Microsoft KB Archive/117927

= PC DB: General Information About Mail Templates =

Article ID: 117927

Article Last Modified on 10/30/2006

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Mail for PC Networks 3.0
 * Microsoft Mail for PC Networks 3.0a
 * Microsoft Mail for PC Networks 3.2

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This article was previously published under Q117927



SUMMARY
You can use templates to add custom directory information to versions 3.0, 3.0a, and 3.2 of Microsoft Mail for PC Networks postoffice. In addition to the default fields provided by Mail (alias, name, address type, mailbox, postoffice and network), you can display custom information for each user (such as telephone number, office number, and employee identification number) in the postoffice address list.

The postoffice administrator creates a template file which defines the way the custom information will look. The information about each user is kept in an encrypted file on the postoffice. Mail provides a program to convert between the encrypted format and ASCII (text only) format.

Important Files
ADMIN.INF       Encrypted user information ADMIN.TPL       Format for the information EXAMPLE.TPL     Sample template file; edit and rename to ADMIN.TPL COURIER.TPL     DO NOT EDIT, contains system defaults (alias, name,                 etc.) TEMPLATE.EXE    Converts between encrypted user information and ASCII (text only) format. (ADMIN.INF <===> ADMIN.TXT To use a template, the postoffice administrator will:
 * 1) Create the ADMIN.TPL file. The format for the ADMIN.TPL file is documented in the version 3.0 Microsoft Mail "Administrator's Guide" chapter 9, "Templates and Custom User Directories." Just rename EXAMPLE.TPL to ADMIN.TPL if you want to edit a working sample.
 * 2) Save the ADMIN.TPL file as ASCII (text only) in the postoffice TPL sub directory with read-only privileges.

NOTE: If there is an ADMIN.TPL file in the TPL subdirectory, the Mail Administrator program (ADMIN.EXE) will create the ADMIN.INF file in the postoffice INF subdirectory the next time you start it on that postoffice.
 * 1) Put the user information into the ADMIN.INF.

On a small postoffic (fewer than 50 users): Use the Mail Administrator program to enter the template information when you create users. If the users already have an account on the postoffice, use Local-Admin, Modify.

On a large postoffice (more than 50 users): Create an ASCII (text only) file that contains the information you want, and convert it to ADMIN.INF using the TEMPLATE.EXE program.

The ADMIN.TPL and ADMIN.INF files must be treated as a unit. If changes are made to the ADMIN.TPL file, the ADMIN.INF is invalid and must be updated as follows:

On a small postoffice: Make changes to the ADMIN.TPL file, delete the ADMIN.INF file, and re-enter the information using the Mail Administrator program.

On a large postoffice: Make changes to the ADMIN.TPL file and convert the ADMIN.INF file to ADMIN.TXT using TEMPLATE.EXE. Edit the ADMIN.TXT file to add the new/revised information. Convert ADMIN.TXT back to ADMIN.INF using TEMPLATE.EXE.

