Copyright: Help on e-Mail Notify version 1.01
Citation: Copyright (c) 1995, Ludovic Dubost


e-Mail Notify Contents

What's new in e-Mail Notify 1.01

Notify Introduction

About e-Mail Notify

About the Author

License Agreement

Credits

Notify Commands

File Menu

Mail Menu

View Menu

Help Menu

Tray Bar Icon and Menu

Special Features

Notify Configuration

Server Configuration

Checking Configuration

Notify Configuration

Misc. Configuration

External Reader Configuration

How to ...

Contact the Author

Quickly configure e-Mail Notify

TroubleShoot e-Mail Notify

Register


Win95, Win32s and Win NT Versions of e-Mail Notify

e-Mail Notify is now a 5$ shareware. Please read information about registration.

e-Mail Notify is released in four different versions. This topic will explain you why this was necessary, which version you should use, and what the differences are.

Why Four Versions

e-Mail Notify uses specific features of the Windows 95 shell, and also makes use of Multi-Threading for better performance.

Since Win32s doesnt support Multi-Threading there was a need for a specific Win32s version. I didnt intent to write this port, but some people asked me for it, and it wasnt that difficult.

Windows NT 3.5 does not include all the stubs for the New Shell APIs of Windows 95. For this reason, the Windows 95 version of e-Mail Notify cannot run in Windows NT 3.5. Some people out there wanted e-Mail Notify although there are running Windows NT, so I wrote the NT 3.5 port.

Additionally, version 0.99.9 introduces an experimental WIN16 version. It is not really tested, because I do not have everything needed (like 10 different TCP/IP stacks) to test it properly.

Which Version to use

If you run Windows fro Workgroups 3..11 or before and do not have win32s version 1.25, use the win16 version, and do not forget to tell me how it works.

If you run Win32s, use the Win32s version.

If you run Windows NT 3.5 use the Win NT 3.5 version.

If you run Windows 95, Windows NT 3.51, Windows NT 3.51 with the Shell Preview, or anything more recent than this including stubs or implementation for the New Shell API and supporting Multi-Threading, the use the Windows 95 version.

Differences between Versions

If you do not have a Multi-Threading system, e-Mail Notify is much less stable and well-behaving. In this case, be very careful not to ask him something that you know wont work. In addition, the Win32s and Win16 versions are almost not tested, because I hate running Good Old Windows now that I use Windows 95.

Version 0.99.9 has been tested using some beta tester out-there and some bugs have been fixed now.

If you do not run a system which has a Windows Taskbar (like Windows 95 or Windows NT 3.51 with the Shell Preview), you wont see the nice Notify Icon in this Taskbar and wont be able to hide e-Mail Notify.

In addition even if you are running Win95, if you run the Win32s or Windows NT 3.5 version, you wont have access to these features either.

The best way to run e-Mail Notify is to run the Windows 95 version in Windows 95 ! You will have access to all the features of the application !

{Button ,KLink(e-Mail Notify,0,"",main)} Related Topics


What's new in e-Mail Notify version 0.99.7
What's new in e-Mail Notify version 1.01

New:  you can now find all e-Mail Notify versions at <URL:ftp://olympe.netsurf.org/pub/notify>.

Version 1.01

Minor bug fixed in the welcome screen of version 1.0. Welcome WAV removed.

Version 1.0

Two new bugs have been fixed. The first probably made notify unusable on 16 bit systems, since the pooling timer didnt work and made notify check every minute instead of the time chosen. The second bug was with some POP3 server. Notify would not notice the mail waiting on the server.

I also added a welcome dialog box to remind users that this program is shareware. Registered users will be notified how to bypass the dialog box.

Version 0.99.11

I made a horrible mistake in the 0.99.10 version which made it bug for a lot of people out there. Here is a fix. It should resolve the connection problem many people had. Thanks to all the people who reported me this problem.

Version 0.99.10

Version 0.99.10 fixes yet another win16/win32s bug, some people had with connecting to the POP3 server. It should work much better now. I made a different Help File for Windows 3.1 systems, since it doesnt support the Help System. It would look as nice, and I still have to remove some unsupported links, so do not be surprised if the Help File looks weird.

