>> In any case, we are getting off the subject,
>
> Finally, a word of wisdom...
>
>> which was how to store a set of
>> varying-length strings with minimal wasted space.
>
> ... except that the subject of this mailing list is not "how to store
> something somewhere", but "the GNU Pascal Compiler", in case you
> didn't notice. Discussion of the Pascal Macro Compiler belongs to the
> Pascal Macro Compiler mailing list.
>
> Another thing which you apparently didn't notice, although three
> people already asked you to do so: please, turn off HTML in your mail.
>
> Emil Jerabek

The subject of this thread in the GPC mailing list is how to store character strings without wasted space. Notive that the subject of this thread is "Packing strings ()" That was the subject of the original posting that started the thread.

I have mentioned the Pascal Macro Compiler because it comes with macros that have the ability to pack strings without wasted space. That is the original question, and this is an appropriate answer to the question. I have not discussed the Pascal Macro Compiler in any other context except to answer the question in this thread.

I have gone to great lengths to avoid creating any HTML in my postings to this mailing list. To avoid HTML-style quoting, I am copying the postings myself, and inserting all of those greater-than signs by hand. I have avoided putting in any links because I have not found a way to suppress the anchor tags. I have not done any form of text emphasis other than using caps, used no colors, inserted no pictures or backgrounds, and given no email links. I don't see what I am doing that makes you see HTML in my posts.

I can't see any signs of HTML in these emails, other than line breaks, which are already in the emails when I receive them from the mailing list. If I manually removed the line breaks, then the gt-signs would no longer be along the left edge, but interspersed in the text. I don't think that would be desirable.

I have tried to stick to the subject, but other people have been attacking my postings for all sorts of reasons that I believe are tangential at best, such as the use of text compression, hashing, trees and linked lists. I have tried to point out that these are separate issues, but I get attacked again when I do that.

I am starting to wonder if this isn't some kind of hazing for the new guy, and if I want to join this fraternity then I have to undergo this ritual. Or maybe you are just testing me to see if I am worthy to be in this august company.