PMDF System Manager's Guide


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21.1.2 Usage

When the special address PH-FORM is used (IN%PH-FORM from VMS MAIL or DECwindows MAIL), a pop-up form will be presented to the user. With the form, users can query a CCSO directory for a user's e-mail address.

Conventional addresses can be given along with a request to invoke the form; e.g., mail sent to the addresses


in%"bob@example.com",in%ph-form,in%"mrocheck@sample.com" 
will be sent to bob@example.com, to mrochek@sample.com, and to whatever addresses are selected with the form. The form can be used with To:, cc:, or Bcc: addresses.

To simplify usage of the form for VMS MAIL and DECwindows MAIL users, the system manager can issue the VMS MAIL command


MAIL> SET FORWARD/USER=PH-FORM IN%PH-FORM
This establishes PH-FORM as an address to invoke the form; i.e., users can then simply specify PH-FORM rather than IN%PH-FORM to invoke the pop-up addressing form. See Section 21.1.1.1 for details on configuring PMDF MAIL to recognize a name other than PH-FORM for invoking the form.

21.1.2.1 Basic Operation

The pop-up CCSO addressing form is largely self documenting. Online help can be obtained using the HELP key or by entering CTRL/G. The cursor keys are used to move from field to field or within fields; the currently active field is highlighted and a description of the field shown towards the bottom of the screen.

Use the FIND key to search for a directory entry matching the information supplied to the form. If any matches are found, a selection menu will be presented from which to choose the desired match. While in a selection menu, the question mark key, ?, can be used to request detailed information on the currently highlighted menu entry.

When a selection has been made from the CCSO database, the form constructs an e-mail address for the selected entry. When the form's SITEINFO option is set to 1, the default, an attempt will be made to construct the address from the qi server's mail field and mail domain information as reported by a siteinfo command. If the form's SITEINFO option is set to 0, or if there is not sufficient siteinfo information, the address will be constructed from the entry's e-mail address field.

When SITEINFO=1 and the qi server reports a mail field name name in response to a siteinfo command, then, for a selected entry, the e-mail address will be either

  1. If both a mail field and mail domain name is returned: the value of the entry's mail field with "@" and the mail domain name appended, or
  2. If only a mail field name is returned: the value of the entry's mail field.
For instance, suppose that a qi server's response to a siteinfo command is:


-200:0:version:VMS qi V2.12 
-200:1:administrator:directory_manager@example.com 
-200:2:mailfield:alias 
-200:3:maildomain:example.com 
200:Ok. 
In this case the mail field name is alias and the mail domain name is example.com. For an entry with an alias value of Bob.Smith, the generated e-mail address would then be Bob.Smith@example.com.

When SITEINFO=1 and the siteinfo command returns a mail field response but not a mail domain response, then the value of the mail field associated with an entry will be used as the e-mail address.

Finally, if SITEINFO=0 or the siteinfo command fails to return a mail field response, then the value of the e-mail field, as specified with the EMAIL_FIELD_NAME option, will be used as the e-mail address for an entry. If the CCSO database does not have an e-mail field as reported by the fields command, then the pop-up form will exit with a %CCSO-F-NOEMAIL message.

21.1.2.2 Changing Your Mail Address or Password

From the pop-up form, you can change your directory entry's e-mail address or password. First, locate yourself in the directory. Then press the INSERT HERE key or type CTRL/O. You will be prompted for your directory password. Be sure to supply your directory password and not your OpenVMS account password. (Contact your directory manager if you do not know your directory password.) If the password matches that of your entry, then you can proceed to change your e-mail address, directory password, or both. You will be prompted for a new e-mail address and a new password. Simply press ENTER to either of the prompts to avoid changing the associated item. Once the requested information has been supplied, your entry will be changed.

The e-mail address changed is the one associated with the e-mail field. The name of the e-mail field is specified with the EMAIL_FIELD_NAME option described in Section 21.1.1.2.4.


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