def write_with_substitution out, input
      copy = input.clone
      # Doing it like this rather than in a loop improves the speed
      copy.gsub!( SPECIALS[0], SUBSTITUTES[0] )
      copy.gsub!( SPECIALS[1], SUBSTITUTES[1] )
      copy.gsub!( SPECIALS[2], SUBSTITUTES[2] )
      copy.gsub!( SPECIALS[3], SUBSTITUTES[3] )
      copy.gsub!( SPECIALS[4], SUBSTITUTES[4] )
      copy.gsub!( SPECIALS[5], SUBSTITUTES[5] )
      out << copy
    end
def write_with_substitution out, input
      copy = input.clone
      # Doing it like this rather than in a loop improves the speed
      copy.gsub!( SPECIALS[0], SUBSTITUTES[0] )
      copy.gsub!( SPECIALS[1], SUBSTITUTES[1] )
      copy.gsub!( SPECIALS[2], SUBSTITUTES[2] )
      copy.gsub!( SPECIALS[3], SUBSTITUTES[3] )
      copy.gsub!( SPECIALS[4], SUBSTITUTES[4] )
      copy.gsub!( SPECIALS[5], SUBSTITUTES[5] )
      out << copy
    end
Writes out text, substituting special characters beforehand.
 +out+ A String, IO, or any other object supporting <<( String )
 +input+ the text to substitute and the write out

   z=utf8.unpack("U*")
   ascOut=""
   z.each{|r|
     if r <  0x100
       ascOut.concat(r.chr)
     else
       ascOut.concat(sprintf("&#x%x;", r))
     end
   }
   puts ascOut