On Sat, 20 Mar 1993 13:23:25 CST Jeremy Butler said:
>>fformat   = Netdata, Card, Disk, Punch, LPunch, UUencode, XXencode,
>    Does this mean that a binary file that has been Uuencoded can be
>    successfully distributed through a FILELIST?  If so, are their any
>    particular problems to watch out for?
 
Well, I guess that depends what you mean by a binary file.  If you are
XXEncoding something like a CMS MODULE, XXEncode will not work because
the structure of the MODULE will not be preserved by XXEncode, thus when
you XXDecode it you'll get something like a module with LRECL 128 which
probably CMS (or MVS, for that matter) will not be very happy with.
 
If you want to do something like put an IBM PC executable onto LISTSERV
and have people get it in XXEncode format, then you should be ok, since
record structure doesn't matter with a file like that.
 
Mac programs may cause problems since they consist of both data and resource
forks, and a simple upload and/or XXEncode will destroy that.
 
Suggestions:
-For CMS MODULES, first VMARC them, then XXE them.  VMARC preserves record
 structure.
 
-For MAC stuff, use BINHEX, which combines the data and resource forks and
 then encodes to printable characters.
 
-If it is going to a system that supports it, the MIME formats which LISTSERV
 also supports might be an alternative.
 
Bill Gruber
City University of New York Computer Center