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F A X P a k N e t S h a r e (version 2) Copyright Jeff Hofstetter 1990-1991 All Rights Reserved Jeff Hofstetter 1722 Drake Street Longmont, Colorado 80503 USA phone: 303.440.7683 Intel fax board line: 303.440.7683 Compulsive ID: 70365,110 TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 - Introduction..............................1 FAX SERVER..........................................1 CLIENT PROGRAMS.....................................2 FEATURES............................................2 UPDATING FROM THE PREVIOUS VERSION..................3 CHAPTER 2 - Installation..............................4 REQUIREMENTS........................................4 HARDWARE RECOMMENDATIONS............................4 GETTING STARTED.....................................5 AFTER THE INSTALLATION..............................6 CHAPTER 3 - Running the Fax Servers...................7 FPNSHARE.EXE - THE DEDICATED FILE SERVER............7 FPNSHARE.LOG - HISTORY FILE......................8 OPTIONS MENU.....................................8 FPNSTSR.EXE - THE NON-DEDICATED SERVER..............9 FPNSTSR.LOG - HISTORY FILE......................10 CHAPTER 4 - FPNETFAX and FPNETLOG....................11 CHAPTER 5 - Customizing for your Network.............12 INITIALIZATION FILES (.INI files)..................12 LOCATION OF .INI FILES..........................13 PARAMETER REPLACEMENT IN .INI FILES.............13 .INI FILE COMMANDS.................................14 FPNSHARE.INI....................................14 FPNSTSR.INI.....................................20 FPNETLOG.INI....................................22 FPNETFAX.INI....................................25 CHAPTER 6 - Standard Files...........................29 CHAPTER 7 - Integrating External Programs............30 EXTERNAL PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS......................30 HOW FPNSHARE.EXE RUN AN EXTERNAL PROGRAM...........31 INFO REQUIRED TO INTEGRATE AN EXTERNAL PROGRAM.....31 MODIFYING THE FPNSHARE.INI FILE....................32 CONVERT= entry..................................32 PRINT= entry....................................33 EXAMPLE .INI ENTRIES...............................33 TROUBLESHOOTING EXTERNAL PROGRAMS..................35 APPENDIX A - Customer Information....................36 COPYRIGHT..........................................36 LICENSE............................................36 WARRANTY...........................................36 CUSTOMER SUPPORT...................................36 APPENDIX B - PROGRAMMING INTERFACE...................38 GENERAL INFORMATION................................38 FAX CONTROL FILES..................................39 FILE= ENTRIES IN THE FAX CONTROL FILE..............42 FAXPAK NETSHARE LOG FILES..........................43 C H A P T E R 1 I N T R O D U C T I O N ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── FAXPak(tn) NetShare allows shared access to an Intel fax board (either the Connection Coprocessor or the SatisFAXtion board) across a local area network. The software consists of two parts: a "server" program and "client" programs. FAX SERVER The server software (fpnshare.exe or fpnstsr.exe) runs on the PC containing the fax board. The server may be either dedicated or non-dedicated. A PC running the dedicated server performs only the fax server function. A non-dedicated one may be used for other purposes while the server function is being performed. A dedicated server is best for most installations. If your fax volume is low and you MUST use the PC for other functions, then you will need to use fpnstsr.exe. You lose the following features when using the non- dedicated server: o Incoming faxes are NOT handled by FAXPak NetShare. o Efficient handling of outgoing faxes is not enabled. o Files are faxed directly from the network drive. This MAY NOT work with some installations. Normally, the Intel fax software expects the files to be faxed to reside on the same drive as the fax software (typically C:). If this is not the case, the Intel software may report an error 0302 or 0303 (file/path not found). The dedicated server solves this anomaly by copying the file from the network drive to the local hard disk before faxing. o No pending log is available to network PK. o Current fax board status is not available from work stations. Compatibility problems with non-dedicated server. Since fpnstsr.exe is a TSAR program, the possibility exists for conflicts with other software you might be using. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 1 Chapter 1 Introduction ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── If a conflict occurs, the fax PC could "lock up" and require a re-boot. Also, if the person using the PC with the fax board turns off the PC, the network fax process is not longer running. CLIENT PROGRAMS The client software (fpnetfax.exe and fpnetlog.exe) are run by each user on the network to send faxes or to view the results of faxes. fpnetfax is used to send faxes and fpnetlog is used to view the fax log. FEATURES o All users on the network can send faxes from their own work stations. No need to hike up to the fax machine and stand in line!. o View fax logs from all work stations. Network-wide logs, group logs, or individual logs are all supported. o "Phone books" allow users to create lists of frequently called fax numbers. No limit on how many phone books may be created. Public and private phone books are supported. o Send the same fax to multiple addressees. o Send faxes in normal or high resolution mode. If sending to someone with an Intel fax board, files can be sent directly without converting to "fax" files. This also allows any type of computer file to be sent to another Intel fax board user. o Incoming faxes can be saved to a specific directory for manual processing. Faxes are automatically converted to DCX (Intel fax format) files and saved as DOS files. File transfers from other users with Intel fax boards are saved under the ORIGINAL FILE name to a specific directory if desired. o The dedicated version allows external programs to run when a fax is received AND before an outgoing fax is scheduled. This "open architecture" allows other ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 2 Introduction Chapter 1 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── programs to be integrated into the server for printing of received faxes and for converting documents to a "faxable" format before actually being sent. UPDATING FROM THE PREVIOUS VERSION The previous version (called faxshare.exe) has been replaced by this version. Although the concepts are similar, they are completely different programs. The previous programs faxshare.exe and faxsend.exe have been replaced by fpnshare.exe and fpnetfax.exe. The old .cfg files will not work with the new version, however, the new programs have similar commands. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 3 C H A P T E R 2 I N S T A L L A T I O N ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── REQUIREMENTS o Your Intel fax board must be installed and operational BEFORE installing FAXPak NetShare! Verify that you can send a fax using the Intel program fax.exe (or connect.exe). o On the PC with the fax board, you will need to have the Intel program chasm.exe or scam.exe running. FAXPak NetShare communicates with the fax board through this "SASS" manager. o Do NOT run the Intel program faxpop.exe along with the fax server. o Disk space requirements are small, but once the fax process begins, you will need to keep an eye on how much space is being used. o The fax server process will operate on most IBM compatibles. The server program requires approximately 128k of memory while running. o The client programs (fpnetfax.exe and fpnetlog.exe) may require up to 256k of memory depending on how big the log files you are looking at are. HARDWARE RECOMMENDATIONS To get the best performance from FAXPak NetShare, the fax server PC should have (as a minimum) a 80286 CPU (12Mhz or faster). If you plan to integrate any external programs, you should have at least 256K of EXPANDED memory available for swapping the server program. Also, you will need to meet whatever requirements the external program may have. File conversion software generally requires lots of memory (possibly EXPANDED or EXTENDED). A hard disk drive of 40MB is the smallest you should consider (unless you have a light fax load). The faster the hard disk, the better. If you have extra memory, a good disk cache program will also help speed up the entire fax process. User PCs don't have any special hardware requirements. