LISTSERV User Guide
EARN Association
July 29, 1993
LISTSERV Guide for GENERAL USERS
Notice
This document has been compiled and produced by the EARN Asso-
ciation. Permission to copy all or part of this document with-
out fee is granted provided the copies are not used for commer-
cial advantage and that the EARN Association is cited as the
source of the document.
(c) EARN Association, 1993
We would like to acknowledge the help and guidence given to us by
Eric Thomas while writing the LISTSERV User's Guide. Please send
any comments you may have about this guide to
EARNDOC@EARNCC.BITNET.
Document Version Number : 2.0
Written for Listserv 1.7f
This document is available in electronic format from:
LISTSERV@EARNCC.BITNET
Send the following command to the above LISTSERV server: GET
filename, where the filename is either:
LSVGUIDE PS (Postscript)
LSVGUIDE MEMO (plain text)
ISBN 2-910286-02-9
Contents
The LISTSERV Server
Introduction
Sending Commands to LISTSERV
By E-mail
By Interactive Messages
By File Transfer
The Special LISTSERV Address
LISTSERV Functions and Command Descriptions
LISTSERV Command Keywords
LISTSERV MAILING LIST Functions
Locating LISTSERV LISTS
Commands for LISTS
SUBscribe
UNSubscribe
List
REView
Query
SET
CONFIRM
STats
REGister
LISTSERV FILE SERVER Functions
Locating LISTSERV Filelists
Commands for FILE SERVER Functions
INDex
GET
AFD
FUI
Query File
GIVE
PW
LISTSERV DATABASE Functions
DATABASE Keywords
Locating LISTSERV DATABASES
Batch DATABASE Access
Interactive DATABASE Access
DATABASE Commands
Search
Index
Print
SENDback
Format
List
QUIT
LISTSERV INFORMATION Functions
Commands for INFORMATION
Help
Info
RELEASE
SHOW
Trouble-Shooting
Batch Jobs
The MAIL Prefix
Other Sources of Information
The LISTSERV Server
Introduction
LISTSERV was originally devised by the BITNET Information Centre
(BITNIC) and was designed to act as a mailing list server whose
function was to distribute electronic mail (also called e-mail)
to users appearing in a mailing list. The server managed any num-
ber of these mailing lists, each one addressing a specific area
of interest for network users and each having an independent set
of list members. For example, para-psychologists who were inter-
ested in the topic of near-death-experiences could establish
their own mailing list. Those users from across the network who
wished to subscribe to this list could then do so by having their
e-mail address added to it. The LISTSERV server would subsequent-
ly distribute a copy of any e-mail sent to this list to each of
the list members. This service provided an extremely convenient
means for the exchange of ideas and information between the mem-
bers of any list since it was LISTSERV (and not individual users)
who managed the distribution of e-mail to all final recipients.
Users had only to send mail to the e-mail address of a list in
order to communicate with any number of list members. This great-
ly simplified the task of sending e-mail to potentially very
large audiences. The concept of mail distribution through a cen-
tralized server was termed mail explosion since a single piece of
e-mail posted to a list resulted in multiple copies subsequently
being sent out by the LISTSERV server, one to every list member.
The LISTSERV concept was later adopted and modified by Eric Thom-
as in a new version of the server called Revised LISTSERV. This
LISTSERV server retained its primary function as a mail distribu-
tion agent and also added many new and powerful features. A major
enhancement was the addition of a command processor to the
Revised LISTSERV. With the original LISTSERV, all requests for
subscription to or removal from mailing lists had to be processed
on a user's behalf by the LISTSERV administrator. As the popular-
ity of the server increased, this inevitably led to delays. The
new server, however, allowed these and other commands to be sent
directly to LISTSERV by the users themselves. This not only
reduced the administrative overhead of the server but also
ensured that the members of a list would be an up-to-date and
interested audience. A more fundamental enhancement to Revised
LISTSERV over its predecessor came in its operational design.
This was made to accommodate the decentralization of the service.
Decentralization meant that instead of there being one central-
ized LISTSERV server controlling all of the mailing lists, many
of these servers were located across the network and managed
their own, independent set of lists. This improved both the effi-
ciency and robustness of the service by allowing users of
LISTSERV to be subscribed to mailing lists managed by a number of
different servers, all located at different computer sites. Even
so, a high degree of inter-server cooperation was maintained
which preserved the benefits of a centralized service. For exam-
ple, a global sign-me-off-all-lists command sent to one LISTSERV
would be automatically propagated to all the other LISTSERV ser-
vers on the network. Likewise, mailing lists at different
LISTSERV servers could be peered together. Lists such as these
would have the same name but each one would have a different mem-
bership. Mail sent to any one of these lists would automatically
be distributed to the membership at each of its peers. This meant
that a large mailing list could be split over one or more
LISTSERV servers. Using a decentralized topology for LISTSERV
also gave rise to the development of powerful mail distribution
algorithms that significantly reduced the overall electronic mail
traffic load on the EARN/BITNET network and which provided a fast
and efficient service to all LISTSERV users.
In addition to its mailing list functions, LISTSERV was enhanced
to maintain a database for each mailing list. These notebook
databases (also called list archives) held a copy of every mail
message that was distributed on a mailing list. Users could
search for and retrieve old mail messages by using the database
functions of LISTSERV. Besides notebook and other standard data-
bases, LISTSERV could have any number of databases defined and
maintained locally. Another function added to LISTSERV was that
of a file server. This meant that the server could be used as a
central file repository which could be interrogated and respond
to retrieval requests from any user. LISTSERV users could also
subscribe to files so that they would be informed of file updates
or would automatically receive an updated copy of a file. The
final function added to LISTSERV was that of an information ser-
ver. This allowed users to receive up-to-date network information
such as details of individual EARN/BITNET computer sites and the
overall configuration of the network.
This guide describes how the LISTSERV server may be utilized by
any network user. The four major functions of LISTSERV are summa-
rized along with their corresponding commands. These commands are
available for everyone and require no special LISTSERV command
privileges. Commands which do require special privileges (that
is, commands for list owners and LISTSERV administrators) are not
included here. For a more detailed introduction to LISTSERV, send
the command GET LISTPRES MEMO to your nearest (or any) LISTSERV
server.
Sending Commands to LISTSERV
LISTSERV does not need to be on your own computer in order for
you to be able to use it. All the servers reside on the
EARN/BITNET network and are available to any users that can reach
them. Once you are able to do this, you may then send them com-
mands such as signing on or off various lists or any of the other
commands described in this guide. There are three ways to commu-
nicate with LISTSERV servers: via e-mail, by interactive message
and by file transfer. For detailed information about sending
electronic mail, interactive messages and file transfers, see the
DOC FILELIST, available from LISTSERV at node EARNCC. These
three methods of communicating with LISTSERV are described below.
By E-mail
This is the primary, most common method of communicating with
LISTSERV and can be employed by any user from any network.
EARN/BITNET users will be able to send e-mail to LISTSERV servers
since they are situated on the same network. Users on other net-
works must first ensure that they can reach the EARN/BITNET net-
work where the servers reside. Contact your local support person-
nel if you do not know how to accomplish this. For LISTSERV to be
able to read and understand any mail message, it must comply to a
mailing standard called RFC822. This is an Internet document that
defines the format and syntax of an electronic mail message.
Contact your local support personnel to confirm that your e-mail
complies to this standard if you are not sure.
Sending commands to LISTSERV via e-mail is not the same as send-
ing mail to a mailing list. Command mail must be sent to the ser-
ver itself (for example, LISTSERV at DEARN) and should contain a
series of LISTSERV commands in its text. On the other hand, a
mail message intended for distribution to the members of a mail-
ing list should be sent to the name of that list (for example,
the I-KERMIT list at DEARN). When a LISTSERV server receives
e-mail, it will assume that it is command mail and will sequen-
tially execute the commands found on each line in the mail. The
results of these commands will then be e-mailed back to the sen-
der. The address the server uses to return the command results
will normally be the From: addressee in the command mail (that
is, the original sender of the mail). Note that LISTSERV will
ignore the contents of the Subject: mail header so make sure that
your commands are in the body of the mail message and that you
have only one command per line. Any blank lines that may be
present in the body of the mail will be ignored. For example, if
you wanted LISTSERV at EARNCC to execute the commands LIST and
GET DOC FILELIST, the body of your mail would look like this:
LIST
GET DOC FILELIST
and would be addressed to the userid LISTSERV at the node EARNCC.
Besides returning command results, LISTSERV will also inform you
of any unknown commands or syntax errors that were found in the
command mail. A number of these errors will be tolerated and pro-
cessing will be passed to the next command in sequence. However,
should the error count pass a certain threshold, processing of
the command mail will be stopped and any remaining commands will
not be executed.
By Interactive Messages
In addition to sending commands to a LISTSERV server via e-mail,
they can also be sent through interactive messages. This method
is only available to EARN/BITNET users and not to users from oth-
er networks. Interactive messages provide perhaps the most con-
venient method for communicating with a LISTSERV server. Commands
can be sent (one at a time) to LISTSERV which will then execute
them and send a response to your screen. Note that for some
LISTSERV commands (usually those that generate large quantities
of output), results will be sent to you in a file. If this
occurs, you will be informed by a message on your screen. Note
that commands sent to LISTSERV via interactive messages must be
addressed to the server itself and not to any mailing lists.
By File Transfer
For EARN/BITNET users, it is also possible to send commands to
LISTSERV via NJE file transfer. It is not possible to use FTP or
the file transfer systems of other networks to achieve this. Com-
mands should be entered into a file or dataset using the same
rules as described above for e-mail. The file may then be trans-
ferred to the LISTSERV server where you want the commands execut-
ed. The results will normally be returned to you by e-mail. Note
that when you transfer command files to LISTSERV, they must be
sent to the server itself and not to any mailing lists.
The Special LISTSERV Address
To facilitate communications with the LISTSERV servers on the
EARN/BITNET network, a special LISTSERV computer node has been
defined. This means that any EARN/BITNET user can address their
commands to the userid LISTSERV at the special node LISTSERV. For
example, VM/CMS and VAX/VMS users may send a LIST GLOBAL command
to receive details on all LISTSERV mailing lists across the net-
work by issuing the appropriate interactive message command. For
VM/CMS users:
TELL LISTSERV AT LISTSERV LIST GLOBAL
For VAX/VMS users:
$ SEND LISTSERV@LISTSERV LIST GLOBAL
All non-EARN/BITNET users may address their command mail to the
userid LISTSERV at the special node LISTSERV.EARN.NET. Note that
if this node is not yet defined on your network, you may also try
the special node LISTSERV.BITNET. For example, if you wanted to
join the 3D-L mailing list that discusses 3D computer graphics
but are not sure of the address of the LISTSERV server hosting
this list. You could send a subscription request to either of the
following addresses:
LISTSERV@LISTSERV.EARN.NET
LISTSERV@LISTSERV.BITNET
Your subscription request will be automatically forwarded on to
the LISTSERV server hosting the 3D-L mailing list (in this case,
at the computer node ARIZVM1).
