
QUESTION:  How does /REPLY work, and how do I find out the right
           data to use for INET.CFG?

ANSWER:

The Internet Connection!  Tips - from James Goldbloom

TIPS FOR USING INET'S "REPLY" FEATURE:
--------------------------------------

The REPLY feature of INET will load INET when a user replies to any
message sent to them, and when the reply is an INTERNET message, INET
will import the address into the TO: prompt, fully editable, load up
the editor as usual to reply, then prompt the user to add the address
into their address book, and immediately export the message.  Then
control will be returned to the BBS.  If the reply is NOT an internet
message (see below on how this is determined) then the user will see
no different behavior than when normally replying to any message!

Use this command line in each EXTERNAL EDITOR portion of your BBS config
for each node:

C:\inet\inet.exe /REPLY /NODEx

(x=current node number and be sure to have SWAP enabled.  This is
accomplished by specifying *M on the command line for RA/Proboard, or
specify Swap=Yes in QCONFIG)

In the configuration file INET.CFG, you will see the REPLYADDR keyword.
This is an exact match to the kludge line of each netmail message.  Kludge
lines are hidden from the user (on some setups, not all) which tell
the BBS or mail reader where the message originated from, and other
information which also includes the originating INTERNET address
from the user who wrote the message.  The REPLYADDR kludge is the
text INET looks for when the reply parameter is initiated.

If this prefix does not work for you, and "Originally_From:" does not
also, you need to manually examine the MSGTMP file, or an old internet
message and see the kludge lines, or ask your GATEWAY sysop what the
kludge line is for the RAW internet origin address.  Otherwise, the
following two methods will also help you determine the proper prefix
to use for INET...

FIND THE PREFIX USING THE "EXPORT OLD NETMAIL" METHOD (Must be INTERNET):

Step 1:  Export a message from the BBS message base to a file, and look at
it.
     2:  Look for kludge lines nestled between message headers and body text.
     3:  Find the kludge line which has to the right of it the original,
         unformatted Internet style address.  This is the RAW address.
     4:  Whatever prefix you find, put that prefix exactly as show into
         INET.CFG

     Note: If no kludge lines are found, this means your export function
           strips them, so refer to method two, below!

FIND THE PREFIX USING THE "EDITOR SHELL" METHOD:

Step 1:  Write a reply to any internet message sent to you or another user.
     2:  Execute a DOS SHELL right after GEDIT or similar full screen editor
         loads up.  Usually you can press ALT-J to shell while in the editor.
     3:  Look for MSGTMP (or whatever line your editor reads as defined in
         the proper line of INET.CFG) and examine it.
     4:  Look for the kludge line, using the same steps 2-4 above in the
         other method, as stated earlier.

So, you can see that what INET really does is read MSGTMP, search the text
for the kludge lines and find a match to the prefix you configured in line
INET.CFG.  Once it finds a match, it checks to make sure the message
is INTERNET, and intercepts accordingly.  Otherwise, INET allows a reply
normally.  Thus getting this line right is important for /REPLY to
work at all, and remember that installing the /REPLY function in qconfig
for each node allows users to store addresses, and also easily make
UUCP properly formatted replies with fast export to your netmail directory,
all fully automated and behind the scenes!  /REPLY is just as important
as /POST, is the point I'm trying to make.

Hope these tips helped a great deal!  Enjoy INET, and register today!  Mark
and I worked our butts off to make INET fully featured.  Use the /REPLY
option, and let INET control your Internet replies - automatically!

Thanks kindly,

-James Goldbloom (Primary Support Site, INET)

ps: Don't forget to register!
