I often have the need to transfer HTML files to other webmasters, and they to me. If you VIEW (from your browsers) the source of SOME web site files, you will see that they have been double spaced (maybe repeatedly). Many of these web sites are not commercial or professional web sites.

I find that there are likely a number of ways to "transfer" or "copy" files. I don't know all causes of how the double spacing is generated (we may find a number causes) but I know of one that causes double spaced files.

One "file transfer" method is file-to-file , like our Window's copying of files. It is done by the operating systems firm and software without creating double spacing.

One thing I have never seen (and I do them dozens of time a day) is the use of FTP (the transfer of files from my PC to my many servers) and the creation of double spacing has never occurred.

I have never seen double spacing generated from attaching files to emails. Yes, I have seen double spaced files sent as attachments, but these files were double space BEFORE the attachment and mailing. And, they have not been further double spaced due to the emailing.

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There are likely "data transfer" methods in addition to the next one. But, ALL the double spacing file generation I have ever seen has to do with the next "data tranfer method" presented.

When I have had my HTML files "saved" off the Internet by webmasters, then sent back to me, files are double spaced. I know of only one way to copy HTML files from those seen on the Internet. The method used is NOT a file-to-file transfer. How would you do that transfer?

The answer involves this .... a VIDEO DATA TRANSFER method. It is the saving of the source file after using the browser's VIEW - Source function to see the code. Then you "select all", "copy" and "paste" from the video memory of the source program into the video memory segment of another program. Lastly, you save the destination program's video memory to a second file (with the double spacing). Thus, this is not a "file-to-file" transfer.

Question? -- What are you actually saving? Answer: You are NOT saving the HTML file ... you are saving the contents of a segment of a program's video memory (a software `buffer` space alloccated to process video data, not to be confused with the monitor's physical hardware `buffer`).

This involves a transfer of TEXT data that is in a program video memory of the source utility (program), like a text editor (NOTEPAD.exe or NOTEPAD+.exe), to the video memory used by the destination utility.

This is a video memory to video memory transfer.

I have personally seen this happen to similar transfers on my PC (not involving the internet or email attachments). I assumed this is what my associate webmasters have also done. Upon investigation, this has been confirmed.

Thus, I can remedy the transfer of source code to another person (and their PC) successfully... only by a "file-to-file" transfer via email attachments without causing the double spacing to occure.

VIDEO BUFFER TRANSFERS MAY NOT ALWAYS GENERATE ALL DOUBLE SPACING, BUT SOME DO. What is happening within what programs I don't know... and actually don't care. ... I avoid the process.

This is likely related to the two utilities (programs) being used, like from a Word Processor's video buffer usage to a mail utility's video buffer. The "video buffers" being that portion of dynamic memory being used by each program at the time. Since each program can process its video data independent of each other, the processing of the video memory contents may differ in many programs. Thus, at least one of the two programs generated an extra "carriage-control-line-feed" (end-of-line) character.

I suspect the double spacing may be related to the number of HTML Text Editors being involved as the destination program in these transfers of HTML source code to other programs (ie. source video buffer to destination video buffer).

Thus, the statement heard that ..."the video buffer has nothing to do with the problem"... may be invalid.

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In addition to the above, I googled the Internet, using the keywords "double spaced files", and this is some of what was found.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=double+spaced+files&btnG=Search

1) File Transfers and double spacing:

Title: "Some text files on FTP servers open with double spaced lines"
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Most likely these text files were uploaded using an external FTP client in binary transfer mode instead of text/ASCII transfer mode.

ref: http://www.chami.com/html-kit/support/docs/pages/h000114.html

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2) HTML File editors and double spacing:

Title: "File appears to be double spaced when viewed in HomeSite
or ColdFusion Studio" (both HTML editors)
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Files that are created and saved over locally mapped drives (Local Files tab) AND that are opened over a remote UNIX connection (Remote Files tab) will appear to have double spacing when viewed. If you then save the file it will permanently have double spacing.

http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/knowledgebase/index.cfm?id=tn_17185

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3) Outlook (Express) and double spacing:

Title: "Messages I send are double spaced for the recipient".

When you press Enter while creating HTML email, Outlook inserts a paragraph tag (<p>), so two Enters (for white space between the paragraphs) inserts two <p> tags, which is double spaced when rendered in a browser. If you use Shift+Enter twice, which creates the line break tag (<br>), the message will not look double spaced in a browser.

ref: http://www.slipstick.com/problems/dblspace_html.htm

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