You may also utilize the special LISTSERV address to send e-mail
to any LISTSERV mailing list if you are unsure of its address.
For example, if you wanted to send mail to the BITFTP-L mailing
list to request a copy of the BITFTP product, you could do so by
addressing your e-mail to BITFTP-L@LISTSERV.EARN.NET. It will
automatically be forwarded to the list's real address (in this
case, BITFTP-L@EARNCC.BITNET) when it reaches the LISTSERV node.
The special LISTSERV address is particularly useful if you have
signed off a list for a vacation period and you are unsure of its
address when you come to resubscribe or if a list has been moved
to a new location. Note that any backbone LISTSERV server can
provide this service and if one is located conveniently to you,
it should be used in preference to the the special LISTSERV
address. Once a list's address has been established, it should be
used for all future mail sent to that list.
LISTSERV Functions and Command Descriptions
LISTSERV can be broadly categorized into four functional areas.
These are the mailing list, file server, database and informa-
tional functions. Each of these areas is described in detail in
separate chapters. Each chapter contains a brief introduction and
then goes on to describe the LISTSERV commands relevant to that
function. The syntax of each command has been written using a
particular format. Command names come first and are presented in
upper- and lower-case characters. The upper-case portion of a
command shows its valid abbreviation. Either this or the entire
command name may be used. The command name is followed by its
parameters which are used to supply additional information in the
command. All parameters are fully explained in each command
description. Those parameters that are surrounded by '< ... >'
characters are optional and do not always have to be included
with each command (although there will be times when they are
needed). The '|' character shows a choice between one or more
different parameters. Where it appears, you can select only one
of the parameters listed at a time.
LISTSERV Command Keywords
This section describes the set of standard command keywords used
in LISTSERV commands. Note, do not confuse these with database
keywords, which are explained in the LISTSERV DATABASE Functions
chapter. When LISTSERV receives any command, it first selects and
verifies all the command keywords it contains. These are identi-
fied as the text immediately preceding an '=' (equal) symbol in a
command. If a standard command keyword is found, it is checked
and any errors cause the immediate termination of processing for
that command. If a keyword is found but not recognised (that is,
it is a non-standard keyword), LISTSERV assumes that it belongs
to the overall command and it is passed over. Once standard key-
word checking is complete, LISTSERV then checks the overall com-
mand for any errors. The standard LISTSERV command keywords are
as follows:
PW= password This keyword is used to specify a password in a com-
mand. If you have registered a personal password on
a LISTSERV server, you will then have to validate
certain commands by using the PW= command keyword in
the command text. This feature is designed to pre-
vent impostors from issuing commands while using
your e-mail address. The use of passwords is strong-
ly recommended for this reason. See the PW command
in the section Commands for FILE SERVER Functions
for details on registering personal passwords. Once
you have registered a personal password at a
LISTSERV server, you will be obliged to include the
PW= command keyword in all commands where it appears
as an option.
F= format This keyword controls the file format (or internal
file structure) in which files will be sent to you.
If you are not a member of the EARN/BITNET network,
then LISTSERV will always use the default file for-
mat of MAIL. Otherwise, the default file format is
dependent upon the information held in the BITEARN
NODES file regarding your computer. The BITEARN
NODES file is a special network definition file used
in the EARN/BITNET network. Any user may ask for a
file format other than their default by specifying
it in the F= command keyword in the commands where
it appears as an option. Note that this will not
permanently change your default file format, its
effect is only for those commands where it is speci-
fied. Following is a list of file formats that are
valid for all users:
XXE UUe MIME/text MIME/Appl MAIL
In addition, EARN/BITNET users may specify:
Netdata Card Disk Punch LPunch VMSdump
Contact your local support personnel for more infor-
mation about the file formats supported on your com-
puter.
CLASS= class This keyword controls the class of the spoolfile
that will be sent to you. Valid file classes are
composed of a single alphabetic character. Note that
this option is relevant only to EARN/BITNET users
but is of little relevance to the everyday LISTSERV
user. It is used most commonly by client applica-
tions interfacing with LISTSERV to identify LISTSERV
command output. This command keyword may be used
with any command where it appears as an option.
LISTSERV MAILING LIST Functions
The primary function of LISTSERV is to operate mailing lists
(also referred to as distribution lists). Mailing lists are used
to distribute the e-mail sent to them to a list a recipients.
They provide the means for a group of users to establish an
e-mail forum on any topic or area of common interest. For exam-
ple, quantum physicists who are interested in particle accelera-
tion can request that a mailing list be created for them at one
of the LISTSERV servers. This request must be directed to the
LISTSERV administrator at a computer site operating a server.
Once the list has been established, any user from across the
EARN/BITNET network (or from any other network that can reach the
EARN/BITNET network) can apply to join it. This may be done by
sending a list subscription request to the LISTSERV server manag-
ing the list. Their name and e-mail address will subsequently be
added to the list membership. LISTSERV will distribute copies of
all e-mail sent to a mailing list to all of the members of that
list. This service provides an extremely convenient means for the
exchange of ideas and information between list members since
LISTSERV (and not the mail sender) manages the distribution of
e-mail to all of its final recipients. Users need only to remem-
ber one list address to which they send their mail in order to
communicate to a potentially large number of users. Due to the
efficiency with which LISTSERV distributes e-mail to list mem-
bers, discussions or debates with a world-wide audience may be
conducted.
Note that sending mail to a mailing list is not the same as send-
ing mail to a LISTSERV server itself. To distribute mail to a
mailing list, it should be sent to that list's address (for exam-
ple, the Canadian adult education list ADLTED-L at node
UREGINA1). Send e-mail to a LISTSERV server only if it contains a
series of LISTSERV commands you want that server to execute (for
example, command mail sent to LISTSERV at UREGINA1). See the sec-
tion Sending Commands to LISTSERV for more information.
Locating LISTSERV LISTS
A LISTSERV server may manage any number of mailing lists. Each
mailing list will have a list name of up to thirty two characters
in length. However, most lists have only eight characters in
their name and these commonly end with '-L' (to readily identify
them as LISTSERV mailing lists). A list's name goes to make up
its e-mail address. For example, the Biomechanics and Movement
Science list has a list name of BIOMCH-L and is located at the
node HEARN. The list therefore has an e-mail address of
BIOMCH-L@HEARN, which should be used when sending mail to that
list for distribution. The LISTSERV server at node HEARN will
manage the list and it is to this server that all user commands
related to the list (such as subscription requests) should be
sent. Most LISTSERV servers can provide you with up-to-date
information on all known mailing lists across the network in
response to the following command:
LIST GLOBAL
You will receive a file called LISTSERV LISTS which contains the
names, addresses and titles of all LISTSERV mailing lists. This
is a very large file, so make sure you have the necessary
resources to accommodate its size before you use this command.
You may then browse this file to find the names and addresses of
any lists that may interest you. This command is described in
full in the section Command for LISTS.
Commands for LISTS
The following commands are designed for use with LISTSERV mailing
lists. With them you may do things such as finding the names and
addresses of lists, signing on to or off lists, reviewing lists
or changing your personal options for any mailing list to which
you are subscribed. Note that the F= and CLASS= command keywords
may be used optionally with any of the commands where they appear
(see the section LISTSERV Command Keywords for more information).
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
| SUBscribe Sign on to a mailing list |
| |
| SIGNUP A synonym for the SUBscribe command |
| |
| UNSubscribe Sign off a mailing list |
| |
| SIGNOFF A synonym for the UNSubscribe command |
| |
| List Receive a listing of all the mailing lists at a |
| server |
| |
| REView Receive details of a mailing list |
| |
| Query Review your optional settings for a mailing |
| list |
| |
| SET Change your optional setting for a mailing list |
| |
| CONFIRM Confirm your subscription to a mailing list |
| |
| STats Display statistical information about a mailing |
| list |
| |
| REGister Register your name at a LISTSERV server |
| |
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
SUBscribe Use the SUBscribe (or SIGNUP) command to join a mail-
ing list. You can also use this command to alter the
name (but not e-mail address) by which you are known
on a mailing list you have already joined. The format
of the command is:
SUBscribe list-name < full-name >
Where list-name is the name of the list to which you
want to subscribe. For example, the EARN User Group
list located at the node IRLEARN has a list name of
EARN-UG. Do not confuse this with the list's address
(EARN-UG@IRLEARN) which should not be used. The
optional full-name parameter allows you to give a name
by which you want to be known on a mailing list. If
specified, it should be your full, real name (at least
your first name and last name) and not your e-mail
address. If you send this command to LISTSERV via com-
mand mail, the name for the full-name option will be
taken from the name given in the From: mail header
should it be omitted from the command text. For exam-
ple, the following command would subscribe you to the
EARN-UG mailing list under the name of Alan C. Border:
SUBSCRIBE EARN-UG Alan C. Border
Since the EARN-UG list is located at the node IRLEARN,
the above command should be sent to the LISTSERV ser-
ver at the same node.
A request to join a mailing list can be processed in
three ways: subscription to a list may be OPEN,
CLOSED, or BY-OWNER. If it is OPEN, you will be auto-
matically added to the list and sent notification. If
it is CLOSED, you will not be added to the list, and
LISTSERV will send you a message telling you that your
request has been rejected. If it is BY-OWNER, your
subscription request will be forwarded to the list
owner(s), who will decide whether or not to add you to
the list (LISTSERV will inform you to whom your
request has been forwarded). To see what kind of sub-
scription a list has, use the REView command.
You can send your SUBscribe command to the LISTSERV
server that manages the list you wish to join, or to
any backbone LISTSERV server. All backbone servers
have an up-to-date listing of all non-confidential
lists at every other LISTSERV. A backbone LISTSERV
will automatically forward your request to the appro-
priate site. If there are several servers with (uncon-
nected) lists of the same name, then LISTSERV will
send you a list of these sites and advise you to send
your SUBscribe command directly to the appropriate
server.
When you join a list, LISTSERV at that site adds your
name and e-mail address to its signup file. Once you
have joined a list at a particular LISTSERV, you need
not include your name in subsequent SUBscribe commands
for lists at that server. Unless you do provide your
name in the full-name option, LISTSERV will search for
and use the name it has for you in its signup file. If
you send a SUBscribe command for a list to which you
already belong, then LISTSERV will interpret the com-
mand as a request to change your full-name on the
list.
