ti .5i
XRule 4: if (subject = "filter test") then
XForward  hpldat!test
X.ti .5i
XRule 5: if (subject="elm") then
XCopy  and  Save  /users/taylor/Mail/elm-incoming
X.ti .5i
XRule 6: if (subject="display-to-console") then
XExecute "cat - > /dev/console"
X.ft 1
X.in 0
X.fi
X.sp
X.ft 1
XThere are a few things to notice \(em first off, these are the parsed and
Xrebuilt rules, so we can see that they are all in a
Xconsistent format.  Also, notice on the filename for rule 2 that the
Xprogram has correctly expanded the ``%d'' macro to be the day of the
Xweek.
X.sp
XIt is \f3highly\f1 recommended that you always check your ruleset before
Xactually letting the program use it!
X.ne 5
X.hu Actually Using the Program
X.sp
XNow the bad news.  If you aren't running \f2sendmail\f1 you cannot use
Xthis program as currently written.  Why?  Because the \f2filter\f1
Xprogram expects to be put in your \f2.forward\f1 file and that is something
Xthat only \f2sendmail\f1 looks at!
X.sp
XThe format for the entry in the \f2.forward\f1 file (located in your
Xhome directory) is simply;
X.nf
X.ti .5i
X"| /usr/local/bin/filter"
X.fi
XAllright, it isn't quite \f2that\f1 simple!  Since \f2filter\f1 will be invoked
Xby processes that don't know where you are logged in, you need to have some
Xway to trap the error messages.  For ease of use, it was decided to have all
Xthe messages written to the file specified by `-o' (or \f2stderr\f1)
Xwhich means that you have two main
Xchoices for the actual entry.  Either;
X.nf
X.ti .5i
X"| /usr/local/bin/filter -o /dev/console"
X.fi
Xwhich will log all errors on the system console (each error is prefixed with
X``filter (\f2username\f1)'' to distinguish it), or;
X.nf
X.ti .5i
X"| /usr/local/bin/filter -o /tmp/joe.filter_errors"
X.fi
XIf you want to have a copy saved to a file.  Note that the quotes are a required
Xpart of the line.  A possible strategy would be
Xto have the errors written to a file and to then have a few lines in
Xyour \f2.login\f1 script like:
X.nf
X.ft CW
X.zf
X.in .5i+\w'if 'u
X.ti .5i
Xif ( -f /tmp/joe.filter_errors) then
Xecho  "\ \ "
Xecho "Filter program errors;"
Xcat /tmp/joe.filter_errors
Xecho "\ \ "
X.ti .5i
Xendif
X.ft 1
X.in 0
X.ft 1
X.fi
XYou can also use the \f3-v\f1 flag in combination with the above to have
Xa more verbose log file saved by having
Xyour \f2.forward\f1 file;
X.nf
X"| /usr/local/bin/filter -vo /tmp/joe.filter_errors"
X.fi
XSuffice to say, you can get pretty tricky with all this!!
X.ne 5
X.hu Summarizing the Actions Taken
X.sp
XThe \f2Filter\f1 program keeps a log of all actions performed, including
Xwhat rules it matched against, in your .elm directory in a file
Xcalled \f2.elm/filterlog\f1.  You can either directly operate on this file,
Xor, much more recommended, you can one of the two summarize flags to
Xthe program and let \f2it\f1 do the work for you!
