[bionet.users.addresses] Formated documents over the net.

HARPER@CSC.FI ("Robert Harper Finland", CSC) (01/17/91)

If you have written some text with a word processor it will usually have
control codes in it to handle such things as boldfacing, underlining tab
stops for tables etc. These codes and control sequences usually cause
transmission problems over the network. For example in Wordperfect if you
hit ALT-F3 you can "see" where all the printer codes are turned on and off.
The normal way to save a file is by pressing F7, and this will save all the
control codes in the file. 

However if you want to upload a file onto a mainframe from you micro  you
have to save the file as plain ASCII using the CTRL-F5 option. A plain
ASCII file should go through the mail OK. The largest BioBiot that I have
sent out has had about 1200 lines. So if you split your document up into
sections of suitable size then it should go OK. This is by far the most
simple method.

However if you want to preserve all the control codes for underlinging etc
then you should adopt the following proceedure.

1) Save the file in wordprocesser format.
2) ZIP, LHZ, ARC, or PAK that file ( reduction could be as much as 60% )
3) UUENCODE the ZIP, LHZ, ARC, or PAK archive file  with a UUENCODER
   that allows you to split the archive into suitable sections.
   These files are plain ASCII and can be mailed over the net.
   
The person who receives the mail has to then EXTRACT the messages to files
patch the sections together, download them to their micro, UUDECODE them to
get the archive file and UNPACK it get you original text with all its
control codes intact.  PHEW................

The whole procedure sounds rather complicated in that you have to educate
yourself in these techniques, and also the recipient of the files. A floppy
disk in the post may be a more simple solution, and you save youself much
experimentation and headaches.

-=ROB=-