Home

QWK.NET Wiki

This wiki contains in-depth, conceptual documentation for QWK.NET. It explains format behaviour, real-world variations, and design decisions that go beyond API reference material.

This content is intended for developers who need a deeper understanding of QWK, QWKE, and how QWK.NET handles historical and non-standard packets.

---

Start here

If you are new to QWK.NET or are diagnosing unexpected behaviour, begin with these pages:

• Validation Modes
• QWK Format Observations
• Encoding and CP437
• Troubleshooting
• Frequently Asked Questions

---

Formats and files

Deep dives into QWK and QWKE file structure and real-world behaviour:

• QWK Packet Reference
• QWK Format Notes
• QWKE Observations
• CONTROL.DAT Primer
• Index Files (.NDX)

---

Validation and parsing behaviour

How QWK.NET validates packets and handles malformed or non-standard data:

• Validation Modes
• Frequently Asked Questions

---

Encoding and character handling

Character encoding, line terminators, and display considerations:

• Encoding and CP437
• Console Encoding Advice
• Backtick-Escaped ANSI Codes

---

Indexing and message ordering

Message ordering, index files, and offset handling:

• Index Files (.NDX)

---

Troubleshooting and FAQs

Diagnosing issues and understanding common questions:

• Troubleshooting
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Glossary

---

Related documentation

For API-level documentation and architectural details, see:

• /docs — API overview, architecture, compatibility, and packaging
• /docs/getting-started.md — Guided first-success path