UNSubscribe
Use the UNSubscribe (or SIGNOFF) command to leave a
mailing list. The format of the command is:
UNSubscribe list-name | * < (NETWIDE >
where list-name is the name of a mailing list from
which you want to remove your subscription. For exam-
ple, the MacIntosh Digest list located at the node
CEARN has the name INFO-MAC. Do not confuse this with
the list's address (INFO-MAC@CEARN) which should not
be used. You can signoff all the lists to which you
are a member at any particular LISTSERV site by using
the '*' (asterisk) character in the place of a list
name. If you want your UNSubscribe command to be pro-
pagated to all LISTSERV servers on the network,
include the (NETWIDE option. For example, use the
following command to leave the INFO-MAC list at node
CEARN:
UNSUBSCRIBE INFO-MAC
It should be sent to LISTSERV at CEARN which manages
the INFO-MAC list. To leave all the LISTSERV lists
you belong to throughout the network, send the follow-
ing command to your nearest (or any) LISTSERV:
UNSUBSCRIBE * (NETWIDE
Use this option if you are changing your e-mail
address or are leaving your computer for an extended
period.
List Use this command to get a listing of available mailing
lists at a LISTSERV server. The format of the command
is:
List < options > < F= format > < CLASS= class >
Where options may be any of the following:
Short - This option displays a summary of all the
lists managed by a LISTSERV in a brief, one line
description. This is the default.
Long - The Long (or Detailed) option will send a file
(called node-name LISTS) to you that contains a com-
prehensive description of the lists managed by a
LISTSERV server.
Detailed - This is a synonym for the Long option.
Global < pattern > - This option gives a complete
list of all known LISTSERV mailing lists at all ser-
vers at the time the command is issued. A file (called
LISTSERV LISTS) will be sent to you containing the
names, titles and e-mail addresses of these lists.
This is a very large file, so make sure you have the
necessary disk space to accommodate its size before
you use the Global option. The optional pattern param-
eter can be used to match any string in the list name,
list title or list address. So if, for example, you
wanted details of all mailing lists related to chemis-
try, you could use the following command:
LIST GLOBAL CHEM
SUMmary < node | ALL | TOTAL > - This option displays
the number of lists managed by a LISTSERV server and
the total number of users that are subscribed to them.
This will be given for the server to which the command
is sent or for the LISTSERV at any node given in the
optional node parameter. Using the ALL parameter will
provide the same information but for all LISTSERV ser-
vers across the network. The output with this option
will be broken down on a server by server basis. The
TOTAL optional parameter provides similar information
except that you are only given an overall summary of
the number of mailing lists and list members at all
LISTSERVs and are not shown the figures from individu-
al servers.
REView Use this command to receive a listing of a mailing
list. It will be sent to you as a file called list-
name LIST (or list-name node-name for peered lists). A
mailing list is comprised of two parts: a control sec-
tion and a subscription section. The control section
holds the definition parameters for a list which
includes information such as who is authorized to
review or join a list and whether or not it is
archived. The subscription section holds the e-mail
addresses and names of all list members. The REView
command allows you to receive a listing of either or
both of these sections (the default is both) for any
list, provided you are authorized to do so. Note that
at the discretion of the list owner(s), the REView
command can be restricted in use to list members only.
In this case, you will not be authorized to review a
mailing list if you are not a member of that list
yourself. Also, individual list members can restrict
the appearance of their e-mail address and name in
response to a REView command if they have set the
CONCEAL mailing list option (see the SET command for
more details). The format of the command is:
REView list-name < ( > < options >
Where list-name is the name of the LISTSERV list you
wish to review. The options follow the list name and
can be:
Short - This option restricts the information you
receive to the control section of a list (giving its
definition parameters) and does not return the sub-
scription section of a list (giving the list members).
NOHeader - This option is the converse of the Short
option. You will receive the listing of list members,
but not the list's definition parameters.
Msg - Use this option to have LISTSERV send you the
output of your REView command as interactive messages
(that will appear on your screen) rather than in a
file. Note that this option is valid for EARN/BITNET
users only.
Countries - If you use this option, the list of mem-
bers will be organized by the nationality given in
their e-mail addresses. This is similar to using the
BY Country sort option of the REView command (see
below).
LOCal - If the list is peered (that is, it is linked
to other mailing lists of the same name but on differ-
ent LISTSERV servers), you will receive listings of
all of these mailing lists in response to a REView
command. The LOCal option can be used to suppress the
propagation of the REView command to the LISTSERV ser-
vers hosting these peered mailing lists. In this case,
you will receive a listing only from the server to
which you send the REView command and not the others.
For example:
REVIEW XMAILER LOCAL
BY sort-fields - This option is used to specify a
presentation for the members of a list you are review-
ing. The sort-fields parameter indicates the way in
which you want the list members to be sorted. If the
BY option is not given in a REView command, the list
members will be sorted by the computer node name given
in their e-mail addresses. This is equivalent to using
the the NODEid parameter with the BY option (see
below). The sort-fields can be:
Country - Sort list members by the country of origin
given in their e-mail addresses.
Name - Sort list members by their names (last, then
first). Note that this is not the e-mail address but
the full name that they provided when they subscribed
to a list.
NODEid - Sort list members by their computer node.
That is, the name that comes after the '@' (at sign)
in their e-mail addresses.
Userid - Sort list members by their userids. That is,
the name that comes before the '@' (at sign) in their
e-mail addresses.
For example, if you wished to have the membership of a
mailing list presented to you sorted by their userids:
REVIEW XMAILER LOCAL BY USERID
Note that more than one sort field may be specified
when using the BY option. If this is the case, then
the sort fields given must be enclosed in parentheses
and the optional parenthesis that separates the list-
name from the options of the REView command must also
be present (although this will not be obligatory in
future releases of the LISTSERV server). The list mem-
bers will then be sorted on all the given sort fields
(in order from left to right). For example, if you
wanted the list members to be sorted by their coun-
tries and then by their names, your REView command
would have the following format:
REVIEW XMAILER (LOCAL BY (COUNTRY NAME)
Query When you join any mailing list, you will be assigned a
default set of list options that control such things
as way you received mail when it is distributed and
the type of notification LISTSERV will give you when
it distributes mail you have sent to a list. These are
the personal list options that may be altered on any
mailing list to which you are subscribed to suite your
circumstances. See the SET command for a complete
descriptions of these options. The Query command can
be used to review the personal list options you have
in effect at any mailing list. It has the format:
Query list-name | *
where list-name is the name of a list to which you are
subscribed. If you use an '*' (asterisk) character
instead of a list name, you will receive information
about your personal options for all lists to which you
belong at the LISTSERV to which you send the command.
SET Use the SET command to change your personal options
for a mailing list. These options will remain in
effect until they are explicitly changed. The Query
command can be used to display your current optional
settings for any list to which you are subscribed. The
format of the SET command is:
SET list-name | * options
where list-name is the name of the mailing list for
which you are changing your options. You may change
your options for a specific list or for all the lists
you belong to at a particular LISTSERV by using the
'*' (asterisk) character in place of a list name.
After processing your SET command, LISTSERV will send
you conformation of the successful alteration of your
mailing list options via e-mail. Note that only the
options you specify with this command are altered
while the rest remain unchanged. The options are:
Mail | DIGests | INDex | NOMail - These options of the
SET command alter the way in which you receive mail
from a mailing list. The Mail option means that you
wish to have list mail distributed to you as mail.
This is the default. The DIGests and INDex options are
available only if a list has had these features
enabled by its owner(s). Digests hold all the mail
messages sent to a list over a certain period of time.
Instead of receiving each mail individually as it is
distributed to list members, you will receive all the
mail in one batch for a given day, week or month. You
may then browse through these mail messages at your
leisure. Note that mail is not edited with the
DIGests option, you will receive copies of all the
mail messages in their entirety. The INDex option will
provide you with only the date, time, subject, number
of lines and the sender's name and address for all
mail messages sent to a list. The text of the mail
message will not be included. You may then select and
retrieve any mail that interests you from the list
archive (see the chapter LISTSERV DATABASE Functions
for more information on how to do this). Both the
DIGests and INDex options provide a means of listening
in to discussions on mailing lists without having to
deal with large quantities of incoming mail messages.
The NOMail option means that mail sent to the list
will not be distributed to you. This is useful when
you are leaving your computer for an extended period
of time and you do not want mail from the list to fill
your mailbox. When you return, you can send the SET
command with the MAIL option to restore mail service.
For example, if you want to stop receiving mail from
all the lists at SEARN to which you belong, send the
following command to LISTSERV at SEARN:
SET * NOMAIL
Files | NOFiles - Mailing lists may be used to dis-
tribute files that have been sent to them via NJE file
transfer. This is the file transfer system used by
users on EARN/BITNET network. Note that is it not pos-
sible to send files to a mailing list via FTP or the
file transfer systems of any other networks. Transfer-
ring a file to a mailing list can be used when your
computer does not have a mail system installed (so you
cannot send e-mail) or for sending executable files to
mailing lists. When a file is transferred to a mailing
list, LISTSERV will distribute it to EARN/BITNET list
members in the same format in which it was originally
sent and to non-EARN/BITNET list members, as e-mail.
This option of the SET command allows you to specify
whether or you want to receive any files that were
sent to a mailing list via NJE file transfer. The
default is Files.
ACK | MSGAck | NOACK - This indicates the kind of
acknowledgement you want to receive from a LISTSERV
server when it distributes any mail you have sent to a
list. ACK means that you want to receive a mail mes-
sage from LISTSERV indicating that your message was
successfully distributed. MSGAck means that you want
this confirmation via interactive messages rather than
by e-mail. NOACK specifies that you want just a short,
one line interactive message from LISTSERV. Note that
MSGAck and NOACK acknowledgments are not sent to non-
EARN/BITNET users. The default for this option is
determined by the owner(s) of a list.
REPro | NOREPro - Indicates whether or not you your-
self want to receive a copy of any mail which you send
to a list. The default is NOREPro, meaning that mail
which you send to a list will be distributed to all
members of the list except you. For example, if you
want to get a copy of your own mail messages sent to
list EARN-UG at IRLEARN, send the following command to
LISTSERV at IRLEARN:
SET EARN-UG REPRO
SHORThdr | FULLhdr | IETFhdr | DUALhdr - All mail mes-
sages are comprised of header and body sections. The
header section provides details such as the recipi-
ents, the original sender and the date ant time a mail
message was sent. The mail body section contains the
text of a mail message. These options of the SET com-
mand indicate the type of mail headers you want to
receive in the mail distributed from a mailing list.
