Hi All,

I have noticed something interesting when receiving files via filebone. When Htick is importing the incoming files, it creates a files.bbs which Mystic is able to import from.

The problem I've been seeing, is some in the inbound tic files will have a
Desc line that extends for 300 - 500 characters. When HTick creates the files.bbs file, it puts this entire description onto one line. When Mystic imports it, it is only importing the first 67 characters of the description. (filename with extension of 12 chars, plus the space)

Is there a way to have HTick import the description onto separate lines of 79/80 char max?

I see there is an option of doing this with outgoing tic files, using the 'MaxTicLineLength' keyword, but haven't seen anything for incoming files. I just figured I'd ask here, before I write a script to use fold or something before I import them.

Thanks in advance.


---

Black Panther(RCS)
Castle Rock BBS

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A43 2019/03/02 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Castle Rock BBS - bbs.castlerockbbs.com (1:317/3)

The problem I've been seeing, is some in the inbound tic files will
have a Desc line that extends for 300 - 500 characters. When HTick
creates the files.bbs file, it puts this entire description onto
one line. When Mystic imports it, it is only importing the first 67 characters of the description. (filename with extension of 12
chars, plus the space)

The desc line is the old gold standard. It is just one line that can
carry on. Maximus had a limit of 1024 characters so it's possible the
desc line may be that long. The desc line may get chopped off at some
nodes too, so it's not a good option for long descriptions.

Is there a way to have HTick import the description onto separate
lines of 79/80 char max?

I don't think so, but it will use LDesc lines if present. There can be
more than 1 LDesc line. They are usually formatted like a file_id.diz.
You can also tell htick to get the description from a file_id.diz if
there is one.

I see there is an option of doing this with outgoing tic files,
using the 'MaxTicLineLength' keyword, but haven't seen anything for incoming files. I just figured I'd ask here, before I write a
script to use fold or something before I import them.

In the case of incoming tic files you are stuck with what you get, a
single Desc line or multiple LDesc lines. In most cases it's easiest to
get the description from the file_id.diz if there is one. Sometimes even
the file_id.diz isn't very well formatted.


Ttyl :-),
Al

--- MagickaBBS v0.13alpha (Linux/x86_64)
* Origin: The Rusty MailBox - Penticton, BC Canada (1:153/757)

On 23 Dec 2019, Alan Ianson said the following...

Is there a way to have HTick import the description onto separate lines of 79/80 char max?

I don't think so, but it will use LDesc lines if present. There can be more than 1 LDesc line. They are usually formatted like a file_id.diz.
You can also tell htick to get the description from a file_id.diz if
there is one.

I had thought of that as well, and there are two issues with it. First, the archives contain archives which contain the file_id.diz description. It's the GFD file echos where I noticed this.

Secondly, HTick will only pull the file_id.diz if the LDesc is not defined. With these tic files containing the Desc verb, I don't think it would even attempt to grab the file_id.diz from them.

In the case of incoming tic files you are stuck with what you get, a single Desc line or multiple LDesc lines. In most cases it's easiest to get the description from the file_id.diz if there is one. Sometimes even the file_id.diz isn't very well formatted.

That's true. Unfortunately, Mystic is only reading a short part of the desc line in the files.bbs...

I'm thinking a script that will take the Desc line, and create multiple LDesc lines within the tic file before it gets processed would be the best way to work around this...


---

Black Panther(RCS)
Castle Rock BBS

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A43 2019/03/02 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Castle Rock BBS - bbs.castlerockbbs.com (1:317/3)

Hello Dan,

Monday December 23 2019, Dan Richter wrote to Alan Ianson:

I'm thinking a script that will take the Desc line, and create
multiple LDesc lines within the tic file before it gets processed
would be the best way to work around this...

Maybe it is possible to ask the sysop who hatches files with a long Desc line to hatch with short Ldesk lines instead of it?

Michael

... node (at) f1042 (dot) ru
--- GoldED+/LNX 1.1.5-b20170303
* Origin: Moscow, Russia (2:5020/1042)