Configuration

With the values entered here the fields Sender's name, Sender's email or Reply to email of each newsletter will be preallocated. They may be overwritten in each newsletter individually. At a new installation they are predefined with the values of your Joomla!^® configuration.

If the fields Sender's name, Sender's email or Reply to email remain empty they will be filled automatically with the data of your Joomla!^® configuration. But I suggest to enter these data to become independent form changes in Joomla!^® core.

Here you can set the Infos that are required by law.

This text appears directly above the links to edit or cancel the subscription.

Here You may enter a language string. Then it will be translated automatically to the correct language.

Here You can define, that selected categories of articles are not available for selection for the newsletters. If nothing is selected, all articles of all categories may be used for newsletters.

Next you can enter how many newsletters will be sent at once. Some providers don't like it, if you want to send too many mails at once. Thus BwPostman never sends all newsletters at once, but in blocks except the entered value is higher than the number of recipients for this newsletter/mailing list. The default value is 100.

Below you set the time, that shall BwPostman wait, until the next block will be sent. BwPostman only accepts positive integers. All other values will be interpreted as 0.

You can select whether the entered value means minutes or seconds.

Before version 2.10 of BwPostman all newsletters were unpublished after sending. Per default this is still the same. Since version 2.1.0 of BwPostman here You can set, that a newsletter is published after sending and visible at front end, once it is sent.

The file created at backup tables as a XML file, which may reach remarkable size easily. This may cause problems at restoring, because providers only allow upload of files until a specified limit. Because of this, since version 2.1.0 of BwPostman there is this option, which is set to on at a new installation.

May I do some commercial for me? If not, then select no.

To find errors related to BwPostman more simply, BwPostman has an own logging system, which writes the messages to an own log file. This file resides at the log folder of Joomla!^® at the sub folder bwpostman and is named BwPostman.log. Since version 3.0.0 the Log Level is selectable at the options of BwPostman, defaults to Error and should not be changed to prevent a log file, which increases too largely. Further settings are Warnings, Info, Debug and Development. Especially the last both settings are very verbose, write a lot of data to the log file and should be used carefully!

For the registration at component and module there are provides several layouts to simplify the integration with various Joomla!^®-Templates:

• Default
• Bootstrap 2
• Bootstrap 3
• Bootstrap 4
• Cassiopeia

Last one is default.

In this field you can enter a text, which will be shown at the front-end in the registration form of component and module and in the subscription manager as introduction. For the module for registration you may enter the text in its settings.

Here you set, whether the selection for the gender should be shown in the registration form and in the edit form of the subscription. This makes sense if you want to personalize your newsletter more specific. This setting is applies to both, component and module as long as there is nothing else adjusted in the module.

Here you set, whether the fields for last name and/or first name should be shown in the registration form and in the edit form of the subscription. This makes sense if you want to personalize your newsletter.

Here you set, whether first name or last name (or both) are obligatory. If you chose yes, then the appropriate field will be shown in the registration form and the edit form of the subscription, even if it is disabled in the option field above. A registration to the newsletter without obligatory entries is not possible.

Here you set, whether the additional field should be shown in the registration form and in the edit form of the subscription. For example, here you can ask the subscriber for the membership number of an association or a customer ID, if the subscriber has no account at Joomla!^®. This setting is applies to both, component and module as long as there is nothing else adjusted in the module.

Here you set, whether the input of the additional field is obligatory. If you chose yes, then the appropriate field will be shown in the registration form and the edit form of the subscription, even if it is disabled in the option field above.

Here you set, how the label of the additional field shall be. To work also on multi-language websites, you may enter a language string, which is applied in the appropriate override file for the language. It will be used the override file for the back end, the override files therefore resides at <my_joomla_installation>/administrator/language/overrides. If the folder does not exist, simply create. The English override file is called en-GB.override.ini.

If here a language string BWPOSTMAN_ADDITIONAL_FIELD_LABEL is set, then the entry in the override file may look like:

BWPOSTMAN_ADDITIONAL_FIELD_LABEL="membership number"

This setting is applies to both, component and module as long as there is nothing else adjusted in the module.

The additional field may get a tooltip, which will be displayed, if you hover the label with the mouse. Just as well, you may use a language string.

