Re: XPLencode

[Robert Holmgren holmgren@xxxxxxxx]

** Reply to note from Dorothy Day  05/21/96

> Where is the XPLencode/decode program for decoding messages sent out in
> that format? I neglected picking it up when it was discussed (probably a
> year ago or more), but recent postings seem to be using it in preference
> to uu- or mime-encoding. It doesn't seem to be on the xywrite ftp site
> at upenn.

XPLCODE is at (has long been at) the FTP site
ftp://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/pub/eaan, as frames {{5encode}} and {{5decode}} of
REORGNIZ.U2 (in REORGNZ2.ZIP). Recently, I made some real improvements to
XPLCODE that make it much easier to use; so if you have an old REORGNZ2.ZIP
hanging around, dump it and grab the 5/96 revision at upenn (which includes
mods also to other routines in REORGaNIZe -- and which, contrary to
Nathan's statement that it's my package, is actually a joint work with Carl
Distefano).

The main changes are:

ENCODE now requires a DeFined block to cipher.

ENCODE now dumps the ciphered result right after the
DF block of source
code, instead of at EOF.

DECODE now requires EITHER a DF block to decode, OR
 auto-recognizes the next-following occurrence of Start cue
   "XPLeNCODE v1.9...
   b-gin [FILENAME.EXT]"
  and decodes through the next-following End cue
   "-nd
   XPLeNCODEÿ1B"

DECODE now _replaces_ the cipher with the deciphered original code.
I.e., ENCODE puts the source and the result side-by-side, whereas
DECODE replaces source with result. Specialists are going to be encoding,
and may want to compare, i.e. may want to decode back again to assure
themselves that the decipher is identical. Endusers will be decoding only,
and no longer require the ciphered source.

Both programs now require an adjacent window as temporary workspace. Messy,
but simpler.



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Robert Holmgren
holmgren@xxxxxxxx
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