Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!decwrl!pa.dec.com!bacchus!mwm From: mwm@pa.dec.com (Mike (My Watch Has Windows) Meyer) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.misc Subject: Re: Hypertext -- REVIEW Message-ID: Date: 29 Apr 91 17:48:58 GMT References: <91114.015549MBS110@psuvm.psu.edu> <1991Apr25.211821.412@convex.com> <313@atacama.cs.utexas.edu> Sender: news@pa.dec.com (News) Followup-To: comp.sys.amiga.misc Distribution: comp Organization: Missionaria Phonibalonica Lines: 57 In-Reply-To: cimshop!davidm@uunet.UU.NET's message of 27 Apr 91 01:52:04 GMT In article cimshop!davidm@uunet.UU.NET (David S. Masterson) writes: From this and later descriptions, it sounds like Hypertext is very much like Thinker (Poor Person Software). Considering how cheap it is, perhaps you want to look at Thinker? Well, they're both hypertext. These comments are based on an earlier version of HT (haven't looked at the latest version); if they're wrong, I expect someone will correct me. Thinker uses a proprietary file format. HT uses ASCII text. HT uses a stream of bytes. Thinker breaks the stream up into chunks, and you can manipulate text in a chunk, or the whole chunk. Thinker provides outliner-type facilities (substatements, elision, etc). HT is a flat file. Thinker puts labels on statements, and that's the destination for a link. HT puts pointers to statements in the text, and that's the source for a link. With thinker, a hypertext document is a large, single file with a few links to other documents. With HT, a hypertext document is a collection of small files that with links between them. Thinker lets you choose between following a link in the current window, or opening a new window. HT always opens a new window (that was a change request I made at one point). HT provides better keyboard support. Thinker provides better mouse support. They are different, and I can see using them for different projects. For instance, putting the AutoDOCS into thinker is hard (I know, I did it once....). I expect putting them into HT would be much easier. Personally, I use thinker for most hypertext things. Largely, this is because I've been using it longer, and have a thinker hypertext system in place for cross-references. However, the ouliner features are a close second - they're very nice to have. The bottom line is that HT is free. It'd be crazy not to get it and play with it before investing in Thinker. If you know outliners, you can decide if you want them. If you don't know them, then you might want to find a copy of 'liner (a PD outliner), and play with that (I don't know much about it though, I had thinker before it became available). Someone was supposed to write a review of Thinker for the net, and it'd be nice to have the two to compare.