[Please note: this is a text only version of the on-line magazine, OS/2 e-Zine!.  OS/2 e-Zine! is a graphical, WWW OS/2 publication and, if possible, should be viewed in its HTML format available on-line or zipped for off-line reading.  For best reading of this ASCII version of OS/2 e-Zine!, use a text editor at full-screen width.]


OS/2 e-Zine!		November 1996			Volume 1 Number 13
----------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 1996		Falcon Networking  		ISSN 1203-5696


OPINIONS:

  Editorial
  Chris' Rant
  Trevor's Rant
  the Rave... Warp 4
  Linux Style Support for OS/2


RESOURCES:

  the Beta File
  Answers from e-Zine!
  Chris' ColorWorks Power Tips
  Need for Speed
  the REXX Files
  How Do I?


REVIEWS:					

Warp 4			Misc Reviews			Games
  Voice Type		  Hyperwise v2.0		  $Sheriff v0.12b
  OpenDoc		  IPF Editor v2.12
  Java			  JFactory for OS/2


ARTICLES:

* Lotus Support for OS/2 - Martin Brampton
* Report from ColoradOS/2 - Martin Brampton
* Connect the World Report - Tim Bryce


END NOTES:

* NetHead's Nook
* The Chronicles of John Ominor
* Hot Sellers 1 - the top 10 selling commercial OS/2 applications.
* Hot Sellers 2 - the top 10 selling OS/2 shareware applications.

ODDS & ENDS:

* How to Subscribe to OS/2 e-Zine! for FREE.
* How YOU can Sponsor OS/2 e-Zine!
* The Sponsors that Make this Issue Possible


Copyright 1996   -   Falcon Networking
ISSN 1203-5696

***********************************

Come gather 'round people, wherever you roam

-----

As Mr. Dylan said, the times, they are a-changin'.  I spent a good deal of one day last month on the telephone with various banks discussing their "brand new services": computer and telephone banking.

Before you scoff at me for being so backward as to believe that computer or telephone banking are "new" ideas, please remember, I'm in Canada.  We have a system somewhat different from the US and I have no idea how progressive or backwards things are there (or anywhere else in the world).  Here, there are only six major "chartered banks".  This is a huge oversimplification, but basically, Canada has strict rules that a bank has to adhere to in order to get "bank" status.  This (supposedly) makes the banks much more secure institutions and (definitely) keeps the number of them limited.  Again, a gross oversimplification but...

Recently one of these "chartered banks" launched a massive television campaign with the classic, The Times They Are A-Changin', as background music (and you thought the Rolling Stones were the only ones who could be bought).  Basically, the service that this bank is pushing is electronic banking from your home by phone, modem, Internet or even courier.

Shortly after these commercials were launched, I noticed another Canadian bank (that I deal with) is pushing its own brand of home-banking.  After being deluged by the first bank's commercials and then seeing the second bank offering a similar service, I got interested.  I called them and spent a while arranging to pay my various credit card and utility bills over the telephone and, when the software arrives, with my PC and modem.  Now I can do all sorts of fancy stuff, in fact, pretty much everything short of getting cash through the telephone receiver.

Why bother, you ask?  Sound like a worry coupled with a hassle?  Well, as Bob said, if your time, to you is worth saving...  The fees for telephone of computer transactions are the same as through an automated teller machine (less than the charge for writing a cheque) and the walk down to the bank machine can be very unpleasant during the winter here in Canada.

What does this have to do with OS/2?  Well, as many of you already know, most of the automated bank machines in North America are basically PCs running OS/2.  Not the flashy version of Warp 4 on my Desktop, but still OS/2.  And stepping inside many banks in Canada (including the one I signed up with) will reveal that it's not just the bank machines running OS/2; loans officers, receptionists and others are using it.  Again, you may be more likely to find OS/2 2.11 than Warp, but still...

So now that I've ordered my (free) software to interact with my bank's computer network (talk about a network vision of computing), guess what operating system I am required to have?  Windows 3.x.

How much are the times a-changin'?  Do you think a nationwide bank that uses OS/2 as a client extensively on its many networked computers will provide me with an OS/2 client for my computer?  Probably not.

I knew the answer before I asked but I requested an OS/2 version of the software anyway.  They didn't have one.

The reason for this is the same one that keeps OS/2 software out of many other markets.  The software in question was written for the bank by a separate company (by IBM according to the information I received over the phone!) and the bank had to pay for it (I'm assuming).  The bank logically asked for a version that will run on as many people's computers as possible.  I can understand that, it's the same decision I would have made if I could afford to commission only one version of the software.

But think about it, this particular bank already has an OS/2 client running on its bank machines.  They're not exactly desktop machines but I have been told that at there hearts they are simply Intel-CPU-containing PCs (as always, please correct me if I'm wrong).  Obviously some parts of the software would need to be rewritten to use a phone line instead of the permanent network connection a bank machine has, but basically, the software already exists for us OS/2 users.  Text mode, sure, but it's there.

One of the advantages of our system of nationwide banks is that almost every one of the major ones has customers from the Atlantic to the Pacific.  And almost every person in Canada that can afford a computer with OS/2 has a bank account.  If we pessimistically assume that only 7 million licenses of OS/2 worldwide are being actively used today and that half of them (3.5 million) are in the US, we can guess that Canada, with 1/10th the population of the United States has about 350,000 OS/2 licenses from coast to coast.  I know this is crude logic but I'm going somewhere with it, stick around.

If only 10% of those 350,000 Canadian licenses are used at home -- and remember, IBM Canada was selling Warp 3 Red Spine for $49.95 here in 95/96 -- we have 35,000 home users of OS/2.

There are only six major chartered banks in Canada.  If those six have only 50% of the personal banking market, then 17,500 OS/2 home-using Canadians deal with them. (This, I admit, is pure speculation.  The Canadian Bankers Association tells me that in the 3rd quarter of 1996 those six banks had 73% of the total banking assets in this country but that does not necessarily mean that they have that high a percentage of the personal accounts.)  If those six banks each have equal market share (which they don't; mine has 21.3% of total banking assets, second highest in the country), that makes just under 3,000 (2,917 to be exact) OS/2 home-users for each bank, coast to coast.

Are there more than 3,000 home-using OS/2ers across Canada patronizing the same bank as me?  Whether my estimates are accurate or not is debatable but rather than try to prove them the hard way, I'm doing three simple things:

1.  I'm writing to the person in charge of the computer banking program at my bank and requesting that they make an OS/2 version of their client available.

2.  I'm asking him or her how many users they need to have requesting the software before they will develop it.

3.  And I'm asking you, if you are a Canadian OS/2 user who deals with the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) to (bank@os2ezine.com) send me your name and e-mail address.  If the demand exists, I'll start a petition/campaign and take our requests to the bank en masse.

Will any of this make a difference?  Who knows?  This is a completely new world we're getting into, but one thing is certain, we won't get this software if we don't speak up now.  Right now when these programs are just beginning is when we OS/2 users need to tell those in charge that we prefer to do our banking the way we have always done it -- on OS/2.

***********************************

Corporate Sponsors of OS/2 e-Zine!:

-----

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Developers of FaxWorks for OS/2 and PMfax, the fax and voice solution for OS/2, with versions for stand-alone, LAN and Internet Faxing.

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Developers of a full featured personal financial package for OS/2.

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Use REXX to build powerful Internet utilities using our DLLs.  Package also includes 10 utilities as samples.

***********************************

Chris' Rant	- by Chris Wenham

Katt Got Your Tongue?

Pondering patiently on the prickly puss who meowed out a snide comment or two along with his milk and Friskies last month, I hovered my mouse over the URL object for (http://www.pcweek.com/) PC Week and wondered if I ought to delete the reference to that mouthy mouser's stomping ground for good.  "Cyber Munchkin am I?"  I said to myself, right-dragging the filthy file halfway to the shredder already, "crawl out of the hooches did I?"

Now you won't catch me anywhere near First Class with my $5,000 laptop humming away at a screensaver while I gaze out of the oval window and watch SeaTac airport loom up from under the clouds, I can't afford any of that jetsetting nonsense, but crawl out of the hooches? 

Sorry, oh tabloid tabby, I'm not in the Fortune 500 with a million bucks to spend on a Mega UberNetwork and a copy of NT Server, but I am still one of your readers and I don't spawn off conspiracy theories involving the Trilateral Commission, Henry Kissinger, the Queen, Pope John Paul, Jimmy Hoffa or otherwise.  What's more, fluffball, me and sweet Aunt Tilly still give a hoot about this here "OS/WHO."

But hey, this isn't recent.  The paw-licking pundit has taken pot shots at OS/2 with his pipsqueak peashooter almost since time began.  Whenever the howls of outrage die down enough he'll prance along the mantelpiece, knocking off a flowerpot or china dish or two, and chortle a chuckling meow as the silly owners fuss about and try to sweep it up before his casual tail flicks off another one. "Bad kitty! No biscuit!"

I rummaged through the litter box of this feisty feline (with a search engine and a long stick) finding that Mr. Puss loves a good giggle whenever Gerstner doesn't go out of his way to mention OS/2 (or even mention it at all) with every breath that passes his lips.  (Egads! The IBM cafeteria coffee machine isn't running OS/2!  What kind of "commitment" is this??  IT'S DEAD!  IT'S DEAD!)  So riddle me this, Catman, how many subscription cancellations do you get every time you spill your Fresh Step in the laps of your faithful readers?  None?  Zippo?  Zilch?  Why, then you're only preaching to the choir, Mr. Mistoffolees, the rest either cancelled months ago or put down the magazine after glossing over the Adult CD-ROM classifieds in the back.

But hold on for a second, stop the hissing match folks.  If Spencer Katt, Bill Howard and other deranged moggies from Ziff-Davis have been trumpeting death for OS/2 for the past couple of years, yet it's still here (and in its fourth generation no less) then just what kind of harm can they be doing?  Didn't someone once say "There's no such thing as bad publicity"?

We should thank them for the free advertising after all.  If one keeps parading the name of a "dead" OS every year without fail then some people -- using the sense God gave a goose -- will actually go out there and try it to see if the same survival power can work for them.

I don't think Spencer Katt wants OS/2 to go away anytime soon.  That would leave him with nothing left to make fun of.

And that accounts for about 95% of his column.

-----

(http://www.spectra.net/~fox/) Chris Wenham is a Team OS/2er in Binghamton, NY with a catchy-titled company -- (http://www.spectra.net/~pendulum/webworks/) Wenham's Web Works. He has written comedy, sci-fi, HTML, Pascal, C++ and now writes software reviews.

---Our Sponsor: Best of OS/2 (http://www.bestofos2.com/)---
***********************************

Trevor's Rant	- by Trevor Smith

-----

Nah man, I aint Jewish, I just don't dig on swine, that's all.

You've heard of vapor-ware?  Some people complain about it more than politicians or taxes.  Some think it is the scourge of our time.  I disagree.  The real scourge of the 90's is bloat-ware.

There was a time when I had a TRS-80 (yes, I'm that old).  It was a simple machine by today's standards and I'm not even remotely suggesting we would be better off with that technology than today's.  But there were benefits to that type of machine.  One of them was the fact that it had "only" 16 Kilobytes of RAM.  In fact, my model was "beefier" than the standard which had only 4K.

Those of you under 25: Yes, there were machines before the IBM PC (Apple had one that comes to mind), machines that had less than 256K.  Those of you over 25: Yes, I had a TRS-80 and yes, I liked it!

Why was having only 16K a good thing?  Because it meant that programmers had to actually have some skill.  When you think about it, computer programming is not a hard job.  Basically, you decide what you want the computer to do and from a known set of instructions, pick which ones will make it do it.  It's not rocket science.  The trick is (or used to be) doing it efficiently.

Back in the days of yore, when real power users had machines with a whopping 64K, we didn't have a lot of RAM to waste.  If we needed to perform a sort routine on 14K of data, we had 2K available to hold the code needed to perform the sort (unless we had a floppy disk drive -- which I didn't).  While it's pretty easy to write a sort routine in 2,000 bytes or less, some tasks aren't so simple.  But there were ways to do most things without resorting to just stuffing more RAM into our machines.  (After all it cost something like $87,000/megabyte back then.)

Back then, a programmer wasn't someone who looked in a manual and read, "if you want your computer to do x, then type y".  A programmer was a person who knew how to do things efficiently.

When is the last time you found a program that would fit in 16K?  Today many DLLs don't fit in 16K (there are about 175 DLLs in the /OS2/DLL directory that are larger than 16K).

"So what," you ask, "today's programs do more than those old dinosaurs ever did."  Well, that's true.  Like I said, I would never argue that we were better off with those machines.  I'm all for RAM that's a dollar a megabyte.  But I'm not "all for" programmers who deliver a word processor that takes 4 of those megabytes just for the executable file.

Here's a partial directory listing of my hard drive:

Volume in drive G has no label.
The Volume Serial Number is E6E1:9014.
Directory of G:\wordpro

 7-29-96  12:00p   4166072        2636  WORDPRO.EXE
        1 file(s)    4166072 bytes used
                   589811200 bytes free

Do you see anything wrong with this picture?

Please don't cry foul if you're a Lotus employee, I'm not singling out just Lotus or just the OS/2 version of Word Pro.  Every large programming house that I can think of is turning out this particular breed of swine-ware.  It seems, when it comes to word processors, that "get the job done" has been replaced with "get every job done" or at least "get the job done some time".

Can anyone tell me how we can justify word processors that are over 4 megabytes?  What ever happened to efficient code?  Sure, Word Pro and all the other word processors around these days can format text, perform minor spreadsheet functions, publish directly to the Internet, sort my correspondence and wash my car, but why should that affect the size of the executable file?  Why can't those things be made modular so I don't have to load them just to write a simple memo?  Those 4 megabytes don't include the DLL files that come with Word Pro (or any other word processor these days).  Those DLLs take up another 19 megabytes.

I never had a word processor on my TRS-80 and didn't really get one until my first IBM PC-XT clone.  I used a program called Professional Write.  It fit on one 360K floppy and ran on my system that did not have a hard drive.  It performed almost every function that I use in today's word processors.  Again, I'm not saying that that these hogs aren't better than that old program.  I realize they have a lot of added functionality that many people need or want.  But 4 meg?  Come on!

I also realize that a lot of the bloat in todays oink-ware comes from "window dressing" -- decorative graphics, cute sounds, the overhead of graphically oriented OS's.

But 4 meg?  Come on!

As of this moment, I'm making a resolution: I refuse to take any software vendor seriously that delivers a product in a category which existed in the 80's and which has an executable over 1 megabyte.  Fair warning Lotus, IBM, Microsoft, Corel, etc., I will discount you and consider your programmers ridiculous hacks if you can't get your acts together.

Let's get some real programmers back in the business and be done with all this pork-ware.

-----

(editor@os2ezine.com) Trevor Smith is the full time editor of OS/2 e-Zine! and part time reminiscer.  Ah, those good old days...

---Our Sponsor: BMT Micro (http://www.bmtmicro.com/)---
***********************************

the Rave: Warp 4

-----

What item in the OS/2 market is really worth raving about?  I'll tell you what -- Warp 4!

Many of you, if you're overseas, will still not have received this little bundle of blue joy.  Many of you will have played for endless hours since September 25th.  Some of you will have the box sitting on your desks, not having found the time to actually install it.  I'm telling you now, make the time, Warp 4 is great!

Frankly, the cosmetics and usability enhancements alone make this upgrade worth having around here.  The WarpCenter is close to exactly what we've been wanting for some time (a few flaws but it's close).  Built in "window close" buttons, WarpSans font, chiseled windows, cooler looking buttons and controls, and nice sound schemes gave our old Workplace Shell a much needed face-lift.

But Warp 4 is a lot more than just a pretty face.  Where else can you find Java, OpenDoc and VoiceType built into an operating system?  Nowhere!  Talking to your computer!  How can anyone not be raving about Warp 4?!  Those of you who are doubting Thomases, open your eyes, this is the first step down a long road that ends with us using natural language to interact with our computers.  If that's not the biggest development in computer history, it's certainly close.  This is amazing stuff!

And while we're raving about Warp 4, let's have some kudos for the great folks at IBM who decided to include a separate CD full of drivers.  Obviously everyone is not going to find drivers for their eccentric hardware there, but one central HTML resource is exactly what we need.  This is a great improvement from Warp 3.  Someone at IBM is thinking (and acting).

Of course, nothing is all good and Warp 4 is no exception.  There are various minor incompatibilities with some existing software -- strangely coloured dialogs or the inability to print envelopes with DeScribe come to mind -- but that is to be expected.  Overall, we had so few problems after installing Warp 4 that we were honestly wondering what the catch was.  Although we kept our Warp 3 partition around as a backup, just in case, we just didn't need to resort to it.  Even with established versions of other operating systems, we never had this kind of stability.

Once again, IBM has made us pretty happy with our OS of choice.  Warp 4 is a winner and we're stuck on it.

---Our Sponsor: ChipChat (http://www.ChipChat.com/home00.html)---
***********************************

LINUX-Style Support for OS/2?	- by Mark Aitchison

-----

As good as an operating system may be, it lives or dies according to its support, and support is something IBM is famous for.  Yet OS/2 has always struggled to appear to be a well-supported operating system.

Although most of us know that OS/2 is alive, well, and going from strength to strength, it is very common to hear replies like, "...but OS/2 is dead, isn't it? IBM said so!"  This coming from the competition is one thing, but from within IBM such information is very damaging.  Most people don't appreciate the difference between companies within IBM: if the PC sellers within IBM kick OS/2 for fun or profit then that appears to be the "official" line.

The omission of OS/2 in important IBM plans for the future, or negative quips slipped into hardware launches may have appeared carelessness or stupidity on the part of underlings, had they not gone on and increased.  We can only guess at the motives behind such tactics, but it is clear that they will continue, and that the old model of support for OS/2 -- the single, large company that is determined to stick with its loyal customers come what may -- is undermined.  A better model would be based on multiple vendors, popularity rather than duty, and recognition of OS/2 as a foundation for value-added modules, not an end in itself.

