RS> Pity that if the SOT/EOT has some value with original creators
 RS> of PKTs, your 'isnt necessary' has imploded tho. Its not about
 RS> QWKs.

 FM> I know that, it's about PKTs.

  That's not true. IF the *original* creator adds SOT/EOT, then why
not add a Tearline and Origin line instead? Paul's logic is flawed. In
fact, Paul's logic isn't.

  Have you actually written your reader yet? How do you do it? You
just put EOT ahead of the Tearline... right? So what's EOT doing? If
you *always* put an Origin line on the end of your message (like you
do with EOT), then the LAST origin line in the PKT message is *always*
the correct one. The fact that EOT is inside that is inconsequential.
If the orginal creator is wrong, then it's worng. Why is the EOT
right and the Origin wrong? Where's the logic?

  The only way EOT can work to corect a faulty message, is if someone
like Paul in qwk2pkt adds his own EOT to a faulty message. I actually
thought he was doing that. It doesn't make sense, otherwise.

  If you want to write a PKT reader and are tempted to add SOT/EOT,
just add a Tearline and Origin line instead.... or sweet nothing at
all in Netmail. You need an Origin line anyway if you are a point, or
there's no return address in the message.

 FM> Is it possible, in general, to scan a PKT and work out where to
 FM> put SOT/EOT? If not why not, what stuffs you up from doing
 FM> that?

  Yes, you can insert your own SOT/EOT.

                            SOT:

  Read the 4 null-terminated strings that make up the header fields,
read the next line. If it is "AREA:" read the message until you run
out of consecutive #1 lines and add SOT in the next line. If you find
a SOT line, remove it. It may be in the wrong place. SOT: is the last 
#1 kludge line unless someone has added one after it, in which case 
it's in the wrong place so you may as well remove it anyway. 

  If the first line does not begin "AREA:" read consecutive #1 lines
as before and insert SOT as before.

  Or put the fucking thing anywhere; it doesn't matter. It's only
function is to make sure there is at least *one* #1 kludge line at the
top of a message in Netmail. If you use SOT it may confuse someone's
reader, so just add "#1IllogicalTwit" and it'll do the same thing
anyway.

                            EOT:

1. NETMAIL.

  To insert EOT in Netmail... find the end of the message null. Read
backwards to find EOT. If found remove it. Add your own on the true 
end of the message. Don't trust some other bastard's EOT. This gives 
you an idea of how important it is, btw. 
 
2.  E-MAIL

  In e-mail, find the end, read backwards to find the first line of
the SEEN-BYs. If not found the message is dangerously faulty, so log
it and remove it. Read backwards to find Origin line. This should be
close to the SEEN-BY (120 bytes max). If not found you have a message
without an address but send it anyway. Look for an EOT. If found
remove it and write your own in front of the SEEN-BY line. You still
have a message without an address, but you have an EOT. Who cares?

  If you find the Origin line, look for the Tearline within 80 bytes.
If found look for an EOT. If found remove it and add your own in front
of the Tearline. The other dopey bastard may have put his EOT in the
wrong place. If no Tearline found, look for EOT. If found remove it
and put your own EOT in front of the Origin line. 

  You will observe that when you find the EOT, the best thing to do is
remove it.

  And the mere fact that you can add SOT/EOT to a PKT proves that it
has no function. It's a worry when a "programmer" like Paul can't use 
logic.

Regards,
Bob
 
___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.12
@EOT:

---