Have you ever seen... File contains binary ed failed returncode 20 from a file you KNOW is just text, or somthing you just captured, or somthing you just downloaded? Don't you just HATE THAT! Arrrrggg... How 'bout when you start to use MicroEmacs but the file you're trying to read has only and no linefeeds and you get the message that you have ONE LONG LINE that has been truncated? How I HATE THAT TOO... Grumph... Well, I couldn't take it anymore so I wrote this little filter program that will ignore all those little "gremlin" characters and, if you wish, limit the line length from 1 to 255 characters! YEAH... YaHOOY... It's nothing fancy, just a fast down-and-dirty filter and here is how you use it: EDible [max line length] The input file name is the file you want to "clean". The output file name is what you want to call the "cleaned" file. Max line length is optional, but if you DON'T set it;i.e., EDible foo.in foo.out it will DEFAULT to 77 characters per line. If you set max line length to 0 then it will not truncate any lines; i.e., EDible foo.in foo.out 0 If you set max line length to a value greater than 255;i.e., EDible foo.in foo.out 1000 the maximum length will be 255. Remember, this is a MAXIMUM line length NOT a MINIMUM. In other words, if you set max line length to 80;i.e., EDible foo.in foo.out 80 and EDible reads a line that is 60 characters long, it will NOT change the length of that line. If EDible reads a line that is 84 characters long, it will make two lines out of it- the first will be 80 characters and the second will be 4 characters long. EDible does NOT convert to . ED will do that for you, and if you are using MicroEMacs then it is easy enough to convert using Search and Replace. Besides, maybe you don't want them changed, right? Hint for ED users: if the file had both and then everything will be double spaced lines. Use *rp(d;n);t to clear that problem. Oh, be SURE the cursor is on a blank line before you start that command! *************************************************************************** This program was written by J. Christopher Redden GEnie address J.REDDEN 248 Southwest Pkwy. #1012 Lewisville, Tx. 75067 (214) 221-1619 and is released to public domain as long as this ReadMe file goes along with it. ***************************************************************************