X.sp
XThe difference between the two is best demonstrated by example:
X.nf
X% \f3filter -s\f1
X.ft CW
X.zf
X.in .5i
X                Summary of Filter Activity
X                \l'\w'Summary of Filter Activity'u-'
XA total of 418 messages were filtered:
XThe default rule of putting mail into your mailbox
X.in .5i+\w'Rule #1: 'u
Xapplied 364 times (87%)
X.ti .5i
XRule #1: (delete message)
Xapplied 1 time (0%)
X.ti .5i
XRule #2: (save in "/users/taylor/Filtered-Mail/netnews.12")
Xapplied 8 times (2%)
X.ti .5i
XRule #3: (save in "/users/taylor/Filtered-Mail/postmaster.12")
Xapplied 14 times (3%)
X.ti .5i
XRule #5: (save in "/users/taylor/Filtered-Mail/risks.12")
Xapplied 3 times (1%)
X.ti .5i
XRule #6: (save in "/users/taylor/Filtered-Mail/rays.12")
Xapplied 28 times (7%)
X.ft 1
X.ti 0
Xversus:
X.ti .5i
X% \f3filter -S\f1
X.ti .5i
X\f2the output as listed above, followed by:\f1
X.ft CW
X.zf
X.ti .5i
XExplicit log of each action;
X.ti .5i
XMail from taylor about Filter Summary
XPUT in mailbox: the default action
X.ti .5i
XMail from [e-mail] about Newsgroup comp.editors created
XPUT in mailbox: the default action
X.ti .5i
XMail from root about Log file: cleanuplog
XPUT in mailbox: the default action
X.ft 1
X.ti .5i
X[etc etc]
X.in 0
X.ft 1
X.fi
XTo actually use either of the summarizing options, there
Xare two ways that are recommended;
X.sp
XThe preferred way is to have a line in either your \f2crontab\f1
X(ask your administrator for help with this) that invokes the \f2filter\f1
Xprogram as often as you desire with the \f3-s\f1 flag.  For example, I
Xhave a summary mailed to me every morning at 8:00 am:
X.nf
X.ft CW
X.zf
X   0 8 * * * "/usr/local/bin/filter -s | elm -s 'Filter Summary' taylor"
X.fi
X.sp
X.ft 1
XAn alternative is to have your \f2.login\f1 execute the command each time.
X.sp 2
XNote that if you want to have your log files cleared out each time the
Xsummary is generated you'll need to use the '-c' flag too.  Also,
Xif you want to keep a long list of actions performed you can do this
Xby saving it as you display it.  A way to do this would be, if you were to
Xhave the invocation in your \f2.login\f1 script, to use:
X.nf
X.in .5i
X.ft CW
X.zf
Xecho "Filter Log;"
Xfilter -c -s | tee -a PERM.filter.log\f1
X.ft 1
X.in 0
X.fi
Xwhich would append a copy of all the output to the file `PERM.filter.log'
Xand would avoid you having to read larger and larger summaries of
Xwhat the program had done.
X.ne 5
X.hu Further Testing of the Ruleset
X.sp
XWith the \f2readmsg\f1 command available, it is quite easy to test the
Xrules you've written to see if they'll do what you desire.
X.sp
XFor example, we can use the \f3-n\f1 flag to \f2filter\f1, which means
X`don't actually do this, just tell me what rule you matched, if any, and
Xwhat action you would have performed' (you can see why a single letter
Xflag is easier to type in!!), and feed it each message in our mailbox
Xby using a command like;
X.nf
X.in .5i
X% \f3set message=1\f1
X% \f3set total_messages=`messages`\f1
X% \f3while  (1)\f1
X> \f3if ($message > $total_messages) exit\f1
X> \f3echo processing message $message\f1
X> \f3readmsg -h $message | filter -n\f1
X> \f3echo " "\f1
X> \f3@ messages++\f1
X> \f3end\f1
X.in 0
X.fi
Xwhich will then hand each of the messages in your mailbox to the \f2filter\f1
Xprogram and display what action would have been taken with that message and
Xwhy.
X.sp
XFor example, if we do this for a few interesting messages in my mailbox,
Xwe'd end up with output like:
X.ft CW
X.zf
X.nf
X.in .5i
XMail from taylor about filter test
X.ti +\w'Mail 'u
XFORWARDED to hpldat!taylor by rule;
X.ti +\w'Mail   'u
Xsubject="filter test"  ? forward "hpldat!test"
XMail from bradley%hplkab@hplabsc about Re: AI-ED mailing address for HP
X.ti +\w'Mail 'u
XPUT in mailbox: the default action
XMail from taylor about display-to-console
X.ti +\w'Mail 'u
XEXECUTED "cat - > /dev/console"
X.ft 1
X.in 0
X.fi
X(sharp users will notice that this is exactly the same format as the longer
Xsummary listing)
X.ne 5
X.hu What Forwarded Messages Look Like
X.sp
XWhen a message is forwarded to another user by the \f2action\f1 being specified
Xas ``forward \f2address\f1'', then the program can generate one of two styles
Xof message.  If the message is to you, then it'll simply add it to your mailbox
Xin such a way as to ensure that the return address is that of the person who
Xsent the message and so on.
