Caller Documentation for SMLMESS.EXE version:1.30 [10/15/88] Smlmess is designed to allow the remote sysop and conferences sysops to do maintenance on their messages/conference base. Commands exist that can be useful for the normal caller has well. They can do everything that they normally can do with messages plus a few things. It is possible for the remote caller to Extract all unread messages into a downloadable file so that they may read the message while offline. This may be very useful for the caller to get caught up on events if they were away for a long period of time. [[[ ]]] [[[ Pressing ESC will normally exit from the current prompt ]]] [[[ and return you to the Previous Screen. ]]] [[[ Q will also work at most prompts. ]]] [[[ ]]] [[Commands in Very Brief]] 0 < Set Extract Path\Filename Normal Access : Delete or View the Extract File Contents Conference Sysop: Select Different Extract Path\Filename 1 < Select the Current Message Base Choose Message/Conference Base to access 2 < Read/Extract the Current Message Base Normal Access : Read,Reply,Kill,Search,Extract,... Mail Conference Sysop: same but for all messages and more options 3 < Delete Messages by a Criteria (Conference Sysop Only Access) 4 < Pack the Current Message Base (Conference Sysop Only Access) 5 < Attach a MessageBatch onto the Message Base (Conference Sysop Only Access) 6 < Create a New Message Normal Access : Create new message Conference Sysop: same but also import from a textfile 7 < View this Documentation file from within the Program 8 < View Documentation > 9 < Exit to DOS (Quit Program) A < Set the Screen Defaults C < Extract Unread Messages Specified Messages are copied into a downloadable file ___________________ Description of the Commands _____________________________ Command# 0. Set Extract Path\Filename The default Extract Filename is initialized each time the program starts. (the default drive:\path\filename is configured by the System Sysop.) The sysop would select the filename for the message extractions to be appended to. This extract file can be located in any drive or subdirectory. From the Extract Menu you can : 1 > Select a different Extract File (conference sysops only) 2 > Delete Extract File 3 > View current extract file An idea is to put this extract file, into a downloadable subdirectory so that a caller can download it, if needed. This way then if a caller sees some quite lengthy messages that he would want to store(download) for later use, he can... (for conference sysops...) Example: You have a caller that has accidently left a message in the wrong conference. Let's say he left a 'For Sale' message in the 'Basket Weaving' conference. The following steps illustrate how you can move that Message or a series of messages to another conference. Select Main Command 0 to select the Extract Menu. For this example, lets say you want to use the file SMLMESS.EXT to temporally hold the messages. Use the 2 (in Extraction Menu) to select the SMLMESS.EXT file to be used for extractions. To make sure that the extract file is empty, we select 3 for Delete a file. Type in SMLMESS.EXT to Delete, and type Y to delete the file. Now, we are sure that we are working with a blank file. Okay, now we are ready to go extract the file from the conference. Select Main Command 1 to select the 'Basket Weaving' conference. After it is selected and you have returned to the Main Menu, then Select Main Command 2 to read the messages. Answer the search criteria so that you can get to the 'wrong area' conferences quickly. When the 'wrong area' messages are displayed you would type X at the prompt to then Extract that Message to the Smlmess.Ext file. You may then go back and delete those 'wrong area' messages. In your Smlmess.Ext file, there is the Xtracted messages in normal readable ascii format. You can edit the file, or copy the contents to other subdirectories to be used for Archive Purposes. (Hint: You may have a Xtract file called OUTSTATE.BBS which would have the Xtracted messages from Out-of-State Sysops that have left validation info, or other Info.) Okay, then return to the Main Command menu. Select Main Command 1 to select the 'For Sale' conference. Select Main Command 5 for 'Insert MessageBatch into conference.' This program will read your 'ascii text' message and insert into the current conference base. That's it. Important: If you are inserting messages from a Screen Capture that you have gotten off of other BBSs that we ask that you assign a 10 character code for that BBS. So, then callers know where the source of the Message is. Also, that you get permission from that BBS first before you capture their messages to be reposted on your (and others) board(s). Command# 1. Select the Current Message/Conference Base This Command is used to 'Join another Conference' Using a displayed list of available conferences the remote caller will select the one to try to 'Join' to. Callers are only allowed into Conferences that has them listed in that conference's Users file. Command# 2. Read/Extract the Current Message Base This option will allow the normal caller or sysop to read the message base using a more complex search criteria. During the actual display of the messages, the Prompt commands are similar to RBBS, except that there are differences and several enhancements. You the Caller can: (on a Message From: or To: you) Change the Direction of the message displays Kill a Message Make a Message either Private or Public Change the subject heading REply to the Message Xtract the Message into an Extract file You the Sysop can do additional commands: Make it a Bulletin Message Unkill a Message Change Message Security Levels But, first before this you can specify exactly the type of messages that will be displayed. Messages will only be displayed if it matches the search criteria that you have provided. [If you press ENTER without typing anything then it will use the bracketed default criteria.] Your criteria is: Starting Message # :You would type the message number to start reading at. If you wish to read the messages in reverse direction, you would type a - after the number. ie. 345- Messages will default in the forward direction. The searches are more complex. Whatever is in a search criteria the message must have that in it, or else it won't be displayed. For example, if you specify, SYS for the From: criteria then only messages that are from those containing the letters SYS like SYSOP or PARALYSYS will be displayed. To null out a specified search request you would type * at the prompt to be deleted. (You would only need to * it, if the bracketed default is not already null). [For search purposes, Upper and Lower Case letters are the same.] Example 1: You want to read all messages that are from John Smith to you (John Doe). You could Specify: Search on From: JOHN SMITH Search on To : JOHN DOE then this program will only display messages that are from John Smith to John Doe. Example 2: You want to read all messages that have the subject of SWAP MEET then you may specify: Search on Subject: SWAP then smlmess will only display messages that have the