NeXT Nugget News Digest (vol. 4, issue 10, August 17, 1992) This is vol. 4, issue 10 of the 1992 NeXT NUGGET NEWS DIGEST - a collection of items of interest for the 15,000+ NeXT User Group members. Please direct your comments and feedback on the content of this NeXT news to: nugget@next.com. Previous Nugget Digests are located in the /pub/next/Newletters/Nugget directory on the Purdue archive server site: sonata.cc.purdue.edu. Conrad Geiger Manager, International NeXT User Groups __________________________________________________________________ TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Archetype's New Document Engine Provides Object-Oriented Tools II. Announcing SuperDebugger 2.9 III. How to Access Purdue FTP archives via email IV. MIDIapolis has a Special Offer for NeXT User Groups V. Athena Design seeks Technical Support Representatives _________________________________________________________________ I. Archetype's New Document Engine Provides Object-Oriented Tools For Fast Development of Publishing Applications BOSTON, MA, July 10, 1992-- Archetype,Inc., of Waltham, MA, a developer of publishing productivity software, today released the beta version of Archetype Document Engine, an object-oriented development tool for NeXT computers that enables developers and users to quickly build modular, expandable publishing applications. Archetype introduced its Document Engine (DE) at Seybold Seminars '92. The DE Developer Kit, including a Beta version of the DE and some sample applications based on the DE for NeXT computers, is available from Archetype. Archetype plans to make the DE available on all popular platforms. Archetype will place the DE specification in the public domain. Modular Publishing Applications The Archetype Document Engine provides a toolkit of ready-to-use "DE objects" (objects are the fundamental building blocks of object-oriented programs) that can be dynamically linked to form fully-featured publishing applications. "Just as the hardware industry began with a flood of proprietary architectures and operating systems, the software industry today is highly fragmented and inefficient," said Paul Trevithick, president of Archetype. "Each massive, monolithic application today is custom written and proprietary. Users are presented with complex applications containing hundreds of features, yet these applications are still not flexible enough to meet the needs of vertical markets," he noted. "We are moving towards a day when users or in-house development groups will create their own custom applications from libraries of pre-written objects, much like snapping Lego blocks together," he added. How Does The Document Engine Work? The DE provides developers with an overall "Document Architecture" and a library of compatible sub-objects. Potential applications include page layout, workflow managers, database publishing, forms, report writer, word processing, signature imposition, and page dummying. The DE-objects managed by DE are polygons, circles, bezier curves, pages, groups, rules, and pictures. Developers can add new DE objects to the DE to extend its capability at run time. Any application created using the DE is compatible with other DE applications. For instance, a report from a DE-based word processing application can be used as-is by a DE page layout application without modification, even when used on a different hardware platform. The report from the word processor looks exactly the same on the layout application, right down to the same line breaks, formatting, and type faces. This high degree of document interchange is currently unavailable with other software systems today. Archetype, Inc. Archetype, Inc. specializes in productivity software for computer publishing users. In addition to the Document Engine, Archetype also offers InterSep, an image management environment and PostScript productivity enhancer. Additional Contacts: (617) 890-7544 Paul Trevithick, President & CEO Sue Robertson, Exec.VP Product development Jan Melvold, International Sales Manager. Internet e-mail: info@archetype.prospect.com. Archetype is a registered trademark, and InterSep is a trademark of Archetype, Inc. All other products mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies. __________________________________________________________________ II. Announcing SuperDebugger 2.9 Version 2.9 of SuperDebugger is now available for ftp from nova.cc.purdue.edu and cs.orst.edu under: /pub/next/2.0-release/demos/SuperDebugger2.9.tar.Z (nova.cc.purdue.edu) /pub/next/demos/SuperDebugger2.9.tar.Z (cs.orst.edu) More information about SuperDebugger is provided below. If you have any problems getting or using the demo version from the ftp-site, please let me know. Also, if you would like more information about SuperDebugger, please send the request to info@impact.com. Henry Hsu hhsu@impact.com Impact Software Publishing, Inc. 156 East 33rd Street, New York, NY 10016 1-800-822-3385 TEL: (212)686-3512 FAX: (212)686-0727 SuperDebugger, a GNU Debugger Front-End: SuperDebugger provides an intuitive graphical user-interface to the GNU debugger gdb provided by NeXT. SuperDebugger features graphical display of program counter and breakpoints, point and click setting of breakpoints and displaying of variables, an editor that can be used to display or modify source files, user definable macros, monitoring of variables in a separate window, and savable debugging environments. SuperDebugger also provides a complete set of keybindings to allow a user to easily control program execution and examine data. Version 2.9 of SuperDebugger includes the following new features as compared to Gdb 2.3: 1. Rich Text can be displayed in the Source Text. 2. Double clicking on compilation errors will select the line of the source file that caused the error. 