Two new functions have been added. Quick View and Quick Delete. Check out the right click on the Mail headers or the Mail Menu to view and delete mail. I included maximum security in this function. Notify will verify the mail header before deleting to be sure to delete the right mail.

Version 0.99.9

This version is now a shareware. If it suits your needs, please send me 5$ in the mail at Ludovic Dubost, 9 Av du Colonel Bonnet, 75016 Paris, France (stamp is 50c) and send me an e-mail to register.

A new version for Win16 has been introduced. The same warnings apply as for the Win32s version. Please test it and tell me how it works and which configuration you run.

One new feature and many bug fixes for this version. Thank you to the people who helped me and tested version 0.99.8.

The new feature is the ability to run an external application every time there is new mail. This looks like running the external reader, but is a little more powerful, since notify is able to add the number of mails in the command-line. If you want more information about this, jump to the corresponding topic.

Bug fixes allow the win32s version not to hang your system, like it was the case before. My apologies to those who had problems with it. This version should now be okay and up and running like the NT and Win32s versions (the user interface will still be a little less responsive because of the monothreading).

Another bug that has been fixed is the popup menu from the tray icon, that was not behaving properly. Thanks to Felix Andrews from Microsoft (author of FlexiCD from the Windows 95 PowerToys available at http://www.microsoft.com/Windows/), it now behaves properly.

The last bug is the one that cost me the most mail. It was a mistake in the documentation. To start notify hidden, you have to use the /H switch and not /U. Additionally, switches are not case sensitive anymore.

Version 0.99.7

Main rewrite of e-Mail notify. The MFC 3.1 Socket classes were used and a tabbed dialog box replaced the options dialog box. Wishes from e-Mail notify users were included in this version.

These include the possibility of launching an External Mail Reader. Error Checking has been improved.

I slightly changed the behavior of the application following the advice of certain users. Now, the only way to really exit the application is to select Exit in the File Menu or in the popup Menu on the Tray Bar icon.

All other usual windows exiting ways will only hide e-Mail Notify, but the application will still be active in the Tray Bar. Of course, this only applies to the Windows 95 version.

Finally, the World Wide Web distribution site of e-Mail notify changed, because I left school. You will now find e-Mail Notify at <URL:http://www.netsurf.org/~zic/english/notify.html>. The files are also available on the ftp site of olympe.netsurf.org: <URL:ftp://olympe.netsurf.org/pub/notify/>

My e-mail address also changed to zic@netsurf.org.

Version 0.99.6

Many bugs fixed. New icons from John Stephens added (see credits).

Win32s and Windows NT 3.5 version have be written.

Switches have been included to give the possibility to start e-Mail Notify hidden and to have more than one notifier running with different configurations.

Note: Windows NT 3.51 can use the Windows 95 version, especially if the are running the New Shell Preview. Everything should work fine.

Version 0.99

First public release.

{Button ,KLink(e-Mail Notify,0,"",main)} Related Topics


About e-Mail Notify

The main reason why I wrote e-mail notify is to reduce the mail transfer bandwidth from my mail server to my home pc. Since I needed to have access to my mail when I was at school, I wanted to keep my mail folders on my unix account. Also, Microsoft Exchange is a heavy program just to check if I have new mail. Thats the reason why I wrote a very simple header retrieval program to be informed about new mail without really touching the mail. I know that some people out there have the same need as I have even if they have a computer directly connected to the Internet (not through PPP or SLIP).

The second reason, was that I wanted to put some icon of mine in this nice tray bar Microsoft included in Windows 95. I tried to think of what I could put there and came up with the notifier idea.

Finally, some people using NT or Win32s wrote me to ask me for a version that would work with their system. The port to NT was not to difficult but the Win32s was and is still quite a pain because the notifier uses multi-threading which is not included in Win32s.

Now that you got e-mail notify, if you are able to use it, this means you have e-mail. If this is the case, just take a few minutes to contact me and tell me what you think. It is always nice to hear about people using your software.

e-Mail Notify 0.99.9 is now a shareware, which means that you have to send me 5$ to register and  fulfill  your part of the License Agreement.

{Button ,KLink(e-Mail Notify,0,"",main)} Related Topics


About the Author
About the Author	How to contact the author

My name is Ludovic Dubost, Im 25 years old. Im coding now on Windows or UNIX computer for some time now. You can find some information about what I did and maybe new stuff on my web page at <URL:http://www.netsurf.org/~zic>. Its a good place to thank Mathieu (alias mc, alias Tortle) and Krys for hosting my pages there. Go and visit the olympe WWW server.

