[comp.sys.atari.st] HOW DO YOU BUILD A DIF FILE?

CHIASSA@UDEM.BITNET (Alyre CHIASSON) (03/01/90)

I am trying to understand the structure of a DIF file so I can create
files that I can read into the various spreadsheet programs for the
ST. I created a small dif file and then did a dump. I can see where
the data are and the fact that text is in quotes but I can't makes
sense of the keywords and the values that follow. Could someone give
me a brief explaination or direct me to a reference source. Any example
code (C or GFA basic) would help as long as the steps are explained.
Thanks
example:

 header1  header2  header3     <---- text fields
1        4        7    <---- numerical fields
2        5        8    <---- numerical fiELDS
3        6        9    <---- numerical fields
footer1  footer2  footer3     <---- text fields


Dump of File: TEST.DIF
00000 000000   5441 424C 450D 0A30 2C31 0D0A 2222 0D0A  TABLE..0,1..""..
00010 000016   5645 4354 4F52 530D 0A30 2C33 0D0A 2222  VECTORS..0,3..""
00020 000032   0D0A 5455 504C 4553 0D0A 302C 380D 0A22  ..TUPLES..0,8.."
00030 000048   220D 0A44 4154 410D 0A30 2C30 0D0A 2222  "..DATA..0,0..""
00040 000064   0D0A 2D31 2C30 0D0A 424F 540D 0A31 2C30  ..-1,0..BOT..1,0
00050 000080   0D0A 2268 6561 6465 7231 220D 0A31 2C30  .."header1"..1,0
00060 000096   0D0A 2268 6561 6465 7232 220D 0A31 2C30  .."header2"..1,0
00070 000112   0D0A 2268 6561 6465 7233 220D 0A2D 312C  .."header3"..-1,
00080 000128   300D 0A42 4F54 0D0A 302C 310D 0A56 0D0A  0..BOT..0,1..V..
00090 000144   302C 340D 0A56 0D0A 302C 370D 0A56 0D0A  0,4..V..0,7..V..
000A0 000160   2D31 2C30 0D0A 424F 540D 0A30 2C32 0D0A  -1,0..BOT..0,2..
000B0 000176   560D 0A30 2C35 0D0A 560D 0A30 2C38 0D0A  V..0,5..V..0,8..
000C0 000192   560D 0A2D 312C 300D 0A42 4F54 0D0A 302C  V..-1,0..BOT..0,
000D0 000208   330D 0A56 0D0A 302C 360D 0A56 0D0A 302C  3..V..0,6..V..0,
000E0 000224   390D 0A56 0D0A 2D31 2C30 0D0A 424F 540D  9..V..-1,0..BOT.
000F0 000240   0A31 2C30 0D0A 2266 6F6F 7465 7231 220D  .1,0.."footer1".
00100 000256   0A31 2C30 0D0A 2266 6F6F 7465 7232 220D  .1,0.."footer2".
00110 000272   0A31 2C30 0D0A 2266 6F6F 7465 7233 220D  .1,0.."footer3".
00120 000288   0A2D 312C 300D 0A42 4F54 0D0A 312C 300D  .-1,0..BOT..1,0.
00130 000304   0A22 220D 0A31 2C30 0D0A 2222 0D0A 312C  .""..1,0..""..1,
00140 000320   300D 0A22 220D 0A2D 312C 300D 0A42 4F54  0..""..-1,0..BOT
00150 000336   0D0A 312C 300D 0A22 220D 0A31 2C30 0D0A  ..1,0..""..1,0..
00160 000352   2222 0D0A 312C 300D 0A22 220D 0A2D 312C  ""..1,0..""..-1,
00170 000368   300D 0A42 4F54 0D0A 312C 300D 0A22 220D  0..BOT..1,0.."".
00180 000384   0A31 2C30 0D0A 2222 0D0A 312C 300D 0A22  .1,0..""..1,0.."
00190 000400   220D 0A2D 312C 300D 0A45 4F44 0D0A       "..-1,0..EOD..