MacFormat 1995 March

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Text File | 1994-12-09 | 12.2 KB | 273 lines | [ttro/ttxt]

Testify 3.6 has these features: - Echo->E-Mail redirection! This is a unique feature that allows you and your users to post messages in normal conferences, but have the messages re- routed to a specific e-mail address. This is great for read-only Usenet feeds, Internet mail-lists, etc. Set up the exchange in the Echo->E-Mail.List file in your Tabby folder - see the example file. This feature only works for online users - not points or linked nodes. - NodeList lookup! When you send Netmail to a unique person on FidoNet, you can now specify 0/0 as the node. When Testify sees this, it will search for the _first_ matching name in the current nodelist and use that person's address instead. Example... To: Martin Pingree, 0/0 Be sure the name is spelled right. If you try a common name like John Smith, You will probably end up sending mail to the wrong person. - AutoKill of files specified in an AutoKill.List file in the Tabby folder. The sysop can comment each line of the list for future reference (aren't the FidoNet filename conventions strange?) and can delete files by size limit or if they simply exist. Example: I have a test Point set up, which receives several echoes. I don't want the prospective new point to get blown away by a huge mail packet, so use AutoKill to keep the message size under a limit. This also works for the Tabby Log, etc. You can even use it to delete preference files (in the System Folder), if you always get certain ones you want trashed routinely. See the included example file for details on use. - Time sharing! Testify gives priority to the needs of other applications for CPU time. It can be placed in the background for continued operation, while other processes run in the forefront. The window can also be moved aside if this is desireable. No need to force Testify to the background though, because it is NOT a CPU hog when in the foreground. - Improved launch.next handling! Testify now does a fantastic job of launching the next file in the event sequence listed in launch.next. (see release notes at bottom for details) - A DISTRIBUTE command, kind of like a batch ATTACH feature is now available to you and users on your BBS! Look at the following example: Outgoing message... From: Joe Shmoe To: DISTRIBUTE, <any fake node> Subject: zzWoof.cpt 2605/611 130/1003 282/24 2605/620 --- The sysops you DISTRIBUTE files to see this e-mail message... _________________________ (1/1): File: DISTRIBUTED Name: Joe Shmoe, 123/456 Date: Sun, Apr 18, 1993 4:28:02 PM The following file was distributed to your system: zzWoof.cpt _________________________ Note that Testify uses the message senders name in each message, rather than "Sysop", used by Tabby Robots distribution mechanism. - a CUT LINK command! This is one of the most powerful commands I've written for Testify. The CUT LINK function will completely remove every file and reference to a given node number anywhere in the Tabby environment. Packets, sendmail, sendfiles, echo configurations, password, routing, outgoing call setups, schedules, pointgroups (yes, it knows about your PointNet if you have one!) are appropriately backed up, then modified when the CUT LINK command is processed. Even erroneous FREQ's (.REQ files) are stripped away if you use CUT LINK for this purpose! Use of this command requires that the user's name be entered in a special Testify Permissions file, located in the Tabby folder. Without this file, CUT LINK will not operate. Unauthorized CUT LINK attempts are noted in the Tabby Log for your reference, as well as all authorized CUT LINK operations. See the following example: Outgoing message... From: Joe Shmoe To: CUT LINK, <any node you want to cut> Subject: <any special message you want at the top of the message body> <any message you want below the standard CUT LINK message> --- The sysop whose link you cut will see this e-mail message... _________________________ (1/1): Your Link here has been Cut Name: Sysop, 123/456 Date: Sun, Apr 18, 1993 4:28:02 PM <the special message you wanted at the top of the message body> By permission of the Sysop of this sending system, all files and configuration setups referencing your node number have been removed. If you had been receiving an echo feed, the link is now cut. You may also receive this message if a pending FREQ or file ATTACH was auto-deleted. If this action is in error, please contact the Sysop ASAP. Thank-you! <the message you wanted below the standard CUT LINK message> _________________________ The subject line in a CUT LINK message will become the first line of the message sent to a remote sysop. You may also enter any message in the note, and it will follow Testify's notification message to the receiver (as shown above). - a randomized tagline is chosen from a file called "Origin.List" and appended to each outgoing message - whether e-mail or echo message. This is intended to directly replace the functionality of Originator II, because we all want to reduce our Tabby event strings, right? Put permanent, informative info into your Origin line, where it belongs - and have a blast with the tagline! Lines in the Origin.List must not exceed 61 characters - any that do will be cut to the proper length by Testify. The Origin.List file must reside in your Tabby folder, and can contain any number of tag lines! Some echo moderators do not allow taglines in their echoes. If this is the case, add the echo name (any case) to a file called NoAreaTag.List in the Tabby folder. All messages sent to these areas will not have the tagline appended to the Testify postmark. If you re-run Testify on a Generic Export file, it will NOT re-append new tags to the existing ones. It will only process new messages (with a newly selected tag, of course). Testify leaves a "New Tag =>" message in the Tabby log, to let you know which was selected. - Node swaping and aliases! Example: I get scads of mail from the InterNet- Fido zone gate, which is 1:1/31. Unfortunately, that node doesn't accept replies in the standard FidoNet e-mail format - but 1:107/10 is also a gate to InterNet, and WILL accept my replies. In your Tabby folder, create a file called "NodeSwap.List". In that file, place the original node number or any name (even multiple words separated by spaces!), a TAB, and the replacement node number. Example: "The Association <tab> 2240/174". Use a new line for every swap you want to happen. Your list can contain up to 10,000 characters max (roughly 450 swap-sets). If you ever need more <gasp!