Re: SMB GS Latest Release Posted-- fixing Downloads

[Jeff Blakeney <CUTjblakeney@sympatico.ca>]

On Sat, 06 Dec 2003 12:32:55 GMT, Rubywand <rubywand@swbell.net>
wrote:

[snip]
>     A simple fix is to rename any .shk files you want people to download
>from your pages so that they are sure to be treated as Binary files:

An even simpler fix is for users of Netscape to go into the settings
for their web browser and add file type listings for all the Apple II
file formats and set them to the proper type.  BSC, BSQ are text and
SHK, SDK, BNY, BXY, BQY are all binary.  DSK, DO, PO, 2MG are common
binary file types for emulator files.  If Netscape users are having
problems and they do this then the person who creates the web page
doesn't have to make any changes nor does anyone have to rename files
after they download them.

To make things even easier I still believe that all binary archives
for Apple II files should be posted as BXY files which are simply
ShrinkIt archives, either SHK or SDK, in a Binary II wrapper (BXY is
used to differentiate archived files in a Binary II wrapper from
unarchived files in a Binary II wrapper which is denoted by the BNY
extension).  That way, Netscape users only need to set one file type
for Apple II binary files and the file name can be whatever length the
web page creator wants which can help to make the file name more
descriptive.  When that file gets transfered to a real Apple II or
emulator, the Binary II wrapper can be stripped either automatically
by the communications program doing the transfer or by running a
program on the file after it is there, and the original archive name
will be restored.  This is also nice because the original creation and
modification dates of the archive are also restored which makes it
easier to figure out which archive is newer.

Emulator files should be posted in some form of archive format that is
already known by web browsers such as gzip, zip or something similar.
Making disk images available uncompressed is just wasting people's
time and using up more of the internet's bandwidth than necessary.

>SuperMario.SHK could be renamed to SuperMarioSHK.bin .
[snip]

As far as I know, files with a BIN extension are considered MacBinary
files which is similar to the Binary II wrapper used on Apple IIs.  It
may allow browsers to transfer the file in binary mode without having
to edit your browser's file types but it could be confusing to users
and some programs.

-- 
 Jeff Blakeney - Dean of the Apple II University in the
                 Apple II Community on Syndicomm.com
 CUT the obvious from my address if you want to e-mail me