SHORThdr means that the mail header will include only
the essential informational headers (for instance the
Date:, To:, From:, Subject:, Sender: and Reply-to:
headers). This is the default. You may change this to
FULLhdr, which means that all (including non-
essential) mail headers will be present in e-mail. The
IETFhdr option means that LISTSERV will not change the
headers of a mail message it distributes to you other
than to add a Received: mail header (and also a
Message-id: and Sender: headers if either of these
were not already present). This option is designed
specifically for compatibility with SMTP exploders (as
used, for instance, on the Internet network). Lastly,
DUALhdr is very similar to the SHORThdr option except
that LISTSERV will also insert mail headers at the
beginning of the mail body. Therefore, when the mail
is received and read by a recipient using this option,
it will start with this information (for instance, the
first three lines of a mail message may contain the
To:, From: and Subject: mail headers). This option is
useful for users of some PC based mail packages that
will not display this information from the real mail
headers.
CONCEAL | NOCONCEAL - Indicates whether or not you
want your name and mail address to appear in the dis-
play of list members which is given in response to a
REView command. The default is NOCONCEAL. Note that a
complete list of members is always given to list own-
ers and LISTSERV administrators regardless of this
option.
TOPICS: < + | - > topic-names - A mailing list to
which you are subscribed may support the separation of
its mail into a set of topics. If a list owner has
defined a variety of different discussion topics for a
list, you may use the TOPICS: option to select those
that are of interest to you and exclude all others.
You will then receive only those mail messages posted
to the list that relate to the one or more topics you
have chosen. If you do not select any topics for such
a list, you will receive all the e-mail sent to it.
Note that you must have the MAIL option enabled for a
mailing list before you can then use the TOPICS:
option since the DIGests and INDex options to not sup-
port topic selection and the NOMail option will stop
all mail from a list being sent to you (see these
options of the SET command for more information).
Additionally, a list owner must have enabled topic
support for a mailing list before you can use the SET
TOPICS: command on that list. This is done at a list
owner's discretion. You may use the REView command to
determine if topics have been enabled on any particu-
lar mailing list.
A mailing list may have up to eleven topics defined
for it. You may select one or more of these topics by
including their names in the topic-names parameter.
For example, if a mailing list called NUCHEM-L had the
topics neutron, proton and electron defined, you could
send the command:
SET NUCHEM-L TOPICS: NEUTRON PROTON
to receive list mail related to only the neutron and
proton topics. Once you have subscribed to various
topics, they may be changed by using the '+' (add) or
'-' (minus) symbols to increase or decrease the topics
you wish to receive from a mailing list. This is use-
ful when you do not want to retype a long list of top-
ic names with the TOPICS: option. For example, to add
the topic electron and remove the topic neutron from
the NUCHEM-L list:
SET NUCHEM-L TOPICS: +ELECTRON -NEUTRON
You would now be subscribed to the topics of proton
and electron for the NUCHEM-L mailing list. Note that
you can review the topics which you have selected for
any mailing list through the Query command. You may
also use the special topic name of ALL to select all
the topics available on a mailing list. This is useful
when used in conjunction with the '-' (minus) symbol
to select all but a few of the topics available on a
mailing list. For example, to subscribe to every topic
except neutron on the NUCHEM-L list, you could use the
command:
SET NUCHEM-L TOPICS: ALL -NEUTRON
To send mail to one or more topics defined on mailing
list, the topic names must be present in the Subject:
mail header when the mail is posted. If more than one
topic name is given, they must be separated by commas.
The topic names section should then be finished with a
':' (semi-colon), after which the normal contents of
the Subject mail header can be entered. For example,
to send mail to the users subscribed to the proton and
electron topics on the NUCHEM-L list, the Subject:
mail header would look like this:
Subject: proton,electron: Hydrogen Nucleus Results.
You may also use the topic name of ALL to send mail to
all of the available topics on a mailing list. If top-
ic names were incorrect or were not included in the
Subject: mail header, then this mail is distributed to
the special topic name of OTHER. You may also sub-
scribe to this topic to receive mail that is distrib-
uted under this topic name (note that a subscription
to the topic ALL will receive mail distributed to the
topic OTHER).
CONFIRM Use the CONFIRM command to renew your subscription to
a list. Some mailing lists require subscription renew-
al at regular intervals (usually once a year). A mail
message is automatically sent to list members indicat-
ing that they must send a CONFIRM command within a
given number of days or they will be removed from the
list. This command must be sent from the same e-mail
address that received the confirmation notice. The
syntax of the CONFIRM command is:
CONFIRM list-name
where list-name is the name of the mailing list to
which you are confirming your subscription. LISTSERV
will send a message that your subscription has been
confirmed. For example, if you receive a message from
LISTSERV at IRLEARN to confirm your subscription to
the EARN-UG list, then send the following command to
that server:
CONFIRM EARN-UG
STats This command will cause a statistical report for a
specific mailing list to be sent to you. Note, how-
ever, that statistics may not be collected for some
lists or they may not be available to everybody. The
format of the command is:
STats list-name < (LOCal > < F= format >
< CLASS= class >
where list-name is the name of the list for which you
are requesting statistics. The (LOCal option can be
used to indicate that only local statistics are wanted
and not the statistics from other LISTSERVs if the
list happens to be peered. You will be sent a file
(called list-name STATREP) containing the relevant
statistics. It will give details such as the name or
address and number of mail messages each sender has
posted to the list and the network load (in hundreds
of bytes) that the list contributes to the network
traffic.
REGister The REGister command can be used to register your full
name at any LISTSERV server (note that this is your
name and not your e-mail address). Once you have reg-
istered your name at a LISTSERV, that server will then
always refer to you with that name (unless you provide
a name in a mailing list subscription request). The
command has the format:
REGister full-name | OFF
Where full-name is your name. For example, the com-
mand:
REGISTER Mark A. Taylor
sent to any LISTSERV will cause that server to always
refer to you with the given name. This can be removed
by using the OFF option.
LISTSERV FILE SERVER Functions
LISTSERV also functions as a file server. That is, files can be
stored at a LISTSERV server and made available for retrieval by
users upon their request. These files are stored in LISTSERV
under a hierarchical system of filelists. As the name suggests, a
filelist is a special file that holds a list of files. Each entry
in a filelist describes a file that is available for retrieval
and gives details such as the file's name and size and also a
file's access code (also known as a FAC) which describes who is
authorized to retrieve it. These files may themselves be file-
lists, in which case they too will hold information about avail-
able files or further filelists. In this way, filelists are
organized in a hierarchical or tree structure.
There are two basic types of filelists on LISTSERV servers. The
first type holds files that have been specifically placed there
by file owners or LISTSERV administrators. These files may be
documents, maps or diagrams, or even programs. The second type of
filelist is associated with a LISTSERV mailing list. These are
referred to as list filelists and retain copies of all e-mail
distributed on a particular mailing list. They consist of a
series of files, each of which holds a copy of the mail messages
distributed on a list over an interval of time (usually, one
month). These files may then be retrieved to recover any list
mail distributed during a specific period. Note that e-mail dis-
tributed on a mailing list may also be retrieved via the database
functions of LISTSERV (see the LISTSERV DATABASE Functions chap-
ter for more details). Not all mailing lists have an associated
list filelist, this is enabled at a list owner's discretion.
A further aspect of the file server functions of LISTSERV is the
concept of packages. A package consists of one or more files that
appear in a filelist. These may be, for example, a series of
files that go to make up a software package. A package is
declared in a LISTSERV filelist through a file that has the spe-
cial name of package-name $PACKAGE. Within it will be a list of
all the files that comprise the package. This list can be
reviewed by sending a retrieval request for that file. However,
all the files that comprise the package may also be retrieved
through a request for the file: package-name PACKAGE. Note that
in this case, the '$' (dollar) symbol is dropped from the name.
The files that go to make up the package will then automatically
be sent to the requestor. This enables users to retrieve an
entire set of files that belong to a package with only one com-
mand, instead of having to retrieve each of these files individu-
ally through a series of commands.
Here is a sample filelist:
* SAMPLE FILELIST for LISTSERV@EARNCC.
*
* ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
*
* The GET/PUT authorization codes shown with each file entry describe
* who is authorized to GET or PUT the file:
*
* ALL = Everybody
* LMC = LISTSERV Master Coordinators
* PRV = Private, ie list members
* OWN = List owners
*: DAV = 'DAVID@UKACRL' /* David Boon - Author */
*
* ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
**********************************************************************
*
* LISTSERV SAMPLE FILELIST
*
**********************************************************************
* rec last - change
* filename filetype GET PUT -fm lrecl nrecs date time Info ..
* -------- -------- --- --- --- ----- ----- -------- -------- ------
LISTFILE MEMO ALL LMC V 72 609 92/01/31 14:10:27 File ..
PASCAL-L FILELIST PRV OWN V 72 49 93/02/15 19:03:45 Pascal.
PROGRAM $PACKAGE ALL DAV V 80 25 90/11/06 11:29:23 Packag.
Comment lines begin with an '*' (asterisk) character and are used
to provide introductory and explanatory text for the filelist.
The most important comments are those explaining the FACs (File
Access Codes) in the section entitled 'The GET/PUT authorization
codes shown ...'. These FACs are used against the document
entries at the bottom of the filelist. In this example, the first
four FACs are generic in that they do not refer to specific user-
ids but rather to special groups of predetermined users. All of
the FACs specify who is authorized to issue GET (retrieve) and
PUT (store) commands for each document. The LISTFILE MEMO file
entry shows that everybody (ALL) is authorized to GET this docu-
ment while only users who have been designated LISTSERV Master
Coordinators (LMC) are allowed to store it. The filelist also
shows that this document contains 609 lines, each of up to 72
characters in length.
The PASCAL-L FILELIST entry refers to a sub-filelist. You may go
on to retrieve this filelist to investigate what files are held
in it. In this case, it is a list filelist and is associated with
the PASCAL-L mailing list. It would contain a series of files
that hold a copy of all the mail messages distributed on that
list, each one covering a certain period in time. The GET and PUT
FACs specify that only list members (PRV) and list owners (OWN)
may retrieve or store this filelist, respectively.
The final document entry is for a package called PROGRAM (as
denoted by the file type of $PACKAGE). This file will contain a
list of other files in the SAMPLE FILELIST (not shown here) that
go to make up the PROGRAM package. Its FAC shows that everybody
(ALL) is allowed to retrieve this package but only David Boon
(DAV, the program's author) can store it.
