I have eventually decided to read the RFC822 STANDARD document (augh... ouchh... arrghh...) and to provide full RFC822 support in LISTSERV (and soon in NETSERV). After trying to understand the specs at the bottom of the document for the n+1-th time, I realized that it was actually much simpler than it looked like and could be implemented easily. I have therefore decided to write a set of RFC822-parsing execs which will come as part of the LISTSERV system but will be made public domain, operating system independent and context-independent. I will encourage server maintainers to use them to parse input RFC stuff and create output RFC mail so that if there is a bug or a problem, only ONE exec has to be fixed. They will be used by LISTSERV starting with the next release and by NETSERV when RFC822 is implemented into it. Right now I have decided to write the following three execs: - An exec which, given a canonical USERID,DOMAIN,NAME string, produces a RFC822 encoded stream for this mailbox. Example: Eric FRECP11 Eric Thomas --> Eric Thomas <Eric@FRECP11> @CIR059 FRORS31 --> "@CIR059"@FRORS31 Note that a fix has been incorporated for the Crosswell MAILER's "feature" of 'anything1 AT anything2 <userid@node>' --> 'anything1@anything2 <userid@ node>' --> syntax error. - An exec which, given a RFC822 "field", performs the folding operation on a given number of columns. Did I misunderstand something, or does RFC822 allow you to fold on ANY blank in the field? Of course the program will attempt folding after ">, " strings and suchlike for better output, but if it is not possible it will fold anywhere. Note that the Crosswell MAILER does not allow folding withing quoted strings, which is a violation of RFC822 and is EXTREMELY difficult to address as you are usually FORCED to fold within the quoted string. - An exec which inputs a mail header from the program stack, unfolds it, and perform some optional post-processing such as: - Determining the "actual date" (DATE/RESENT-DATE), and possibly generating a default one - Determining the "actual origin" (RESENT-SENDER/RESENT-FROM...), in USERID DOMAIN NAME format - Extracting the list of "TO" or "CC" recipients, in USERID DOMAIN NAME format The complete original (unfolded) header, as well as other return information and (possibly) info/warning/error messages will be returned to the caller. That should do most of the job, the rest is trivial keyword/comma abbutal and suchlike. The first exec is already written and operational on my server, I'll try to write the two other ones tomorrow if I can. I have a lot of fighting to do with my school right now: I have not been allowed to study in the computing department next year because "I don't have the level". I am only 277th over 360 students in computer sciences, which may seem difficult to understand as I have the best marks in the school in that area, but CS amounts to only 10% of the coefficients for the CS department (don't ask), english is 5% (the dept head barely speaks english, that explains it), and the most important fields are quantum physics (don't ask), linear (RLC) filters design (don't ask), low-frequency electronics, etc. Really, don't try to understand why these are the most important areas for a CS student -- there is really no logic there. I have therefore been assigned to the commercial computing sciences sub-department, which means I'll have to work on IBM PCs and program in COBOL, dBASE III, FRAMEWORK, MULTIPLAN, LOTUS and other wonderful contraptions, and that my final training course will be to implement and integrate a computing facility (read: a PC with hard-disk and matrix printer) in some old-fashioned company where people don't know what a computer is. The best being that this thing does not take place in Paris but in Rennes, 450kms away. That's like Metz but on the other side of France: Rennes <---450 kms---> Paris <---400 kms---> Metz Anyway it would be a very long story to explain everything, but as you might guess I am not wholly satisfied with this and intend to try to do something (with very little hope, though). But let's be honest, there HAS been an improvement in the school's attitude since last year: they EARNESTLY tried to take personal choice into account. They did assign me to something related to computers after all -- it could have been high-energy inductors, power transformers or something similarly captivating. Because this is supposed to meet my personal choices it will be more difficult to request a change, though... *sigh* Eric