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EnigmA Amiga Run 1996 February
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EnigmA AMIGA RUN 04 (1996)(G.R. Edizioni)(IT)[!][issue 1996-02][Skylink CD III].iso
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1995-11-19
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AmySTP.guide v1.6a (19.11.95)
Copyright (©) 1995, The Xperts Group Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Author: Manolis S Pappas
- Page 1 -
1. AmySTP Manual: Main Menu
AmySTP
A Binary To Text Converter
Version 1.6a
Copyright (©) 1995,
The Xperts Group Inc
. All Rights Reserved.
Author: Manolis S Pappas
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Introduction What is all about...
Requirements What do you need...
Installation Well, it's pretty straightforward...
Technostuff! For the technical minds...
Examples For the idiot-proof...
Contacts Get in contact...
Credits! :-)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
This program is provided "AS IS". No responsibility is taken for ANY
misuse or damage caused by the use of this software. Altough EVERY possible
attempt was made to provide an error-free (bug-free :-) ) software package,
we cannot be responsible for any inconvinience this program may cause to
you! USE AT YOUR OWN RISK!
2. AmySTP Manual: Introduction
Over the last few years, information is transferred via electronic
computer networks. Data such as texts, lists and even files ARE posted
between users all over the world! Expensive and accurate systems provide the
average user such services.
However, sometimes you want to send a file to someone else, but that
person is not able to receive files by others, just only plain text files.
If the file is plain ASCII, there is no problem, but what if the requested
file is
binary
?
A few utilities exist for that particular purpose; to allow the encoding
of binary files by using plain
ASCII
files. The most known one is the
UU
Encode
format, published by a user, some years ago. It is very popular,
although it has some limitations and dissadvantages. The most noticeable
dissadvantage is that such utilities, create output ASCII files MUCH bigger
that the original binary files. This limits the file-exchanges very much.
Here's
AmySTP
comes in! It's an alternative
binary
to
ASCII
encoder
which, by using special compression algorithms, can create output
ASCII
files with similar sizes to the original binary ones.
Thus the user is able
to send bigger files via e-mail messages.
3. AmySTP Manual: Requirements
To use AmySTP you need:
- An AMIGA® computer (well...can't do without one :-) )
- KickStart 1.2 or later
- 256K RAM
- Page 2 -
3. AmySTP Manual: Requirements
Using AmySTP on bigger files may require more memory, but in any case,
memory usage is very little!
4. AmySTP Manual: Installation
Installation of AmySTP is very simple. The package consists of two
executable files; AmyStpEncoder and AmyStpDecoder. You just have to copy
those files in your executable path (such as the C: directory).
To use the program, you need to access the Shell. Open a Shell window
and type:
AmyStpEncoder <parameters>
to encode a file
AmyStpDecoder <parameters>
to decode a file
See also Usage
5. AmySTP Manual: AmySTP Usage
Please select:
AmyStpEncoder AmyStpEncoder Usage...
AmyStpDecoder AmyStpDecoder Usage...
6. AmySTP Manual: AmyStpEncoder Usage
Usage of AmyStpEncoder is:
AmyStpEncoder
[binary_infile]
[txt_outfile]
{-d=xx} {-l=xx}
Explanation:
binary_infile
is the name of the binary file to be encoded
txt_outfile
is the name of the output ASCII file to be produced
from the binary one
Two more
optional
parameters exist:
-d
Specifies the length of each line in the output file produced.
The
smaller it gets, the bigger the output file gets
. Default is 70.
-l
Compression efficiency. Specify the size (
in bytes
) that the
output file should be.
By specifying a size equal of the size of
the binary file, AmyStpEncoder compresses the file most
(it also
takes more time that way). Specifying a file size less than the
original binary file's, MAY produce a smaller file, but not
always. USE WITH CAUTION!
NOTE: Option -l creates files which are INCOMPATIBLE with the PC version
of STP.
7. AmySTP Manual: AmyStpDecoder Usage
Usage of AmyStpDecoder is:
AmyStpDecoder
[txt_infile]
Explanation:
txt_infile
is the name of the ASCII file to produced that will
produce the binary one
- Page 3 -
7. AmySTP Manual: Technical Information
8. AmySTP Manual: Technical Information
AmySTP uses a similar algorithm like the UU Encode utilities do.
However, to produce smaller output ASCII files, AmySTP utilizes ASCII
character codes in the range 32-255 (where UU Encode uses characters
32-127). This can cause some problems with system that do not use/provide
characters 128-255.
This makes AmySTP useless if you want to transfer files via Internet
mail (altough there exist servers that do not have problems with this
characters - check to find out if you have one).
Even if this limitation sounds terrific, AmySTP is useful. You can use
it to post files via FidoNet-compatible systems. These systems were designed
later than the Usenet/Internet ones, thus they permit the user to write with
characters beyond 127. Using AmySTP in such networks can lower the required
bandwidth extremely, so the telephone costs.
Care must be taken with FidoNet networks, also: be sure that neither
your mail software (Off-Line Reader, Tosser) or your BBS does not crop ASCII
characters beyond character 128 (a few badly programmed PC BBS/Editors, such
as GEdit have problems). All Amiga BBS software is know to be working
perfectly!
Following these simple rules, AmySTP will serve you well for a long
time, without problems!
9. AmySTP Manual: Examples
Some examples of AmySTP usage:
- To encode a binary file
file.ext
to an ASCII one
file.txt
, type:
AmyStpEncoder file.ext file.txt
- To encode a binary file
file1.ext
to an ASCII one
file1.txt
with
a line length of
65
characters, type:
AmyStpEncoder file1.ext file1.txt -d=65
- To encode a binary file
file2.ext
to an ASCII one
file2.txt
with
a line length of
65
characters and with a
suggested output file
length of 5000 bytes (original file2.ext size=4000bytes), type:
AmyStpEncoder file2.ext file2.txt -d=65 -l=5000
- To decode an ASCII STP file
file.txt
, type:
AmyStpDecoder file.txt
10. AmySTP Manual: Contacts
Feel free to contact me for any ideas, questions, bug reports or just
about anything else. My address is:
Manolis S Pappas
Thermopilon 24
14231 Nea Ionia
Athens
GREECE
I can also be reached via electronic networks:
E-Mail:
mpap@acrogate.ath.forthnet.gr
mpappas@posidon.servicenet.ariadne-t.gr
- Page 4 -
10. AmySTP Manual: Contacts
AmigaNET: 39:250/3.19
FidoNET: 2:410/128.19
See you soon.
:-)
11. AmySTP Manual: Credits :-)
AmySTP utilities were programmed by Manolis S Pappas in 1994-95.
Compiled using the excellent SAS/C++ v6.56 system.
The original PC version (with no compression efficiency option)
was programmed by Costas Lialiambis using Borland C++.
Hello goes out to:
The rest of the Xperts Group:
Argiris D Maistralis
Menelaos P Mikedis
Andreas C Apessos
Costas E Tabouris
Dimitris Andiopoulos
The people behind the Amiga community in Greece.
The people behind the Amiga supporters in Greece, via BBS's,
and especially to:
Manos Konstantiniadis (Odyssey BBS)
Padelis Andreadis (Logic Systems BBS)
George Hionides (HardCore BBS)
The "Club of Amiga Friends" club.
Thank you for trying AmySTP.
Thanks to the Amiga // for being the BEST personal computer
// human ever made!
\ //
\//
\/