From: 	Fido Software
To: 	FidoSW Beta Testers
On: 	100/76
Option:	Kill,Private

Files:	automail.exe automail.doc

	You just got a copy of AutoMail, an automatic way to¨
enter FidoNet messages. AutoMail generates one or more¨
FidoNet messages from text files you generate yourself,¨
using your favorite (or least favorite, I dont care) text¨
editor or word processor.

	The AutoMail documentation, AUTOMAIL.DOC, is itself¨
a script AutoMail can use to generate Fidonet messages. The¨
format of an AutoMail script is quite simple; four lines of¨
message header, followed by text of any length or format.

		OPERATION

	Run AutoMail from the default Fido directory.¨
MAIL.SYS is read to determine the Fidonet message area, and¨
the node number of the originating system. The nodelist¨
(NODELIST.SYS and NODELIST.IDX) is used to enter the¨
messages.

	AUTOMAIL (script-file-name)

	The script file name can be a single file, many¨
files using wild cards, or a directory name. Each file found¨
is processed as described below. Each script file can¨
generate one or more FidoNet messages.

	AutoMail displays status information on the local¨
console, and also appends it to the MAILER.LOG file, where¨
Fido keeps FidoNet status.

	AutoMail returns ERRORLEVEL 1 if there is no script¨
file the disk is full. No error is returned in a system¨
specified to mail to is not in the node list.


	ENTERING AUTOMATIC MESSAGES

	The lines in the header are what defines the FidoNet¨
message. 

	from:
	to:
	on: 	one or more FidoNet nodes to send to

	(only one of the following)

	subj:	message subject
	file:	one or more files for file attach
	files:	same as file:

	(optionally one or more of the following)

	option: (list of options)
	options: (list of options)

	These four lines can appear in any order, and may¨
have blank lines between them, and may have leading spaces.¨
They can be in upper or lower case (FROM:, from: and From:¨
are all OK) but the colon: MUST be there. 

	Put at least one space (tab, comma, etc) after each¨
keyword, so AutoMail can find them.


	The From: and To: fields are what you think they¨
are. Lines too long will be truncated to fit the FidoNet¨
message format.

	The On: line is the list of FidoNet systems to send¨
this message to. You can specify any number of nodes here,¨
as long as it fits on a line. The usual kinds of numbers can¨
be entered:

	1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ... 99		nodes in your net

	125/2 77/88 1/0			specific net/node


	Only one Subj:, File: and Files: line can be used in¨
one message. Use Subj: for most ordinary messages. File: and¨
Files: are used to do FidoNet File Attaches. AutoMail will¨
not stop you from entering a Subj: line followed by a File:¨
line, or vice versa, but please realize that things may not¨
work as you plan. You cannot have both. File: following¨
Subj: will be as if Subj: was never entered, but Subj:¨
following File: will replace the list of attached filenames¨
with the contents of the Subj: line.

	The Option: line is how certain FidoNet message¨
options are entered. There can be any number of option¨
lines, and each can contain one or more option words:

	Kill		(KILL/SENT)
	Private		(PRIVATE)

	These can be abbreviated to their first letter.


	AutoMail is not released yet; please do not¨
distribute it.