rod.willmot@canremote.uucp (ROD WILLMOT) (10/31/89)
JL>Would anyone out there know of a good Hypertext Reader/Program
JL>that can use ASCII files?
JL>Has anyone had any experience with Hypertext programs and what
JL>are the impressions?
Jack, I'm glad I caught your message -- I've been hunting all over for
people with an interest in hypertext.
First, to answer your question as best I can: I've taken a close look
at two commercial programs that let you import ASCII files; in fact
this strategy seems to be the one most used, simply because most
hypertext software seems to be too involved with "hyper" to be any
good at "text". Both commercial programs are quite powerful, and
include the ability to link to other programs, use graphics, and
employ artificial intelligence techniques. They are:
* KnowledgePro, from Knowledge Garden, Inc., 473A Malden Bridge Road,
Nassau, NY 12123 (Tel. 518-766-3000). You can order a demo from them
which includes two 5,-inch disks and a printed manual. This is an
impressive system, but you should try the demo first.
* HyperBase, from Cogent Software. Since this is available from
Programmer's Connection you'd get your best deal there. Call the
Connection and order their catalogue; there are *toll-free* numbers!
The one for Canada is 1-800-225-1166. Several other hypertext systems
are listed, and you can ask for further documentation on all of them
by using an info card in the catalogue. Regarding HyperBase itself,
Cogent Software seems more interested in creating new Prolog users
than in furthering the cause of hypertext, but... if you can do a
little programming... It would certainly do what you want. Personally
I disliked it (when I tried to help a friend who had it).
However, there are also some shareware programs available on BBS's.
One is called Hytext, I think, which I obtained from Toronto's own
CRS. CRS undoubtedly has a lot of stuff for you, if you can find it!
On Synapse (819-561-5268) I've found 3 programs, but have only checked
out the first so far: (1) HYPERI.ZIP, a 100% graphics program that is
sort of interesting but almost certainly not what you want, though it
does import ASCII files. (2) HYPER.ZIP, 175K, from the company that
puts out MaxThink; this one is probably quite powerful, and from an
earlier demo I can assure you it reads in ASCII files. (3) HYPERH.ZIP,
64K, billed as HyperHelper, is supposed to let you create & view
hypertext. You should be able to locate all of these on a BBS in the
Toronto area.
A while ago I posted a message in the WRITERS conference, asking for
people interested in hypertext and describing a program of my own.
Obviously my choice of conferences was a mistake -- the traffic there
is pretty durn slow, what we see of it in Canada. (I am in fact a
poet, with 5 books to my name.) My program is called EVRGLADE.ZIP,
and is an extended *hypertext poem* displayed with a reader that I
wrote for it in C. If you can program in C I'll be happy to give you
the source code to customize. A custom-blended reader is *definitely*
faster and prettier than off-the-shelf software will ever be, no
matter how expensive. Which is why I went that difficult route.
Finally, for others reading this message, I am as interested as Jack
in finding out about hypertext software. I would especially like to
make contact with other hypertext explorers, no matter what the nature
of your involvement. There *ought* to be a network of such people,
and if anyone knows of or would like to participate in forming one...
Apart from CanConfMail and any U.S. nets echoing this message, I can
be reached by lettermail (remember that?) at the following address:
Rod Willmot
Hyperion SoftWord
535 Duvernay
Sherbrooke, QC
Canada J1L 1Y8
EVRGLADE.ZIP, an 86K file, is available on CRS, Synapse, Connect 2001,
Channel 1 (MASS), and several other BBS's. I will upload it to any
BBS on the continent from which I receive a request, or will mail a
diskette (specify size) to any serious hypertext writer. In the near
future I will be posting a file containing a set of macros that allow
the creation of hypertext on the fly, within an excellent writing
environment: PC-Write 3.+.
.
/ //eeeeeeeeeeeeueeeee/////
the night heron Rod
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* RNet 1.02R: Synapse BBS - Gatineau PQ - (819) 561-5268