There are aspects of the Linux style of support that are ideal for OS/2 now.  IBM does some things well, but if you aren't one of IBM's major customers or don't have very standard hardware, then you have probably found that help from other users locally and via the Internet is the best solution when it comes to OS/2.  Linux users are in a similar situation -- often vendors have no appreciation of anything other than their pet operating system, so if you have problems, the user community is a very valuable resource.

However, unlike Linux, the help you can get with OS/2 is limited by lack of freely distributable sources.  So if a bug or new device requires software changes rather than configuration tips, you must rely on IBM to get around to it.  Not that I am saying IBM is bad in this respect, but there are bugs from Warp 3, and ones found in the Merlin Beta, that didn't get fixed.

One question I have is whether some amalgam of present OS/2 and Linux styles of support would increase the chances that such problems are rectified quickly.  The other question is whether the general public (and software authors) would view OS/2 as having better prospects if it was somehow "second-sourced" as far as development is concerned. I feel the answer is "yes" to both, provided the change can be well implemented.

Simply stopping development and handing over the code to some anonymous FTP site is not what I'm advocating.  Something akin to development partnerships would be more like it, with some of the code made "copyleft" or distributable in a GNU-like way.

OS/2 is a foundation (now a very good foundation) for uses that must surely exceed IBM's imagination.  I can imagine IBM keeping the respect of customers by continuing to provide OS/2 as a desktop system (even if the really interesting modules -- probably in Java -- are sourced from third party commercial or freeware authors).  Having OS/2 as the bedrock in a file server or Web server or whatever also makes sense; if IBM hopes to develop software that must sit on an operating system it is strategically important that they not be at the mercy of a monopolistic operating system supplier.

IBM's OS/2 would then be like Caldera's Linux or RedHat Linux, sharing a common, well-supported foundation but still incorporating components and support that make it valuable to customers.  IBM can still make money from sales of OS/2 as it does now; they can make more money out of add-ons as OS/2 penetrates markets otherwise unavailable; or they can simply use "integrated solutions" based on Warp Server to help sell IBM hardware.

Anything an IBMer might say against OS/2 then would carry less weight, given that IBM would then be just one development partner.  The cost of the "base" OS/2 system would come down, increasing the market for add-ons.  Cross-breading from Linux development efforts would mean more compatibility and early arrival of each new file system, etc. in the way that Xfree86 and many new applications benefit now.  OS/2 would still earn IBM revenue, but now largely from the feature-laden versions, which they could even purge of the name "OS/2" if pressure within or without the company persisted.

IBM must be able to satisfy three requirements: maintain the image of a strong supplier that keeps its word, make a profit, and ensure it will stay in business.  Presumably IBM understands the importance of its image, and OS/2 is said to bring in around a billion dollars of revenue.  Possibly there are fears that even higher revenue earners are at risk by IBM's continued involvement with OS/2.  Whatever the source of internal pressure on OS/2, an opening up of the product would meet all three goals, especially the third, and is infinitely preferable to running down the product in any way.

My own personal hope for the future is for the phrase "the operating system doesn't matter" to be taken for granted.  We should be able to choose whatever is best for the job, then choose the user interface we want (text, voice, PM, fvwm95, etc.), and select from any applications out there.  In some ways IBM's stated direction (using Java in particular) is in line with this.  Making OS/2 widespread and at least the base freely distributable (e.g. enough to make a cheap network computer) fits in with such a philosophy.

But this isn't something to be entered into without careful thought given to the details.  Don't take what I have said to be any sort of blueprint, but instead, consider it food for thought.  Having OS/2 in exactly the same position as Linux wouldn't work, for example.  This is also a step which I feel OS/2 simply wasn't ready for until now.  Handled correctly though, this could benefit IBM and the computing community significantly.

-----

(M.Aitchison@phys.canterbury.ac.nz) Mark Aitchison is a programmer/analyst with the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, and a keen Goon Show, Dr. Who, DrDOS, OS/2, Linux and Solaris fan (in roughly that order).

---Our Sponsor: EmTec (http://www.emtec.com/)---
***********************************

the Beta File

-----

Welcome back to the Beta File, your source for the latest breaking news in OS/2 beta development.  Every month we scour the OS/2 world to bring you interesting news of OS/2 software in development.  If you have a product that you're sure is going to be the next killer app, or you want a little free exposure for your beta test (editor@os2ezine.com) drop us a note!

* * * 

Have you been picking away at a keyboard for years, struggling through with typing skills you learned playing Tetris or some other keyboard-oriented game?  Wait no longer, a native OS/2 typing tutor is now in beta testing.

IcaruSoft has released its first betas of its new software, Type/2, and updates are coming fairly quickly.  Primary developer, (etchris@ibm.net) Ernest Christley tells us that Type/2 is an OS/2, PM based typing tutor.  It will feature support for QWERTY and Dvorak keyboards, multiple lessons, and the ability to add lessons.  Sounds like they have all the bases covered.

There is no web site for the software at this time, but the beta test has been in progress for about three months or so with approximately 10 testers.  Those of you with poor typing skills are free to sign up too.  Just download the file 'type2b2.zip' from Hobbes and e-mail the author to join.

IcaruSoft anticipates a Christmas '96 release date for the shareware program and somewhere around a US$20 price tag (although that is not settled yet).  Christley tells us:

"IcaruSoft is currently a small company trying to get bigger.  Our one goal is to root out software categories where there is a need for native OS/2 software and produce solid products to fulfil that need."

And just in time for Christmas too!

* * * 

If you are more interested in your system's security than the speed with which you interact with it, this next beta program may be for you.

(kenkahn@ibm.net) Ken Kahn has just released the Warp 4 upgrade to his popular BOOTOS2 utility.  In his own words, "For those brave of heart and foolish of mental capacity, I've made available a version of BOOTOS2 (v7.76) that should work with the new WARP 4 (aka Merlin)."  The beta is open to all (as you can tell); just pop over to (ftp://lscftp.pok.ibm.com/pub/p390/kenkahn/) lscftp.pok.ibm.com and grab the file BOOTOS2.ZIP.  All that is required of testers is that they report successes or failures with the code to the author.

BOOTOS2 is a set of utilities that allows Warp users to set up minimal installations on their hard disks for use as maintenance or emergency partitions.  Most functions, including support for TYPE=PM and WPS installs are available in this release.  The only function familiar to users of the Warp 3 version of BOOTOS2 that was not working at the time of this writing was 2DISK.  The author is working on a fix for this though and it may well be complete by the time you read this.

This latest release is fairly new (late October) so you can be one of the first to try it out.  BOOTOS2 for earlier versions of Warp has been around for some time though.  As an indication, this is v7.76 of the software, so don't expect the beta program to last forever.  BOOTOS2 is freeware.

* * * 

As we head into November, the good news is that Lotus will finally be releasing Word Pro 96 (just in time for '97) for OS/2.  The beta test of this product is just now wrapping up and users can download the beta code from (http://www.lotus.com/freelance/212e.htm) Lotus' Web page.  Be warned though, this is hefty beta code.  It is basically the entire word processor (and you know how big word processors are these days) and there are six different compressed files to grab.  Be prepared to take some time.

Also, users of Warp 3 will need to install a special FixPak 23 in order to be able to run the beta.  This FixPak can be found on the Lotus Word Pro page.  Warp 4 users do not need to do this.

As we mentioned, Lotus still claims that they expect to have Word Pro 96 released by the end of this year.  Since we now have less than two months in this year, that means any day now so if you want to do a little beta testing, get it now before it goes Gold.

The beta (and the final release) of Word Pro are chock full of features for group work and Internet publishing.  In keeping with IBM's view of networked computing, this should be the word processor to own if you collaborate with others or publish Web pages.  Final pricing had still not been set at the time of this writing.

* * * 

The other component of the SmartSuite that Lotus is about to finish is Freelance Graphics.  This presentation graphics program has been available for OS/2 for some time, like the rest of the SmartSuite, but until now it has been lagging in its feature set.  This release promises to update the OS/2 version to be competitive with the more robust Windows versions.

As with Word Pro, final pricing has not yet been set.  Lotus is very aggressive though so we expect lean pricing.  Freelance will initially ship with Word Pro for OS/2 and the Win3.x versions of 123, Approach and Organizer on CD ROM only.

At this time, the beta code available for Freelance will not install on Warp 4.  Lotus is attempting to work out the problems with IBM and assures us that the final version will install on Warp 4 without problems.  For those of you with Warp 3 running, you will need the FixPak 23 "Special Edition" before you can (http://www.lotus.com/freelance/2102.htm) grab the five compressed installation files.

The remaining OS/2 SmartSuite applications, including 1-2-3, Approach, Organizer and ScreenCam, are scheduled for the first half of 1997.  All SmartSuite applications are promised to have common features and file formats with their Windows counterparts, and native OS/2 features to make OS/2 users feel at home on their platform of choice.

It's about time!

---Our Sponsor: House of Technology (http://www.hotinc.com/)---
***********************************

Answers from e-Zine!

-----

Welcome back to your source for answers to all your OS/2 questions!  Each month we bring you tips, tricks, questions and answers from our readers and contributors.  If you've got a question or tip you would like to share with us, (editor@os2ezine.com) send it in!

-----

Q --  How do I change the fonts used in Netscape/2?  I have used the 'Options' menu and saved options.  No change is made upon reopening.

A -- Unfortunately, the early beta of Netscape Navigator for OS/2 seems to have a "few" bugs.  Not only do some people have problems setting the fonts, some are unable to change many other defaults in the 'Options' menu.  Our advice is to wait and hope Netscape/IBM gets it right in the next release.

- (editor@os2ezine.com) OS/2 e-Zine! Staff

-----

Tip -- I've been using the Navigator 1a beta as well as WebExplorer at work.  I had the problem of not having my bookmarks from home available at work, so I FTP'd my bookmark.htm (Navigator for Windows) to my Web space on my ISP's Web server.  From there I have my bookmarks available to me anywhere.  This circumvents the limited bookmark list in the Navigator beta.  For WebEx, I just drop the bookmark URL object into the client window and there they are, all my bookmarked URLs.

- (clkelley@earthlink.net) Cliff Kelley

-----

Q --  I have used OS/2 for several years, but have never used HPFS.  This is because of two concerns.

First, the inability to defragment an HPFS drive, short of erasing and recopying the files from tape and/or reinstalling software on the drive.  Though HPFS is supposed to be resistant to fragmentation, I use my computer very intensively, with much creation and deletion of many large and small files that at times completely fill the disk.

Second, I have been afraid of the eventual problems encountered with all operating systems, and the apparent inability to correct this problem if booting from a DOS diskette.  Are there ways to address these two problems so that I can get the benefits of HPFS while not increasing the risk of losing access to data?

A -- Yes there are solutions to these problems.  First, both the (http://werple.net.au/~chrisg/) Graham Utilities and (http://www.softouch.com/) Gammatech Utilities (and possibly others) include HPFS defragmentation utilities.  (They also contain a LOT of other great features.)

Second, you can make OS/2 boot diskettes as easily as creating them for DOS.  Granted they take more space -- the "Create Utility Disks" program in the System Setup folder makes three floppies for Warp 3 and 4 for Warp 4 (some of these disks contain only tools like FDISK, FORMAT, etc.) -- but you can boot from them and have access to your HPFS disks.

Also, there is a utility called BOOTOS2 which has a few useful options.  One of them is the ability to set up a small boot partition on a hard drive with minimal files so that if something goes wrong with your main OS/2 partition, you can boot to this "emergency drive" and have access to all the other HPFS and FAT partitions on your system.  BOOTOS2 also has an option to make a set of boot disks that requires just two floppies (this does not yet work for Warp 4).  A beta version of BOOTOS2 supporting Warp 4 has been announced.

- (editor@os2ezine.com) OS/2 e-Zine! Staff

-----

Q -- I have non-fixpack OS/2 Warp.  Recently, I purchased a Sound Blaster AWE32 PnP card.  I have downloaded the newest drivers from Creative Labs and everything works great except one thing.  Whenever I play a MIDI file, it comes out sounding like the old FM synthesis card instead of wavetable.  I can go into the AWE32 Control Panel, select General MIDI and apply this while a song is playing and it comes out in wavetable synthesis.  However, if I stop the song, load a new one in, etc., it goes back to playing the old FM synthesis.  I have gone into the Multimedia Setup folder and changed the MIDI from Sound Blaster to General MIDI, but it doesn't help.  Any ideas?

A --One possibility is, if you had a sound card installed before the AWE32, to get everything to work out right with the Sound Blaster install, you need to perform the following in order (or at least I did).

1. Delete all of the .INI files in the X:\MMOS2 directory.

2. Place your Warp CD in your CD-ROM and hit "Selective Install" (OS/2 System > System Setup > Selective Install).

3. Deselect whichever sound card was there and select the Sound Blaster AWE32.  Choose whichever settings you want or need.

4. Shutdown and reboot.

5. Only now do you want to install the AWEOS2.EXE file that you downloaded from Creative Labs.  Follow the readme's instructions.

That should be all you will need.

- (bgreen@ksu.edu) Brian L. Juergensmeyer

-----

Tip -- Here's a simple way to make a rudimentary "trash can" for your Desktop.

First, create a normal folder on the Desktop by dragging and dropping a folder template.  Next grab a "trash can" icon from somewhere (there are many available in collections at anonymous FTP sites) and make it the default icon for the folder.  Don't forget to make a corresponding "bulged trash can" icon the default for the open folder.  Name the folder "Trash".  Put the folder somewhere like F:\ (or anywhere you like except the Desktop) and drag a shadow of it to your OS/2 Desktop.

Now you can drag files to this folder instead of the shredder to safeguard against deleting files you really need.  You can periodically open the folder, highlight everything in it (Ctrl-/) and delete the files with the pop-up menu item or drag them to the shredder when you're sure you don't need them anymore.

This solution lacks the elegance of "real" shareware Trash Cans, but it's free!

- (editor@os2ezine.com) OS/2 e-Zine! Staff

-----

That's it for this month.  If you have a tip or question that you don't see covered here, don't forget to (editor@os2ezine.com) send it in!

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***********************************

Chris's ColorWorks Power Tips	- by Chris Wenham

-----

ChOps and Shadows

What are ChOps?  In 'pixel-pusher' speak it means "Channel Operations", which is the process of multiplying, adding, subtracting or otherwise comparing the pixels of two images together.  The ability to do channel ops often makes or breaks a good photo imaging program since so many highly advanced techniques can only be done with them.

To start us off we're going to try an effect that comes from multiplying shadows into a picture.  Have you ever seen the front page graphic for the (http://www.os2zone.aus.net/index.html) OS/2 Zone magazine and wondered how the lettering was done?  Well.. I don't know if this is the same technique they used or not, but it sure as heck looks like it to me.  What we want to do is create shadow and highlight for the shape, then multiply them into the background canvas using a channel operation.  It's not so bad as it sounds... really... like when have I ever lied to you?

Start with a new canvas and throw up a simple figure to begin with, in this case I used a circle.

Make a duplicate of it -- actually make two (ctrl-ins on the first canvas, then shift-ins twice to paste two copies onto the Desktop).  Go to the first and blur it out nice and fuzzy using a blur filter like the custom one Imran Javaid suggested in (http://www.os2ezine.com/v1n12/powertip.htm) last month's article (I used 3 passes) so it now looks a bit like this:

Next we want to use the full canvas tool with mask mode on to select that whole canvas and drag-n-drop it onto one of our duplicates.  Go to Edit.Float Merge Control... and pick Subtract Abs(A-B) from the drop-down list.  We're now subtracting the floated shadow from the duplicate we made of the original.  Position it so it's offset down and right a couple of pixels, paste the floating image, then invert that whole canvas so that it now looks like this:

What you have is the shadow multiplier; to create the highlight you do exactly the same process as before but this time with the second duplicate you made.  Here we're offsetting up and to the left the same number of pixels as before.  Your highlight multiplier should look like the shadow multiplier except for the fact that the shadows here are on the other side (where the imaginary light is shining).

For the last stage we need to pick a background.  This usually needs to be one with lots of grey values, or midrange color values so they don't interfere with our shadows and highlights.  For this example I picked the skin texture found in last month's PowerTips column.  Go to your shadow multiplier, float the full canvas (or just a rectangle with the shadow part if you think you're good enough) and drag-n-drop it to the background.  Go to the Edit.Floating Merge Control... again and this time set the Use Floating Image control to If Darker.  Position the shadow, then paste it.  Your canvas should now look a bit like this one:

To put the highlights in we need to be a little more crafty.  We invert the destination canvas first, then drag-n-drop the highlight multiplier into it (using the "If Darker" floating merge control), position it, paste it, then invert it back to get our final image.  By inverting the canvas before and then after we drop the highlights on we're making sure they'll turn out white while the shadows remain dark.

Nifty, eh?

All Quiet on the Western Front

Much to my dismay we didn't get any readers questions or tips in time for this article and Joe Anybody is visiting his mother for a few weeks so he's no good for help either.  Wish me luck for next month's PowerTips though, folks, coz I'm going to be hunting down the leanest, meanest, most texturdly textures I can rip, beg, borrow or steal for an all-out texture/palette/graphics-state blowout.  Just in time for you to create the most eye-wrenching Christmas Cards your sweet Aunt Tilly ever saw!

-----

(http://www.spectra.net/~fox/) Chris Wenham is a Team OS/2er in Binghamton, NY with a catchy-titled company -- (http://www.spectra.net/~pendulum/webworks/) Wenham's Web Works. He has written comedy, sci-fi, HTML, Pascal, C++ and now writes software reviews.

---Our Sponsor: J3 Computer Technologies (http://www.os2store.com/)---
***********************************

The Need For Speed	- by Jon Cochran

-----

Over the last few months, I've been recommending various ways to upgrade an older system.  I thought it might be interesting if I talked about a system I've recently upgraded and tied in some of the upgrades used to earlier articles.  It's different, but it just may work...

