Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!mailrus!ames!necntc!ima!think!whitney
From: whitney@think.COM (David Whitney)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: Possible Executioner replacement...
Message-ID: <21475@think.UUCP>
Date: 1 Jun 88 17:41:15 GMT
References: <8805311328.aa13074@SMOKE.BRL.ARPA> <5936@uwmcsd1.UUCP>
Sender: usenet@think.UUCP
Reply-To: whitney@godot.think.com.UUCP (David Whitney)
Organization: Thinking Machines Corporation, Cambridge, MA
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In article <5936@uwmcsd1.UUCP> neighbor@csd4.milw.wisc.edu (Jeffrey Alan Ding) writes:
>
>What we really need is EXECUTIONER in 5-BIT packing mode, that is 32
>combinations.  That can be done with just letters and numbers.  Now
>no mailer should choke on that.  5-BIT is better than 4-BIT but not
>as good as 6-BIT.  I think 5-BIT would be a good compromise.
>
>Maybe the original EXECUTIONER can be modified to handle the 5-BIT scheme.
>It might not be too much work to get it done.
>
>What you think about that?

Is your complaint the fact that the files won't be EXECable, or that you
mistrust my 6-bit codes? I'll be using the upper and lower-case alphabet,
the ten digits, and two more common chars (say, "<" and ">") which makes
64 codes. I see no trouble in this.

By not making the files EXECable, I can make it easier for the user to deal
with the files. Each file will have a start mark and an end mark. This way,
you don't have to delete headers/trailers. EOLs don't have to exist in any
particular way (they'll be ignored). Files will not be restricted to fit in
the 48k address space of ProDOS 8 (no, this isn't going to be a ProDOS 16 prgm,
it just deals with things in a better way). Multiple files could be sent in
the same piece of mail as each file is seperated by a start/end mark. Beginning
to see the advantages?

For those who use a command shell (such as APW, Davex, or whatever), Binscii
will be no more of a pain to use than Executioner is, as one has to run
BASIC.SYSTEM in order to EXEC the file. The only thing is, one will need
Binscii to un-code a file, but I see no disadvantage to that. Lots of people
are going to want Binscii to post (lots want Executioner - I for some reason
get requests to mail it off to people an awful lot) their files...

Of course, since Executioner is free, this will have to be free. If I should
even ask for 10 cents, nobody would buy it. I have no problem with this.

David Whitney, MIT '90                     Still learning about my Apple //GS
{the known universe}!ihnp4!think!whitney   and all of its secrets. Any and all
whitney@think.com                          technical info appreciated.
DISCLAIMER: If they only knew what I was doing and saying here...