     Wincode: Multi-Purpose Encoder/Decoder for Windows
             (C) Snappy_Inc. (1993,1994)
------------------------------------------------------------
             written by George H. Silva


     ***PLEASE DISTRIBUTE FREELY WITH ALL FILES INTACT***

Files:    WINCODE.EXE    the main executable program
          WCODEDLL.DLL   dynamic link library of coding functions
          HOOKDLL.DLL    dynamic link library of menu hook functions
          WINSORT.EXE    a companion file-sort utility
          ZIPLINK.EXE    executable link to PKZIP/PKUNZIP
          ZIPLINK.PIF    ZIPLINK.EXE program information file
          SUM.EXE        a BONUS "sum -r/size" DOS utility
          README.TXT     this file
          HELPME.TXT     Wincode basics and information for obtaining
                         the HELP file (WINCODE.HLP)
          INSTALL.EXE    the Install/Upgrade program
          INSTALL.HLP    the Installer HELP file
          INSTALL.INF    the Installer information file
          CHECKSUM.REF   checksum reference file

     ***SEE THE HELPME.TXT FILE FOR MORE INFORMATION***

This file contains the following information:

I.    About Wincode
II.   Wincode Features (very brief list!)
III.  Coming Soon
IV.   Requirements
V.    Installing/Running Wincode
VI.   BONUS 'sum -r/size' Utility
VII.  Availability
VIII. Other Snappy_Inc. Software
IX.   Mailing List
X.    Known Limitations
XI.   Note to AOL Users
XII.  Copyrights



I. *** About Wincode ***

Wincode is a Windows 3.1 program which converts 8-bit BINARY (EXE,
COM,GIF,etc) files to 7-bit ASCII (Text) files (and vice versa)
through a process known as bit-shifting. Wincode currently supports
UU/XX and Base64 (MIME 1.0 conformant) coding. This BINARY/ASCII
conversion allows you to send and receive binary files via e-mail or
any other ascii-based communications system. It provides a quick and
easy way to distribute programs to people all over the world (it takes
a few minutes, on average, for e-mail to reach across the world).
UUcoding is a common practice on many Internet NewsGroups in which users
wish to exchange binary data. Base64 coding is used by MIME (Multipurpose
Internet Mail Extensions) conformant e-mail software as a method for
attaching binary data to ascii e-mail. Both methods perform the same
overall function (i.e. allow binary data to be safely transmitted
through e-mail) but require different formatting algorithms. In the
future, Wincode will also support BINHEX coding and *may* even handle
the actual "e-mailing" of the data...

Wincode and the associated executables and DLLs (NOT including the
HELP file) are distributed as FREEWARE. However, I want to make a
distinction: the program is FREEWARE, but it is NOT Public Domain. I
still retain the Copyright to the source code and to the use and
distribution of the program. The HELP file is available for a small
fee ($5.00 US) but is NOT required for Wincode to function correctly.
Ordering the HELP file also entitles you to future updates and e-mail
based support. The $5.00 fee is mainly to offset development costs and
the amount of personal time invested. See below and the file HELPME.TXT
for more information on obtaining support.

Wincode is 100% compatible with all standard UUcoders and MIME 1.0
conformant software. The MIME (Base64) support was developed under the
guidelines of RFC 1521 (September 1993) and is subject to my understanding
of the document. I welcome all comments and error corrections. I have
tried to incorporate as many extra features as possible to make the
en/de-coding process painless. The average user may not need/use all of
Wincode's features, but hey, they are Free!

NOTE TO DEVELOPERS: WCODEDLL.DLL contains ALL of Wincode's 'working' code
accessed through 63 functions/procedures. I created this SIMPLE interface
to allow Developers to integrate the Wincode Engine into any program. I
will provide the API and royalty free usage to interested developers under
certain conditions. Please contact Snappy_Inc for more details.



II. *** Wincode Features (very brief list!) ***

       - Full featured Windows 3.1 program
       - Easy access ToolBar for hassle-free operation
       - Drag and Drop support (use for batch en/de-coding -> Wincode also
         allows multi-file selection from File Open dialogs)
       - SMART decoding (handles single files, multi-part files, can
         determine what is encoded or not, etc. -> see the HELP file for
         more information)
       - Fully configurable...I'm not joking!
       - EMBL UUcode compatible
       - Supports UU, XX or User defined En/De-coding
       - Supports Base64 (MIME conformant) En/De-coding
       - Supports En/De-coding to/from the Clipboard!
       - Supports automatic ZIP/UNZIP (requires PKWare's ZIP/UNZIP 2.0)
       - Application menu hooking option to integrate Wincode's menu
       - Includes INSTALL program for upgrades
       - Integrated file-sorting companion program (separate
         executable for easier upgrading) which handles MANY types
         of file header formats
       - Multimedia support - see the HELP file for details
       - It's ALL FREE...



III. *** Coming Soon ***

          - BINHEX en/de-coding support.
          - The ability to handle actual "e-mailing" of encoded data files.
          - User suggestions...?



