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List Keyword Reference for LISTSERVÃ version </a>14.5
Last updated 10 Mar 2006
Format of List Header Keyword Settings
Default Values for All Keywords
[edit] The List Header
The list header contains configuration information for the list. To edit it, use the GETlistname (HEADER command, edit the header, and send it back to LISTSERV with the PUTlistname PW=XXXXXXXX command. For more details on this procedure, consult the List Owner's Manual for LISTSERV. If you have the web archive and administration interface installed, you can also do this via the web (see chapter 11 of this manual).
Each line of the header must begin with an asterisk ("*"). The first line of the header must contain the list title, which must fit on a single line and not exceed 40-50 characters. Succeeding lines hold list control keywords and their values. Any words in the list header followed by the "=" character are assumed to be keywords. Following the list of keywords, you may add a few lines containing a brief description of the purpose of the list. These lines must also begin with an asterisk ("*").
This document is a description of the list control keywords that appear in the header of each list. Whenever default values are supplied for the keywords, they are listed first in the description. Words in italics are "generic parameters" which define a set of possible values for a keyword operand, as described below:
Return to top.[edit] Format of List Header Keyword Settings
List header keyword settings can be defined in any of the following formats (we are using three parametersfor our examples; note that some keyword settings have more then three parameters and adjust accordingly):
* Keyword= parameter1,parameter2,parameter3
* Keyword=parameter1,parameter2,parameter3
* Keyword= parameter1, parameter2, parameter3
* Keyword = parameter1,parameter2,parameter3
* Keyword= parameter1
* Keyword= parameter2
* Keyword= parameter3
The last example above is useful when defining a keyword setting (for instance, Notebook=) which may contain a long directory path. When using this format, note carefully that the last parameter on the line MUST NOT be followed by a comma. LISTSERV will properly concatentate the parametersinternally as if they had commas. For instance,
* Keyword= parameter1,parameter2
* Keyword= parameter3
and variations are also supported; for instance,
* Notebook=Yes
* Notebook=/home/listserv/archives/english101-fall2002
* Notebook=Weekly,Private
is perfectly legal.
LISTSERV reads list headers one line at a time, assuming that any word followed by an equal sign is a keyword, and then, starting at the equal sign, reads keyword parameter settings either until it encounters a space that is not preceded by a comma (the first parameter excepted), or until it reaches the next word in the line which it evaluates as being a keyword. Thus LISTSERV will completely ignore a keyword setting coded as follows:
* Keyword parameter1, parameter2, parameter3
because there is no equal sign following the keyword. (This is one way to comment out a keyword setting if you do not want to completely remove it from the list header.) Likewise, while LISTSERV will recognize the following as a keyword setting:
* Keyword= parameter1, parameter2 parameter3
it will read only to the second parameter because the second parameter is not followed by a comma.
It is also possible to define multiple keywords on a single line, so long as the line does not wrap and does not exceed 100 characters. For instance,
* Send=Private Confidential=Yes Review=Owners
is a legal LISTSERV header line containing settings for the Send=, Confidential=, and Review=list header keywords.
Keyword settings are always evaluated in a case-insensitive manner. Under unix, where case sensitivity is an important issue, file and directory paths defined in the list header are always converted to lower-case for LISTSERV's use. Thus all data files written to or read from by LISTSERV under unix must be named in lower case, regardless of the case used in the list header keyword setting.
Return to top.[edit] Hiding header lines
Starting with LISTSERV 1.8d, it is possible to hide part or all of a list header (except for the list title) from users who send the REVIEW command or who try to view the list's configuration via the CataList. The following syntax is used:
* My very own list
*
* blah blah blah
*.HH ON
* This line is hidden
* This line is also hidden
*.HH OFF
* This line is not hidden
The sequence can be repeated as many times as required. GETwill return the unedited header with the .HH sequences, REVIEW will replace hidden lines with a note saying that lines were hidden. You can't hide the fact that some lines were hidden because it would lead to people spending hours trying to figure out problems which only appear to be problems because some of the keywords are not visible. Please note that L-Soft will not field support inquiries with hidden headers; you must send the entire raw header (including the .HH lines) when requesting support.
