NOTE: At present, PostOffice™ works only with any bbs using "Remote Access" software. If you're in doubt, ask your bbs Sysop before you attempt running PostOffice™ for sending/receiving messages. (But you did that before acquiring PostOffice™, right?)
Created for off-line reading and writing of email, this small collection of files basically consists of two White Knight™ procedures for collecting message text files or sending them as Zmodem uploads to your favorite bbs. (The procedures are abridged versions of those I created for "RSVP," my HyperCard stack for reading, quoting and writing email.) With the procedures of PostOffice™, all one needs is a word processing application for writing your "text only" messages and modifying the two text files "Remote Access BBS Areas" or "PostOffice Directory" -- the two files that control the two White Knight™ procedures.
This version of PostOffice™ comes to you with these additional files:
1. "Read Mail" - This is a compiled White Knight™ procedure for reading and capturing to disk as text files all new messages to you and all new messages posted in those message conference areas you select. You'll be able to read captured messages files with any word processing application.
2. "Send Mail" - This is a compiled White Knight™ procedure for sending your "text only" message files to the message conference areas you designate.
3. "Remote Access BBS Areas" - This "text only" file -- in the "BBS Software" folder -- enables you to flag (to the "Read Mail" procedure) those bbs conference areas from which all new messages are to be collected. (Naturally, expect other files to be added in the future.)
4. "PostOffice Directory" - This "text only" file is described in the "TO SEND MESSAGES" portion of this file, below.
5. "PostOffice™ Msgs" - This "text only" file is a record of all the messages you've uploaded. Uploads are recorded by file name followed by the date and time the uploading occurred. You're free to discard this file, generated by the "Send Mail" procedure
6. "Sample Phone Book" - File may be opened via White Knight™ to examine examples of the steps described in "To get PostOffice™ Running," below.
7. "Auto Log-on" - In the "Log-on Info" folder of PostOffice™ v. 2.0, this file may be altered by the user to fully automate the "PostOffice™" procedures. By replacing the top line ("Your log-on name") with your log-on name and the second line ("Your log-on password") with your log-on password, you'll enable the two procedures ("Send Mail" and "Read Mail") to run without any further inputs by you.
Temporary files, "...MailVars" are created and deleted in the normal course of running "Read Mail" or "Send Mail" procedures. If procedure operation is interrupted and "...MailVars" isn't automatically deleted, feel free to trash it, through that's not necessary.
Create a disk named PostOffice™ Disk. The "" symbol is obtained by holding down the "Option" key and typing a "2". Alternatively, simply copy the disk's name from the first sentence of this paragraph and, in the DeskTop display, paste it to a disk you may've named "BLANK" when you formatted it.
Put all the expanded files/folders from the compressed file WK4RAV2.SEA on that disk.
Use a bbs you know is running Remote Access.
Put the PostOffice™ Disk you've created into a drive. Open the White Knight™'s Phone Book. In the appropriate (meaning "alphabetical") location, enter the name of the bbs you're going to use. After the name of the bbs, type "READ." Use the "Get Procedure File" button of White Knight™'s Phone Book to select the PostOffice™ file "Read Mail." Now, enter the name of the bbs a second time (use White Knight™'s Phone Book "ADD" button), typing "SEND" after the bbs's name. Again use the "Get Procedure File" button to select the "Send Mail" file.
To fully automate PostOffice™, make the changes described above for "Auto Log-on" file (#7), above. The semi-automated version will require that you enter your name and password each time you log on with PostOffice™ activated.
Now when you want to send your messages, simply use the Phone Book to call the bbs with "SEND" after its name. The White Knight™ "Send Mail" procedure will watch your log-on and, when it's time, begin running, uploading your messages one after another until they're all sent. The procedure will even log you off. That's all there is to it.
Use the Phone Book to get all new messages in the same way, simply by calling the bbs via the "READ" version of its name. The PostOffice™ "Read Mail" procedure will take you all the way through log-off.
NOTE: For your reference, a file "Sample Phone Book" is included in PostOffice™. You can open it with White Knight™.
