[comp.sys.atari.st] new UUxCODE

NETWORK@FRSAC11.BITNET (08/10/87)

New uud.ttp and uue.ttp available:

Some bug fixed, and a change in the multiple file naming convention
for uue.ttp.

This release is for ST's, The thing is not yet up to being compatible with
the fonctionality of the UN*X uudecode (no piping).
Some people gave me nice suggestions about improving uud.c, very little
has been done on this version, this is mainly a bug fix release.

To avoid spending days sending it to everybody, I will send it ONLY to:
- UHUPVM1.BITNET for the EARN/BITNET folks, (and CANADA01 too)
- The new ARPA server, for those able to FTP,
- and some kind soul who told me that he can post it on usenet, for the UUCP
  gang.

**** Anybody in charge of a file server is most welcome to ask for it.****

The sources for this version may be available upon request. (Do not expect
too much, they are not very stable yet) It is still a lot safer to decode
on the target computer than on the office's VAX, and then to download binaries.

This program was written by a community of people, every time enhancing
the darn thing. (Bugs are mine)

From the garden of: 	Jean-Pierre H. Dumas
			Somewhere in France.

	network@frsac11 (EARN/BITNET)
	network%frsac11.bitnet@wiscvm.wisc.edu (ARPA)
	network%frsac11.bitnet@mitvma.mit.edu (ARPA) (When above is broken)

Here is a short, but sufficient description.
================================================================================
This is the v3.1 06 Aug 1987 version of uud.ttp (and v3.1 of uue.ttp too)
It is named uud instead of uudecode, to avoid confusion between different
implementations of the uudecoding functionnality.
Idem for uue.

These versions have the following capabilities:
1- Missing trailing blanks are still OK. (I am on EARN/BITNET ...)
   Absolutely no need for any procedure to restore 61 chars a line...
2- Some common internetwork transpositions are OK (e.g.
   tilde instead of circonflex...) (I am still on EARN/BITNET)
   No need to edit the file to change chars...
   Note: I have been told that the substitution of blanks by grave
   accent is not a gateway/network bug, but a feature of some recent
   UN*X uuencode, to avoid the blank compression by some protocols.
   Note: It is *NOT* BITNET/EARN that damage the files, we transfert non
   encoded binaries on this network, but put the blame on some brain damaged
   gateways. (One of them, between Usenet and Bitnet, is really ruining
   files... Totally wrong ASCII -> EBCDIC table)
3- Multi-file decoding is OK, by the 'include xxx' and 'begin part n' lines.
   To allow for identififation of the original file in the parts, the file
   name is now provided in the 'begin part n' line.
4- If the included files do not exist, uud.ttp will attempt to go on with the
   same file, in case the multiple files have just been concatenated upon
   reception.
5- There is a line sequence checking possible, allowing the detection of
   missing, duplicate, corrupted lines or files. (I have sloppy fingers when
   editing ...)
   This feature is enabled if the first line of the 1st uuencoded file
   is postfixed with a 'z', this is done automatically by the uue.ttp
   companion program. (v3.1)
   Note: a bug of the previous version is fixed.
6- A complete check of the uudecoding process is possible, by use of the
   -d flag. This will tell you about all whats going on in there, plus
   this is enabling a complete character by character check of the file
   while decoding. This should make some subtle file corruptions pop up,
   as all the uudecode do not check whats in a line before doing their job.
   If this option detect an error, then the file produced will not be
   correct (uud stops at the first error detected, and close the file).
7- If there is a character table present before each file, it will be used,
   this table is produced by the companion uue.
   The use of this table allows for some incredible recovery of files that
   went through some really brain damage gateway. No sweat.
8- You can decode a single file contaning several uuencoded files, at once;
   You give a complete month of INFO-ATARI16 digest, and voila all the
   nice PD .prg's, no editing, no sweat. (To be true, it's been a long time
   without *.prg in the digests..., but you should try it.)
9- The files are completely compatible with true UN*X uudecode/uuencode.
   As long as you do not use the multiple part option of uue.ttp.
10- Compile on the ST, using MWC, on UN*X System V and on TOPS20 using cc.
   (On the DEC20: only tested uue.c, and the - option works only if
   followed by a space ???)

En resume: get the mail file containing what you want to decode, on the
Atari ST, and apply uud.ttp on it, without any editing of any sort, including
removing mail header. (except for multiple parts, where the file names must be
correct, but no need to edit individual files).

The calls are:

uud uufile
uud -d uufile
uud -D uufile  (Atari ST's desktop upper everything...)

If given no args, uud will tells you what version is this, and the usage.
With the -d option, a whole lot of checking is done, and it is telling
you all that it is doing.
In all case if there is anything else that a perfect decoding, you will
have some message and you'll need to press any key to exit. (I anybody
tell me how to tell if we are working from the desktop, or from a shell,
I will make the pause valid only if run from the desktop. Some kind soul
with an exemple ? I suppose I have to look into the base page...)
In case of any error, the produced file is not valid.

uue filename
uue -n filename
uue filename -

If given no args, uue will tells you what version is this, and the usage.
The filename arg will be uuencoded.
the -n option will yield several files, each n lines long.
uue -500 niceprog.ttp will give:
niceprog.uaa niceprog.uab ... niceprog.uzz (!!! that would be a lot),
each (except the last) will be 500 lines long.
If given, the final - character (not valid if -n is present) will send
the output to stdout rather than a disk file.
The filenames synthetized by uue will be at most 8 chars + .uue (or .uxx)
to be in the accepted pattern for GEMDOS, MS/DOS, UN*X and TOPS20.
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