IHLS400@INDYCMS.BITNET.UUCP (05/22/87)
G'day... I have a fair number of questions that I would like to ask on various unrelated topics, but in the interest of the network load, I will combine them all into this same mail. Please extract whatever part you feel necessary. Thanks. 1) I have version 1.12mmg of ProFortran 77. I understand that at least version 1.15mmg is out. I bought my copy used but the registration card was included and I sent it in. Does anyone know what Prospero's policies are regarding upgrades? I haven't heard from them since I only sent the card in about 3 weeks ago. (I only bought my ST about 4 weeks ago...also used.) Does 1.15mmg have its own editor?? 2) Although Prospero has apparently okayed distribution of the resident library on ProFortran, does anyone know a way in which the resident library can be linked to a program so a user doesn't have to grab a copy of the PRL.PRG in order to run a PD Fortran program if I write anything I feel worthy of putting out on the net? It seems silly to have to keep the PRL resident. 3) Given a write FORMAT statement with trailing blanks, either through the X format code or by enclosing them as a literal value, ProFortran seems to deny any knowledge of their existence thereby placing the cursor directly after the last non-blank value in the format when it gets to the next statement which is a READ. This even occurs when I try to write out a dummy variable called BLANK (CHARACTER*1) in an A1 at the end of the statement. I am also having problems getting my carriage controls to work, both ANSI standard and the / format code. Can someone help or at least point me to the right place in the manual where I might find out what I'm doing wrong (if anything)? 4) I bought Personal Pascal (and will probably buy version 2), but I don't know Pascal yet. Can someone point me to a decent text in Pascal that isn't too terribly expensive and is written in English rather than hard core tech since I am not yet comfortable with micro hardware? 5) I have heard some talk of STadel here and have called one of the STadel boards in Minnesota. I am considering running a BBS and may well like to take on writing my own, but before I put that kind of effort into it, I would like to see if the novelty of sysopping would wear off. The only way I can think to do that is by finding a PD BBS and running it for a bit. I don't want to spend a lot of money on something that I may never use after the first 3 weeks. (I could conceivably run the BBS off my 800 rather than the ST...) I am open to any suggestions, hints, ideas, etc. about PD BBSs (where I can obtain a copy), sysopping, running from the 800 as opposed to the ST, what things should be considered in a BBS, what people look for in a BBS, what the (dis)advantages are in writing in a particular language (or compiler) and any other related topics. 6) I have been having major problems getting files from the file server at Houston and getting them to UUdecode properly on the ST. I realize that part of it may be due to a translation error coming through the links, but part of it is also quite probably "user error". I cannot seem to get anything to work from the net. Is there someone out there who has been kind enough to track all the problems people have mentioned and the solutions they have found, and the steps I should take when retrieving a file from the server (i.e. Download -> decode -> deARC?). 7) Being a fairly new ST owner, I have found the documentation and the books available for the ST to be, well, quite frankly, miserable. It seems that everything assumes NO knowledge whatsoever, or that I am thoroughly familiar with the hardware structure of the ST (which I am not). I am not computer illiterate, however, almost all my experience is in mainframes and mainframe software, not hardware. I find technical documentation to be tedious and would like to find something that explains the internals of my ST. From that point, I can deal with the technical material, but I have a problem fighting both the concepts and the text at the same time. Any suggestions here? 8) What languages do people use most on their STs? Most of the examples I see come across the net are in C. Since my education leaned more towards Computer Information Systems rather than Computer Science, I learned more business oriented applications rather than technical applications. I don't regret this (especially since I didn't have to take as much calculus! :-), but I now find myself a bit out of touch with microcomputing. It would be interesting to learn what kinds of things people are doing with their STs. I will be happy to share what I learn if people are interested. Please tell me if you wish to keep your information confidential. Thank you for your indulgence. Please Email to me directly unless you feel that your response might be of interest to the general public. Please include your full return path in your response. I tend to get a lot of mail back from Mailer D(a)emons. -Holly .............................. ............................. Steady as a rock and twice as smart. .............................. ............................. +-------------------------------------------------------+ | @@@@@@@@@ @@@ @@@ @@@@@@@@ @@@ @@@ @@@@@@@@@ | | @@@ @@@ @@@ @@@ @@@ @@@ @@@ @@@ | | @@@ @@@ @@@ @@@@@@@@ @@@ @@@ @@@ | | @@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@ @@@ @@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@ | | Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis | | | | Holly Lee Stowe IUPUI Computing Services | | (317) 274-0756 or 0754 799 West Michigan Street | | BITNET: IHLS400@INDYCMS Indianapolis, IN 46202 | +-------------------------------------------------------+