gilbertd@cricket.bio.indiana.edu (Don Gilbert) (03/02/91)
Archive-name: bionet/molbio/hypergcg/1991-03-01 Archive: iubio.bio.indiana.edu:[archive.molbio.mac]hypergcg.hqx [129.79.1.101] Original-posting-by: gilbertd@cricket.bio.indiana.edu (Don Gilbert) Original-subject: Hypercard front-end for GCG software on Vax Reposted-by: emv@ox.com (Edward Vielmetti) Last May, I put together the beginnings of a Macintosh Hypercard interface to the GCG gene sequence analysis package running on VMS-Vax computers. It is based around the idea that each function in the GCG suite is presented to Bob Biologist as Hyper cards which describe the function and present options as buttons and lists. Bob can type his sequence into a card, or select from Mac or VAX data files as needed. The card then builds necessary VAX and GCG commands to perform his analysis, sends them to the VAX and returns the text or plot results. All of the archane VMS details are (or should be) hidden from Bob. This HyperGCG stack includes a framework for organizing the GCG analysis functions, the needed communications links (via phone/serial or network/MacTCP connections), a simple sequence editor, file handling routines for VAX and Mac, text and plot output functions. At this point, the stack is still an unfinished skeleton; I have implemented only a few of the GCG functions, and the organization and documentation needs much work. I am not recommending it for Bob or any average user yet. Since I made this stack available to a limited audience of GCG managers on the Info-GCG mail list and the GCG company last May, I have not received enough comments or indication that it was of use to anyone for me to pursue work on this. It is possibly useful for those who want to work with it, and it can be a useful guide to developing Hypercard front- ends for remote computer software. The stack is at the stage where only Hypercard/Hypertalk programming ability, and a knowledge of VMS commands, is needed to flesh it out. So I am making this stack publicly available on an as-is basis to anyone who is interested in looking at it. I have no plans to put any additional work into it. However, I'll collect comments and make any significant suggestions or additions available the public. You can find this stack, as a stuffed, binhexed file, by ftp to iubio.bio.indiana.edu, user: anonymous, password: any, cd [archive.molbio.mac], get hypergcg.hqx. -- Don -- Don Gilbert gilbert@bio.indiana.edu biocomputing office, biology dept., indiana univ., bloomington, in 47405