Re: Offline Mail Readers

> I recently tried to use MultiMail which is a freeware QWK mail reader. It
> doesn't seem to recognize the QWK packets created by VADV. I have used
> BlueWave for DOS which seems to work but is somewhat cumbersome to use. Any
> suggestions on offline mail readers?
> MYSTeRia MaJiCKa BBS: BaLTiMORe MD: TeLNeT://MaJiCKa.DaRKTeCH.ORG FiDO 1:229/

When I was going over the QWK-Mail specifications once to write a QWK-Mail
Reader in PERL for a user who only had a NeXT Computer, I noticed that there
was an "extra" index in the QWK specification that a lot of programs ignored.
Apparently the "extra" message index was for PC-Board "internal" message
numbers and the other index was for the message numbers when used from the
program door.  If you follow the QWK message format --EXACTLY-- then the
PC-BOARD internal numbers are supposed to be there, but I have never seen
them used by anything.  (I assume that they are used internally by PC-BOARD,
or perhaps they were used when QWK format was finally merged into PC-BOARD
format.)  Lack -- or presence -- of the PC-BOARD "internal message number"
might be creating problems if it suddenly appears?  (i.e. it could cause a
similar "Y2K text shift"...).  PC-BOARD is the only software that uses the
"extra byte".  Some QWK-Mailers don't even seem to include the PC-BOARD
internal message number (perhaps it is used for flags?).  The PC-BOARD
internal message number is not needed these days.  One message number is
plenty (except, perhaps, if you are on a PC-BOARD that still runs an external
pro-board 1.0 QWK-Mailer...).

MySTeRia MaJiCKa BBS: BaLTiMORe MD: TeLNeT://MaJiCKa.DaRKTeCH.ORG FiDO 1:229/444