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MAILPROG.DOC
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1991-01-08
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USERS GUIDE
The four main functions on the main menu are read new mail, send mail,
transfer a file and view old mail.
The read new mail function allows you to use the arrow keys, Page Up, Page
Down, Home and End keys to move around as you read the message. When you have
finished reading the message, you can leave the reader by pressing either
Enter or F10. When you do this, you will be prompted to press enter to delete
the message, or to type a filename. If you don't need to look at the message
again, just press the enter key. You will be asked to confirm that you want
to delete the message if it is a particularly long one.
If you want to keep a copy of the message, type a file name (up to eight
letters plus an optional three letter extension). The message can then be
viewed later using the view old mail function. The file name can include a
path, in which it will be extracted to that directory.
The second function available allows you to send a message to other users.
If the user is logged into the network at the time, a message will be sent
to their screen. Otherwise they will be informed of the waiting message
next time they log on.
On selecting the send message function you will be prompted to enter a
list of groups or users. Users have names that are the same as their login
names. Users are also allocated to different groups, and sending a message
to a group sends it to all members of that group. The groups have names of
one letter in length.
After entering a list of groups or users, you will find yourself in a text
editor. The controls for this editor are the same as for entering comments
in the various database programs. Pressing F10 will leave the editor and
send the message. Pressing Esc will leave the editor and NOT send the
message. Pressing F1 will give a help screen (here and in many parts of
the program). The keys F2 to F9 are programmed with useful phrases which
will be inserted into the text when these keys are pressed.
Transfer a file allows you to move a file to someone else. Having sent a
file, you will be asked if you want to delete the original. This function
currently only works for users whose mail directories are on the same physical
disk.
The view old mail function allows you to view old messages rename (and
move) them, delete them and print them. I hope it is fairly
self explanatory.
The fifth option allows you to see a list of the users, or to print that
list.
The "Xtra Features" option allows the network administrator to enter and add
users, assign strings to the function keys, set up printers and so on.
MORE TECHNICAL STUFF
The program won't work unless the DOS enviromental variable MAILID is set.
Also, to avoid a problem with Clipper's use of expanded memory, it is
reccomended that you SET CLIPPER=E000
I have tried to make this program completely independant of the network type.
All mail is sent by copying files to the appropriate mail directory, and then
invoking a suitable command (under Novell I use SEND to inform the user of the
arrival of mail, but you can invoke any other program, including a mail
transport program or a comms program with a script). The mail program is
swapped out to disk when the command is executed, so almost all the machine's
memory is available (thanks to Ralf Brown for this).
Commands, printer strings and function key definitions can contain clipper
expressions delimited by square brackets. Of use in commands are the
variables "user", "filename", "name", and "maildir" which contain the names of
the user, the name of the file generated, the name of the person to send to
and their mail directory name respectively. Thus the command
SENDBAT [maildir] [filename] [name]
could be used to invoke a batch file to send the mail on to a particular user.
Clipper functions can also be used. Of particular interest to users, is the
predefined command PROMPT(string), which prompts the user for input and
returns the user. Thus the command
SENDFAX [fullfilename] [prompt("Phone number ... ")]
could be used to prompt for a phone number, and invoke the command SENDFAX
with the full file name (with path, stored in "fullfilename") and the
phone number entered.
Users should have open, read and search access only to the directory with
the mail program in, full rights to their own mail directory and create and
write access to each others mail directories.
The F1 key provides context sensitive help throughout the program.
The program can take one parameter; the word check causes the program to check
the user's mail directory, allows him to read any new mail and then exits.
This should be used in people's login scripts.
Enjoy!
Peter Summers