     Wincode: Multi-Purpose Encoder/Decoder for Windows
              (C) _Snappy_ (1993-1996)
------------------------------------------------------------
             written by George H. Silva


     ***PLEASE DISTRIBUTE FREELY WITH ALL FILES INTACT***

Files:    WINCODE.EXE    the main executable program
          WCENGINE.DLL   dynamic link library of coding functions
          WCEHOOK.DLL    dynamic link library of menu hook functions
          WCEFMEXT.DLL   File Manager Extension dynamic link library
          WCHLPKEY.DLL   Help file option dynamic link library
          WCESOCK.EXE    a companion Winsock e-mail/post daemon
          WCEPADDR.WAB   default Wincode address book
          WINSORT.EXE    a companion file-sort utility
          UNINSTLL.EXE   Wincode package UnInstall program
          ZIPLINK.EXE    executable link to PKZIP/PKUNZIP
          ZIPLINK.PIF    ZIPLINK.EXE program information file
          VSWLINK.EXE    Windows executable link to VSDLINK
          VSDLINK.EXE    executable link to DOS Virus Scan software
          VSDLINK.PIF    VSDLINK.EXE program information file
          VSDLINK.DAT    VSDLINK Virus Scanner exit codes
          MACAPPFC.DAT   MAC Finder information database
          SUM.EXE        a BONUS "sum -r/size" DOS utility
          README.NOW     important info file
          README.TXT     this file
          HELPME.HLP     Wincode basics and information for obtaining
                         the real HELP file (WINCODE.HLP)
          LICENSE.TXT    _Snappy_ "User-Friendly" FREEWARE License
          INSTALL.EXE    the Install/Upgrade program
          INSTALL.HLP    the Installer HELP file
          INSTALL.INF    the Installer information file
          CHECKSUM.REF   checksum reference file
          FILE_ID.DIZ    BBS identification file

        ****************************************************

        PLEASE SEE THE FOLLOWING FILES FOR MORE INFORMATION:

        README.NOW
        HELPME.HLP (formerly HELPME.TXT -> now a Windows HELP file)
        VSDLINK.DAT
        LICENSE.TXT

        ****************************************************


This file contains the following information:

I.    About Wincode
II.   Wincode Features (very brief list! - MANY NEW FEATURES :-)
III.  Coming Soon
IV.   Requirements
V.    Installing/Running/UnInstalling Wincode
VI.   Availability
VII.  Note to HELP Registered Users
VIII. Copyrights


NOTE: There is alot of helpful information in the file HELPME.HLP. You can
now automatically access this file from Wincode by selecting any "Help"
option (this file is now the "default help file" if you are not a registered
user - if you are registered, this file is not needed since it duplicates
portions of the *real* HELP file :-).



I. *** About Wincode ***

Wincode is a Windows 3.1x program which converts 8-bit BINARY (EXE, COM,GIF,
etc) files to 7-bit ASCII (Text) files (and vice versa) through a process
known as bit-shifting. Wincode currently supports UU/XX/USR/Base64 (MIME 1.0
conformant), BINHEX, BTOA and BOO encoding/decoding. This BINARY/ASCII
conversion allows you to send and receive binary files via e-mail or any
other ascii-based communications system. It provides a quick and easy way to
distribute programs to people all over the world (it takes a few minutes, on
average, for e-mail to reach across the world). UUcoding is a common practice
on many Internet NewsGroups in which users wish to exchange binary data. Base64
coding is used by MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) conformant
e-mail software as a method for attaching binary data to ascii e-mail. BINHEX
is a popular encoding algorithm used mainly on Apple Macintosh computers. BTOA
is a somewhat different variation of the common BINARY/ASCII conversion process
which supports simple compression, several checksum options and will generally
create encoded files that are smaller than other methods due to its conversion
algorithm (mod 85). BOO is an older (extinct?) algorithm used in cross-platform
file transfers that is provided for compatibility (it requires previous
knowledge of decoded output filesize and may hence be unreliable). All these
methods perform the same overall function (i.e. allow binary data to be safely
transmitted through e-mail) but require different formatting algorithms (e.g.
BINHEX supports Run-Length Encoding, BTOA uses mod 85 coding, etc).

Wincode and the associated executables and DLLs (NOT including the HELP file)
are distributed as FREEWARE. However, we want to make a distinction: the
program is FREEWARE, but it is NOT Public Domain. _Snappy_ still retains the
Copyright to the source code and to the use and distribution of the program
(see the file LICENSE.TXT). The HELP file is available for a small fee
($10.00 US) but is NOT required for Wincode to function correctly. Ordering
the HELP file also entitles you to future updates and e-mail based support. The
$10.00 fee is mainly to offset development costs and the amount of personal
time invested. See below and the file HELPME.HLP for more information on
obtaining support.