The victim system was an IBM PS/1 2155A-24C.  Apparently this was a rather popular system in its day, and it's a solid, well built machine.   It's a 486/33SX, 8MB, 253MB HD, VLB Cirrus Logic (integrated into the motherboard).  In short, it had a lot of potential for expandability.  The machine was desperately in need of some upgrading, since it couldn't adequately handle a lot of software being thrown at it by its owner.  So, determined to keep the cost as low as I could, I set out to bring it up to speed.

The first purchase I made was memory.  Another 8MB brought it up to speed in that department (at least for the next few months anyway).  The difference made by this alone was dramatic.  No more swapping to disk when loading applications, which made the system seem much faster.

Next, I  bought the Pentium 83 Overdrive chip for the system (after being advised by Intel that it would work in this system).  I popped the chip in and turned it on.  Nothing.  Checked the seating of the chip and more nothing.  Called Intel, they told me to call IBM.  Called IBM, and I was told I needed a new BIOS, which they shipped out free of charge.

Of all the upgrades I've ever done, the difference made by this one was the most dramatic.  The system seemed as if it were screaming afterwards.  Graphics displayed faster, videos played smoother, and the system was much more responsive overall.  If you've got a system that can take this upgrade, and you've been putting it off, don't.  It's absolutely fantastic.

Next to be attacked was the video system.  The installed chipset was a Cirrus Logic 5428.  Not a bad video system, but it only had 512K of video memory.  I would have rather upgraded the whole video system, but there were no VLB slots (it's connected to the VESA bus on the motherboard).  Since any upgraded video card I installed would be an ISA card, I decided to just purchase another 512K of video memory to upgrade the system to 1MB.  I really think that this is the weakest point of the system now, but it should do for a while.  At least it can do 800x600 at 65K colors now, so it's tolerable.  And the addition of the Pentium Overdrive chip made screen updates and redraws much faster than they were.  Video is fantastic now.

With a 250MB hard drive, storage had been a problem for quite a while (as you can probably imagine).  So I popped a 1.2GB hard drive in, and (http://www.os2ezine.com/v1n10/upgrade.htm) cloned the hard drive from the 250MB to the new one.  Sounds simple, but not so.  It turns out that the BIOS IBM had sent couldn't handle such a big HD (hey, IBM, when you upgraded the BIOS on this thing to handle the Pentium Overdrive, couldn't you have slipped this in?) so I had to use the Ontrac software included with the system.  This worked fine once everything was set up properly.

With the new hard drive and processor, the system definitely took on a new personality.  Any swapping that had to be done seemed hundreds of times faster now.  The load time for Microsoft Word 6 dropped nearly in half.  Saving files was nearly instantaneous.

The Cost:

8MB RAM - $59  (Best Buy)
1.2GB HD  - $199 (Best Buy)
Pentium 83 - $199 (Best Buy)
512k Video Memory - $49 (CompUSA)

Total Cost - $506  (Not including tax)

The Verdict

I know at this point some of you are screaming, "$506!  For a hundred or so more you could have built a whole new computer, and it would have been faster!"  You're absolutely right, but remember, the memory and hard drive can be used in a system in the future, and the Overdrive can possibly be sold.  So at least half of the money can be thought of as a safe investment (usable in a future system).

Second, the system is fast enough for now.  It may not be a screamer, but the system can keep up with just about any application.  And when it comes time to upgrade this system, there should be a whole new generation of chips out (either MMX or Pentium Pros, take your pick) which would make any new system built today lag behind.  So you could think of this as a "delaying" upgrade, since it's delaying the inevitable major system upgrade.

And more importantly, to the owner, it's the same computer.  Same box, same look, same big blue IBM logo on the front cover.  And to some people, that's very important.

-----

(cochran@genius.rider.edu) Jon Cochran is a full time student at Rider University majoring in History/Secondary Education.  He hopes (or at least his parents do) to graduate soon.

---Our Sponsor: K&S Systems (http://www.kssystems.com/)---
***********************************

the REXX Files	- by Dr. Dirk Terrell

-----

One of the nice things about the REXX implementation on the OS/2 platform is its integration with the operating system.  This makes it possible to perform a variety of operations such as creating WPS objects, reading and writing extended attributes of files, and reading and writing .ini files.  Most of these functions are contained in the REXXUTIL library that comes with OS/2 REXX.

There are many functions in the REXXUTIL library, but the one we will make use of this month is SysCreateObject.  There are times when you need to be able to launch a DOS application from a REXX program, but the application needs particular DOS settings.  You could change the default settings for your DOS shell, but that may not be practical.  Besides, OS/2 users expect their operating system to accommodate their needs and not vice-versa.  Using the SysCreateObject function, you can start a DOS program with the necessary settings.

To be able to use any of the REXXUTIL functions, the first thing you have to do is load the library.  This is accomplished with the RXFuncAdd function.  The syntax is:

rc=rxfuncadd('SysLoadFuncs','RexxUtil','SysLoadFuncs')
call sysloadfuncs

Since I make copious use of the REXXUTIL library, I have created a REXX program with the above two lines in it and placed it in my Startup folder so that I don't have to worry about putting those lines in every REXX program.  Of course, if you are writing a REXX program to be distributed, you should have those lines in the program somewhere before any REXXUTIL functions are called.

Now we're ready to make use of SysCreateObject.  Basically what we want to do is create what is known as a transient object.  As you might guess, a transient object is one that exists for a while, and is then destroyed.  The object that we want to create is a DOS session running our DOS application.  The WPS uses object ID's like <WP_DESKTOP> to identify objects.  For transient objects, we need to use <WP_NOWHERE>.  To launch our DOS application, we use SysCreateObject to create an object in <WP_NOWHERE> pointing to our DOS executable.  The syntax of SysCreateObject is:

rc=SysCreateObject(Class,Title,Location,Setup,Option)

where Class is the WPS class of the object, in our case WPProgram since we will be executing a program.  Title is simply the title that will appear in the window list when the program is running.  Location is, you guessed it, <WP_NOWHERE> for our application.  Setup is a setup string that lets us customize the object, and will be discussed below.  Option is either Fail, Replace, or Update depending on what we want the SysCreateObject function to do if the object already exists.  In our case, we will use Replace.

The setup string is where we can change DOS settings for our application.  We start the
setup string with:

EXENAME=c:\os2\mdos\command.com;

which is (probably) the path to the DOS executable.  In the above case, we would simply be starting a DOS shell.  Next we will add:

PROGTYPE=WINDOWEDVDM;

PROGTYPE can be either WINDOWEDVDM for a DOS window, or VDM for a full screen DOS
session.  And to set the startup directory, we use:

STARTUPDIR=c:\;

Finally we get to the purpose of all this work -- to set various DOS settings to certain
values.  Let's say we need to set DPMI_MEMORY_LIMIT to 16 and have IDLE_SENSITIVITY equal to 100.  We just add the following to the setup string:

SET DPMI_MEMORY_LIMIT=16,IDLE_SENSITIVITY=100;

Note that different settings are separated by commas.  Should you need to use a comma
in your setup string, preface it with a carat (^) so that it's not interpreted as a field separator.

We're almost there.  The last piece of information we need to supply is the view to be used when the object is created with:

OPEN=DEFAULT

We use DEFAULT for our DOS application.  If we were creating a folder, we might use
ICON, TREE, or DETAILS.  Let's concatenate all of these into one string called Setup.

Setup='EXENAME=c:\os2\mdos\command.com;PROGTYPE=WINDOWEDVDM;STARTUPDIR=c:\;SET DPMI_MEMORY_LIMIT=16,IDLE_SENSITIVITY=100;OPEN=DEFAULT'

(Notice that the various parts are separated by semicolons.)

Now we are ready to make the call to SysCreateObject:

call SysCreateObject "WPProgram","Our Title","<WP_NOWHERE>",Setup,"Replace"

and our DOS application should run in a window with the settings we requested.

I've created a REXX program (see below) that you can modify to suit your purposes.  It is commented, and you should have no problems following the flow of the program, and changing it to suit your needs.  I have, of course, covered only a tiny fraction of the capabilities of the REXXUTIL library, and even only a small number of the capabilities of SysCreateObject.

A while back I put together an OS/2 help file (.inf) that had lots of information on various REXX libraries.  You can get it at Hobbes as (ftp://hobbes.nmsu.edu/os2/dev32/rexx/rs960115.zip) rxs960115.zip (ZIP, 109k) in the /os2/dev32/rexx directory.  In it you will find fairly complete documentation of the setup string for SysCreateObject.

-----

(http://www.gnv.com/HTMLWizard/) Dr. Dirk Terrell is an astronomer at the University of Florida specializing in interacting binary stars.  His hobbies include cave diving, martial arts, painting and writing OS/2 software such as HTML Wizard.

---Our Sponsor: Keller Group Inc. (http://www.kellergroup.com/)---
***********************************

/* VDMSTART.CMD by Dr. Dirk Terrell */
/* Starting a DOS VDM with specific settings */

/* Load the REXXUTIL library functions */
rc=rxfuncadd('SysLoadFuncs','RexxUtil','SysLoadFuncs')
call sysloadfuncs

/* Set up some variables */
WindowTitle="DOS VDM"   /* Change as appropriate */
Class='WPProgram'       /* This is a Program object */
Location='<WP_NOWHERE>' /* Used for transient objects */

/* Set Program to the path of the DOS executable */
Program='EXENAME=f:\os2\mdos\command.com;' 

/* Set type to WINDOWEDVDM to have the program run in 
   a DOS window, or VDM to have it run in full
   screen mode
*/
Type='PROGTYPE=WINDOWEDVDM;'   /* Windowed DOS session */

/* Set Startup to the startup directory you want */
startup='STARTUPDIR=c:\;'  

/* Here's where we set the program settings.
   Set to whatever you need, separating multiple settings with commas.
   Use 1 for ON and 0 for OFF settings
   Look at the settings notebook for a DOS object to see
   all of the possibilities.
*/
Settings='IDLE_SENSITIVITY=100;'

/* Now make it go */
open='OPEN=DEFAULT'
rc=SysCreateObject(Class,WindowTitle,Location,,  /* The 2nd comma is a continuation */
  Program||Type||Startup||Settings||Open,'replace') /* to the next line. */
Say "rc:" rc
Exit
/* End of program */

---Our Sponsor: MR/2 ICE (http://nick.secant.com/mr2ice.htm)---
***********************************

How do I?	- by Eric Slaats

-----

Hi Again.  Welcome to the second column on PM programming.  In this column simple Presentation Manager programming problems and philosophies will be discussed.  This Column is aimed at people who are interested in PM programming or are simply curious what makes PM programs tick.  To understand this column, a little programming experience (preferably in C++) is recommended.

Last month we looked at the event paradigm.  This means messages.  It was also explained how messages are sent to and handled by windows.  A few messages like WM_QUIT were mentioned in the previous column.

This time we'll take a closer look at some messages.  While we're still in the process of setting up a basic application window, we'll take a look at two messages used in the creation of a frame window.  The basic program we created last month will be used as a starting point for our new explorations.  After this article we'll be able to create a simple control in our frame window (actually on the client area) and size/place it appropriately.

Get the message?

First let's refresh our memories.  Messages are data-structures that are sent to a window procedure (queue at first) upon an event.  For example, a button-click, a mouse-click on a window or the resizing of the window.  Messages can also be sent to a certain window by a program, to invoke a certain action.  For example, if we would like to know the currently used font in an MLE control (MLE is the Multi-Line-Edit control; it's the control the e.exe editor is build around), we could send the MLM_QUERYFONT message to that MLE.  The message would return this information to us.

Most of the time however, messages are the result of an event and by letting our window procedure act upon these messages we can have some influence on how events are handled.

Creation messages

In our basic program we created a frame window (actually 5 windows that are glued together) with a call to WinCreateStdWindow.  All the things that happen because of that call can be seen as events in the OS/2 system.  This means there are messages we can act upon when a window is created.

We do have a choice in this: we don't have to handle the messages, there is always the possibility to let the default window procedure handle these messages.  We will take a look at two messages that can play a key roll at window-creation time.  (Note that there are more messages that we can use in the frame creation process.  These messages are more complex and won't be discussed yet.)

1) WM_CREATE

The first message we discuss is a message that always occurs in frame window creation.  This is the WM_CREATE message.  This is the first message a window will receive after its initialization.  At the moment this message is received, the window isn't visible yet and doesn't have a size or place on the desktop.

What do we normally do with the WM_CREATE message?  Well, there are a number of possibilities.

o  Program initiation tasks.  At the moment the WM_CREATE message arrives, you'll know the window is being created.  A number of settings your program uses can be retrieved at that time from the OS2.INI or a private INI file.  These values can then be used in further processing.

o  The WM_CREATE message receives a pointer to a CREATESTRUCT.  This structure contains all the parameters that were involved in the creation of the window and a number of them we used in the WinCreateStdWindow call.  The CREATESTRUCT looks like this:

typedef struct _CREATESTRUCT 
        {
        PVOID   pPresParams;       //  Presentation parameters.
        PVOID   pCtlData;          //  Control data.
        ULONG   id;                //  Window identifier.
        HWND    hwndInsertBehind;  //  Window behind which the window is to be placed.
        HWND    hwndOwner;         //  Window owner.
        LONG    cy;                //  Window height.
        LONG    cx;                //  Window width. 
        LONG    y;                 //  Y-coordinate of origin.
        LONG    x;                 //  X-coordinate of origin.
        ULONG   flStyle;           //  Window style.
        PSZ     pszText;           //  Window text.
        PSZ     pszClassName;      //  Registered window class name.
        HWND    hwndParent;        //  Parent window handle.
        } CREATESTRUCT;
 
We can use this information for further initiation if we want to.  Note that all this information can be obtained by querying the window, but by caching it (keeping it at hand), you could achieve some performance improvements.  (I should note here that I've seldom seen programs that do this.)

o  The other message parameter of the WM_CREATE message contains a pointer to the so-called controldata (CTLDATA).  This structure has a different form for every window-class (control) OS/2 provides.  It can be used to take a few shortcuts (save lines of code) when setting up controls like buttons etc.  (Note: we're not that far yet, we're still in the process of creating a simple frame window.)  In future columns the CTLDATA will emerge again when we take a look at simple controls.  The keyword here is LAZY.  Don't do anything yourself which the system can do for you.

o  The last and most used function of the WM_CREATE message is to set up controls in the client area.  Most applications operate this way.  ***In our example of this month we will set up a Button in the centre of the Client area.  We can do this by using the following code:

WinCreateWindow(hwnd,              // Parent handle (Client area)
                WC_BUTTON,         // Window class (Button)
                "This is a button",// Window text
                WS_VISIBLE | BS_DEFAULT, // Button flags
                0, 0, 0, 0,        // client window has no size or position at this point
                hwnd,              // Owner handle (Client area)
                HWND_TOP,          // Z-order ontop
                100,               // Window ID 
                0,                 // Control
                0);                // Presentation Parameters
                
The API call used to do this is the WinCreateWindow API.  This is call that will create a single button.  (Note that the WinCraeteStdWindow creates a complex set of windows.)  Stuff like parents and owners as well as Z-order and Window ID's will be explained next month.  For now it's essential that we notice that there are four 0's where the x, y, cx and cy parameters are.  These parameters are used for sizing and placing a window.  The client area at this point has no size or place, so giving the button a size or place in this window has no meaning at all.  For example it could be placed out of the boundaries of the client window and thus be invisible and unreachable.

What happens next?  After the window has been created, it should be placed on the Desktop with a certain position and size.  Mainly we're interested in the size.  If we obtain the size, we're able to resize and position the button we created.  If a window is resized (giving it its initial size is also resizing), the PM will send a WM_SIZE message.

2) WM_SIZE

The WM_SIZE message is mostly used to resize the controls in the client-area, but it can also be used to prevent a window from being sized beyond or over a certain size.  The example we work out here is giving the button a size and place.  We want the button in the center of the client area.  This means we have to reposition the button every time the main window is resized.  This is no problem because every time this happens a WM_SIZE is sent.  So with one piece of code we can handle the creation situation as well as the resizing.  If we used the info in CREATESTRUCT during WM_CREATE we would have to write two code pieces, one for creation and one for sizing!

Besides *placing the button in the middle of the client area* we want it to have a size 1/3 of the cx and cy of the client area.

The WM_SIZE message gives us just the information we need to do this.  The WM_SIZE message passes the old window-size in mp1 and the new window-size in mp2.  We're interested in the new window size.  
(Note: This is the size of the client-window, not the frame itself!)

In the previous article the MPARAM message parameters were discussed.  These parameters were ULONG variables.  (A ULONG is a 32 bit variable.)  The cx and cy (x and y size) are shorts (16 bit).  The mp1 and mp2 of the WM_SIZE are composed of two shorts and therefore make a ULONG.  We can retrieve the two shorts out of this one ULONG with so-called helper-macros.  The helpermacros we need are SHORT1FROMMP and SHORT2FROMMP.  So *to get* the values for place (within the client area) and size of the button we can use these macros.

To set the position and size of the button we'll use the WinSetWindowPos API.  Through this API a window can be sized, moved, made invisible etc.  We will only use it to resize and move the Button.  The complete code for our little experiment looks like this:

case WM_SIZE:
     {
     short x = SHORT1FROMMP(mp2)/3;
     short y = SHORT2FROMMP(mp2)/3;

     WinSetWindowPos(hwndButton,        // Place and size button
                     HWND_TOP,          // ONTOP in Z-order
                     x,                 // x coord
                     y,                 // y coord
                     x,                 // cx size
                     y,                 // cy size
                     SWP_SIZE|SWP_MOVE);// Change size|move en Show
     }
break;

Try to figure out how this works.  It would be advisable to look up the precise working of WinSetWindowPos.  This is a really great API.

