[news.software.nn] Using Word Perfect with NN

sparks@corpane.UUCP (John Sparks) (02/23/90)

This is basically for Kim, but if anyone else out there has any experience
I would appreciate any help.

We have Word Perfect 4.2 on our unix machine (Interactive unix, on a 80386 box)
For over a year I have been using WP as a text editor for all purposes,
including for posting news, followups, etc. After editing the file, I just
save it as an ASCII text file (not the default word perfect format).

Anyway, WP works fine with rn, readnews, vnews, and postnews.

But when I try to do a followup in NN, weird things happen. After typing
F for followup, NN throws me into Word Perfect, and everything looks fine.
I type in my message, save it as a text file, and get returned to NN.

Looks perfectly normal, but about 60 % of the time, the message does not
get posted. When I go back to look for the message, there is only my 
.signature there, no message body. The other 40% of the time the message
is there, perfectly normal.

What is going on? It can't be word perfect, it works with every other bit
of news software, flawlessly all the time. 

Presently I am back to using vi with NN, it seems to work all the time.
But I really like using WP, especially the spelling checker.

Please help!


-- 
John Sparks  | D.I.S.K. 24hrs 1200bps. Accessable via Starlink (Louisville KY)
sparks@corpane.UUCP <><><><><><><><><><><> D.I.S.K. ph:502/968-5401 thru -5406  
Only those who attempt the absurd can acheive the impossible.

storm@texas.dk (Kim F. Storm) (02/26/90)

sparks@corpane.UUCP (John Sparks) writes:

>But when I try to do a followup in NN, weird things happen. After typing
>F for followup, NN throws me into Word Perfect, and everything looks fine.
>I type in my message, save it as a text file, and get returned to NN.

>Looks perfectly normal, but about 60 % of the time, the message does not
>get posted. When I go back to look for the message, there is only my 
>.signature there, no message body. The other 40% of the time the message
>is there, perfectly normal.

I agree that this is strange.

I would recommend that you take a close look at the aux.sh script (and
the compiled version "aux") to see how the editor is invoked.  The
entire procedure in connection with composing and posting articles is
handled in this simple script, so it should be fairly easy to narrow
down the problem.

You should compare the aux script's use of the editor with the way it
is invoked in for example postnews, and maybe you can deduct something
from this comparison which can explain why the changes you make to the
message are going.

But wait a minute (literally!).  Prior to 6.3.9, nn would REUSE the
same temporary file for posted articles, replies, etc.  Since it
could take as long as 60 seconds to complete sending a message, all
sorts of problems can occur if a new reply or follow-up is initiated
within 60 seconds after the previous message was sent.

6.3.9 and later versions use unique temporary files to solve this
problem.  I cannot say whether there is some difference between WP and
vi which makes this problem greater with WP.

And I don't known whether this is the explanation - but it might be?!?

Tell me if you find an explanation.

-- 
Kim F. Storm        storm@texas.dk        Tel +45 429 174 00
Texas Instruments, Marielundvej 46E, DK-2730 Herlev, Denmark
	  No news is good news, but nn is better!