Here is an extract of my resume:

Education

1993-1995

Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications de Paris

Paris, France

Graduate, Major in Electrical Engineering.

1991-1993

Ecole Polytechnique

Palaiseau, France

Graduate, Major in Computer Science.

1990

Concours des Grandes Ecoles

Succeeded in the nationwide entry exam of the Ecole Polytechnique.

Mail fields tested: Mathematics and Physics

Work and Internship Experience

July 1994-December 1994

Sigma Designs

Fremont, California

Internship: Development of internal software tools for the REALmagic MPEG board.

September 1993-June 1994

Société Générale

Paris, France

Part Time Job: Development of Financial analysis software in C++ including links to Microsoft Excel.

April 1992-July 1993

Peugeot-Citroën

Paris, France

Internship: Development of an RDS (Radio Data System) protocol for transmitting Urban traffic Information through FM Radio.

Languages

English

Fluent, more than ten years of academic English and numerous stays in English speaking countries.

German

Fluent, lived ten years in Bonn, Federal republic of Germany, including kindergarten and two years in a German school.

French

Mother Tongue

Extracurricular activities

1992

Student Yachting World Cup (Course de lEurope 1992)

Member of the organizing team (Treasurer) of the Student Yachting World Cup. Worldwide student sailing race organized in the south of France by the Students of the Ecole Polytechnique.

Responsible for a 300.000$ budget.

1995

Author of the WebMeninges (World Wide Web Master Mind)

Internet Site where world wide users of the Web can play Master Mind and be ranked. <URL:http://www.netsurf.org/~zic/>

1995

Author of e-Mail notify

Internet software utility for Windows 95. E-Mail Notify retrieves regularly the headers of your e-Mails waiting in a POP3 Server and notifies you if any new mail arrived. Information available at <URL:http://www.netsurf.org/~zic/>

{Button ,KLink(Author,0,"",main)} Related Topics


License Agreement

Read carefully all terms of this License agreement before using this Software. If you do not agree with any term of this agreement, stop using this software immediately.

1. 	Ludovic Dubost grants to you a non-exclusive, non-sublicense, license to use this version of E-Mail Notify for 30 days. Once this period expires, you will have to register the software, by sending 5$ by mail to Ludovic Dubost, 9 Av du Colonel Bonnet, 75016 Paris and sending an e-mail to zic@netsurf.org. It both mails you should provide registration information so you can receive updates of this program.

2. You agree that this software and its source code is property of his author, Ludovic Dubost, 9 Av. du Colonel Bonnet, 75016 Paris, France.

3. The Author makes no representations about the suitability of this software. The Software is provided 'As Is' without express or implied warranties, including warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose or noninfringement. This Software is provided gratuitously and accordingly, the author shall not be liable under any theory or any damages suffered by you or any user of the Software.

4. The author grants you the right to redistribute this software, as long as you are not charging ANY money for it and the distribution files are kept together and unmodified.

The distribution files are:

Win32 versions

        email.exe

        email.hlp

        email.cnt

        email.txt

        newmail.wav

        welcome.wav

        FILE_ID.DIZ

Win16 version

        email16.exe

        email16.hlp

        email.txt

        newmail.wav

        welcome.wav

        FILE_ID.DIZ

{Button ,KLink(e-Mail Notify,0,"",main)} Related Topics


Credits

I first would like to thank Johns Stephens for the icons of e-Mail Notify, which wouldnt be so nice, if he hadnt drawn them. If you like his work, you can contact him at johns@ccnet.com through e-mail or visit his World Wide Web Home Page at <URL:http://www.ccnet.com/~johns/>.

I also need to thank all the people who wrote me e-Mail about the program and gave me advice how to enhance it. I did my best to write most of the changes they asked me. I also wrote the Windows NT and Win32s versions because of them. Continue to write me and ask me for changes.

{Button ,KLink(Credits,0,"",main)} Related Topics


File Menu

Clear Main Window

Select this menu command to empty the Headers window of e-Mail Notify. If you do this, it will force a complete re-load of the headers by e-Mail Notify.