Locating LISTSERV Filelists
The list filelists that are associated with a LISTSERV mailing
list will be located at the server managing that list. If you are
searching for this type of filelist, it will be at the LISTSERV
located at the same node that appears in the list's e-mail
address. For example, the BITFTP mailing list is located at the
node EARNCC and has an e-mail address of BITFTP-L@EARNCC. Its
filelist will therefore be located at the LISTSERV server at node
EARNCC. All list filelists will also have the same name as the
mailing list with which they are associated. Consequently, the
above filelist will have the name BITFTP-L FILELIST.
There are no rules governing the location of files that are not
in list filelists. Unless you already know the whereabouts of a
file, you will have to search for it. However, all LISTSERV file-
lists are organized from a common starting point. The top (or
root) filelist is always called LISTSERV FILELIST and this can be
retrieved to determine what files or sub-filelists are available
from any particular LISTSERV. This filelist can therefore be the
point of departure when searching for any file at a LISTSERV ser-
ver. Some other standard filelists (which always appear as sub-
filelist entries in the LISTSERV FILELIST) include the INFO and
TOOLS filelists. These hold LISTSERV's help and informational
files and a standard set of software tools, respectively. Other
files or filelists may also be present in the LISTSERV FILELIST,
which you may then go on to investigate. Note that it is usual
that files of a common nature are stored together in a single
filelist whose name describes its contents. The information held
in each filelist (listing its available files and sub-filelists)
may be obtained through the use of the INDex command. For exam-
ple, to retrieve the LISTSERV FILELIST from LISTSERV at EARNCC
and look at the entries it holds, the following command should be
sent to that server:
INDEX LISTSERV
Commands for FILE SERVER Functions
The following LISTSERV commands enable general users to manipu-
late files that are stored at a server. This includes commands to
search for, retrieve and subscribe to files. When sending file
server commands to LISTSERV, you must address them to the server
and not to any mailing lists. Note that where the PW= keyword
appears in a command description, this need only be included in
the command text if you have defined a personal password at the
server to which you are sending file server commands. Otherwise,
it need not be used. The optional F= and CLASS= command keywords
may included as desired (see the section LISTSERV Command Key-
words for more information).
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
| INDex Receive a listing of a filelist |
| |
| GET Retrieve a file from LISTSERV |
| |
| SENDME A synonym for the GET command |
| |
| AFD Receive a new copy of a file every time it is |
| updated |
| |
| FUI Receive notification of file updates |
| |
| Query File Receive information on a file |
| |
| GIVE Have LISTSERV send a file to another user |
| |
| PW Manipulate your personal password |
| |
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
INDex Use the INDex command to get a listing of the files in
a particular filelist. The format of the command is:
INDex < filelist > < F= format > < CLASS= class >
Where filelist specifies the name of the filelist you
wish to get. If no name is specified, an index of the
root filelist (called LISTSERV FILELIST) will be sent
to you. For example, to get a listing of the files in
the DOC FILELIST, the command:
INDEX DOC
should be sent to the LISTSERV at node EARNCC where
this filelist is located. Note that the above command
is the same as issuing a GET DOC FILELIST command.
GET The GET (or SENDME) command is used to retrieve a spe-
cific file or package from a filelist, provided you are
authorized to do so. It has the format:
GET filename filetype < filelist > < F= format >
< CLASS= class >
Where the filename and filetype identify the file or
package you wish to retrieve. The optional filelist
parameter identifies the filelist within which the file
or package resides. If it is not supplied in the com-
mand, LISTSERV will determine the filelist through a
search of its own internal filelist index. For example,
to retrieve all the files that make up the PROGRAM
package in the SAMPLE FILELIST (and which are listed in
the PROGRAM $PACKAGE file), send the command:
GET PROGRAM PACKAGE SAMPLE
AFD AFD is an acronym for Automatic File Distribution. This
command enables you to subscribe to a file or package
in a filelist. Every time this file or package is
updated in its filelist, you will then automatically be
sent of copy of it by the LISTSERV server. You may sub-
scribe to any number of files for packages from any
filelist with the AFD command. You may also review or
delete your subscriptions at any LISTSERV server. The
command has the following format:
AFD options
Where options must be one of the following:
ADD - The ADD (or REP) option allows you to subscribe
to a file or package. This means that a copy will
henceforth be sent to you automatically by LISTSERV
when it is updated on its filelist. The ADD option has
the following format:
ADD filename filetype < filelist > < text >
< PW= password > < F= format > < CLASS= class >
Where filename and filetype identify a file or package
to which you want to subscribe. The filelist option
allows you to specify the name of the filelist in which
it is located. If this is not specified in the com-
mand, LISTSERV will locate the filelist through a
search of its own internal filelist index. Also, if you
wish to have an informational text message inserted
automatically at the top of the file or package when it
is sent to you, you may use the text parameter. Note
that if you omit the filelist option, the text you pro-
vide in the text parameter must be enclosed in double
quotes. This parameter is most commonly used by network
server applications that subscribe to files at a
LISTSERV on behalf of users. If you are subscribing to
files directly from LISTSERV yourself, you should not
need to use this option. For example, if you wanted to
subscribe to the file LISTFILE MEMO in the SAMPLE
FILELIST, you would send the following command to
LISTSERV:
AFD ADD LISTFILE MEMO SAMPLE
If you wanted the text "New memo update." inserted at
the top of the file before it is sent to you, the com-
mand would take either of the following formats:
AFD ADD LISTFILE MEMO SAMPLE New memo update.
AFD ADD LISTFILE MEMO "New memo update."
REP - This is a synonym for the ADD option.
DELete - Remove your subscription to a file or package
for which you have an AFD. The DELete option has the
following format:
DELete filename filetype < filelist >
< PW= password >
Where filename and filetype identify a file or package
to which you wish to remove an AFD. These names may
also include the '*' (asterisk) wildcard character so
that multiple files or packages may be removed with one
DELete command. The filelist option allows you to spec-
ify the name of the filelist in which it is located.
If this is not specified in the command, LISTSERV will
locate the filelist through a search of its own inter-
nal filelist index.
List - The List (or Query) option shows the files or
packages to which you are currently subscribed at a
LISTSERV. The List option has the following format:
List < (FORMAT >
A list of your current AFDs at the LISTSERV processing
this command will be sent to you. If you include the
(FORMAT option, then the file format to be used when a
file or package is sent to you will also be displayed.
Query - This is a synonym for the List option.
FUI This command is an acronym for File Update Information.
It enables you to subscribe to a file or package in a
filelist. Every time this file for package is updated
in its filelist, you will then automatically be
informed of this by the LISTSERV server. This command
is similar to the AFD command, except you will only be
sent notification of an update rather than the updated
file or package itself. You may subscribe to any number
of files for packages from any filelist with the FUI
command. You may also review or delete your subscrip-
tions at any LISTSERV server. It has the following for-
mat:
FUI options
Where options must be one of the following:
ADD - The ADD (or REP) option allows you to subscribe
to a file or package by adding an FUI to it. It has the
following format:
ADD filename filetype < filelist >
< PW= password >
Where filename and filetype identify a file or package
to which you want to add an FUI subscription. The file-
list option allows you to specify the name of the file-
list in which it is located. If this is not given in
the command, LISTSERV will locate the filelist through
a search of its own internal filelist index. For exam-
ple, if you wanted to subscribe to the file LISTFILE
MEMO in the SAMPLE FILELIST, you would send the follow-
ing command to LISTSERV:
FUI ADD LISTSERV MEMO SAMPLE
REP - This is a synonym for the ADD option.
DELete - Remove your subscription from a file or pack-
age for which you have an FUI. The DELete option has
the following format:
DELete filename filetype < filelist >
< PW= password >
Where filename and filetype identify a file or package
to which you want to delete an FUI. The filelist option
allows you to specify the name of the filelist in which
it is located. If this is not specified in the command,
LISTSERV will locate the filelist through a search of
its own internal filelist index.
List - The List (or Query) option shows the files or
packages for which you currently have an FUI subscrip-
tion at a LISTSERV server.
Query - This is a synonym for the List option.
Query File
This command can be used to get update information on
various files. It has the format:
Query File filename filetype < filelist > < (FLags >
Update information about the file or package specified
in the filename and filetype parameters will be given.
Optionally, you may include a filelist name in the
filelist parameter. If it is omitted, LISTSERV will
locate the filelist through a search of its own inter-
nal filelist index. You may also specify the (FLags
option to display additional technical data about the
file (which can be useful when reporting problems to
LISTSERV administrators).
GIVE This command can be used to have a LISTSERV server send
a file or package (that you are authorized to retrieve
via a GET command) to an e-mail address other than your
own. It has the format:
GIVE filename filetype < filelist > < TO >
userid@node < F= format > < CLASS= class >
Where the filename and filetype identify the file or
package which you wish LISTSERV to send to the speci-
fied address. The optional filelist parameter identi-
fies the filelist within which the file or package is
held. If it is not supplied in the command, LISTSERV
will determine the filelist through a search of its own
internal filelist index. The userid@node parameter is
required and gives the e-mail address of the intended
recipient. For example, the following command would
direct LISTSERV send the LISTFILE MEMO document from
the SAMPLE FILELIST to the user JACQUES at the node
FRMOP11:
GIVE LISTFILE MEMO SAMPLE TO JACQUES@FRMOP11
PW The PW command enables you to add, change or delete a
personal password on any LISTSERV server. A personal
password is designed to give you added command security
on a LISTSERV since it helps prevent impostors using
your e-mail address. The use of personal passwords is
strongly encouraged for this reason. Every server will
accept a password registration request from you at any
time. Passwords are comprised of one to eight alphanu-
meric characters. You may change or delete your pass-
word at any time. If you forget a password you have
registered at any LISTSERV server, contact that ser-
ver's postmaster (whose e-mail address is given in the
RELEASE command; see the section Commands for
INFORMATION). The format of the PW command is:
PW options
Where options must be one of the following:
ADD - Add a new personal password on the LISTSERV pro-
cessing your command. The ADD option has the format:
ADD new-password
Once you have registered a password on a LISTSERV ser-
ver, you will be obliged to use the PW= command keyword
in the commands where it appears as an option.
CHange - Change your personal password on a LISTSERV
server where you already have one. It has the format:
CHange old-password new-password
or
new-password PW= old-password
DELete - Remove your personal password from a LISTSERV
where you already have one. The DELete option has the
format:
DELete old-password
Once you have removed a password from a LISTSERV ser-
ver, you will no longer be obliged to use the PW= com-
mand keyword in the commands where it appears as an
option.
