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Talk:B-files

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Different operating systems use different default end-of-line character sequences in text files

I've seen previously some note from Neil Sloane saying that plain text ASCII and Unix style newlines are required in b-files. That's why I had added the following (to warn about the default behaviours)


== Plain text format ==

[[b-files]] must use a [[plain text format]] (i.e. [[ASCII]].) [[Unicode]] is not allowed.

=== Unix style newline ===

[[b-files]] must use the Unix style newline, i.e. <tt>LF</tt>.<ref name="newline">{{Wikipedia|Newline}}</ref>

Systems based on [[ASCII]] or a compatible character set use one or two control characters 

* <tt>LF</tt> (Line Feed): Unix and Unix-like systems (GNU/Linux, AIX, Xenix, Mac OS X, FreeBSD, etc.)
* <tt>CR</tt> (Carriage Return): Mac OS up to version 9
* <tt>CR+LF</tt> (Carriage Return + Line Feed): Microsoft Windows, Symbian OS, Palm OS

[[Programming languages]] usually use the sequence of [[escape characters]]

* \n (newline) for <tt>LF</tt>  
* \r (return) for <tt>CR</tt>
* \r\n (return+newline) for <tt>CR+LF</tt>

Daniel Forgues 18:24, 23 July 2011 (UTC)


On the seqfan list [1] N. J. A. Sloane wrote:

Dear Seqfans, Thanks to help from Brendan McKay, I've now automated the process that converts non-Unix b-files
to Unix format, and also replaces tab characters with spaces. So you don't have to worry about this.

Peter Luschny 19:49, 23 July 2011 (UTC)

More than one b-file for a sequence?

If there is already a b-file b999999.txt for a sequence, and someone creates a new b-file with (e.g. 10 times more terms) for the same sequence, should we keep both b-files (and call the new one a999999.txt or c999999.txt) and have two links on the OEIS sequence page, e.g.

Firstname_1 Lastname_1, Table of n, a(n) for n = 0..10000

...pointing to the original b999999.txt

Firstname_2 Lastname_2, Table of n, a(n) for n = 0..100000

...pointing to the new a999999.txt or c999999.txt

or should we only keep the new bigger b-file, e.g.

Firstname_1 Lastname_1, Table of n, a(n) for n = 0..10000 (extended to 100000 by Firstname_2 Lastname_2)

...pointing to the replaced b999999.txt

Daniel Forgues 18:44, 23 July 2011 (UTC)

Just one b-file per sequence. As currently implemented old b-files do remain on the server, but they should not be linked to. Charles R Greathouse IV 05:22, 23 May 2012 (UTC)

Automatic B-files

I've been noticing new sequences now sport an automatic B-file, like my recently added A182433. Alonso del Arte 00:17, 21 May 2012 (UTC)

Should this article discuss the difference between a-file and b-file?

Should this article discuss the difference between a-file and b-file?