All Gopher Clients can read TEXT files. As this is the standard method
of relaying information with Gopher, and as TEXT files lack formatting
indicators such as BOLD and ITALIC (you are limited to ASCII characters
only), a standardized method of indicating formatted information using
just ASCII characters becomes important. Below are listed some of the
formatting indicators in common usage:
TITLE = Deeply indent, then precede and end phrase with arrows:
---> Titile <---
HEADING = Left align, then box above and below with equal-signs:
=======
Heading
=======
BULLET = Indent, then precede with a dash and a space:
- bullet
SUB-BULLET = Heavily indent, then precede with a tilde and a space:
~ sub-bullet
BOLD = Type phrase using all capitals:
BOLD
ITALIC = Precede and end phrase with a dash:
-italic-
BOLD/ITALIC = Combine the bold and italic indicators:
-BOLD/ITALIC-
UNDERLINE = Precede and end phrase with a double-quote:
"underline"
HIGHLIGHT = Precede and end phrase with a single-quote:
'highlight'
Please note that the number of characters per line is also an issue.
Typesetters consider 65 characters the optimal line length (easiest to read).
DOS programs can only display a maximum of 80 characters before wrapping.
The UMN Gopher can only display a maximum of 67 characters in a Gopher menu.
The Bucktooth Gopher server will wrap menus over 65 characters in length.
CGA video displays are limited to a maximum of 40 characters before wrapping.
WebTV (MSNTV) will display between 41 (all letter "A") and 90 (all letter "I")
characters per line, as it uses a variable-width font.
Gopher servers provide no help in character rendering. If you choose to use,
for example, ISO-8859 characters, keep in mind that it is responsability of
the Clinet to render the characters correctly. Note that most Gopher Clients
are written on the expectaction of encountering a standard ASCII character set.
