yahMAIL Usage Guide

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3 - Authenticated User Guide

Access to the yahMAIL private interface is made using one of the following example URLs (this may vary on a per-site basis). The tilde ("~") indicates authenticated username access is sought.

  http://server.host.name/yahmail/~
  http://server.host.name/cgi-bin/yahmail/~
  http://server.host.name/cgiplus-bin/yahmail/~
  http://server.host.name/htbin/yahmail/~

The user will be presented with a browser username/password dialog before access is granted. The username authenticated forms the basis of the VMS account granted access to (the two may not necessarily be the same name, but have been associated in the configuration). A username may be appended to the tilde but unless it corresponds with the authenticated name will be rejected and so is basically redundant.

Should access to more than one account be required, cancel the currently authenticated and authorized username and start using another by requesting a path comprising a double tilde.

  http://server.host.name/cgi-bin/yahmail/~~
This results in a new browser username/password dialog. Clear the contents, submit it and when the authentication failure returns, cancel it and request a path including the desired username as described above. Supply the appropriate username and password when prompted.


3.1 - Folder Browse

Once authenticated yahMAIL returns a folder browse page. This lists the subject, sender and date/time of each message, ordered from most recent to least. Messages are listed a group at a time (ten by default). Any page of these may be requested via links to ranges of messages presented immediately above the message listing.

For some messages a related item lists other messages that the facility considers may be a reply, or a replied-to, etc. (by similarities in the subject field). These are generated from the messages on current page only! To see related messages from the entire folder's contents it is necessary to use the item window selection list (see Message Selection) to select all items. As this can produce a very large page it is also recommended to restrict the number of messages selected based on a pick of the subject field.

If the account has new messages the NEWMAIL folder initially will be presented, otherwise the MAIL folder. It is possible to specify an initial folder with the URL, just append the name separated by a delimiting slash as in the following examples. Folder names are case-sensitive and may contain characters not permitted in URLs.

  http://server.host.name/yahmail/~/MAIL/
  http://server.host.name/yahmail/~/internet/
  http://server.host.name/yahmail/~/Junk%20Mail/

It is possible to supply an alternate Mail file (or drawer in DECwindows Mail). The default file is MAIL.MAI, but another name may be introduced between the username and folder name (implying that a folder name must always be specified with an alternate mail file).

  http://server.host.name/yahmail/~/1998/FOLDER1/
  http://server.host.name/yahmail/~/1997/private/
  http://server.host.name/yahmail/~/ARCHIVE/MAIL/


Message Checkbox

Each message has a checkbox, allowing the selection one or more messages in the folder for actioning via the MOVE, COPY or DELETE buttons towards the bottom of the page.


Message Item Number

Each mail message has a four digit number associated with it. Selecting that number returns the individual message for reading. See 3.2 - Message Read.


Browse Buttons

Following the list of messages is a collection of buttons and text entry fields. These allow a variety of common mail activites to be performed.


Message Selection

Four text entry fields allow messages to be selectively listed based on whether the respective part of the message contains the string entered. When a pick string has been entered select the OPEN button to load a page based on that selection. Entered strings propagate from page to page so an interative refinement of the listing can be undertaken. These fields may be cleared using the adjacent clear button.

Below the pick entry fields are two selection lists. The first allows the specification of the size of the browse folder window (i.e. the number of items on each page). The other allows an automatic refresh of the NEWMAIL folder. Use the OPEN button to put either of these into effect.


Checking New Mail

A page accessing the NEWMAIL folder can be automatically refreshed at set intervals, specified in minutes using the selection list described above or at session startup (see 3.5 - Customising).

New mail is detected by checking the arrival time of the latest message against that of any message present when the check was first started. If a more recent message is detected two indications are provided.

The NEWMAIL banner will be removed once messages are moved or deleted from the page, or can be explicitly removed by restarting the new mail check with the OPEN button.


Browse Page Persistance

Browse pages replace each other as new ranges or folders of messages are selected. That is, when a message is read or created the back button may be used to return to the original folder page. In a folder browse page back always leaves yahMAIL completely.

The interface attempts to keep track of when folder contents may be modified. This obviously occurs when message items are deleted or moved between folders but can also if messages are sent with copy-to-self options enabled, or just when a message destination ends up back at the sender. When returning to folders after such activities the page will be reloaded.


3.2 - Message Read

When the four digit number of a message item is selected a page containing the message header and body is returned. There are three sections to this page.

Web URLs in message text are presented as links. This allows direct access to these via the browser. Also strings that look like mail addresses (e.g. "first.last-name@mail.host.name") are also presented as mailto: links, allowing direct access to the browser's mail interface.

If the message had an RFC822 header and a content-type field with associated charset attribute, that character set is also specified in the response when reading the message. When replying or forwarding from such a message that character set is also used as a basis for the message creation page.


3.3 - Message Create

The message create page provides the capability to originate a VMS-based Mail system message send via the Web browser page. The message will be attributed to (appear to arrive from) the authenticated username.

