BuildHTML - A textfile to HTML builder
.-

Status:

Freeware.  ^Y^ I. W. Logan. Please distribute unaltered in the archive
supplied.

Purpose:

To build HTML3.2 or 4.0 (Transitional) compliant webpages from text files which may
or may not include 'primitive' dot+letter markup.

Use:

Drag a text file to the application's window or icon. Select the HTML type
if required. Click on create to open a save dialogue.

.pNote: this file will work.

.3Method:

Create a HTML file from a text file by analysing its structure and converting
to headings, paras lists or tables as sensible.

The first line is converted into the page <title> and also repeated as a <h1>
heading. (see 'User Customisation', below)

.pAny lines surrounded by two or more line ends are treated as <h2> headings.

Tables are generated if a tab appears anywhere in a line. To make a
contiguous table, lines must also be contiguous. The <table> tags are
generated automatically. If the last character of any table cell is a colon
(:) that cell will be given <th> tags.

.pParagraphs are generated where two or more lines are contiguous.

A simple means of marking up (a one letter 'dot-code') is added to give some
control over output, and to make it possible to create lists.

 .|	- remark
 .b	- bold
 .e	- emphasised
 .g	- strong
 .l	- big
 .i	- italic
 .p	- para (forces lines on their own to be paras)
 .q	- blockquote (use twice - at start and at end of section)
 .r	- linebreak
 .u	- underline
 .-	- horizontal rule
 .<space>	 - unordered list item. <ul> tags will be automatically generated to precede and  follow list items.
 .<n>	- heading <n>umber

.pNB letter 'dot-code' is not case-sensitive.

Where required, all characters within the textfile are converted to legal
entities including the MS silly ones between 128 and 159 inclusive.

User Customisation

.4Headers and footers

Inside this application, you will find an application called '!MyRes'.
Make a copy of this file in a convenient place adjacent to the webpages you
are constructing. This contains three files which you can customise to suit
your needs.

The '!MyRes' application can also be renamed, and multiple copies made and
switched between if needs be. If you rename it, also rename the sprite in
'!Sprites' to suit. Please note that '!MyRes' only takes effect when
double-clicked on. If you wish to switch between different sets of resources,
simply double click on them as required, and wait a couple of seconds for the
system changes to take effect.

Inside '!MyRes', 'header' and 'footer' files contain customisable HTML
markup. You can modify their contents to suit your own purposes. When you
select 'User-defined header/footer' these files will be used. User-defined
strings can also be used in these files.

.4User-defined Strings

The 'user_strs' file contains up to 10 lines, each being a string which you
can define for your needs.

These strings can be automatically inserted in the header, footer and file to
be processed, by typing one in the range ^0 ^ -^9 ^ where you wish that
string to be inserted. In addition, the following special codes will insert
the strings as shown:

. ^T ^ - the BASIC TIME$ thus: ^T^
. ^Y ^ - the current year thus: ^Y^ (useful where you're claiming copyright)
. ^D ^ - the current date thus: ^D^
. ^H ^ - the current time thus: ^H^
. ^A ^ - The closing </A> anchor tag. Useful if you have defined one of your user strings as an opening anchor tag.
. ^U ^ - (in the 'header' file only - don't use it anywhere else). This will place the first line of the text file into the <title> element, in the same manner as is done when 'User-defined header/footer' is not selected.

.pThe letters used are not case-sensitive

.p(Note that a small dodge was used to retain the '^' characters in the list above)

.pThere's also a default 'user_strs' file in the 'Resources' directory within BuildHTML.

History

. 1.00c (30-Sep-1999)	Added simple markup.
. 1.00d (06-Oct-1999)	Added remark, fixed '<' bug.
. 1.10a (04-Jun-2001)	Added user-defined strings, custom headers and footers.
. 1.10b (19-Jun-2001)	Found and fixed a 'large table' bug.
. 1.10c (16-Oct-2001)	A few minor mods to take us up to HTML 4.01.
. 1.10j (27-May-2002)	Added detection of table headers using colons.
. 1.10n (08-Oct-2003)	Datasave fault found and rectified.

.4To do:

Get tables to accept some simple markup. At present the dot is lost but not
the letter!

.pTidy up the output a bit!
