=========================================================================
 
INFO-ATARI16 Digest         Sun, 24 Dec 89       Volume 89 : Issue  857
 
Today's Topics:
                           awk port for ST
             Comparing Apple and Atari peripheral prices
                        LHARC source and UNIX
                           program editors
                     Public Apology to Dave Small
                             spreadsheets
----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Date: 24 Dec 89 17:53:01 GMT
From: ogicse!blake!ramsiri@ucsd.edu  (Enartloc Nhoj)
Subject: awk port for ST
Message-ID: <5152@blake.acs.washington.edu>
 
I grabbed awk.ttp from the net many months back..
and have used it successfully for string matching
and manipulation...
 
Last night i wrote a couple of quick dot.g scripts
in gulam using awk to produce some quick reports
for my student records which included integer addition.
The scripts are very straight forward with a simple loop.
I am not sure if the problem is in the conditional or what.
 
Here are the two awk scripts:
 
due.awk
-------
 
 
BEGIN   ?  FS = "\t"
           printf("%-15s %4s \n\n", "STUDENT", "DUE")
        ?
        ?  printf("%-15s %4d \n", $1, $2)
           total = total + $2
        ?
END     ? printf("\n-%15s %4d \n", "TOTAL DUE" , total) ?
 
 
owe.awk
-------
 
 
BEGIN   ?  FS = "\t"
           printf("%-15s %4s \n\n", "STUDENT", "OWED") ?
        ?
           if ( $2 > $3 ) ?
             printf("%-15s %4d\n", $1, $2 - $3 )
             total = total + ($2 - $3)
            ?
         ?
END      ?  printf("\n%-15s %4d \n", "TOTAL DUE", total) ?
 
 
If I pass a file such as this to the awk scripts:
 
 
Abdul   125     0       15      60      weird
Nadily  100     0       15      72      gorgeous
Mark    125     0       15      12      no comment
....
etc
 
 
Where field $2 is the amount DUE and $3 is amount PAID...
 
I should get the same results with both due.awk and owe.awk.
On the ST, owe.awk yields a total that is greater by
a value equal to the first line $2 field.  I inserted
print statements to find the error..  I thought i was
not understanding the way awk searches for patterns on
a line by line basis... but when i uploaded it to BSD..
it worked straight forward and gave correct results.
 
IS there a problem(s) with AWK.TTP , or am i misunderstanding
something in my code?  I'd much rather be able to write
short dot.g scripts for quick things like this than have
to compile C code or open a spread sheet etc..
 
Thanks ..
 
-kevin
ramsiri@blake.acs.washington.edu
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 25 Dec 89 02:23:52 GMT
From: rochester!rit!ultb!clf3678@rutgers.edu  (C.L. Freemesser)
Subject: Comparing Apple and Atari peripheral prices
Message-ID: <1831@ultb.isc.rit.edu>
 
In article <8912210835.AA07308@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> MBERNAR@ERENJ.BITNET (mb)
 writes:
>In a discussion on unexpandable mega ST's, kclenden@silver.bacs.indiana.edu
>Kevin Clendenien states that Apple computers (he
>also mentioned another brand) need Apple peripherals and that they cost much
>more than Atari ST peripherals.  I don't know if you've looked at the Apple
>side of things lately, but this just isn't true.
 
Yes it is....
 
>First of all, Apple computers (specifically Mac's) don't need to use Apple
>peripherals.  Maybe you're not aware that there are more third party peripheral
>suppliers for Macs than for ST.  Just look in any Mac specific magazine
>and you'll be surprised to find how many brands of hard disks (internal and
>external), back-up tape drives, graphics display cards and monitors and
>floppy drives are available for the Mac.   There are also alternatives to
>Apple Laserwriter and Imagewriter.
 
Find a 3rd party Apple floppy drive that is totally compatible with the
Apple drives, and I'll show you a snowball that survived a trip through
hell....
 
Sure there are alternatives to the Imagewriter, but the I-writer is the
most used.  Ergo, it is the most supported by software.
 
