> 1. Why is Listserv trying to create columns upon connecting to the  
> DSN? Shouldn't it be looking for only the columns I specify in the  
> header? I realize I am missing the OPTIONS() pref;

The OPTIONS column is mandatory, so LISTSERV tries to create it for you if
missing. Other than this, LISTSERV does not use DDM commands. We added this
feature during the DBMS beta (many years ago already) when we realized that
not every site using the DBMS functions had an on-staff DBA. Creating the
OPTIONS column was a technical obstacle and meant you had to call in a
consultant, so we had LISTSERV do it automatically. You can always create it
yourself manually ahead of time, in that case LISTSERV does nothing. A
suitable definition could be:

ALTER TABLE ... ADD ... VARCHAR(128) DEFAULT NULL

> 2. Views don't work?

They probably do as long as LISTSERV does not need to create the
tables/columns.

> I was thinking of listserv using the  
> DBMS sources as read-only as opposed to making changes to the table.

That won't work, it would be like trying to run a list off of a CD-ROM :-) A
few commands would work, but most would fail with an error. A list is
something that LISTSERV wants to manage itself, otherwise it is not a
LISTSERV list. A collection of names and e-mail addresses may look like a
LISTSERV list from a distance, but you cannot switch to digest mode or apply
auto-delete policies or join/leave the list or change your e-mail address or
do any of the other things that every LISTSERV list supports. You can use a
collection of names and e-mail addresses as a R/O data source for a
DISTRIBUTE job, for instance, but it cannot become a LISTSERV list without
an OPTIONS column and R/W access. In a nutshell, create a list if you want
LISTSERV to manage it, otherwise just use your data source in DISTRIBUTE
jobs.

> 3. I've had problems doing puts with very long DBMS= lines; is there  
> a way to specify this one multiple lines

Sure, whenever you see a keyword like this:

KWD= something,something-else,more,stuff

You can rewrite it as:

KWD= something
KWD= something-else
KWD= more,stuff

  Eric