makesig.pl  v0.0.9  -  2000-12-18

		 A random signature changer for those
	    who don't fear the power of the command line.
				   
	      2000 (C) by Christian Garbs <mitch@uni.de>
	Licensed under the GNU GPL - see COPYING for details.

	       http://www.cgarbs.de/makesig_pl.en.html


			       -- -- --


The makesig.pl script will select a random signature from a signature
file. A signature file consists of plain ascii text. The signatures
are each separated by a blank line.

Signature files are passed as commandline arguments. "-" means stdin.

$ makesig.pl foo.txt - foobar.txt < bar.txt

The example above will make makesig.pl read "foo.txt", then "bar.txt"
and finally "foobar.txt". makesig.pl then randomly selects one of the
signatures and prints it to stdout.


			       -- -- --


When a signature starts with the string "beginconfig(", makesig.pl
looks for a configuration block. This block is ended with again with a
")endconfig" line. The configuration block will not be printed as a
signature. Inside a configuration block, these commands are valid:

otherfile=<filename>    This is like giving a signature file on the
                        command line. It allows nested structures of
                        signature files. Think of two files that just
                        contain different configurations but share the
                        same signatures sourced from a third file.

maxlines=<n>            Only signatures with equal or less than <n>
                        lines will be printed. Useful to keep your
                        signatures within the 4 lines maximum.

maxcolumns=<n>          Only signatures with equal or less than <n>
                        columns will be printed.

sigdashes=<yes|no>      When set to yes, the chosen signature will be
                        prepended by "-- \n".

nolinefeed=<yes|no>     When set to yes, the final newline at the end
                        of the signature will be suppressed. Useful to
                        keep your signatures within the 4 lines
                        maximum.

fortunestyle=<yes|no>   When set to yes, a single "%" instead of a
                        blank line is used as a delimiter between
                        signatures. This allows the use of fortune
                        files. Using big fortune files can be rather
                        slow (but that's the same with big 'ordinary'
                        signature files).

headerfile=<filename>   This file's contents will be prepended to the
                        chosen signature. This argument will be passed
                        to Perl's open() function, so given something
                        like "update|" will execute the program and
                        read it's stdout.

footerfile=<filename>   This file's contents will be appended to the
                        chosen signature. Again, Perl open() is used.

Lines beginning with "#" are treated as comments.

Executing "makesig.pl --help" will show a brief overview of the
configuration commands.


			       -- -- --


This is an example signature file containing five signatures and a
configuration block. Your current uptime will be added to the
signature as well as some sigdashes. No signatures longer than 2 lines
will be chosen.

Note that the configuration is set after the first signature. The
maxlines=2 doesn't affect the first signature, nor will the sigdashes
or footerfile be printed when the first signature gets chosen.

###BEGIN###
>Linux is not user-friendly.
It _is_ user-friendly.  It is not ignorant-friendly and
idiot-friendly.            (Seen somewhere on the net.)

beginconfig(
    # This is just a comment.
    maxlines=2
    footerfile=uptime|
    sigdashes=yes
)endconfig

I cna tyep 400 Wrods pre miuet

No space left in message for a signature.

sigfault

The feature you'd like to have is probably already installed
on your Linux system.

I found The Secret Of Monkey Island and all I got was this
lousy T-Shirt!
####END####


			       -- -- --


This is just another example. It acts as a wrapper to some fortune
files and uses another standard signature file:

###BEGIN###
beginconfig(
    fortunestyle=yes
    maxlines=4
    otherfile=/usr/share/fortune/fortunes
    otherfile=/usr/share/fortune/fortunes2
)endconfig

beginconfig(
    fortunestyle=no
    maxlines=4
    otherfile=/path/to/some.sigs
)endconfig
####END####


			       -- -- --


				THANKS

		     Joerg Plate <Joerg@Plate.cx>
		  removed the warnings with Perl 5.6

	       Scott T. Bowden <bowden@implausible.net>
		  suggested the use of fortune files