IV. *** Requirements ***

         - IBM compatible running DOS 3.3 or higher
         - 286 or higher processor with at least 2MB memory
         - Windows 3.1 running in standard or enhanced mode
         - About 500K of disk space without HELP file (~750K with HELP file)



V. *** Installing/Running Wincode ***

If you have not already done so, expand the ZIP archive into a temporary
directory (I'd suggest a floppy-disk). Start Windows, select FILE|RUN from
Program Manager or File Manager and type in the full path of the INSTALL.EXE
program (run it). The INSTALL program will copy/expand all the files to a
directory you specify (overwriting older files), upgrade your WINCODE.INI
(if you are running an older version of Wincode) and create a Program Manager
Group and/or icon. See the HELPME.TXT file for basic instructions on
using Wincode.

***IMPORTANT NOTE: ALL files (listed above) must be present in the same
directory for Installer to function properly. You should INSTALL first,
then move selected files to directories of your choice (i.e. delete the
README.TXT, place SUM.EXE in your DOS directory, etc.). The install program
uses the Windows LZEXPAND.DLL to decompress and copy the required files. If
you receive any error messages during install, please contact Snappy_Inc for
assistance.



VI. *** BONUS 'sum -r/size' Utility ***

I have included a small DOS executable which will quickly calculate 
UNIX 'sum -r/size' checksums. This program is useful for checking the
integrity of files that have been transferred over communications lines
that are questionable (or, to some extent, checking for virus infections).
Wincode supports both line and/or file Checksum checking while decoding
and will insert Checksums (line and/or file) while encoding. This utlity is 
provided as a stand-alone DOS program. For program usage, type 'SUM' (with 
no parameters) at the DOS prompt. The included file 'CHECKSUM.REF' contains
the proper checksum values for all of the files in the Wincode package.



VII. *** Availability ***

Recent versions of Wincode (or other Snappy_Inc software) are always
available at the following locations:

    - CompuServe (check the WinShare forum; keyword: Snappy, Wincode, etc.)

    - America Online (keyword: Snappy, Wincode, etc.)

    - The Nebuolic Cheese BBS  [SysOp: Stephen Lau]
      phone# (415) 949-1788 - located in the Los Altos, Ca. area (USA)
      (this is an Official Snappy_Inc. Software Release Site for the West
      coast; I'm the East coast release site - see below)

    - The Internet - OK, so this isn't *very* specific...but, if you have
      access to the internet, ARCHIE for:
            WNCODExx.ZIP
      where "xx" is the version number, i.e. WNCODE25.ZIP for version 2.5 

      I will also try to upload current versions to: ftp.cica.indiana.edu


      
VIII. *** Other Snappy_Inc. Software ***

I generally develop utility programs for Windows 3.1. I currently have
a handful of programs that I'm working on (including a Windows Program
Uninstaller) which I will release as FREEWARE. I welcome all ideas for
future projects.



IX. *** Mailing List ***

I have been trying to maintain a mailing list of all users who have
offered advice, bug reports or helped in BETA testing. Being on this
list entitles you to FREE upgrades (personally e-mailed pre-releases) 
and support. (in other words, you don't have to download Wincode from
the Internet or an Online Service/BBS). For more information see the
HELPME.TXT file.



X. *** Known Limitations ***

Wincode can Encode/Decode files up to 16MB (16,384,000 Bytes) in size. This
is the 'internal' limit. The TRUE working limit is dependent on the amount
of FREE global memory (swap-file included) you have up to this 16MB limit.
(I have 8MB RAM with an 8MB swap-file which gives me ~12MB of memory to
play with after Windows (3.1 NOT 3.11) is fully loaded.) Note that when you
encode/decode to/from the Clipboard, you should have available
(7*filesize)/3 bytes memory (at least!) for the operation.

Certain video hardware/software combinations (such as ATI cards/drivers)
are known to cause irregular displays of various Wincode dialogs. Common
symptoms include misaligned text, irregularly spaced progress bars and
"absent menus". The Hooking feature is also not fully supported by all
applications. If you have problems hooking and application, try using the
"Tune.." options. If you experience any other difficulties, please let me
know. These known problems do NOT affect Wincode's coding functionality.



XI. *** Note to AOL Users ***

Here are answers to two common problems experienced by AOL Users:

1) When downloading USENET posts from AOL, be certain that you receive the
   ENTIRE message. You do this by pressing the 'More...' button until it
   disappears or grays-out. AOL downloads files in 28K chunks and usually
   does NOT receive the entire post when you select it. I have been told that
   the 'Logging' option is the way to go for capturing LARGE files. For more
   info, please contact the AOL support personnel.
2) If you want to Hook the AOL menu, use 'America  Online' as the Application
   Name (do NOT include the quotes). The point is that there are TWO spaces
   between 'America' and 'Online'.



XI. *** Copyrights ***

- portions of this program are copyright (C) 1991,1993 Borland
- Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation
- PKZIP/UNZIP are copyright 1989-1993 PKWARE Inc. All Rights Reserved.
- GIF is a service mark of CompuServe Incorporated
- WordPerfect is a trademark of the WordPerfect Corporation
- Procomm Plus for Windows is copyright 1992-1993 Datastorm Technologies, Inc.
- Star Trek: The Next Generation is a registered trademark of Paramount
  Pictures


Have fun!

George.---   Snappy_Inc. ;-)

Main Internet Address:   George.Silva@wadsworth.org  (preferred)
CompuServe:              74640,1647 (74640.1647@compuserve.com)
America Online:          Snappy (Snappy@aol.com)
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[GHS 9/10/94]
