CONFIGURING BIP

First of all, you have to understand that this software works as web browser.
Many Pager Service Providers have in their home page a form to let you send a message, and all these forms have a common interface:

	A Pager ID field
	A Message field
	A CGI that will handle an send the message to the pager
	
For this, you have to explore the Pager Service Provider home page and find the exact page, or frame, that contains the "Send A Message" form.


CONFIGURATION EXAMPLE

As an example I will use a Pager Service Provider home page from my country called MobiTEL or simply Mobi.

Their home page is http://www.mobi.com.br/ .

In the configuration file (/etc/bip.conf) I can create a new entry:

[ mobi ]
	alias	= mobitel
	alias	= MobiTEL
	comment	= MobiTEL in Brazil
	comment	= http://www.mobi.com.br/
	comment	= Avi Alkalay <avi@br.ibm.com>	# my name
	comment = 20 Feb 1999			# last change

After browsing, I found a frame that contains the form. I opened the frame in a new browser window. The exact URL is

	http://www2.mobi.com.br/mobitel/conteudo/mensagem.htm

First of all, I want to know wich is the CGI and method used to send the message. I can discover that by clicking the right button of my mouse over the page, and select View Page Info.
This will pop a window with some usefull information: Action URL and Method.

The Action URL is the CGI used to send the message. I will use it to fill the url tag in the configuration file:

	url	= http://www2.mobi.com.br/mobitel/Aplicativo/procmsg.asp

The Method is usefull but not allways required. Usually, like this example, it will be Post:

	method	= POST

This is everything this information window can give us.

Next step is to look for the PagerID and Message fileds names.
I clicked the right button again and selected View Page Source. A window appeared with the HTML source of the page.
I saw "<FORM ACTION...." wich determines the begining of the form object.
Before the end of the form (determined by </FORM>) I saw

	<INPUT TYPE=text NAME=codigo .....

The word "codigo" is the name of the field that receives the PagerID.
Some more lines and:

	<INPUT TYPE=text NAME=msg .....

The word "msg" is the name of the field that receives Message.

Back to the configuration file, I can add these lines:

	pager	= codigo
	message	= msg


Now, my whole configuration for Mobi is:

[ mobi ]
	alias	= mobitel
	alias	= MobiTEL
	comment	= MobiTEL in Brazil
	comment	= http://www.mobi.com.br/
	comment	= Avi Alkalay <avi@br.ibm.com>	# my name
	comment	= 20 Feb 1999			# last change
	url	= http://www2.mobi.com.br/mobitel/Aplicativo/procmsg.asp
	method	= POST
	pager	= codigo
	message	= msg


USING

Here are some example of using this configuration:

	bip mobi 12335 742354 22853 "Hello World"
	cat /tmp/message | bip mobitel 12335 784243 -



SEE ALSO

	HTML Reference



__ ___  _ ___ _ _ __ _ _  _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ ____ 
20 Feb 1999
Avi Alkalay <avi@br.ibm.com>
IT Specialist
IBM Global Services - Brazil