Exit

Select this menu command to end your e-Mail Notify session. Note that double clicking on the system Menu or on the Windows 95 cross wont end your notify session, but will hide the window. The application will still be active and you will be able to control it through the Tray Icon. This command is also available in the Tray Menu.

{Button ,Klink(Menu,0,"",main)} Related Topics


Mail Menu

Options

Choose this Menu Item to open the options Dialog Box, which will allow you to configure e-Mail Notify. This menu is also available in the Tray Menu.

Disable/Enable

This Menu command will allow you to enable or disable e-Mail Notifys automatic mail checking option. It is the same as checking or unchecking this option in the Notify Tab of the options dialog box. This menu is also available in the Tray Menu.

Check Mail/Stop Mail Transfer

This Menu command will allow you to start or stop a Mail Transfer. This menu is also available in the Tray Menu.

Run External Reader

This Menu allows to start the external Mail reader as configured in the Reader Tab of the Options Dialog Box. This menu is also available in the Tray Menu.

View Current Mail

This Menu is to quickly view a mail. You better not do this if you got a 600Ko Mail !

Delete Current Mail

This Menu is to permanently destroy a Mail from your POP3 Server. Handle with care.

{Button ,Klink(Menu,0,"",main)} Related Topics


View Menu

Hide

This command will hide the e-Mail notify main window. The icon in the tray bar of Windows 95 will still be available to control the notifier. This command is the same as double-clicking the system menu or clicking the cross on the e-mail Notify window. This command has no effect if you are not running Windows 95.

ToolBar/StatusBar

These commands allow you to show or hide the ToolBar and/or StatusBar of the e-Mail Notify window.

{Button ,Klink(Menu,0,"",main)} Related Topics


Help Menu

Help Topics

Choose this menu item to open this file and get help on how to use e-Mail Notify. This command is also available in the Tray Menu.

About e-mail Notify

This menu item will give you a quick copyright information of e-Mail Notify. If you need more information please read the License Agreement. This command is also in the Tray Menu.

{Button ,Klink(Menu,0,"",main)} Related Topics


Tray Icon and Menu

If you click on the e-Mail Notify Icon in the Tray Bar of Windows 95, you are going to unhide the main window of e-Mail Notify. This way you will be able to view the headers of the incoming mail. If you just stay over the icon without clicking, it will indicate you the state of e-Mail Notify. If you have sharp eyes, you will see the number of mail in the mailbox appearing on the icon when new mail is transferred.

You can access the Tray Menu if you are a Windows 95 user and click with the right button of your mouse on the e-Mail Notify icon in the tray bar of Windows 95. For other users, this menu is also accessible has the last item of the System Menu.

Help Topics

Choose this menu item to open this file and get help on how to use e-Mail Notify. This command is also available in the Help Menu.

About e-mail Notify

This menu item will give you a quick copyright information of e-Mail Notify. If you need more information please read the License Agreement. This command is also in the Help Menu.

Options

Choose this Menu Item to open the options Dialog Box, which will allow you to configure e-Mail Notify. This menu is also available in the Mail Menu.

Disable/Enable

This Menu command will allow you to enable or disable e-Mail Notifys automatic mail checking option. It is the same as checking or unchecking this option in the Notify Tabof the options dialog box. This menu is also available in the Mail Menu.

Check Mail/Stop Mail Transfer

This Menu command will allow you to start or stop a Mail Transfer. This menu is also available in the  Mail Menu.

Run External Reader

This Menu allows to start the external Mail reader as configured in the Reader Tab of the Options Dialog Box. This menu is also available in the Mail Menu.

Exit


Special Features

This topic is to explain you some special behavior of e-Mail Notify.

First, when running in Windows 95, the only way to close e-Mail Notify, is to select the Exit Command in the File or Tray Menu. If you use other ways of closing e-Mail Notify, like the cross box in the e-Mail Notify Windows or double-clicking the system menu, it will only hide e-Mail Notify. At this point, the application will still be active and can be controlled through the e-Mail Notify icon in the Tray Bar of the Windows 95 Taskbar.

You can also activate the main window, if you click on the Notify Icon in the TaskBar.

For Windows or Windows NT users, the Tray Menu is also available as the last command of the System Menu, which offers a more convenient way to control e-Mail Notify under these systems.

