message_api

A unified Free Pascal library for reading and writing classic BBS message bases.

Wraps proven message-format handlers from Allfix behind one polymorphic API (TMessageBase) so BBS software, mail tossers, message editors, and utilities can target a single interface regardless of the underlying format on disk.

Supported formats

Format	Files	Backend unit
Hudson	MSGINFO/IDX/HDR/TXT/TOIDX.BBS	`ma.fmt.hudson.pas`
JAM	`.JHR` `.JDT` `.JDX` `.JLR`	`ma.fmt.jam.pas`
Squish	`.SQD` `.SQI` `*.SQL`	`ma.fmt.squish.pas`
FTS-1 MSG	numbered `*.MSG` per directory	`ma.fmt.msg.pas`
FTN PKT	`*.pkt` (Type-2 / 2+ / 2.2)	`ma.fmt.pkt.pas`
PCBoard	`.MSG` + `.IDX`	`ma.fmt.pcboard.pas`
EzyCom	`MH#####.BBS` / `MT#####.BBS`	`ma.fmt.ezycom.pas`
GoldBase	MSGINFO/IDX/HDR/TXT/TOIDX.DAT	`ma.fmt.goldbase.pas`
Wildcat 4	WC SDK databases	`ma.fmt.wildcat.pas`

Features

One TMessageBase abstract class — read, write, pack, reindex through the same methods regardless of format.
Layered locking: in-process TRTLCriticalSection + cross-process advisory lock (fpflock on Unix, LockFileEx on Windows, .LCK sentinel fallback)
- the existing fmShareDenyWrite / fmShareDenyNone share modes.
Event hooks for logging, progress, and status reporting.
TPacketBatch worker pool for tossers that need to process many .pkt files concurrently while serialising writes per destination base.
Path / filename auto-derivation per format from a base directory plus optional area tag.

Building

Native Linux:

fpc -Fusrc -Fusrc/formats examples/example_read.pas

Lazarus package:

lazbuild message_api.lpk

The repo includes a fpc.cfg template mirroring the Allfix multi-target build (i386-go32v2, i386-win32, i386-linux, i386-os2).

Layout

src/                ma.api, ma.types, ma.events, ma.lock, ma.paths, ma.batch
src/formats/        ma.fmt.<format>.pas — one per supported format
docs/               architecture, locking semantics, format notes
tests/              FPCUnit tests, sample data
examples/           small CLI programs that double as smoke tests

Unit-name convention follows the Fimail style: ma.<category>.<name>.pas (ma = message_api). All units use {$mode objfpc}{$H+}.

Status

Early development. APIs may move until 1.0. Format backends are ports of the working Allfix code so behaviour matches what Allfix produces today.

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