Encode/Decode (Important!)

[Carl Distefano cld@xxxxxxxx]

This message will be of interest to those who post encoded XPL
programs to the list, as well as to those who decode and use those
programs. (Encoding translates XPL code into plain text, for safe
transmission via e-mail. Decoding reverses this process.)

Although U2 has long offered several methods of encoding XPL for
users of XyWrite 4 and Nota Bene for Windows, the recent discussion
here about cross-platform compatibility has led me to revisit Wally
Bass's XYENC and XYDEC. I was a big fan of these utilities when
Wally introduced them several years ago, and I confess I was
disappointed that they didn't catch on. Besides being dead accurate
and astoundingly fast, these utilities make XPL encoding/decoding
possible in all flavors of XyWrite and Nota Bene. After rigorous
testing on several real and virtual Windows and DOS platforms (with
help from Harry B. and Kari E. -- acknowledged with thanks), I've
decided to adopt the Bass utilities as my standard, and I urge
others to follow suit. To that end, I've written an XPL program,
XYENCODE.PM, that encodes and decodes in XyWrite 3+, XyWrite 4, NB3
for DOS (probably NB4 as well), and NB for Windows (tested in v8).

So: if you produce or consume any of the XPL programs posted here,
please take a moment to install the Bass utilities and XYENCODE.PM.
Download XYENC.ZIP here:

http://users.datarealm.com/xywwweb/xyenc.zip

Unzip all of the files into your XyWrite program directory -- the
directory that contains EDITOR.EXE. You're done!

To decode a XYENCoded program posted to the list, paste it into
XyWrite, set the cursor ahead of the "Start" boundary and RUN
XYENCODE.PM with argument "D" for Decode:

RUN [d:\path\]XYENCODE.PM D

To encode an entire file or DeFined block, RUN XYENCODE.PM with
argument "E" for Encode:

RUN [d:\path\]XYENCODE.PM E

U2 users should take two additional steps:

- MErge the contents of XYENC.FRM into your U2 file (near the top of
the file but below the initial ";U2;" file label). Do NOT SAve the
file; rather, with the modified file still in the current window,
issue
 LOADHELP
then ABort the file.

- MErge XYENC.INF into XYWWWEB.INF. SAve XYWWWEB.INF.

U2 users can then decode with XYDEC and encode with
XYENC. There are several other, related U2 frames, of
interest primarily to XPL programmers. Command HELP XYENC
to review the detailed Help screen.

XYENC.ZIP includes a short Readme, which I hope will be helpful to
users at all levels. You can browse it here:

http://users.datarealm.com/xywwweb/-readme-.txt

Thanks.

--
Carl Distefano
cld@xxxxxxxx