What is ncf?

For Macintoshes, the only Chinese language software we know about is Macintoshes "Chinese Language Kit", costing about $200 at any retail Macintosh outlet.

For PC's there is a Chinese language software called "Twinbridge Chinese Partner". It is available for about $200 from Linguistic Software Group.

Or there is RichWin, available via ftp from:
//oar.net.tsinghua.edu.cn/pub/Chinese/RichWin/*
The menus are in Chinese, but it allows for input using Pinyin, simplified Chinese characters or traditional Chinese characters

ncf is a Chinese language display and sending filter, and may be used with Pine to send Chinese language (i.e. 8-bit code) email messages.

ncf is written in C and handles the different Chinese encoded messages, GB, Big5, CNS, all subsets of the ISO-2022-CN character set.

If it is invoked with certain variables, it can automatically handle the translation between simplified Chinese characters and traditional Chinese characters.

ncf is available from the ftp site:
//oar.net.tsinghua.edu.cn/pub/Chinese/ncf/ncf105b.tar.gz

The general procedure for the file is:

• Get the README file first
• read the README file first
• Get the file via ftp
• Uncompress the file
• Go into the directory ncf
• make

After the file is compiled (the make command, above), sending and display filters must be set in the Pine configuration files, and a different character-set must be set.

To set up the Pine configuration file:

• invoke pine
• type M for Main Menu
• type S for Setup
• choose C for Config
• If your platform is GB 2312, set:
  • character-set=ISO-2022-CN
  • display-filters=_CHARSET(ISO-2022-CN) /home/userid/directory_name/ncf/ncf -e -pgb -oext
  • sending filters=/home/userid/directory_name/ncf/ncf -pgp -oext
• If your platform is Big5, set:
  • character-set=ISO-2022-CN
  • Display-Filters=/Home/userid/ncf/ncf -pbig5 -i
  • sending filters=/home/userid/ncf/ncf -pbig5 -o
• After making changes to the Pine configuration file, type E to Exit Config
• NOTE: You may have to change your configuration to switch from GB to Big5 everytime you send email, depending on whether you are sending email to Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong or Singapore, depending on what coding the person who will be receiving the email is familiar with.

When sending Chinese email using Pine, you must send while invoking the ncf filters. That is, when you finish typing a message in, and you Ctrl-X to send it, when filters are set up, you will be asked:

• "Send message (unfiltered)?

• Send message (filtered thru "/home/bin/ncf....")?

author: annie li
annie@u.washington.edu