Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!att!drutx!druwa!dvac
From: dvac@druwa.ATT.COM (Daniel Vachon)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: Apple // BBS software
Summary: ACOS
Message-ID: <4559@druwa.ATT.COM>
Date: 18 Dec 89 19:19:06 GMT
References: <8912172026.AA18509@apple.com> <4103@puff.cs.wisc.edu>
Organization: AT&T, Denver, CO
Lines: 37

In article <4103@puff.cs.wisc.edu>, blochowi@rt5.cs.wisc.edu (Jason Blochowiak) writes:
> In article <8912172026.AA18509@apple.com> ST802148@BROWNVM.BROWN.EDU (Evan) writes:
> 
> 	It also lacks array support, although some ACOS (name of the GBBS
> programming language) folks claim that its i/o package eliminates the need for
> arrays. I wouldn't know, as I haven't actually written anything in it.

 True, ACOS is an interesting language.  It is the nicest evironment (I/O
package) that I have ever used on a Bulletin Board System.  I have run about
10 different software packages over the years...GBBS 1.6.2 was my first,
then after a couple years I spent two years fiddling with all kinds of systems
like Apple-Net, PBBS, Micron's, Telecat, Micro-BBS, West-Net, etc... and
gave up and rested with GBBS 1.7...Then came ProDOS, and the immediate choice
became GBBS Pro.  Since then I have written A LOT of ACOS code.  It is pretty
easy to write in once you get used to it, has a really nice driver package,
and excellent error handling and recovery mechanisms...Another thing is that
it is quite fast in comparison with Ampersand driven BASIC BBS systems.

 Downfalls, well first off, there is the lack of Arrays.  There is a way to
fake out ACOS and build an array type structure with the RAM scratchpads,
but it's not too pretty, and it can only handle numbers from 0 to 255... 
Another problem was the limitation of working only in integers, so no
decimal numbers are allowed.  Again, you can fake acos into printing decimal
numbers but it takes some work.  And of course, no integer can be > 32767.
This is also fake-able, as I had to do it in a D&D type Arena system I wrote
that I wanted to have higher numbers...Now I support numbers in the millions
with some math routines I wrote.  It appears to me that with ACOS, some things
may not be easy, but I have not run into something I just plain couldn't do
yet. 

 Thats about all I have to say....These are just my opinions about ACOS and
GBBS Pro as well as the othe BBS Programs mentioned.  Take it for what it's
worth, as I have run an Apple BBS for about the last 7 years.

>       Jason Blochowiak - blochowi@garfield.cs.wisc.edu or jason@madnix.uucp

Later - Dan Vachon  !att!druwa!dvac