MM Annonce V 1.5
                     (C)  1995  Reinaldo Erdey

1. Information:
===============

This is the English version of the documentation.

Original German version by Reinaldo Erdey.
Quick English translation by Peter Weiss (sorry for any mistakes).


2. Introduction:
================

MM_Annonce.rexx is an ARexx program for the Mailmanager by Pino Aliberti.

Many  nodes  have  an  internal NEWFILES area for their points.
MM_Annonce.rexx  announces  new  files  that  have  been arrived at a node by
tick commands in this area. It doesn't need a separate configuration file and
there's an easy choise in which areas the announcement shall be placed.


3. Why using announce?
======================

The program was born following the ideas of an easy-to-use programm that is
easy to configure, easy to disable and that doesn't use an ARexx command of
Mailmanager during the import.  The use of an ARexx command during import is
not possible as mentioned in the documenation of the Mailmanager.

Tons  of  CFG  instrucions  are  not  neccessary, therefore there is no separate
configuration file.

The control is done by the tick commands and basically consists of a redirection
into a log file.     Therefore the user has the easy choice into which areas the
announce  will  be placed.  The user simply has to remove the redirection in the
tick script.


4. Installation
===============

a) Copy the MM_Annonce.rexx anywhere you want as long as it will be found
   during the call. You probably want to copy it to MM:Rexx/.

b) Adjust the variables at the beginning of the Rexx program to your own needs.
   The important ones are 'LogArea' und 'MM.Area', anything else is pre-set and
   doesn't need any modifications.

   HINT:
   'LogArea' is the path where MM_Annonce.rexx is looking for the log files.
   'MM.Area' is the area where the announcements will be posted.

c) Modify your tick scriptes by inserting the following:

   .k AREANAME/A,FILENAME/A,FILEBYTES/A,COMMENT/A,FROMNODE/A
   .BRA [
   .KET ]

   Echo >>MAIL:TICKS/[AREANAME].log "[FILENAME] [FILEBYTES] [COMMENT]"

   HINT:
   'MAIL:TICKS/' must be the same path as set up in the variable 'LogArea' in
   MM_Annonce.rexx.

   SEE ALSO THE EXAMPLES IN THE TICKS DRAWER!!!

   TICKS/ADSTICKS.sc
   TICKS/NODEDIFF.sc
   TICKS/RECLISTE.sc

d) Modify your MailManager.CFG and define the tick areas and the tick commands.

   Example:

   TICKAREA  NODEDIFF  MM:TICKS/NODEDIFF/  2:2480/444.4@fidonet Fidonet 0
   Desc        "Weekly nodediff"
   TickCommand NODEDIFF
   Nodes       2:2480/444

   #TICKCOMMAND NODEDIFF  "Execute MAIL:TICKS/NODEDIFF.sc %a \q%m\q %b\q%d\q"

   SEE ALSO THE EXAMPLES IN THE CONFIG DRAWER!!!

   Config/Mailmanager.CFG

e) Insert into your import script behind the import ticks command the following
   line:

   [RX] MM:Rexx/MM_Annonce.rexx

   SEE ALSO THE EXAMPLES IN THE REXX DRAWER!!!

   Rexx/MM_Annonce.rexx

   HINT:
   When there is already an export command in the import script then the command
   'MM_Export MM.Area' in line 62 can be removed.


5. Principle of operation:
==========================

MM_Annonce.rexx  fetches by the ARexx command MM_GetTickAreas all available tick
areas  and  looks  if  there  is  a  log  file for this area.  Then it reads the
contents  of that log file and writes a message into an area.  Then the log file
will be deleted.

As  the  name  of  the logfile consists of the area name appended by '.log' it's
easy to distinguish where files have arrived and where not.

A message will only be generated if there is actually a log file.

By  deleting the redirection in the tick sript you can easy decide in which area
new files will be announced:  no log file means there is also no announcement.


6. Copyright:
=============

Everybody  can  do  everything  with  this program, the use it at your own risk!
Noting will be guaranteed.

The  program  is  mailware,  that means everybody who is using this on a regular
basis should send me an electronic mail to let me know I haven't programmed just
for NIL:

It  is  NOT allowed to modify this program and then to declare this as a program
of  your  own.   Copyright  by Reinaldo Erdey, Munich, 1996.  When modifying the
original author's copyright notice must not be changed.


Please report bugs to the following address:
============================================

 Internet: igotu@cube.net
     Fido: Reinaldo Erdey 2:2480/444.4

7. Conclusion:
==============

I  want to thank Pino Aliberti for the program MailManager.  Never before I have
been  fascinated  by  a program like this one.  Due to the ARexx port it is very
flexible  so  I  was  inspirated  to  write some ARexx programs.  So now you can
finally optimise a piece of software for your own needs.
Thanks to Armin Oehlschlaeger for Idea Area Comment.

Thanks to Peter Weiss for the english translation!
Thanks to Pino Aliberti for MailManager.
No other program was so impressing to the author.
It's highly flexible


8. History:
===========

1.5  Implemented for Area Name inclusive Area Comment
     (Thanks Armin Oehlschlaeger)

1.4  Files and Bytes for Area, Files and Bytes Total into Message implemented

1.3  First public release (Aminet ?):

     Large comments are adjusted correctly now and be 100 times too long
     (Maxpost).
     Write operation of the message into an area is now implemented directly
     into the program.
     Text Default Variable changed to T:Annonce.tmp to avoid conflicts with
     T:MM.TRANS (MSG.FILE).
     Check if the IMP text is available at all (MSG.FILE).
     Export function added (line 62).

1.2  Non-public release:

     Based everything on variables to allow easy manipulation,
     programmer's style

1.1  Non-public release:

     Check for ARexx support and MM load routine removed and transferred this
to
     MM_LoadMM.rexx and MM_Quit.rexx.

1.0  First non-public release (well)