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 4 Installation Chapter 2 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── GETTING STARTED Your floppy diskette contains an installation program that helps you get started. Be sure to install from the PC that contains your fax board and also be sure to be logged in to your network as the supervisor -- or any other user name that has sufficient network rights to create directories, create files, etc. To begin the installation process simply insert the floppy disk and type... A:INSTALL <enter>. If your floppy disk drive is B (or another letter), substitute the correct drive letter. Follow the directions on the screen to complete the install process. You can press the PH key during the install process to read helpful information. The install process performs the following steps: o Copies the server program(s) fpnshare.exe and/or fpnstsr.exe to the local hard disk of the fax PC. The .INI (initialization) files are also created with default settings. o Creates a FAXPak NetShare home directory on a network drive then creates the following sub-directories: IN OUT LOG REQ o A sample phone book file (default.fsb) is copied to the FAXPak home directory. o The user programs (fpnetfax.exe and fpnetlog.exe) along with their help files and .INI files are copied to a network "public" directory. The install process DOES NOT make any modifications to your config.sys or autoexec.bat files. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 5 Chapter 2 Installation ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── AFTER THE INSTALLATION Once the files are copied to your network you still have a few things to do. You must make sure that the FAXPak NetShare home directory is accessible by all users. This generally means that you must assign all users adequate network rights to read files, delete files, create files. You should also verify that the user programs (fpnetfax.exe and fpnetlog.exe) are accessible to all users. The install process creates the required initialization files (.INI) with default values but you will want to read the document section that describes the .INI files in detail to see if you need or want to modify the default setup. If you are using the dedicated server, you will want to create a special network "user" login for the fax server process. You can then have the fax server automatically log in to the network by putting the required network login commands in the autoexec.bat file of the server PC. The server PC needs to have ALL network rights in the network fax home directory and all sub-directories. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 6 C H A P T E R 3 R U N N I N G T H E F A X S E R V E R S ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Once you have run the installation procedure, you are ready to begin testing the network fax process. You should run several tests to insure that you are getting the results you expect. It is particularly helpful to have a local fax machine that you can send test faxes to while you are testing. Fpnshare.exe is the dedicated fax server program. It provides fax services to the other PCs on the network by accepting fax requests from users, submitting the fax jobs to the fax board, then logging the results of the faxes in fax log files. Fpnstsr.exe is the non-dedicated server program. It provides similar services to the network, ex as the dedicated server. It can't handle as large a fax load, plus it lacks some features. FPNSHARE.EXE - THE DEDICATED FILE SERVER To start the network fax server (on the PC with the fax board): o Log in to the network using the fax server user name you created. o Change to the C:\FAXPAK directory (or a different directory if you did not accept the default directory name). o Type FPNSHARE <enter> The Fpnshare.ini file is loaded and each line is processed. If any invalid .INI file entries are found, an error message is displayed and Fpnshare.exe does not run. You will need to correct these problems before you can begin any faxing! If the .INI file is processed successfully, Fpnshare.exe then checks to see if there are any faxes that were scheduled in a previous session. If any are found, they are reloaded and re-scheduled as appropriate. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 7 Chapter 3 Running the Fax Servers ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── FPNSHARE.LOG - HISTORY FILE Fpnshare.exe records important information in a "history" file called FPNSHARE.LOG. This file will be created and maintained in the network fax log directory (by default this is \FAXPAK\LOG on a network drive). Each time Fpnshare.exe runs, it checks this log file and if it has become large, a warning message is displayed and Fpnshare.exe does not run. When this happens, you should rename the FPNSHARE.LOG file to a different name OR delete it. This log file is a plain text file and may be typed to the screen or printed if desired. OPTIONS MENU The Fpnshare.exe screen displays information about any current faxing activity, number of faxes waiting to be sent, and a scrolling list of messages. Pressing the ESC key displays an Options Menu with the following choices: Stop the fax server List pending sends Cancel current send Display on/off Cancel all pending Test fax board(s) You can select an option by moving the highlight bar up or down then pressing ENTER or you can press the highlighted letter. Each of the options is explained next. If you fail to make a selection from the menu within about 30 seconds, the menu is cancelled. STOP THE FAX SERVER select with "S" ------------------------------------------------------- When you select this option you are asked to verify the selection. If you elect to stop the server, the program ends. Any faxes waiting to be sent WILL NOT BE SENT until the server is re-started. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 8 Running the Fax Servers Chapter 3 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── LIST PENDING SENDS select with "L" ------------------------------------------------------- A brief list of all faxes waiting to be sent will be displayed in the message window. CANCEL CURRENT SEND select with "C" ------------------------------------------------------- If there is a fax currently being sent, it will be stopped. This may take several seconds to occur. DISPLAY ON/OFF select with "D" ------------------------------------------------------- You can have FPNSHARE blank the display screen while it is running. This may prevent monitor "burn in". Each time you select this option, the screen display is toggled on and off. CANCEL ALL PENDING SENDS select with "A" ------------------------------------------------------- If you wish to cancel all pending faxes choose this option. All faxes waiting to be sent will be deleted. There is no way to recover deleted faxes, they must be re-submitted. This option prompts for verification before proceeding. TEST FAX BOARD(S) select with "T" ------------------------------------------------------- This performs a quick diagnostic on the fax board. Results are shown in the message window. FPNSTSR.EXE - THE NON-DEDICATED SERVER To start the network fax server (on the PC with the fax board): Log in to the network Change to the C:\FAXPAK directory (or a different directory if you did not accept the default directory name). ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 9 Chapter 3 Running the Fax Servers ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Type FPNSTSR <enter> You will see a brief sign-on message and a list of the current server settings. At this point, the server loads into the PC's memory and starts running. You may then use the PC for other programs. If you wish to stop the server program, exit from any program you are running. Then, at the DOS prompt, type FPNSTSR -U <enter> to unload the server program. If you loaded any other TSR programs AFTER the server program, you won't be able to unload it. You must first unload the other TSR programs. FPNSTSR.LOG - HISTORY FILE Fpnstsr.exe maintains a history log file of important messages/events. This file is called FPNSTSR.LOG and is created and maintained in the fax server PC directory where the Intel fax software was installed. This is normally C:\FAX for a SatisFAXtion board or C:\CONNECT for a Connection CoProcessor. If you installed your software in a different directory, that directory will be used. You should read or print this log file from time to time. After you have done that, either delete or rename the file to prevent the file from becoming too large. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 10 C H A P T E R 4 F P N E T F A X and F P N E T L O G ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Fpnetfax.exe is run by users to create a fax request which will be processed by the fax server. Fpnetlog.exe is used to view the fax logs. Both of these programs have help screens that provide information about the various functions available. Run either of the programs and press the PH key to access the help information. