AscToHTM Documentation for AscToHTM conversion utility
This documentation can be downloaded in .zip format.

The HTML version of this document has, of course, been produced using AscToHTM itself, no post-processing has been done to the HTML pages produced. The contents list, the navigation bar and all the hyperlinks have been generated from a single source document A2HDOCO.TXT and a few small configuration files. See section 6.1 of this document to see the actual files involved.

This document describes AscToHTM V2.1, which will be available early December 1997.


1 Introduction

1.1 AscToHTM's design objectives
1.2 Expected uses of AscToHTM
1.3 Other uses of AscToHTM

2 Installation

2.1 VMS installation
2.2 Windows installation

2.2.1 InstallShield version
2.2.2 Simple .ZIP file version
2.2.3 Console application

3 How AscToHTM works

3.1 The big assumption
3.2 The analysis pass
3.3 The output pass

3.3.1 Generating HTML
3.3.2 Generating a contents list
3.3.3 Splitting the document into many HTML pages

4 Running AscToHTM

4.1 Windows version

4.1.1 Normal activation
4.1.2 Execution from a command line
4.1.3 Drag'n'Drop execution

4.2 VMS and console application versions

4.2.1 Making your first attempt
4.2.2 Command line qualifiers

4.2.2.1 The /CONTENTS qualifier
4.2.2.2 The /DEBUG qualifier
4.2.2.3 The /DOS qualifier
4.2.2.4 The /SIMPLE qualifier
4.2.2.5 The /POLICY qualifier

4.3 Refining your results

4.3.1 Using a policy file
4.3.2 Using a link dictionary
4.3.3 Using multiple policy files
4.3.4 Creating DOS-compatible files

4.4 Processing several files at once
4.5 Other tips and tricks

4.5.1 General
4.5.2 Link dictionary
4.5.3 Contents List detection
4.5.4 Using "Send to" in Windows 95/NT

5 HTML markup produced

5.1 Indentation
5.2 Header Lines

5.2.1 Numbered headers
5.2.2 Capitalised headers
5.2.3 Underlined headers
5.2.4 Numbered paragraphs

5.3 Hyperlinks

5.3.1 Contents List lines
5.3.2 Cross-references
5.3.3 URLs
5.3.4 Usenet Newsgroups
5.3.5 E-mail addresses

5.4 Hanging paragraph indents
5.5 Bullets

5.5.1 Bullet chars
5.5.2 Numbered bullets
5.5.3 Alphabetic bullets
5.5.4 Roman Numeral bullets

5.6 Definitions

5.6.1 Definition lines
5.6.2 Definition paragraphs

5.7 Quoted lines
5.8 Pre-formatted text

5.8.1 Lines and form feeds
5.8.2 User defined pre -formatted text
5.8.3 Automatically detected pre-formatted text

5.9 Centred text

6 Using Document Policy files

6.1 An example conversion
6.2 Analysis policies

6.2.1 General Analysis policies

6.2.1.1 "Indent position(s)"
6.2.1.2 "Definition Char"
6.2.1.3 "Hanging paragraph position(s)"
6.2.1.4 "Page width"
6.2.1.5 "Text justification"
6.2.1.6 "Expect blank lines between paras"
6.2.1.7 "New paragraph offset"
6.2.1.8 "Keep it simple"
6.2.1.9 "Min chapter size"
6.2.1.10 "Short line length"
6.2.1.11 "Expect code samples"

6.2.2 Bullet policies

6.2.2.1 "Expect Numbered bullets"
6.2.2.2 "Expect alphabetic bullets"
6.2.2.3 "Expect Roman Numeral bullets"
6.2.2.4 "Bullet Char"

6.2.3 Headings

6.2.3.1 "First Section Number"
6.2.3.2 "Expect Numbered Headings"
6.2.3.3 "Expect Underlined Headings"
6.2.3.4 "Expect Capitalised Headings"
6.2.3.5 "Expect Second Word Headings"
6.2.3.6 "Heading level ..."
6.2.3.7 "Smallest possible section number"
6.2.3.8 "Largest possible section number"

6.2.4 Pre-formatted text

6.2.4.1 "Allow definitions inside PRE"

6.3 Output policies

6.3.1 Added HTML details

6.3.1.1 "Document Title"
6.3.1.2 "Document keywords"
6.3.1.3 "Document description"
6.3.1.4 "HTML Script file"
6.3.1.5 "HTML header"
6.3.1.6 "HTML footer"
6.3.1.7 "Background Image"
6.3.1.8 Various colour policies

6.3.2 Hyperlinks

6.3.2.1 "Create hyperlinks"
6.3.2.2 "Create mailto links"
6.3.2.3 "Create NEWS links"
6.3.2.4 "Only use known groups"
6.3.2.5 "Cross-refs at level"

6.3.3 File generation

6.3.3.1 "Input directory"
6.3.3.2 "Output directory"
6.3.3.3 "Use .HTM extension"
6.3.3.4 "Use DOS filenames"
6.3.3.5 "DOS filename root"
6.3.3.6 "Split level"
6.3.3.7 "Min HTML File size"
6.3.3.8 "Add navigation bar"
6.3.3.9 "Output policy file"
6.3.3.10 "Output policy filename"
6.3.3.11 "Generate diagnostics files"

6.3.4 Contents

6.3.4.1 "Expects contents list"
6.3.4.2 "Add contents list"
6.3.4.3 "External contents list filename"

6.3.5 Preprocessor policies

6.3.5.1 "Use Preprocessor"
6.3.5.2 "Include document section"

6.3.6 Style

6.3.6.1 "Document style sheet"
6.3.6.2 "Highlight definition text"
6.3.6.3 "Use <DL> markup for defn. paras"
6.3.6.4 "Allow automatic centring"
6.3.6.5 "Minimum automatic <PRE> size"
6.3.6.6 "Largest allowed <Hn> tag" and "Smallest allowed <Hn> tag"
6.3.6.7 "Ignore multiple blank lines"
6.3.6.8 "Search for emphasis"

6.3.7 Link Dictionary

7 Using the preprocessor

7.1 The SECTION command
7.2 The PRE (pre-formatted text) commands
7.3 The CONTENTS commands
7.4 The HTML commands
7.5 The TITLE command
7.6 The INCLUDE command
7.7 The STYLE_SHEET command
7.8 The KEYWORDS command
7.9 The DESCRIPTION command

8 Purchasing AscToHTM

8.1 Why should I purchase AscToHTM?
8.2 What happens if I don't register the shareware version of AscToHTM?
8.3 Can't I get something for nothing?
8.4 I'm convinced. How to I purchase AscToHTM?

9 Contacts on the Web

9.1 The home page
9.2 E-mail
9.3 Support

10 Known problems

10.1 Bug fixes
10.2 Features
10.3 Coming soon... or not.

11 Change History

11.1 Version 1.01
11.2 Version 1.04

11.2.1 Bug fixes
11.2.2 New functions
11.2.3 Other changes

11.3 Version 1.05

11.3.1 Bug fixes
11.3.2 New functions
11.3.3 Other changes

11.4 Version 1.1

11.4.1 Bug fixes
11.4.2 New functions
11.4.3 Other changes

11.5 Version 2.00

11.5.1 Bug fixes
11.5.2 New functions
11.5.3 Other changes

11.6 Version 2.10 (not yet released)

11.6.1 Bug fixes
11.6.2 New functions
11.6.3 Other changes


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© 1997 John A. Fotheringham