i need a nudge in the right direction for grappling with reading/writing type-2
messages... maybe sample code for a stand-alone util that just reads
from one
sub, or posts to a sub.

I can't find anything I wrote up about it unfortunately, but the basics of the gat stuff is the message text file (.dat) is a repeating series of:
header (aka gat)
text blocks

The text blocks are a linked list of the next block or -1 for the last block, it's much like the FAT filesystem.

msg.stored_as is the way to find that first block. You need to jump to the section and then offset. To find the section, it's basically

sectiuon = msg.stored_as / GAT_NUMBER_ELEMENTS (which is 2048)
offset = msg.stored_as % GAT_NUMBER_ELEMENTS

So you seek to the gat section + (512 /* block size */ * offset)
The start of the gat section is: section * GATSECLEN + GAT_SECTION_SIZE

(all of these constants are in https://github.com/wwivbbs/wwiv/blob/main/sdk/msg api/type2_text.h).

Let me know if this high level info is helpful.
rushfan



--- WWIVToss v.1.52
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On Wednesday,September 11, 2024 at 10:58 AM, Rushfan wrote:

(all of these constants are in https://github.com/wwivbbs/wwiv/blob/main/sdk/msg api/type2_text.h).

Let me know if this high level info is helpful.

It helped a bit. I'm gonna shelve implementing reading type-2 messages in Python for now. Maybe I'll make better progress after I've let it simmer.

I ended up trying to re-write my python interbbs lastcaller scripts in C/C++ to see if I can make any headway in that direction. I've been using apam's ibol for WWIV and wwivutil as source references.

-x

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--- WWIVToss v.1.52
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It helped a bit. I'm gonna shelve implementing reading type-2 messages
in
Python for now. Maybe I'll make better progress after I've let it
simmer.

I ended up trying to re-write my python interbbs lastcaller scripts in
C/C++ to
see if I can make any headway in that direction. I've been using apam's
ibol
for WWIV and wwivutil as source references.

Cool, happy to review any code or answer questions if needed.

rushfan



--- WWIVToss v.1.52
* Origin: http://www.weather-station.org * Bel Air, MD -USA (11:1/101.0)