X.sp
XIf not, then the message is enclosed in a message of the form:
X.in \w'If 'u
X.ft CW
X.zf
X.nf
XFrom taylor Thu Oct  2 15:07:04 1986
XDate: Thu, 2 Oct 86 15:06:58 pdt
XSubject: "filter test"
XFrom: The filter of taylor@hpldat <taylor>
XTo: hpldat!taylor
XX-Filtered-By: filter, version 1.4
X-- Begin filtered message --
X
X.in +\w'-- 'u
XFrom taylor Thu Oct  2 15:06:41 1986
XDate: Thu, 2 Oct 86 15:06:33 pdt
XFrom: Dave Taylor <taylor>
XSubject: filter test
XJust a simple test.
X.in -\w'-- 'u
X-- End of filtered message --
X.ft 1
X.in 0
X.fi
XThe subject of the actual message is the same as the subject of the
Xmessage being forwarded, but in quotes.  The `From:'  field indicates
Xhow the message was sent, and the `X-Filtered-By:' identifies what
Xversion of filter is being used.
X.ne 5
X.hu Areas to Improve
X.sp
XWhile the \f2filter\f1 program as presented herein is obviously a
Xnice addition to the set of tools available for dealing with electronic
Xmail, there are some key features that are missing and will be added in
Xthe future based on demand.
X.sp
XAs I see it, the main things missing are;
X.in .5i
X
X.ti -\n(TWu
X1. The ability to use regular expressions in the patterns.
XThis would be a \f2very\f1 nice feature!
X
X.ti -\n(TWu
X2. Perhaps more \f2actions\f1 available (but what?)
X
X.ti -\n(TWu
X3. Certainly the ability to filter based on any field or combination of
Xfields.
X.in 0
X.ne 5
X.hu Warnings and Things to Look Out For
X.sp
XSince this is a pretty simple program, there are a few pitfalls, some
Xof which have already been mentioned;
X.sp
X\f3Order\f1 counts in the rules.  Beware!
X.sp
X\f3Matching\f1 is pretty simple \(em make sure your patterns are sufficiently
Xexclusive before having any destructive rules.
X.sp 2
XFinally, as with the rest of the \f3Elm\f1 mail system, I welcome feedback
Xand suggestion on how to improve this program!!
SHAR_EOF
chmod 0444 doc/Filter.guid || echo "restore of doc/Filter.guid fails"
echo "x - extracting doc/Form.guide (Text)"
sed 's/^X//' << 'SHAR_EOF' > doc/Form.guide &&
X.\" @(#)$Id: Form.guide,v 4.1 90/04/28 22:41:05 syd Exp $
X.\"
X.\"  A guide to using the Elm Forms mode
X.\"  format with:
X.\"    'troff tmac.n - > Forms.format'
X.\"
X.\"  Elm is now in the public trust. Bug reports, comments, suggestions, flames
X.\"  etc. should go to:
X.\"    Syd Weinstein        [e-mail] (dsinc!elm)
X.\"
X.\"  (C) Copyright 1986, 1987 Dave Taylor
X.\"  (C) Copyright 1988, 1989, 1990 Usenet Community Trust
X.\"
X.\"  $Log:    Form.guide,v $
X.\" Revision 4.1  90/04/28  22:41:05  syd
X.\" checkin of Elm 2.3 as of Release PL0
X.\"
X.\"
X.po 1i
X.ds h0
X.ds h1
X.ds h2
X.ds f0
X.ds f1
X.ds f2
X.nr Hy 1
X.nr Pt 1
X.nr Pi 0
X.lg 0
X.nf
X.na
X.rs
X.\"  Define the big box macro for troff
X.de eb
X.sp -1
X.nf
X.ie t \{\
X\h'-.5n'\L'|\\nau-1'\l'\\n(.lu+1n\(ul'\L'-|\\nau+1'\l'|0u-.5n\(ul'
X.\}
X.el \{\
X\h'-.5n'\l'\\n(.lu+1n'
X.\}
X.fi
X..
X.sv |3.0i
X.ce 99
X.ps 20
X.ss 18
X.vs 12
X\f3Elm Forms Mode Guide\f1
X.sp 3
X.ps 12
X.ss 14
X.vs 14
X\f2What Forms Mode is, how to use it to create
Xcustom forms, how to reply to forms, and how to
Xuse it for AT&T Mail messages\f1
X.sp 2
XDave Taylor
X.sp
XHewlett-Packard Laboratories
X1501 Page Mill Road
XPalo Alto CA
X94304
X.sp 3
Xemail: taylor\s-1@\s+1hplabs.HP.COM  or  hplabs\s-1!\s+1taylor
X.sp 3
X>>> Elm is now in the public trust. Bug reports, comments, etc. to: <<<
X.sp
XSyd Weinstein
XDatacomp Systems, Inc.
