jafischer@watrose.UUCP (04/11/87)
NTIC PUBLISHING INC., COPYRIGHT 1987.
REPRINTED BY PERMISSION.
CEBIT '87 ST REPORT: PART 2
LANGUAGES AND BUSINESS SOFTWARE
-- EXCLUSIVE TO ANTIC ONLINE --
BY CHRISTIAN SCHMITZ-MOORMANN
APRIL 4, 1987
There was very interesting software for the Atari at CEBIT '87 too. I
tried to look for things that haven't (yet) reached the other side of the
Atlantic. Let's start with new languages. Although there are many already,
even more languages are offered for the ST. Some people even say that there is
no other computer with more different languages available -- languages not only
for developers.
Again, HEIM-Verlag has something for us. It is a powerful version of
PROLOG that also supports GEM. The package consists of a compiler/interpreter
system with around 140 functions. It is called SALIX-PROLOG and costs around
$120.
More sophisticated is MProlog by Berlin-based Epsilon. MProlog is also
available on other computers like VAX, Macintosh, IBM etc. It costs around $500
(?), and is designed for professional use.
SMALLTALK-80 in its version 2.1, which has been ported to the ST by a group
from Dortmund-university, is an object-oriented language which means that all is
done by sending messages betwwen objects.
Another language with an unusual concept is FORTH. LMI put out its
FORTH-83 compatible version for the ST. This version is also compatible with
other LMI-Forths for other computers. Alas, it does not support GEM, but it at
least supports the TOS functions.
A language that becomes more and more interesting for the hobbyist is
MODULA-2. MEGAMAX is turning out its version and probably will be a worthy
competitor against TDI.
Not only new languages were shown. BASIC in new and more powerful versions
enjoys a glorious revival. Three different BASIC systems were shown.
First there was GfA who showed version 2.0 of their interpreter and the
almost final version 1.71 of their compiler. Frank Ostrowski, the author of
GfA-BASIC is now busy writing a GfA-macro-assembler, lets wait and see. GfA
will be represented in the US by MICHTRON.
The second BASIC shown was OMIKRON- BASIC which comes on a plug-in board
for the ROM-port. It is even faster than GfA-BASIC in most functions, it
calculates up to 19 decimals, supports matrices and a C-standard GEM-inter face.
It is MBASIC-compatible and there only is one problem. By the time it was
published, most people had already bought GfA-BASIC.
The third newcomer has another nice feature. True-BASIC is available for
ATARI, IBM, AMIGA and MAC and between these it is fully portable. Like OMIKRON
it offers matrices and it supports the full new ANSI-standard. It also has a
special library for 3-D graphics.
BUSINESS...
There were quite a few applications presented, but most programs were
dedicated to the German market with special attention to the German tax-system
and other uniquely German necessities. Among those that are useful for any
businessman was LOGISTIX, an integrated software-package which includes a
spreadsheet, database, timeplanner and graphics. The demonstration was quite
impressive, and the product seems very capable, but I'm not an expert in
spreadsheets.
dB-MAN was presented in a German version which still has some of the old
bugs, of which the most prominent is failure to turn off the blinking cursor
upon exiting. But apart from this dB-MAN is a very powerful piece of software
and especially the incorporated programming-language with its abundance of
commands and functions hardly leaves any wishes.
Another database was presented by ATARI itself. ADIMENS-ST is fully GEM-
integrated (well almost), extremly fast, powerful and a high-quality product.
To bad it still lacks a programming language, which for me as a developer is
indispensable. ATARI said it is underway, though, and should be available by
July.
A real goody was a piece of integrated software which was presented by a
Yugoslavian firm. Its name is 'STEVE' and it is the most flexible spreadsheet
I've seen, yet. One can do everything and nothing with it. It can be used as a
spread-sheet naturally, a database, text-editor, graphic editor and mailing list
facility. It allows user-definable function keys, two keyboard-tables, several
fonts, abbreviations and dictionary in the text-editor and more. The program
will retail in Germany for around DM 250, which is about $110, but that was the
maximum price. I'm waiting for this program!
END OF CEBIT '87 ST REPORT - PART II
--
- Jonathan Fischer (jafischer@watrose.UUCP)
or ...watmath!watrose!jafischer