Here you define whether the email format shall be shown in the registration form or not. This setting is applies to both, component and module as long as there is nothing else adjusted in the module.

Here you set the default email format the newsletter will be sent out, when the subscriber has not selected anything. This is the predefined setting for both registration forms, component and registration module. Here also: The registration module may have its own settings.

If this option is switched on BwPostman checks while registration to a subscription, whether the entered email address really exists. To do so BwPostman creates a connection to the mail server of the entered email address and tries to get in contact with the mailbox, that belongs to the email address. If this fails, no registration is processed and the subscriber gets a failure message. Hat exactly failed You can see at the log file of BwPostman. This file is named BwPostman.log and You can find it at the log folder of Joomla!^® at the sub folder bwpostman.

Technical procedure of the verification

I think, this chapter is necessary to catch the following,I will put it simple. Roughly speaking it will be made a pretence of sending an email to the entered email recipient on system level. For that one needs the email address of the recipient obviously, but also the email address of the sender. That is caught from the settings of Joomla!^®. Next we will try to connect to the mail server of the sending email address. To not abuse the sending address for improper things, to send spam by a stranger for instance, the own mail server checks if all goes right and the sender has connected properly.

If the sender is checked successfully, a connection to the mail server of the recipient is established. First is checked, if the domain of the email address exists. If this is okay, then we will see, if the mail server knows the mailbox of the receiving email address. The receiving mail server may return different messages.

The return messages consist of thee-digit codes. 250 means all right, I know the mailbox. The messages of the section 4xx means, the mailbox probably exists, but there occur some problems. The mailbox could exceed the limit and is not able to receive some more mails. The verification interprets messages from this section as success.

Vital is the message 550. That means the mailbox does not exist.

Testing the verification

To test the usability of the verification switch this option on and register for a newsletter/mailinglist at the front end. It's best to use some different real existing email addresses, which You hold be yourself. Essentially is to have access to the mailbox of this email address and this email address is able to receive emails (mailbox not full) to see the incoming activation email. With this You exclude, that the verification of the email address of a recipient,that technically is okay, fails.

If the verification of such a correct email address fails, there are really sure problems with the sending email address. If You for instance find messages of the following manner at the log file of BwPostman, You can't use this option until this problem is solved:

Unread stream data: 550 5.7.1 <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.;: Recipient address rejected: Mail appeared to be SPAM or forged. Ask your Mail/DNS-Administrator to correct HELO and DNS MX settings or to get removed from DNSBLs; MTA helo: mydomain.de, MTA hostname: unknown[nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn] (helo/hostname mismatch)

550 indicates, that something is wrong not at all. A few lines above the mail server is named, with which was spoken actually. That is the own mail server, if there are problems with the sender. Hostname unknown … (helo(hostname mismatch), tells You, that DNS and MX not fit and means, that the sender cannot be resolved. The own mail server thinks, there is a stranger at work. This failure rather may occur on local installations only.

If this error occurs at an installation on the web, You should switch of this option, until the problem is solved and contact Your provider.

To fulfil the needs of the GDPR and to give the required information about the newsletter to the subscriber, this switch is implemented. If the switch is set to on, then the description of the mailing list is displayed at registration form.

Here You set, how much characters are displayed at description. With the next character the description is shortened. But to show the subscriber, that the description is longer than displayed, there are three dots displayed, if the description is shortened. The whole description is displayed as tool tip, if one hovers with the mouse.

In the registration form you can display a link to a disclaimer. To do so You set the switch Display Disclaimer to Yes. In this case the subscriber has to accept the disclaimer before sending the registration. In some countries a disclaimer is useful, in Germany it is possibly harmful.

But you may use it as a manner of terms of use for the newsletter, what you may do with the email address you got, or, or, or. For something, the subscriber has to give his okay.

Here you set, where BwPostman will find the disclaimer to use. In the field URL for the disclaimer you enter an URL as source for the disclaimer. Then you have to select URL as Link target.

At article you are able to select an article of Joomla!^®. Then you have to select Article as Link target.

At last you may use a menu item of Joomla!^®. In this case the Link target is Menu item and You select the appropriate menu item at field menu item.

Here you set, if the disclaimer will be shown in the current window/tab of the browser or in a new one.

