InterPCB 1.31
Revised Aug 24, 1990





Copyright 1990 InterZone Software, Inc.
All Rights Reserved






Written by
Peter Stewart and Michele Hamilton




FILES LIST
==========

IP.EXE Program
IP.BAT Sample batch file
IP.DOC This documentation
WIPE.EXE Utility to delete all files with the same extension.
INTERZ.REG Registration Form
IP.NEW History of new options and fixes


INTRODUCTION
============

This program was born out of the frustration with the existing
programs to import Fido-style messages into a PCBoard message base
and visa versa. The programs that were out there when we started
work on it were too big, too slow and/or too unreliable.

So we wrote InterPCB. It is a fast, simple, easy to use commandline
program that will take each fido *.msg and import it into a PCBoard
message base, updating the index and even reformatting. It ain't
pretty, but it does what it's supposed to do time after time
after time. Which is, after all, what a program should always be.


NOTICES, WARRANTIES AND GUARANTEE
=================================

This program has no warranty or guarantee other than to take up
space on your hard drive. This program is Shareware and should be
considered user supported software.

This program MAY NOT be commercially reproduced or sold by anyone.
This includes as part of a software library in which the user pays
for the cost of the disk. The author reserves all rights to this
program.

This program is distributed as SHAREWARE. This means that, if you like
the program and continue to use it for more than 2 weeks, you must
register it. Registration will entitle you to full support through
FidoNet or BBSNet Netmail or the Support boards listed below.

Additionally, you will be allowed to download future beta versions
of InterPCB. To be listed as a future beta tester, call SunShine
PCBoard and fill out Questionnaire #3. Future versions will be Netmail
capable with Door support for locating net/node numbers, user account-
ing, etc.

To register this program, mail your check or money order for $20.00,
together with the registration form, to:

InterZone Software, Inc.
161 Madeira Avenue, Suite 57
Coral Gables, Florida 33134

ABOUT INTERPCB
==============

InterPCB exports messages from the PCBoard message bases to the *.msg
format that is standard in Fidonet. It will also import incoming
messages in *.msg format to the PCBoard message bases. To be able to
participate in echomail conferences, you must also use an echomail
processor, like ConfMail or TosScan.

Using InterPCB is fairly straight forward. To get a list of options or
help, simply type "IP" with no arguments. InterPCB does not require a
configuration file and is most easily run as an event through a batch
file.

After the import/export stage is finished, it is not necessary to pack
the message bases.

The order in which the directory, pathname and other parameters are
listed is optional.

Should a *.msg that has been exported from your message base not have
been deleted from the directory after being processed by your echomail
handler or your batch file, InterPCB will NOT re-import that message
when next it scans that directory for import.

CAUTION:
If you are running ConfMail or an echomail processor other than TosScan,
InterPCB will have no way of knowing whether or not the message has
been sent since, as far as we know, TosScan is the only program which
toggles a 'sent' bit. Make sure that you either do NOT use an external
message editor or that you process your export of mail BEFORE attempt-
ing to use InterPCB to import messages. If you don't take these pre-
cautions this could cause the messages to be imported into PCBoard and
deleted from the Fido directory without being sent. (However, see the
/l (leave) option below.)

InterPCB kills all *.msg files after they have been imported to a
message base - unless you use the /l (leave) option. However, it also
reads and/or toggles the following bits in any *.msg file to be imported
or exported from a PCBoard message base in order to determine if the
message should be deleted or not. You obviously don't want a message
deleted if it has not been processed for echomail handling yet.


-local IP will set the local bit "on" automatically for all
messages exported from a PCBoard message base. This
will allow TosScan to know that this message is local
to the system and needs to be exported for mailing.

-transit IP will toggle the transit status automatically
for all messages exported from or to a PCBoard message
base. This allows IP to recognize that it has already
imported/exported this message and to ignore it if it
sees it again. If a message was written by an external
editing program such as InterMail's or FrontDoor's
editor or Xpress, but not yet sent out, after importing
it to PCBoard IP will set the 'transit' bit on, so it
knows that it shouldn't re-import the message. DO NOT
use an external editor if you are using an echomail
processor that doesn't use the 'Sent' bit!

-sent IP looks for the 'sent' bit and if not found, will import
a locally entered message to your message base but will
leave it in your directory for echomail handling.


HOW TO USE InterPCB
===================

The command syntax for InterPCB is as follows:


IP [options] /F:directory /P:pathname [options]


/inst INSTALL. Use to install the sysop's name, a pathname for
the log file, and an export areas file.

IP will automatically insert the sysop's name to replace
SYSOP as originator/recipient of a local message.

If no log file name is installed, no statistics or error
messages will be logged.

The export areas file is described below under the
/n:name parameter.

NOTE: The installation is saved to the program file
itself (IP.EXE), so the program has to be reinstalled
every time you install a new version on your system.
To see the current installation, you can just type IP
without any parameters.

/i IMPORT. Tells InterPCB to import *.msg files to a PCBoard
message base. Can be used together with the /e (export)
option below, so that messages are both imported and
exported in the same run.

/e EXPORT. Tells InterPCB to export mail from a PCBoard
message base to *.msg files. Can be used together with
the /i (import) option above.

/f:directory FIDO directory. Where the *.msg files can be found.

/p:pathname PCBOARD message base. Path and file name of the PCBoard
message base.

/n:name Optional AREA NAME, to be used together with an installed
export areas file. The area name specified with this
parameter gets written to the export areas file if any
messages have been exported. The export file can then
be used to tell your echomail processor which areas to
process.