LISTSERV DATABASE Functions
LISTSERV provides the facility for users to retrieve old mail
that has been distributed on mailing lists. Each mailing list has
an associated database (called a notebook or list archive data-
base) in which list mail is stored. Note that databases may not
be maintained for every mailing list, this is done at the discre-
tion of a list owner. The notebook databases are the most common-
ly used of the LISTSERV databases. However, every LISTSERV server
also has a database of all the EARN/BITNET computer nodes (called
the BITEARN database). This is available to all LISTSERV users.
The backbone LISTSERV servers also have a database of all the
LISTSERV computer nodes (called the PEERS database). In addition
to these databases, a LISTSERV server may have any number of dif-
ferent databases that have been created locally.
DATABASE Keywords
The documents in a database all have specific attributes in com-
mon. These attributes are exploited by defining a set of key-
words for that database. A database keyword is something like a
luggage tag that is attached to each document in a database. Any
number of tags may be attached to a document, each one containing
information about that document (for example, the date and time
it was stored in the database or the author's name and e-mail
address). These keywords can then be used when searching for doc-
uments, or the information they contain may be displayed. The
keywords used by each database may differ, but there are certain
keywords common to all of the databases maintained by LISTSERV.
These are:
DATABASE The name of a database (one to eight characters)
DATE The date of the document's entry into a database
TIME The time of the document's entry into a database
#RECS The number of lines in a document
# The document number in a database
Notebook Database Keywords
The most common of the LISTSERV databases are the notebook or
list archive databases. Each of these databases is associated
with a mailing list and holds copies of all the mail messages
distributed on that list. These notebook databases have the fol-
lowing additional keywords available for use when searching for
or displaying information from a document:
Subject Set to the contents of the Subject: mail header in a
mail message.
SEnder Set to the e-mail address of the sender of a mail mes-
sage
The notebook databases also support the division of each document
into predefined segments or sections. The keywords associated
with each document section can be used to display information
from either or both of these sections. They are:
Header The section of the document that contains the head-
ers of a mail message (which include, for example,
the From: and To: mail headers).
Body | Text The section of the document that contains the text
of a mail message.
All Both the Header and Body sections of mail message.
This is default.
Note that not all databases have the same additional keywords
available for use, nor are all documents split into sections. To
be able to use keywords effectively when searching for or dis-
playing information from documents, you should know what keywords
and document sections are available for each different database.
Locating LISTSERV DATABASES
Each LISTSERV maintains its own independent set of databases and
it will be necessary for you to first locate the server that
holds the database that interests you. To determine what databas-
es are available at a LISTSERV server, use either the DATABASE or
DBase command. LISTSERV will return the names of all the databas-
es it maintains along with a brief, one line description of each.
The command format is:
DataBase LIST
When you are searching for the notebook database of a mailing
list, it will always be located at the LISTSERV server that man-
ages that mailing list. Therefore, the address of a mailing list
(for example, IBMPC-L@CEARN) shows which LISTSERV will maintain
that list's notebook database (in this case, LISTSERV at node
CEARN). Once you have located a database you wish to search, you
may access it either through a batch or an interactive database
session.
Batch DATABASE Access
Users from any network that can reach the LISTSERV servers may
send database commands to a server through the batch facility.
Users on the EARN/BITNET network where the LISTSERV servers are
located may also use the interactive database facility (see
below). The batch facility entails sending e-mail to a server
that contains a database job. Note that e-mail should, in this
case, be sent to the LISTSERV server where you want the job to be
executed and not addressed to any mailing lists. A database job
consists of a number of database commands that are formatted in a
special way. These commands go into the body of the mail (one per
line) and are executed sequentially by LISTSERV. Note also that
LISTSERV will ignore the contents of the mail's Subject: header,
so ensure the commands are in the body of the mail message. The
results of these commands will be returned to you by mail once
all the commands have been executed. If the database job contains
unknown commands or syntax errors, these will be ignored and pro-
cessing will continue with the next command in sequence. However,
if the error count passes a certain threshold, processing of the
database job will be stopped and any remaining commands ignored.
LISTSERV will notify you of any errors that are encountered in a
database job. The following sample format of a database job can
be used for any database commands:
// JOB
DATABASE SEARCH DD=RULES
//RULES DD *
command1
command2
...
/*
// EOJ
In the above example, the first line starts the database job and
any line before this will be ignored (as will blank lines found
anywhere in the mail message). The next line specifies that this
is a database job and gives the name of the section that holds
the database commands (this comes after the DD= keyword). In the
example, the command section is called RULES, but any name of any
length can be used instead. Following this, the command section
starts, signaled by its name and the DD * string. From this point
until the line that ends the command section, any number of
LISTSERV database commands may be entered. The last two lines
signal the end of the command section and the end of the database
job, respectively. If any lines of text are found in the e-mail
after the line that finishes a database job, LISTSERV will exe-
cute these as non-database LISTSERV commands (see the section
Sending Commands to LISTSERV). This commonly occurs by mistake
when signatures are automatically put in to a mail message when
it is sent. If you wish to avoid this and the accompanying inval-
id command notification that LISTSERV will send to you, ensure
that such features of your mailing system are disabled prior to
sending database jobs to LISTSERV servers. For example, a data-
base job to search for Mathematical Institutions in the BITEARN
database would be:
// JOB
DATABASE SEARCH DD=FINDMATH
//FINDMATH DD *
SEARCH MATH IN BITEARN
INDEX
/*
// EOJ
Where the commands that will be executed are SEARCH and INDEX
(these commands are explained in detail in the DATABASE Commands
section). After having posted this database job to any LISTSERV
(since the BITEARN database is resident at all of them), you
would expect to receive a response similar to the following:
> SEARCH MATH IN BITEARN
--> Database BITEARN, 47 hits.
> INDEX
Ref# Conn Nodeid Site
---- ---- ------ ----
0156 85/08 BENGUS Ben-Gurion University Math...
....
For more information on batch access to LISTSERV databases, send
the command GET LISTDB MEMO to your nearest (or any) LISTSERV.
For more information on the Command Job Language of LISTSERV
(used to construct database jobs), send the command GET LISTJOB
MEMO to your nearest (or any) LISTSERV.
Interactive DATABASE Access
As well as using batch access to LISTSERV databases, EARN/BITNET
users that work on VM/CMS or VAX/VMS systems can use a special
user interface program (called LDBASE) for interactive database
access. That is, they have the ability to open a database session
with a LISTSERV server during which commands and their results
are passed between the user and the server by means of interac-
tive messages. The LDBASE interface is the client program that
establishes and controls an interactive database session between
the user and a LISTSERV server. If this program is not already
available at your site, it can be retrieved from any LISTSERV
server. For VM/CMS users, send the following commands to your
nearest LISTSERV:
TELL LISTSERV AT node-name GET LDBASE EXEC
TELL LISTSERV AT node-name GET LSVIUCV MODULE
where node-name is the location of your nearest (or any) LISTSERV
server. The LDBASE command will be ready for use as soon as you
receive these two files onto a minidisk.
For VAX/VMS users, send the following command to your nearest
LISTSERV:
$ SEND LISTSERV@node-name GET LDBASE.COM
where node-name is the location of your nearest (or any) LISTSERV
server. The command to install the LDBASE program in your direc-
tory is:
$ @LDBASE
For VM/CMS and VAX/VMS systems, these two programs have the same
function: once an interactive session is requested, they attempt
to establish a network connection to the LISTSERV holding the
databases you wish to access. The format of the command is:
LDBASE < node-name >
Where node-name specifies the location of the LISTSERV server
with which you wish to commence an interactive session. The first
time you use this command without specifying the node-name param-
eter, you will be asked to supply a node name you wish to have as
your default node. From then on, omitting a node name with this
command will automatically give you a session with the LISTSERV
server at the location you have given. Otherwise, you will be
given an interactive session with the LISTSERV located at the
node you specified with the command. The LDBASE command will
inform you when an interactive session has been successfully
established. From this point, you may enter and re-enter any num-
ber of database commands until you terminate the session with the
QUIT command.
Some database commands can result in large amounts of output (for
example the Print command). To reduce the amount of information
passed over the network by such commands, output has been
restricted in the following way: if you have established an
interactive database session with a LISTSERV server that is not
located on the same computer as you, command output is limited to
the first thirty lines. You will be informed if any output to you
has been suppressed. If this is the case, you can retrieve the
complete command output by using the SENDback command or by con-
structing a database job where command output will be e-mailed
back to you.
DATABASE Commands
These commands are designed to give the LISTSERV user access to
any databases for which they have appropriate authority. With
them, databases may be searched and documents displayed or
retrieved. Note that some of the commands you can construct may
become too long to fit onto one line. If this is the case, com-
mands may be split over as many lines as desired by using the '-'
(hyphen) continuation character. To use this, end each line with
this character and continue entering your command on the follow-
ing line. LISTSERV will not execute the command until you enter
the last line of the command (which should not end with a contin-
uation character).
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
| Search Search a for documents holding a given text |
| string |
| |
| SELect A synonym for the Search command |
| |
| Index Display the list of documents selected in a |
| Search |
| |
| Print Display the contents of documents selected in a |
| Search |
| |
| SENDback Send yourself a copy of one or more selected |
| documents |
| |
| Format Change the format and data displayed by an |
| Index command |
| |
| List Display data from selected documents in a given |
| format |
| |
| QUIT End an interactive database session |
| |
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
Search The Search (or SELect) command is used to search
through the documents in a specified database for a
given string of text. The text may be one word, a
series of different words or a phrase. You may also
include a number of optional search criteria with which
a search can be restricted. Once a search has been ini-
tiated with this command, you will be informed of the
number of documents that match your search criteria
(these are called the number of hits). These documents
then form the group on which subsequent database com-
mands are executed. The Search command should be the
first database command you use when you start a data-
base session. You must have a number of hits before
issuing any of the other database commands. The format
of the Search command is:
Search search-rules < optional-rules >
search-rules
The search-rules specify the text string to be searched
for in the documents within a database . If you are
interested in making your selection of documents based
solely on the other optional-rules (described below)
then you may give a search-rule value of '*' (aster-
isk), otherwise, a text string must be provided here. A
text string may be comprised of one or more words sepa-
rated by logical operators or it may be a phrase (in
which case it must be quoted). If a text string is giv-
en as a series of words that are not quoted and no log-
ical operator separates them, the logical operator AND
is assumed. For example, the following commands are
identical:
SEARCH PC VIRUS
SEARCH PC AND VIRUS
These commands will result in a search for documents
that hold the words PC and VIRUS anywhere in their
text. Note that both of these words must be present in
a document for it to be selected (as denoted by the
logical operator AND). A full list of logical operators
is given in the keyword-rules section below. A phrase
is constructed by the use of quotes in the text string.