To see how this code performs, take the (http://www.os2ezine.com/v1n13/howdoi.zip) example .exe file (ZIP, 13.7k) and resize the frame window in a number of different ways.  You'll see that the Button always is displayed in the middle and that it's sized to 1/3 of the height and 1/3 of the width.

Concluding Notes

In this article we've seen a way to set up a control in a client window and size it according to the size of the frame window (client area).  In most cases however, the client area will contain only one control, the main working space of you application.  For example, an edit control, a spreadsheet control, a drawing control, etc.  Dialog boxes that give applications the opportunity to have a specialized interaction with the user aren't created in the way we described in this article.  (Usually dialogs can't be sized anyway!)

I hear some of you thinking, "how about menus, statusbars, toolbars, etc.?"  Well, there are ways to implement these controls as part of the frame-window-conglomerate.  This has the advantage that we don't have to provide the sizing, etc.  In a future column I will take time to investigate and explain this.

Next month however, we will take a look at a way to add some extra controls to our frame window.  This will be simple menus and scroll-bars.  For now, if you have any comments, please let me know.  Of course kudo's are also welcome (grin).

-----

(eric.slaats@pi.net) Eric Slaats holds a degree in Computer Science and teaches computer technology in Eindhoven.  He is the creator of the (http://www.bmtmicro.com/catalog/smalled/) Smalled utilities.

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***********************************

VoiceType	- by Dr. Dirk Terrell

-----

Arguably, the most significant addition to Warp in version 4 has been the addition of VoiceType.  This remarkable new tool brings a very powerful voice recognition system to OS/2 users.  Once the domain of only the most powerful computers, VoiceType makes voice recognition possible on a relatively modest PC with a 16-bit sound card.  By integrating VoiceType with the operating system, IBM has once again led the way with new operating system technologies.  While Windows users were toiling with Program Manager for years, OS/2 users were reaping the productivity benefits of the powerful Workplace Shell.  Now we are making another leap forward with VoiceType.

A noise-cancelling microphone is included with Warp 4.  It's one of these lightweight headset microphones, and it is very adjustable and comfortable.  The cord connecting the microphone to the computer is 7 feet (2 meters) long, and for most people that will probably be good enough.  I suspect some people will seek out wireless solutions though.  I have, on several occasions, forgotten about the microphone and walked away from the computer.

VoiceType operates in two modes: Navigation and Dictation.  Navigation is the simpler of the two and requires fewer resources.  With Navigation, you use voice commands to perform operating system functions like opening folders, starting applications, moving windows, etc.  For example, I usually start the day by saying "Jump to PMMail" and PMMail starts.  I then read and reply to e-mail, again using Voice Navigation commands.

When replying to e-mail, I use Dictation, which requires a bit more than Navigation in terms of processor power and memory.  IBM's stated requirements for Navigation are 16 megabytes of RAM and a 75 MHz Pentium.  The minimum for Dictation is 24 megabytes of RAM and a 100 MHz Pentium.  I tested Dictation on a 90 MHz Pentium with 32 megabytes of RAM, and it worked just fine.  I also ran it on my 200 MHz Pentium Pro with 32 megabytes of RAM, and it recognized words as fast as I could say them.  Like many people, I am no great typist and with a little practice, I can now dictate faster than I can type.

Of course, people all speak with different accents, so you must train the computer to recognize your voice.  This training process is referred to as "enrollment".  The enrollment for Navigation takes just a few minutes, and after you are done, you'll find yourself cruising all around your OS/2 system.  You may actually find it kind of eerie at first.  You say "Scroll Down" and a window starts scrolling, and "Go Right" causes the window to start moving across the screen.  I find that Navigation is very close to 100% accurate.  Occasionally, I slip into my South Carolina southern drawl, and it gets a little confused, but for the most part, navigation works flawlessly.

Enrollment for Dictation takes a bit longer because there are many more sounds that the computer must learn to recognize.  If my experience is typical, it will take 2-3 hours to complete the enrollment process.  The nice thing is that you can do it in parts, and I found that Dictation was working pretty well even when I was only about 25% into the enrollment process.  (I didn't do any rigorous statistics on it, but I would imagine that it was hitting 80-90% when I was only a quarter of the way through the enrollment.)

It takes a little practice to get Dictation working efficiently because you have to pause between words.  It doesn't take much of a pause though, and I have learned to speak just as rapidly with discrete words as I do in normal continuous speech.  Another thing you have to get used to is the intelligence of the recognition engine.  There are many words that have subtle pronunciation differences, and a lot of times you'll see the wrong word pop up on the screen as you are dictating.  The temptation is to stop the dictation and correct the word, but if you keep dictating, you'll find that the recognition engine will change its interpretation on the fly, based on the context of the sentence.  This is clearly some powerful software.

Of course, using spoken commands may not be the most efficient way to do everything.  Just as I use the WPS to do certain things and a command line for others, I use voice commands for those things that it makes more efficient.  For example, I have several Web sites set up with voice commands, so that if I want to go to a particular site, all I have to do is say "Jump to..." whatever site.  Need to search for something on Yahoo?  "Jump to Yahoo" brings up the Yahoo site, no matter what you happen to be doing.  No more clicking on the WebExplorer icon and then finding Yahoo in your Quicklist.  To paraphrase the Nike slogan, "Just Say It."

You're cruising along with Voice Navigation, and you come across something that you want to do, but you don't know what the voice command is.  Now what?  Just ask the computer of course!  "What can I say?" pops up a window that shows you the voice commands that are appropriate to the situation.  "Where can I go?" shows you the applications you can start with voice commands.  "Jump to VoiceType User's Guide" brings up the help file for VoiceType.

The possibilities for applications of VoiceType are numerous.  I can imagine all sorts of situations where voice control would be far superior to the mouse or keyboard.  For example, you're in the heat of battle in MechWarrior getting pounded by an enemy that has seemingly come out of nowhere. Instead of hitting Ctrl-F1,4,1 to get your buddies to help out, "Attack my target" would be much easier.  Another example: I'm at the telescope centering a star in the photometer diaphragm.  Rather than having to move around in the dark and find the keyboard to start a measurement, I could just say "10 second integration," "switch to B filter", etc.

Although we haven't yet arrived in the era of the computers seen in Star Trek, VoiceType is certainly a giant leap in that direction.  Voice control is the next big step in the human-computer interface.  I am reminded, as I sit here and dictate this article, of the scene in Star Trek 4, where Scotty picks up the mouse of a Macintosh as if it were a microphone and says "Computer", only to be told to use the keyboard.  His response is "How quaint."  I can imagine an amusing commercial for Warp 4 with an OS/2 user saying the same thing to a Windows 95 user.

-----

(http://www.gnv.com/HTMLWizard/) Dr. Dirk Terrell is an astronomer at the University of Florida specializing in interacting binary stars.  His hobbies include cave diving, martial arts, painting and writing OS/2 software such as HTML Wizard.

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***********************************

OpenDoc in Warp 4.0	- by Chris Wenham

-----

In the past, applications such as WordPerfect and Lotus 1-2-3 tried to be do-all be-all monoliths of immense size and complexity.  WordPerfect had its own spreadsheet features, 1-2-3 had its own word-processing features, both tried to be desktop publishers and databases too.  Each had their own spellchecking modules, drawing modules, add-ons, plug-ins and so on.

But if you wanted the spreadsheet power of 1-2-3 in your WordPerfect documents, or the word processing power of WordPerfect in your 1-2-3 documents, you either had to make do without or mess around with a lot of cutting and pasting, importing and other awkward methods that never actually gave you the results you wanted.  Plus, when switching from one application to another you had to relearn a whole new set of commands just to do the same thing.  The keystrokes for moving back and forth through text were different in both programs, not to mention the rest of the user interface.

OpenDoc was invented to solve this and quite a few other problems.  OpenDoc is a way of building compound documents with collections of small, portable components called Parts.  These parts reside in Containers, and you can put any type of part into any kind of container.  Learn only one text-editing part and you can put it into any document container you please.  The same goes for spreadsheet parts, or graphics parts, spellchecking parts and so on.

What makes this idea really powerful is that even though you may have been given a document originally written with, say MegaSoft's word processing part, you can choose to edit it with the ClearLook part that you're more used to.  As long as the data type is the same, it can be worked on with any part designed to edit that particular type.  This way you know you can always edit compound documents with your favorite tools, rather than the ones you're forced to use.

Bundled with Warp 4.0 (and freely downloadable from IBM's (http://www.software.ibm.com/clubopendoc/) Club OpenDoc if you still have Warp 3) is OpenDoc 1.0, complete with a basic set of containers and parts for you to get started with.  These include a basic Page Layout container, a Text part, 2D Graphics part, Audio part, Image part and Video part.  These are hidden in the OpenDoc folder in the Utilities folder of the Programs Folder upon a default install of Warp 4.

To create new documents and parts, you simply open the OpenDoc Templates folder and drag one of the templates into either a Desktop folder or an OpenDoc container.  We started a document this way, first creating a new Page Layout container and then dragging a Text Part from the template into the open document.  This created a resizeable Text Part frame in the Page Layout container that we could enter text into, change formatting and more.  What we found even more interesting is that we could also drag a Text Part from the template into a regular folder and create a separate file -- just of that one text part.

This Text Part could then be opened in its own window where we could enter text and formatting, save and close, then drag-and-drop the file into the Page Layout container.  One begins to imagine how this could be used at a newspaper or magazine, where individual journalists write their articles in a Text Part, then mail that file to their editor who then drag-n-drops it into the master layout.

Also in the OpenDoc folder is a Part Editor Preferences applet.  This is a properties notebook which allows you to select which part you want to use for each registered data type.  Thus whenever you open a document on your machine you always know what parts  will be used for each kind of data, be it text, tables, 2D graphics, images or whatever.  At this time we didn't have much choice here since the OpenDoc that ships with Warp 4 only comes with a basic minimum of parts.

Performance and Integration

The OpenDoc 1.0 that ships with Warp 4 is certainly not nimble on its feet without a lot of memory and CPU power.  On my 486/80 with 20 megs of RAM it ran at satisfactory speed, but not really something I'd have pleasure in using every day.  Scrolling speed in the Page Layout container was slow and the lag-time when typing in the Text part would occasionally slow to half a second between letters.  There was a considerable amount of unnecessary repainting going on when changing window or part focus, making the page flicker.

Integration is superb, however.  Not only can parts be edited in place within a document as well as on their own, but the whole OpenDoc kit feels like a real part of the Workplace Shell.  Properties notebooks look just the same as regular WPS notebooks, complete with 'File' and 'Icon' tabs.  Plus you can open any document in the standard three views (Icon, Tree and Details) and see what parts are nested within that document, giving you the power to edit, delete or move them individually just like regular WPS objects.  This owes to the fact that OpenDoc uses SOM (System Object Model) as its underlying object technology, the same technology the Workplace Shell was built on.

Third Party Support

OpenDoc's success hinges on good third party support.  The ability to pick and choose your editor doesn't matter much if, as we pointed out, there is never more than one editor for each type of data.  But at this time things aren't looking too bad.

OpenDoc has the support of several major companies including IBM, Apple, Borland, Hewlett Packard and more.  Plus at IBM's (http://www.software.ibm.com/clubopendoc/) Club OpenDoc we were able to download a Beta version of TrueSpectra's drawing part.  If you've played with the Photo>Graphics demo that came in the Warp 4 Application Sampler CD you'll know what the TrueSpectra engine is like.  In our opinion this goes a long way to making OpenDoc genuinely useful for the average user right off the bat.

Sundial Systems has also announced support for OpenDoc in upcoming versions of their Mesa/2 spreadsheet and ClearLook word processor.  The idea of embedding TrueSpectra drawings into Mesa/2 spreadsheets certainly has appeal to us, as does the ability to use Mesa's power within ClearLook.

We consider OpenDoc to be a very powerful, simple technology with real and far-reaching benefits.  Its major competitor is Microsoft's OLE, a platform dependant, limited and poorly designed technology that has considerably more third party support.  But OpenDoc has been ported to several major platforms so far (OS/2, Windows, AIX and Mac) and promises to be interoperable with OLE, allowing developers to take advantage of the broader power in OpenDoc while still retaining support for the more popular OLE.  We think it's still to early to tell what kind of impact this will have on the developer community and if OpenDoc will become a practical solution for us all.

-----

(http://www.spectra.net/~fox/) Chris Wenham is a Team OS/2er in Binghamton, NY with a catchy-titled company -- (http://www.spectra.net/~pendulum/webworks/) Wenham's Web Works. He has written comedy, sci-fi, HTML, Pascal, C++ and now writes software reviews.

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***********************************

Java for Warp 4.0	- by Chris Wenham

-----

Let's start this article assuming that you've already heard about Java and know a little bit about what it is.  Because the chances are, if you have the browser and the Internet connection that make reading this article possible then you must have heard about it somewhere.  Java is a platform independent programming language that, while originally developed with Interactive TV in mind, has been repositioned as the language that will make the Web interactive instead.

But not just the Web, since it's platform independent it offers the unique ability for software developers to write only one version of their products and know they will reach the widest audience possible.  Warp 4.0 is the world's first Java integrated operating system.  What this means is that you can run Java programs natively under OS/2 without the need to start a web browser like Netscape first.  With more operating systems following suit (the JavaOS in Sun's "Network Computer" being the second, Mac and BeOS following afterwards) and vendors announcing Java support left and right, Warp could find itself with a tidal wave of new and exciting applications to run.

Installing and Using Java

Warp 4 will install the code necessary to run Java applications by default.  You can also optionally install a Java development kit, plus a collection of sample Java applets.  If you don't plan to develop Java applets and you're not interested in running the largely useless samples, you can leave these out and save yourself some hard disk space.  Otherwise you can begin to get an idea of how Java works under Warp 4 and what kind of performance you can expect.

To use a Java applet under OS/2 simply double-click on its icon and it will start just like any other program.  What OS/2 is doing is actually reading the URL that points to the Java applet that's stored in that file, then launching the Java applet within a viewer that does all the compiling of the code.

Performance

Performance is not stellar, unfortunately.  Java is an interpreted language like Rexx, meaning that Warp must interpret (convert to machine language) each line of code as it gets to it during the program's execution.  A compiled application (like an .exe program) has been converted to this machine language already, and thus runs much faster.

To help improve Java performance, some companies like IBM, Netscape and Microsoft have developed Just-In-Time (JIT) compilers which, as their name implies, compile the Java applet quickly just before it is actually run.  But even though IBM has made such a JIT compiler for OS/2 we've been told that it wasn't included with Warp 4, which would account for its lousy performance.  Why it wasn't included we don't know, although it seems the likely explanation is that it wasn't ready in time.  IBM is committed to improving Warp 4 with add-on kits in the future though, and it is rumoured one of these will be the JIT compiler.

Another performance problem we noted was an annoying flickering in some of the animation samples.

Browser Integration

With the release of Netscape Navigator for OS/2, we now have a serious browser in which to view Java enhanced web pages.  There was/is a Java enabled WebExplorer available for download if you signed up as a developer with IBM, but it's a rare beast to find.  Navigator for OS/2 will use the Java compiler built into Warp 4 rather than its own (unlike the Windows versions).  While this means that Navigator inherits the poor performance of Warp's current Java compiler it also means that as IBM improves the compiler the performance in Navigator will improve too.  It also has the benefit of keeping the code all together, eliminating redundancies and making applets easier to debug.

Users of Beta 1a of Netscape Navigator have reported problems with Java enhanced pages; most commonly the browser will crash.  Users should note that even though there has only been a "1a" version of Navigator Beta, it seems like IBM and Netscape cleaned up the code a little and quietly replaced it shortly after the release of Warp 4.  Maybe it's a fluke, but we found that when we first downloaded and tried Beta 1a over a month ago it would always crash when trying to load a Java applet, but a few weeks later and after downloading the supposed same version, Java worked cleanly.  (Note: We are aware of the "leaked" version of Navigator that appeared on some FTP sites before the official rollout.)

Usefulness

Right now Java doesn't seem to be very useful to the average person.  The samples included with Warp 4 are nifty and show the potential of what Java can do, but they don't offer any practical use.  On the Web it's a little better, with some sites now offering interactive chat, search engines and other useful services through Java applets.  Corel is making a bold move by porting their Office suite to Java and they have a (http://officeforjava.corel.com/) demo available on the Web.  We had trouble getting this to work with Navigator for OS/2, but others have reported success.  Java over the Web works best if you have a fast Internet connection, although it compensates by only downloading class libraries as they are needed.

There's also the question of stability and maturity.  For all of Java's features and benefits the one thing it doesn't have is a time-tested and stable base like Warp has.  This would be a concern to a network administrator who has visions of exploding clients in his nightmares.   Sun, Netscape and others are rapidly working to find the holes in Java's security and patch it as fast as they can.

Just as with OpenDoc, Warp 4.0's Java integration is a bet on the future.  We may actually see a marriage of the two technologies with JavaBeans, a proposed specification that would give Java the object-distribution and compound-document features seen in OpenDoc.

As always, Microsoft has a competing technology; ActiveX.  As with OLE, ActiveX is a proprietary, platform dependant technology based on DCOM (Microsoft's answer to IBM's DSOM which is found in the Workplace Shell).  ActiveX is also a Visual Basic language, whereas Java was based on the more flexible and popular C++ language.

What Does It All Mean?

If you managed to wade through the technical jargon above here's what we think the bottom line is: Java, currently a fad, will probably mature into a background technology that most of us (except for programmers) won't even think about.  Warp 4.0's Java integration is a good start and a sign of IBM's commitment to keeping OS/2 on the cutting edge of technology, but will need some performance improvements before it can be taken seriously as a means to run productive applications on.

-----

(http://www.spectra.net/~fox/) Chris Wenham is a Team OS/2er in Binghamton, NY with a catchy-titled company -- (http://www.spectra.net/~pendulum/webworks/) Wenham's Web Works. He has written comedy, sci-fi, HTML, Pascal, C++ and now writes software reviews.

