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Data conversion tools

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# Objective

Learn how to exchange ASCII and Unix text files via FTP, e-mail or diskette.

Estimated time: 5 minutes.

# Text conversions

Among the files that you might encounter on some FTP sites are Unix ASCII text files which use 0AX where Oberon uses 0DX. The conversion involves changing these LFs to CRs. If you open a text and find that it is shown interspersed with small rectangular boxes (representing the LFs), you can be sure that a Unix ASCII text is involved.

EditTools.OpenUnix fileName | ^ opens a document viewer displaying the named Unix ASCII file converted to Oberon System 3 text.

EditTools.StoreUnix [*] stores the marked Oberon text document as a Unix ASCII file. The file name is taken from the document's name plate. If the command is executed from within a document, the document itself is implied: it must not necessarily be marked and the "*" is not required.

Exercise:

Access "ftp://nuchem.nsrl.rochester.edu/pub/Oberon/B2Project/"
and download (in binary) [Get ^] Version.0.4.ascii

then convert it with: EditTools.OpenUnix Version.0.4.ascii ~

which you may now store as an Oberon System 3 text document.

Among the files that you might want to convert are MS DOS ASCII text files which use 0DX 0AX where Oberon uses 0DX. The conversion involves changing the CR/LF pairs to single CRs. If you open a text and find that it is shown with small rectangular boxes (representing the LFs) at the beginning of each line, you can be sure that an MS DOS ASCII text is involved.

EditTools.OpenAscii fileName | ^ opens a document viewer displaying the named MS DOS ASCII file converted to Oberon System 3 text.

EditTools.StoreAscii [*] stores the marked text document as an MS DOS ASCII file. The file name is taken from the document's name plate. If the command is executed from within a document, the document itself is implied: it must not necessarily be marked and the "*" is not required.

You may verify that with the typical and very central _OBERON.INI file, called Registry, used by Oberon for Windows and by MacOberon. But, be careful not to damage this essential file and exercise with a copy of it.

You may easily verify the content of the files with the Hex.Open fileName | ^ command.

Revised, 01 Dec 1996

Installed on 14 Feb 1997