Xref: utzoo comp.sys.ibm.pc:13857 comp.lang.apl:125
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!uwvax!umn-d-ub!umn-cs!amit
From: amit@umn-cs.cs.umn.edu (Neta Amit)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc,comp.lang.apl
Subject: APL shareware!
Message-ID: <4602@umn-cs.cs.umn.edu>
Date: 29 Mar 88 14:01:26 GMT
Reply-To: amit@umn-cs.UUCP (Neta Amit)
Organization: University of Minnesota
Lines: 66

I.P.Sharp & Assoc (IPSA) is releasing their APL implementation
for the PC as a shareware. Roland Pesch of IPSA (...snoopy!pesch)
is coordinating this release. Since his connection to the network
is somewhat flaky, and since I have a strong interest in helping
spread around an inexpensive version of APL, I have volunteered to
help him distribute SAPLPC.

In a short time (the next few hours) I'll be posting SAPLPC to
the  comp.binaries.ibm.pc  newsgroup.  SIMTEL20 administrators
are urged to make SAPLPC available on the  PD1:<MSDOS> area.
I will add saplpc.arc to ~ftp/pub/ for anonymous FTP on
umn-cs.cs.umn.edu [128.101.224.1]. Please transfer in Binary
mode during off-peak hours; our machine is heavily loaded.

The posting will consist of 10 parts, most of which in the 62KB
range. Each part begins and ends with a "---cut here---" line.
To get a working version, assuming you're on a Unix machine,
1. Store portion between "---cut here---" lines e.g. in saplpc[a-j]
2. "cat saplpc.[a-j] > saplpc.uue" (a 609025 bytes file).
3. uudecode saplpc.uue
4. Transfer the resulting saplpc.arc (442012 bytes) to your PC.
5. PKXARC it there. 
6. Follow the Installation instructions.


There is an IBM-370 emulator between the APL code and your PC.
As a result, SAPLPC is (1) not as fast as other APL-PC
implementations, but (2) a mature and reliable product.  Anyway,
this is what IPSA says. I didn't test it thoroughly, but I tend
to believe them. On our true blue 8MHz ATs it ran just fine on
some simple test cases.

IPSA's definition of Shareware is both liberal and reasonable.
If you are learning APL, or want to play with it occasionally, 
stick to Standrad APL (including Del editor) and you're ok. 
You owe IPSA nothing.

If you are into serious application development, it is quite
obvious that you will NEED the complete documentation set,
with descriptions of several utility workspaces distributed
with saplpc. You register directly with IPSA, pay $59, and
receive the docs. Adress and phone numbers are in the package.
In my opinion, this is the right way to distribute major
shareware packages.
--------------------

All questions, proposals, bug reports, thanks and such should be
addressed to ...!snoopy!pesch . ("Uupath snoopy" will show you how
to get to snoopy from your Unix machine).
I'll take the opportunity and say a big  Thanks, Roland,  and post
two questions:

1. IPSA is requesting registered users not to photocopy manuals. 
  This is reasonable in the commercial world, but one cannot expect
  students taking a Programming Languages class with 4 languages to
  have to pay $60 each. So: has IPSA set a policy for students learning
  APL? What is it?
2. On systems with EGA type display cards, saplpc loads soft APL 
  fonts to the graphics RAM. When exiting APL, the previous fonts
  are not restored (e.g. type "*"). Bug or feature?

--- Enjoy ! ---
-- 
  Neta Amit 
  U of Minnesota CSci
  Arpanet: amit@umn-cs.cs.umn.edu