>, just let me know. When using the 'alias' feature, many BBS's (not Hermes, unfortunately) will let you substitute the word string instead of a node number. One important note: make sure original nodes in the same network are in numeric order - 2240/17 should ALWAYS come before 2240/174. The swapping code is optimized for speed and this is a sacrifice I chose to let you work with. Node-swap exists as a replacement for the NodeAlias program, which no longer works on my system. Testify's "NodeSwap.List" is NOT compatible with NodeAlias'. - AreaFix, GEcho, and RAID terminators! Normally, the tag at the end of each message (e-mail) would be interpreted as part of your AreaFix, GEcho, or RAID setup command to a remote feed. Testify looks out for these names, and adds a "---" before it appends the tagline. If you like to use other setup names, you can add "---" at the end of each message on your own (which is good practice) or contact me to add these names to Testify. - Testify will try to run the application you specify in the Tabby Maint Configuration menu dialog if there is any trouble with the launch.next string. If the Tabby Setup file isn't found, it will try to launch NightStart, and if it can't find that it will drop to the Finder. If you don't have NightStart, get it! It's the best rebooting utility, giving the sysop an adjustable countdown and abort option before actually restarting the Mac. You can FREQ "NightStart1.0" from my system if you wish. If Testify is launched outside of the BBS folder, it'll create an error log on the spot, to tell you what went wrong. If the Generic file, Tabby folder, Origin.List, Tabby Config, NodeSwap.List, or Areas.bbs files are missing, Testify will always log the problem or react rationally. - Under some circumstances when using Tabby Robot the Generic Export file will not have the proper ASCII 0 character followed by a carriage return at the very end of the file. This is a Tabby Robot bug which Testify deals with gracefully. Testify does not fix the problem, since it doesn't seem to cause trouble for any of the other Tabby modules - it just accepts it. - Remote FREQ's! Messages addressed to "FREQ" (any capitalization or none is fine) at any node number are intercepted by Testify, and all files listed in the body of the message are requested from that node. Significantly, Testify has overcome a limitation in Tabby Robot - subsequent FREQ messages for the same node DO NOT over-write the prior FREQ list! All FREQ's are appended to the ongoing list. The Tabby log will contain a full list of the user who FREQed the files, and what those file names were. To FREQ a passworded file, simply put a space followed by ! and the password. Example: Testify 3.6.sit !PASSWORD Additionally, Testify leaves the sysop of the FREQ node a more meaningful message than Tabby... Outgoing message... From: Joe Shmoe To: FREQ, 2240/174 Subject: <put any message here> files testify 3.6.sit The sysop you FREQ from sees this e-mail message... _________________________ (1/1): File: 08C0007D.REQ Name: Joe Shmoe, 123/456 Date: Sun, Apr 18, 1993 4:28:02 PM <your subject-line message will be put here> The following files were FREQ'd from your system: files testify 3.6.sit _________________________ - Remote ATTACHes! Messages addressed to "ATTACH" (any capitalization is acceptable) at any node number are also intercepted by Testify, and all files listed in the body of the message are sent to that node IF they are found in the Tabby "Request Directories" paths. Passworded paths are ignored. Subsequent ATTACHes are appended to the first, and Testify DOES accept multi-file attachements! As with FREQs, the Tabby log will contain a list of users and file names that were attached. If the ATTACHed files are not found in the Request Dir's, the targeted node is NOT called - however, in all cases Testify leaves an informative message to the sysop on the other end... Outgoing message... From: Joe Shmoe To: ATTACH, 2240/174 Subject: <put any message here> killer bee info.sit flight of bumblebees.mod.cpt The sysop you ATTACH files for sees this e-mail message... _________________________ (1/1): File: ATTACHED Name: Joe Shmoe, 123/456 Date: Sun, Apr 18, 1993 4:28:02 PM <your subject-line message will be put here> The following files were ATTACHed for your system: killer bee info.sit flight of bumblebees.mod.cpt _________________________ Note that Testify uses the message senders name in each message, rather than "Sysop", used by Tabby Robot. At this time, Testify may be operated by any user on your BBS. I've given this a good deal of thought, and provided the following report in the Tabby Log: 04/18/93 15:51:23 Testify - program starting 04/18/93 15:51:23 Testify - signing outgoing messages 04/18/93 15:51:25 Testify - processing FREQ from Joe Shmoe to 2240/174 04/18/93 15:51:25 Testify - FREQ: files 04/18/93 15:51:25 Testify - FREQ: testify 3.6.sit 04/18/93 15:51:25 Testify - processing ATTACH from Joe Shmoe to 2240/174 04/18/93 15:51:26 Testify - ATTACH: killer bee info.sit 04/18/93 15:51:26 Testify - ATTACH: flight of bumblebees.mod.cpt 04/18/93 15:51:27 Testify - program ending It would be possible to have an "Authorization" file, containing the names of users who may and may not use FREQ and ATTACH, but I feel this can be handled between the sysop and his users. If users aren't told this utility exists, it will remain for Sysop use. You get the idea.