Re: Transfer Wordstar files to MAC

[dkl@crl.com (David K. Leikam)]

In article <t.kraegen-210794091313@129.94.136.41>,
Ted Kraegen <t.kraegen@garvan.unsw.edu.au> wrote:
>Can anyone advise how to transfer Wordstar files, which were created on an
>Apple IIe with CPM card, to MAC?  I have a 3.5 disk drive on another Apple
>and have previously transferred PRODOS files onto the MAC via the MAC
>program PROLINK.  Can files be transferred within the Apple IIe from
>Wordstar(CPM) format to PRODOS or DOS3.3 format so I can then use the above
>method.  I want to avoid using a modem etc if possible.  Many thanks for
>any help.
>

  Ted, the answer's, well, "yes and no".  It's both harder and easier 
than that.  

  Wordstar's formatting isn't all that difficult, as such. It's mostly 
just dot commands. There are zillions of translators for that, though not 
necessarily on the mac.

  What DOES make it tough is that Wordstar would set the high bit of 
every character that ended a word.  If you don't strip that out, you get 
wierd-looking garbage.

  Many MS-DOS programs come pre-equipped with filters and converters for 
all of this, including the dot commands. Your best bet might be to move 
it to a PC first, use one of these on it, then move it to the Mac.

  If you don't care about the formatting information, it gets a little 
easier. All you need to to is find/write a filter that'll strip off the 
high bits, then when you've got the text moved, delete every line that 
begins with a dot.

 Later versions of Wordstar could output pure text, but I don't think any 
of the Apple CP/M versions ever could.