Please consult the Command-Line Switches Topic for more interesting information.

{Button ,Klink(Menu,0,"",main)} Related Topics


Options Dialog Box - Server Tab

The options Dialog Box can be accessed from the Mail Menu or from the Tray Menu.

Click on the fields you need information about.

{Button ,Klink(Options,0,"",main)} Related Topics


Options Dialog Box - Checking Tab

The options Dialog Box can be accessed from the Mail Menu or from the Tray Menu.

Click on the fields you need information about.

{Button ,Klink(Options,0,"",main)} Related Topics


Options Dialog Box - Notify Tab

The options Dialog Box can be accessed from the Mail Menu or from the Tray Menu.

Click on the fields you need information about.

{Button ,Klink(Options,0,"",main)} Related Topics


Options Dialog Box - Misc Tab

The options Dialog Box can be accessed from the Mail Menu or from the Tray Menu.

Click on the fields you need information about.

{Button ,Klink(Options,0,"",main)} Related Topics


Command-Line switches

e-Mail Notify has some interesting command-line switches. Using this switches, you can start e-Mail Notify Hidden, or running different configurations.

/H

This switch allows you to start e-Mail Notify hidden. Of course this option only applies to the Windows 95 version running in Windows 95 !

/Sn

If you add the Switch when Running e-Mail Notify, then it will run a specific configuration depending on the value of n. Not adding this switch uses default configuration 0. This way you can run multiple instance of e-Mail Notify for different mailboxes you have.

Example:

Run email /S0 and email /S1 will start to instances of  e-Mail Notify. Modifying options in any of these instances will not have any influence on the other instance or on the future instances of e-Mail Notify, unless they are ran with the same Settings Switch.

{Button ,Klink(Options,0,"",main)} Related Topics


Options Dialog Box - Reader Tab

The options Dialog Box can be accessed from the Mail Menu or from the Tray Menu.

Click on the fields you need information about.

To pass the number of mails in your box to the spawned program, just add %n in the command-line where you want the number of mail to appear.

This option has been added because it gives the ability to write a program that will contact you when you have new mail through any way. One of theses ways could be a pager. If you are interested in such a feature, contact me and I might integrate the paging feature directly in e-Mail Notify.

{Button ,Klink(Options,0,"",main)} Related Topics


Click on the Ok Button to validate all changes you have made in the dialog and end the options session.


Click on the Cancel Button to cancel all changes you have made in the dialog and end the options session.


Click on the Apply Button to validate all changes you have made in the current Tab. Options session will continue.


Click on the Help Button to get these Help pages !


The AutoCheck option tells e-Mail Notify to regularly check for changes in the mail box. You can change the AutoCheck delay in the fields just below it.


These fields are used to change the AutoCheck delay. Do not forget to activate AutoCheck by selecting the AutoCheck Check Box !


The Check on Startup option is a useful option, allowing e-Mail Notify to check in the mail box as soon as it is launched.


The Browse button allows you to select a file using a Windows Standard Dialog Box.


Enter the file name which will be used to log requests. All request will be appended at the end of the file. You can use the Browse button to easily select a file.


Check Log Request to activate logging. All transactions will be fully logged and saved in the log file.


This options allows e-Mail Notify to open Message Boxes every time there are errors. Unchecking this option allows keeping e-Mail Notify open without being disturbed, even if the POP3 server is down or the Dial-Up connection not active.


Check this option if you do not have a Sound Card and want the speaker of you computer to beep when the mailbox changes.


This option is for users who have a sound card in their computer. Activate this option to have a Wave file played when mailbox changes.


Use this field to choose the Wave file to be played when mailbox state changes.


If you want a Message Box opened whenever the mailbox state changes, just check this option.


This field is used to enter the POP3 Server Name.


This field is used to enter your POP3 User Name. It is usually the login name you use to logon on unix machines (if you have such an access).


This field is used to enter your POP3 Password. It is usually the password you use when you logon on unix machines (if you have such an access).


Check this option if you want your password to be remembered the next time you start e-Mail Notify. This option is useful for people running e-Mail Notify in a public place and do not want anybody running e-Mail Notify see their mail headers.


Enter in this field the external mail program you want to be launched when you hit the Run External Mail Program Menu. Add any command line options that might be useful.


