ANSWER(1L)                                                          ANSWER(1L)



NNAAMMEE
       answer - phone message transcription system

SSYYNNOOPPSSIISS
       aannsswweerr [ --ppuu ]


DDEESSCCRRIIPPTTIIOONN
       _A_n_s_w_e_r is a part of the EEllmm mail system and is designed for secretaries
       and the like to allow them to answer phones and|or listen to phone mes-
       sage machines and quickly and easily transcribe the messages into elec-
       tronic mail.

       The program will use standard mail addresses or aliases included in the
       standard .elm directory alias files.  It can also use its own alias set
       (usually a subset of the system aliases,  with  more  fields  per  user
       (i.e.  unique  first names, unique last names, first-initial last name,
       and so on)).  Note that if you want to use this  capability,  it  means
       that  you  must  create  this  alias  set  and  then  install it, using
       _n_e_w_a_l_i_a_s_, as a separate alias table for the account this program is  to
       be run from.

       Options are:

         --pp      Prompt for phone slip type message fields.

         --uu      Allow  names  that  are not in the alias table.  Without this
                 option all names must be resolvable  as  aliases  and  answer
                 will reprompt for a new name if the alias cannot be resolved.

       Interface-wise, the program is a breeze to use - type 'answer' to start
       it up and then merely type a user name at the

            Message to:

       prompt,  fill  in the requested information (simply type an "x" next to
       the pertinent information - "TELEPHONED", "PLEASE CALL", "URGENT", etc.
       if  the  -p option was given), and then enter a message, if any, ending
       with a blank line.  If you elect to use the special alias  file,  names
       can  be entered as 'Firstname Lastname' and the system will try to find
       a mail alias based on the first letter of the first name plus the  last
       name.   For example, 'Dave Taylor' will cause the program to search for
       an alias 'd_taylor' in the file (note the  transliteration  into  lower
       case).   The program will loop until killed or quit.

       _A_n_s_w_e_r  can be easily exited by typing any of 'quit', 'exit' 'done', or
       'bye' at the 'Message to:' prompt.

AAUUTTHHOORR
       Elm Development Group

SSEEEE AALLSSOO
       _T_h_e _E_l_m _A_l_i_a_s _S_y_s_t_e_m _U_s_e_r_s _G_u_i_d_e

       newalias(1L), checkalias(1L), mail(1), mailx(1), frm(1L), printmail(1L)

FFIILLEESS
       $HOME/.elm/aliases.text       individual alias source
       $HOME/.elm/aliases.dir        individual alias dbz directory table
       $HOME/.elm/aliases.pag        individual alias dbz hash table
       $HOME/.elm/aliases            individual alias data table
       /tmp/snd.$$                   edit buffer for outgoing mail

BBUUGG RREEPPOORRTTSS TTOO
       Bill Pemberton  flash@virginia.edu

CCOOPPYYRRIIGGHHTTSS
       Copyright 1988-1995 by The USENET Community Trust
       Derived from Elm 2.0,  Copyright 1986, 1987 by Dave Taylor



USENET Community Trust          Elm Version 2.5                     ANSWER(1L)
