@database 002feeb8-0
@master AmiTCP:Thor/Docs/AutoReply.guide
@$VER: 1.1
@author "Neil Bothwick"
@(c) "1996"
@remark Created with Heddley v1.1 (c) Edd Dumbill 1994

@node "Main" "AutoReply.guide"

              @{b}AutoReply.br v1.1@{ub}

           (c) Neil Bothwick, 1996
           <neil@wirenet.u-net.com>


       @{" Introduction " link "Introduction" 0}

       @{" Installation " link "Installation" 0}

       @{" Configuring AutoReply " link "Configuration" 0}

       @{" Using from SortMail " link "SortMail" 0}

       @{" Acknowledgements " link "Thanks" 0}

       @{" Distribution " link "Distribution" 0}

       @{" History " link "History" 0}
@endnode

@node "Introduction" "Introduction"

            @{b}@{u}Introduction@{ub}@{uu}

AutoReply.br will automatically create email events in reply to received
mails.

It was originally written for my own use to provide automatic responses to
requests for information, but I have expanded it to include extra features
and the facility to have several different response options, according to
the received mail.

Potential uses are: sending out text files in response to requests for
information, automatic mailing of pgp keys, as a mail file server using
uuencoded data or programs.

It is intended to be called from @{" SortMail.br " link "SortMail.guide/main" 0} by Eirik Nicolai Synnes and
has been tested with the latest currently available version, 3.3.

Due to the range of options available, it needs to be correctly @{" installed " link "Installation" 0}
and @{" configured " link "Configuration" 0} before you can use it.

New for 1.1 is a configuration GUI to be run from within Thor.
@endnode

@node "Installation" "Installation"

            @{b}Installation@{ub}

The three files in this archive must be copied to the correct directories
for AutoReply.br to work.

1)  Copy AutoReply.br and CfgAutoReply.thor to <ThorPath>/rexx

2)  Copy AutoReply.guide to <ThorPath>/Docs

3)  Copy AutoReply.cfg to ENVARC:THOR and ENV:THOR

4)  Start Thor and execute CfgAutoReply.thor from the Arexx menu

<ThorPath> is the directory containing Thor itself.

If you wish to use it from SortMail, you will also need to run
@{" CfgSortMail.thor " link "SortMail.guide/CFGSORTMAIL" 0}
@endnode

@node "Configuration" "Creating a Configuration entry"

            @{b}Configuring AutoReply@{ub}

When AutoReply is called, it searches its configuration file to find an
entry with the name specified in the command line (or scriptopts when
called from SortMail).

You can have several different responses defined under different
configuration names. That way you can have different responses to different
SortMail triggers.

You can edit the config file with CfgAutoReply.thor which must be run from
within Thor as it uses Thor's GUI.

CfgAutoReply reads in the configuration file and gives you options to add,
edit or delete configurations.

There are also SAVE and USE options, that work in the same way as the
system prefs programs, together with online help (requires OS 3.x)

The option for each config are:

    CONFIG     "name"
    SYSTEM     "name"
    CONFERENCE "name"
    SUBJECT    "string"
    QUOTEMSG   "option"
    QUOTESTR   "string"
    SIGFILE    "file"
    HEADFILE   "file"
    TEXTFILE   "file"
    FOOTFILE   "file"

Which do the following:

CONFIG*
    The name of the configuration, as called on the command line

SYSTEM*
    The System in Thor that this applies to. currently both the
    incoming mail and the reply must be in the same system.

CONFERENCE*
    The name of the email conference within that system

TEXTFILE*
    This is the main text of the reply.

SUBJECT
    The subject line for the reply, use %s to represent the original
    subject. If not specified,AutoReply will use the original subject
    with Re: prepended

QUOTEMSG
    Can be either "Above" or "Below" and specified where the original
    message will be included in the reply. If not sprecified, then the
    original message will not be quoted.

QUOTECHAR
    The string used to indicate a quoted message, e.g. "> ". if this
    is not specified then the original message will be quoted without any
    quoting characters. This is not recommended.

SIGFILE
    Signature file to be appended to message, will be omitted if not
    specified.

HEADFILE
    File containing headers for the reply, will be omitted if not
    specified.

FOOTFILE
    An optional file, to appended to the very end of the message.
    Could contain something like:
    "This reply was generated by the amazing AutoReply.br" ;-)

    Or it could be a uuencoded program or data file, enabling you to use
    AutoReply as a simple file-by-email server.


* These items are required, AutoReply will return an error message if they
are not defined.


Sample configuration

This is a sample config to return my pgp key. I have SortMail set up to
call this for any messages addressed to pgp@wirenet.u-net.com

If you don't have the option of extra mail addresses, then you could have
SortMail look for a subject line like "Send PGP".


 CONFIG     "pgp"
 SYSTEM     "Wirenet"
 CONFERENCE "Email"
 SUBJECT    "PGP Key request"
 SIGFILE    "Usr:neil/.signature"
 HEADFILE   "Usr:Thor/BBS0/.header"
 TEXTFILE   "Usr:neil/PGP.asc"
@endnode

@node "SortMail" "Using with SortMail"

            @{b}Using AutoReply from SortMail@{ub}

You will need to run @{" CfgSortMail.thor " link "SortMail.guide/CFGSORTMAIL" 0} to set this up.

Create a trigger to recognise the mails you want to respond to and set the
Action in CfgSortMail to external script, the script name to
rexx/AutoReply.br and the script options to "<cfgname> %n" (without the
quotes) where cfgname is the name of the CONFIG defined in @{" AutoReply.cfg " link "Configuration" 0}

You can have as many different triggers as you like, provided there is a
config entry for each one in AutoReply.cfg.
@endnode

@node "Thanks" "Acknowledgements"

            @{b}@{u}Acknowledgements@{ub}@{uu}

Thanks to:

    The Thor team for developing the Amiga's best news and mail
    software.

    Bill Hawes for developing arexx, one of the Amiga's greatest and
    most underrated strengths.

    Shaun Downend <shaund@amiganut.demon.co.uk> for testing this and
    for suggesting far more options than I ever intended adding :)

    Dietmar Eilart for GoldED and Edd Dumbill for Hedley.
@endnode

@node "Distribution" "Distribution "

            @{b}@{u}Distribution@{ub}@{uu}

AutoReply.br is freely distributable, but remains (c) Neil Bothwick, 1996.

It may not be included in any commercial distribution without prior
consent. Such consent is already given to include in on the Aminet CDs.

It may be included on magazine cover disks or CDs, provided notification is
sent beforehand. A copy of the magazine and disk would be most welcome.

Please sent bug reports, suggestions and large amounts of cash to me at
neil@wirenet.u-net.com.
@endnode

@node "History" "History"

            @{b}@{u}History@{ub}@{uu}

@{i}1.0 (30.07.96)@{ui}

    Initial release

@{i}1.1 (28.08.96)@{ui}

    Added CfgAutoReply.thor to allow setting up configurations via a GUI
@endnode