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From: casa@charon.unm.edu (Jim Pittman)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Apple-to-ibm
Message-ID: <1881@charon.unm.edu>
Date: Tue, 24-Nov-87 13:06:12 EST
Article-I.D.: charon.1881
Posted: Tue Nov 24 13:06:12 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 29-Nov-87 11:18:25 EST
Organization: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
Lines: 64
Keywords: word-processor MS-DOS-text

Re: Conversion to IBM format; how do I do it

dipto@umbc3.UMD.EDU (Dipto Chakravarty ) writes:
X  I am trying to transfer some files from apple format to IBM format....
X  The files on the Apple II+ have been written using a word-processor
X  called "Word Handler"....
X  From CATALOGing the disk one would understand that the files are all
X  of type `applesoft' and the length for ALL the files are 0 (i.e. zero)
X  sectors (except the HELLO file which is 002 sectors long).
X  I even used the INSPECTOR disk scanning utility to verify these entries
X  in the VTOC of the floppy disks. 

I had a similar problem some months ago.  Here's how I approached it:

1.  Use Copy II Plus to make a copy of the target disk in case I goofed.

2.  Use Copy II Plus sector editor to change the "APPLESOFT" file type to
    "TEXT" file type.  It isn't necessary to worry about zero file length.

3.  Now I was able to edit the file with WRITE-AWAY (a weird but extremely
    powerful word processor) to get rid of all the grotesque formatting
    characters left from the original word processor. I saved the resulting
    TEXT file on a blank DOS 3.3 diskette.

4.  Now I was able to send the resulting TEXT file to a VAX (VMS, but UNIX
    would work as well) from the Apple II using WRITE-AWAY in its terminal
    mode as a file transfer program.

5.  Next I used a Zenith MS-DOS machine to log on the VAX using KERMIT as a
    terminal program, listed the file from VMS and captured it to a MS-DOS
    diskette as a TEXT file.

Notes:

2.  Changing an APPLESOFT file type to a TEXT file type involves changing a
    $02 to $00 on Track $11 (catalog track). Page 131 of the DOS 3.3 manual:

	     VALUES FOR BYTE INDICATING FILE TYPE
	File        Value of Type byte (Hex)
	Type       File Unlocked  File Locked
	----       -------------  -----------
	Text           00             80
	Integer        01             81
	Applesoft      02             82
	Binary         04             84

    Alternately, use the Copy II Plus sector editor to look at a standard
    DOS 3.3 disk that has both an APPLESOFT file and a TEXT file on it.
    Then look at the target disk and change its catalog entries so they look
    like TEXT instead of APPLESOFT.

3.  Editing out the formatting stuff was the most unpleasant part of the
    process.  You will have problems editing the newly changed TEXT file
    with some word processors such as Apple Writer or Super-Text if there
    happen to be any HEX 00 characters in the file. Several word processors
    assume HEX 00 means End-Of-File.  WRITE-AWAY does not have this problem.
    You could use the Copy II Plus sector editor to change any 00s to another
    value.  Possibly you could send the newly changed TEXT file to VMS or
    UNIX and edit out the formatting garbage there.

Good luck.

Jim Pittman University of New Mexico Albuquerque NM 87131 (505) 277-8131
casa@charon (UNIX) or CASA@BOOTES (VMS)