3. Emacs control editing keys can be used in the input panel. 4. A Mouse Activate option has been added to allow SuperDebugger to be activated by placing the mouse in one of its windows. 5. Works fully with both NeXTStep 2.1 and 3.0. 6. Compile command can be set using a new preference feature. __________________________________________________________________ III. How to Access Purdue FTP archives via email Many of you have email access only and below is described a way for you to retrieve public domain applications from the Purdue archive site: cc.purdue.edu. Send mail to archive-server@cc.purdue.edu whose body contains a list of commands (see the commands below). PURDUE UNIVERSITY COMPUTING CENTER NeXT ARCHIVE SERVER LIST OF COMMANDS The following is a partial list of commands and their descriptions supported by Purdue University Computing Center for the NeXT archive server. They are listed here in alphabetical order. help Sends a general help file for file submissions and requests. submission Putting the key word 'submission' in your subject line (and only in your subject line!) will tell the archive server to send the enclosed document to the archive moderator for inclusion into the archives. NeXT attachments are welcome. Please include a description of your submission and the minimum release required to run your software. index [archive...] "Index" mails to you a listing of the files in the specified archives. If an archive is not specified, then the index of the available archives will be sent. path "Path" is used to override the mail path that the archive server chooses from the header of your mail message. You should use this whenever you know that the return address of your message will not be useful to the archive server. The archive server only knows about internet domain. This means that the archive server understands name@site.edu, but NOT name@site.bitnet or name@site.UUCP. There are two sites on campus which can forward to UUCP addresses and one which can forward to bitnet addresses. The two UUCP sites are "purdue" and "pur-ee". The bitnet site is "vm.cc.purdue.edu" (known on the BITNET side of the world as PURCCVM). To route mail to a UUCP site, I'd suggest first omitting the "path" directive and letting the archive-server attempt to guess. However, if your mail is not returned (or is returned with errors) you might try wellknownsite!yoursite!yourname@uunet.uu.net or wellknownsite!yoursite!yourname@ee.ecn.purdue.edu or wellknownsite!yoursite!yourname@cs.purdue.edu If you have any doubts about your mail address, you should ask your system administrator for a correct domain style address. Two examples uses of "path" are path mrd@sun.soe.clarkson.edu path wellknownsite!yoursite!yourname@uunet.uu.net send "Send" mails to you the files in the specified archive. All of the files that you request will be sent to you archived together (see "archiver"), possibly packed (see "pack"), possibly encoded (see "encoder") and split up into messages that are small enough to be mailed (see "size"). If you specify an archive and do not specify any files, then all of the files in that archive will be sent. You may have as many "sends" in the body of your mail message as you wish. encodedsend "Encodedsend" is identical to the command "send" except that the files are guaranteed to be encoded (see "encoder"). This is useful if you know that the return message will go through EBCDIC based computers. archiver You may specify the method of archiving (merging a group of files into one large file) the files with "archiver". By default, files that are mailable are simply stuck together with the text "cut here" between files and; non-mailable files are archived via unix tar. The available archiving methods are: arc (the PC program) none (the files are simply stuck together) shar (Unix sh script) simple (the files are separated by "cut here" - default) tar (Unix Tar - default for non mailable files) zoo (Unix, VMS, PC's) dclshar (VMS, creates a file you can unpack with @FILE.COM) nextmail (NeXT mail format) pack You may specify that the files be packed (compressed) before delivery. This has the advantage that the mail files will be smaller. By default the files are not packed. The available packing methods are: compress (the Unix command compress) none # This site does not support compact. compact (the Unix command compact - slower than compress) encoder Non-mailable files must be converted to something mailable. By default this is done with "uuencode". You may also specify that the files must be encoded with the command "encodedsend." The available encoding methods are: uuencode (default) btoa # This site does not have rscs as an encoder. rscs size The archive server splits files up so that they are smaller than this limit. This is done because many sites have a maximum mail size limit. A value of 0 means that there is no limit. The archive server has a default size limit of 300000 bytes. You may change this if you know that you have different limits. Most (but not all) uucp sites have a limit of 100000 bytes. Internet and Bitnet sites should set this to 300000 bytes. length Many mailers will truncate long lines. To overcome this the archive server encodes files that contains lines that are longer than 130 characters (see "encoder"). If you know that your mail files will not be truncated then you can set this value to something larger. limit The archive-server limits the amount of data that will be returned by any one request. This limit is very large. By using this command you may lower this limit. This is typically done to prevent errors by the user. search You may search through the