AE> Bruce,
AE> Tell me straight out -- are you for or agin coded messages?
     Time to tell of the method used in the QuickBASIC
conference.  One of the users there wrote a program
called "PostIt!".  If one must post material containing
ASCII 1 to 31 or above 127, they run it thru PostIt!.
The file comes out longer and looks like gibberish, but
all characters are between ASCII 32 and 127 and
transmit over FIDO with no problems.
     The recipient(s) load a QB version, like QBasic,
which is supplied with DOS these days, loads the
gibberish file into it, takes out the header and footer
(easy to find, just try to run the program and it
points out the offending lines).  When QB is run, the
original file is written to disk.  This does not
require the recipient(s) to have a decoder as all DOS
users should have QBasic.  DOS's EDIT command just
invokes QBasic in /editor mode, so if you can use EDIT,
you could also call QBasic from DOS command line.
     The main problem we have with it is that
unknowledgeable people ZIP a text file, PostIt! and
post that.  The rules don't allow that.  Used properly,
it's and excellent solution to the problem.  The
moderator of the PDS (QB Professional) conference won't
allow it at all, tho!
     Since I use WordPerfect 6.1, I'd have no use for
it as that macro language is pure text.  But back when
I was using 5.1 I could see the advantage.
     My 2 cents worth.
  FIDO: Bill White @ 1:135/110 (Miami)
 InterNet: bill.white@110.sunshine.com
 * SLMR 2.1a * Hhhe who hhhessitates is lllost!
--- Maximus 2.01wb
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