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 11 C H A P T E R 5 C U S T O M I Z I N G F A X P A K N E T S H A R E ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── The install process creates a "standard" setup. Once you have become familiar with the basic operations of FAXPak NetShare, you will want to customize the programs to meet your individual requirements. To customize FAXPak NetShare, you will need to have some form of text editor (or word processor). You should have a good general knowledge of DOS functions (especially as relates to DOS environment variables, the DOS PATH function, and the DOS "SET" command). You also need a good understanding of your network setup and environment. INITIALIZATION FILES (.INI files) All FAXPak NetShare programs are controlled by using an initialization file. These files have the same file name as the program except that the file extension is .INI. For example, fpnshare.ini controls fpnshare.exe. An .INI file is a plain text file and may be modified using any text editor. A word processor may be used as long as the file is saved to the disk in plain text format. No word processing format codes are allowed. An .INI file consists of several lines of control commands. Each line has only one command. Commands consists of a key word and a command value separated by an equal ("=") sign. For example: LogDir = F:\FAXPAK\LOG In this case "LogDir" is the key word, "F:\FAXPAK\LOG" is the value. Leading and trailing spaces are removed from the key word and the key value so that you may use spaces to make the file more readable. Any line that has a semi-colon (";") as the first NON- SPACE character is ignored. This allows you to add comments in the .INI file. Key words and values may be entered in UPPER CASE, lower case, or Mixed CASE. For example: LOGDIR = F:\FAXPAK\LOG logdir = f:\faxpak\log LogDir = F:\Faxpak\Log ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 12 Customizing FAXPak NetShare Chapter 5 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── are all equivalent. LOCATION OF .INI FILES fpnshare.ini and/or fpnstsr.ini must be located in the same directory as the .EXE files. fpnetlog.ini and fpnetfax.ini may be located in different directories depending on how you want to use them. In general, when these programs start, they search for the .INI files in the following places (listed by search order): o The current directory o Each directory listed in the DOS PATH o The directory where the .EXE file is located. This method allows you to create more than one .INI file and control how the program behaves. You may want to create a separate .INI file for each user and specify unique control commands in each one. PARAMETER REPLACEMENT IN .INI FILES NOTE: This only applies to the .INI files for FPNETFAX and FPNETLOG! In addition to the ability to have multiple .INI files, you may use "parameter replacement" in the .INI file to customize the operation. Parameter replacement allows the VALUES in an .INI file to be copied from DOS ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES. For example: LogFile = %UID% In this case, when the program is run, it reads the .INI file and while processing this line, it tries to find a DOS ENVIRONMENT variable "UID". If it finds it, it replaces the "%UID%" text with the text from the DOS variable. DOS ENVIRONMENT variables are assigned using the DOS command SET varname=value ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 13 Chapter 5 Customizing FAXPak NetShare ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── You can type these commands at the DOS command line or you can include them in DOS batch files (like AUTOEXEC.BAT). To expand on the above example, if you had typed this: SET UID=JEFF and then run FPNETLOG, the .INI file would be processed as if the command line were LogFile = JEFF This parameter replacement feature allows you to create a single .INI file for all users but still customize certain features of the operation by using DOS variables. Note that DOS environment variables are very touchy about using extra spaces. Do NOT include spaces before or after the equal sign. For example: *** WRONG *** SET UID = JEFF *** RIGHT *** SET UID=JEFF .INI FILE COMMANDS Below is a complete list and explanation of all valid commands for FAXPak NetShare .INI files. FPNSHARE.INI REQDIR = directory REQUIRED ------------------------------------------------------- The NETWORK directory name where all fax requests are created. This entry is common to all .INI files and must be identical in each one. Example: ReqDir = F:\FAXPAK\REQ LOGDIR = directory REQUIRED ------------------------------------------------------- This is the NETWORK directory where FPNSHARE will create and maintain fax logs (and the "error" log). ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 14 Customizing FAXPak NetShare Chapter 5 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Example: LogDir = F:\FAXPAK\LOG FAXEXT = ext default = FAX ------------------------------------------------------- The file EXTENSION used to identify fax requests. This should normally NOT be changed. This entry also appears in FPNETFAX.INI and that setting MUST be the same as this one. DO NOT include the period. Example: FaxExt = FAX COVERDIR = directory default = none ------------------------------------------------------- This directory controls whether or not the cover sheet text (if any) for OUTGOING faxes is saved in a disk file for historical purposes. If you include this entry in FPNSHARE.INI, then any cover sheet text will be stored in files in this directory. These files will have the file extension .CVR to identify them. Also, when you view the log for this event, you will see the file name of the cover sheet. INTERVAL = #seconds default = 60 seconds ------------------------------------------------------- Specifies the number of SECONDS between searches for fax requests. If this number is too low, then excessive network traffic will be generated. On a busy system, 10 seconds may be a good starting point. Example: Interval = 120 SIGNAL = frequency default = 0 ------------------------------------------------------- If this number is greater than 0, then a tone of that frequency will be sounded each time FPNSHARE looks for fax requests. This is mainly used for initial testing. Example: Signal = 1000 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 15 Chapter 5 Customizing FAXPak NetShare ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── MINIMUMRETRY = number default = 0 ------------------------------------------------------- This number will be used to determine how many times EVERY fax will be retried. Normally, you should set this to zero since the users may control the number of retries on a per fax basis. If this number is greater than zero, then the actual number of retries will be the greater of this number and the user-provided number. Example: MinimumRetry = 2 RETRYINTERVAL = #seconds default = 300 seconds ------------------------------------------------------- How many seconds to wait between retry attempts. Example: RetryInterval = 600 COPYDIR = directory default = none ------------------------------------------------------- This is the LOCAL FAX SERVER directory where outgoing files will be temporarily stored. In many cases, the Intel software does not handle files located on network drives properly. By making an entry here, the files to be faxed are copied from the network outbox directory and actually transmitted from the local hard disk. In most cases this is the DESIRED operation. Example: CopyDir = C:\FAXPAK\OUT RECVDIR = directory default = none ------------------------------------------------------- This is the NETWORK (or LOCAL) directory where RECEIVED faxes will be stored. Example: RecvDir = F:\FAXPAK\IN ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 16 Customizing FAXPak NetShare Chapter 5 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── RECVMODE = NONE, SAVE, PRINT, or BOTH default=none ------------------------------------------------------- This determines what fpnshare.exe does with INCOMING faxes. If NONE, then incoming faxes are ignored (but the Intel software will still be able to handle them). Note that the incoming faxes are NOT recorded in the fpnshare.exe logs if RecvMode = NONE! If SAVE, incoming faxes (and file transfers) are saved to the RecvDir you provide. The received faxes are also recorded in the fpnshare logs as appropriate. If PRINT, incoming faxes will be printed IF you have enabled an external program to do the printing. If BOTH, the incoming fax is saved to a disk file AND printed if you have enabled printing. Example: RecvMode = SAVE NOTIFY = command default = none ------------------------------------------------------- This is a NETWORK message command that will be run when a fax is RECEIVED. On a Novell network this would be a "SEND ..." command. On a Lantastic network, it would be a "NET SEND ..." command. For example: Novell: Notify = SEND "New fax received" TO FAXADMIN Lantastic: Notify = NET SEND * "New fax received" * JEFF ERRNOTIFY = command default = none ------------------------------------------------------- This is a NETWORK