Re: SHK files transfer from PC to Apple

[CUTblakeney@home.com (Jeff Blakeney)]

On Wed, 13 Oct 1999 02:56:04 -0500, Rubywand <rubywand@swbell.net>
wrote:

>     Saying "Yes" to Binary II for Apple II-to-PC transfers is different. This
>option-- sometimes called "Binary Up"-- adds a Binary II header to the
>transferred file. On today's net, this can lead to all sorts of problems for
>those who download the file. Except for self-extracting IIgs ShrinkIt files,
>Binary II (e.g. the "Binary Up" option) should almost always be OFF when
>transferring files from your Apple II to PC.

If the file you are transferring from your Apple II to the PC is going
to be used by another platform (ie. text, GIF, MOD, et al) then you
should not have your communications program add a Binary II header.
If you do, I believe Nulib can still remove the Binary II header for
you so you won't be left with an unusable file but it is best not to
put Binary II headers on files that aren't going to be used by an
Apple II.

However, if the file IS going to be used by Apple IIs and is just
being sent to the PC for whatever reason, you should always add a
Binary II header.  The header will maintain the file's name, filetype,
auxtype, creation and modification dates and times and some other
info, I believe.  Also, multiple files can be placed in a Binary II
wrapper if needed.

There are many reasons to use Binary II headers but I won't go into
them now.  I just wanted to let people know that not everyone is of
the opinion that Binary II headers shouldn't be used anymore.  Every
Apple II file that I upload will always have a Binary II header unless
it is encoded using BINscii.

By the way, when I finish my KFest '99 HackFest program, it will allow
adding and stripping of Binary II headers from files as well as fixing
the filetype and auxtype of ShrinkIt files that don't have the correct
types.

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