From:	MERC::"uunet!VM1.NoDak.EDU!ANU-NEWS" 28-MAY-1992 17:01:13.82
To:	Multiple recipients of list ANU-NEWS <ANU-NEWS@VM1.NoDak.EDU>
CC:	
Subj:	How I Batched ANU Output Articles

One of the problems I have had with ANU news passing news articles on to
other sites is it's lack of article batching.  Each article to be passed
to the next site generates a unique UUCP request.  The number of files in
my UUCP_SPOOL directory was quite impressive at times.  The effective
UUCP transfer rate was quite low due to file handling overhead.

I started with ANU 6.0 and patched my copy to 6.0-3.  The NEWSSKIM
command file did not provide for any batching.  Hence, doing what any
stubborn programmer does, I wrote a batching facility.

A new method type, UUCP$CMPRS$BATCH, was created.  The NEWS.SYS file then
points to the directory, NEWS_MANAGER_DEV:[POST_UUCP$CMPRS$BATCH_nextsite].

I have listed below the PORTIONS of NEWSSKIM.COM which controls the
batching.  (As you critique the code, remember, it works for me! :-)

The FDL file is needed to create a file of the same type as the article output
files created by ANU NEWS.  The APPEND command appreciates having similar
types of files to mash together. :)

Improvements will be greatly appreciated!!
--
===================================================================
Fred LaForest                     UUCP:  flaforest@vtrm01.UUCP
Vickers, Inc.                    GEnie:  FALAFOREST
Troy, MI  48007-0302        Compuserve:  70337,2344
My opinions and views are my own and not those of Vickers, inc.
(But, that should be quite obvious!)
===================================================================

******************      (NEWSSKIM.COM fragments)
$ !
$ !**********************************************************************
$ !     Copy news items to other sites
$ !
...............
$ ! Search for all directories of the form:
$ !     d) UUCP$CMPRS   - Compressed batch UUCP copies to 'rnews' on the
$ !                       remote site.
$ !             in both of the above cases, 'node' is the uucp hostname.
$ !     d1) UUCP$CMPRS$BATCH - Same as UUCP$CMPRS, but, multiple articles  **
$ !                       as combined into fewer compressed output files.  **
$ !     e) COMMAND      - Local site provided transport implemented by the
$ !
******************  ( Add "**" marked lines to search_1 .. search_2 area )
$   bfsiz = 0                   ! Nothing batched yet                   ! **
$   MAXBATBLKS = 200            ! Maximum size of uncompressed batch file **
$                               ! in blocks.  Assumption #1, compress will **
$                               ! normally halve the file size.  I wanted to **
$                               ! keep the max size of compressed files under **
$                               ! 50K bytes.                              **
$
$ !     note -- where multiple versions of files exist, the following code
$ !     picks them up in *ascending order by version number*, so that they
$ !     get forwarded in the order received.  This enhancement by Mark
$ !     Pizzolato, mark@infopiz.uucp .
$
$ search_2:
$   ver = ver + 1
$   if (ver.gt.versions) .and. (bfsiz .gt. 0)   ! All done?             ! **
$       then                                                            ! **
$         batch_file = f$parse(file,,,"DEVICE") + -                     ! **
                          f$parse(file,,,"DIRECTORY") + "MULTI$BATCH.OUT" ! **
$         compress -fcpv 'batch_file' >'batch_file'_COMPRESSED          ! **
$         uux_rnews 'node' 'batch_file'_COMPRESSED                      ! **
$         delete  'batch_file';*                                        ! **
$         delete  'batch_file'_COMPRESSED;*                             ! **
$         bfsiz = 0                                                     ! **
$       endif                                                           ! **
$   if (ver.gt.versions) then goto search_1                             ! **
$
****************** ( Place this code just after the UUCP$CMPRS method code )
$ !
$ UUCP$CMPRS$BATCH_METHOD:  ! Compress UUCP NEWS - Multiple article per batch
$            batch_file = f$parse(file,,,"DEVICE") + -
                          f$parse(file,,,"DIRECTORY") + "MULTI$BATCH.OUT"
$            fsiz = f$file_attributes(file,"EOF")
$            if ((bfsiz + fsiz) .gt. MAXBATBLKS)        ! Max output file size?
$               then
$                 compress -fcpv 'batch_file' >'batch_file'_COMPRESSED
$                 uux_rnews 'node' 'batch_file'_COMPRESSED
$                 delete  'batch_file';*
$                 delete  'batch_file'_COMPRESSED;*
$                 bfsiz = 0
$               endif
$            if (bfsiz .eq. 0)
$               then
$                 create/fdl=news_manager:news_article_out.fdl 'batch_file'
$               endif
$            open/append  BOUT  'batch_file'
$            write BOUT  f$fao("#!! rnews !UL", fsiz*512)
$            close BOUT
$            append  'file'  'batch_file'
$            bfsiz = bfsiz + fsiz
$            goto delete_it
$
******************    ( FDL File:  NEWS_MANAGER:NEWS_ARTICLE_OUT.FDL )
IDENT   "18-MAY-1992 14:30:29   VAX/VMS ANALYZE/RMS_FILE Utility"

SYSTEM
        SOURCE                  VAX/VMS

FILE
        BEST_TRY_CONTIGUOUS     yes
        CONTIGUOUS              no
        EXTENSION               90
        FILE_MONITORING         no
        GLOBAL_BUFFER_COUNT     0
        ORGANIZATION            sequential

RECORD
        BLOCK_SPAN              yes
        CARRIAGE_CONTROL        carriage_return
        FORMAT                  variable
        SIZE                    0
**************** ( End of Code Stuff )