message command that will be run when a fax FAILS to complete. Works just like Notify = Novell example: ErrNotify = SEND "Fax failed" TO FAXADMIN ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 17 Chapter 5 Customizing FAXPak NetShare ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── RECVLOG = filename default = FPNSHARE ------------------------------------------------------- If you are allowing fpnshare.exe to handle incoming faxes, the log used to record them will have this name. Note that the full file name of a log file is composed of the <RecvDir > + < RecvLog > + .FSL. For example, if your fpnshare.ini has these entries: LogDir = F:\FAXPAK\LOG RecvLog = INCOMING then the actual file name for the received fax log will be F:\FAXPAK\LOG\INCOMING.FSL Example: RecvLog = INCOMING SENDLOG = filename ** default = FPNSHARE ------------------------------------------------------- Normally, the log name for recording OUTGOING faxes is controlled by the fax request process. If you are creating your own fax requests by some method other than fpnetfax.exe, then you are responsible for assigning a log name for each outgoing fax. You can specify the name in the fax request or you can make this SendLog = entry which will apply to any fax request that does not specify a log file name. Example: SendLog = OUTGOING MAXPENDLIST = number default = 25 ------------------------------------------------------- fpnshare.exe maintains a log of faxes waiting to be sent. This number specifies the maximum number of entries that will be written in the pending log. This has NO effect on the number of faxes that are actually pending. If you set this number very high, you will find that the time required to write the pending log may become excessive. Example: MaxPendList = 40 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 18 Customizing FAXPak NetShare Chapter 5 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── DISPLAYOFF = YES or NO default = NO ------------------------------------------------------- Setting this to YES will cause the screen display to be turned off when fpnshare.exe starts. Example: DisplayOFF = YES CONVERT = EXT, SAVESCREEN, VERBOSE, program, args ------------------------------------------------------- If you have an external program that can convert a file to a Intel faxable file (DCX or PCX), you can integrate that program with FAXPak NetShare. Please see the section INTEGRATING OTHER PROGRAM WITH FAXPAK NETSHARE for more information. This entry in your .INI file controls the external program. Replace "EXT" with the file extension of the type of file you will be converting FROM. Replace "program" with the name of the program you are integrating. "args" is replaced by any arguments required by your external program PLUS the special symbols "$I" and "$O". These symbols will be removed from the argument list and replaced by the INPUT file name to be converted and the OUTPUT file name. If you include the word SAVESCREEN, then the server screen display will be saved and the screen will be cleared before the external program runs. When the external programs completes, the server screen will be restored. If you include VERBOSE, then the time required to run the external program will be displayed. SAVESCREEN and VERBOSE are optional. Position is IMPORTANT in this entry. the file extension MUST BE FIRST and is required. Next are the optional SAVESCREEN and/or VERBOSE if desired. Next the external program name and finally, the external program arguments plus the "$I" and "$O" symbols. PRINT = EXT, SAVESCREEN, VERBOSE, program, args ------------------------------------------------------- This entry is similar to the Convert entry above except that this external program is run whenever a fax is received by the server. With the appropriate external ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 19 Chapter 5 Customizing FAXPak NetShare ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── program, this entry will allow you to have your incoming faxes automatically printed when they arrive. The entry setup is exactly like the Convert entry except that the "args" entry only uses the "$I" special symbol (since there is not output file required). Please see the EXTERNAL PROGRAM section for more information and examples. FPNSTSR.INI REQDIR = directory REQUIRED ------------------------------------------------------- The NETWORK directory name where all fax requests are created. This entry is common to all .INI files and must be identical in each one. Example: ReqDir = F:\FAXPAK\REQ FAXEXT = ext default = FAX ------------------------------------------------------- The file EXTENSION used to identify fax requests. This should normally NOT be changed. This entry also appears in fpnetfax.ini and that setting MUST be the same as this one. DO NOT include the period. example: FaxExt = FAX INTERVAL = #seconds default = 60 seconds ------------------------------------------------------- Specifies the number of SECONDS between searches for fax requests. If this number is too low, then excessive network traffic will be generated. On a busy system, 10 seconds may be a good starting point. Example: Interval = 60 LOGDIR = directory REQUIRED ------------------------------------------------------- This is the NETWORK directory where fpnstsr.exe will create and maintain fax logs (and the "error" log). ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 20 Customizing FAXPak NetShare Chapter 5 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Example: LogDir = F:\FAXPAK\LOG LOGFILE = filename REQUIRED ------------------------------------------------------- The file name (no extension) of the log file where fax results are recorded. Example: LogFile = FPSEND SIGNAL = frequency default = none ------------------------------------------------------- If Signal is set to something (other than 0), then each time that fpnstsr.exe looks for outbound faxes, a tone of this frequency is sounded. Signal = 0 results in NO beeping. Example: Signal = 300 ALERTROW = rownumber default = none ------------------------------------------------------- Another way to indicate that fpnstsr.exe is working. If you set AlertRow to something (other than 0), then when fpnstsr.exe checks for outbound faxes, a message will be displayed on the indicated screen ROW. Setting it to 0 turns OFF the feature. example: AlertRow = 1 RETRYINTERVAL = #minutes default = 5 ------------------------------------------------------- How long fpnstsr.exe waits before retrying a failed fax send. example: RetryInterval = 5 MINIMUMRETRY = number default = none ------------------------------------------------------- The minimum number of retry attempts that should be made. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 21 Chapter 5 Customizing FAXPak NetShare ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── example: MinimumRetry = 2 USEEMS = YES or NO default = YES ------------------------------------------------------- Used to indicate if fpnstsr.exe should try to relocate most of itself to EXPANDED memory (not EXTENDED memory!). In addition, fpnstsr.exe may be "loaded high" if you are using a memory manager that allows this feature. DOS 5 allows this feature on 386/486 machines. If fpnstsr.exe is able to use expanded memory, it will only leave about 7k of memory in normal DOS memory space (high or low). If you don't have expanded memory, fpnstsr.exe takes about 16k of memory. example: UseEMS = YES FPNETLOG.INI REQDIR = directory REQUIRED ------------------------------------------------------- The NETWORK directory name where all fax requests are created. This entry is common to all .INI files and must be identical in each one. Example: ReqDir = F:\FAXPAK\REQ LOGDIR = directory REQUIRED ------------------------------------------------------- The NETWORK directory name where all fax logs are stored. Example: LogDir = F:\FAXPAK\LOG LOGFILE = filename REQUIRED ------------------------------------------------------- When fpnetlog.exe runs, it automatically loads the fax log specified by this name. (Remember that the full file name is composed of the <LogDir>+<LogFile>+.FSL). Normally, each user will have a private log, so this entry is used to indicate the user's private log. See the information about DOS environment variables above. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 22 Customizing FAXPak NetShare Chapter 5 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Example: LogFile = FPSEND PRDEVICE = device/file name default = PRN ------------------------------------------------------- fpnetlog.exe can produce an abbreviated format log which is suitable for printing. You can specify a device name OR a file name here to direct the print output. Example: PrDevice = PRN Example: PrDevice = C:\MYDIR\OUTPUT.PRN PRSTARTUP = text default = none ------------------------------------------------------- If you want to send a control string to your printer, you can enter it here. Use the EXACT characters not a decimal or hex number. For example, to issue a RESET sequence to an HP laser, your entry is: Example: PrStartup = {ESC}E Note the {ESC} symbol is produced by typing the ESC character. PRFINISH = text default = none ------------------------------------------------------- Printer control string to send AFTER the report is printed. Example: PrFinish = {ESC}E PRLINES = number default = 52 ------------------------------------------------------- The number of LOG lines to print on a page. This DOES NOT include the heading. Example: PrLines = 70 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 23 Chapter 5 Customizing FAXPak NetShare ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── VIEWER = ext, program default = none ------------------------------------------------------- Format: Viewer = EXT, PROGRAM or Viewer = PROGRAM You can use the Viewer= entry to specify a file extension (EXT) and a program name (PROGRAM) to be used to view files from within the fpnetlog.exe program. For example, if you have a program called LIST.COM which you use to display text files, you could have an entry like this: Viewer=TXT,LIST.COM When fpnetlog.exe displays a file name ending with .TXT, you can press ENTER when that file is highlighted and fpnetlog.exe will attempt to run your program LIST.COM. Multiple Viewer= entries are allowed so that you can specify different programs for different file types. An entry like this: Viewer=MG.COM will be used to view files that do not match any of the other Viewer= entries. Here's a possible fpnetlog.ini viewer= section: Viewer=TXT,LIST.COM Viewer=DCX,DCXVIEWER.EXE Viewer=ARC,ARCV.COM Viewer=MG.COM fpnetlog.exe will use LIST.COM to view any .TXT files, DCXVIEWER.EXE for .DCX files, ARCV.COM for .ARC files, and MG.COM for all other files. REVERSESORT = YES or NO default = NO ------------------------------------------------------- Normally, the log entries are displayed with the oldest at the top of the list. If you use ReverseSort=YES, then the most recent faxes will be displayed first. Example: ReverseSort = NO ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 24 Customizing FAXPak NetShare Chapter 5 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── ALLOWDIR = YES or NO default = YES ------------------------------------------------------- Normally, a user can select which log to view by using the OPEN choice on the Options menu. If you wish to restrict users from viewing any log except for their own, set AllowDir = NO. Example: AllowDir = NO USERID = text default = none ------------------------------------------------------- This entry may be used to provide some additional privacy for your users. If this entry is used (UserID=JEFF for example), then each log entry will be compared against this entry and if the USERID in the log entry is different, it will not be displayed. This is mainly useful if you want to have a common log file for the entire network. Note that this ALSO affects the pending log. Users will ONLY see pending entries that are for their USERID entry. Example: UserID = JEFFH FPNETFAX.INI REQDIR = directory REQUIRED ------------------------------------------------------- The NETWORK directory name where all fax requests are created. This entry is common to all .INI files and must be identical in each one. Example: ReqDir = F:\FAXPAK\REQ FAXEXT = ext default = FAX ------------------------------------------------------- The file EXTENSION used to identify fax requests. This should normally NOT be changed. This entry also appears in fpnetfax.ini and that setting MUST be the same as this one. DO NOT include the period. Example: FaxExt = FAX ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 25 Chapter 5 Customizing FAXPak NetShare ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── LOGFILE = filename REQUIRED ------------------------------------------------------- The log file name where the results of faxes are recorded. Example: LogFile = JEFFH OUTBOX = directory REQUIRED ------------------------------------------------------- All files that are to be faxed are COPIED to this directory prior to being transmitted. Example: OutBox = F:\FAXPAK\OUT DEFDIR = directory default = none ------------------------------------------------------- When a user runs fpnetfax.exe and presses F3 to get a list of files to send this directory will be the FIRST directory displayed. The user may then select another directory. Example: DefDir = F:\JEFF\DOC RETRIES = number default = none ------------------------------------------------------- This setting controls how many times each fax is retried. Example: Retries = 5 PREFIX = text (20 char max) default = none ------------------------------------------------------- If your phone system requires a dialing prefix (for example to access an outsize line), you can enter the dialing prefix here and it will be inserted in the PHONE field. Example: Prefix = 9, ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 26 Customizing FAXPak NetShare Chapter 5 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── FAXTYPE = FAX FINE,FAX STD,or FILE TRF default=FAX STD ------------------------------------------------------- This setting controls the "default" transmission type. The user has the ability to change the type. Example: FaxType = FAX FINE LOGO = full filename default = none ------------------------------------------------------- If you want a specific logo file to appear on the cover page of your faxes, you specify the complete file name here. NOTE: this file must be the requirements for a "logo" file as described in the Intel documentation (basically it must be a PCX file, no color, approx 1/3 of a page in size). Example: Logo = C:\LOGOS\JEFFH.PCX PHONEBOOK = full file name default = none ------------------------------------------------------- This is the FULL FILE NAME of a FAXPak NetShare phone book file. When a user runs fpnetfax.exe, this phone book is loaded by default. The user has the ability to select other phone books. Example: PhoneBook = F:\JEFF\PRIVATE.FSB FROMNAME = text (30 char max) default = none ------------------------------------------------------- This text is inserted into the "FROM" field on the display. The user can change this. Example: FromName = Jeff Hofstetter Example: FromName = %UNAME% (parameter replacement!) STDFILES = full file name default = none ------------------------------------------------------- The FULL FILE NAME of a standard files list. See the section on using Standard Files. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 27 Chapter 5 Customizing FAXPak NetShare ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Example: StdFiles = F:\DATA\BROCHURE.DAT NOTIFY = command default = none ------------------------------------------------------- This is a NETWORK message command that will be run if this fax fails to complete. It is mainly designed to be used to notify each user of failed faxes. On a Novell network this would be a "SEND ..." command. On a Lantastic network, it would be a "NET SEND ..." command. For example: Novell example: Notify = SEND "Fax to $I failed" TO JEFF Lantastic example: Notify = NET SEND * "Fax to $I failed" * JEFF USERID = text (8 char max) default = none ------------------------------------------------------- This entry may be used to provide some additional privacy for your users. If this entry is used (UserID=JEFF for example), then each log entry will be compared against this entry and if the USERID in the log entry is different, it will not be displayed. This is mainly useful if you want to have a common log file for the entire network. Note that this ALSO affects the pending log. Users will ONLY see pending entries that are for their USERID entry. Example: UserID = JEFF H ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 28 C H A P T E R 6 S T A N D A R D F I L E S ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── If your faxing requirements include the need to frequently send the same set of files, you may be able to make use of the "standard files" feature of fpnetfax.exe. To implement this feature, simply include in fpnetfax.ini the command StdFiles = < file name > Where < file name > is the FULL file name of a specially prepared file which is described below. If this command line is included in fpnetfax.ini, then when a user runs fpnetfax.exe, pressing the F4 function key pops up the list of standard files for the user to select from. The "standard files" list is a plain text file containing one line identifying the directory where the standard files are stored and then one line for each of the standard files. Here's an example: C:\STDFILES FILE1.DCX Price List FILE2.DCX General product brochure PROD1001.PCX Product 1001 brochure Note that the FIRST line is the directory. Each line after the first is a file name followed by at least one space then a short description of the file. When the user pops up the standard files list, the file name and the short description are displayed. This feature allows you to place the files to be sent on the server PC hard disk thus reducing the network traffic required to copy the files from the network drive to the fax server PC. