PC DB: General Information About Mail Templates

  - Microsoft Mail for PC Networks, versions 3.0, 3.0a, and 3.2

SUMMARY

You can use templates to add custom directory information to versions 3.0, 3.0a, and 3.2 of Microsoft Mail for PC Networks postoffice. In addition to the default fields provided by Mail (alias, name, address type, mailbox, postoffice and network), you can display custom information for each user (such as telephone number, office number, and employee identification number) in the postoffice address list.

The postoffice administrator creates a template file which defines the way the custom information will look. The information about each user is kept in an encrypted file on the postoffice. Mail provides a program to convert between the encrypted format and ASCII (text only) format.

Important Files

ADMIN.INF        Encrypted user information
ADMIN.TPL        Format for the information
EXAMPLE.TPL      Sample template file; edit and rename to ADMIN.TPL
COURIER.TPL      DO NOT EDIT, contains system defaults (alias, name,
                 etc.)
TEMPLATE.EXE     Converts between encrypted user information and ASCII
                 (text only) format. (ADMIN.INF <===> ADMIN.TXT)

1. Create the ADMIN.TPL file. The format for the ADMIN.TPL file is documented in the version 3.0 Microsoft Mail "Administrator's Guide" chapter 9, "Templates and Custom User Directories." Just rename EXAMPLE.TPL to ADMIN.TPL if you want to edit a working sample.

2. Save the ADMIN.TPL file as ASCII (text only) in the postoffice TPL sub directory with read-only privileges.

1. Put the user information into the ADMIN.INF.

   On a small postoffic (fewer than 50 users): Use the Mail Administrator program to enter the template information when you create users. If the users already have an account on the postoffice, use Local-Admin, Modify.

   On a large postoffice (more than 50 users): Create an ASCII (text only) file that contains the information you want, and convert it to ADMIN.INF using the TEMPLATE.EXE program.

   The ADMIN.TPL and ADMIN.INF files must be treated as a unit. If changes are made to the ADMIN.TPL file, the ADMIN.INF is invalid and must be updated as follows:

   On a small postoffice: Make changes to the ADMIN.TPL file, delete the ADMIN.INF file, and re-enter the information using the Mail Administrator program.

   On a large postoffice: Make changes to the ADMIN.TPL file and convert the ADMIN.INF file to ADMIN.TXT using TEMPLATE.EXE. Edit the ADMIN.TXT file to add the new/revised information. Convert ADMIN.TXT back to ADMIN.INF using TEMPLATE.EXE.

REFERENCES(S)

For more information, see the chapter "Templates and Custom User Directories" in the "Microsoft Mail Administrator's Guide."