das9674@rouge.usl.edu (Stephenson Daniel A) (05/21/91)
Hi! I own a hp48SX, and know that ASC converts programs from one form to another, for use in the calc. BUT, I still have a few questions about all this, and the FAQ doesn't seem to fully answer: 1. Doesn't ->ASC and ASC-> mean converting from one form and back again? And how would this relate to downloading in to the 48? 2. What is uuencode and how does it differ from ASC? Are there (dis)advantages either way? 3. If a program is in 'uuencode,' is there anything special I must do when downloading? (As opposed to needing ASC 'on the same level' when d/l an ASC program.) 4. And how is M(achine) L(anguage) different from both of these? and anything special about d/l it?? Thanks! Gosh, I feel so stupid in not knowing how to take advantage of my hp48SX! I would REALLY appreciate any responses - so many neat things to do! P.S. : 5. Why are some programs given in both ASC *and* uuencode forms? -Dan
akcs.joehorn@hpcvbbs.UUCP (Joseph K. Horn) (05/22/91)
Daniel A Stephenson writes: > 1. Doesn't ->ASC and ASC-> mean converting from one form and back > again? And how would this relate to downloading in to the 48? Although the 48 can download binary files, bbs postings can only be in 7- bit ascii. Bill Wickes wrote ->ASC so that a 48 object can be converted into a form which can be posted on the bbs. ASC-> takes these listings and converts them back into the original object. > 2. What is uuencode and how does it differ from ASC? Are there > (dis)advantages either way? Electronic mail is usually limited to 7-bit ascii. So they invented a way of spreading out 8-bit files into 7-bit chunks, and called it Unix- to-Unix Encode. Unfortunately, the resulting gibberish looks just like line noise, and if it DOES contain line noise, you'll never be able to tell by looking at it (unlike ASC listings, in which noise is strikingly visible). But uuencoded listings have the advantage of being a lot shorter than ASC listings. > 3. If a program is in 'uuencode,' is there anything special I must do > when downloading? (As opposed to needing ASC 'on the same level' when > d/l an ASC program.) You can't download a uuencoded object to the 48. You must decode it on your computer first, and then download it to the 48. If by "download" you mean from the bbs to your computer, then nothing special is required. > 4. And how is M(achine) L(anguage) different from both of these? and > anything special about d/l it?? ML has nothing to do with ASC/uuencoding. Any 48 object can be converted to ASC form or uuencoded form, and that includes ML objects (called "Code objects"), or objects that contain some ML. Since ML is not really listable, the only reasonable means for posting/emailing ML is to convert it via ASC or uuencode, and hope that the reader/recipient has access to the reverse conversion routine. > 5. Why are some programs given in both ASC *and* uuencode forms? Some readers prefer postings in one format; some prefer the other. This way everybody's happy. (Besides, I'm so accustomed to bad downloads off the bbs that I always decode BOTH versions to be sure to get at least one good copy.) If any of this is unclear, give a holler. -- Joseph K. Horn -- Peripheral Vision, Ltd. --