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Text File | 1994-01-02 | 32KB | 828 lines

░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ┌─────┐┌─────┐ │ ┌─┐ ││ ┌─┐ │┌─────┐┌─┐┌───┬─┐┌─────┐ │ └─┘ ││ └─┘ ││ ┌─┐ ││ ││ │ │└─┐ ┌─┘ │ ┌───┘│ ┌───┘│ └─┘ ││ ││ │ │ │ │ └─┘ └─┘ └─────┘└─┘└─┴───┘ └─┘ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ Professional Point System ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ Copyright (c) 1994 Harvey Parisien Box 323 Station A, Kingston, Ontario, CANADA K7M 6R2 FidoNet 1:249/114 U S E R S M A N U A L C O N T E N T S i) Point Nodes and Boss nodes, an Overview ii) PPoint - Design Objectives, and Overview iii) Installation iv) Misc Notes v) Distribution and Registration vi) Error Codes vii) USERS GUIDE (Typical Session) viii) Reference Guide From the author of ... ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ │ │ DB = Generic dBASE III+ Manager / Contact Mgr., PIM │ │ │ │ DBQ = Message based Query system for dBASE III files │ │ │ │ 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 │ │ │ │ HARVEY = Harvey the Robot message mailer *.PKT format │ │ │ │ OFFLINE = The easy to use, QWK offline reader. │ │ │ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ Page 1 PPoint - Professional Point System P o i n t N o d e s & B o s s N o d e s AN OVERVIEW A Point is a network node, a computer system which is setup with the necessary software to connect to another network node, and transfer email and/or files. 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 30000 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 which 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 512k memory and 1.2m 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 operates Binkley quite trasnparently to the user. PPoint will automatically do the installation and 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 TDE. QEDIT is a professional full featured editor. If you don't have an editor, use the simple editor included with PPoint called ED. INSTALLATION BOSS NODES - see Setup Info in the back of USER.DOC + HOST.DOC. 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 setup, just run PPOINT.EXE, and read the screens. See SETUP INSTRUCTIONS in USER.DOC, your Users Guide. WE SUGGEST YOU SELECT "PRINT USERS MANUAL" FROM THE OPTIONS MENU. 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 2.56. 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 MISC NOTES See your REFERENCE GUIDE or ONLINE HELP INDEX for other features not documented here. PPoint supports modern 4d Point addressing (type 2+). It also will compile a version 6 nodelist from a text file. 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 PASSWORD ACCESS Password Access - if you have a text file called PPOINT.PWD on your ppoint directory with one line in it containing a password (max 20 charactors), Ppoint will prompt you for access. It's simple, but effective as low security to keep out people who wouldn't know where to look, and simple enough for people who forget their passwords to manage... :) 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 ** YOUR FEEDBACK, AND SUPPORT IS APPRECIATED ** Page 7 PPoint REGISTRATION Form TO: Harvey Parisien Box 323 Station A, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7M 6R2 FIDONET 1:249/114 Your PPOINT license entitles you to use all FUTURE UPDATES FREE. Please find enclosed my registration fee of... [ ] $15.00us NON COMMERCIAL USE... [ ] $85.00us COMMERCIAL USE... ...per installation by [ ] cash, [ ] check, [ ] money order in US funds. Date: _____/_____/_____ (mm/dd/yy) (Ontario orders add PST) Organization: ____________________________________________ (if applicable) Users Name: ____________________________________________ Mail Address: ____________________________________________ City, State: __________________________________(________) Voice Phone: ____________________________________________ Data Phone -or- Fido Address: __________________________ CURRENT PPOINT VERSION: _______________________________ Yours truly; ___________________________________ 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 CANADA Harvey Parisien, Kingston, Ontario 1:249/114 ZyXEL 16.8 CANADA Matthew Lewis, Calgary, Alberta 1:134/32 V32Bis/V42Bis GERMANY Peter Kaszanics, Essen, Germany 2:245/100 HST GERMANY Peter Kaszanics, Essen, Germany 2:245/8 V32Bis ITALY Giancarlo Cairella, Milano, Italy 