It's worth mentioning, whichever procedure you use -- "Read Mail" or "Send Mail" -- new messages directed to you will be saved to disk in the "Msgs to Me" file in the "In&Out Mail" folder.
TO COLLECT MESSAGES -
1. Use your favorite word processing application to open the file "Remote Access BBS Areas." Signal the "Read Mail" procedure that you want all the new messages in any area by replacing with a "YES" the "NO" for that area. Turn off reading/capturing by reversing the process -- replacing any "YES" with a "NO". [Don't use any quotation marks with your "YES" OR "NO."]
The White Knight™ "Read Mail" procedure (in the "Scripts" folder) looks for each "YES" and causes all the new messages posted to that area to be captured to disk as a text file. You'll find all these captured text files in the "In&Out Mail" folder.
Once you've run the "Read Mail" procedure, later captures are added to the existing file. If a file becomes too large, simply move/delete it. Capturing will begin again.
That's all there is to it. Close the "Remote Access BBS Areas" file, saving any changes you made to it. (Be sure you save it as a "text only" file.)
2. Double-click the White Knight™ "Read Mail" file -- or open White Knight™ and, under the White Knight™ menu "Service," select "Initiate Procedure" and open "Read Mail" via the dialogue box.
The "Read Mail" procedure will monitor your log-on. Once you've reached the appropriate point, it will begin responding to the prompts supplied by your bbs software and save all new messages to your disk, so you can read and reply to them off-line.
Alternatively, use the Phone Book of White Knight™, as described above in "To get PostOffice™ running."
TO SEND YOUR MESSAGES -
1. Write your messages. Save them as "text only" files, putting them in the "In&Out Mail" folder.
NOTE: If you want to keep a copy of these messages, save copies somewhere else than in the "In&Out Mail" folder. Message files sent from the "In&Out Mail" folder are automatically deleted after they've been uploaded. That keeps the disk space up and the clutter down. Bear in mind, if you monitor the area to which you're sending messages, whatever you upload will be captured to your disk in the course of your next log-on...
2. Use your favorite word processing application to open the text file "PostOffice Directory." For ease, you might keep it open during your message writings, so that you can change it as you write and save your messages.
NOTE: If you want to test PostOffice™ immediately, just put your name in place of "YOUR NAME" on lines 1 and 2. Then follow the instructions (above, in the "To get PostOffice™ running" information) regarding the simple changes to your White Knight™ Phone Book .
The top line of "PostOffice Directory" tells the two compiled procedures "Read Mail" and "Send Mail" where to collect/get message files. The number after the "*" is the number of messages you wish to send. To "turn off" PostOffice™ -- that is, guard against trying to send messages when you've none to send -- simply change the number after the "*" to 0 (that's a zero). When the procedure checks and finds that zero, it'll tell you and stop running.
NOTE: Be sure you change the number after the top line asterisk ("*") each time you change your "PostOffice Directory" file -- BEFORE you log on. The message lines are numbered so you can easily keep track of how many messages you're going to send in your current outpouring -- put that number after the top line asterisk.
The "Send Mail" procedure is looking for the following information in the other "PostOffice Directory" lines "zones" -
Another example. To test "Send Mail" via a private message to myself through my favorite bbs, the "PostOffice Directory" line looks this way -
1*Main*Bob Houseman**Private*PostOffice*Test Msg*
Once you've loaded the "PostOffice Directory" with all the info it requires, you're ready to go.
NOTE: In the "keep it simple" spirit, you might want to name the message files just by adding something like "PO" to the line number. For example, if you open the "PostOffice Directory" file, you'll find the examples there use that method.
Oh, the "EOF" last line? That just means "End Of File." It should be the last "PostOffice Directory" line.
3. Double-click the White Knight™ "Send Mail" file -- or open White Knight™ and, under the White Knight™ menu "Service," select "Initiate Procedure" and open "Send Mail" via the dialogue box.
The "Send Mail" procedure will monitor your log-on and, once you've reached the appropriate point, it will begin responding to the prompts supplied by your bbs software, sending your messages one after another until all have been sent.
Alternatively, use the Phone Book of White Knight™, as described above in "To get PostOffice™ running."
