The
Configuration data is stored in "config/correspondence.dat" , and the default database (and Inbox/Outbox) in the "data" directory ($HOME/.scidvspc/data/ on Unix systems).
Default Database: The default database for Correspondence Chess games , which has to be of type "Correspondence chess". Opening a database of this type by any other means is also ok, so probably you may want to ignore this setting (e.g. if you call Scid with your correspondence chess database on startup.)
Inbox (path): The directory Scid will look for correspondence chess games stored in PGN format. These games are used for the synchronisation of the correspondence chess database. Generally, Scid does not care how the games come to this directory. It will just work through all PGN files located there. This offers the possibility to use some external tools to fetch games to this location. Additionally, in eMail chess one should just save the PGN files received from the opponent in this directory.
Scid will not read a mailbox of whatever sort, it just handles all PGN files placed in that directory. Also note, that it will synchronise games with the current database. However, if a game from this directory does not yet exist in the database it is treated as new game and appended to the database.
For the synchronisation process to work the PGN files must contain some additional header information that are in perfect agreement with the PGN Standard. Please have a look at Correspondence Chess via eMail if you want to create your own tool or if you are migrating data from some other system.
Outbox (path): The inverse of the Inbox. Scid places here PGN files of the outgoing games. For eMail chess this is essential as the PGN files have to be attached to an eMail message. For Xfcc, where only the move is sent, this would not be necessary, however the Outbox directory offers a convenient way to link up to your PDA or for any other usage as the PGN files contained in the Outbox will also contain your last move.
Use internal Xfcc support: If checked Scid will not use the external tools specified as external protocol handlers but use its internal Xfcc support to fetch games and send moves. This will be the most convenient way to access an Xfcc server and should be used as default. This item will be disabled if Xfcc support is not enabled.
This feature requires http, tDOM and TLS support for TCL to be installed. See Xfcc Server Setup for more information.
Xfcc Configuration: Give the path and filename of the config file for the xfcc protocol handler. This path is also passed on to the external protocol handlers to be used by them.
Fetch Tool: This program is called to retrieve correspondence chess games from a correspondence chess server. This helper just has to fetch the games from whatever source it likes, generate a proper PGN file containing the necessary PGN header. Tools for fetching games from Xfcc-servers exist as external programs and these are the natural tools to set up here. For future protocols one could easily generate an external fetch tool that handles this protocol. Also automatisation is possible if this functionality is done externally.
Note: This tool is not called for retrieval of eMail chess messages!
Send Tool:
This is the inverse of the fetch tool, primarily also ment for Xfcc
support or any future protocol that might come up. The send tool,
however, is called from Scid with several parameters where the call
looks like:
The meaning of the parameters is as follows:
Note: This tool is not called for eMail chess!
Mail program: This gives the path to your prefered eMail program. This program is called for eMail chess to compose the message to the opponent.
(B)CC Address: A copy of the outgoing message is sent to this address as blind copy. Note however, that if a GUI mailer is used it has normally its own outgoing mail handling. Hence, setting this address might duplicate messages. It can be used to transfer a game to another address though.
Mode: Unfortunately there exists a wide range of mail clients and they use very different calling conventions. Some common conventions, and examples of programs that use them, are listed here. The mailprogram will be called with the convention selected. In case it is not known which convention is used one of those offered might match and do the trick. Note however that quite a number of mail programs are not capable of sending attachements when called from another program. In this case you will have to either change your mail client or add the attachement placed in Scids Outbox by hand.
Hint: mailx or one of its many clones should be available as a command line application on almost any platform as an easy to set up tool. In case none of the conventions work with your preferred client or this client can not handle mails with attachements by calls from the command line, installing mailx would be an option.
Hint: mutt uses the systems mail transport (aka sendmail/exim/postfix). To hook up with those (arguably) not easy to set up tools mutt is a perfect option. On a decent Un*x with a proper setup it should be the most painless way to handle eMail chess. (Though not many properly set up systems exist, especially in the Linux world.)
Attachement parameter:
This parameter is used to specify an attachement. It is only
used in
Subject parameter:
This parameter is used to specify the subject of the mail message. It
is only used in