>Second point.  Apple peripherals from third party suppliers are priced
>at least the same as Atari ST peripherals.  In some cases, they are even
>cheaper on the Mac than on the ST.  For example, look at hard drive prices.
 
Let us not forget that the Mac has the SCSI board ST users need built
in.  For the IIgs and other Apples, you spend $120 for this board.
 
>Quantum has an ad for a 20 Meg hard disk for $499 (Atari Explorer).  You could
>buy a larger drive for the Mac for the same price (Cutting Edge: 20 Meg - $439.
>30 Meg - $499).  External floppy drive for the ST costs $149 (this is the
>cheapest I've seen).  An equivalent Mac floppy drive costs the same.  Of course
>memory is also cheaper on the Mac.
 
Tell that to my friend who bought a new 3.5 inch Apple drive.  The
retail price is $400!  I spent about $100 building one for myself.  As
for hard disks, I built one for my father's 1040...a 20 meg Seagate,
Adaptek, and ICD host adapter for $350.  Beat that on a Mac.
 
>It seems to me that the only thing cheaper on the Atari ST is the computer
>itself. I have a bare 1040STF at home and a new Mac IIci with loads of stuff
>at work.
 
No kidding.  Atari planned it to be less expensive.
 
In my little bits of hardware hacking on the ST, I've found it to be a
VERY versatile computer.  I can add IBM drives, generic power supplies
(as this Lambda 12A supply shows....my drives are connected to it too),
and joe-schmo printers and modems.  I have STANDARD ports for these.
The Mac has those dopey 8-pin Apple plugs.  I can even open up my ST.
That damn Mac has those recessed Torx screws.  PLUS, I can have color
AND monochrome on my machine.
 
 
Chris Freemesser, Rochester Institute of Technology :BITNET:%clf3678@RITVAX
    |||        ____________                         :GEnie: C.FREEMESSER
    |||       /___    /          (and 8-bit too!)   :USENET: clf3678@rit.isc
   / | \   ______/   /                              :        .edu
Call the A.C.O.R.N BBS (716)436-3078, 300/1200 baud :<-or my BBS
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 24 Dec 89 15:10:07 GMT
From: cs.dal.ca!silvert@uunet.uu.net  (Bill Silvert)
Subject: LHARC source and UNIX
Message-ID: <1989Dec24.151007.28665@cs.dal.ca>
 
In article <10429@stag.math.lsa.umich.edu> hyc@math.lsa.umich.edu (Howard Chu)
 writes:
>In article <51989@ccicpg.UUCP> paulm@ccicpg.UUCP (tmp Paul Moreau usenet acct)
 writes:
>>Well it seems that the LHARC is going to take over the atari archiving
>>world.  I for one use a UNIX system for posting and recieving news
>>and binaries.   I uudecode, and unarc on the unix system and examine
>>the stuff before going through the expense of going home, making a
>>LONG DISTANCE call to work and download the stuff.  If LHARC is to be
>>the new standard (which I can see the benefit in smaller archives) I'd
>>like to get the source so I can port it to our UNIX system.
>>If the source is protected (which it seems to be) then I don't think
>>I'll be downloading any more files unless I know what to expect in them.
 
>I have the source for LHARC. I haven't bothered doing anything with it yet.
>It's 80% 8086 assembler. Even the C source code is full of ASM compiler
>directives. Most of the comments are in Japanese, for a Kanji character
>set, and show up as weird diacriticals on an ST display. I doubt any
>printer would like them very much.
 
I strongly support Moreau's call for a Unix version.  I run a BBS on a
Unix system with archives on a PC with a huge drive.  Both zoo and arc
formats are supported by all three OS's, but LHARC is creating lots of
problems for me.  It should not be used for a group like this unless it
can run on all machines through which the code is likely to pass.
 
