lrr@ebt-inc.uucp (Lou Reynolds) (11/28/90)
In response to the following question posted to comp.windows.x, we thought a reposting of the article below (originally posted by Robin Cover to comp.text.sgml) would be appropriate. > From: buxbaum@Alliant.COM (Mark Buxbaum) > Subject: Hypertext under X? > Date: 20 Nov 90 22:44:33 GMT > > Are there products out there that run under X that are clean implementations > of hypertext? > > The ones I know about are: > > hyperCmedia, from Paradise Software > FrameViewer, from Frame Technology > > I'm sure there are others. > > Please send me mail with product info, and I'll post a summary. Path: bones!uunet!know!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!lll-winken!sun-barr!newstop!texsun!smunews!txsil!robin From: robin@txsil.lonestar.org (Robin Cover) Newsgroups: comp.text.sgml Subject: Genuinely interesting SGML software Message-ID: <374@txsil.lonestar.org> Date: 12 Nov 90 17:44:36 GMT Reply-To: robin@txsil.lonestar.org (Robin Cover) Organization: Summer Institute of Linguistics, Dallas TX Lines: 94 The following description of DynaText is taken from information in a press release and from (EBT) company literature. DynaText is a computing environment for SGML-encoded documents: it supports hypertext- browsing, full-text searching and dynamic (stylesheet-driven) document display based upon SGML encoding. Robin Cover ================================================================= Electronic Book Technologies, Inc. One Richmond Square Providence, RI 02906 Tel: (401) 421-9550 FAX: (401) 421-9551 Email: (UUCP) uunet!ebt-inc!lrr (Louis R. Reynolds) Email: (BITNET) el407011@brownvm (Steven J. DeRose) Email: (Internet) lrr@iris.brown.edu (Louis R. Reynolds) Product: DynaText(tm) DynaText is a software system that allows in-house publication groups to turn existing reference documentation into dynamic electronic books. It is aimed at satisfying the need to publish large-scale reference material online, either on a network or for standalone delivery such as found in the aircraft, government and telecommunications sectors. Unlike other systems, DynaText accepts ISO standard SGML directly, allowing documents prepared in most desktop publishing systems to be input without any modification or translation. In addition to SGML, DynaText supports a variety of popular raster formats (such as PICT, TIFF, Sun Raster and CCITT fax formats) to facilitate capture of associated artwork. The system also supports an open architecture for integration with multi-media applications allowing sound, animation and video supplements to be added to existing reference documents. DynaText was specifically designed to take SGML documents from any source and automatically produce a dynamic electronic book that can be browsed on an X-terminal, computer workstation, or portable PC. DynaText accepts valid SGML documents and automatically builds a dynamic table of contents that is used as one of the primary means of navigating through the material. Unlike its printed counterpart, and like many high-end outline processors, this table of contents can be expanded and collapsed providing an appropriate level of detail for the reader. Clicking on an item in this list automatically scrolls an associated text view of the document to the corresponding section. Navigation and collaborative document editing are facilitated by navigation tools such as history logs and bookmarks. A facilty under development allows users to attach annotations ("sticky notes") of various kinds to documents via imposed icons. DynaText uses SGML element tags to automatically generate hyperlinks to associated material such as diagrams, tables, and explicit cross references. This allows readers to quickly reference related material through simple mouse clicks. DynaText is an open system that is not bound to any specific SGML tag set, and allows users to add their own link types/behavior through simple style sheet entries. Electronic style sheets are held in ascii-editable files with SGML syntax. This mechanism can be employed by users who want to create dynamic multi-media documents. Style definitions may be used to set the display characteristics (font type, size, color) including visibility or suppression of each SGML element. The principle of conditional visibility of elements (and element classes) in response to style sheets and icon clicks permits rapid customization of electronic books where a variety of document editions is desired. DynaText builds a full text index of the SGML document and (unlike other indexers that simply report occurrences within an entire document) can report occurrences within SGML components. Hit-list statistics for each document section provides an unprecedented level of search precision that enables users to find terms within the relevant sections of the document quickly. Wild cards and regular expressions may be used in queries, eliminating the need for exact string matches; Boolean logic (AND, OR) may also be specified. The indexer supports synonym lists that act like special purpose thesauri that enable access to information though a variety of synonymous terms. This feature is especially useful in acronym-laden technical reference manuals. The DynaText system is currently installed at a number of sites running UNIX on the Sun/4, SPARC family of workstations and servers. The browser can output to any X-window display device, including low cost X-terminals, workstations, or PCs running X windows. The UNIX version of the system is planned for release before the end of this calendar year. A PC version running under MS-Windows is planned for first quarter of 1991. The system is aggressively priced at $12,500 for an indexer and a browser that supports five simultaneous users. Standalone prices for the PC version of the browser will begin at $250 per machine. Volume discounts will be available for large end-users and VARs. References: "DynaText: Electronic Book Engine from EBT [Electronic Book Technologies]: First to Handle any SGML Application." <title>Seybold Report on Publishing Systems</> 20/2 (September 24, 1990). ISSN 0736-7260.