OS/2 Shareware BBS: 5 Edit/05-Edit.zip/html_txt.zip/READ.ME

Text File | 1999-03-11 | 9KB | 217 lines

9 March 1998. Daniel Hellerstein. [e-mail]
              HTML_TXT.CMD : An HTML to text converter

HTML_TXT, ver 1.09, is a freeware program that will convert HTML documents to
text files.  It is written in REXX for OS/2, but also works under other
flavors of REXX (in particular, Regina REXX).

Features include:
    Supports UL, OL, DL, and MENU lists.
    Supports nested TABLES, with several forms of tabular output
    FORM elements supported, including SELECT, TEXTAREA, and CHECKBOX.
    Hierarchical outline can be created from H1, H2, ..., H7 headings.
    Highly configurable; emphasis style, list bullets, outline numbering
      style, table writing options, and many other features are
      readily modified by changing user configurable parameters.
    Moderately efficient (table intensive 60k file in 10 seconds on a P166)
    Run from command line, or from a simple keyboard (non-gui) interface.
    Can be used as an "addon" for the SRE-http web server.

Installation:

  1) unzip HTML_TXT.ZIP to an empty temporary directory.

  2) Then....
    OS/2 Users:
       Just copy HTML_TXT.CMD to any directory (for example, to a
       directory in your PATH).
       Note that HTML_TXT runs a bit better with, but does NOT require,
       the REXXUTIL.DLL procedure library.

       Or... you can use HTM_TXT2.CMD; the "faster but less complete"
       version. If so, in these instructions just substitute HTM_TXT2.CMD
       for HTML_TXT.CMD

    DOS users (using REGINA REXX):
       See instructions below (you'll use the HTML_TXT.CM2 file).

  3) HTML_TXT.HTM is the manual (HTML_TXT.TST is the "HTML_TXT'ed" version of
     HTML_TXT.HTM).

Installation as an SRE-http addon:

   HTML_TXT can be used as an SRE-http addon; just copy HTML_TXT.CMD
   to your GoServe/SRE-http "addon" directory (say, D:\GOSERVE\ADDON).

   You should also copy HTMLCVT.SHT to a WWW-accessible directory
   HTMLCVT.SHT contains a FORM that provides a nice front-end to
   HTML_TXT. Do note that when used as an SRE-http addon, your results
   will depend on what the URL's server would return to a generic (Mozilla
   2.0 compatible, with no frame capability) user-agent.

   ** Information on SRE-http can be obtained from:  **
   **   http://rpbcam.econ.ag.gov/srehttp            **

Usage:

   Assuming you installed HTML_TXT.CMD in x:\HTML_TXT>, from an
   os/2 command prompt you can enter:
      x:\HTML_TXT>HTML_TXT file.htm file.txt
   which will convert the HTML document "file.htm" into an equivalent
   text (ascii), and save the results as "file.txt".

   Or, enter HTML_TXT at a command prompt, and answer the queries.

   Although the defaults work well in most cases, there are a number of
   parameters you might want to modify.  You can change them by editing
   HTML_TXT.CMD with your favorite text editor, look for the "user
   configurable parameters" section.

   Although there is some rudimentary help available from within HTML_TXT,
   you should see HTML_TXT.HTM for usage details.


Possible future additions:
   1) WIDTH and HEIGHT attribute of <IMG>
   2) A "WordPerfect tables" output mode


The Quick Version

   If you are converting less complex HTML documents, or are less
   concerned with the quality of the conversion, then HTM_TXT2 (the
   "quicker" version) of HTML_TXT might be useful.  For longer
   pages, HTM_TXT2 can be up to 50% faster.  The penalty is that
   HTM_TXT2 does not support several features, such as  ROWSPAN and
   CAPTIONs in tables.  In addition, HTM_TXT2 can not be run
   as an SRE-http addon.

   HTM_TXT2 does support tables (with autosizing), and most of the
   other HTML_TXT features -- thus, in many cases it will be quite
   adequate.  On the other hand, if you are only converting documents on an
   occassional basis, a 50% improvement on a few seconds is probably
   not that big a deal!

A note on other HTML to Text converts.

