open https://gitlab.synchro.net/main/sbbs/-/work_items/1285

## Problem

A SAUCE record appended to an ANSI art file ends up in the body of a message posted from that file, and the built-in message reader displays it as garbage at the end of the message.

Example: DOVE-Net Ads (`DOVE-ADS`) "[ANSI] FuNToPiA BBS" from Mindsurfer, 2026-10-16, imported via QWK from FUNTOPIA (3.22a-Win32). The end of the body:

```
...ESC[0m CRLF CRLF
-- 20261016_113201
1A "SAUCE00" + spaces (blank Title/Author/Group) + "20260609" + 2A 61
CRLF ^An CRLF
--- CRLF * Synchronet * FuNToPiA BBS - telnet://funtopia...
```

The reader shows a CP437 right-arrow glyph (the Ctrl-Z), `SAUCE00`, a run of spaces, the SAUCE date and `*a`, then the tagline.

### Why

1. Nothing removes the SAUCE trailer (Ctrl-Z EOF + optional `COMNT` block +
128-byte `SAUCE00` record) when a file becomes a message body.
2. The record gets truncated at its first NUL byte. SAUCE FileSize is a
little-endian 32-bit value (here `2A 61 00 00` = 24,874), and message
bodies are C strings: `smb_addmsg()` takes the body length with `strlen()`
(`smbadd.c`), and `postmsg.cpp`, `postmsg.js`/`save_msg()` and smbutil
import all end up there. So DataType, FileType, TInfo, TFlags etc. are lost,
while the printable leading fields survive.
3. The message reader does not stop at Ctrl-Z. Display *files* do:
`prntfile.cpp` detects SAUCE with `sauce_fread_charinfo()` and sets
`P_CPM_EOF`, which `putmsg()` honors. Message bodies never take that path,
and setting `P_C

Hey Rob!

On Fri, Oct 16 2026 16:01:56 -0700, you wrote:

1. Nothing removes the SAUCE trailer (Ctrl-Z EOF + optional `COMNT` block + 128-byte `SAUCE00` record) when a file becomes a message body.

I'm sure you're well aware, but SAUCE was created for ANSI /viewers/ specifically (at the time) ACiDView. Other viewers of course adopted the same. Nobody should be posting BBS ads to a BBS with SAUCE, but I imagine these days they probably don't know any better. ;(

I blame Pablodraw (and then probably future drawing programs that followed suit). At some point the guy decided to add SAUCE to saved ANSI by default, whereas you used to have to include it manually yourself (since it was, and ultimately still is for a specific purpose).

Eh well..

Either way, this would be a nice feature for Synchronet (stripping it)!

Regards,
Accession

... He who laughs last, thinks slowest.
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Re: SAUCE record in posted/imported message bodies displays as garbage
By: Rob Swindell to GitLab issue in main/sbbs on Fri Oct 16 2026 04:01 pm

A SAUCE record appended to an ANSI art file ends up in the body of a messag posted from that file, and the built-in message reader displays it as garba at the end of the message.

I say the fix should be the poster saving without SAUCE info. Having SBBS
strip it out risks future issues. Just an opinion, though.

Man I hate that sauce junk.

---
� Synchronet � TIRED of waiting 2 hours for a taco? GO TO TACOPRONTO.bbs.io
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Re: SAUCE record in posted/imported message bodies displays as garbage
By: phigan to Rob Swindell on Sat Oct 17 2026 08:51 am

Re: SAUCE record in posted/imported message bodies displays as garbage
By: Rob Swindell to GitLab issue in main/sbbs on Fri Oct 16 2026 04:01 pm

A SAUCE record appended to an ANSI art file ends up in the body of a messag posted from that file, and the built-in message reader displays it as garba at the end of the message.

I say the fix should be the poster saving without SAUCE info. Having SBBS strip it out risks future issues. Just an opinion, though.

Man I hate that sauce junk.

I actually like the SAUCE idea and its capabilities and we use it for Synchronet avatars and other cool/invisible features in Synchronet where knowing or importing meta data about ANSI/block art files is useful.
--
digital man (rob)

Rush quote #28:
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Re: SAUCE record in posted/imported message bodies displays as garbage
By: Digital Man to phigan on Sat Oct 17 2026 01:53 pm

I actually like the SAUCE idea and its capabilities and we use it for Synchronet avatars and other cool/invisible features in Synchronet where knowing or importing meta data about ANSI/block art files is useful.

I could see that, but it has no place in artwork you're displaying to the public. Why the heck is it on by default and does it feel almost forced? You have to jump through hoops to get rid of it. If you're incrementaly saving with command keys, most programs add it back in.

---
� Synchronet � TIRED of waiting 2 hours for a taco? GO TO TACOPRONTO.bbs.io
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Re: SAUCE record in posted/imported message bodies displays as garbage
By: Digital Man to phigan on Sat Oct 17 2026 13:53:34

I actually like the SAUCE idea and its capabilities and we use it for Synchronet avatars and other cool/invisible features in Synchronet where knowing or importing meta data about ANSI/block art files is useful.

Yes, and it comes it very handy when pulling up multiple files like, example the randomXX.msg files i have located in the text/menu directory I have descriptions of all the files written in the sauce field and when listing them in SyncDraw, I'm able to see what each file contains without having to open each individual one of my 45 or so random files..

So yes.. Very convenient..




Tim (kk4qbn)

---
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Re: SAUCE record in posted/imported message bodies displays as garbage
By: phigan to Digital Man on Sat Oct 17 2026 03:10 pm

Re: SAUCE record in posted/imported message bodies displays as garbage
By: Digital Man to phigan on Sat Oct 17 2026 01:53 pm

I actually like the SAUCE idea and its capabilities and we use it for Synchronet avatars and other cool/invisible features in Synchronet where knowing or importing meta data about ANSI/block art files is useful.

I could see that, but it has no place in artwork you're displaying to the public.

Why not? I think the web-sites and other places that index the art files can (and do) use the meta data to help with searches and organization. Synchcronet, for example, uses the SAUCE record from the DIZ of uploaded files to populate details about the author/group of the archive being uploaded.

Why the heck is it on by default and does it feel almost forced?

Well it's *supposed* to be invisible (e.g. if you "type" the file from a command prompt) - but that's really a non-universal CPM/DOSism (the Ctrl-Z character is treated as an EOF marker that terminates the file).

You
have to jump through hoops to get rid of it. If you're incrementaly saving with command keys, most programs add it back in.

I agree that editors should make the addition of SAUCE optional, but it *is* a useful feature and I don't have an issue with it defaulting on.
--
digital man (rob)

Steven Wright quote #3:
Half the people you know are below average.
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