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Topic: Downloading forum msgs. (Read 4480 times) previous topic - next topic

Downloading forum msgs.

How do I download all these files and read them off line and how can I just pick up the new msgs each time I check here. We used to be able to do that with the old primitive BBSs. Thanks. Brian

Re: Downloading forum msgs.

Reply #1 –
Brian said: <<How do I download all these files and read them off line >>

Er... well it's not easy.

Let's say you have Netscape Navigator. Things will be similar for IE, or whichever browser you use.

1) Create a temporary directory. Save the main forum index in it.

2) Create a subdirectory called _forum1 This is where you'll save each message.

3) Now, for each message you want to read (yes, that's right, this is the icky part where you realise you still have to point at each message - but hey! look on the bright side, at least you can weed out the things you don't want to read!) for each message you want to read Right-Click with the mouse and select save as, and save the messages you want in _forum1.

4) Go off-line. Open the saved file (in the top temporary directory), and it should now happily point to the files in your _forum1 directory.

5) Don't blame me if it doesn't work! :-)

<<<and how can I just pick up the new msgs each time I check here. >>>

That will normally work automatically with your reader. I think Eric and Beth must've rearranged the file area and rendered all our histories obsolete (sigh).

<<<We used to be able to do that with the old primitive BBSs. >>>

Still can, see above.

PSST, ERIC! Maybe it's time to move to something a little more user-friendly, like a mailing list or newsgroup!

Hope this all helped.

Andrew

Re: Downloading forum msgs.

Reply #2 –
Follow instructions in help file and select FILE in the Print To The Following Port box.

When you print the forum message it will print to a file which you name with an extention of .PRN. You have to have a program that will read it. I cannot find anything in WIN95 that will recognize .PRN. If anyone knows of some way to print out a file with an extension .PRN I would like to know.

New messages are shown as the latest entered but answers may be several days later and could appear farther down as new messages are entered.

In Netscape Communicator and I assume in other browsers when you enter a file the color changes so that you know in subsequent visits to a site that you have looked at a particular file. You can also scroll down the list and watch for entries that have not changed color (file not yet entered) or dates.

Hope that helps on the list

Re: Downloading forum msgs.

Reply #3 –
To download a file to be read at a later time requires you to change the port your printer is connected to.

See WIN95 help file. When Windows help file appears type in "print to file" (ignore ")in box 1.

Re: Downloading forum msgs.

Reply #4 –
Well, you could get a little fancy if you had a terminal program with a scripting language like Hayes Smartcom, Procomm, or the like. "Just" write a little script with a loop to go through and save each message until you come to the first one you previously saved.

Re: Downloading forum msgs.

Reply #5 –
Click the Go Offline link on any forum page to get the latest offline version of the forum.

Re: Downloading forum msgs.

Reply #6 –
> I cannot find anything in WIN95 that will recognize .PRN. If anyone knows of some way to print out a file with an extension .PRN I would like to know.

1) Install "Applewriter Plus" or other PostScript printer driver. Instead of assigning to a port, assign it to "File".

2) Use Printer Setup to enable this "virtual printer". Create *.prn files to your heart's content. Then rename them to *.ps. You can now use GSview/Ghostscript to read them. (See the User Tips on "Converting to PS of PDF format for info on where to get this.)

This is a long way around, and probably not practical for something as simple as a forum or newgroup, but there it is...
 

Re: Downloading forum msgs.

Reply #7 –
> I cannot find anything in WIN95 that will recognize .PRN. If anyone knows of some way to print out a file with an extension .PRN I would like to know.

PS - if your *.prn file was created with your default printer "connected" (i.e. enabled in your Printers applet in Control Panel,) you can print it to that printer later by going to DOS prompt, then

COPY /B [filename.prn] LPT1 {or whatever port it's connected to}

There may be a way of doing it from within Windows using drag-and-drop, but I haven't tried... anyone else know about this?