Wincode is 100% compatible with all standard UUcoders, MIME 1.0 conformant
software, BINHEX 4.0 and BTOA v4.0 and v5.2 coders. The MIME (Base64) support
was developed under the guidelines of RFC 1521 (September 1993) and is subject
to our understanding of the document. The BINHEX support was developed under
the guidelines of RFC 1741 (December 1994) and is subject to our understanding
of the document. The BTOA v4.0 and v5.2 support was developed based on freely
available documents by Paul Rutter, Joe Orost & Stefan Parmark (the creators
of BTOA). We welcome all comments and error corrections. 

As part of our goal to support all BINARY/ASCII conversion methods in one
(quality :-) product, Wincode now supports encoding/decoding of *seven*
different formats. We have tried to incorporate as many extra features as
possible to make the en/de-coding process painless. The average user may not
need/use all of Wincode's features, but they *are* Free!

NOTE TO DEVELOPERS: WCENGINE.DLL contains ALL of Wincode's 'working' code
(currently) accessed through 80+ functions/procedures. We created this SIMPLE
interface to allow Developers to integrate the Wincode Engine into any
program. We will provide the API and royalty free usage to interested
developers under certain conditions. Please contact the _Snappy_ development
team for more details:

   development@snappy.global2000.net



II. *** Wincode Features (very brief list!) ***

       - Full featured Windows 3.1 program
       - Easy access ButtonBar for hassle-free operation
       - Drag and Drop support (use for batch en/de-coding -> Wincode also
         allows multi-file selection from File Open dialogs)
       - SMART decoding (handles single files, multi-part files, can
         determine what is encoded or not, etc. -> see the HELP file for
         more information)
       - Fully configurable...We're not joking!
       - EMBL UUcode compatible
       - Supports UU, XX or User defined En/De-coding
       - Supports Base64 (MIME conformant) En/De-coding
       - Supports BINHEX En/De-coding (with option to include MAC finder info
         when encoding to make decoding on a MAC *very* easy!)
       - Supports BTOA v4.0 and v5.2 En/De-coding
       - Supports BOO En/De-coding
       - Supports En/De-coding to/from the Clipboard!
       - Supports automatic CODE TYPE detection (just use Auto Detect).
       - Powerful Scripting language can be used to "program" Wincode
         (includes new automatic "Repair" damaged files option!)
       - Supports automatic ZIP/UNZIP (requires PKWare's ZIP/UNZIP 2.0)
       - Supports automatic Virus Scanning (requires a DOS Virus Scanner -
         see the VSDLINK.DAT file for more information)
       - Application menu hooking option to integrate Wincode's menu
       - Includes INSTALL program for upgrades
       - Includes UNINSTALL program for removal
       - Integrated file-sorting companion program (separate
         executable for easier upgrading) which handles MANY types
         of file header formats
       - Integrated Winsock compatible e-mail/post daemon (separate
         executable for easier upgrading) to allow for automatic e-mailing
         and posting of encoded documents (see Requirements)
       - Multimedia support - see the HELP file for details
       - It's ALL FREE...



III. *** Coming Soon ***

       - 32-bit Win95/WinNT version. In progress but no date set yet. Keep
         an eye on our HomePage for early BETAs...
       - User suggestions...?



IV. *** Requirements ***

      - IBM compatible running DOS 3.3 or higher
      - 286 or higher processor with at least 2MB memory
      - Windows 3.1/3.11 running in standard or enhanced mode OR Win95
      - About 1.6MB of disk space without HELP file (~2.0MB with HELP file)
        (Sorry about the disk space - this should be reduced in the coming
         months with the release of 32-bit version)
      - ***NOTE*** To use Wincodes built-in E-Mail/Post capabilities, you
        must have a Winsock setup. This means that you are using a Windows
        Socket stack (WINSOCK.DLL) of some sort connected directly to the
        internet (ethernet, SLIP, PPP, TwinSock, TIA, SLiRP, etc). The
        E-Mail/Post Daemon is a Winsock v1.1 compatible app and has been
        tested with Trumpet Winsock, SunSoft PCNFSPro Winsock, and Winsock
        running under Win95. Improper or missing Winsock setup will only
        result in harmless error messages :-)



V. *** Installing/Running/UnInstalling Wincode ***

If you have not already done so, expand the ZIP archive into a temporary
directory (or a floppy-disk). Start Windows, select FILE|RUN from Program
Manager or File Manager and type in the full path of the INSTALL.EXE program
(run it). The INSTALL program will copy/expand all the files to a directory
you specify (overwriting older files), upgrade your WINCODE.INI (if you are
running an older version of Wincode) and create a Program Manager Group and/or
icon. See the HELPME.HLP file for basic instructions on using Wincode.