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 29 C H A P T E R 7 E X T E R N A L P R O G R A M S ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── FAXPak NetShare has the ability to integrate other programs (called external programs) into it's operation. This feature has two functions: 1. Integrate an external program to PRINT faxes as they are received. 2. Integrate an external program to CONVERT outgoing faxes from one format into another that is suitable for faxing via an Intel fax board. Note that these external programs ARE NOT included with FAXPak NetShare but are purchased separately (as desired) then integrated into the server. EXTERNAL PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS There are a few requirements before a program can be integrated with FAXPak NetShare. In general, the program must be capable of "command line" operation and must return a result code indicating whether or not the program completed successfully. These are fairly routine requirements. If you are not sure if a program meets these requirements, consult the maker of the program. COMMAND LINE operation means that the program can perform its task without the need to interact with a user. This is normally done by supplying the program with command line arguments. For example, consider the HYPOTHETICAL program FCONVERT.EXE. This program converts files that are designed for a laser printer into a file that can be faxed by an Intel fax board (a "DCX" file). In order for this program to operate, you must provide the name of the file that is to be converted (the input file) AND the name of the file that is to be created (the output file). For example: FCONVERT myfile.pcl myfile.dcx 'myfile.pcl' is the input file and 'myfile.dcx' is the output file. In addition to the input and output file, our hypothetical program also allows a command line option to prevent any screen display while it is converting the file. This hypothetical option is /Q. So our "command line" is this: FCONVERT myfile.pcl myfile.dcx /Q ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 30 External Programs Chapter 7 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── When FCONVERT runs, it converts the input file to the output file without displaying any messages. When the program is over, it returns a "result" code that indicates whether or not the conversion was successful. In our hypothetical program, the result code returned is 0, if the process was successful, and 1 if it was not. (By the way, these result codes are the MOST common ones for command line programs). HOW FPNSHARE.EXE RUN AN EXTERNAL PROGRAM Assuming that the external program setup is correct, FAXPak NetShare runs the program by trying to swap itself (FPNSHARE.EXE) out to EXPANDED memory or to disk. It then runs the external program. This process could fail for the following reasons: Not enough memory. If FPNSHARE.EXE can't be saved to expanded memory and can't be swapped to disk, it remains in memory and tries to run the external program. If there is not enough available memory to do this, the process will fail. Program not found. The external program must be "locatable" by FPNSHARE.EXE. If you provide the full path name to the program it should be locatable. If the program is located in a directory that is included in your DOS PATH, it should be locatable. If the program is located in the current directory (as FPNSHARE.EXE runs), it should be locatable. External program error fails. If the external program can't locate the file to convert, or some other type error, the whole process will fail. INFORMATION REQUIRED TO INTEGRATE AN EXTERNAL PROGRAM In order to integrate an external program, you need to know the following information: The program name (for example: FCONVERT.EXE). The required and optional program arguments. The file extension that will be used to "trigger" the external program. For example, our hypothetical program FCONVERT is able to convert files designed for laser printers. You may want to use the file extension PCL to ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 31 Chapter 7 External Programs ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── indicate that a particular file is a laser print file. When the server program finds a file with the extension PCL, it then runs the external program that handle this file extension. Once you determine this information, you must then edit the FPNSHARE.INI file to inform the fax server. MODIFYING THE FPNSHARE.INI FILE There are two special entries that are allowed in the FPNSHARE.INI that deal with external programs: CONVERT = PRINT = The Convert key word is used to designate an external program that converts files from one type to a DCX file for faxing by the Intel fax board. Multiple CONVERT entries are permitted in FPNSHARE.INI. The Print key word is used to integrate an external program that can print a DCX file. When the Intel fax board receives a fax (not a file transfer from another Intel fax board), it receives the file as a DCX file. The fax server software automatically saves the received file using a unique file name with the DCX file extension. After the file is saved, the external program is run. Only one PRINT= entry is used in FPNSHARE.INI. CONVERT= entry The format of the CONVERT= entry is CONVERT=ext, SAVESCREEN, VERBOSE, program, args where 'ext' is the file extension that designates a file that is to be converted. SAVESCREEN is optional and if included, the fax server display screen is saved before running the external program and then restored after the external program runs. This allows for external programs that display output while they run. If your external program displays any output, be sure to use SAVESCREEN otherwise, the fax server display will be overwritten by any display output from the external program ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 32 External Programs Chapter 7 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── VERBOSE is optional and if included, a message is displayed indicating that the fax server is running and external program and, when the external program completes, how long the external program took to do its job. 'program' is the name of the external program. You can include a full path name for the program OR just the program name if the program is in the current directory (of the fax server) or if the external program is located in a directory that is included in your DOS PATH statement. Some programs are finicky about where they run from and about any files that are required. Check the external program documentation for special requirements. 'args' consists of the REQUIRED special symbols "$I" and "$O" (which are replaced by the actual input and output file names when the external program runs) plus any unique options required by the external program. The external program may expect to have the optional arguments BEFORE the input and output file names or it may expect the optional arguments AFTER the input and output names. See the examples below. PRINT= entry The format of the PRINT= entry is the same as the one for CONVERT=. In fact, everything is IDENTICAL except for the 'args' setting. The 'args' setting consists of the REQUIRED "$I" symbols plus any options required by the external program. This differs from the CONVERT= setting because the "$O" symbol is not used. There is no OUTPUT file when printing. See the examples below. EXAMPLE .INI ENTRIES This example of the CONVERT= entry in FPNSHARE.INI uses our HYPOTHETICAL conversion program FCONVERT.EXE. CONVERT=PCL, SAVESCREEN, VERBOSE, FCONVERT.EXE, $I $O This entry translates to: If a file with PCL as the file extension is encountered, run the program FCONVERT.EXE to translate the file to a DCX file for faxing. Before running FCONVERT, save the fax server display screen. Display messages on the fax server ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 33 Chapter 7 External Programs ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── screen concerning how long FCONVERT took to do the file conversion. When running FCONVERT, supply two command line arguments consisting of the input file name and the output file name. To (perhaps) make this clearer, assume that a user decides to fax a file called "MEMO.PCL". Since the file has PCL as the file extension, the fax server will run the FCONVERT program. The FCONVERT program will be run with the following command: FCONVERT C:\OUTBOX\MEMO.PCL C:\FAX\91731003.DCX Note that the "$I" symbols was replaced with the full file name of the file to be faxed and the "$O" symbol was replaced by the file name of the output file. The fax server creates a UNIQUE output file name for each file being translated. This prevents accidentally erasing files. If FCONVERT allowed a special option (perhaps "/Q") that inhibits screen output while it processes, you might change your CONVERT= entry to this: CONVERT=PCL,FCONVERT.EXE, /Q $I $O Note that SAVESCREEN was removed. Since FCONVERT was run with the /Q option, no screen output would over write the fax server display screen so saving the screen wasn't necessary. This example also shows the /Q before the $I and $O symbols. Each external program may have different placement rules for file names and options. Here's an example of the PRINT= entry using the program FPPRINT.EXE which is included with FAXPak Advanced Edition (available from the author of FAXPak NetShare). PRINT=DCX, SAVESCREEN, C:\FAXPAK\FPPRINT.EXE, $I $O This will run FPPRINT.EXE (note the use of the full path name), save the fax server screen, and pass the input and output file names. