UPDATE TO EMAIL PROGRAMS FOR ALPHA BASE COMPATABILITY

                             MICHAEL SPALDING
                       NORTHVIEW LABORATORIES, INC.
                               312-564-8181


Several changes were made to the AMUS EMAIL system to make it function
properly in an Alpha Base environment.  This document describes those
changes and how to implement the updated EMAIL system.

The EMAIL programs were changed to check whether or not Alpha Base is active,
so they should be compatable with non-AB systems (I say "should be"- I haven't
actually tested them).  The new hash totals and version numbers are contained
in the file EMAIL.DIR (created using dir/v/h/d, so you can use the VERIFY
program to check for the proper hash totals and version numbers).  We are
running AB version 4.8D on our system with FLIP, so be careful if you are
running an earlier version.  You should have no problems if you're running
a fairly recent version, but I won't make any guarantees.


The following programs were modified:


MAILON - This program now grabs the user ID from the GINDTA.SV module (if
        it exists).  If that user ID is not a valid EMAIL user, the user
        is prompted for manual entry of ID.  The new mail notification
        routine is also skipped if the program is run by an Alpha Base
        user because of the changes to the EMAIL program's notification
        routine (see below).

EMAIL - The new mail notification routine was modified to support the Alpha
       Base message system.  Rather than beeping a user who receives new
       mail, an AB message is sent which contains the sender's name and
       the title of the new mail message.  AB messages are only transmitted
       if a user is on line; otherwise the message is held until the next
       time the user logs on.  This is why the new mail notification routine
       was removed from the MAILON program.  These changes were also
       necessary for compatability with FLIP because the way the EMAIL
       program was initially written will cause a system crash if a user
       is FLIPping while they are receiving a new mail notification message.


The following programs were added:


E.LIT - This program is a simple program that calls the MAILON program and
       the Alpha Base STRMEN program.  It is used in the AB User File as
       the "Menu # or .CMD" (field 10) with the following format:

                       E {Menu #}

       The menu # is the top (starting) menu for this user.  If no Menu #
       is specified, the Alpha Base System Menu (1010) will be used as
       a default.  This program was called `E' because a short name was
       necessary for the 6 character field in the User File.  You can rename
       this program to any single letter if there is a conflict with another
       program on your system.

       It would have been possible to use a simple DO file in place of
       E.LIT, but DO files without explicit file specifications and the
       use of the DO.LIT program take much longer for the operating system
       to locate.  They also cannot be loaded into system memory (which is
       recommended for this program for faster execution.)


LOGIN - This program was created to replace the AB LOGIN program.  It simply
       executes the MAILOF program, then chains to the AB LOGIN program.
       To use this program, you must first rename the AB LOGIN.LIT program to
       LOGINE.LIT.  When this program is assembled, it will have an extension
       of .EML to guard against accidently copying over the AB LOGIN program
       before renaming it to LOGINE.  You must rename this program to
       LOGIN.LIT before using it, and copy it to the SYS account.  Usage
       of this program is identical to the AB LOGIN program.  It is
       recommended that you place both LOGIN.LIT and LOGINE.LIT in system
       memory for faster execution.

       NOTE:  Usage of this program is optional.  You could also replace
       the LOGIN command string on all menus with "MAILOF\LOGIN", but
       if you have as many menus as we do, that is a major undertaking!
       Also, users logging off from the command mode with the AB LOGIN
       program would have to remember to execute MAILOF.  This program will
       operate correctly even if the user was never logged onto the EMAIL
       system.


To use this new version of EMAIL you need to do the following:


       1 - Add all Alpha Base users to the EMAIL user file (see EMAIL.OPR).

       2 - Rename the AB LOGIN.LIT program to LOGINE.LIT (in the SYS account).

       3 - Rename the LOGIN.EML program to LOGIN.LIT and copy it to the
           SYS account.  (Also make sure you copy E.LIT and the updated
           versions of EMAIL.LIT and MAILON.LIT to the SYS account).

       4 - Modify your AMOSL.INI file (work on a copy of course!) to place
           E.LIT, LOGINE.LIT, LOGIN.LIT, MAILON.LIT, and MAILOF.LIT in
           system memory.  You may also want to place EMAIL.LIT in system
           memory.  (If you use the AB configurator, you must make these
           changes there.)  NOTE:  This step is optional, but recommended.

       5 - Change field #10 (Menu # or .CMD) in the Alpha Base User File
           to use the E.LIT program (see above) for each user who will
           be accessing EMAIL.

       6 - Add the EMAIL command to all menus (you may also add it to the
           FLPCTL.DIR file if you have FLIP and want to make it a FLIP
           executive function).

       7 - Call Michael Spalding at 312-564-8181 if you have problems.

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