word SWAP anywhere in the subject (RE:) heading. Example 3: You remember a message from John Blake, and that he talked about a Compaq 386 but don't remember the rest of it. So, you would specify: Search on From: JOHN Blake You may specify 386 or COMPAQ for the 'text' criteria. What the Text criteria is, that if a text is specified, then the message must have that fragment somewhere within the body of the message, for it to be displayed. To the right of the Msg#, Date, and Time, may be shown: Security # - means the Security Level that a caller would need to be in order to read this message. Security Level is new in 16.1A. Sec.Level may be change by the L command. - means this Message has been Deleted. (ready to be removed at next packing) Deleted can be Unkilled by the U command. - means this Message is marked Private, (for receiver only) Private can be made Public by P command. While reading the Messages. You may be shown this options at the end of each Message, they are : [Y] - Yes, continue reading. This is default unless you press N . B - Bulletin Message. This Message will never be Deleted (thus Purged) unless specified told by the Caller (by doing a K) or by the Sysop in the Delete Command. + - Change the Direction of reading the Messages. - + for Positive, - for Backward(reverse) reading then D will start reading messages in the Opposite Direction. * - Null specified search keys J - Edit the Subject of this Message K - Kill the Current Message N - No, stop reading messages. R - Reread the Message. Displays the same message again. RE - Reply to a Message S - Change the Security Level of this Message U - UnKill the Current Message X - Makes a text version of the message in the Extraction File. Some options may stacked. for example USBR will Undelete, Security change, Bulletin, Reread If you reply to a private message then your message will also be private. Command# 3. Delete Messages by Criteria Conference Sysop or System Sysop allowed Only. For this deleting command, there are several toggles that you can use to specify which messages to Delete. For example: (criteria can be in any combination as below) Delete Bulletin Messages Delete All Private Messages except for those that are Unread Delete Unread Private Messages also Delete only Messages that are From: a specified caller Delete only Messages that are To: a specified caller Delete Public Messages Only Delete Messages before a specified date You would type Y or N at each criteria prompt depending on the deletions that you want to take place. Messages that are deleted are listed on the screen. More Info. 'Bulletin Messages' these messages are characterized by the symbol '[B]' in the Subject heading of the message. This symbol is meant to be used on Messages that the sysop does not want to delete unless specifically told to. ie. He may have some real good messages or informative ones that he does not want the Massive delete routine to delete. (unless told to, or Killed by the sysop or caller) Idea, for the use of 'Bulletin Messages'. Is for the Sysop that sees important messages (like his advertising, or other long term bulletins), that he can mark with as a 'Bulletin Message' so then it will not be deleted out of his Messagebases in his monthly maintenance routines. Command# 4. Pack the Current Message Base Conference Sysop or System Sysop allowed Only. This command will pack the current message base or conference. And, will (if specified) renumber the MessageBase at the same time. It will pack all deleted messages out of it, and then recreate the message base (or conference). The old copy of the Pack Message/Conference base is called SmlMess.Old. Which will exist until the next Packing takes place. At the end of the packing, it will display the number of messages active and the number packed, as well as the number available. This process may take several minutes, and will depend on the size of your messages base. Command# 5. Attach a MessageBatch onto the Message Base Conference Sysop or System Sysop allowed Only. The story behind this. A number of times, I had seen messages on other BBS systems that I would like to post on here. The normal method is to capture the message (using the communication program's capture) and then do a Ascii Upload onto the Message Base. Well, of course this isn't the best method, so i created this method to help out. Because of this option, I will need to just do a scroll capture of the another BBS that I am signed onto. Edit the file for any miscellaneous fragments out, but still keep the Msg # date time from to re : and that stuff like that. Then I can use this program to read the captured text file, and automatically insert into the message base. This program keeps the Date, Time, From, To, and Subject info intact so that then credit goes where it is deserved. Also, you may give the command, the option to put in a 10 character header to insert into the messages origin (From:) so that they will know which system it is from. (also, so you don't have to insert lines into their message.) Currently, the option can only read RBBS captured messages. To me, this command is great, it will allow me to post Warning Messages that I have seen on out-of-state boards on your board,too. Command# 6. Create a new message This command will allow you to create a new message into the current Message base. You can create a message by using the Message Editor or you may insert message text from a text file. You have upto 90 messages lines to store the message in. (Only conference sysops are allowed to import textfiles into the current conference/message base.) You will need to specify if you want a Private message as well as to who it is To: and what the Subject Heading is. Command# 7. View SmlMess Documentation This Command will print out the SMLMess.TXT file onto the screen. This file (SMLMess.TXT) is in Text form, so can printed out to the printer or the screen. Command# 8. Configure the Defaults System Sysop Only can access this option! Command# 9. Exit to DOS (Quit Program) Quits program. Command# A. Set Default Color Set the Default Text Color Command# C. Extract Messages This command will extract specified Public messages into a downloadable file so that they can be read offline. - To download unread (PUBLIC) messages : (You can extract messages from multiple conferences by 'join'ing each one and then using the Command C. Extracted messages are appended to the end of the Extraction File.) a. Use the RBBS Doors command to execute the Smlmess program b. Use command#1 to select the message/conference base to use c. The extract command will only extract Public messages so, if you do have Private messages then you must read them online. d. Use command#C to select 'Extract Public Messages' e. Either type in the Last Message # read or any Message# that you want the extract process to start on. f. once, message extraction is done, Return to RBBS via command#9 g. Reenter RBBS and goto the File Menu h. Select for Download the filename specified by your sysop as the one that will contain the extracted Messages. ==== End of Smlmess Caller Doc Smlmess.Txt ====