/* show first few lines of translated binary file */

#define NUMWBLINES 50

/* writeb preview */
_prewb(ser, dtype)
{
        local s, prevf;

        if (eval(sprintf("length(%s)", ser)) > 0)
        {
                eval(sprintf("writeb('previewb.txt', %s, 1, extract(%s, 1, %d))", dtype, ser, NUMWBLINES));

                /* read as binary and write as ASCII */
                s = readb('previewb.txt', eval(dtype), NUMWBLINES);

                if (length(s) > 0)
                {
                        prevf = getmiscpath(1, 1) + "previewb.txt";

                        writea(prevf, s, 1);
                        viewfile(prevf, _previewstr);
                        delfile(prevf);
                }
        }
        else
        {
                message("Preview Binary Data", sprintf(_nodatastr, ser), 8);
        }

}