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January, 9th 1997
Warpcast New and Updated links => URL-create scripts
First public release
___________________________________________________________________
0 - Foreword
These are simple rexx scripts which build URL objects (and a HTML
index, if needed) out of Warpcast 'New and Updated' links messages.
These scripts are completely useless if you do not receive Warpcast
daily updates in your mailbox.
To subscribe, unsubscribe, or for more information on WarpCast
itself, visit: http://www.warpcast.com/
These scripts were written for personal use and then cleaned up and
released to the public domain: you can use them freely and you can
modify the source to suit your needs, at your own risk.
___________________________________________________________________
1 - CreateFolder, createURL and HTMLBuilder: hu?
Since they answered a personal need, no real effort has been done
to make the script themselves 'user-friendly'.
No one-step installation routine is provided: you will actually
have to read all this (and the .cmd files) to understand how (and
if) these scripts may be useful for you.
Each script performs a specialized function:
createFolder builds the folders to store the URLs in
createURL reads your incoming mail to actually build URLs and
data files
HTMLBuilder creates a HTML 'digest' out of the data files
deleteOBJs will let you quickly destroy folders and shadows
___________________________________________________________________
2 - Quick and dirty installation and use notes
Please check the scripts also, since they are quite commented.
A couple of the scripts use the FILEREXX extensions: we've included
the necessary DLL in the package for your convenience.
All credits go to its author, Jeff Glatt.
The License part of the FILEREXX documentation reads:
---snip----
'FILEREXX.DLL and this document are copyright 1995 by the author,
Jeff Glatt. These items are freely distributable.
There are no pagan user fees, surreptitious financial charges, or
other devious capitalist trickery associated with the use of these
files. There are also no warranties of any kind with this software.
If swallowed, induce vomiting immediately (by contemplating the
aesthetics of Windows). You can do anything you like with this
archive, except reverse engineer or modify FILEREXX.DLL, nor can you
poke it with a sharp stick. But you can print it out on flimsy
paper stock, wrap it around your privates, and go to work like that
as long as you don't blame the author for your actions.
You are not allowed to think nasty thoughts about the author, even
if the software somehow causes the erasure of your collection of
smutty picture files (...).
I can be contacted at:
6 Sycamore Drive East
New Hartford, NY 13413
(315) 735-5350
Report bug fixes, or shut up.
Whose says that writing software licenses is no fun?'
---snip----
Thanks Jeff for creating FileRexx and for the clear and exahustive
documentation (really).
You are encouraged to download the complete package from Hobbes:
at ftp-os2.nmsu.edu as filerx.zip
Now, let's take a look at what needs to be done to use the scripts.
a - unzip the archive (you already did it, don't you?)
b - copy the filerexx.dll to your DLL path (or another known
path) and place the scripts in any directory you like the
best. The files which will be created at runtime, INIs and
the HTML digest, will have a home here.
c - run createFolder.cmd.
It will ask you on which drive (default: boot drive) you
want the two folders, NEW and UPDATED, to be created and
how do they have to be called (default: [Warpcast New
Links] and [Warpcast Updated links]). Then it will ask you
if you want an object for HTMLBuilder on your WPS.
d - open your mailer.
You will need to tell it to use createURL.cmd as a rexx
program while fetching mail.
PMMail: you will need to tell PMMail to use createURL.cmd as
a message receive exit under the account or utilities rexx
settings, depending on your version of the program.
Use the complete path.
PostRoad Mailer: open 'file' => 'settings' and move to the
'User Exits' page of the notebook.
Use createURL.cmd as your receive message exit, and make it
run 'Minimized' (createURL has no video output).
Save your settings and you are ready to go.
e - download your mail.
If you chose to create URLs (see below), you will find that
new folders have been created inside of the NEW and UPDATED
ones (if NEW or UPDATED URLs have been broadcasted for that
day). These day folders (if created) will have a full-date
name, something like 'Thu, 18 Dec 1997'.
You will find the URLs inside, ready to be double-clicked
or dragged.
f - run HTMLBuilder if you want the HTML digest.
Keep in mind that the daily database is rewritten each time
a message from Warpcast is received (e.g. once a day).
If you want your digest solid and useful, run HTMLBuilder
once a day too, or you won't be able to keep track of what
is NEW, UPDATED or NORMAL (see below).
___________________________________________________________________
4 - A closer look to the scripts
There are four small rexx tools in the archive.
createFolder.cmd => this script has to be run from a command prompt
if you want folders and URLs from your Warpcast
messages. You do not need to use it if you just
want the URLs HTML-ized. If you prefer to have
URL objects, this is the first script to run.
Mind you: URLs won't be created if you do not
run this script.
createURL.cmd => This is the script which does most of the work.
We tested it with PMMail and PostRoad Mailer,
but it should work with any rexx-enabled mailer:
you only need check that it uses rexx CMDs upon
receiving messages and that it passes the current
file name as an argument.
This script checks all of the incoming messages
and creates the URLs when it finds a Warpcast
message that contains them.
It does not create URLs referenced in messages
coming from sources other than Warpcast (although
you could easily adapt the script).
It also writes a data file used by HTMLBuilder in
order to give you a HTML version of the New and
Updated links.
Note that you can set from inside the script if
you want URLs to be created or not, and, if yes,
if you prefer normal folders or URLFolders.
The data file is always created at runtime and this
feature cannot be disabled.
Note that createURL.cmd can be run if necessary
from a command line, but you will need to pass
it a Warpcast URL message file as an argument:
using PMMail you will need to do something like
createURL EJ635X61.MSG
We heartily suggest you not to do so, if not for
testing purposes ;) )
HTMLBuilder.cmd => This is the script which reads the datafile and
creates the HTML code. It also writes the history
archive, so you can keep track of which URL is
NEW, UPDATED or NORMAL.
This script needs to be run each time a new
Warpcast URL message comes in, or you will lose
the links of the day in your HTML digest (the data
file gets rewritten each time by createURL.).
This is somewhat a mixed-bag feature, since the
HTML file tends to rapidly become quite huge.
An URL is NEW if it has never been broadcasted by
Warpcast, and is NORMAL if it has not been updated
in the last 7 days.
You can set the value for the UPDATED => NORMAL
transition from inside HTMLBuilder.cmd.
deleteOBJS.cmd => This script deletes the folders created by
createFolder.cmd with all of their contents.
Mainly for testing purposes.
Be warned that it won't ask you if you are sure
of what you are doing. ;)
You will also find:
jpg images => Used by the HTML file
Thanks for the interest.
Please report bugs and/or improvements.
We hope you find these small tools useful.
G. Aprile
P.Rossi
A. Resmini resmini@netsis.it