NOTE: It is important that the export areas file is
removed after processing in your batch file, since IP
can't tell when it should be deleted. IP has no code
to check if an area already has been added to the export
file, so duplicate entries are possible if the file
isn't removed properly. And finally: do NOT confuse this
"disposable" file with your AREAS.BBS file!

/max:nnn MAX lines, optional. Where 'nnn' is the maximum number
of lines InterPCB should process on importing a message
to a PCB message base. Default is 99 lines as currently
supported by PCB 14.2 and below. However, in the new
PCBoard 14.5, you will have an option to increase your
message base lines to 200. This option allows you to
reset InterPCB's maximum number of lines to import.

/s SPLIT, optional. By default, InterPCB will truncate all
messages over the 99 lines or the maximum number of lines
as set by the /MAX:nnn parameter. Using the /s parameter
will tell InterPCB to split a long fido message, that
would otherwise be truncated, into two or more messages
in the PCBoard message base.

/a ALL, optional. To avoid having to scan all messages each
time InterPCB processes an export it will, by default,
make and use a zero byte file that serves to tell it the
last message number. Use the /A parameter to ignore this
and process ALL messages in a base.

/k KEEP seen-by lines, optional. Use if you wish to keep
seen-by lines. The default is that all seen-by lines are
stripped from the messages. (Seen-by lines are inserted
by echomail processors and used in detecting/tracking down
duplicate messages.)

/h HIGH-END ASCII, optional. IP will now strip high-end ASCII
characters on export from PCB. This option will allow you
to retain the characters in the range 128-254, if desired.
(High-end ASCII characters are generally not allowed in
Fidonet conferences, since they may cause problems for
people running non-PC compatible machines. You should
never allow high-end ASCII in general Fidonet echomail
conferences.)

/w WIDE, optional. Permits "wide" wrapping to 80 columns of
long lines ending with a hard CR. IP will still attempt
to fit lines with soft CRs within 72 columns.

/l LEAVE, optional. Allows the option of leaving messages in
the *.msg format on import to PCB.

/o Echo flag ON, optional. Turns the "Echo" flag on in
imported messages and leaves it on in exported messages.
This is mainly useful for systems gating conferences
between networks. IP will no longer exclusively rely on
the Echo flag to know if it has processed a message.
However, it will still require the Echo flag to be on
to export a message.


ORIGIN LINES
============

You can have IP add an origin line. The origin line should be
stored in each PCBoard message directory in a plain ASCII file called
ORIGLINE.IP, e.g.:

I'm proud of my Origin! (1:135/21)

Tearline and " * Origin: " will be added to this text by IP.
IP will only add the origin line if it finds this file in the
PCBoard message base directory. and if there isn't already a
recognizable origin line in the message.


EXPORTING MESSAGES
==================

In order to export messages from PCBoard message bases, IP requires
that the ECHO flag be set. You MUST make sure to have "Echo Mail in
Conferences" set to yes in your PCBSETUP for each conference that
needs to be exported.

A sample batchfile has been included (IP.BAT) showing some of the ways
in which options may be used and errorhandling.


INTERRUPTING IP
===============

IP can be interrupted at any time by pressing Ctrl-C or Ctrl-Break.
This should be considered an "emergency brake", though. We would
recommend that you use it during the export phase, if possible,
rather than during import.

IP will properly close all open files, but if interrupted during import,
IP won't delete imported *.msg files or update the PCBoard index, so
it will be necessary to run a pack program to take care of dupes and
update the indexes the next time you import messages.


ERRORLEVELS
===========

0 Success (no errors)
1 No messages to import
2 Fatal error (terminate)
3 Insufficient space on disk (terminate)
4 Invalid parameters
5 PCBoard message base locked (terminate)
6 Insufficient space in PCB index (increase block size)
10 User break (Ctrl-C or Ctrl-Break)

These errorlevels may be picked up and used in a batch file to take
appropriate action. See sample batch file enclosed.



Definitions
-----------

Directory: A DOS directory name, e.g. C:\PCB

Pathname: A complete filename including the path,
e.g. E:\FD\PCBNET\PCBNET


WIPE
====

Wipe is similar to PCMag's sweep.com in that it will delete all files
on a drive. The syntax is:

WIPE [drive:][path][.ext] [/b] [/e]

All parameters are optional. The default is for Wipe to delete all
files with the extension BAK on the current drive and require
confirmation of each deletion.

If you specify a path, WIPE will only search downwards in the directory
tree from the specified path.

The /b parameter (for batch mode) is necessary to operate WIPE from a
batch file. The extensions .exe, .com, .sys, .bat, .ovr, and .ovl are
illegal for batch mode operation.

The /e parameter is only necessary if you are in the habit of using
directory names with extensions, e.g. D:\PCB.NET\MSG.FIL\ (Very few
people do...)


CREDITS
=======

All InterZone products are trademarks or registered trademarks of
InterZone Software, Inc.


InterMail 2.00 (c) 1990 InterZone Software, Inc., is a mailer program
developed and marketed by InterZone Software, Inc.

TosScan 1.0 was written by Joaquim Homrighausen.

FrontDoor 1.99c (c) 1990 Joaquim Homrighausen. Written by Joaquim
Homrighausen and Peter Stewart.

PCBoard is a registered trademark of Clark Development Company and CDC
does not support this program.

Other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks
of their respective holders.


Support: BBS: The InterZone Cafe (305)436-1085
FidoNet Node 1:369/35

BBS: SunShine PCBoard (305)432-2223
FidoNet Node 1:369/21
EchoNet Node 50:5305/21