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From: new@ee.udel.edu (Darren New)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Answers to my questions
Message-ID: <39736@nigel.ee.udel.edu>
Date: 21 Dec 90 00:37:41 GMT
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Earlier I asked about Display PostScript books and made a comment about
a Fortran compiler.  Here are the email answers I got, since I was asked
by several people to summarize.  I also asked about Objective-C programming
books but I've gotten no answers about that.      -- Darren


<From: laughlin@cs.sfu.ca
<   Darren,  There is book called "Display PostScript Programming"
<by David Holzgang, Addison-Wesley 1990.  Its pretty good but
<a bit basic if you already know PostScript.  The other source
<I know of is the Adobe Technical notes on NeXT specific DPS.
<(the Addison-Wesley book is not NeXT specific but it does'nt
<matter much). Adobe has 7 technical notes on the NeXT.
<LPS5050-LPS5056.  They are available by anonymous ftp from
<adobe. They are excellent but make no attempt to teach you
<PostScript. Each note focuses on a particular issue and 
<complete source code is available (elsewhere in the adobe
<archives) for each example.  I've learned a lot about
<programming the NeXT with this, especially about optimizing
<DPS with DPSDoUserPath() etc. Highly recommended.
<Below is some information on how to contact the adobe file
<server.  Good luck.
<------------------------------------------------------------------------
<Sender: news@adobe.COM
<Reply-To: mackay@adobe.COM ()
<Followup-To: comp.lang.postscript
<Organization: Adobe Systems Incorporated, Mountain View
<Lines: 82
<
<This message is intended to inform new users about the Adobe File Server 
<and to announce recent updates on the server to those of you who have 
<been using it already. If you're already familiar with the Adobe File
<Server, jump to the end of this message for a list of recent updates.
<__________
<
<WHAT IS THE ADOBE FILE SERVER?
<
<The Adobe File Server is an automatic mail-response program. That means 
<that you mail it a request, and it mails back the response.
<
<To get in touch with the server, send a message to:
<
<    "ps-file-server@adobe.COM"  OR
<    {sun, decwrl, apple}!adobe!ps-file-server
<
<containing the word "help" in either the Subject: field or the message 
<body. It will reply with a message on how to use the available services.
<
<There are many items available from the server; Documents (as PostScript 
<files), program sources, Adobe Font Metrics files, PostScript Printer 
<Description files, and other things.
<
<You might send a *separate* message containing the word "index" to save 
<some time once you get the help message.
<
<The file server does not respond to requests from users named "root", 
<"system", "daemon", or "mailer". This is to prevent mail loops from 
<bounced messages.
<__________
<
<NO RESPONSE?
<
<If you do not receive help from the server within a day or so, it is 
<probably because the server's mail to you has bounced. You can try again 
<and use the "path" command within your message specifying a known return 
<path that the server should use. For example:
<
<path pyramid!rutgers!zakkaroo!jj
<
<(substitute whatever address is appropriate).
<__________
<
<If you have any problems contacting the server, or you have any suggestions, 
<please send a message to the moderator (ps-file-person@adobe.COM).
<Do NOT send requests for files to this address.
<__________
<
<RECENT UPDATES: 
<
<+ A series of tech notes written about Display PostScript system issues; 
<  although the series is initially targeted at the NeXT machine and 
<  applications that are discussed are written for the NeXT machine, the 
<  issues apply to all Display PostScript systems.
<  
<  - The Display PostScript System: NeXT Overview
<  - NeXT Interface Builder and the Hello World Application
<  - Single Operator Calls vs. Wraps and the Line Draw Application
<  - Coordinate Systems and the Stroke Adjust Application
<  - Path Construction and Rendering and the Dial Application
<  - User and Graphics State Objects and the Clock Application
<  - Image Consistency at Small Sizes and the Control Point Application
<  
<+ All of the applications that are discussed in the above documents
<  are also available.
<
<+ Adobe Binary Communications Protocol Document
<
<+ Selecting Binary Communications Protocol and Host Switching Between the
<  PostScript Interpreter and Emulators Document
<  
<+ Macintosh Fond Resources Document (this is an old document, but has 
<  never been on the server before) 
<  
<+ PostScript langauge program that calculates bounding box and font usage
<  information
<+ Many new PPD Files (now about 70 total)
<*** See the indices for the exact file names.
<-------------------------------------------------------------------------
<-- 
< Bob Laughlin  laughlin@cs.sfu.ca 
<
<From: Charles William Fletcher <charlie@wam.umd.edu>
<To:   new@ee.udel.edu
<
<Reply-Of: <39127@nigel.ee.udel.edu>
<Date:     Sat, 15 Dec 90 07:26:10 -0500
<Subject:  Re: Fortran for NeXT?
<
<f2c seems to work very well and is fairly well supported via
<email. The C code is ugly(mainly due to the IO library) so
<you should maintain as FORTRAN code not C.
<
<I have Absoft's FORTRAN. I just started using it so I can't
<say alot. It seems to do a real good job of supporting the NeXT
<interface for building applications. It is somewhat slow to compile.
<
<-Charlie
<
<From: Eric Norum <eric@ee.ualberta.ca>
<
<Date:     Sat, 15 Dec 90 07:29:16 mst
<Subject:  Fortran Compiler on NeXT
<
<I've been using the free `f2c' program from ATT on my NeXT for several
<months.  It works great if all you want to do is get existing FORTRAN
<programs running on the NeXT.  I've translated/compiled/run a large power
<system analysis and simulation package with no problems at all.  I've
<also successfully compiled and used the LINPACK and EISPACK libraries.
<
<The `Micro Demonstration Center' here at the University bookstore has
<a version of Absoft F77 on their 68030 NeXT.  The speed difference between
<programs compiled with Absoft F77 and f2c/cc was almost always unmeasurable.
<F2c/cc came out a few percent faster whenever there was a measurable
<difference in execution times.  Be warned, though, that the f2c/cc compilation
<process is *much* slower.  Compiles that took 1 minute with Absoft took
<almost 5 minutes with f2c/cc.  This isn't much of a problem though, if
<you're just trying to get a `dusty deck' running on the NeXT.
<
<If you want to take advantage of the whole NeXT environment (windows, mouse,
<etc.) from your Fortran program you'd be better off with the Absoft product
<(or even better, do your programming in (Objective)-C).
<
<Send me some mail if you'd like more information.
<
<Eric Norum
<Dept. of Electrical Engineering      eric@ee.ualberta.ca
<University of Alberta
<Edmonton, Canada.                   phone: (403) 492-4626
-- 
--- Darren New --- Grad Student --- CIS --- Univ. of Delaware ---
----- Network Protocols, Graphics, Programming Languages, 
      Formal Description Techniques (esp. Estelle), Coffee, Amigas -----
              =+=+=+ Let GROPE be an N-tuple where ... +=+=+=