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 34 External Programs Chapter 7 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── TROUBLESHOOTING EXTERNAL PROGRAMS If your external program doesn't run as you think it should, try these tips: Include the VERBOSE key word to see if the fax server actually tries to run your program. A message is displayed when the server attempts to run an external program. If you never see the message, check your entry in FPNSHARE.INI to see that it is properly designed. Especially note the file extension you are looking for. For example, if your FPNSHARE.INI entry shows the file extension ".PCL", you will have problems. DO NOT include the period! Check to see that the files you are expecting to convert with the external program do in fact have the correct file extension. If the process starts but fails, check to make sure that the external program is being found (DOS PATH, current directory, full path provided). Also check that you have provided the $I and $O symbols in the proper position required by the external program. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 35 A P P E N D I X A C U S T O M E R I N F O R M A T I O N ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── COPYRIGHT FAXPak (tm) NetShare, including all supporting documentation and programs, is Copyright Jeff Hofstetter 1989-1991. All Rights Reserved. Copying of any of the programs or documentation is prohibited except that you may make copies of the program disk for archive purposes. LICENSE FAXPak (tm) NetShare server programs (FPNSHARE.EXE and FPNSTSR.EXE) are licensed for use on a single computer with a fax board installed. The client programs (FPNETLOG.EXE and FPNETFAX.EXE) are licensed for use on any number of computers communicating with a FAXPak NetShare server. WARRANTY The programs contained in FAXPak are provided "AS IS" without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. The entire risk related to the performance of the programs is on you. In no event will I be liable to you for any damages (including incidental or consequential damages) arising out of the use of the included programs. All that said, within sixty days of paying the license fee, I will return your license fee (less any shipping charges) for any reason. Simply return the product with a note requesting a refund and you will receive it via return mail. CUSTOMER SUPPORT Registered users of FAXPak NetShare may obtain technical assistance by calling 303.440.7683 during normal business hours (USA Mountain Time Zone). You may also send a fax (or fax board file transfer) at the same number 24 hours a day. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 36 Customer Information Appendix A ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── If you discover any bugs please notify me via phone or fax. Every effort will be made to solve the problem quickly and a fix provided via FAX DELIVERY. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 37 A P P E N D I X B P R O G R A M M I N G I N T E R F A C E ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── FAXPak NetShare performs a simple task: it periodically checks in a specified directory looking for fax requests from users. These requests are know as "fax control files". This appendix documents the fax control file so that anyone writing application programs can create these files to give the application the ability to send faxes on a network. The fax server program also creates log files which reflect the results of faxes sent and received. The format of the log files is also documented here. GENERAL INFORMATION Fax control files and log files are plain text files (no control characters or word processing codes are permitted). Each file consists of several (possibly many) lines, each line is terminated by the standard DOS convention of carriage return/line feed (decimal 12, 10 or hex 0D, 0A). Any line in a file that has a semi-colon as the first non-space character on a line is considered a comment line and is ignored. Blank lines are permitted. Each line in the file consists of a keyword and (usually) an equal sign followed by a value (or values). For example, in a fax control file (which have .FAX as the file extension by default), here are two lines: FROM=Jeff Hofstetter PHONE=1 303 440 7683 The key words are FROM and PHONE and the values are "Jeff Hofstetter" and "1 303 440 7683". Some of the key word entries allow multiple occurrences within the fax control file: FILE=, SFILE=, STDFILE=, ENTRY=, and COMMENT=. You include as many occurrences as are necessary to get the job done! Since the server operates in a network environment, it tries to use network sharing functions whenever possible. Your program should also exercise caution when opening, reading, and writing files that are to interface with FAXPak NetShare. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 38 Programming Interface Appendix B ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── If your program creates fax control files, you should be careful not to provide badly formatted values. The fax server software expects valid values! FAX CONTROL FILES Fax control files are created by FPNETFAX.EXE and are processed by FPNSHARE.EXE and FPNSTSR.EXE (the TSR server program). By default, these files have .FAX as the file extension. Fax control files are placed in a particular directory so that the server process can locate them. By default this directory is \FAXPAK\REQ on a network drive. Following are all of the valid key words and values for use in fax control files. TO=text (max 31 characters) ------------------------------------------------------- The "to" name on the fax. FROM=text (max 31 characters) ------------------------------------------------------- "From" name on the fax. PHONE=text (max 47 characters) ------------------------------------------------------- Phone number to dial. You can include commas in the dial string to allow for pauses. Other special characters are also permitted. See the Intel documentation. DATE=mm/dd/yyyy ------------------------------------------------------- Date to send the fax. Note that you must include 4 digits for the year for example: DATE=08/01/1991. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 39 Appendix B Programming Interface ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── TIME=hh:mm (or h:mm p) ------------------------------------------------------- Time to send the fax. Two time formats are accepted: 24 hours time (for example: TIME=23:30) and the 12 hour with AM/PM character: TIME=11:30pm. A time without the am/pm indicator is assumed to be a.m. TYPE=FINE, STD, CCP, FAX1, FAX2, or FILE ------------------------------------------------------- Specifies the transmission mode. FINE (and FAX1) are fax fine resolution send. STD (and FAX2) are fax standard resolution. CCP (and FILE) is the Intel fax board file transfer mode. LOGO=full file name ------------------------------------------------------- This is the name of a PCX logo file (as defined by the Intel documentation) that will be placed at the top of a standard Intel fax cover page. TAGFIELD=text (max 63 characters) ------------------------------------------------------- This can be any 63 characters of text you desire. It might be useful to your application to identify faxes created by your process. TEXTSIZE=NORMAL or SMALL ------------------------------------------------------- The Intel fax boards have the ability to take a standard plain text file (ASCII) and convert it to a faxable graphic image file. You can select which size text font to use during this process. NORMAL is 80 characters per line, 66 lines per page (8.5 x 11 inch page size). SMALL is 132 columns per line and 88 lines per page. Remember, this setting has NO effect on any fax send except for sending plain text (ASCII) files as fax sends. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 40 Programming Interface Appendix B ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── COMMENT=text (80 chars max) ------------------------------------------------------- The standard Intel fax cover page has room for about 30 lines of comments (each line is 80 chars wide). If you want to put comment text on the cover page, include a COMMENT=text entry for each line of text. If you attempt to put more than 30 lines of COMMENT= entries, the excess lines are discarded. RETRY=number ------------------------------------------------------- You can specify how many times THIS particular fax should be retried. LOGFILE=filename (max 8 chars) ------------------------------------------------------- This entry is the (up to ) 8 character file name (no file extension) of the log file where the results of THIS particular fax will be recorded. ENTRY=to name | phone# ------------------------------------------------------- If you are sending the same file (or set of files) to multiple destinations, you create an ENTRY= for each person receiving the fax. Note that the TO name and the phone number MUST be separated by the vertical bar character "|". PAGELENGTH=inches (no partials) ------------------------------------------------------- If you are sending a plain text (ASCII) file as a fax transmission (not a file transfer), you can set the page length you want. For example, to send a plain text file on legal size paper: PAGELENGTH=14 NOTIFY=command (80 chars max) ------------------------------------------------------- If you would like to send a message to the sender of the fax if this particular fax fails to complete, you can enter the DOS program that sends the message. On a Novell network, you would use the SEND command. You can ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 41 Appendix B Programming Interface ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── include the special symbol $I in your command string. This symbol will be replaced with information about the fax when your message is sent. For example: SEND "Fax to $I failed" to JEFF This command line would be run IF this fax failed to complete. When the message is sent, the $I would be replaced with information about the fax. FILE= ENTRIES IN THE FAX CONTROL FILE. A small bit of discussion is necessary to understand how the next three key word entries are used in the fax control file. There are three FILE entries permitted: FILE=, SFILE=, and STDFILE=. Each one serves a different purpose. Please study the individual entries closely! FILE=file name ------------------------------------------------------- This entry is used for "documentation" purposes only. It is the file name (or document name) of the ORIGINAL file selected by the user to be faxed. This file name is the one that will appear in the fax log of this event. This entry by itself IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO IDENTIFY THE FILE TO BE FAXED! SFILE=full file name ------------------------------------------------------- This entry (full path name) is the name of the file that is ACTUALLY FAXED by the server. IMPORTANT! The SFILE entry is DELETED from the disk when the fax is completed (either successfully or not). The reason for this double entry system is that the client program FPNETFAX.EXE (which is users run to make fax requests) allows users to select files to send. FPNETFAX then COPIES the original files to an "outbox" directory. These copies become SFILE= entries so deleting them after the fax completes is useful. If you DO NOT WANT YOUR FILES DELETED, DO NOT USE SFILE=!!! See STDFILE= instead. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 42 Programming Interface Appendix B ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── STDFILE=full file name ------------------------------------------------------- This entry serves the same purpose as the SFILE= entry except that the file IS NOT DELETED when the fax is completed. This entry was originally designed for use with the "standard files" feature of FPNETFAX, but may also be used to indicate that a file should be faxed but not deleted. CONCLUDING REMARKS ABOUT THE FILE= ENTRIES. To wrap up, you generally want to have TWO of the FILE= entries in your fax control file. FILE= and SFILE= OR FILE= and STDFILE=. USERID=text (8 chars max) ------------------------------------------------------- If you include this entry in your fax control file, the "text" provided will be embedded in the fax log entry for this fax. When someone views a fax log containing this event, they will ONLY be able to display the log entry if their USERID= setting in their FPNETLOG.INI matches this text. This may be used to provide security if desired. PRIORITY=0 or 1 ------------------------------------------------------- The server process processes fax requests and schedules them as indicated by the users. Each fax may get a priority number of 0 or 1. All priority 0 faxes get sent ahead of priority 1 faxes no matter when they are submitted. This feature was included as a result of the need to "get a fax out fast" even if several others are waiting in queue to be sent. Obviously, giving every fax a priority 0 will defeat this scheme. FAXPAK NETSHARE LOG FILES The server programs create and maintain log files in a specific network directory. By default this is \FAXPAK\LOG on a network drive. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 43 Appendix B Programming Interface ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Depending on needs, there may be one or more log files maintained. They are all maintained in the same directory. Below are all of the entries that may be found in the log files. [FaxEvent] ------------------------------------------------------- This entry indicates the beginning of a fax log record. All entries below this to the next [FaxEvent] are part of the same fax event. ID=number ------------------------------------------------------- This is the decimal number assigned by the Intel fax software. Each fax gets a unique number. ETYPE=RECV or SEND ------------------------------------------------------- Designates whether an event is a send or receive. TTYPE=Fax Std, Fax Fine, or FileTrf ------------------------------------------------------- Indicates the transmission type. DATE=mm/dd/yyyy ------------------------------------------------------- Date the transmission occurred TIME=hh:mm ------------------------------------------------------- Time the transmission occurred. This is always given in 24 hour time. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 44 Programming Interface Appendix B ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── FROM=sender name ------------------------------------------------------- On a fax transmission, this will normally be the same as the remote id (see later). On a file transfer, it shows the send name as specified by the sender. TO=to name ------------------------------------------------------- The "to" name as specified by the sender. May also be the phone number that was called. PHONE=phone number ------------------------------------------------------- The phone number that was dialed. STATUS=Complete or Error ------------------------------------------------------- Self-evident! REMOTEID=text ------------------------------------------------------- On a send event, the remote fax machine sends its internal ID as verification of the transmission. Most fax machines have their OWN phone number as an ID, but some brands of fax machines allow alpha-numeric codes to be entered. TAGFIELD=text ------------------------------------------------------- On Intel fax board to fax board transfers, the send can embed some "tag" text in the fax. The receiver can then examine events to determine if this "tag" text exists. Might be useful for custom applications. DURATION=hh:mm:ss ------------------------------------------------------- The duration of the fax transmission/reception. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 45 Appendix B Programming Interface ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── ERRMSG=message ------------------------------------------------------- If the fax failed to complete (Status=Error), this entry will have the error message generated. RETRIES=number ------------------------------------------------------- How many retries were made before successful completion or "giving up". A fax that was completed on its first attempt will have RETRIES=0. NUMPAGES=number ------------------------------------------------------- For fax events, this is the number of fax pages that were sent/received. For Intel fax board file transfers, this is the number of files that were transferred. ERRORS=number ------------------------------------------------------- This records the number of "blocks" that had to be re- transmitted because of errors during the fax. The fax process corrects errors by re-sending information. If you have lots of errors on many of your faxes, you may need to have your phone lines checked. FILE=file name ------------------------------------------------------- This is the file name(s) that were sent or received. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── 46