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. 