Header text entry fields allow the user's personal name to be added or modified, destination and courtesy copy addresses and subject description to be entered. A checkbox allows a copy-to-self to be easily requested. Later versions of VMS Mail allow Internet-style mail addresses (e.g. name@mail.host.name) to be directly specified, others require a mail transport to be included (e.g. SMTP%"name@mail.host.name"). Alternatively yahMAIL may have been configured to automatically introduce a necessary transport. Check the local requirements if SMTP mail is desired. Multiple addresses may be specified by either separating them using commas or placing each on a separate line. Address lists may be used to source addresses when mailing. See 3.4 - Address Lists.

The message body is provided via a large text entry area, by default 72 characters wide (a common line length for email). Lines are automatically wrapped on preceding white-space at this length. This facility can be disabled before entering the message composition page. Most browsers provide text-entry capable of basic cut, copy and paste.

For reply and forward messages the subject field will already contain an appropriate entry and the body will contain the original message (quoted or not depending on the state of the approriate checkbox). These can be modified as desired. Note that quoted sections (lines beginning with a ">" character may appear wrapped in the text area, but will not be wrapped in the message before sending (thus preserving the layout of the original).

Signature file contents will be added to the bottom of the page if appropriate. It is a yahMAIL requirement that signature files be located in the same directory as the MAIL.MAI file and have only a name and extension set in the profile (no directory path).

Select the SEND button to mail the message. A reset button returns all components to the content originally loaded. Caution, it can undo a lot of work!


3.4 - Address Lists

An address list is similar to a distribution list. It contains addresses, one per line, for use when mailing. In fact, VMS distribution lists may be made available as yahMAIL address lists! The actual usage is different however.

Address lists may be maintained on a per-user or a shared basis (where all yahMAIL private users have access to common lists). Shared lists are configured by the administrator. Private lists may be created, modified and deleted by user. Folder pages and message create pages contain a button to access address lists.

A separate page is used to provide the lists. First a selection showing all available lists is presented. Any common lists are displayed in lower-case, private lists in upper-case. Selecting a list name then using the ACCESS button opens the list. If a new list is required enter the desired name in the supplied field instead. The list is then presented as a text entry area.

Modifications may be made to private lists and these saved using the UPDATE button.


Using Lists When Mailing

Address lists are provided for three purposes, to

  1. allow a user to maintain an address book
  2. provide a simple means for distribution list bulk mailing
  3. give access to selected site mailing lists

The lists cannot be mailed to directly. The contents, complete or only selected parts, must be cut-and-paste from the list text into the appropriate "To:" or "CC:" field(s) when creating a message. This simple mechanism provides sufficient functionality coupled with significant versatility. Blank and comment lines (those beginning with an "!" or "#" character) are ignored even when pasted into address fields.

It is suggested a user's address book be named YAHMAIL (this is a default name provided for a user who has not set up any lists). The content should provide the destination description as a comment line, then the address on a following line. This allows the address to be easily selected for cut-and-paste. For example:

  ! yahMAIL address list for Fred
  ! Mark Daniel
  Mark.Daniel@dsto.defence.gov.au
  ! info-WASD mailing list
  info-WASD@vsm.com.au

yahMAIL address lists are located in a user's mail directory (i.e. where MAIL.MAI is located). These lists are plain-text and may also be maintained by any suitable text editor, as well as used by other mail applications as distibution lists, etc.


3.5 - Customising

Some display and operating characteristics may be modified to better suit individual requirements. These may be used in bookmarks to provide a simple initial configuration. When using a combination of the following customisations something like the following is required.

  http://server.host.name/cgi-bin/yahmail/~/?window=10&wrap=0&newmail=5


Browse Window

The number of messages displayed per page when browsing a folder may be set using the "window=integer" query string directive. From the start of a session use something like the following.

  http://server.host.name/cgi-bin/yahmail/~/?window=10

To show all messages in a folder just make the integer something large, such as 9999. This may take considerably longer to generate and render.


Edit Auto-Wrap

The message composition edit window by default wraps after 72 characters. This can be changed to better suit individual requirements. Specify the character position at which to wrap, or zero to disable this feature using something like the following example.

  http://server.host.name/cgi-bin/yahmail/~/?wrap=80
  http://server.host.name/cgi-bin/yahmail/~/?wrap=0


Checking New Mail

A page accessing the NEWMAIL folder can be automatically refreshed at specified intervals. This allows the arrival of new mail to be noticed more easily. The interval, in minutes, can be specified using using the "newmail=integer" query string directive. From the start of a session use something like the following.

  http://server.host.name/cgi-bin/yahmail/~/NEWMAIL/?newmail=15

Note that it only performs this check when the browser is idle displaying the NEWMAIL folder browse page.


Anchoring URLs

By default mail messages containing URLs and mail addresses have these presented as links for direct browser access. This may be suppressed as in the following example,

  http://server.host.name/cgi-bin/yahmail/~/?anchor=0
or changed during a session by appending the following to the existing query string.
  &anchor=0


3.6 - Considerations

Messages read from the NEWMAIL folder are not automatically moved to the MAIL folder as with command-line or DECwindows Mail. This is done quite deliberately. Many users keep messages organised across a number of folders, moving each to MAIL would result in the folder browse page being reloaded after reading, then often requiring another move after subsequently opening the MAIL folder. Instead, when finished reading new mail, select message checkboxes and explicitly MOVE to the required folders as desired.

There are some issues concerning access security (supplying a username/password via a network), transaction overhead and concurrent usage. It is recommended to read 7 - Considerations.


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