ALBRO@NIEHS.BITNET (05/24/89)
Andy Nicholas <CsNET: Shrinkit@moravian.edu> writes: [several layers of >> quotes skipped] >I am extremely opposed to any move to have ShrinkIT automatically add >a Binary II header to the files IT creates. In my opinion, that >should be the job of the terminal program transmitting these files, >just as it is done in the Macintosh community. In this I whole- >heartedly agree with Don Elton. Maybe there is some confusion here, but if not, I wholeheartedly disagree with the second half of this. I send files to many sites other than The Source, GEnie, etc, including from my office to my lab. I do not want those files altered in any way by the comm program! If I want any kind of header attached to the files, I will add it myself. I can not _depend_ on the receiver automatically and reliably stripping an "extraneous" header. What happens with a real Binary II file? Two Binary II headers during transmission so one can be stripped (maybe) by the receiver? Since many Apple files wind up stored on another brand of computer that doesn't store ProDOS filetypes anyway, once a header has been stripped, the return of the file will be typeless (def.=txt) anyway. It is not necessary to turn automatic Binary II unpacking off while receiving a NuFX archive anyway. The comm program will see that it is not Binary II and not try to unpack it. The BBS (or whatever) index should contain the information (NuFX, Binary II, DDD or whatever); if not, every user should _use_ the recommended file name extensions (.SHK, .BNY, .BQY, .LBR, etc) so the recipient will know what unpacker to use. In that regard I uploaded (to ALPE) a simple utility to check downloaded files and identify the program used to archive it (called ARCHIVE.ID). It will identify files packed with ShrinkIT, BLU, ALU, The Librarian, DDD, DDD.PRO, PBH, DigiPack.GS, DDDeluxe, and I forget the others. It doesn't look at the file type/auxtype entries in the directory, so doesn't care if everything is type TXT. Oh, yes, also ACU. If you want a comm program to automatically add a Binary II header during uploading, you can always use Freeterm.GS or MouseTalk. Personally, I have never found that useful. Flames to: ALBRO@NIEHS.BITNET. Thanks. -Phil Albro-
delton@pro-carolina.UUCP (Don Elton) (05/26/89)
Network Comment: to #3018 by obsolete!ALBRO%NIEHS.BITNET%cunyvm.cuny.edu
Re: BNY headers added by comm programs. Whenever TIC gets around to
automatically adding BNY headers it won't add them to existing BNY files and
it will allow you to optionally turn off the feature for cases where you don't
need or want it added. The default will be to add it though you can easily
change the default in the startup script file if so desired.
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