ESS-Code 5.04:  N E W  F E A T U R E S
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    There have been a number of versions of this program.  To save space,
only the changes since ESS-Code 4.6 are listed here.  If you are
upgrading from a version other than the last public release, it is
suggested that you read the entire documentation file.

NOTE:  This list is in chronological order; the new information will appear
       at the end of the list.

[ESS-Code 5.01:  March 5, 1994]

= The progress display has been fixed (at last); you can now move the
  window, and you can now "top" it once it has been untopped.  Also,
  the progress display no longer overwrites other windows.  If it is
  not the top window, the progress display is not updated.

= The online help has been revised; there were some errors and ommisions.

= The documentation has been re-written.

= ESS-Code now ensures that the configuration file is of the correct
  format before processing it.
  
= Progress displays can now be turned on or off.  This option is
  saved with the other options in the configuration file.  

= UUEncoding/UUDecoding can now be aborted by pressing the <ESCAPE>
  key.

= Progress displays now show a "progress bar" (exactly like the one
  seen when formatting a disk with the GEM Desktop).

= If the configuration file is not found in the "current" directory,
  ESS-Code will now search for an environment variable called
  "ESSCODE_CONFIG".  This environment variable contains the complete
  filename and pathname of the configuration file.

= ESS-Code now utilizes the VA_START AES message.  This message is used by
  the Mag!X operating system to pass information to an already executing
  program.  At any time that ESS-Code is waiting for user input, simply
  drag a file (or more than one file) to the ESS-Code icon.  ESS-Code will
  determine for itself whether the file should be encoded or decoded.

= ESS-Code now utilizes non-modal alert boxes!  These alert boxes have
  keyboard shortcuts, appear in a window, and allow you to use other
  accessories or applications while an alert box is on the screen.  In
  addition, they prevent you from continuing to use ESS-Code while it
  is showing an alert box.  (The entire dialog library used by ESS-Code is
  written by Christian Grunenberg.  Thanks!)

= Options are now set in a dialog box, instead of under the "File"
  menu.  There are three new options; Confirm Overwrites will cause
  ESS-Code to ask if it should overwrite existing files.  Confirm
  Termination will cause ESS-Code to ask for confirmation when
  exiting the program.  AutoSave Options will cause ESS-Code to save
  your options when you exit the program. 

[ESS-Code 5.04:  March 10, 1994]

= ESS-Code can now BTOA-Encode/BTOA-Decode files.  This method of conversion
  is not as fast as UUEncode/UUDecode, but it generates more compact output.
  It does not support segmentation, though.
  
= There is now a new option; "Default Conversion Method" -- This determines
  how ESS-Code will convert files when it is asked to process a group of
  files (when files are passed on the command line, when the user selects
  "Process Batch..." from the "File" menu, or when ESS-Code is communicating
  with a Multitasking operating system).  Selecting "Ask" will cause ESS-Code
  to ask which conversion method to use when an appropriate situation arises.

= ESS-Code can now divide already existing files into segments.  To do this,
  select "RAW-Split File..." from the "File" menu.  No "rebuilding"
  information is written to the output files.

= ESS-Code can now join segments together.  This can be done by selecting
  "RAW-Concatenate File..." from the "File" menu.  This option does not
  filter out any data.  If there is extraneous information, it should be
  removed using an editor.

= ESS-Code no longer uses the client-program for MultiTOS; it is still
  suported (for this version only) but it is reccommended that it not be
  used.

= Once again, the online help was been extensively modified.

                                                   -Michel Forget
                                                    Electric Storm Software
                                                    March 10, 1994
                                                    