***IMPORTANT NOTES:
   1) ALL files (listed above) must be present in the same directory for
      Installer to function properly. You should INSTALL first, then move
      selected files to directories of your choice (i.e. delete the README.TXT,
      place SUM.EXE in your DOS directory, etc.). The install program uses the
      Windows LZEXPAND.DLL to decompress and copy the required files. If you
      receive any error messages during install, please contact _Snappy_ for
      assistance.
   2) If you receive a Program Manager DDE failure (usually under Windows95),
      try RE-STARTING Windows. We have only observed this error under Win95
      on computers that have been used extensively without restart. If this
      fails, installation WILL proceed but PM Groups will not be created.

Wincode can now be un-installed in 2 easy steps. First, run Wincode and
select 'Options|Configuration...' (CTRL-F) from the menu. You will see the
configuration dialog which has an 'UnInstall...' button. Choose this to select
the UnInstall method. The UnInstaller will remove/copy/list all files
included in the Wincode package. However, it does NOT remove itself OR the
directories that Wincode may have used. Therefore, the second step is to
remove these directories and UNINSTLL.EXE from your drive. Wincode should now
be completely erased from your drive.



VI. *** Availability ***

Recent versions of Wincode (or other _Snappy_ software) are always
available at the following locations:

    - The Internet - the _Snappy_ Software site! All of our software is
      available by three different methods:

      1) WWW forms - point your browser at: http://snappy.global2000.net/
         and check out our HomePage! If you can't get through, try our
         MIRROR site at: http://www.global2000.net/users/snappy/snappy/
         (YES, there are two "snappy/" in the address! :-)

      2) Anonymous FTP - visit us at: snappy.global2000.net
         MIRROR: www.global2000.net/users/snappy/

      3) Automated e-mail - send a request to our server and receive an
         encoded copy by e-mail. Visit our HomePage for more info or send
         a BLANK e-mail to: snappy@snappy.global2000.net for a TEXT copy
         of our HomePage.

      In the future, we will try to establish mirror sites for our software.
      Please visit our HomePage for recent developments...

    - CompuServe (check the WinShare forum; keyword: Snappy, Wincode, etc.)

    - America Online (keyword: Snappy, Wincode, etc.)


      
VII. *** Note to HELP Registered Users ***

If you are a registered user but have not received your HELP file, *please*
contact us at: support@snappy.global2000.net with your registration info
(name, address, e-mail address, etc). Many orders arrived with illegible
and/or missing e-mail addresses. _Snappy_ uses your e-mail address as your
user registration code. Further, some orders were shipped but *not received*.
We can't track mail failures (we don't have the resources :-(  ) so we rely
on customers to please get in touch with us if they have a problem.

Please note that registration is a ONE-TIME fee. In other words, your initial
registration keeps you in our database to be eligible for future HELP file
updates! However, it is up to YOU to keep us up to date with your registration
info (e-mail address) and to request the HELP file updates from our server
(this is now a built-in feature of Wincode).

If you need phone support, drop us an e-mail and we'll send you a contact
number. This service is ONLY for registered users and calls are INCOMING ONLY.



XIV. *** Copyrights ***

Wincode is a TradeMark of _Snappy_ Software.

- portions of this program are copyright (C) 1983,1995 Borland
- Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation
- PKZIP/UNZIP are copyright (C) 1989-1993 PKWARE Inc. All Rights Reserved.
- GIF is a service mark of CompuServe Incorporated
- WordPerfect is a registered trademark of Novell, Inc.
- Procomm Plus for Windows is copyright (C) 1992-1993 Datastorm Technologies, Inc.
- Star Trek: The Next Generation is a registered trademark of Paramount
  Pictures
- The Simpsons is trademark and copyright (C) Twentieth Century Fox Film
  Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
- Pinky and the Brain is copyright (C) Amblin Entertainment in association with
  Warner Bros. Animation
- DOOM is copyright (C) 1993 Id Software, Inc.

Copyrights or Trademarks referenced in any material accompanying this software but
not mentioned above have been omitted in error. _Snappy_ observes and respects
all copyrights and trademarks.



Have fun!

_Snappy_ Software ;-)


_Snappy_ Info:  snappy@snappy.global2000.net
Wincode Info:   wincode@snappy.global2000.net
Bug Reports:    bugs@snappy.global2000.net
FeedBack:       feedback@snappy.global2000.net
HomePage:       http://snappy.global2000.net/
MIRROR:         http://www.global2000.net/snappy/snappy/
               (YES, there are two "snappy/" in the address! :-)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

[GHS 05/08/96]