X3837 Byron Road
XHuntingdon Valley, PA 19006-2320
X.sp
Xemail: elm\s-1@\s+1DSI.COM  or  dsinc\s-1!\s+1elm
X.sp 3
X.ps 18
X\f3\(co\f1\s12 Copyright 1986, 1987 by Dave Taylor
X.ps 18
X\f3\(co\f1\s12 Copyright 1988, 1989, 1990 by The USENET Community Trust
X.ps 10
X.ss 12
X.vs 12
X.fi
X.ad
X.bp 1
X.sv 5v
X.ps 14
X\f3A Guide to Forms Mode in Elm\f1
X.ds h0 "Forms Mode Guide
X.ds h1
X.ds h2 "Version 2.3
X.ds f0 "May 1, 1990
X.ds f1 "Page %
X.sp
X.ps 10
X(Version 2.3)
X.sp
XDave Taylor
X.sp
XHewlett-Packard Laboratories
X1501 Page Mill Road
XPalo Alto CA
X94304
X.sp
Xemail: taylor\s-1@\s+1hplabs.HP.COM  or  hplabs\s-1!\s+1taylor
X.sp 2
X>>> Elm is now in the public trust. Bug reports, comments, etc. to: <<<
X.sp
X.sp
XSyd Weinstein
XDatacomp Systems, Inc.
X3837 Byron Road
XHuntingdon Valley, PA 19006-2320
X.sp
Xemail: elm\s-1@\s+1DSI.COM  or  dsinc\s-1!\s+1elm
X.sp
XMay 1, 1990
X.ce 0
X.sp 2
XWhile there are a lot of mail systems that allow the transmission
Xof text and primitive pictures, to send and reply to more complex
Xforms is simply not possible.  \f3Elm\f1, however, took
Xthe forms mode implemented as part of the AT&T Mail package and has
Xexpanded on it to be a smoothly fit part of the overall mail system.
X.sp
XForms mode gives you the ability to send `template' files to people
Xand receive the filled-in replies.\s-2\u1\d\s0
X.fn
X\f21. note that this feature assumes that the person on the other end
Xis also using the Elm mail system.\f1
X.ef
XLet's look at an example right off.
X.sp
XSay we were going to use computer mail as a way to file defects with
Xsoftware.  There is a certain amount of information we want to be able
Xto collect when each report is made, and if it is in a specific format
Xwe can use programs to file the defects upon receipt.
X.sp
XThe form we'll try to emulate starts out looking like:
X.\" A manual page break has been done because the 'sd' macro doesn't like
X.\" coming up right after the footer or just doesn't like going to a new
X.\" page by itself.  The bug has been reported.
X.bp
X.ft CW
X.zf
X.sd c
X.mk a
X.sp
X.tl ''Defect Reporting Form''
X.sp
X.tl 'Program:\ \l'2.3i-\w'Program:\ 'u'''Version:\ \l'1.7i-\w'Version:\ 'u''
X.tl 'Operating\ System:\ \l'2.3i-\w'Operating\ System:\ 'u'''Version:\ \l'1.7i-\w'Version:\ 'u''
X.sp
X.tl 'Defect\ Type:\ \l'2.3i-\w'Defect\ Type:\ 'u'''
X.sp
X.tl 'Date\ Found:\ \l'2.3i-\w'Date\ Found:\ 'u'''By\ Whom:\ \l'2.3i-\w'By\ Whom:\ 'u'\h'.2i''
X.tl 'Date\ Reported:\ \l'2.3i-\w'Date\ Reported:\ 'u'''Phone:\ \l'2.3i-\w'Phone:\ 'u'\h'.2i''
X.sp
X.tl 'Description:\ \l'6.4i-\w'Description:\ 'u''
X.tl '\l'6.4i''
X.tl '\l'6.4i''
X.sp
X.eb
X.ed
X.ft 1
X.sp
XThis form can actually be created almost exactly as listed above in
Xthe \f3Elm\f1 mail system by using your standard editor and can then
Xbe mailed about as needed.
X.sp
XLet's say that we want a bit more information, however, especially with
Xfields like ``Defect Type'', we want to list all the recommended answers.
