# Post Mail Help

- Authentication
- Layout
- Usage
- Addressing
- Mail the maintainer.
- Some demonstrations of the various formats.

This e-mail interface allows authenticated users to originate messages from a hypertext form. It has been provided for three reasons:

1. Provides a versatile interface for simple message sending.
2. Allows access for PC users without e-mail integrated into their local environment.
3. The current VMS version of Mosaic does not support the mailto: URL.

In general, the mail interface of the hypertext enviornment provides a ready mechanism for the inclusion of feedback to document authors, a point-and-click interface to documented addresses, and a straight-forward method for creating and accessing ad-hoc distribution lists. The HTML form text interface has only elementary editing capabilities, so is most suitable for simple messaging. Cut-and-paste is supported.

## Authentication

To ensure messages originate from an authoritative source this facility authenticates a user before accepting a request. This is done by the browser prompting for name and password. These are the same as the HFRD VMS login authentication (i.e. you must have a VMS account to use this facility). Once entered the information remains valid for the life of the browser.

## Layout

The format of the mail form is relatively straight-forward. The primary elements of any message are present:

- From:, the originator
- To:, the destination
- Subject:, the synopsis
- Body, the text of the message

Some of these can be fixed, that is, cannot be changed (the originator is always fixed). Others are presented as windows, allowing the entering of text, or modification of default values within them. When the destination originates from a distribution list it sometimes appears as a windowed list of addresses from which one can be highlighted and thus selected. The message body area is presented as a large text window, allowing one or more lines to be entered. It is possible to enter text wider and longer than the presented window size (the contents scroll within the window). The size of this window may be changed to the convenience of the user, although this is best done before completing any fields as a new form is generated.

## Using

Complete all fields as appropriate. Empty destinations, subjects or message bodies are rejected.

To cancel sending the message merely use the browser's backwards navigation mechanism (e.g. the Back button on Mosaic) to return to the original document.

Clicking on the send button posts the message. A report on the success of the mailing (or otherwise) is presented. Where multiple addresses are involved the status of each is provided. Where mixed success is experienced, the message has been sent to those indicated ok, but not to those with a problem report.

When complete, use the browser's backwards navigation mechanism to return first to the completed mail form (which of course could be reused for mailing another message), then back to the original document (if the size of the message text area was changed there may be another form to return through).

## Addressing

Multiple, comma-separated addresses may be entered into the To: field.

Addresses can be provided as plain VMS user-names, DECnet node prefixed destinations (e.g. `NODE::USER`), and Internet-style destinations. The latter are directly acceptable in a `user@host.domain` format.

Mark Daniel; April 1995

Post mail to Daniel (form based - i.e. this facility!).
Mailto: daniel@datlv.hfrd.dsto.gov.au.