Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mailrus!uwmcsd1!nic.MR.NET!umn-cs!mmm!com50!pai!erc
From: erc@pai.UUCP (Eric Johnson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: BinHex 4.0 Usage
Summary: Here's how I do it
Message-ID: <113@pai.UUCP>
Date: 29 Jul 88 14:13:14 GMT
References: <2102@ssc-vax.UUCP> <430037@hpcea.CE.HP.COM>
Organization: Prime Automation, Inc., Burnsville, MN
Lines: 88

In article <430037@hpcea.CE.HP.COM>, twakeman@hpcea.CE.HP.COM (Teriann Wakeman) writes:
> While we are on the subject.... i have yet to figgure out how to reassemble
> multiple part postings. I can download single postings and unhex them OK.
> The methods that I use are:
>  1. save screen to file. this results in a text file with a header & 
> footer for each screen that I need to manually strip off.
> 2. Cut from the screen and paste into a text editor (such as MockWrite).
>   This second method initially takes longer but I end up with a clean
>   download ready to run through Binhex.
> I strongly suspect that there is a less combersome way to download from
> binaries, but all the transfer protocals that I am aware of requires one
> end to be sending in the protocal befor the other can receive it. I have
> no idea of how I can talk binaries into XMODEMing me something.
> Anyway, if I download a multiple part posting and clean up each part, how
> do I join the parts so that they work. The text editor runs out of space,
> and the word processing applications tell me I can not make a single 
> paragraph that long. If I break it up into paragraphs, Binhex returns
> an error statement. 
> Being self-tought on this system, I strongly suspect that there is a
> simpler solution that I have not been introduced to.
> Networld <-> HP 300 series UNIX box <-> serial line (X.25) <-> MAC
>                                                        VersatermHP emulating
>                                                        HP2621 terminal
> I would appriciate instructions on 'how to put it all together'.
> TeriAnn
> (415)857-5057

Here is how I do it from:

Networld <-> HP 320 (HP-UX) <-> serial line (modem dial-in) <-> MAC
                                                                Kermit

I read netnews with vnews (version B 2.11 12/1/87), and can use
s to save the current message with the header, or w to save without
the header.  In either case, the binHEX info always seems to have extra
junk that needs to be removed, e.g., "-- end of part 3 --" at the end
and a "cut here" at the beginning.  What I do is save each part to its own
file, e.g., xlisp1.hex, xlisp2.hex. etc.

Then, I use the vi editor under HP-UX to create one large file
with all the parts, e.g., xlisp.hex.  I use the :r command to read in
each of the parts in order, and I manually strip off the beginning and
trailing stuff.  A HEX file needs, I believe, to begin with a line like:
"(This file must be converted with BinHex 4.0)"; and usually ends
with a colon (":"). Once all the parts are together in one file,
I save it as an ASCII text file.  Using vi with a Mac terminal
emulator can be kind of tricky, so I suggest using Kermit, which
seems to have enough vt100 terminal emulation to make HP 320 happy.

I am sure someone has developed a Unix program to automate this
process, but I haven't found one yet. (It gets difficult since most
postings begin the first part with an explanation of what the program
does -- and this section is of an indeterminant length.)

Now, once the file is all put together on the Unix end, I use
kermit (public distribution sources came by on the net -- and it
actually works on the HP).  On the mac end, I use all the defaults
(data fork, text mode) that came with the Kermit that was recently
distributed over comp.binaries.mac.  On the Unix end, I use
kermit -s file1 file2 [...] (-s means send), and everything seems
to go ok when I set the Mac to receive files.  Kermit seems to have
some DEC-isms in it about file names (VMS file names are much the same
as MS-DOS -- all caps, 8 char name with a period then a 3 char extension).
Thus, I have had trouble with foo.hex.a and foo.hex.b, etc. So, it is
a good idea to use short names with a 3 char extension, e.g., XLISP.HEX
and Kermit will like you all the more.  Kermit is real slow, but it
will send multiple files over in one batch (so you can enjoy a gin and tonic
while the Mac is downloading the files).  I have yet to run an xmodem
on the HP 320 (although Unix sources came by awhile ago, no one
here has tested it yet).  If you use cat on the Unix end to display
the file, and then capture the text on the Mac side, I found that
large files usually fail to come over correctly.  Small files seemed
to work ok, though.

Finally, once the *.HEX files are downloaded to the Mac, BinHex 4.0 should
work just fine on the files.  The only troubles I have had are related to
munged postings (at least one part came over netnews with bad data).

I hope this isn't too basic (please don't be offended).

Have fun,
Eric

-- 
Eric F. Johnson          | Phone +1 612-894-0313             | Are we
Prime Automation,Inc     | UUCP: bungia!pai!erc              | having
12201 Wood Lake Drive    | UUCP: sun!tundra!pai!erc          | fun
Burnsville, MN 55337 USA | BIX:  erc                         | yet?