XTo create the actual form, we need merely to replace the underlines in
Xthe above form with spaces.  The multi-line comments can simply be
Xindicated by a `:' by itself on a line;
X
X.ft CW
X.zf
X.sd c
X.mk a
X.sp
X.tl ''Defect Reporting Form''
X.sp
X.tl 'Program:''Version:\h'1.7i-\w'Version:'u''
X.tl 'Operating System:''Version:\h'1.7i-\w'Version:'u''
X.sp
X.tl '(Valid Defect Types are: user-error, doc-error, fatal, other)'
X.tl 'Defect Type:''
X.sp
X.tl 'Date Found:''By\ Whom:\h'2.3i-\w'By\ Whom:'u''
X.tl 'Date Reported:''Phone:\h'2.3i-\w'Phone:'u''
X.sp
X.tl 'Description'
X.tl ':'
X.sp
XThank you for filling in this form.
X.sp 2
X.eb
X.ed
X.ft 1
X.sp
XAs we can see, it is quite simple to create forms!!
X.sp 2
XNow that we have an idea what we're talking about, let's actually officially
Xdefine the system...
X.br
X.ne 5
X.hu Forms Mode Specification
X
X[Note that this is all taken from the document \f2Standard for Exchanging
XForms on AT&T Mail\f1, Version 1.9 of 6/7/86, from AT&T]
X.sp
XThe forms mode is really quite simple.  Simple enough that it is amazing
Xthat it hadn't been implemented before AT&T Mail came along!!
X.sp
XIn a nutshell, each field is delimited by a `:' followed by a number of
Xblank spaces or tabs that represent the valid size for that field.  That
Xis, if we have a line in the form like;
X.nf
X.ti .5i
X``Phone (area-code):\0\0\0\0\0Number:\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0''
X.fi
XThe area-code field will be limited to three characters and the number to nine.
X(this is kind of hard to see with the proportionally spaced formatted copy,
Xalas).
XThe only exception to the rule is that a `:' by itself on a line represents
Xa field that is as large as the user entering the data desires.
X
XThe actual form that is transmitted, in AT&T Mail parlance, is a ``SIMPLE''
Xforms handler message (as opposed to the ``ADVANCED'' handler).  This means
Xthat it contains three sections;
X.br
X.ne 8
X.nf
X.in .5i
X.ft 2
XThe Message Header
X.ft CW
X.zf
X[\&OPTIONS-SECTION]
X***
X[\&FORMS-IMAGE]
X***
X[\&RULES-SECTION]\f1
X.in 0
X.fi
X\f3Elm\f1 generates form messages with the ``options'' section filled out,
Xbut ignores it when receiving mail.  The filled out section is:
X.ft CW
X.zf
X.nf
X.in .5i
XWIDTH=80
XTYPE=SIMPLE
XOUTPUT=TEXT\f1
X.in 0
X.fi
XThe FORMS-IMAGE section is that described above.  The RULES-SECTION can
Xcontain explicit rules about the possible values of each field, but
Xthis is currently ignored by \f3Elm\f1, being a ``SIMPLE'' forms mode
Xmail system.
X.sp
XForms also have the header ``Content-Type: mailform'' to indicate to the
Xmail system (either \f3Elm\f1 or AT&T Mail) that a form is being sent.
X.sp
X\f3Elm\f1 further indicates that a form has been received by having an
X``F'' as the status character in the header display section (instead of
X``N'' for new, etc).
X.br
X.ne 5
X.hu Composing and Sending a Form
X
XThe first step to enable sending forms is to change the setting of
Xthe variable \f2forms\f1 in your \f2.elm/elmrc\f1 file to ``ON''.  E.g.:
X.nf
X.ti .5i
Xforms = ON
X.fi
XThe next step is to send the message to someone using the `m' (\f2mail\f1)
Xcommand.  This then will drop you into an editor.  Type in the form as
Xindicated above, with appropriate colons and comments, and end the entry
Xby leaving the editor.
X.sp
XThe prompt is now;
X.nf
X.ft CW
X.zf
X.tl ''Choose: E)dit msg, edit H)eaders, M)ake form, S)end or F)orget : @''
X.ft 1
X.fi
Xso we choose `m' \(em \f2Make form\f1.  The program then will either
Xrewrite the prompt without the M)ake form option, indicating that
Xthe form has been accepted, or will indicate the problem and give you
Xa chance to correct it.
X.sp
XOnce it has been accepted, simple use the `s' \(em \f2send message\f1 -
Xcommand and it's off!