Enter in this box the command-line for the esternal program to be run any-time there is new mail.

If you add %n in the command-line, it will be replaced by the number of mails waiting in the box.


Check this box if you want an external program to be run any time there is new mail arriving.


Check this box if you do not want the external program to be run the first time you download mail.


Contact Information

There are three ways to contact me:

1. Electronic Mail

Take you e-mail client and send me a note at

zic@netsurf.org.

Then keep e-mail notify on to wait on my response.

2. World Wide Web

You will find my World Wide Web page

at <URL:http://www.netsurf.org/~zic/>.

At this address, you will find information

about me, the WebMeninges (WWW Master Mind)

and information about new updates of e-mail notify.

3. Snail Mail

My snail mail address is:

Ludovic Dubost

9 Av. du Colonel Bonnet

75016 Paris, France

Tel: +33 1 42 30 90 69

Note:

You will always find the latest e-Mail Notify binaries at <URL:ftp://olympe.netsurf.org/pub/notify>.

{Button ,KLink(Author,0,"",main)} Related Topics


Register

Registering the Software after your 30 days trial period is really easy.

1. Find a 5$ bill (cash or travelers check) and a 50c stamped envelope

2. Put the 5$ bill in the envelope.

3. Add registration information in the envelope with following information.

Name

Company

Address

e-Mail Address

5. Go to the nearest post office and send the gift to:

Ludovic Dubost

9 Av. Du Colonel Bonnet

75016 Paris

France

6. Send me a mail at zic@netsurf.org with the subject REGISTER e-Mail Notify 0.99.9 with the same information once you have sent the snail mail.

7. Registering this software will allow you to be among the first to receive updates to this program.

Note:

Before version 1.0, I did not add any dialog box to remember the user to register. Because of the poor

ratio of registered users against downloads of e-mail notify, I finally decided to add one. Registered users will be notified how to bypass the welcome screen.

Please do not send any checks, since it cost a lot of money to cash a foreign check. If you cannot or are afraid of sending cash, you should be able to send a International Money Order with your local Post Office.

{Button ,KLink(Register,0,"",main)} Related Topics


Quickly Configure e-Mail Notify

Follow these instruction to configure e-Mail Notify.

1. Connect your computer to the Internet

2. Run e-Mail Notify.

3. Open the Options Dialog Box using the Mail/Options Menu.

4. Set your e-Mail account information

   (Server Name, Login, Password).

5. Try to transfer mail using the Mail/Transfer Mail Menu.

If this procedure work, you can fine-tune the options to suit your needs.

If it doesnt work, go to TroubleShooting.

{Button ,KLink(Options,0,"",main)} Related Topics


TroubleShoot e-Mail Notify

Note for Win32s and Win16 users:

These two version have not been tested a lot and it is possible that they do not always behave properly. Thanks to e-mail from Win32s users I could already fix some bugs. If you experience problems using these versions, please send me information about it. Please log the notify session and send me the logs. This will really help me to make these versions work better.

If you have problems using e-Mail Notify, here is a simple procedure to check whether or not you misconfigured e-Mail Notify.

1. Use a ping program to see if you can access your e-mail server. Ping exactly the host you entered in the Options Dialog Box. If this is not working then you will have to check with your system administrator for access to this host.

2. Use a telnet program to connect to your e-Mail host with PORT 110. This will exactly reproduce what e-Mail Notify is trying to do. The host should reply with a OK+ ... answer. If the connection fails then you will have to check with your system administrator.

3. While connected, send USER $username$ and wait for a OK+.. answer. Then type PASS $password$ and wait for the OK+ answer... If this procedure fails then you probably entered a wrong password.

4. If all the procedure worked as indicated, then there is probably an incompatibility between e-Mail Notify and your POP3 Server. Please contact me to give me more information.

{Button ,KLink(Options,0,"",main)} Related Topics


Start e-Mail Notify Hidden

To start e-Mail Notify hidden, there is a very simple procedure.

1. Create a Shortcut (for Windows 95 users) or a Program Manager Icon (other users) linking to e-Mail Notify. Edit the properties and add the /H switch to the command-line to be executed. In Windows NT or Windows 3.1 this will start e-Mail Notify minimized.

2. This should make it !

{Button ,KLink(Options,0,"",main)} Related Topics