In LISTSERV 14.2 (1.8e-2003a) and later,
.HH commands can be nested.
The .HH ON and .HH OFF dot commands are respected in KEYWORDS files called from list headers with the .IK dot command. Previous versions ignored .HH commands in KEYWORDS files.
The following should be noted:
In a KEYWORDS file, .HH OFF found in excess of .HH ON will be ignored. This ensures that a KEYWORDS file called from inside of an .HH ON block will not expose the remainder of that block upon return from the call.
Similarly, LISTSERV will internally generate as many .HH OFF tags as necessary before exiting the KEYWORDS file and returning to the list, if more .HH OFF tags than .HH ON tags exist in the KEYWORDS file.
Both of these precautions ensure that .HH coding errors in a KEYWORDS file will not result in exposure of keyword settings that it is desired to keep hidden.
Return to top.[edit] Generic parameters
<p>Note: Special parametersused by only one or two keywords are defined along with the keyword and do not appear in this listing.net-addressDescribes an Internet address, such as JACK@XYZ.COM.
access-levelControls which category of users has access to the information or service to which this parameter applies.
access-level can be either:
Public Everybody has access to the information.
Postmaster Only the postmaster (i.e. LISTSERV operations staff) has access to the information.
A1,A2,... with Ai being either:
Private Only users subscribed to the list have access to the information.
(listname) Only the subscribers of the named list have access to the information.
Owner Only the list owner can access the information.
Owner(list) Only the owner of the named list can access the information.
Service Only people in the service area of the list can see the information.
Service(list) Only subscribers of the named list's service area can see the information.
destinationIndicates the destination of a piece of mail, message or reply.
List The reply message is sent to the list.
Sender The reply message is sent to the sender of the original piece of mail.
Both The reply message is sent both to the list and to the original sender.
None No reply message is sent at all.
" address"The reply message is sent to the specified network address if enclosed in double quotes
interval Is a time interval that indicates how frequently an operation is to be renewed. Note that depending on the operation being performed, some of the options may not be available. For example, "Notebook=Yes,A,Daily" is not available.
Yearly}
Monthly}
Weekly} Self-explanatory
Daily}
Hourly}
Single The operation is to be done only a single time.
peer Is the node-id or network address of a peer list. If the name of the peer list is the same as the name of the local list (which will usually be the case), only the node name needs be given. If the list names are different, the full list network address must be given, for example "REXX-L@UIUCVMD".
area Is a means whereby a node or list of nodes can be identified. An area can be either:
The name of a network, for example EARN, BITNET
The name of a country, for example Germany, Canada
'Local', in which case it is equated to the value of the "Local=" keyword (q.q.v.).
A node name, for example SEARN
A simple wildcard nodename pattern such as FR*, *11, *ESA*, D*ESA*, etc.
mon-addressIs a means whereby 'list monitors' can be identified (the term 'list monitor' refers to a human person who monitors the activity of a list). A 'mon-address' can be:
A single network address, for example INFO@TCSVM
'Postmaster', which indicates the "main" postmaster
'Postmasters', which indicates ALL the postmasters, main and alternate
'Owner', which indicates the "main" list owner (the first to be listed in the "Owner=" keyword)
'Owners', which indicates ALL list owners
Some keywords can take more than one parameter. Where multiple parameters are accepted, they will be separated by a logical OR sign (|). Unless specified otherwise, commas have "higher priority" than OR signs, that is to say, "Public|Private, Open|Closed" means "(Public|Private), (Open|Closed)", not "Public|(Private,Open)|Closed".
Optional parametersare indicated by enclosure in square brackets ([ ]); for instance, in the case of
Send=Editor[,Hold][,Confirm[,Non-Member | All]][,Semi-Moderated][,NoMIME]
the only required parameter is the first one ("Editor"), and each of the following five parametersis optional. In this case, note carefully the nested brackets signifying that one parameter ("Non-Member | All") is available only if another parameter ("Confirm") is also specified in the keyword setting. Further, because the logical OR symbol is used, the two options "Non-Member" and "All" are mutually exclusive, thus only one of them may be specified.
Do not type the brackets when using the optional parameters! Where the use of square brackets and logical OR signs together could be confusing, we have shown each of the alternate configurations on separate lines.
