Copyright: Copyright 1993 Stephen R. Cochran


SRConvert

In converting from Speed Read, you have probably run into the same problem I did: How to move all of those old, but important, messages from Speed to RoboMail. Speed Read uses unique data structures to store messages, and provides no way to turn them back into QWK packets.

SRConvert enables you to build a QWK-packet style MESSAGES.DAT file from your Speed Read databases, enabling you to build a QWK file to import into RoboMail. Note that SRConvert does not build the QWK IDX files for each conference, since RoboMail does not use these when importing mail. A future update will include IDX support, enabling SRConvert to build a generic QWK packet suitable for any QWK format off-line reader.

Please note that there are several things that you must do to complete the conversion process.

Extract the CONTROL.DAT and DOOR.ID file from an actual QWK packet for each BBS to be converted.

After running SRConvert, build a ZIP (ARJ, LZH, whatever) containing the MESSAGES.DAT, CONTROL.DAT and DOOR.ID files. Name this file BBS.QWK (where BBS is the bulletin board name used for QWK packets).

Place this QWK file into your mail import directory.

Run RoboMail to import the new messages. Note that when importing this mail packet RoboMail will report that it is importing 0 messages, and the progress bar will not change. This is due to the fact that RoboMail only uses the IDX files to determine the number of messages being imported. Since no IDX files are in the mail packet, RoboMail has no idea how many messages are there.

See Also:

Using SRConvert

INI File

About SRConvert

Trademarks

Revision History

Acknowledgments


Using SRConvert

When you load SRConvert, you will see a screen similar to the picture to the right. Click on the part of the SRConvert window that you want to know more about, or select a topic from the list below.

See Also:

Drive List Box

Directory List Box

File List Box

Convert all message forums

Only move messages marked KEEP

Convert Button

Quit Button


Drive List Box

Use this list to select the drive where Speed Read stores the information for the BBS you wish to convert.

See Also:

Using SRConvert

Directory List Box

File List Box


Directory List Box

Use this list to select the directory where Speed Read stores the information for the BBS you wish to convert. When the correct directory is selected, the File list box will display all of the IDX files associated with this BBS. Each IDX file contains the header information for all of the messages in one forum.

See Also:

Using SRConvert

Drive List Box

File List Box


File List Box

Select the files you wish to include in the MESSAGES.DAT file. Note that multiple files can be selected using the Shift and Control keys when selecting an IDX file.

See Also:

Using SRConvert

Drive List Box

Directory List Box


Convert all message forums

This checkbox will include all of the forums in the current directory when converting the messages.

See Also:

Using SRConvert

File List Box

Only move messages marked KEEP


Only move messages marked KEEP

This checkbox allows you to ignore all messages except those with a KEEP status. This prevents "message overload", having to sort through a thousand messages trying to figure out which are important. If this box is not checked, all messages will be included.

See Also

Using SRConvert

File List Box

Convert all message forums


Convert Button

When you select the Convert Button, SRConvert will begin processing the forums you have selected. The two status bars at the bottom of the window will show you the conversion status.

Note that the MESSAGES.DAT file can be quite large. Make sure that you have enough free space on your drive for  this file. You can check this by totaling the size of all .CNF and .IDX files in the directory. If you do not have enough disk space, then convert the messages in small groups, building a QWK packet for each MESSAGES.DAT file produced.

Each time a conversion is run the path to the selected directory is saved in SRConvert's INI file.

See Also:

Using SRConvert

File List Box

INI File


Quit Button

The Quit button saves the current status of SRConvert and exits the program.

See also:

Using SRConvert

INI File


INI File

SRConvert keeps a private INI file in the application directory. This INI file is used to keep track of the screen position, status of both check boxes and the path to the directory where the last conversion was run.

See also:

Convert Button

Quit Button


About SRConvert

SRConvert was written by Stephen R. Cochran, who has a packrat nature that wouldn't allow him to throw away a ton of messages stored in the Speed Read format when he converted to RoboMail.

Copyright © 1993, Stephen R. Cochran. All Rights are Reserved.

SRConvert is provided under the DonationWare concept. If you find that this program saves you a lot of time and frustration when switching from Speed Read to another mail reader, please consider sending a small contribution ($5.00 or so) in U.S. funds to Insight Computer Services. Contributions will be seen as incentive to continue providing support for SRConvert and developing other utilities. Other projects on the drawing board include a converter for BlueWave mail packets.

Use of SRConvert by individuals is not restricted in any way. Individuals may freely distribute SRConvert via BBS. Distribution for business purposes (Disk Clubs, CD-ROM publishers, etc.) requires permission from Insight Computer Services.


Insight Computer Services

295 Murdock Avenue

Asheville, NC  28804

USA

Voice/Fax (704) 251-9254

Insight Computer Services is a Computer Systems and Software Consulting firm, with a primary emphasis on developing custom applications to meet the specific needs of the customer, specializing in FoxPro and Visual Basic development.


Trademarks

Other product names and services identified may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies and have been used for identification purposes only.


Revision History

1.0	08/25/93	First release

1.1	08/25/93	Fixed bug in assigning conference numbers. Many conferences were assigned as conference 0 due to a conversion error.

1.2	08/26/93	Fixed bug in determining number of blocks in each message. Was counting only the blocks in the message text, and not adding one for the message header block.

Added option to delete or add to an existing MESSAGES.DAT file.


Acknowledgments

I would like to take this space to thank Dan Parsons for taking time out of his busy schedule to help me track down the message block count problem.


Dan Parsons is the author of RoboMail (which provided inspiration for the development of SRConvert) and RoboComm. He can be reached at:

Parsons Consulting

5020 S. Lake Shore Drive

Suite 3301

Chicago, IL  60615-3249

U.S.A.

BBS: 312-752-1258