Phrases may also be separated by logical operators. For
example:
SEARCH 'PC VIRUS' OR 'Virus Warning'
results in a search for documents that hold the phrases
PC VIRUS or Virus Warning in their text. When using
quotes to specify a phrase, ensure that the correct
number of blank characters are present between each
word in the phrase. Searching for PC VIRUS with one
blank character between PC and VIRUS will not match
strings that have multiple blank characters in the same
position. You may use either single or double quotes to
enclose a phrase. However, there is an important dif-
ference between them. Using double quotes will result
in a case-sensitive search for the text in a phrase
while single quotes (or no quotes at all) yields a non-
case-sensitive search. If a phrase itself contains a
quotation mark in it, then it must be doubled:
SEARCH 'The Forum''s decision'
optional-rules
The optional-rules part of the Search command is com-
prised of a database-list, date-rules and keyword-
rules. One or more of these elements may be included in
a Search command. They may appear, in any order, after
the search-rules have been specified and may be identi-
fied by the appearance of their reserved-words in the
Search command text. Each of these optional-rules are
described below under their own headings.
database-list
A database-list identifies the database whose documents
are to be included in the search. It must be present in
a Search command until a number of documents have been
selected as hits. Once you have a group of hits, the
database-list can be omitted and all subsequent Search
commands will act solely upon this selected group of
documents (including additional Search commands which
do not specify a new database. This can be used to fur-
ther reduce the number of selected documents). If you
wish to search for new documents not already among the
group of hits, a new database-list should again be
included in the Search command. It has the following
format:
IN db-name
Here, the database name that you specify must be pre-
ceded by the reserved-word IN. Therefore, if you wanted
to search for the phrase 'Infinite Loop' in a database
called BUGS, you would form your search command in the
following way:
SEARCH 'Infinite Loop' IN BUGS
Within a database, each document is assigned a unique,
sequential number. You will see the number assigned to
each document in response to an Index command (which
lists all the documents selected). This number may
change between different database sessions, however, it
will not change during a session. Therefore, they may
also be used to further narrow a search for documents
within a database by specifying a list of one or more
document numbers, an upper or lower limit for document
numbers or a range of numbers. This information is
appended to the given database name with the following
format:
db-name. < ( > number <,> number- <,> number-number
<,> -number < ) >
All document numbers are appended to the database name
by a '.' (full stop) character. If you are going to
specify more than one document number, they may either
be enclosed in parentheses or else they must be sepa-
rated by commas. For example, in a database called
PROJECTS, you could include in your search all the doc-
uments with numbers up to and including 10, document
number 15, all those between and including numbers 20
and 30 and all documents above and including number 45
with either of the following commands:
SEARCH * IN PROJECTS.(-10 15 20-30 45-)
SEARCH * IN PROJECTS.-10,15,20-30,45-
Including document numbers in a Search command is use-
ful only when reducing the quantity of hits from a pre-
vious database search.
date-rules
The date-rules option can be used to further restrict
the search of documents to those that fall within a
given time interval. The reserved-words in the Search
command that indicate the presence of date-rules are:
SINCE date < time >
FROM date < time > TO date < time >
UNTIL date < time >
Here, the optional time parameter may be supplied in
the form of hh:mm<:ss>; where hh represents the hour,
mm the minutes and the optional ss, for the seconds.
The date parameter can be supplied in any of the fol-
lowing formats:
TODAY
yy
yy/mm/dd
yy-mm-dd
mm/yy
mm-yy
dd mm
< dd- > month-name < -yy >
Where yy is a two-digit representation of the year, mm
is a two-digit month number and dd is a two-digit day
number. The special string TODAY inserts today's date
into the date-rule clause. The month-name parameter can
be used to provide the name of a month. This can be
abbreviated to any length and the first month (in chro-
nological order) that matches the month-name supplied
will be selected for use.
keyword-rules
The keyword-rules use a predefined set of keywords for
the database being searched. See the section DATABASE
Keywords for a description of keywords specific to
notebook databases that can be used in database search-
es. The format of keyword-rules is:
WHERE keyword-tag expression
Here, WHERE is the reserved-word that denotes the pres-
ence of a keyword-rule in a search command. (Note that
WITH is a synonym for WHERE and they can be used inter-
changeably). The keyword-tag identifies a valid keyword
for the database where the search is to be done. Note
that these can differ between different types of data-
bases. In the case of notebook databases, this
includes the Subject and SEnder keywords. The expres-
sion that follows the keyword-tag must be satisfied if
any document is to be counted as a hit. These expres-
sions may be written in the following format:
IS value
= value
IS NOT value
^= value
> value
>= value
< value
<= value
CONTAINS value
DOES NOT CONTAIN value
SOUNDS LIKE value
DOES NOT SOUND LIKE value
Where the value given is either a number or a string of
text. All text strings that contain more than one word
must be enclosed in quotes. If no comparison operator
is put before the value then IS is assumed. The above
expressions are all self-explanatory with the exception
of SOUNDS LIKE and DOES NOT SOUND LIKE. These are used
to make phonetic searches on keywords where the value
you supply in the expression does not have to match
exactly to the information in the keyword-tag. Some
examples:
SEARCH * IN PSYCH-L WITH SENDER 'gregson@une.nsw.au'
SEARCH * IN PROG-L WHERE SUBJECT CONTAINS 'Binary Tree'
SEARCH * IN EARN-UG WHERE SENDER SOUNDS LIKE 'Smith'
In the first example, a search will be initiated in the
PSYCH-L notebook database for all mail messages that
have a SEnder keyword value of gregson@une.nsw.au. The
second will search the PROG-L notebook database for all
e-mail whose Subject keyword includes the string Binary
Tree. The last example will select mail messages that
have been sent by anyone to the EARN-UG mailing list
whose userid could be smith, smythe or even Smithers.
It is also possible to construct complex expressions by
making use of logical (or boolean) operators. These
operators can also be used in the search-rules section
of a Search command. They are:
NOT or ^
AND or BUT or &
OR or | or /
Note that when you use these logical operators, it is
advisable that you enclose the expression in parenthe-
ses. For example:
... WHERE SUBJECT CONTAINS (Nuclear OR Particle)
Index This command is used to display information from all of
the documents which have been selected with a Search
command. This information will help you decide what to
do next (for example, issue a new Search command or
perhaps review the contents of one or more of the docu-
ments with a Print command). Information from each of
the selected documents will be displayed in a prede-
fined format (depending on the type of database you
have searched). For every document, you can expect to
be shown details such as its number, its size, the date
it was created or last modified and any other informa-
tion relevant to the type of database you are search-
ing. Each type of database has its own predefined dis-
play format when the Index command is issued. The
information shown and the way it is displayed can be
customized through the use of the Format command. The
format of the Index command is:
Index < fmt-name >
Where fmt-name is the optional name of a display format
you have previously defined with a Format command. If
you do not specify a fmt-name parameter, the default
display format (which has the format name of INDEX)
will be used.
Print This command can be used to review the contents of one
or more documents that have been selected through a
Search command. It is therefore designed to be used
when you have narrowed down the number of selected doc-
uments (perhaps through successive Search commands) to
those that are definitely of interest to you since this
command can generate a lot of output. The Print com-
mand has the following format:
Print < options >
Where options provides a list of one or more documents
whose contents you wish to have displayed. If you do
not identify any specific documents by omitting the
options parameter, you will be shown the complete con-
tents (or the first thirty lines) of all the documents
that you currently have selected. If you do wish to
provide options with the Print command, they have the
format:
< sections keyword-tags > < OF > < document-numbers >
<, ... >
Here, the sections and keyword-tags parameters are used
to identify which sections or keywords from the select-
ed documents you wish to have displayed. This can be a
list of one or more document sections or keywords valid
for the database you have been searching. A description
of document sections and keywords available for note-
book databases is given in the DATABASE Keywords sec-
tion. The document-numbers parameter may then be
included to identify those specific documents you wish
to have displayed. The numbers of all currently select-
ed documents may be seen with the Index command. If no
document numbers are given, the Print command acts on
all of the currently selected documents. Otherwise, you
may provide a list of one or more document numbers, an
upper or lower limit of document numbers or a range of
numbers. These parameters to the Print command may be
given multiple times by separating them with a ','
(comma) character. Consider the following example for
a notebook database:
PRINT SUBJECT OF -10,SENDER OF 13-15,19 21,BODY OF 30-
This Print command gives four separate instructions for
displaying information from the documents that have
already been selected with a Search command. The first
set of parameters asks that the information held in the
Subject keyword for all documents whose numbers are up
to and including 10 be displayed. The second set of
parameters, that the information from the SEnder key-
word for all documents in the range of 13 to 15 be dis-
played. The next set of parameters specifies that the
entire contents (that is, both the Header and Body doc-
ument sections) of documents 19 and 21 be displayed.
Finally, the last set of parameters asks that the Body
document sections of all documents with numbers greater
than and including 30 are shown. Therefore, if a Search
command has selected a group of documents whose numbers
are 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19, 20, 21, 29, 30 and 31,
then the above Print command will display information
regarding all of these documents except numbers 12, 20
and 29. Note that in interactive mode, the results of a
Print command are sent directly to your screen. If you
wish to retrieve the results of a Print command as a
file, then you must use the SENDback command.
SENDback This command is used to have command output returned to
you in a file. Its use is valid only if you have estab-
lished an interactive database session with a LISTSERV
server. If you are using the batch access method, you
will always receive the output of any database commands
as e-mail. The SENDback command has the format:
SENDback command
where command can be either a valid Print or Index com-
mand. You will receive the output requested as a file
called database-name OUTPUT. For example:
SENDBACK INDEX
SENDBACK PRINT SENDER BODY OF 23-26
Format This command may be used to change the way information
about the documents you have selected is displayed to
you with the Index command. The Index command will use
a default display format unless a new format is defined
and specified as an Index parameter. The Format command
can alter the selection, placement, length and headings
of the fields that will be presented. Once a display
format is defined with the Format command, it can be
used repeatedly for the duration of the database ses-
sion. The Format command syntax is:
Format fmt-name: field1 < field2 > < ..... >
Where fmt-name is the name you have chosen for the for-
mat you are about to define. You will use this name as
a parameter of the Index when you wish to use it. The
format name must be followed by a ':' (colon) charac-
ter. The field parameters then go on to define the
presentation of the information available from a data-
base. Each field consists of a database keyword and a
description of how the information from that keyword is
to be displayed. See the section DATABASE Keywords for
a description of keywords common to all LISTSERV data-
bases and those specific to notebook databases that can
be used in the Format command. Each field parameter has
the following format:
keyword < (from <,to> ) >< .width <just> >
< "heading" <just> >
Here the keyword parameter identifies a database key-
word whose information you wish to put in a display
field. Immediately following this, you may optionally
include the from and to parameters (in parentheses).
