Warning.

listTools has not been tested with OS 8.1 or later. It will almost certainly break with Frontier 5.x also, and there are no plans to update the software. listTools is now nearly 4 years old, and developments in the supporting software have nearly rendered it obsolete. If you can get it to work, great, but dada typo will no longer be offering support. Cheers.

listTools 1.6 is faster, more complete, more expansive, and sports an entirely new interface. listTools covers all basic ListSTAR scripting functions, and expands both capability and speed significantly. The current version requires at least ListSTAR 1.1 and Frontier 4.2.x. listTools 1.6 is NOT Frontier 5.x compatible, and it is highly unlikely that it will ever be updated. The focus and marketing (and pricing!) of Frontier 5 has shifted significantly enough that it is no longer in my best interest to upgrade listTools.

There are two reasons to use Frontier for your ListSTAR scripting: speed and modularity. The speed is built into Frontier, the modular aspect belongs to listTools. No more editing or duplicating AppleScripts. listTools has been designed in such a way that one script, one framework works for every service. Configuration is performed in familiar preference dialogs, and because listTools is in constant communication with ListSTAR, the latest statistics on your lists is available to any machine on your local network. Administrative functions can even be accessed on the World Wide Web!

Currently offers.

• Extremely fast digest generation
• Automatic HTML translation and archiving
• Email-on-demand services
• Mass sub/unsub by mail or text import
• List Users function
• Get Service Info function
• Get Active Services/"lists" function
• Web-based form for subscriptions
• Web-based administration features
• Backups of ListSTAR Prefs
• Pre-built templates for most services
• Cross-network support

Requirements.

Click here for interface screen shots.

How it works.

When you run the Setup listTools script, it does the following things:

• Creates the table "services" which contains sub-tables corresponding to each of your ListSTAR services. Within those sub-tables, both critical and handy information is kept -- messages sent/received/errors, digest size, active status, associated address lists, etc.
• Stores properly named aliases in an "LTScripts" folder for calling from ListSTAR.
• Creates the table "lists" mapping ListSTAR address list names to their corresponding Finder location.
• Imports the Admin LT and Admin LT Timer services. These services contain a few rules of use to administrators, and also ensure a valid address through which listTools can send messages. Be sure to give it a POP account on your server!

In these tables, listTools keeps all the information it needs to customize scripts to work with the given service. The setup script creates everything for you, and you can later customize any information for your own purposes. You can then step through the list of services and setup digest, HTML archives, or EMOD services for each one.

Sample services, for discussion lists, announcement lists, and email-on-demand services, may be imported as a template for your own mailing lists. They contain rules for virtually every listTools function -- simply enable the rules you wish to use in your service and listTools will do the rest!

listTools' web interface is clean and easy to use, even if WebSTAR and ListSTAR are running on different machines. Choosing "Configure Web Interface" will automatically build you an HTML file containing a subscription form for all of your services, placing it in your WebSTAR folder. Edit the text to contain descriptions of your services, and presto! Your users can now manage their subscription on the web. A built-in script for administrators allows you to manage any of your services from the web...from HTML headers and footers to address lists to a complete, remote "Services" window!

Fee.

Bug reports and praise. support(at)dadatypo.com

Dada Typo is a full-featured design and consulting firm, offering print and website design, Macintosh and Internet consulting, and custom scripting solutions for a wide range of products.
Contact us for more information.