2:331/301 (HST) ITALY Giancarlo Cairella, Milano, Italy 2:331/338 (V32/PEP) ITALY Giancarlo Cairella, Milano, Italy 2:331/350 (V32bis/ZYXEL) ITALY Giancarlo Cairella, Milano, Italy 2:331/355 (V32bis) 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 = Generic dBASE III+ Database Manager / Contact Mgr., PIM ║ ║ RAD = dBASE III file compatible, BBS or remote online database ║ ║ DBQ = Message based Query system for dBASE III files ║ ║ POINT = PPoint - Professional Point System - easy and automatic ║ ║ OFFLINE = The easy to use, QWK offline reader. ║ ║ HARVEY = "Harvey the Robot" automated message mailer *.PKT format ║ ║ HLIST = HLIST File List Compiler for files.bbs systems. ║ ║ OMENU = oMENU the Ultimate disk Menu System ║ ╙────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╜ -- OPTIONS -- PPoint/QWK Message Database System Copyright (c) 1994 Harvey Parisien, Kingston, Canada This module is available from distribution sites as PPQWK???.ZIP or with a file request name of PPQWK. Freq PPQWK from 1:249/114 any time. PPoint now let's you connect to a host using QWK technology to connect to your host as an alternative to FidoNet Mailer/Binkley technology. (If you don't use QWK, feel free to delete pp-qwk*.* from your directory for space.) The advantage of this is there is virtually no setup needed on the Host's part, you can connect to any system that has a QWK door. You set yourself up on that system to receive the message areas you want, and that's it. You use PPoint the same was as a mailer setup, with the exception of the actual mail transfer. Where a mailer is automated to the extent that it handles the mail transferring to and from your host quite automatically, and without user intervention, the QWK host transfer requires you to press a few keys. Once a host transfer is requested, PPoint will dial up the host and the host bbs will prompt you for a Name and Password. PPoint provides two simple macros to insert these for you. Alt+N is your name and ALT+P is your Password. Pressing these keys logs you on in seconds, then you select downloading and/or uploading on the host. Once you log off, mail is automatically processed into PPoint. This type of QWK management is a few steps up from OFFLINE, a QWK Reader also developed by Harvey Parisien, since the messages are stored and managed in a message database. Setup is automatic, just run PPoint. PPoint will prompt you for your name and your host address (a standard fidonet address) and your log on password to that bbs. THIS REQUIRES A NEW SETUP OF PPOINT. YOU CAN NOT RUN QWK MODE WITH PKT/MAILER NODE. You can only have one QWK-HOST netmail area, however, you can have multiple QWK HOSTS. It is recommended that you use the QWK HOST as entered in your PPoint setup as your NETMAIL host. When you entered details on that host, you also entered the fidonet address for that host which will be used for netmail activities. With a normal one host setup, PPoint just automatically dials up your host for mail transfers. If you have multiple QWK HOSTS, you can make your terminal prompt you to dial more than one HOST by creating a text file called PHONE.LST in this format... ;Host address or name, phone number, password 1:249/114, 634-6125, sport Fred's BBS, 555-1212, stuff 1:249/124, 555-1234, cat ... the terminal will then prompt you with a list including the BOSS you setup in PPoint Setup for dialing. TERMINALS: Using the terminal provided with PPoint has certain advantages. It is a simple terminal with only the features you need to deal with offline mail, and has some special PPoint/QWK features like, when you upload a return QWK packet, you will be prompted to delete the packet from your system. However, you can use any terminal. Simply edit the QWK.BAT file and replace PP-QWKT with your terminal command(s). Remember to delete your *.REP (return) files once uploaded. You might want to add a line like .... Del \email\out\*.rep /P if you use Dos 6. so it prompts you to delete packets, or something more creative than that. If this paragraph was too complicated, stick with the terminal included with PPoint... :) PP-QWKT.CNF is a configuration file created by PP-QWKT the first time you run it. It is a text file that can be edited to change certain modem parameters. Read the comment lines preceeded with a ; in that configuration file for more details. The other thing to watch for, it is how your QWK host lables your