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***********************************

Hyperwise v2.0	- by Jon F. Kaminsky

-----

Version 2.0 of IBM's Hyperwise is an OS/2 native authoring environment which allows the creation of on-line information.  Specifically, Hyperwise can create content for IBM's Information Presentation Facility (IPF: e.g., .INF books or .HLP help files), BookMaster documents, and HTML browsers.  Hyperwise can also port information to be viewed under Microsoft Windows 3.1 so if you are creating an application that will be ported to Windows from OS/2 (or vice versa) you only have to write the help file once.  And Hyperwise can export to files such as .IPF-tagged source files, .RTF-tagged source files, and BookMaster-tagged source files.

What Comes With Hyperwise

Hyperwise comes complete with everything you need to perform the functions described above.  Out of the box, Hyperwise comes with the following:

o  IPF compiler
o  IPF for Windows viewer
o  integrated spell checker
o  built-in search engine
o  Tutor/2
o  100-page manual
o  On-line Hyperwise User's Guide
o  On-line IPF for Windows Guide

The IPF compiler is built into Hyperwise while other competitors' products of this nature require the separate acquisition of the IPF compiler (either by purchasing a subscription to the IBM Developer's Connection CD-ROM or a compiler which includes the IPFC, such as VisualAge C++ or Borland C++).  The IPF for Windows viewer looks just like a slightly cheesier version of the OS/2 VIEW.EXE facility (INF viewer) and operates somewhat similarly with differences attributed to the limitations of that operating system.

The Tutor/2 application assists in the construction of interactive tutorials so that the target audience learns about a software product while they are using it.  In addition, fly-over help is available for many of the features offered in Hyperwise.

I have used Hyperwise to create on-line books such as the (http://www.os2ezine.com/v1n8/yarnsoup.zip) Yarn-Souper reference (ZIP, 43k) in the June issue of OS/2 e-Zine!, and help files for several of my OS/2 shareware applications.  I have also had great success in creating multimedia entertainment books for my two-year old son.  For this review, however, I also wanted to experiment with the HTML features of Hyperwise, which, in my opinion, take a backseat to the aforementioned usages.

Operating Hyperwise

Installation is straightforward, and is accomplished by an installation program contained on the program diskettes.  The installation program installs the Hyperwise folder on the desktop which contains the program object and the on-line guides.

The program is started by clicking on the program object which temporarily displays a splash screen while the environment loads.  Hyperwise opens up to a desktop populated with several sample .WF objects, the "create a new document" object, the document and panel shredder object, and the "change working directory" object.  The .WF objects are workfiles which are contained in the working directory, which by default is X:\HWISE\WORK.  I created a workfile during the course of this review and exported it to an .INF file for OS/2 e-Zine! readers to download (http://www.os2ezine.com/v1n13/hw_demo.zip) (ZIP, 4.6k).

Creating your first document

Original content is created by first opening a new document.  At the time of creating your document, you are asked whether you want to create an outline.  This is a great function if you have already mapped out what you want to do, as all the panels are created at one time (although you always have the option to add more as desired).  If you do not create an outline, your new document opens up with one unnamed panel where you can begin entering content.  You'll likely see a couple more windows open up on the Hyperwise desktop -- these usually include the Panel list and the Element list.  More on those later.

Unnamed panels can be named by double-right clicking anywhere in the panel to bring up a properties dialog where Panel Properties can be specified.  I named my panel "Hyperwise Review Introduction" and linked from it to all the other panels in this demo .INF.

The size of the panel is also specified in Panel Properties.  Panel sizes can range from 35% to 80% and the panel's position can also be specified.  For example, a small panel created to appear in the upper right corner of an .INF document might be specified as RightTop40%.  In addition, footnote panels can be specified.  Footnotes can be linked to and from but do not appear in a book's Table of Contents.

Formatting A Document

The first thing one should be aware of when working in Hyperwise is that content is formatted by selecting an "element" which controls the type of content and the style of the content.  I began by adding a few words to my panel explaining what I was up to.  Hot keys are available and are conveniently displayed alongside their respective elements.  At this point, you are essentially working with a text editor and you can freely enter text as you see fit.  Adding a list is as easy as selecting one of the list elements and entering the items you want formatted as a list.  Graphics are similarly created.

Other often used formatting elements include ordered and unordered lists, definition lists, character graphics, example, invisible text (author's notes), or figure captions.  Hyperwise handles them all.  Pre-formatted notation elements are available including: Warning, Caution, Note, or Danger.

Indexes to on-line documents are easily created by highlighting the text you want included in the index and then linking it to the appropriate panel.  Upon compilation, the index button will automatically be added to the bottom of the window displaying the .INF or help file.

Text Attributes

Fonts can easily be changed with Hyperwise by highlighting the text to be changed and selecting a new font from the font list.  Font attributes such as color, italic, underline bold, etc. are also selectable.  The font list (like pretty much all styles in Hyperwise) are displayed in a window in the Hyperwise workspace and by default, there are 12 font styles shown.  You can change these by double right-clicking on a font and then scrolling through the available options (which should match what fonts you have installed in OS/2).  You can also add additional fonts beyond the initial 12, but only if "advanced mode" is selected (I'm not sure why adding more that 12 fonts to the font list is an advanced option).

Advanced Content

o  Tables - Hyperwise includes the facilities to create fairly complete tables within a document.  Table lines can be formatted in several different ways (horizontal, vertical, color, thickness), and footers, headers and captions can be added as well.  (My table for the example .INF did not work out for some reason, though.  Vertical lines were not cleared from the row containing the caption.)

o  Animation - Film animations can be added to a document provided you have the necessary sequence of graphics to do so.  Hyperwise does not read or export FLC or FLI animations; instead it creates its own format called .AMT.  The number of frames, display time, and the number of iterations can be specified.

o  Sound and video - You can embed and link to sound and video files using Hyperwise.  Sound and video can be linked to in a similar manner as other content and also can be assigned to events such as a panel opening.  However, this process is not as clean as some of the other functions.  MMOS2 must be installed for sound or video files to play and if distributing your document you must also send along the superobj.dll library.

Hyperwise can deal only with .WAV and .MID sound files and .AVI video files.  However, these resources do not seem to be compiled within the document as are graphics.  Also, after you compile an .INF document, if you move the sound or video file, the .INF cannot find it.  Therefore, the target machine must have the appropriate resource in the exact directory as on the machine that the original document was compiled on.

For example, on my machine, sounds are kept in the E:MMOS2\sound bites\ directory.  When distributing an .INF with embedded sounds, the end user must have a copy of the sound files in the same directory structure on the same drive or they will not be able to hear the .WAV sounds.

Help File Authoring

Hyperwise does a great job in assisting in the creation of help files.  These are the resources that are available under the help menu of virtually every OS/2 and Windows application that assist a user in making a choice, locating information, or recalling the name of a command or function key, for example.  Creating help files requires two different development efforts:

o  Developing the programming code that communicates with IPF and Presentation Manager to display the help windows.

o  Developing a library of help information that IPF refers to in response to a user request.

The first of the above efforts is controlled by the language and compiler used to create an application.  Most CUA applications include three to four help topics under the Help menu: Help Index, General Help, Using Help, and sometimes Keys Help.  Content for the first two topics can be created with Hyperwise and are specific to the application under development.  The Using Help topic is generic to OS/2, and the fourth is optional, and usually specific to the application, although some keys have the same usage across applications (such as CTRL+INS for pasting text).

In Hyperwise, you only need to identify the panel to be called in response to some event.  This is done by name and number which are specified in the Panel Properties dialog.  For the application, the developer writes simple code for each object (e.g., a dialog or button) that brings up the appropriate help panel when the F1 function key is pressed.  Application code is also written for each of the four menu choices to bring up the Help File Index, Table of Contents (usually general help), the OS/2 generic Using Help file, or the Keys Help if so specified.

HTML functions

Hyperwise can format a limited number of HTML tags and will add all the necessary tag information to the exported file automatically.  However, where an .INF document may consist of several panels, these panels do not translate to separate pages of html with  href="xxxx.htm" type tags substituted for the hypertext links.  The blue color is preserved, however so finding the location of the original link is not too difficult.  There also is no element for URL's so all of these need to be edited by hand as well.  To demonstrate what the sample .INF book I created looks like as HTML, I have included it below.  Note that the entire file becomes one page, and some of the elements do not translate well, particularly the tables and character graphics.  Large text apparently does not translate well either.

If you had a large .INF document that you wanted to port to HTML, I could see the utility of using Hyperwise to do so, although it would require some hand editing to clean it up, however.  But Hyperwise is far too limited to originate HTML content from scratch, however.

Caveats and Suggested Improvements

From over a year of working with Hyperwise v2.0, I would like to see the following improvements:

The HTML features are sorely lacking. It is clear to me that HTML export was added as somewhat of an afterthought rather than an intended end use of this product.  However, the proliferation of HTML content for the Worldwide Web creates the need for a product occupying this niche to include a rich set of HTML-specific features.  For example, the ability to tag panels as URLs and then link to them from a parent panel should be included.  In addition, Hyperwise cannot deal with .GIFs or .JPGs which are used heavily in WWW content.

Linking to multimedia objects seems a little lacking.  It is not clear how one distributes a document with links to such objects as they do not seem to be embedded after compiling.  In other words, when embedding a graphic in a document, you do not have to distribute the graphic to the end-user as it becomes part of the document after Hyperwise compiles it.  However, there does not seem to be a way to this with sound files.  In this case, the sound files will not play unless your end-user has the sound file you embedded in the exact directory structure the author has.

While Hyperwise is a Presentation Manager application, it is not a Workplace Shell
application.  Consequently, drag and drop is not well-implemented and most functions are accomplished by menus, dialogs, and lists inside PM windows.  Especially in the case of the windowed lists, the number available can cause a large amount of clutter in the work space. At the very least I'd like to see some different right-mouse button functions added (e.g., properties, font changes, elements, etc.) so you don't have to have particular windows open to make changes.  In addition, there is no template added for Hyperwise, so to work on a certain file, you must open Hyperwise first and then open or create a file.

Hyperwise also doesn't do a great job with dealing fonts.  It has been reported that fonts in a document compiled on one machine might not look right when viewed on another.

And the IPF export isn't too clean.  If you are the kind of person that wants to play with your files by hand as well as use Hyperwise, you might find that it messes them up.  This is mostly only important if you intend to do future reading and modifying by hand.

I should add that I have experienced a couple random lockups when trying to save large documents, or when an index item became corrupted for some reason or another.  In the first case, the error goes unexplained other than being due to improper memory access of one of the Hyperwise .dll's.  The work-around seems to be to save often when you routinely make large amounts of changes in your document.

In the second case, the problem seems to stem from index links that are broken after changes are made to a document which break a certain index link.  The work-around in the this case seems to be to destroy the panel in question, and recreate it with a different name and then recreating the appropriate index link to that panel.

I run Hyperwise on a Pentium 133 with Warp blue spine and no FixPaks, so your mileage may vary.

Summary

Hyperwise is a robust on-line information authoring environment that operates natively under OS/2.  One should not purchase Hyperwise if their main goal is to author HTML documents, as the ability to format this type of content is severely limited.  Hyperwise does a splendid job of producing help files and .INF books, however.  If these are your main needs, Hyperwise is a very strong performer.

-----

*  Hyperwise v2.0
by (http://ibm-direct.e-com.ibm.com/us/desktop/appdev/p60a.htm) IBM
MSRP: US$295

-----

(negcjfk@ibm.net) Jon F. Kaminsky is principal hydrogeologist of Northwest Environmental Geoscience Co. in Tacoma, Washington and when not practicing geology, he indulges in writing shareware OS/2 utilities.  He has written articles for scientific journals, and now, an on-line magazine.

---Our Sponsor: ScheduPerformance (http://www.prioritymaster.com/)---
***********************************

<html>
<head>
<title>
OS/2 e-Zine! Sample INF file
</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Hyperwise Review Introduction</h1>
<p>This is a sample INF on-line document which you are viewing with the
built-in OS/2 IPF viewer utility (view.exe) which is usually located in
the X:\OS2 directory on most systems.
<p>This above paragraph as well as the current paragraph you are reading
 are examples of text formatted with the paragraph element. There is
nothing special about this text and you will probably be using the
paragraph element most often when formatting text for on-line documents.
<p>This paragraph is also formatted with the paragraph element but the
font has been changed to Helvetica 8.
<p>This is an example of red-colored text formatted as Times Roman. 
<cite>How about some italic Times Roman? </cite>
<p>You can mix font attributes in the same <cite>sentence </cite>and can
 even change <strong>I</strong><u>ndividual </u>letters of one word. But
 its best to stay away from using the color blue since it is the default
 colors for hypertext links. If you <a href='#ID-13'>link to this
panel</a>, you will see a very large display of Helv text.
<p>There are many elements one can use to format content, such as
<a href='#ID-14'>ordered </a>or <a href='#ID-15'>unordered </a>lists.
You can even format a <a href='#ID-19'>table </a>in your document or add
 a <a href='#ID-17'>footnote</a>.  You can also change the
<a href='#ID-16'>size </a>of a panel or display panel's side by side.
<p>
<h1>Large Font example</h1>
<p>This is an example of very large 24-point Helv.
<p><strong> Note : </strong>Click <a href='#ID-12'>here </a>or press the
 "Previous button to go back to the Introduction page.
<h1>Ordered lists</h1>
<p>This is an example of an ordered list.
<ol>
<li>Wake up at 5:00am
<li>Shower and eat breakfast
<li>Leave house by 6:00am
<li>Catch flight to San Jose at 7:30am
</ol>
<p><strong> Note : </strong>Click <a href='#ID-12'>here </a>or press the
 "Previous button to go back to the Introduction page.
<h1>Unordered list</h1>
<p>This is an example of an unordered list:
<ul>
<li>San Jose, CA
<li>Los Gatos, CA
<li>Boulder, CO
<li>McPherson, KS
<li>Gunnison, CO
<li>Pocatello, ID
<li>Boise, ID
<li>Idaho Falls, ID
<li>Tacoma, WA
</ul>
<p><strong> Note : </strong>Click <a href='#ID-12'>here </a>or press the
 "Previous button to go back to the Introduction page.
<h1>A small right-hand panel</h1>
<p>This is an example of a panel formatted to appear in the upper
right-hand corner.
<p><strong> Note : </strong>Click <a href='#ID-12'>here </a>or press the
 "Previous button to go back to the Introduction page.
<h1>Element Examples</h1>
<p><strong> Note : </strong>This is a pre-formatted note element.
<p><strong> Note : </strong>This is the NT note element.  It starts on
the line below the emboldened Note:.
<p>Its used when a note may contain more than one paragraph.
<p><strong> Warning : </strong>This is a pre-formatted warning element.
<p><strong> Caution : </strong>This is a pre-formatted caution element.
It is intended for multi-paragraph cautionary material.
<p><strong> Danger : </strong>This is a pre-formatted danger element.
<dl>
<dt>Definition List<dd>Definition lists are used to pair a term and a
description for that term.  The space between the term and definition
can be specified.
</dl>
<pre>
/* This is an example of the example element. */
Parse arg
C= A + B
Say C

/* Its mostly used to show code examples within
a book that might document a computer program.*/


</pre>
<pre>
ͻ
                              
                              
This is an example            
 of a character graphic.      
                              
                              
ͼ
</pre>
<pre>
The lines element is used when you want to turn formatting off
and create your own special case of formatting without having
to change the default characteristics of a paragraph element.
This text is center justified.
</pre>
<p><strong> Note : </strong>Click <a href='#ID-12'>here </a>or press the
 "Previous button to go back to the Introduction page.
<h1>Example table</h1>
<p>Here is an example table formatted with a caption, four rows and 
three columns.
<pre>
Ŀ
Table 1.                                                            
Ĵ
First name            Last Name             SS#                   
Ĵ
Mike                  White                 123-33-1254           
Ĵ
Susan                 Jones                 530-21-1456           
Ĵ
Bob                   Smith                 890-62-9854           

</pre>
<p>
<p><strong> Note : </strong>Click <a href='#ID-12'>here </a>or press the
 "Previous button to go back to the Introduction page.
<h1>Footnote</h1>
<p>This panel is formatted as a footnote.  Consequently, it will not
appear in a on-line book's Table of Contents.
<p><strong> Note : </strong>Click <a href='#ID-12'>here </a>or press the
 "Previous button to go back to the Introduction page.
</body>
</html>

---Our Sponsor: Shenandoah (http://www.cfw.com/~shenan/)---
***********************************

IPF Editor v2.12	- by Steven Turk

-----

IPF Editor is Perez Computing's attempt to ease the burden of producing professional looking on-line documentation and help files.  Anyone who has ever written software help or attempted to create on-line "books" for any reason already knows the myriad of settings, tags and codes necessary to get things looking very sharp.  IPF Editor (IPFE), takes a lot of the hard work out of this process by providing users with an interface with all the many options only a mouse click or two away.

Installation

Installing IPF Editor is simple.  The program comes on three 3.5" floppy disks; inserting the first and typing "install" from a command prompt starts the process.  Perez Computing does not use IBM's standard installation routine which is good and bad.  The installation program they do use guides the user through selecting a destination drive and installing the software and takes less time to do so than the IBM installation routine would have.  However, there is no uninstall option, as there is with IBM's install software.

Interface

The main interface to IPFE is a multi-window display containing all the tools and editing windows users are likely to need.  This approach is pleasant because most of the windows are independent of each other and can be moved and resized to convenient positions.  However, on machines with low resolutions such as 640x480, the various windows take up too much room and the screen may appear cluttered.  A nice design feature is that most of the windows can be minimized if not needed and minimizing the main window instantly hides all the others for a quick "clean up".

IPFE features a semi-WPS aware interface that includes good use of Drag-n-Drop.  For example, in the main editing window users can drag text around for copying or moving (in a very DragText-like way).  Dragging and dropping panel names from the panel list to the editing window creates hyperlinks to the specified panels.  Dragging panels within the panel list rearranges them.  Even file opening is Drag-n-Drop enabled; for those that dislike the File menu, it is possible to drag file objects from WPS folders directly into the main IPFE window to open them.  Common OS/2 procedures like Alt-left click and right-clicking menu items behave as expected.

