Subj : sbbsecho and bad packets
To   : deon
From : Digital Man
Date : Tue Oct 07 2025 15:34:45

  Re: sbbsecho and bad packets
  By: deon to Digital Man on Tue Oct 07 2025 07:49 pm

 >   Re: sbbsecho and bad packets
 >   By: Digital Man to deon on Mon Oct 06 2025 11:30 pm
 >
 > Howdy,
 >
 >  > Indeed, yes, but the DateTime field definition for the packed message is
 >  > "inherited" from the Stored Message definition - it's not redefined.
 >
 > I'm not seeing what you are seeing - but ok.

FSP-1042 (still in draft stage) has the packed message header more clearly defined:
,-------------------------------------------------------------.                 | Name         | Type | Length     | Description              |                 +--------------+------+------------+--------------------------+                 | dateTime     | nStr | Exactly 19 | Date and time of message |                 | toUserName   | nStr | 0-35       | User the message is to   |                 | fromUserName | nStr | 0-35       | User the message is from |                 | subject      | nStr | 0-71       | Message subject          |                 | text         | nStr | 0-Infinity | Message body             |                 `--------------+------+------------+--------------------------'


The nStr type is defined (in FSP-1024) as:
nStr:
        NUL-terminated string.  A sequence of zero or more non-NUL
        characters followed by a single NUL character.  If a length is
        specified, does NOT include the terminating NUL.  If an nStr
        with a length of 19 is stored, it will take 20 bytes of
        storage because of the terminating NUL.

 > I'll tell this node that they need to have their software fixed to not send
 > DateTimes as a 20 byte field, but a null terminated string - I think the
 > source is hpt, so lets see if they agree...

I think you have that backwards, the DateTime must be a null terminated string: exactly 19 characters followed by a NUL.
-- 
                                            digital man (rob)

Sling Blade quote #7:
Karl: I don't reckon the Good Lord would send anybody like you to Hades.
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--- SBBSecho 3.30-Linux
 * Origin: Vertrauen - [vert/cvs/bbs].synchro.net (1:103/705)

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