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)

On 24 Dec 2019, Michael Dukelsky said the following...

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?

It might be possible, but this gave me an excuse to work on my bash scripting... ;)

Now to see if it works on the production system. Do you know if the tic file needs to have the Desc line, or can it just have multiple LDesc lines?

Here's what I've got for a script:

#!/bin/bash

ticlength=""

cd ~/mystic/echomail/in/

for filename in ~/mystic/echomail/in/*.tic; do
[ -e "$filename" ] || continue
ticlength=`cat "$filename" | grep "^Desc " | wc -c`
if [ $ticlength -gt 45 ]
then
sed -i 's/^Desc/LDesc/g' $filename
fmt -w 45 -p LDesc $filename > test.tic
cp test.tic $filename
rm test.tic
fi
done


---

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,

Thursday December 26 2019, Dan Richter wrote to Michael Dukelsky:

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?

It might be possible, but this gave me an excuse to work on my bash scripting... ;)

That's OK. :)

Now to see if it works on the production system. Do you know if the
tic file needs to have the Desc line, or can it just have multiple
LDesc lines?

If you have no downlinks, then it does not matter. If you have, some downlink may want just one short line. Should she/he also develop a script to leave one line only? :)

Here's what I've got for a script:

#!/bin/bash

ticlength=""

cd ~/mystic/echomail/in/

for filename in ~/mystic/echomail/in/*.tic; do
[ -e "$filename" ] || continue
ticlength=`cat "$filename" | grep "^Desc " | wc -c`
if [ $ticlength -gt 45 ]
then
sed -i 's/^Desc/LDesc/g' $filename
fmt -w 45 -p LDesc $filename > test.tic
cp test.tic $filename
rm test.tic
fi
done

A good script, but there is a space to improve it if you take into account a possibility of having both Desk and LDesk in one tic. A good tic should have both Desk and LDesk so everyone can choose what he likes.

Michael

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

On 28 Dec 2019, Michael Dukelsky said the following...

If you have no downlinks, then it does not matter. If you have, some downlink ma y want just one short line. Should she/he also develop a script to leave one lin e only? :)

I do have a few downlinks, but none of them are connected to the file echos that needed this script.

A good script, but there is a space to improve it if you take into
account a pos sibility of having both Desk and LDesk in one tic. A good tic should have both D esk and LDesk so everyone can choose what he
likes.

That is something that I do want to add into the script. I think they should also contain both the desc and ldsec within the tics.


---

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!

28 Dec 19, Dan Richter wrote to Michael Dukelsky:

That is something that I do want to add into the script. I think they should also contain both the desc and ldsec within the tics.

True. But i think it should contain the original version of the hatcher if forwarded to others -> talk to the hatcher.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A43 2019/03/02 (Linux/64)

As far as i remember there was a low line limitation length set by mystic. That is the real problem, you are fixing symtoms but not the fault. I'm not that deep into the details, as Alan said it's a very old standard but i don't know if there is a standard document. If there is, forward it with the bug report.

Regards

Kai

--- GoldED+/LNX 1.1.4.7
* Origin: Monobox (2:240/77)