archive for a string. A string is considered to be any sequence of alphanumeric characters; case does not matter. If you only provide an archive name then all of the files in the archive will be searched. You will be returned all lines that contain the string. find You may search for file names that contain the given string. Case is significant in the string. You will be returned all file names that match the given string. EXAMPLE Here is an example message that you could send to the archive-server. It gives an example of all the supported commands. ------ help path mrd@sun.soe.clarkson.edu index latex-style res.sty encodedsend latex-style res.sty res-sample.tex send isetl archiver tar pack compress encoder rscs size 200000 length 80 search resume texhax texhax.89.001 texhax.89.002 find resume ----- APPENDIX 1) Files are considered mailable if they do not have any lines longer than 130 characters and do not have any characters other than tabs, carriage returns, newlines, vertical tabs, formfeeds and characters between space through tilde (using ascii ordering). 2) If you have problems or questions, you should send mail to archive-management@cc.purdue.edu 3) If you have an archiving, packing, encoding program that runs under BSD Unix that I do not have and you would like me to support then please send it to me. It is very easy to incorporate it into this package. 4) The archive server was written by Michael DeCorte. It consists of groups of Bourne shell and awk scripts designed to work under BSD Unix based computers. There are no restrictions on its redistribution provided the copyright notice is left intact. The original sources for the archive-server can be obtained via anonymous ftp to sun.soe.clarkson.edu or by sending messages in the format given above to archive-server@sun.soe.clarkson.edu (of course you won't get any of the modifications this site has added for NeXT support). Any further inquiries can be sent to archive-management@cc.purdue.edu. 5) Unix is a registered trademark of AT&T. How to Submit to the Purdue Archive Site: Submissions to: archive-server@cc.purdue.edu with the subject line 'submission' __________________________________________________________________ IV. MIDIapolis has a Special Offer for NeXT User Groups Hello NeXT User Group members, MIDIapolis Systems is developing high-quality sound, music, MIDI, multimedia, and graphics software for NeXT computers. We are dedicated to the NeXT platform and are working hard to bring out quality products as fast as we can. Currently we have three products available. We are offer- ing these products at a special discount to NeXT User Groups only for a limited time. SoundBursts are digital sound collections or the NeXT Computer. They allow you to add high quality sound to a variety of NeXT applications. Two SoundBursts collections are available - Effects and Percussion. WarpIt is an image manipulation application developed by Black Adder Research and distributed by MIDIapolis Systems. WarpIt allows image transformations and animation creation including warps, rotations, scales, perspectives, shears, and mirroring. You NeXT user group is authorized to purchase one single-user copy of each of these products at more than 50% of the retail prices. This offer is valid until September 20th, 1992. To respond please send the enclosed form and a check from your NeXT user group checking account to: MIDIapolis Systems Attn: User Group Offer 3208 W. Lake St. Suite 133 Minneapolis, MN 55416 USA Phone: 612-822-1604 These copies may be used for your user group library, for news- letter review (we'd appreciate a copy of the newsletter if reviewed) or for public auction to raise money for your group. If you wish to be sent copies of the brochures for these products please indicate the number below. If your user group has a newsletter, please indicate that below also. Please do not hesitate to call with questions or comments. Sincerely, Gerard T. Schwarz, President, MIDIapolis Systems ------------------------------------------------------------------------- NeXT User Group Special Offer - Valid until September 20th, 1992 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ User Group: ___________________________________________________________ Name & Title: __________________________________________________________ Address: _______________________________________________________________ City: ________________________ State: ______ Zipcode: __________________ Country: ______________________ Phone: _________________________________ Group's main focus: ____________________________________________________ No. of members: _______ No. of brochures: ______ Newsletter: Yes No Item (check those you are ordering) Retail Special Ordered SoundBursts: Effects collection CALL FOR PRICES SoundBursts: Percussion collection CALL FOR PRICES WarpIt: Image manipulation application CALL FOR PRICES SHIPPING IS FREE IF IN THE UNITED STATES!! Call if outside the U.S.A. CHECK AMOUNT ENCLOSED: $ _____ . ___ MIDIapolis Systems 3208 W. Lake St. Suite 133 Minneapolis, MN 55416 USA Phone: 612-822-1604 __________________________________________________________________ V. Athena Design seeks Technical Support Representatives Athena Design seeks customer service representatives to help with technical support of the Mesa spreadsheet. Qualifications include 1-2-3 or Excel experience, williness to work and be self-motivated, good phone personality and manners, and the desire to work in a fast-paced start-up organization. If you are interested, please send a resume by mail to Athena Design, Inc., 17 Saint Mary's Court, Boston, MA 02146. Please do not phone or send e-mail. __________________________________________________________________ end