Unfortunately, the interface does not go all the way.  For example, it is not possible to drag a panel from the panel list to the shredder to quickly delete it.

While IPFE makes good use of Drag-n-Drop, it still relies heavily on a menu oriented interface.  In fact, the program is so feature rich, that many of its options are available only as menu items.  Almost as important as the use of menus in IPFE is the use of the extensive toolbars.  The main toolbar is a resizable scrolling button bar with most of the commonly used features of the program on it.  The toolbars in the program also feature either "fly-over" or statusbar descriptions of the buttons' functions.

IPFE is not a WYSIWYG editor; IPF tags are inserted into the panels of the main editing window as you select them by menu item or toolbar button.  This means that you can partially see what the code you are creating looks like as you work (and therefore you know if it is getting messy).  However, this also means you don't see how the document will look until you compile and check it.

Features

IPFE is basically a text editor, but a very specialized and very powerful text editor.  The IPF tag language, as I mentioned, is very complex in its abilities and it takes a very accomplished tool to offer all possible options to a document's author.  As I said above, IPFE does this by a combination of menus, pop-up menus and settings dialogs, and toolbars.

Any style of on-line documentation or help file for OS/2 can be created with IPFE.  You can insert graphics (bitmaps or meta files), sound, videos or links to start executable files.  Hypertext links can be used to link panels within documents or even between documents.  Hyperlinks can be defined within pictures.  All the advanced features of the IPF markup language are also supported.  In short, I was unable to find any ability of the IPF language not handled by IPFE.  And just in case new features are added to the IPF language by IBM, IPFE has the ability to insert tags that are not previously known to the program.

You'll be glad to know that IPFE also includes a spell checker that ignores IPF tags.  This saves a great deal of time for people who need to verify the spelling of large on-line documents or help files; the only other option would be to load the IPF files output by IPFE into a word processor and check them (which would mean being stopped on every tag item that the word processor's dictionary didn't recognize).

Since the program is not a WYSIWYG editor, you may want to occasionally compile your documents as you create them.  This is accomplished through a link to an external IPF Compiler (IPFC).  The results of compilation are shown within one of IPFE's information windows.  Any IPFC such as those distributed with Visual Age C++, Borland C++ or the Developers' Connection Toolkit will suffice.  Setting up to use the appropriate IPFC is child's play.  Once this is done, compilation of the document you are working on is just a button click away.

After you compile your source document, you can also launch OS/2's VIEW.EXE utility to check your work directly from the program.  There is also a quick "preview panel" feature available from a pop-up menu in the panel list if you want to have a look at just one panel.

Users can import documents from various formats, including WordPerfect, DeScribe Tagged ASCII files, RTF files and HTML.  It is also possible to export your IPF documents to HTML format and the results are pretty good.  IPFE attempts to keep the same structure as the on-line version of the file and translates links where appropriate.  This feature seems to work much better than the corresponding one in Hyperwise from IBM (a competing product).  If you are planning on exporting your help files to HTML for publication on the WWW or your company intranet, IPFE is worth investigating.

The Manual

One of the real values of IPFE is the manual that comes with it.  It is bound in a fashion common years ago but rarer now: in a medium sized three ring binder.  But don't let the lack of glossy paper fool you; this manual is a lot more comprehensive than that of most software.  In fact, probably everything you need to know about the program and the IPF language itself is in the manual.  Using it as a tutorial, even an absolute beginner to IPF can easily be creating on-line documents within a few minutes.  In just my first day playing with the IPFE manual I was able to learn enough to create many different and complex types of on-line documents and help files.

Tech Support

Perez Computing does not call IPFE shareware, yet they borrow from the shareware community's practice of providing a trial copy of the program before forcing customers to purchase it.  Interested users can download a demo from the (http://www.pcs-soft.com/) Perez Computing Services Home Page and try the features before choosing to purchase the program.

The similarities to most shareware end there however.  Perez Computing backs their software with tech support by BBS, FAX and telephone.  Users who do experience problems (I had absolutely no glitches under either Warp 3 or Warp 4) may be pleased to speak with one of the actual developers instead of a "telephone jockey" (although this, of course, may not always be the case).

Drawbacks

As I have mentioned, the interface to IPFE, while very well suited to higher resolution displays may be somewhat cluttered on a 640x480 screen.  If you have limited screen real estate you may not find the software as easy to use as some will.

The Drag-n-Drop interface only goes half way.  The menu-driven approach may be confusing for novices with so many options available.  This is not necessarily a shortcoming of IPFE; it's more a function of the flexibility of the IPF language and the fact that IPFE does not go half way in its ability to exploit all the features of IPF.

The program would be even more useful if it came with an IPF Compiler.  Hyperwise, IPFE's only real competition, allows users to compile their documents without purchasing an additional IPFC.  This is probably not a real issue however since most people will be drawn to IPFE because of its power and will most likely already have access to an IPF Compiler.

Finally, while the documentation (both print and on-line) is extensive and helpful, there are occasional inaccuracies or mistakes that may be confusing to beginners.  Some labels of settings dialogs in the program are also inaccurately placed.  For example, in the "Panel Settings" dialog, the "Rules Attributes" and the "Titlebar Attributes" labels are switched.

Conclusions

Despite some minor flaws in the documentation or interface, IPFE does not lack power.  Due to space limitations I have touched on only a small part of the immense capabilities and flexibility of IPFE.  It is extremely useful at speeding up the construction and maintenance of IPF documents.  Anyone serious about creating on-line documents or help files will find no better tool to work with.  Even those that are only casually interested in creating .INF or .HLP files will quickly get up to speed with the comprehensive manual/tutorial.  IPFE is a great value.

-----

*  IPF Editor v2.12
by (http://www.pcs-soft.com/) Perez Computing Services
download demo version from (http://www.pcs-soft.com/pcsie2dm.html) Perez Computing Services
MSRP: US$195

-----

Stephen Turk is a salesman at a small computer retailer and part time trouble shooter.  He has been using OS/2 for almost two years and is Haligonian Media's local documentation expert.

---Our Sponsor: Surf'nRexx (http://www.aescon.com/innoval/)---
***********************************

JFactory: a Java IDE for OS/2	- by Dirk Hamstra

-----

Ever since researchers at PARC pioneered the concept of an integrated development environment (IDE) with Smalltalk, developers have been hooked on tools that combine all necessary programming aids.  To be successful in today's market, an IDE must support visual tools, version control, syntax checking, etc.  Tools and programming languages are tightly coupled.  Acceptance and success of a computer language depends to a large extent on the available tool set.  Sun Microsystems Java is no different in this respect.

Despite opinions, reviews and announcements, the amount of Java applications is still limited.  To get an idea of the possibilities with Java, both applets and applications, check out (http://www.gamelan.com/) http://www.gamelan.com/.

The number of Java application may grow significantly with the arrival of new percolators/tools supporting native Java development though.  Major tool builders like Borland (product based on Delphi), IBM (VisualAge for Java) and Microsoft (J++) are readying releases of Java IDE's.  While the heavy hitters are putting the finishing touch on their products, smaller companies are selling complete Java IDEs now.  Examples include products like Mojo (Penumbra Software), JFactory (Rogue Wave), and Java WorkShop (SunSoft).

Key to the power of Java programming is its "write once run anywhere" model.  Although Java is a cross platform language, most IDEs are integrated with a single platform.  Currently JFactory from Rogue Wave is the only available Java IDE for OS/2.

For this review, JFactory beta code was downloaded from the (http://www.roguewave.com/) Rogue Wave web site.  Combine JFactory with the Java Developer's Kit (JDK) 1.0.2 and you have a complete development system at hand.  Approximately 25MB is needed to install both software packages on your system.

JFactory is a buzzword-compliant development environment supporting WYSIWYG, drag-and-drop, and point-and-click.  Rogue Wave's (http://www.roguewave.com/products/zapp/program.html) zApp line of programming tools is the base for the Java development environment.

JFactory can be characterized as a cross-platform screen painter, prototype builder, and code generator for Java.  The main goal of JFactory is to free the developer from the implementation details of the GUI, and to have the developer concentrate on the design and functionality of the GUI.  Both applets and stand-alone Java applications can be generated.

Starting A Project

JFactory uses the term 'project' to represent an application.  A project is defined as a list of objects that make up an application.  When you start a new project a dialog prompts you for the name, directory, and template project to use.  JFactory ships with templates like Applet, Application, and Menu Application.  New templates can be added, and existing ones can be tailored to your specifications.

The type property in the project provides control over the type of code (applet or application) that will be generated.  Note, however, that there are security differences between types.  For example, an application can write to a local disk but applets cannot!

Once a project is created, the Project Manager, Object Manager, and Tool Palette windows are opened.  Project Manager lets you add, view, and modify every control in the project hierarchically.  Objects and containers within a project are shown graphically in the form of a project tree.  The top level of the tree represents either an application or an object.  General containers, containers that hold objects, or other containers are shown on the next level.  Using pop-up menus, you can manipulate the currently selected object.  The Object Manager provides easy and direct access to all objects in your design.  The current setting of the object's properties and events are displayed using tabbed sheets.

GUI Design

Designing the GUI is easy with JFactory.  The "Window and Dialog" design tool provides all functions for object alignment, spacing, and positioning, as well as drag-and-drop capability for adding components and images.  A Menu Designer simplifies the creation of menu bars, pop-up menus, and individual menu items.  Menus, windows and dialogs, and even whole applications can be reused after they have been added to the Object Library.  This library serves as your repository of objects and code.

JFactory translates your design into standard Abstract Window Toolkit (AWT) source code.  As an example, a code snippet of AWT for a standard window with regular widgets is shown below.

public
class crdtchk extends Applet {

        private static Applet applet;
        TextField pEdit2, pEdit3, pEdit4;
        TextArea pEdit1;
        Label pStatic1, pStatic2, pStatic3, pStatic5;
        Button pButton1;
        Checkbox pRadioButton1, pRadioButton2;
        CheckboxGroup pRadioButton1Group;
        // zpb_begin MainUserVars 

        // zpb_end 

        public
        void init() {
                applet = this;

                // zpb_begin AppletInit 
                // zpb_end 

                setBackground(Color.lightGray);
                LogFontLayout lfLayout = new LogFontLayout(this);
                setLayout(lfLayout);

                pStatic1 = new Label("Account Number");
                add("7 6 83 10", pStatic1);
                pStatic2 = new Label("Name:");
                add("7 28 85 10", pStatic2);
                pStatic3 = new Label("Agent:");
                add("7 50 86 10", pStatic3);
                pRadioButton1Group = new CheckboxGroup();
                pRadioButton1 = new Checkbox("1-30", pRadioButton1Group, false);
                add("104 118 33 10", pRadioButton1);
                pRadioButton2 = new Checkbox("61-90", pRadioButton1Group, false);
                add("170 118 36 10", pRadioButton2);
                pRadioButton3 = new Checkbox("90+", pRadioButton1Group, false);
                add("104 133 37 10", pRadioButton4);
                pButton1 = new Button("Submit");
                add("89 226 79 12", pButton1);

                // zpb_begin MainConstructor_2 
                // zpb_end 
        }

Coding

Code generated by JFactory includes "protect blocks".  The behavior of the application, your code, is put in these blocks.  Rogue Wave included a handy feature that ensures that user-defined code is not deleted across subsequent code generations.  There are two sets of  protect blocks: one to allow user-defined code to be entered before the window is displayed and another block that gets executed after a window is opened.  A default generated block looks like this:

   public boolean handleEvent(Event e) {

                // zpb_begin MainHandleEvent 
                // zpb_end 

                return super.handleEvent(e);

The editor that comes with JFactory is okay, but Brief is better.  By providing the opportunity to plug any editor into the IDE, Rogue Wave allows developers to use their favorite program to edit Java source code.

Compiling

Compiling your code is the last step in developing your Java application.  JFactory uses the compiler that is shipped with the Java development kit.  Note that JFactory currently lacks a "Just In Time" (JIT) compiler.

Before you can start the compilation process you must import the packages and classes used in the project.  Generally you'll use libraries like java.awt,  java.util.*, and java.applet.Applet when you're developing an applet.

Pressing the "Generate & Make"-button on the JFactory toolbar will generate and compile the source code.  When you're developing an applet, this one-button operation will automatically  generate an HTML file that can be used as input to the applet-viewer or any other Java-enabled browser.

Conclusion

JFactory makes it possible to rapidly create a GUI using drag-and-drop and point-and-click interfaces.  JFactory provides a complete, well-integrated IDE and facilitates reuse through the Object Library.

-----

*  JFactory for OS/2
by (http://www.roguewave.com/) Rogue Wave
MSRP: US$195

-----

(dirk_hamstra@doosys.com) Dirk Hamstra is an OS/2 user since 1987.  He's managing partner of (http://www.doosys.com/itc/index.html) DOOSYS IT Consultants, an international OO consulting organization.

---Our Sponsor: Best of OS/2 (http://www.bestofos2.com/)---
***********************************

$Sheriff v0.12b	- by Sidney Maplehurst

-----

Alright cowpokes, hitch up yer belts and strap on them six-shooters.  We got us some bank robbers to nab.

That's the premise behind the new OS/2 arcade style game, $Sheriff.  You are the sheriff, entrusted to protect the local bank from would be robbers aiming to put an early end to your sheriffing.  The game is a simple shoot 'em up with an even simpler interface.

The Controls

$Sheriff has a very simple, one-screen interface.  You are presented with three doors, all of which open when each level starts.  In each of these doors appears various bad guys and innocent bystanders.  Pressing one of three keys fires your trusty sidearm at the corresponding door.  You can't miss but you still have to be careful because the bad guys are packin' iron too.  Hesitate too long and you're done for.  Shoot an innocent town's-folk and you're just as done for.

As I mentioned, you are firing a standard western-movie issue peacemaker.  That means regular reloading.  Luckily reloading doesn't take as long in $Sheriff as it does in real life or these hoodlums would fill you full of holes.  But reloading does cost you.  Each time you reload $251 is deducted from the money you have "recovered" from the robbers (and you thought you were in this just for the sake of the law).  If you reload too often, you quickly get low on cash, but this is more of a "score" issue than a safety one.  Even trying, I was unable to run out of bullets.  This is because you can not fire unless there is a person in a doorway.

During each game you have three "lives".  Get shot or shoot someone who doesn't deserve it and you lose one "life".  Your score, the number of lives left, number of bullets in your gun and some neat propaganda are all displayed across the bottom of the screen.

Playability

The game starts out relatively easy with just a few types of bad guys and one (drunk) innocent bystander.  But it gets more difficult in the second round with more types of both participants and some that could be either robber or innocent.  There are four levels to get through in the game.

When starting $Sheriff, you have a choice of "Hard", "Normal" or "Too Easy".  These selections only change the speed of your enemies' responses, but I'll warn you now, it's plenty difficult past the first level even on "Too Easy".  Start out slow or you'll be eatin' lead quite a bit.

The targets appear in the various doors according to a set pattern so after you play the game many times you'll start to anticipate bank robbers' appearances.  However, this pattern can be modified (instructions are not given but if players are interested, the author instructs them to contact him).

You may be surprised how fun a game that only has one screen and four buttons to push can be.  It's quite enjoyable.  This is partly due to the hand-eye coordination required, partly the satisfaction of being a western hero but mostly due the really cool sounds.

Sound Effects

If you have stepped into an arcade in the last few years you probably have seen a game called Lethal Enforcer.  It is a cops and robbers shoot 'em up with cool gunshot sounds.  The gun shots in $Sheriff sound surprisingly like those in Lethal Enforcer.  Very realistic.  The reload sound also is quite reminiscent of that game.

The real joy for me though is what I assume are sound bites digitized from Clint Eastwood's, The Unforgiven.  When you shoot one of the innocent folks you hear a raspy (pardon my French), "Ohhh shit."  When you lose all three of your lives, Clint philosophizes, "A man's got to know his limitations."  Also, both times, a dithered picture that looks like it came from that movie's propaganda is displayed.  The final touch is a brief funeral dirge played on an organ to get you in the mood.

Shortcomings

This fun little game has very few problems but a few things that would make it even more fun are:

o  You should be able to shoot randomly into doorways even if there is no person standing in that doorway.  Then you would have to be more careful or risk running out of bullets.

o  The game could use better graphics.  The characters are cartoonish and while they are fine, digitized pictures of "authentic" western scenery (or better yet, cheesy "B" grade movie sets) and pictures of Clint himself might be more fun.

o  As I said above, you can modify the pattern of targets' appearance but making them random would be more challenging.

o  The game is very light on instructions.  These basically consist of one sketchy readme.txt file.  But with a game this simple, no more explanation is really needed.

o  The way the game keeps track of your money, it should have some sort of high score feature to keep track of your great stints of law and order keeping.  I could find no such feature.

Conclusion

Aside from these minor points, this game is exceptional for an early version of the software.  It is freeware (for those without great wealth), which makes it even more of a great deal.  Download it today and get ready to meet yer maker.

-----

*  $Sheriff v0.12b
by (mmitraka@cs.strath.ac.uk) Miltiadis Mitrakas
download from (ftp://ftp.cdrom.com/.4/os2/games/ss2012b.zip) Walnut Creek (ZIP, 518K)
Registration: FREEWARE (for the poor); DONATIONWARE (for the rich)

-----

(sidney@haligonian.com) Sidney Maplehurst is a computer advisor, OS/2 advocate, and all around computer nut.  She also enjoys health food, reading and skydiving.  She has been using OS/2 since v2.0.

---Our Sponsor: BMT Micro (http://www.bmtmicro.com/)---
***********************************

Report on Lotus' Support for OS/2	- by Martin Brampton  

-----

(editor's note: The following news first appeared in EurOS/2 magazine.  See below for EurOS/2 contact information.)