--
Bill Silvert, Habitat Ecology Division.
Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Dartmouth, NS, Canada B2Y 4A2
        UUCP: ...!?uunet,watmath?!dalcs!biomel!bill
        Internet: biomel@cs.dal.CA      BITNET: bs%dalcs@dalac.BITNET
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 24 Dec 89 15:04:13 GMT
From: cs.dal.ca!silvert@uunet.uu.net  (Bill Silvert)
Subject: program editors
Message-ID: <1989Dec24.150413.28500@cs.dal.ca>
 
In article <=&?QF%@masalla.fulcrum.bt.co.uk> chrisl@fulcrum.bt.co.uk (Chris
 Parkin Lilley) writes:
>In article <25120@cup.portal.com> smolin@cup.portal.com (Steve Jacob Molin)
 writes:
>>Has anyone done the editor vi on the ST?
 
>       Yes. It's called Stevie (ST VI?).
 
I was unable to respond to the original posting, but there are several
vi's for the ST.  In addition to STevie, I have a vi clone that came (I
think) in a large package of Unix-style utilities.
 
I can't get mail through to Molin, but the uuencoded file is available
from ...!dalcs!biomel!bill if you can reach it.
 
--
Bill Silvert, Habitat Ecology Division.
Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Dartmouth, NS, Canada B2Y 4A2
        UUCP: ...!?uunet,watmath?!dalcs!biomel!bill
        Internet: biomel@cs.dal.CA      BITNET: bs%dalcs@dalac.BITNET
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 24 Dec 89 18:12:59 GMT
From: crash!canada@nosc.mil  (Diane Barlow Close)
Subject: Public Apology to Dave Small
Message-ID: <980@crash.cts.com>
 
Apology to Dave Small
 
It has come to my attention that some people have associated my
remarks about the GEnie-Usenet link with the character of Dave
Small.  This was never my intention.  The GEnie-Usenet link and
Dave Small and his company, Gadgets By Small, are completely
different entities and should not be lumped together.  What you
may think of the link definitely should not change your opinion
of Dave or Gadgets.  I feel that Dave Small and Gadgets By Small
are invaluable to the Atari and Usenet communities and are very,
very generous.
 
Dave gives away a great deal of information, goods, and services
to the Atari and Usenet communities and Dave should be valued and
praised for his commitments and achievements.  Dave has
contributed greatly to the Atari community in the true hacker
spirit, and it is unfortunate that GEnie's handling of the link
cast the shadow of doubt on this.  I am now informed that Dave
was not aware that any representative of GEnie would try to
copyright Usenet material.  If he had been aware, he would have
never implemented the link.
 
I regret the personal distress that my posting (and the various
responses it generated) has caused Dave Small.  I ask all of you
who took the time to write Dave to oppose the link, now write him
showing your support and appreciation of Dave, personally, and of
Gadgets.
--
Diane Barlow Close
      ?nosc, ucsd?!crash!canada
      canada@crash.cts.com
      Free Canada -- Trade Mulroney
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 24 Dec 89 15:00:08 GMT
From: cs.dal.ca!silvert@uunet.uu.net  (Bill Silvert)
Subject: spreadsheets
Message-ID: <1989Dec24.150008.28420@cs.dal.ca>
 
In article <20245@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu> SHAWL@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu writes:
>> ... VIP Professional. It's lousy. I hate it. Please don't recommend
>> it. I mean, a piece of software with a list price of 130 quid that can't work
>> with a hard disk?
 
>YOU ARE WRONG.  In spite of its problems, VIP is useful; i use it almost
>daily --- FROM MY HARD DRIVE.  It is easy to set up.
 
I missed the first posting, but VIP works fine with a hard drive.
There are two versions, a Lotus look-a-like and a GEM version.
GEM is a bit slow unless you use a speedup program for fast screen
updates, but I use VIP all the time to handle Lotus files.  It's good.
 
--
Bill Silvert, Habitat Ecology Division.
Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Dartmouth, NS, Canada B2Y 4A2
        UUCP: ...!?uunet,watmath?!dalcs!biomel!bill
        Internet: biomel@cs.dal.CA      BITNET: bs%dalcs@dalac.BITNET
 
------------------------------
 
End of INFO-ATARI16 Digest V89 Issue #857
*****************************************
