PMDF System Manager's Guide
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37.2.14 Cover Page Templates

A cover page template is a PostScript file which the PS_TO_G3 channel uses to layout a FAX cover page. For each recipient of a FAX message, a separate cover page is generated. If the PS_TO_G3 channel option COVER_PROC is set to 1, the cover page template is passed to the PostScript interpreter and then the following actions are taken for each and every cover page:

  1. the PostScript command sequence "save SHOW_COVER" is issued;
  2. e-mail message header lines are displayed on the cover page;
  3. each attribute-value pair list (AVPL) item is displayed on the cover page; and finally,
  4. the PostScript command sequence "showpage restore" is issued.
If the COVER_PROC option is set to 0, the following actions are taken for each and every cover page:
  1. the PostScript "save" command sequence is issued;
  2. the cover page template is run through the PostScript interpreter;
  3. e-mail message header lines are displayed on the cover page;
  4. each attribute-value pair list (AVPL) item is displayed on the cover page; and finally,
  5. the PostScript command sequence "showpage restore" is issued.
It is very important that a cover page template not use any of the following PostScript operators: copypage, erasepage, or showpage. For a complete reference on the PostScript language, consult the PostScript Language Reference Manual written by Adobe Systems Incorporated and published by Addison-Wesley Publishing Company.

Site managers are expected to debug cover page templates before installing them for general use. Any PostScript errors or warning messages which result from processing a cover page template are bundled into a mail message and sent back to the originator of the FAX mail. Cover page designers may find the DEC-supplied PostScript previewer, VIEW/FORMAT=PS, or the interactive Ghostscript previewer, GS, useful tools for cover page design and debugging. Ghostscript, an implementation of PostScript, is available from the Free Software Foundation via anonymous FTP to the host prep.ai.mit.edu. GS is the preferable of these two PostScript previewers: GS is interactive, provides more informative error messages, and uses the same PostScript interpreter which PMDF-FAX does (Ghostscript).

The most basic cover page template merely provides some background text or graphics (or both) and leaves the PS_TO_G3 channel to handle the display of "addressing" information (e.g., To:, From:, Date:, etc., information). An example of a more complicated cover page template is the file ps_to_g3_cover.ps located in the PMDF table directory.

By defining special PostScript procedures in a cover page template, you may override the default display of addressing information. The procedures should have names of the form SHOW_x where "x" is the name of an AVPL attribute (e.g., FN, AT, O, etc.) or a message header (e.g., FROM, TO, DATE, etc.). Before invoking a SHOW_x procedure, the PS_TO_G3 channel will push the text string to be displayed onto the PostScript stack. The SHOW_x procedure should then display the string. A sample SHOW_AT procedure is given in Example 37-2.

Example 37-2 SHOW_AT Cover Page Procedure 

/SHOW_AT { 
  /Times-Roman findfont 14 scalefont setfont % select a font 
  0.5 72 mul 9.0 72 mul moveto     % display the string 9 inches up 
                                   %  the page and 1/2 inch from the 
                                   %  left edge of the page 
  (Deliver this message to: ) show % display the text "Deliver..." 
  show                             % now display the /AT= string 
                                   %  from the message's AVPL 
} bind def

Listed below are the names of all of the SHOW_x procedures that you may supply. The PS_TO_G3 channel will use its default method to display any item for which no SHOW_x procedure is supplied.

SHOW_AFTER

Display the delayed delivery time; i.e., display the value of the AFTER attribute-value pair. Each address may specify only one AFTER attribute-value pair, and therefore this procedure is invoked only once per cover page. The default cover page supplied with PMDF-FAX suppresses the display of this item.

SHOW_AT

Display the recipient's name; i.e., display the value of the AT attribute-value pair. Each address may specify only one AT attribute-value pair, and therefore this procedure is invoked only once per cover page.

SHOW_AUTH

Display the authorization or access code; i.e., display the value of the AUTH attribute-value pair. Each address may specify only one AUTH attribute-value pair, and therefore this procedure is invoked only once per cover page. The default cover page supplied with PMDF-FAX suppresses the display of this item.

SHOW_COVER

This PostScript procedure should set up a cover page by displaying any graphics, logos, banners, or other items which are to appear on the cover page. If any other initializations are required, then they should also be performed by the SHOW_COVER procedure. For each cover page to be produced, the PostScript command sequence "save SHOW_COVER" will be issued to start a new cover page. If the option COVER_PROC=1 is not specified in the PS_TO_G3 channel's option file, then the SHOW_COVER procedure will not be used and the entire cover page template file will be processed for each cover page to be generated.

SHOW_CVR

Display any user-selected cover page name; i.e., display the values of any COVER attribute-value pairs.

SHOW_DATE

Display the Date: message header line. This procedure will be invoked only once per cover page.

SHOW_FN

Display any destination FAX telephone numbers; i.e., display the values of any FN attribute-value pairs.

SHOW_FROM

Display the From: message header line. This procedure will be invoked only once per cover page.

SHOW_FSI

Display the FAX station identification; i.e., display the value of the FSI attribute-value pair. Each address may specify only one FSI attribute-value pair, and therefore this procedure is invoked only once per cover page. The default cover page supplied with PMDF-FAX suppresses the display of this item.

SHOW_HEADERS

Display the first HEADER_MAX_LINES message header lines. By default, HEADER_MAX_LINES has the value 24 and may be controlled with the PS_TO_G3 channel option file. The SHOW_HEADERS procedure is invoked once per header line and will therefore be invoked multiple times per cover page. To suppress the display of message header lines on the cover page, use the following PostScript procedure in a cover page template file: 


/SHOW_HEADERS /pop load def
When invoked, this procedure will merely discard the header line which was to be displayed.

SHOW_O

Display any organizational names; i.e., display the values of any O attribute-value pairs.

SHOW_OU

Display any organizational unit names; i.e., display the values of any OU attribute-value pairs.

SHOW_PAGES

Display the total number of FAX pages being transmitted. (The total is supplied as a string to the SHOW_PAGES procedure.) This procedure is invoked only once per cover page.

SHOW_SETUP

Display the name of any setup files; i.e., display the values of any SETUP attribute-value pairs. The default cover page supplied with PMDF-FAX suppresses the display of this item.

SHOW_SFN

Display the sender's FAX telephone number; i.e., display the value of the SFN attribute-value pair. Each address may specify only one SFN attribute-value pair, and therefore this procedure is invoked only once per cover page.

SHOW_STN

Display the sender's telephone number;i.e., display the value of the STN attribute-value pair. Each address may specify only one STN attribute-value pair, and therefore this procedure is invoked only once per cover page.

SHOW_SUBJECT

Display the Subject: message header line. This procedure will be invoked only once per cover page.

SHOW_TN

Display the recipient's telephone number; i.e., display the value of the TN attribute-value pair. Each address may specify only one TN attribute-value pair, and therefore this procedure is invoked only once per cover page.

SHOW_TTI

Display the transmitting terminal identification; i.e., display the value of the TTI attribute-value pair. Each address may specify only one TTI attribute-value pair, and therefore this procedure is invoked only once per cover page. The default cover page supplied with PMDF-FAX suppresses the display of this item.

To suppress the display of a particular cover page item, merely provide (with a cover page template) the following definition for the SHOW_x procedure associated with that item: 


/SHOW_x /pop load def
This technique is used in the file ps_to_g3_cover.ps to suppress the display of the AFTER, AUTH, FSI, SETUP, and TTI attribute values.

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