Since version 2.1.1 of BwPostman here You set, if the disclaimer shall be displayed in a pop-up. This is now default.

Here you set, if the registration form will be secured against robots. This protection will help to get less subscriptions by robots and less error mails because of undeliverable activation mails. Possible values are No, Question or Captcha.

The Question you may select by yourself and should not be too complicated. If will be set in the fields Question and Answer.

Examples:

• How many legs has a horse? (1, 2, …)
• Which colour has a red car?

Captcha is a little Captcha driven maths task.

This setting is used by both, component and subscription module, if there is nothing else set at the module.

If Question is set in Secure registration form, then you have to fill these fields by your question and its answer. The question appears in registration form, the answer is needed by evaluation and will not be shown.

The activation mail always will be sent personalized. Here you set, how to approach the subscriber, e.g. Hello or Hello Mr./Mrs. Last one only make sense, if last name, first name or both are obligatory.

This is the text that appears after the salutation.

After this text the link to activation appears. It is useful to tell the subscriber, that he has to activate his subscription by clicking the link below. You may amplify this text by your wishes.

If there is nothing entered here, the link for activation will be shown directly after the salutation. Does the subscriber knows, what he has to do? No? Therefore: Enter Text for Activation!

In some countries it is necessary by law to tell the subscriber some more informations, that haven't to appear in each mail. Here you may enter these informations. Or further informations by your own.

This text appears after the link for activation.

If you want to be kept current, how the subscriptions grow up, when and who someone subscribed a mailing list, then you should switch on Activation also to webmaster. This notification contains all details of registration, beneath first name and last name the date, time and IP of registration and confirmation. These data may be helpful in case of dispute.

Here you enter the sender name, that will be used in the notification mail.

Here you enter the mail address, to which the notification mail will be sent. That may be the webmaster or another person, that shall be informed, that a new subscriber has activated his subscription.

To get the ability only to unsubscribe current newsletter for a subscriber, which had subscribed to multiple newsletters, at a previous version of BwPostman war introduced, that the subscriber is able to unsubscribe with one click exactly from this one newsletter. With this it also was impossible for a recipient of a forwarded newsletter to unsubscribe the subscriber “accidentally”. The whole subscription could still be removed at the settings of the subscription.

Some considers this proceed as difficult since GDPR takes effect. So this option is added. When this option is activated, a subscription is completely and ridiculously removed without asking.

If you want to be kept current, how the subscriptions grow up, when and who someone unsubscribed a mailing list, then you should switch on Unsubscription also to webmaster. This notification contains all details of unsubscription, beneath first name and last name the date, time and IP of unsubscription. These data may be helpful in case of dispute.

Here you enter the sender name, that will be used in the notification mail.

Here you enter the mail address, to which the notification mail will be sent. That may be the webmaster or another person, that shall be informed, that a new subscriber has unsubscribed his subscription.

Here You set, which of the provided layouts should be used for the list view at front end. An override of the layout the Joomla!® common way certainly is possible.

You may select between:

• Default
• Bootstrap 2
• Bootstrap 3
• Bootstrap 4
• Cassiopeia

Last one is default.

May the visitor search for a specific subject? Then select Show. This is the default value.

If visitors may search for a specific month and/or year, then select Show. This is the default value.

If you show several mailing lists/campaigns/user groups in the list of newsletters in front-end, then it may quite be meaningful for the visitor to limit the list of shown newsletters to a specific mailing list/campaign/user group. The appropriate select lists you set with these switches.

If you do not want to show the attachment of a newsletter in the front-end, then you should select hide here. The default value is show and arranges, that a little icon is shown at the respective subject, if there is an attachment to this newsletter. A click to this icon opens the attachment.

Here you set, how many newsletters are shown per page. Default value is 10.

Here You set, which of the provided layouts should be used for the detail view at front end. An override of the layout the Joomla!® common way certainly is possible.

You may select between:

• Default
• Bootstrap 2
• Bootstrap 3
• Bootstrap 4
• Cassiopeia

 Last one is default.

This switch has the same meaning like at lists view, but obtains to the view of a single newsletter in front-end. The icon is shown as a button beside the sending date.

With this switch you determine, if the subject of the newsletter is used as page title. Concurrently the subject serves as browser page title. This setting may be overwritten at menu entry at Page Display.