Some notes for PMNews ---

This program is a PM replacement for SNEWS.EXE, which means that
you need the rest of Rommel's port or McCombs code plus UUPC
to comtemplate using it.  However, I'm packaging OS/2 SNEWS
programs with this.  They're all C Set++ statically linked
so they'll take up some space.


  I've upped the ante for running PMNews.  It requires that your
  PERSONAL.RC have the Aliases keyword and full path to your aliases.txt.
  I think I say this in the install.txt...
  Also DON'T have ANY duplicate keyword parameters in UUPC.RC and
  PERSONAL.RC.

  Perhaps I need to list the items which must be in UUPC.RC or PERSONAL.RC.

mailserv
domain
nodename
newsdir
tempdir
mailbox
Signature
name
Organization
Editor
Home
Aliases

Some of the SNEWS source has been hacked (ACTIVE.C) to do this
so it's not the same as distributed.


The usual disclaimer is in effect:  no warranty, expressed or
implied accompanies this code; if all your data, programs, and
power-supply are destroyed by this program, I'm not liable.

Install the .exe and .ico files in a convenient subdirectory
and create a WPS object which invokes it, specifying the residence
directory as the working directory.
In your PERSONAL.RC file, be sure that Editor and Aliases are
specified with their full path and extension.
The environment variables UUPCSYSRC, UUPCUSRRC, and UUPCNEWS
must be available (usually means set in config.sys).
UNBATCH, EXPIRE, ADDGROUP, RMGROUP suite of programs
should be available in a directory named in the config.sys PATH.
You MUST specify 'options=snews' in your UUPC.RC file.
I'm including McCombs excellent original documentation for SNEWS.

'unbatch' should be run after 'uuxqt' is run in your 'uuio'
procedure.  It unpacks the batches into index and data files.

'sthread.exe' is optional and should be run after each 'unbatch'
or 'expire' to re-synchronize the .thr/.idx files.
It provides 'References:' as well as subject-line threading.
Removing all the .thr files in the newsbase directory will disable it.

Run 'expire' at any convenient interval.  The 'ng' file in your news
directory can be used to specify the retention in days of articles
for each group.  The value -1 is used to indicate a group such as
'junk', which is always expired.  This file is not supported for
the current (DOS) version of SNEWS.  It's used to indicate which
groups may be posted to (really a multi-user thing).  It has lines like:

comp.os.os2.setup             3
comp.os.os2.networking.tcp-ip 3
junk                          -1

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Source code is available upon request.  Arrange this via email.
The program still suffers from being a first PM attempt.
It's evident that just because a program is a GUI object does not
mean that it is easier to use than a character-based application.
Knowing  what I now know of PM, a rewrite would improve this.


The program builds an .INI file after the first run, containing the
locations of the group list dialog box and article window position
and size. If you ever find that you're unable to open an article
window, or the program stalls on takeoff, delete the PMNEWS.INI
file and restart (make sure any hidden invocations of PMNEWS have
been terminated).

If a tracked error occurs PMNews creates a file, pmnews.err.
When an error occurs this file will contain some cryptic 'fprintf'
information relevant to the error (if we're lucky).

There is no font support, so system proportional is what there is.
This is particularly ugly in the mail-article listbox.



Send me e-mail for suggestions, complaints, etc.


E-mail:  serls@dashs.denver.co.us


Change log:

   11/23/92
   Release 0.1  --  re-link with multi-thread libs
                    add SNEWS style TAB/ESC/PGDN/PGUP/arrow keys
                        for article window.
                    Try to put real name of author on title bar.

   12/06/92
   Release 0.2 --   primitive text search
                    make header dialog select (double-click) acquire
                        the first unread article.
                    right-button on selected header gets 1st entry
                        (but not in foreground!).
                    On 101 keyboard, keypad plus and enter for
                       next-unread and next article.
   12/12/92
   Release 0.3 --   fix search to allow post/mail
                    implement 'prev' for previous article
                       and map it to keypad '-'.
   12/20/92
   Release 0.4 --   was not erasing post.tmp file
                    various bugs with multiple postings
   02/08/93
   Release 0.5 --   more elegant threading (might be slower).