They control the number and position of the characters
passed from the database keyword to the display field
you are now defining. For example, you want to define a
display field for the database name. This information
comes from the DATABASE keyword, however, you only want
to use characters 4 to 7 from this keyword. This field
definition would then start with DATABASE(4,7). If the
name of database is SU-ATOMS, only the ATOM string
will then be passed from the keyword to the display
field. The default values for from and to are 1 and
255, respectively. Usually, you will not need to use
these parameters. Following this is the section defin-
ing the width and optional new heading for the display
field. It must be be preceded by a '.' (full-stop)
character. The width is the number of characters you
wish to use for displaying the keyword information for
this field. The heading parameter defines a new title
for the display field (the default is the name of the
keyword being referenced). If a new title is given
here, it must be enclosed in double quotes. To continue
the above example, you want to display the database
name in a field of 4 characters under a heading of
"Name". The field definition would now look like:
DATABASE(4,7).4 "Name". When the format is used with an
Index command, the result would appear as:
Name
----
ATOM
If the information passed from the database keyword to
the display field is longer than the width, it will be
truncated and a '+' (plus) character appended to the
name when it is displayed. This is true for any display
field. In the above example, if the field definition
was DATABASE.4 "Name" then the result would be:
Name
----
SU-A+
Note that because the from and to parameters were not
used in the above example, the full database name was
passed from the keyword to the display field. You may
also justify information in the display by using the
just parameter. The just parameter has the format:
L Left Justified
R Right Justified
C Centered
R0 Right Justified with leading zeros
For example, you want to define your own display format
and include in it the database name and the document
number. The database name should be in a field of 8
characters and have the title "DB Names" while the doc-
ument number, a field of 6 characters and have the
title "Doc#". Both of the titles should be centered
while the actual database name should be displayed left
justified and the document number, right justified and
packed with leading zeros. The format definition would
look like:
FORMAT MYFMT: DATABASE.8L "DB Names"C #.6R0 "Doc#"C
The DATABASE and # keywords provide the database name
and document number information. The result of an Index
MYFMT command would be:
DB Names Doc#
-------- ----
SU-ATOMS 000103
CHEM-L 000089
Note that the R0 justification parameter can be used
only for fields that hold numeric information and never
for heading definitions.
List This command can be used to display information on the
documents you have selected (through a Search command)
in a temporary format you define in the List command
parameters. It is similar in function to an Index com-
mand that is called with the name of a display format
you have previously defined in a Format command. How-
ever, it differs in the sense that the display format
you choose with the List command is temporary and must
be redefined every time it is used (the Format command
saves the definition under a given name which may be
used repeatedly). The List command is most useful for
displaying information about selected documents that
would not normally be shown with an Index command and
without having to first define a whole new display with
the Format command. The format of the List command is:
List format
Where format can be a series of parameters describing
the display fields to be used (identical to those used
in the Format command), or the name of a previously
defined display format (either one you have given in a
Format command or the default display name of INDEX).
Alternatively, it can be a combination of the above.
This makes the List command very flexible. For example,
you have a number of documents selected and now wish to
be shown a list of their senders. If the document sen-
der is not given in the default display of the Index
command, the following List command will supply this
information:
LIST SENDER.10 "Written by"
The senders of all selected documents will be displayed
in a field of 10 characters under the title of "Written
by". However, only the document senders will be dis-
played for each selected document, and no other infor-
mation. You may, at this point, decide to continue
defining each consecutive field for the display (as in
the Format command) or display the sender information
in conjunction with another, already defined, format:
LIST SENDER.10 "Written by" fmt-name
Where fmt-name is the name you have assigned to a dis-
play format previously defined with a Format command or
is the default name INDEX (which gives the standard
information for the type of database you are search-
ing). Using these parameters, the List command will
display each document sender followed by the informa-
tion normally displayed with the fmt-name format.
QUIT This command is used to leave an interactive database
session. It has no meaning in a batch database session.
LISTSERV INFORMATION Functions
The LISTSERV server can provide a diverse range of information to
the general user. This includes help files, release levels of the
server and important configuration files, statistics and informa-
tion pertaining to the EARN/BITNET network. When sending these
commands to LISTSERV, they must be addressed to the server and
not to any mailing lists it may manage.
Commands for INFORMATION
The following LISTSERV commands enable general users to request
information from servers. For those commands that result in files
being sent to the requestor (for example the Info command), the
format and class of the file can be specified by the optional
command keywords F= and CLASS= in the command text (see the
LISTSERV Command Keywords section for more information).
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
| Help Receive a brief summary of commands |
| |
| Info Retrieve a help or informational file from |
| LISTSERV |
| |
| RELEASE Displays information about a LISTSERV server |
| |
| SHOW Displays diverse information |
| |
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
Help Use this command to get a brief description of the most
commonly used LISTSERV commands and also the name and
e-mail address of the server's postmaster. The format
of the command is:
Help
Info Use this command to get an informational (or help) file
from a LISTSERV server. The format of the command is:
Info < topic > < F= format > < CLASS= class >
Where the topic option should specify the topic for
which an informational file will be sent to you. You
may get a list of valid topics by sending the Info com-
mand with no parameters to your nearest (or any)
LISTSERV.
RELEASE The RELEASE command may be used to display information
about a LISTSERV server. This includes its version,
release and fix levels; the date and time stamps for
important configuration files; and the name and e-mail
address of the server's postmaster. It has the format:
RELEASE
SHOW Use the SHOW command to display a variety of informa-
tion about a LISTSERV server and the EARN/BITNET net-
work. The command format is:
SHOW show-option
Where show-option must be one of the following:
NADs node-list - Display the e-mail addresses of the
registered node administrators for one or more computer
nodes given in the node-list parameter. This informa-
tion is taken from the BITEARN NODES file.
ALIAS node-list - Show the different names by which one
or more nodes (given in the node-list parameter) are
known. This is useful for obtaining the domain style
address of a node (or vice versa).
VERSion - This option is a synonym for the RELEASE com-
mand.
FIXes - Display information about the LISTSERV program
fixes installed on a server.
BITEARN - Display technical information about the
BITEARN NODES (network definition) file.
NETwork - Display general information about the BITEARN
NODES (network definition) file.
NODEntry node-list - Displays the information held in
the BITEARN NODES file about the one or more
EARN/BITNET computer nodes given in the node-list
parameter.
LINKs node-list - Display information about all the
EARN/BITNET network links defined for one or more com-
puter nodes given in the node-list parameter. This
information is taken from the BITEARN NODES file.
PATHs s-node node-list - Show the network path taken
between one computer node (given in the s-node parame-
ter) and one or more different nodes (given in the
node-list parameter). You will be given a diagram show-
ing each of the computer nodes on the path and a speed
(or link resistance) value associated with each of
these links.
DPATHs node-list | * - Show the path chosen by one
LISTSERV server when delivering mail via the DISTRIBUTE
algorithm to one or more nodes given in the node-list
parameter. You will be shown a list of (backbone)
LISTSERV servers that will be used for this distribu-
tion. If you use the '*' (asterisk) character in place
of a node-list parameter, the distribution paths to all
other known LISTSERV servers will be given. This output
is extremely long, so if you issue this command via
interactive messages, you should also use the MAIL pre-
fix if you are sending commands interactively (see the
Trouble-Shooting section for more information).
Trouble-Shooting
DISTribute - Show statistics of outgoing and incoming
DISTRIBUTE jobs processed by a LISTSERV server.
Trouble-Shooting
Batch Jobs
When a LISTSERV server receives command mail (that is,
LISTSERV commands sent to a server via e-mail) it will
execute the commands and mail the results back to the
sender. See the section Sending Commands to LISTSERV
for more details on command mail. LISTSERV will toler-
ate only a certain number of unknown commands or syntax
errors from a command mail. If this threshold is
reached, processing of the command mail is stopped and
any remaining commands will not be executed. There may
be cases when users sending commands to LISTSERV via
e-mail will not have any commands executed due to an
excess of errors found in the mail before any commands
are reached. This can happen when mailing systems
automatically insert text at the top of mail messages
as they are posted and provide no means for disabling
this process. This text is read by the LISTSERV server
and each line is counted as an error until the thresh-
old is reached and processing for the command mail is
stopped. To deal with this and similar situations,
LISTSERV has its own Command Job Language whereby com-
mands to be executed can be presented in a special for-
mat. Commands sent to LISTSERV in this manner are
known as batch jobs. For example, if you wanted to send
the SHOW VERSION and LIST commands for execution on the
LISTSERV at SEARN, you could construct the following
batch job:
// JOB
SHOW VERSION
LIST
// EOJ
and then send it to that server. The first line in the
above example indicates the start of a batch job.
LISTSERV will recognise this and totally ignore any
lines in the body of the mail message that precede it.
Following this, any number of LISTSERV commands may be
entered (one per line) and these will be processed nor-
mally. A batch job is ended by the appearance of the
last line (as shown in the example above). For more
information about the LISTSERV Command Job Language,
send the command GET LISTJOB MEMO to your nearest (or
any) LISTSERV server.
The MAIL Prefix
There may be times when you send a command to a
LISTSERV server and wish to have the command output
returned to you via e-mail. This will always be the
case for users not on the EARN/BITNET network since
they can only communicate with LISTSERV servers with
command mail (see the section Sending Commands to
LISTSERV for more information). EARN/BITNET users,
however, may send commands to a server via interactive
messages. In this case, LISTSERV will return most com-
mand output also via interactive messages that will be
displayed on screen. For commands that generate a
large amount of output, the MAIL prefix can be used to
direct LISTSERV to send this output to you as e-mail
instead of to your screen. To do this, the command MAIL
is prefixed to the beginning of any LISTSERV command.
For example, the SHOW DPATHS * command returns a large
amount of information. This can be sent via e-mail with
the following command:
MAIL SHOW DPATHS *
Other Sources of Information
A standard set of help files are available upon request from each
LISTSERV server. To get a copy of these files, use the INFO com-
mand (see the section Commands for INFORMATION).
There are several mailing lists for discussion of technical
LISTSERV issues. They are not intended for casual users, but they
should be of interest to advanced users. They are:
LSTSRV-L Technical forum on LISTSERV
LSTOWN-L LISTSERV list owners' forum
LDBASE-L Forum on LISTSERV database search capabilities