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probbs:qwk

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QWK File Format

QWK is a common protocol for offline message readers and BBS software. This is a quick synopsis on how to implement support into your product (reader, processor, or BBS).

Files in a QWK zip

Even though the files are zipped, the file extension is renamed to .QWK for the download from the BBS software, and .REP for the zip uploading messages to the BBS.

  1. Ordered List ItemCONTROL.DAT (a string list file)
  2. MESSAGES.DAT (a 128 block ASCII file)
  3. *.NDX (an array of binary bytes)

CONTROL.DAT

Each line is CRLF 0x0D 0x0A (#13#10) (\r\n) delimited.

Line 1 BBS name
Line 2 BBS city and state
Line 3 BBS phone number
Line 4 BBS Sysop name
Line 5 Mail door registration #, BBSID
Line 6 Mail packet creation time
Line 7 User name (upper case)
Line 8 Name of menu for Qmail, blank if none
Line 9 ? Seem to be always zero
Line 10 Total number of messages in packet
Line 11 Total number of conference minus 1
Line 12 1st conf. number
Line 13 1st conf. name (13 characters or less) Modern QWK BBSes send Full Conference Names
Line 14 next conf. number
Line 15 next conf. name (13 characters or less) Modern QWK BBSes send Full Conference Names
2nd from lastWelcome screen file
Next from lastBBS news file
Last LineLog off screen
probbs/qwk.1573931987.txt.gz · Last modified: 2019/11/16 19:19 by ozz