Lotus confirms support for OS/2

John Throckmorton is head of all SmartSuite operations at Lotus Development Corporation.  He has released the following letter, originally submitted to Network World:

Michael,

I believe that your article ("IBM treats 9-year-old OS/2 client like a second-class citizen", p. 15, Network World, Sept. 2, 1996) is unfair to Lotus and misrepresents our commitment to OS/2 customers.  You claim that Lotus's decision to contract with Logica, Inc. for some development work on our OS/2 applications indicates that "IBM/Lotus has given up on developing OS/2 products."  This statement is untrue.  In fact, our decision to enlist an experienced OS/2 developer such as Logica, Inc. for a portion of the development work on our OS/2 applications is a sign that Lotus is especially commited to our customers and intends to release the best possible products to the OS/2 community.

Sincerely,

John C. Throckmorton
Sr. Vice President
Business Applications Development

Lotus makes pre-release OS/2 products available

The following is taken from recent Lotus announcements:

Pre-Release System Requirements

Word Pro and Freelance Graphics 96 Edition for OS/2 Warp Pre-Release:

o  OS/2 Warp Version 3 with the latest OS/2 FixPak
o  IBM compatible 486DX2 66 MHz or higher (Pentium recommended)
o  16 MB RAM (24 MB recommended)
o  VGA or higher graphics card
o  OS/2 compatible CD-ROM drive
o  Word Pro: Hard drive with a minimum 16 MB available (36MB required for full install)
o  Freelance: Hard drive with a minimum 36 MB available (57MB required for full install)

Installation of the pre-requisite OS/2 FixPak will require up to an additional 18MB; OS/2 requires additional space for a swap file.  Mouse optional but highly recommended.

o  Word Pro 96 and Freelance 96 both require an update to OS/2 Warp Version 3 to run properly.  A corresponding IBM OS/2 FixPak is included at each location beta/pre-release code is available, with detailed release notes.  We highly recommend you read the release notes before installing IBM's FixPak.

o  Compatibility with OS/2 Warp V4 (Merlin) - This initial build of Freelance will not yet install on OS/2 Warp V4.  This build of Word Pro will work on OS/2 Warp V4 with some color changes in InfoBox.  Work is in progress with IBM's OS/2 team on OS/2 Warp V4 fixes.

When Will Word Pro 96 and Freelance 96 for OS/2 Warp Ship?

Word Pro and Freelance Graphics are both now in pre-release for final testing, and are expected to go gold in Q4, shortly after IBM's new fall release of OS/2 Warp V4 (code named Merlin).  Language plans have U.S. English targeted for shipment in early Dec, followed shortly by French, Italian, German, Spanish, Int'l English and Danish (FIGSE+D) for shipment by year end.  Additional languages to follow in early 97.

What about the rest of the suite apps?  Remaining new native OS/2 suite applications, including 1-2-3, Approach, Organizer and ScreenCam, are on track for the first half of 97.  Further details will be provided as we begin entering beta for each application later this year 
and into early 97.

In EMEA:
Lotus plans to initially ship Word Pro 96 and Freelance 96 for OS/2 Warp together, followed by a suite release when all six new native OS/2 applications are available.

Other worldwide regional plans will be confirmed as we near shipment.

Further pricing and packaging details will be provided through existing contacts in each region as we near shipment.

What's New in These Releases?

Lotus Word Pro 96 and Freelance Graphics 96 for OS/2 Warp are the first two major releases of a completely new line up of SmartSuite applications for OS/2 Warp.  These releases are designed with the needs of our enterprise OS/2 customers in mind, including common features and file formats with their Windows counterparts, and native OS/2 features to make OS/2 users feel at home on their platform of choice.

-----

EurOS/2 Contact Information

We would like to encourage anyone working to achieve successful OS/2 implementations to participate in EurOS/2.  All communications are despatched electronically, via Internet or CompuServe.  To receive regular information from EurOS/2, please let us know your first name, last name, company, job title, address, telephone, fax, Internet e-mail address, CompuServe e-mail address, and indicate which form of communication you prefer.

EurOS/2 can be contacted in the following ways:

o  Internet at (euros2@ibm.net) euros2@ibm.net
o  WorldWideWeb at (http://www.moorestephens.com/euros2/) http://www.moorestephens.com/euros2/ where all past newsletters and other publications are searchable
o  CompuServe to Martin Brampton 100303,2007
o  Fax to Martin Brampton, Moore Stephens, 0171-246-6055
o  Telephone Martin Brampton, 0171-334-9191
o  BBS Moore Stephens Infoline, 0171-334-0337
o  Mail to Martin Brampton, Moore Stephens, St Paul's House, Warwick Lane, London EC4P 4BN.

-----

(euros2@ibm.net) Martin Brampton is the organizer of EurOS/2 and editor of EurOS/2 Magazine, published by e-mail and WWW.

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Report from the ColoradOS/2 Conference	- by Martin Brampton

-----

(editor's note: the following originally appeared in EurOS/2 Magazine, Volume 1 Number 14, 28th October 1996.)

-----

This month, I've been in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, nearly ten thousand feet above sea level.  The fifth International ColoradOS/2 Conference, with over 350 software developers, gathered at Keystone, Colorado.  This is the third year running that I've been able to attend, and every time it has been an outstanding conference.  Delegates come from all over the world -- more than a third of the total are from outside the US.  Speakers are highly expert, including key members of the OS/2 development team from IBM.  Many delegates have remarked that it is the best conference they have ever attended, combining technical excellence with a friendly atmosphere and pleasant surroundings.

Sadly, numbers were down nearly 100 from last year, making it a disappointing outcome for the dedicated organisers, Wayne and Peggy Kovsky.  Next year, they plan to change the format a little, and move back to an earlier venue in more accessible Colorado Springs.

Keynote Sessions

The conference encouraged early risers by holding a keynote session at 8 am every morning.  First speaker of the week was John W. Thompson, General Manager of the IBM Personal Software Products Division.  His positive message was that OS/2 is a valued and growing element in IBM's total revenues with a long term future.  Any thought of abandoning it is absurd, since IBM has identified the top 1,000 OS/2 users as customers who, in total, account for 24 billion dollars of IBM's revenues.

Java and the Internet were emphasised as keys to OS/2's future.  The predominance of large organisations in the OS/2 user base is to be recognised more in future, with fewer major upgrades, but continuing service upgrades.  This is emphatically not a reduction in commitment 
to development -- in fact more effort is being devoted to development -- but a recognition that many organisations find it impractical to constantly upgrade systems software.  John W. allowed a generous period for sometimes hostile questions, and his willingness to attend the conference was a positive move.  Sadly many delegates were disappointed with the low key message that he conveyed.

On Tuesday morning, John A. Soyring, IBM Vice President and long time OS/2 exponent gave a polished and altogether more upbeat presentation.  He outlined the OS/2 business strategy as being based on three factors:

o  Investment Protection
o  Increased Market Share
o  Greatly reduced cost of ownership

and discussed how he hoped to see OS/2 holding its position of strength in large organisations, while steadily pushing into smaller ones.  He talked of us entering a third phase of computing, the first being mainframe and mini with the famed application backlog and the second being client-server PCs.  While the PC phase had seemed to be a panacea opening up new horizons, it had become a Pandora's Box of escalating support costs for marginal gains.  The third phase is network computing, combining the best of both the earlier phases, and in which OS/2 is intended to play a key role.

Thursday morning's keynote session was by Paul Giangarra, the architect of OS/2, and offered a technical comparison of OS/2 and WindowsNT.  Also covered where comparisons were possible, was Windows 95, but in a number of areas this was inapplicable.  Paul mentioned that Microsoft Japan now only puts forward NT in competitive situations against OS/2.  Paul disclosed that SMP was considered for Warp 4, but rejected on the grounds that too few SMP capable machines are being sold.  SMP is likely to be introduced in future.

Friday's keynote was given by Joel Krautheim of SPG, the producers of the successful graphics program, ColorWorks.  Joel gave a vigorous marketing man's exposition of how to introduce new products into the OS/2 market, leaving behind competition who are saddled with "legacy" products.  From the OS/2 market, it is then feasible to launch an attack on the wider Windows market.

The conference closed with a presentation by David Barnes, IBM's cheer leader for OS/2.  With no pretence at technical content, David wound up the proceedings with an impressive demonstration of how and how not to use VoiceType and a series of quick fire jokes.

Java Fever!

Apart from the enthusiasm for OS/2, the most striking aspect of the conference was huge interest in Java.  Sessions relating to all aspects of Java were filled to overflowing -- demonstrations of the Visual Age visual development tool for Java; seminars on Java programming; Java technology directions, including the impact of Java on IBM's highly 
regarded SOM and DSOM object models.

Java is now an integral part of OS/2 Warp v4 (often known as Merlin).  The released version is complete at version 1.0, but further upgrades are already on the way with 1.02 and a "Just In Time" compiler expected in beta during November.  IBM is strongly committed to Java, partly as a unifying factor across its own platforms, but most especially on OS/2.  IBM is pushing to make OS/2 the premier platform for running Java, as well as implementing Java for Windows 3.x to ensure the broadest possible Java coverage.  The notion of Java applications received a boost recently as Corel started to prove their practicality by delivering a beta of Word Perfect in Java.  Although not as far advanced, Lotus are also investing heavily in Java based components.

Mike Cowlishaw, IBM Fellow, was presenting his new NetRexx language, a blend of the best features of Rexx and Java.  Mike is well known as the designer of Rexx, the popular interpreted language.  Java is a powerful object oriented programming language, with the tremendous benefit of operating across almost all platforms.  NetRexx takes the approach of Rexx, producing a language that always aims to work in a natural way for human beings.  It is quicker and easier to write, simpler to get right and translates into Java for the full benefits of cross platform implementation.

Support for OS/2

Another interesting topic, apart from the many technical presentations, was IBM's developing support services.  Pat McCarty, manager of service operations, spoke about the role of support at the Wednesday keynote session.  This included the way in which even product design is now influenced by support considerations.  For OS/2 "Merlin" the final decisions on what went into the delivered system were affected by all groups involved.  Pat pointed to the excellent results achieved in a recent US "PC Magazine" survey, where various aspects of support were evaluated for MS-DOS, Windows 3.x, Windows 95 and Windows NT as well as for OS/2.  The outcome was not only an overall clear win for OS/2, but a win in every category.

A notable absence from the conference was complaints from the Europeans that they were poorly supported relative to US users.  A few comments were made, but far less than in previous years.

Numerous Technical Presentations

The comments above describe only a tiny portion of the dozens of presentations that were on offer to conference delegates.  These ranged from writing OS/2 DLLs to Visual Age Smalltalk, from the C++ Open Class Library to Hotwire Technology for OpenDoc Components, from DSOM to HPFS internals, from Corba programming to the kernel debugger, from Rexx to Lotus Notes and many, many more.  For more details, consult the (http://www.colos2.com/) ColoradOS/2 web page.

-----

EurOS/2 Contact Information

We would like to encourage anyone working to achieve successful OS/2 implementations to participate in EurOS/2.  All communications are despatched electronically, via Internet or CompuServe.  To receive regular information from EurOS/2, please let us know your first name, last name, company, job title, address, telephone, fax, Internet e-mail address, CompuServe e-mail address, and indicate which form of communication you prefer.

EurOS/2 can be contacted in the following ways:

o  Internet at (euros2@ibm.net) euros2@ibm.net
o  WorldWideWeb at (http://www.moorestephens.com/euros2/) http://www.moorestephens.com/euros2/ where all past newsletters and other publications are searchable
o  CompuServe to Martin Brampton 100303,2007
o  Fax to Martin Brampton, Moore Stephens, 0171-246-6055
o  Telephone Martin Brampton, 0171-334-9191
o  BBS Moore Stephens Infoline, 0171-334-0337
o  Mail to Martin Brampton, Moore Stephens, St Paul's House, Warwick Lane, London EC4P 4BN.

-----

(euros2@ibm.net) Martin Brampton is the organizer of EurOS/2 and editor of EurOS/2 Magazine, published by e-mail and WWW.

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***********************************

OS/2 Users Make History
by "Connecting The World"	- by Tim Bryce

-----

History was made on Saturday, October 26, 1996, when OS/2 users from around the world organized a global demonstration of IBM's OS/2 Warp 4 (code-named "Merlin") over the Internet.  This was the first presentation of its kind conducted independently by customers on a worldwide basis for a computer related product (perhaps for any product), thereby demonstrating the power of OS/2 and the Internet.

During the event, the CtWwM Help Desk in Florida recorded OS/2 users from 28 countries, including:  Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Italy, Lithuania, Mauritius, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.  OS/2 users registered their sites via our web site (which recorded over 5,000 accesses during the day), the InterCom Internet telephone (where we had as many as 43 users concurrently at one time), and by e-mail.

A summary of the project (and graphics) can be found at:

(http://www.tbos2cla.com/ctwwm/) http://www.tbos2cla.com/ctwwm/

Project Audit

The following project audit was excerpted from the Editorial Page of the December 1996 issue of the OS/2 CONNECT newsletter (scheduled for distribution in mid-November).  It was prepared by the Project Manager, Tim Bryce, Editor of (http://warp.eecs.berkeley.edu/os2/connect/) OS/2 CONNECT.

-----

How We Connected the World

During my 20 years in the business I have participated in a wide variety of project audits, both for clients and internally within my own company.  When performing an audit it is important to stick to the facts and learn from your successes and mistakes.  I don't see any reason why the "Connect the World with Merlin" (CtWwM) event should be treated any differently.

As you probably know, CtWwM was a demonstration of OS/2 Warp 4 orchestrated independently by OS/2 customers on a worldwide basis.  The event was held on Saturday, October 26th at computer stores, universities, cyber cafes and other institutions.  On that day, OS/2 users conducted demonstrations of the operating system as well as interfaced with other users over the Internet (through a web site and Internet telephone).  The intent of the project was to convey a sign of customer confidence in the product.  Such a worldwide demonstration of customer support is unprecedented.  I do not know of any other instance where customers independently organized and conducted a worldwide marketing program.  From this perspective alone, the project was a resounding success.

By the Numbers

Based on the updates to our world web map, the discussions with users at the Help Desk in Florida (via Internet telephone) and e-mail messages received, we know that:

o  165 sites from 28 countries  participated in the event.  This surpasses our original estimate of 150 sites.  We suspect there were many more sites participating in the event but failed to contact project organizers for some unknown reason.  For example, we know there were 77 sites planned for Germany alone, yet we only heard from a handful of them.  We also didn't hear from Israel who had planned three sites.

o  Over 1,000 volunteers participated in the event.  Based on the feedback we received from the volunteers, we conservatively projected that OS/2 was exposed to 15,000 consumers.  This represents a 15:1 ratio of consumers to volunteers (on the average, one volunteer connected with 15 consumers).  From a marketing perspective, 15K may seem to be an insignificant number.  However, when you consider this demonstration was performed with minimal funding and with some credible customers, this becomes a rather significant figure.  There were several reports that volunteers helped to "sell-out" OS/2 at various computer stores.  A lady at the Fry's Electronics store in Anaheim, California was so impressed, she purchased OS/2 Warp 4 and a new Pentium/133mhz based computer after talking with the CtWwM volunteers.

o  The overall reaction to OS/2 Warp 4 by the consumers was very good.  Based on the Project Review Forms returned by the Site Coordinators, the overall reaction to the presentation was rated a 1.9 (based on a scale of 1-high/good to 5-low/bad).

o  Our world web page was accessed over 5,000 times during the one day event, representing another positive sign of interest in the project and the product.

From a product perspective, the "hot buttons" for the consumers were (in order of priority):

1. Speech Navigation/VoiceType Dictation - this was far and away the most interesting feature to the general public.

2. Integrated Internet capabilities.

3. New graphical user interface with the WarpCenter.

4. Sample OS/2 applications demonstrated (such as ColorWorks, InterCom, and the Application Sampler CD-ROM).

5. Multitasking (the stability of multitasking under OS/2 amazed even the more ardent Windows users).

6. Java support (although many consumers were at a loss as to how Java would directly benefit them).

There were many other highlights demonstrated, such as the Internet telephone, but those listed above represent the most popular features of OS/2 Warp 4.

The biggest weakness of OS/2, as reported by many Site Coordinators on the Project Review Forms, was lack of support for Win95/NT applications.  Although other weaknesses were reported, lack of Win95/NT support garnered the most attention.

What We Did Right

On the positive side, we did several things well...

o  Good administration - early in the project I realized we needed a mechanism to track the volunteers and demonstration sites.  For this I used our OS/2 based Repository (the "PRIDE" Information Factory) and IBM Works.  This provided the means to sort and search for volunteers by various attributes, produce volunteer logs and e-mail addresses, and print shipping labels.  In other words, we had adequate control over the resources.

o  Good communications - notifying volunteers of project developments was very important.  To this end we issued bi-weekly updates via e-mail to volunteers.  Since this project was a voluntary effort, issuing a project update every week would have been more time-consuming and may have inundated volunteers with too much information.  Bi-weekly updates seemed to satisfy everyone.  Beyond this, we did a couple of other things right in terms of communications:

o  The concept of Country/Regional Coordinators (where someone acted as a "territorial manager") worked very well.  These coordinators were invaluable in terms of organizing events and solving local problems, as well as communicating with Florida.

o  The Site Coordinator concept (where an individual manages all activities at a demonstration site) was also successful.

o  Web pages were very helpful in generating interest in the project and communicating with volunteers at the local level.  National CtWwM web pages were created in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Slovenia, South Africa, and Sweden.  Our private "Download Area" web page was
also helpful in terms of delivering last minute updates to volunteers.

o  The OS/2 Help Desk, as implemented by the Tampa Bay OS/2 Users' Group (TBOUG) using the InterCom Internet telephone was very successful in terms of answering technical questions and as a public relations tool for talking to people around the world.  As an aside, IBM and other vendors should consider using such a tool in Help Desk activities.

o  The Script was good but could have been improved by adding more detailed instructions for demonstrating every facet of the product.  The script was implemented as an INF file (for use with the OS/2 View utility).  It was suggested earlier in the project to implement it as a set of HTML files.  Although this was certainly possible, the INF format was efficient and easy to implement (and no one objected to the format).

o  Generosity - it was amazing how many people came forward to make contributions to the project.  The CtWwM logo, the store posters, the CtWwM web site, the web client/server software, and the 3rd party software, etc. were all provided on a gratis basis.  As Project Manager I needed to only broadcast a message that I needed something and the volunteers responded immediately.  Many thanks to all of the people for their generous support.  Needless to say, such generosity greatly reduced the cost of the project.

o  All OS/2 show - our insistence to keep CtWwM an "all OS/2 show" is an important one in that it demonstrated the power and availability of OS/2 programs (an area the press contends is a serious weakness of OS/2).  By using OS/2 apps throughout the project, we were not only able to effectively demonstrate the availability of native 32-bit OS/2 programs, but how they can greatly outperform their counterparts in the M$ world.

o  Back-up - our web back-up site was provided by the Central Alberta OS/2 users' group (CAOS) in Edmonton, Alberta.  Although it wasn't necessary to use their services, it was a wise move to have a back-up sight.

