Re: MSWord problem (apple2 connection)

[Nick <spam@ix.netcom.com>]

ISCA AppleII Librarian wrote:

> Problem:  My Texas boss sends me e-mail with his requests, comments,
> draft editions, whatever, as attachments of MSWord documents (xxxxx.doc).
> I receive these with pine on a Unix machine, and the attachment is saved
> as xxxxx.doc.

Pine only supports MIME / base64 encoding, so the attachment that you are
receiving may not be getting decoded, especially if it is being sent as a
UUEncoded file, so what you are saving as xxxxx.doc might actually be a Uuencoded
file.  You can test this by saving the file and running uudecode on it, on the
UNIX machine.  If it decodes the file, then transfer it and try it out.  If it
does not decode the file then something else could be the culprit.  You could
just rip into your spool file on UNIX and cut out the encoded attachment text and
save it as a text file and transfer it, and then decode it at the Mac.  THat way
you are definately always dealing with a single fork text file, and the only
thing you have to worry about is how the linefeeds are handled between platforms.

> I then download this *.doc in binary mode using z-modem
> and ProTerm3.1 to my IIGS system (harddrive or Appleshare volume, makes
> no difference).

There shouldn't be any problem with that, but in my experience, I have found
Y-Modem  to be a more reliable and predictable transfer method, for various
reasons.

> I then use the GS Finder to copy this file to an HFS
> disk on the IIGS superdrive.  I then put the HFS disk in a MacLC and
> change the creator and type to MSWD and WDBN(or W6BN or W8BN) (using Snitch
> from the MacFinder).

Skip this step, as Office 98 should be able to open the file no matter what the
typa and creator are, since it is designed to open PC documents anyway.

>  I then take the HFS disk across the hall to a

Gotta love sneakernet...

> co-worker's MacG3 and try to open the file with Word (Office 98).  Word
> can't open the file directly, so I open "text only" which gives me a lot of
> garbage but I can discern the text content, but not the 'form' .

If all else fails, try having whomever send it as a less intricate file format
like RTF.

> Luckily, the email from Texas is usually CC: to my boss, who uses Eudora
> Pro on his PPC7200 to get the attachment directly to his harddrive.  This
> attachment is directly opened with Word and is ready-to-go (all form and
> content is there as it was in the original document in Texas).  [My boss
> prints this out for me so I can what was really sent.]
>
> Question:  Why can't I make this work when I use my Apple II?  Is the

Hate to say it, but the Apple II is a bit behind the curve for office environment
viability.

> error is using pine on the Unix machine when I get the mail?

Could be, see above.

>  Or is the error in using PT3 to download the attachment file?

If not pine then this is probably the problem.

>  From previous experience I know using Snitch to set creator and type works
> fine and is not the problem.  (type WDBN is OK for Word5.1, W6BN for 6.0 files
> and W8BN for Office 98 Word files). Assuming the creator/type change is OK,

Again, this should not be necessary under the circumstances.  It might break more
than it fixes.

> what are my options (other than getting an iMac).  If the file had started out
> on a
> Mac, I would guess I lost the resource fork, but this is from a Windows
> machine.  There isn't a forked file system in Windows, correct?

Windows is a single fork filesystem.

> My intention is to get pine/IIGS & PT3.1/Mac to do what EudoraPro/Mac can
> do!  Thanks for any insights and suggestions.

Noble intention... is it worth the trouble? :-)