netmail (or sometimes called Matrix Mail) area. If your QWK Host does not call the area NETMAIL, then you must edit your qwk.bat file (created and operated internally by ppoint) as follows... This is the standard QWK.BAT @rem THIS BATCH FILE IS USED INTERNALLY BY PPOINT @CLS @PP-QWK /OUT @PP-QWKT @PP-QWK /IN QWK.BAT Details... Skip this to the /// if not interested... The first line is a comment line, and the second line clears the screen. The first PP-QWK /OUT command reads your outbound *.OUT file which is in *.PKT format and converts it to a *.MSG file which is the QWK reply format and then archives it to *.REP. The next line PP-QWKT is simply the QWK smart terminal that comes with PPoint. You can make it anything terminal you like. The only advantage of PP-QWKT is that it will automatically dial your boss, it has a zmodem protocol, it lists inbound and outbound qwk files and prompts for deletion of *.rep files after uploading. The last line PP-QWK /IN reads your inbound and converts the *.QWK packet to *.PKT packets. /// The pp-qwk commands can be edited as follows. Let's say your netmail area name produced by your host qwk system is PRIVATE: MAIL... @rem THIS BATCH FILE IS USED INTERNALLY BY PPOINT @CLS @PP-QWK /OUT /Nprivate:~mail @PP-QWKT @PP-QWK /IN /Nprivate:~mail ... upper/lower case is not important. This causes PPoint to translate all mail in PRIVATE: MAIL to it's area called NETMAIL. Alternatively, you could request alterations by the host. In Maximus, the following command in AREAS.CTL should be changed to read... MsgInfo NETMAIL * * * Here are other parameters for PP-QWK, they can be displayed any time by entering: PP-QWK /?. You'll notice that PP-QWK defaults to my favorite archiver LHA. This was made a default, because it's the most memory efficient of all the archivers out there. PP-QWK Interface v1.00 - A PPoint Companion Copyright (C) 1994 Harvey Parisien, all rights reserved FidoNet: 1:249/114 USE: PP-QWK /IN /OUT /Aarchiver# /Nnetmail_area_tag /? Defaults are: /NNETMAIL and /A0 Archivers: 0=LHA 1=ZIP 2=ARJ If /switches require spaces in the text, use a ~ in place of a space. The ~ characters will be translated to a space. ie: /nPRIVATE~MAIL will be read as PRIVATE MAIL /IN converts QWK packets into PKT packets - auto-unarchives /OUT converts PKT packets into MSG packets - archives to REP * * * If you don't use a QWK host, delete these... PP-QWK.DOC PP-QWK.EXE PP-QWKZ.EXE PP-QWKT.EXE ADVANCED USER /SPECIAL APPLICATION NOTES: Sysops can interface to their local BBS on the same system using PPoint with QWK by editing your QWK.BAT as follows. This is assuming a Maximus system... @CLS @PP-QWK /OUT @cd\max @max @if exist c:\max\olr\node00\*.qwk red c:\max\olr\node00\*.qwk \qwk\in SQUISH IN OUT SQUASH LINK -q -fECHOTOSS.LOG @cd\qwk @PP-QWK /IN If your terminal leaves your system onhook and you want if OFFHOOK, freq or download a file called OFFHOOK.ZIP from 1:249/114 (613) 634-6125 which will take your modem offhook in your QWK.BAT like this... @CLS @PP-QWK /OUT @TELIX @OFFHOOK 3 @PP-QWK /IN ... the 3 is a com port, that's the way offhook works. If you have tried offhook type utils that didn't work, fear not, this one will take your modem off hook without fail (and with no smoke). -- OPTIONS -- PPoint LAN Processing System Copyright (c) 1994 Harvey Parisien, Kingston, Canada This module is available from distribution sites as PPLAN???.ZIP or with a file request name of PPLAN. Freq PPLAN from 1:249/114 any time. PPoint now let's you connect to a host server on your network using PP-LAN. This makes PPoint an excellent choice for private email systems within your company, and branches or clients. (If you don't use PP-LAN, you can delete pp-lan*.* from your directory for space.) Setup: Edit pp-lan.cfg. It's a documented configuration file. Edit your mailer.bat file to just have this one line in it... @pp-lan If you are not installed on a LAN, delete these... PP-LAN.EXE PP-LAN.CFG PP-LAN.DOC PP-LAN has one command line switch /C. If you run pp-lan /c it will check the host server to see if mail is waiting. If mail is there, it will exit with an errorlevel of 0, if there is no mail, it will exit with an errorlevel of 1. This was designed so that network nodes can constantly check for mail in a routine batch process. ie: @echo off pp-lan /c if errorlevel 1 goto exit beep :exit Beep.zip can be freq'd from 1:249/114 for various audio reminders.