What We Did Wrong

No project is without problems though and CtWwM was no different.

o  Client software - the concept of the "client" software needed to communicate with the CtWwM web server was a good one and our volunteers invested considerable time developing it.  Basically, the software provided the means to update the world map and extend greetings to other OS/2 users.  Unfortunately, users reported problems executing the software, particularly over the IBM Global Network.  However, other users experienced no problems whatsoever when using other ISP's.  Needless to say, the software needs to be made more "bullet-proof."

o  Web server - the CtWwM web server went down inexplicably a handful of times during the event.  Fortunately, our WebMaster had a good restart procedure which brought the server back up within minutes.  Regardless, whenever the server went down, the OS/2 Help Desk was flooded with Internet telephone calls.  In hindsight, it would have been helpful to provide the Help Desk with the means to directly monitor and control the Internet server.

o  Internet access - IBM generously provided accounts to access the IBM Global Network.  Unfortunately, several users experienced difficulties logging on with the accounts provided and opted to use a different ISP instead.  These Internet access problems were inexplicable.

o  Shipping the demonstration kits - This was perhaps the biggest snafu in the entire project.  Although all of the demonstration materials were delivered to the packer on time, the packer botched the shipments causing them to be delivered very late (if at all).  To make matters worse, the packers used boxes that were much too large causing the contents to bounce around and damage some of the CD's and diskettes inside.  Tighter control over packing and shipping (including shipment tracking) is required if this type of project is to be implemented again.

o  Contacting the press - key members of the press (particularly those in the computer industry) were routinely apprised of project developments.  Further, we issued two press releases internationally and many others at the local level.  Unfortunately, we received very little interest from the press at any level.  It appears that the press was either not interested in the story and/or did not like receiving the press releases via e-mail (most wanted to see the press release in fax form).  Personally, I find it rather disturbing that technology reporters have an aversion to using simple technology (such as e-mail) for collecting news.  Even though we posted our press releases in key areas on the Web and the Usenet Newsgroups, accessing news in this manner is evidently at a level of sophistication most technology reporters cannot comprehend.  If we were to do this type of project again, it would be highly desirable to have a dedicated "press secretary" to maintain a data base of media contacts and work with the press.

o  IBM support - ever since we approached IBM with the concept of this project last February, interest from the vendor can be described as lukewarm at best.  It took us a long time to get any interest from the powers that be at IBM, to the point where we almost decided to conduct the project separately from IBM without their acknowledgement.  At times we felt IBM regarded CtWwM as more of an annoying curiosity as opposed to an important marketing event.  This is not to suggest our project liaison, David Barnes, didn't faithfully work with us.  In fact, he did an excellent job with what little resources he had at his disposal.  However, IBM was very reluctant to provide the volunteers copies of OS/2 Warp 4 and promotional materials (as I told various project volunteers, we had to beg for supplies from IBM).

Bottom-line, we lacked polish in certain areas of the demonstration and support from IBM was weak.

Conclusion

Was CtWwM a huge success?  No.  But it was a good first start.  In spite of all of our problems, we still succeeded at getting the word out to 15,000 people; not bad for a loose confederation of customers with little marketing experience.

On the Project Review Form we asked the Site Coordinators, "Is this type of event worth doing again?"  Everyone responded with a resounding "YES".  However, a lot depends on IBM.  Personally, I do not believe IBM has properly exploited the energies of its OS/2 customer base, thereby missing an important marketing opportunity.  If we had better leadership and support from IBM, we could go a lot further in the promotion of OS/2.  An army of OS/2 advocates has been mobilized, but does the vendor know how to lead them (or even want to)?

The IBM PC User Group Relations does a nice job of tracking user groups but does little for stimulating marketing programs such as CtWwM.  If the proper incentives and support were implemented by IBM, there is no telling how far OS/2 customers would go in terms of promoting the product in a cost-effective manner.


Copyright (c) MBA 1996

-----

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the writer and CtWwM Project Manager:

Tim Bryce
Editor, OS/2 CONNECT
M. Bryce & Associates, Inc. (MBA)
777 Alderman Road
Palm Harbor, FL  34683
United States
Tel:  813/786-4567
Fax:  813/786-4765
BBS:  813/786-4864
E-Mail:  (TimB1557@aol.com) TimB1557@aol.com
CompuServe:  (76235.2364@compuserve.com) 76235,2364
WWW:  (http://warp.eecs.berkeley.edu/os2/connect/) http://warp.eecs.berkeley.edu/os2/connect/
MBA:  Developers of the "PRIDE" Information Factory(R) and Batch Manager Since 1971:  "Software for the finest computer - the Mind"


IBM and OS/2 are the registered trademarks of the International Business Machines Corporation.  All other trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

This document has not been reviewed or approved by IBM and the contents herein are solely the responsibility of the volunteers in the "Connect the World with Merlin" project.

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***********************************

Nethead's Nook	- by Brandon Fesler

-----

Begin dictation.

My much wooded valleys miss nary a day of light.

(on screen:)

I just bushwhacked Sally with my toupee tonight.

You know, when you train VoiceType Dictation, try not to do so when you have a cold.  Speaking of which, with my oh-so-dreaded voice inflections sounding more like a person with a cork up his nose, I got the wonderful experience of seeing many an error message up close and personal during that time.

It's no secret that OS/2 has its share of very strange error and system messages.  This month we will examine some of them and try to decipher their true meanings.

Let's start with the infamous SYS3175.

"SYS3175: A program in this session encountered a problem and cannot continue.

EXPLANATION: An access violation exception occurred"

Hmmm, sounds like you had a bad ending to a date.

"SYS1996: EDLIN cannot open the specified file.

EXPLANATION: The system has too many open files.

ACTION: Wait for a program to end or increase the value of the FILES= statement in the CONFIG.SYS file and restart the system."

Anybody besides me think this help message isn't called upon too much?

"SYS2004: O.K.?"

Uh, sure.  Whatever you say!

"SYS3104: The CD-ROM file system (CDFS) driver (***) for OS/2 Warp version 4 is being loaded."

I'm also trying to figure out where this one is used.

"SYS3301: ***^ Error"

You know, 'short and sweet' is a virtue, but this one definitely lacks 'sweet'.

"SYS3212: No component found."

Uhhh, thanks. I think.

"SYS1891: There are no partitions to delete."

Is it just me or would you not be seeing this message if it were true?

"SYS1721:
                             OS/2 Warp version 4
          (C) Copyright IBM Corp. 1987, 1996.  All rights reserved.
  US Government Users Restricted Rights - Use, duplication or disclosure
            restricted by GSA ADP Schedule Contract with IBM Corp."

Warp 4 users, rejoice, this practically useless message still lies within your system, taking up space, even though you don't see it anymore.

"SYS1707: A version of DOS earlier than DOS 3.20 was detected."

This is another one which makes me wonder why it exists.

"SYS1744: A system error has occurred.

EXPLANATION: An external error has occurred and the system cannot continue with the operation.

ACTION: Retry the command."

Yet another one that clears everything up when you get help for it.

-----

If you think these are bad, try typing HELP xxxx for the following numbers:

1502, 0398

...And get ready for scroll city.

See you next month with a special TRIPLE sized column!

-----

(nethead@okc.oklahoma.net) NetHead dictatored this with NoiseHype Dictation while he had a cold.  You can breach him at (http://www.oklahoma.net/~nethead/) http://www.oklahoma.net/~nethead/.  Lentil next month, may your PC always run OS/2!

---Our Sponsor: Indelible Blue (http://www.indelible-blue.com/ib/)---
***********************************

The Chronicles of (dmccoy@mailhost.mnsinc.com) John Ominor	- by (dmccoy@mailhost.mnsinc.com) John Ominor, The Inhuman

-----

We are just over one month into the era of OS/2 Warp 4.0.  The newsgroups, with few exceptions, sing the praises of IBM's vastly improved installation program.  Now, all can benefit from the power of OS/2 and the word of (dmccoy@mailhost.mnsinc.com) John Ominor.  In addition, despite what the foolish naysayers continue to spout, OS/2 continues to thrive.  IBM has announced future plans concerning OS/2 Warp including the integration of the Netscape Navigator into the Workplace Shell of OS/2 as well as the release of future OS/2 enhancement packages.  OS/2 is truly alive and well.

I am (dmccoy@mailhost.mnsinc.com) John Ominor, The Inhuman.  It never ceases to amaze (dmccoy@mailhost.mnsinc.com) Ominor how no matter how many Windows advocates (dmccoy@mailhost.mnsinc.com) Ominor vanquishes, like the many headed hydra, another rises in his place.  Most, including the late, unlamented Infidel lie in wait like some jungle beast, waiting for OS/2 or IBM to display but a single vulnerability before leaping to attack the exposed jugular.

However, ultimately, the cat has no fangs.  Like the common housecat, the Windows advocate's attack has been declawed and neutered.  Mere months ago, many advocates of Microsoft stated that the integrated VoiceType Dictation and Navigation as well as the integrated Java support of OS/2 was unnecessary.  Yet, after the announcement of WHISPER, or the Windows Highly Intelligent Speech Recognition engine, as well as the Windows Java development kit that will supposedly integrate Java into Windows, they were predictably silent.  Once again, OS/2 leads the pack, while Windows brings up the rear.

Why is it so easy to anticipate the whims of the users of Windows?  Their attempts to undermine OS/2, promote their rather lackluster systems and most foolish of all, attempts to duplicate that which cannot be duplicated, the wit of The Inhuman?

(dmccoy@mailhost.mnsinc.com) Ominor knows why.  They are rapidly losing ground.  Any first year cadet knows that a ground war cannot be easily fought on several fronts.  Microsoft is currently engaged in such a battle.  Currently, Microsoft is attempting to match the Internet Explorer versus the Netscape Navigator, ActiveX versus Java, their NetPC versus the NC (Network Computer), DCOM versus OpenDoc, Exchange versus Lotus Notes, Windows NT IIS web servers versus everyone else's web server, and of course, Windows versus OS/2 Warp.  It seems that dozens of companies are vying for a piece of the spoils from the successful vivisection of Microsoft.  Truly, the pot is coming to a boil...

So, where does this leave our Windows friends?  Why, with a deep sense of insecurity.  After all, why else would these... unique individuals devote so much of their time to attacking a product they do not use.  They repeat the same tales of woe about OS/2 time and time again, each time expecting a different response from the OS/2 pundits, truly the surest sign of insanity.  (dmccoy@mailhost.mnsinc.com) Ominor believes that were it possible to reduce himself to the rather pitiful state of human, that he could empathize with these misguided souls.

Alas, (dmccoy@mailhost.mnsinc.com) Ominor cannot.  Instead, The Inhuman will quietly observe while the Windows advocates wallow in their own crapulence.

On a final note, let us give a moment of silence for QuarterDeck, the makers of the QEMM memory manager.  It seems that yet another company enticed by the lure of Windows 95's large market sales has fallen on truly difficult times, much like their partner in Windows, Symantec.  They labored and sweated, purchased many other companies, spend well over one hundred twenty million dollars, all for the Windows market. Their efforts have been for naught.  Indeed, The Inhuman regrets to inform all that they plan on relieving forty percent of their workforce of their jobs.

Pity.

OS/2 users and Windows users may debate the merits of both operating systems until time itself comes to an end, yet the abysmal sales of Windows 95 and even smaller impact of Windows NT continue to wreak havoc on real lives.  When will this madness stop?

Only Ominor knows...

-----

The origins and current plans of (dmccoy@mailhost.mnsinc.com) Ominor are known only to (dmccoy@mailhost.mnsinc.com) Ominor.  He is indeed a mystery to all.  Save The Inhuman.

---Our Sponsor: J3 Computer Technologies (http://www.os2store.com/)---
***********************************

October's Top Selling Commercial Applications

-----

Note: The following list represents only the top selling OS/2 applications.  OS/2 Warp and OS/2 Warp Connect are not included in the rankings.

This Month	Last Month	Product					Company
1		2		Object Desktop v1.5			Stardock Systems
2		3		Partition Magic v2 Personal Ed.		PowerQuest
3		--		TrueSpectra Photo>Graphics v1.0		TrueSpectra
4		3		IBM AntiVirus v2.4 Desktop Ed.		IBM
5		4		System Commander v2.2			V Communications
6		--		Hobbes CD-ROM November Ed.		Walnut Creek
7		6		UniMaint v5.0				SofTouch Systems
8		7		BackAgain/2 v4.0 Prof. Ed.		Comp. Data Strat.
9		--		QuickMotion v1.1 CD-ROM		Practice Corporation
10		9		DeScribe Voyager Plus CD		DeScribe
-----

Compiled by (http://www.indelible-blue.com/ib/) Indelible Blue, Inc. - Your Single Source for OS/2 Solutions.

---Our Sponsor: K&S Systems (http://www.kssystems.com/)---
***********************************

October's Top Selling Shareware

-----

This Month	Last Month	Product				Developer
1		1		PMMail				SouthSide Software
2		3		PMView				Peter Neilsen
3		5		InJoy				Bjarne Jensen
4		2		ZOC				EmTec Innovative Software
5		6		Neologic Network Suite		Neologic, Inc.
6		--		ScreenSaver			Siegfried Hanisch
7		4		Xit				CodeSmith Software
8		9		WebExplorer Organizer		ONG Software
9		7		MR/2 ICE Internet Email		Knightware Software Co.
10		10		FM/2				Mark Kimes
-----

This list is compiled by (http://www.bmtmicro.com/) BMT Micro -- Your Source for Over 100 Quality Shareware Applications -- and represents their monthly registration figures.

---Our Sponsor: Keller Group Inc. (http://www.kellergroup.com/)---
***********************************

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Corporate Sponsors of OS/2 e-Zine!:

-----

(http://www.bestofos2.com/) Best of OS/2
Your complete OS/2 resource centre.  News, demos, catalog of over 150 software products, daily Hobbes Report and links to numerous sites.

(http://www.bmtmicro.com/) BMT Micro
Your complete source for over 100 of the best OS/2 shareware applications available.  Drop by today and check out our WWW catalog or download the .INF version.

(http://www.ChipChat.com/os2ezine) ChipChat Technology Group
ChipChat produces excellent 32-bit OS/2 software for wireless text paging 
and state-of-the-art multimedia Sound Cards for Micro Channel PS/2 computers.

(http://www.emtec.com/) EmTec Innovative Software
EmTec Innovative Software produces state-of-the-art OS/2 ISDN, modem
and telnet communications software.  OS/2 Magazine and Inside OS/2 1995
award winner.

(http://www.hotinc.com/) House of Technology, Inc.
Your Canadian Source For OS/2 Applications.

(http://www.indelible-blue.com/ib/) Indelible Blue
Indelible Blue, a mail order company, provides OS/2 software and hardware solutions to customers worldwide.

(http://www.os2store.com/) J3 Computer Technologies
J3 Computer Technologies -- your OS/2 software store.

(http://www.kssystems.com/) K&S Systems
IBM BesTEAM, NT, and Vinca certified consultants provide HW/SW products, installation, configuration, staging, support, and Web Site Design.

(http://www.kellergroup.com/) Keller Group Inc.
Developers of FaxWorks for OS/2 and PMfax, the fax and voice solution for OS/2, with versions for stand-alone, LAN and Internet Faxing.

(http://nick.secant.com/mr2ice.htm) MR/2 ICE Internet Email Client
Delivering the electronic mail features of the future, today.  A product of Knightware Software Company.

(http://www.Mount-Baker.com/) Mt. Baker Software
Developers of a full featured personal financial package for OS/2.

(http://www.ncia.com/~pcs/) Perez Computing Services
Defend against desktop freezes with Ctrl-Alt-Del Commander and create online documents/help with the IPF Editor.

(http://www.aescon.com/innoval/) Post Road Mailer
The Post Road Mailer is a high performance, 32-bit, email program with drag and drop filing, printing, shredding, word wrap and multiple MIME attachments.

(http://www.prominic.com/) Prominic Technologies
Software developer and IBM PC VAR preloading OS/2 Warp.  Expert staff provides advice on hardware and creates custom software.

(http://www.prioritymaster.com/) ScheduPerformance, Inc.
Dramatically improve performance on your OS/2 system now with the patented priority scanning logic and visual priority identification of Priority Master II.

(http://www.cfw.com/~shenan/) Shenandoah Equipment Co.
Providers of lifetime warrantied name brand simms, laptop and printer memory at competitive prices.

(http://www.stardock.com/) Stardock Systems
Providing quality software for the home and office.

(http://www.aescon.com/innoval/) Surf'nRexx
Use REXX to build powerful Internet utilities using our DLLs.  Package also includes 10 utilities as samples.

***********************************

Copyright 1996   -   Falcon Networking
ISSN 1203-5696