Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!rex!samsung!uunet!munnari.oz.au!csc!myb100
From: myb100@csc.anu.oz
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Fish Contents On-Line Index
Message-ID: <2680.26d1d649@csc.anu.oz>
Date: 22 Aug 90 00:48:09 GMT
References: <1870@lpami.wimsey.bc.ca> <1990Aug18.054937.11246@zorch.SF-Bay.ORG> <81414@aerospace.AERO.ORG> <1990Aug21.123905.9773@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU>
Organization: Computer Services, Australian National University
Lines: 46

tmb@davinci.acc.Virginia.EDU (Thomas M. Breeden) writes:
>>>[discussion on Fish Discs on CD-ROM, + some index]
> 
> Is there any current interest in an on-line "every word" index to the
> Fish Contents files (ie the program abstracts)? (Or does this facility
> already exist?)
> 

There is already an excellent program called Aquarium on Fish#301 which
does this: It has a database file containg *all* the Contents listing that 
Fred puts out, and also a keyword listing for every entry on each disc. 

It puts up a menu board to search for programs by type (graphics, util,
applicns, games, with or without source, Assembler,C, ABasic, etc., etc., etc.)
or name (substring within the name if you can't remember it exactly), or even to
search the Contents text for any string there: - want something on BOBS ? enter
'bob' in the string gadget, hit the 'search' button and presto: it lists every
entry containg 'bob' (even if the author's name is Bob !) You can even send the
output to a printer. This is a *very* useful program (hats off to B.L. Olsson!)
and is quite fast (running off HD). 

> As part of testing a set of B-tree modules I am am working on, I constructed
> a prototype of such a thing. It is certainly quick, but without
> compression the text, indices, and program abstract files might eat up 5MB
> on a hard disk. Is it worth completing and polishing?
> 

The latest update to the Aquarium database is up to FF360 (on the 'new-xanth')
[Tad, have you got a new name for abcfd20 yet ? :-) ]. The database is about
600k (one 550k file and some sundry stuff). The program stuff is about 90k.
The data is (almost) plain text - no compression. Not a great strain on the HD.
I'd be interested in seeing your program - but you've got some stiff 
competition ! :-) 

> Tom Breeden
> tmb@virginia.edu  -->> Internet
> tmb@viriginia     -->> BITNET
 
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