Re: email choice--AND: how to use Xy to create emails

[Harry Binswanger hb@xxxxxxxx]

Judith (but the second part is of general interest):
I like Eudora. It keeps two files for every mailbox (e.g., "In" "Out" and
the ones you make up). One is a plain text file, editable in XyWrite, which
has all the contents of that mailbox in it. E.g., IN.MBX. Correlated with
that is a "table of contents file that is binary and not editable. E.g.,
IN.TOC. (The editing of the .mbx file is not a problem, because Eudora
will simply reconstruct the corresponding .toc file when it needs to; it
notice the lack of correspondence between the altered .mbx and the
unaltered .toc, then asks you if you want to re-create the table of
contents--and you hit "Yes"--end of story.)
You can even use Xy to create your own emails, which Eudora will handle.
E.g., I have an XPL routine to automate the making of email receipts for
those who pay me for my listserv.
Here is the routine in the language of my XyBasic, which should be
self-evident:

print "From ???@??? Mon Jun 15 20:52:58 1998" cr.lf$ _
"To: " name$ cr.lf$ _
"From: Jean Binswanger " cr.lf$ _
"Subject: Receipt" cr.lf$ _
print "Thank you for your payment of $" amount ". Your new subscription is
good until " English.exp.month$ "1, " next.yr "." cr.lf$ cr.lf$
Print "Enjoy the list." cr.lf$ cr.lf$ "Jean Binswanger" cr.lf$
"hblist@xxxxxxxx" cr.lf$ cr.lf$
This (when translated to XPL and run in Xy) produces text that looks like
this (putting in arbitrary content):
-------------------------------------------------------
 From ???@??? Mon Jun 15 20:52:58 1998
To: John Doe
From: Jean Binswanger 
Subject: Receipt
Thank you for your payment of $120. Your new subscription is good until
December 1, 2006.

Enjoy the list.

Jean Binswanger
hblist@xxxxxxxx

-------------------------------------------
The program is then saved as RECEIPTS.MBX, and Eudora will queue it and
send it. And you can have in the .MBX file as many emails as you like, as
long as each one begins with:

 From ???@??? Mon Jun 15 20:52:58 1998
The date and time is arbitrary--Eudora will change it to the current date
and time when it sends it.
Actually, at least the three last headers are unnecessary.
I think probably many (any?) email program can handle text in this format,
but I know only Eudora. Note: I use an older version of Eudora: 4.3.

Regards,
Harry

Harry Binswanger
hb@xxxxxxxx