   I created HTML_TXT mostly because I couldn't find a decent HTML to text
   converter -- one that was both stable and full featured. Nevertheless,
   others may better suit your needs. You can try:

  * hobbes.nmsu.edu contains a few other OS/2 converters, such as
    HTML2TXT ( :{ the name I wanted to use)

  * a rather complete list of converters (for all platforms) can be found at
          http://www.hypernews.org/HyperNews/get/www/html/converters.html

  * YAHOO lists some other converters; try:
     http://search.yahoo.com/bin/search?p=text+%2Bhtml+%2Bconvert


Disclaimer:

   This is freeware that is to be used at your own risk -- the
   author and any potentially affiliated institutions disclaim all
   responsibilties for any consequence arising from the use, misuse, or abuse
   of this software (or pieces of this software).

   You may use this (or subsets of this) program as you see fit,
   including for commercial purposes; so long as  proper attribution
   is made, and so long as such use does not in any way preclude
   others from making use of this code.


          ---------------------------------------------------

         Running HTML_TXT with the REGINA REXX interpreter

HTML_TXT was designed to be run under OS/2 (either classic
or object REXX).  However, it has  been tested under DOS, using
the "Regina DOS REXX interpreter" (which is freeware).

This section briefly describes how to install HTML_TXT to
run under Regina REXX for DOS.  Note that REGINA comes in
several other flavors (UNIX, Windows, etc.); and it is
quite likely that HTML_TXT will also work under these
flavors of Regina REXX.

First, you can obtain Regina REXX from:
  http://www.lightlink.com/hessling/
You might have to go down a few links, but as of July  1998 you'll
end up at an FTP site from which you can get RX08EVCP.ZIP
(regina rexx, ver .08e, extended memory VCPI; you can also
try the DPMI memory version, but I couldn't get it to work).

Note that you'll need EMX.EXE to run this VCPI version of Regina.
You can get EMX (0.9c) from hobbes (http://hobbes.nmsu.edu) --
note that the EMX.EXE that comes with the OS/2 version of EMX will also
work under DOS.  Or; you can try http://rpbcam.econ.ag.gov/regvcp.zip.

Second, for the VCPI version of REGINA to work, you must have EMM386.SYS
(or EMM386.EXE) installed in your CONFIG.SYS.  You probably do --
check for a line that looks like:
     DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE
in your C:\CONFIG.SYS file.

Assuming you have obtained Regina REXX, and EMM386 support is installed,  to
install HTML_TXT you should:

1) Create a "HTML_TXT" directory on your hard disk.
   For example (lower case is what you type at a DOS prompt):
      D:>md html_txt

2) Assuming you've unzipped HTML_TXT.ZIP, copy HTML_TXT.CM2 to this directory.

   HTML_TXT.CM2 is a version of HTML_TXT.CMD; it's been modified to be more stable
   under REGINA REXX (it's a bit less recursive). You might want to rename
   this to be HTML_TXT.CMD (we give it the .CM2 extension to differentiate
   it from the OS/2 version).

3)  Copy REXX.EXE and EMX.EXE to this directory.

4) You can also copy HTML_TXT.HTM (the manual) and HTML_TXT.TST to this directory.


That's it. HTML_TXT can now be run; just type (at a DOS prompt)
     REXX HTML_TXT.CM2

For example:
       D:\HTML_TXT>rexx HTML_TXT.CM2

 *  A series of prompts will guide you.  It's a primitive user
    interface -- you'll have to remember the name of the html
    file you want to convert. Also, several options are a bit flakey
    when run under Regina REXX (options that work fine under OS/2!)
    However, the default settings should produce acceptable output.

 *  HTML_TXT has been tested under plain vanilla dos -- it might, or might not,
    work under other systems.

 * As a test, you can convert HTML_TXT.HTM (the manual). It should be nearly
   identical to HTML_TXT.TST.

 * Version 1.08 of HTML_TXT.CMD contains a few runtime options (for allowing
   users to change parameter values) that are NOT in HTML_TXT.CM2 (the
   concern being that there may be compatability problems with).


CAUTION:

   Most, but not all, of HTML_TXT's features are available under
   Regina REXX. In particular, some screen io options are not supported.

   More importantly, on rare occasions Regina REXX will sometimes inexplicably
   drop portions of nested tables (it might be stack problem?). To be
   safe, you might want to set (in HTML_TXT.CM2) TABLENESTMAX=0 (nested
   tables will be displayed as lists).

   Note that HTML_TXT.CMD will run under Regina REXX -- however the "nested
   table problems" are much worse.  But perhaps by the time you
   try HTML_TXT, a newer version of Regina REXX will have solved these
   problems?