[net.micro.mac] BinHex X.X version 1.0

ee163ahe@sdcc13.UUCP (VICTOR ROMANO) (05/03/85)

[]
	Before seeing BinHex 5.0 posted on the net, I never realized
	that there was any incompatibility between the various binhexes.
	I just figured that each different one has different "features",
	and once I got a version that worked, I didn't bother anymore.

	Now I haven't loaded very much software onto my Mac yet, but
	have loaded some, and some of the transfers were successful
	while others weren't.  I never knew what to blame for all those
	that failed, and I didn't want to take the time to figure out
	the problem because it would probably take me less time to
	rewrite the program than to figure out how to load it properly.

	Now, since there are several versions, I have to check every
	file before I download it to make sure that I have the proper
	BinHex.  Boy, what a real pain.  I also have to get all those
	old BinHexes that I never bothered to save (I only saved,
	I think, BinHex 2.0.  Or is it 3.0?  Or is it 2.37?)

	How about someone make a BinHex that has the following specifications:

		1)	By looking at the context of the file, figures out
			its BinHex format, and uncompacts it according to
			that format.

		2)	Is easily expandible.  That is, if someone makes
			a change and a file is sent on the net with yet
			another new format, the old program will still
			be able to read it!

	This whole thing would be a lot easier if, in every BinHex file,
	there is a field which indicates the format which it was converted.

				Victor Romano

			What's that sound?
			What sound?
			Is it the piper?
			Do you mean Syd?
			No, I mean Dave.

------------------------------
It's got a basket of bells and rings and things to make it look good.
I'd give it to you if I could, but I borrowed it.
				-The Screaming Abdabs

jimb@amdcad.UUCP (Jim Budler) (05/05/85)

In article <228@sdcc13.UUCP> ee163ahe@sdcc13.UUCP (VICTOR ROMANO) writes:
>[]
>	Before seeing BinHex 5.0 posted on the net, I never realized
>	that there was any incompatibility between the various binhexes.
>	I just figured that each different one has different "features",
>	and once I got a version that worked, I didn't bother anymore.
>
>	Now I haven't loaded very much software onto my Mac yet, but
>	have loaded some, and some of the transfers were successful
>	while others weren't.  I never knew what to blame for all those
>	that failed, and I didn't want to take the time to figure out
>	the problem because it would probably take me less time to
>	rewrite the program than to figure out how to load it properly.
>
>	Now, since there are several versions, I have to check every
>	file before I download it to make sure that I have the proper
>	BinHex.  Boy, what a real pain.  I also have to get all those
>	old BinHexes that I never bothered to save (I only saved,
>	I think, BinHex 2.0.  Or is it 3.0?  Or is it 2.37?)
>
>	How about someone make a BinHex that has the following specifications:
>
>		1)	By looking at the context of the file, figures out
>			its BinHex format, and uncompacts it according to
>			that format.
>
>		2)	Is easily expandible.  That is, if someone makes
>			a change and a file is sent on the net with yet
>			another new format, the old program will still
>			be able to read it!
>
>	This whole thing would be a lot easier if, in every BinHex file,
>	there is a field which indicates the format which it was converted.
>

But, they do ....

BinHex 1 was straight 8 bits to 2 ascii character encoding, as was BinHex.Bas
(otherwise known as v3.0.

BinHex 2 and 2.1 did some compression.  They could encode format 2 (known
as .hcx or format 1 same as above) and decode both.

BinHex 4 and 4.1 used even more compression and avoided earlier problems
with trailing space characters.  They encode format 4, and decode format 1,
2 and 4. (Three was skipped because of the MBasic version).

BinHex 5 encodes MacBinary (8-bit) and decodes format 1, 2, 4, and MacBinary.

Because of the 8-bit path required, I hope we don't start seeing to many
people posting to the net with MacBinary as there will be a lot of broken
postings floating around.  

So all you have to keep of the BinHexes is BinHex 4 for the net and BinHex5
if you deal with Compuserve.

-- 
 Jim Budler
 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
 (408) 749-5806
 UUCPnet: {ucbvax,decwrl,ihnp4,allegra,intelca}!amdcad!jimb
 Compuserve:	72415,1200

"... Don't sue me, I'm just the piano player!...."