Re: Converting Files

[Robert Hemenway]

Dear SysOp,

Sorry I was so cryptic about the XY4.HLP problem, but it's no problem. I took
the  out of the help file and that did it. At the time, that VA
hung my system no matter where it was, in the help file called with the menu,
in the file called to the screen, or entered in another file. But I tried it
again just now all three circumstances and there's no hang. The other day,
386MAX was displaying an error message at the hang saying that system integrity
had been violated. It was something in the memory handling, apparently, and not
XyW.

And sure ZM works. Thanks.

About the extra mode commands. I thought you'd be able to pick up the routine
that strips extra commands from Nota Bene since you're both part of the
Technology Group now, but I guess not. I can use the program in Nota Bene 3,
but it's a pain. Means first stripping format commands NB doesn't recognize,
changing MDITs to MDRVs, etc. (I think NB4 recognizes MDITs, but I don't have
it running yet. Still waiting for the documentation. And I figure NB and XY
will grow more compatible as time goes on.)

Anyhow, here's what the old NB manual said about the routine and here's a file,
XTRAMODE.TXT showing the before and after. Two short docs in it. They appear
identical in draft view but are different in expanded. The messy file is fairly
typical of what the clutter of mode commands can look like.

From the NB manual: STRIPPING ALL EXTRA COMMANDS. There may be places in your
files where the same print-mode command occurs twice with no intervening
different print-mode commands. In such cases, the second command is
unnecessary. Alternatively, there may be places where a print-mode command is
adjacent to another one; the first command is overridden by the second.
Although the existence of these unnecessary commands does not normally create
problems, they can slow down cursor movement, or affect deleting, moving, or
copying text. [They MUST be removed before sending tailored files to the
service bureau or printer.] To remove all such unneeded commands: Ctrl + Alt +
=.

The program first weeds out all adjacent commands, leaving the second,
operative, one intact. Then, before proceeding, the program prompts: "Strip
extra modes? Y/N." If you answer yes, the program will check each print-mode in
the file to see whether or not it is identical to the one preceding it; if so,
it will delete it, and check the next. This process takes a considerable amount
of time [not long on a 486], so use this option when you want to take a break.
The actual amount of time depends on how many print-mode commands are in the
file and need to be compared.

STRIPPING ADJACENT COMMANDS. Adjacent (but not extra) print-mode commands can
also be stripped manually using a ci command: ci /