X.sp
X\f2Note that you cannot reply to a message with a Form.\f1
X.br
X.ne 6
X.hu Replying to a Form
X
XLet's reply to the form message we generated now.  The header page of the
X\f3Elm\f1 mail system will indicate that the message is a form by having
Xan `F' next to it.  So we use `r' to reply and the screen is immediately
Xcleared and we're prompted, field by field, for the data requested.
XEach field has underscores in the input area to indicate the size field that
Xis expected.
X.sp
XAfter answering all the questions we'll have a screen that looks like;
X
X.ft CW
X.zf
X.sd c
X.mk a
X.sp
X.tl ''Defect Reporting Form''
X.sp
X Program:  \f3The Elm Mail System\f1\l'3i-\w'\f3The Elm Mail System'u'
X Version:  \f31.5\f1\l'3i-\w'\f31.5'u'
X Operating System:  \f3HP-UX\f1\l'3i-\w'\f3HP-UX'u'
X Version:  \f35.141 C\f1\l'3i-\w'\f35.141 C'u'
X.sp
X (Valid Defect Types are: user-error, doc-error, fatal, other)
X Defect Type:  \f3fatal\f1\l'5i-\w'\f3fatal\f1'u'
X.sp
X Date Found:  \f310/9/86\f1\l'3i-\w'\f310/9/86\f1'u'
X By Whom:  \f3Dave Taylor\f1\l'3i-\w'\f3Dave Taylor\f1'u'
X Date Reported:  \f310/9/86\f1\l'3i-\w'\f310/9/86\f1'u'
X Phone:  \f3(415) 857-6887\f1\l'3i-\w'\f3(415) 857-6887\f1'u'
X.sp
X Description
X (Enter as many lines as needed, ending with a `.' by itself on a line)
X   \f3When running it on a CPM system I cannot compile successfully.\f1
X   \f3.\f1
X Thank you for filling in this form.
X.tl ''Choose: E)dit form, edit H)eaders, S)end or F)orget : @''
X.sp
X.eb
X.ed
X.ft 1
X.sp
XQuite simple.  Notice, however, that the order of prompting is left to
Xright on each line, so the fields that on the form are placed in what
Xseems like a logical place, ``By Whom:'' and ``Phone:'' turn out to be
Xconfusing when filling in the actual form since it isn't clear what
X``Phone:'' is being asked for because of the intervention of the
X``Date Reported:'' field.
X.sp
XThe message that will actually be sent out from this will have the
Xfields in a more acceptable format;
X.\" Force page break, as there seems to be a bug in the .sd macro
X.bp
X.\"
X.ft CW
X.zf
X.mk a
X.sp
X WIDTH=80
X TYPE=SIMPLE
X OUTPUT=TEXT
X ***
X.tl ''Defect Reporting Form''
X.sp
X.tl ' Program: The Elm Mail System''Version: 1.5\h'1.5i-\w'Version: 1.5'u''
X.tl ' Operating System: HP-UX''Version: 5.141 C\h'1.5i-\w'Version: 5.141 C'u''
X.sp
X.tl ' (Valid Defect Types are: user-error, doc-error, fatal, other)'
X.tl ' Defect Type: fatal''
X.sp
X.tl ' Date Found: 10/9/86''By Whom: Dave Taylor\h'2.3i-\w'By Whom: Dave Taylor'u''
X.tl ' Date Reported: 10/9/86''Phone: [phone]\h'2.3i-\w'Phone: [phone]'u''
X.sp
X.tl ' Description'
X.sp
X    When running it on a CPM system I cannot compile successfully.
X.sp
X.tl ' Thank you for filling in this form.'
X ***
X.sp
X.eb
X.ft 1
X
X.hu Comments on Forms Mode
X
XAs was said at the beginning, this way of sending about forms could
Xprove to be very helpful and useful in a variety of contexts.  On the
Xother hand, until a more sophisticated forms language is used for the
Xforms, this should be sufficient to embody the power of the idea.
X.sp
XI welcome any comments and thoughts on this system and also welcome
Xpossible enhancements.
X.sp
XI also gratefully thank Dale DeJager of AT&T Information Systems
Xfor sending me more
Xinformation on AT&T Mail than I could possibly digest in any finite
Xamount of time.
SHAR_EOF
echo "End of part 4"
echo "File doc/Form.guide is continued in part 5"
echo "5" > s2_seq_.tmp
exit 0

exit 0 # Just in case...