   08/27/93
   Release 0.6 --   releasing the source.  Note that there are
                    duplicate SNEWS-named files:  active.c, history.c
                                                  active.h, history.h
                                                  defs.h
                    these files are similar, but NOT quite the same
                    as the originals.  Use another directory!
                    Also, 2 threaders are provided (pmnthrd.c == original,
                    pmmthrd.c is an adjustable threader, or provide a
                    reference threader, please).
   12/12/93
   Release 0.7 --   provide some decent diagnostics for the error
                    "Unable to load RC data".  Change from "***" to
                    "---" for zero article value.
   06/07/94
   Release 0.8 --   help from group window (poor)
                    change mouse button 2 to 'next unread thread'
                      in header list
                    provide case/in/sensitivity to group text search
                    fix some small annoying things (group window seal)
   Release 0.9 --   fixes article title-bar trash
   Release 1.0 --   I'm sure the program has reached the minimum
                    defect level by now -- no one is using it.
                    If you do use it (there were a few UUCP users
                    in Europe), please drop me a line if you have any
                    nice modifications to include.
                    Anyhow -- fixed the case sensitive search code;
                              Just bad code.
                    Added "real" header-reference threading; don't
                    panic, it's optional and will cost you some disk
                    space.  It produces a .THR file for each newsgroup
                    which looks almost the same as the .IDX file
                    (someday, they could be combined).  The program
                    'sthread.exe' needs to be run after unbatching
                    news, AND after expiring it.  I normally run expire
                    after the overnight unbatching is done, so running
                    'sthread' after 'expire' works for me.  The files
                    are slightly smaller than the .IDX files.
                    Since I'm wasting some bandwidth here, on the whole,
                    subject line threading is more satisfying.  Some
                    groups, unnamed, seem to revel in NOT providing
                    'References:'; for them, only subject line will do.
                    Some super-heuristic combination of the two would
                    be best.
   03/03/95
   Release 1.1 --   Many bug fixes.  'sthread' has had several glaring
                    errors fixed and seems operative except for the
                    occasional 'loss' of an article.  I haven't isolated
                    the reason for this.  'sthread' now combines both
                    subject line and referential threading.
                    The file 'post.log' is now maintained giving you a
                    record of all the posts that you've sent.
                    The annoying 'pmnews.err' file will ONLY be written
                    when a error (or stray trace record) is written.
                    Button 'NewPost' is offered on the thread header
                    window. 'References:' header line is omitted when
                    a 'new' post.  Bugfix:  when there were no unread
                    articles, group window buttons terminated program.
                    Added 'Groups' button on thread header window to
                    return you to the Group window.  Now accepting '.cmd'
                    files in the 'personal.rc' 'Editor' parameter.
                    Fixed problems with new and followup posts not
                    showing up when using 'sthread'.  Followups are
                    shown out-of-sequence until next 'sthread' run.
                    '.thr' file not used if not newer than corresponding
                    '.idx' file.  Remove extra signature file inclusion
                    when mailing article straightaway.  Properly obtain
                    author's email address from article header when
                    replying.
   Release 1.2      Emit X-NewsReader header line
                    Accept 'NewsServ=' keyword in UUPC.RC, if different
                    from your MailServer; place it AFTER 'MailServ'.
   Release 1.20     changing to the actual RCS version of pmnews.c
                    including snoupbat.exe:  for those who wish to
                    continue using PMNews with an NNTP newsfeed.
                    This requires souper (1.4).  How?  Create
                    the newsrc file in your HOME directory as
                    specified by the souper14.zip documentation.
                    Synchronize the SNEWS files via 'addgroup'
                    and/or 'rmgroup'.  Write a nice ReXX script to
                    do this.  To refresh your news, run in 'mydir'
                    'souper -i -m', then 'snoupbat -pmydir',
                    then 'sthread'.  'Souper' will collect the
                    articles, 'snoupbat' will put them in SNEWS
                    format, and 'sthread' will eliminate the inevitable
                    duplicates.  BTW, 'sthread' has been changed to
                    order (as far as possible) articles by time of post
                    within each thread.
   Release 1.21     the chronological ordering of articles within thread
                    by time of post is a mitigated disaster.
                    I haven't the determination to back this out right
                    now, but I will.  Almost no one has their clock set
                    to the internet!!  IF the newsgroups that you frequent
                    do have posters with correct clocks, it's a thing
                    of beauty.  Only change was emitting a form-feed
                    when Print is requested for an article (afterwards).
                    snoupbat.exe to be included.
