


                           Spring 1981 Symposium Tape

     This is a short description of the contents of the  spring  1981  symposium
tape  for  the  VAX SIG, alphabetically by subdirectory.  Each subdirectory also
contains a file named AAAREADME.TXT, which further describes the contents of the
subdirectory and possibly gives pointers to specific documentation files.


ACCNTNG - The files in this subdirectory are an update to the accounting  system
from  the  Air  Force  Weapons Lab that appeared in subdirectory ACCNTNG2 of the
Fall 1980 VAX SIG tape.


APL - This is a new version of the APL subset interpreter from SCI that appeared
in subdirectory SCIAPL of the Fall 1980 VAX SIG tape.


ASM6502 - A Motorola 6502 cross-assembler/downloader from the Air Force  Weapons
Lab.


DECNET - Unsupported DECNET utility routines submitted by Bill Brindley.


DPY - Several display-oriented utilities that all use a display package somewhat
reminiscent of DPY on TOPS-10.  From CalTech.


EDITOR - The TEDI text editor that was described  in  a  session  at  the  DECUS
symposium.   Apparently it is not yet screen-oriented, but the next release will
be.


FILELIST - A flexible file listing utility submitted  by  William  Wood  of  the
Institute for Cancer Research.


FORDAERO - A large set of programs  submitted  by  Ford  Aerospace.   Among  the
submissions is:  the FLECS preprocessor, a biomedical statistics package, a text
formatter, and many COM files  to  simulate  new  DCL  commands,  together  with
extensive HELP for each.  This subdirectory itself has eight subdirectories.


FORTTOOLS - A FORTRAN formatter and a cross-reference utility (another one).


GAMES - Contains several random games.  See also subdirectory REALTREK.


LBLTOOLS - This is an update to the version of the Software Tools  package  that
was  distributed  by  Joe Sventek at Lawrence Berkeley Labs on the Fall 1980 VAX
SIG tape.


MISCUTIL - Some of the functions provided by the procedures in this subdirectory
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are:   a  text formatter, a datebook, a Pascal prettyprinter, routines to create
and delete logical names in supervisor mode, a set of  generally  useful  Pascal
routines, a VMS HELP file for RUNOFF, and a teleconferencing program.


NCAR - This subdirectory contains a large number of utilities submitted  by  Ray
Bovet  at  NCAR.   Some  of the routines are probably not of general usefulness,
while others definitely are.  The examples used  by  Ray  in  his  talk  at  the
symposium  on  the  use  of  FORTRAN  as a systems programming language are also
included.


REALTREK - This is a multi-user, real-time star trek game from William  Wood  at
the Institute for Cancer Research.  It is an update from the Fall 1979 San Diego
VAX SIG tape.


SYSMGR - Among this collection of routines are a couple  of  command  procedures
for  adding  new  users to the system, routines to force an image to exit and to
hang up unused lines, a tape verifier, an incremental  backup/restore  facility,
and a program to maintain a database of NOTICE.TXT files.


TAPEUTIL - A collection of command  files  from  Mantech  that  are  useful  for
building  tapes  such  as  this  one  (MAKETAPE  will  probably  be used for the
production of future VAX SIG tape copy tapes).


VPLOT - This package contains a set  of  routines  to  allow  a  Printronix  300
printer to emulate a drum plotter.




     If you have software which you would like to see on the symposium tape from
Los  Angeles,  you  may  either bring it to Los Angeles or send it to me anytime
between now and then.  In either case, you will eventually get  your  tape  back
(no  commitment  as to when, and floppies do not get returned - it does not seem
worth the expense).  If you want to send me something before  Los  Angeles,  you
will  have  to get a release form, fill it out, and send it to me along with the
software.  To protect both DECUS and myself, I just cannot accept software which
is not accompanied by a release form.  In addition, if the software contains DEC
copyright notices, a signed release from some responsible  DEC  person  will  be
necessary.   Release  forms  can  be obtained from the DECUS office, 1 Iron Way,
Marlboro, Mass., 01752.  Tapes will be accepted in ANSI format or RMS BCK format
only,  at  1600  BPI,  with  machine  readable  documentation.  Floppies will be
accepted in ODS-2 format only, also with machine readable documentation.

     If the software that you would  like  to  submit  represents  a  reasonably
complete  and  presentable  package, even if it is not everything you would ever
like it to be, please consider submitting it to the  library.   This  will  give
your software more visibility in the VAX user community, allowing more people to
benefit from it.  A DECUS representative will be present at the  symposium  tape
submittal desk in Los Angeles to assist you in filling out the library submittal
form.
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     Contact your LUG chairman if you want a copy of this or a previous SIG tape
(tapes  exist  for Fall 1979 and Spring and Fall 1980).  If you are not a member
of a LUG, the tapes are available through the DECUS library.

     My address is:
                                 Roger Lipsett
                               Intermetrics, Inc.
                               4733 Bethesda Ave.
                              Bethesda, MD.  20014
                                 (301) 657-3775

Please feel free to call me with any questions.



     The files were put on the tape using RMS BCK.  The best way to install  the
files  is  to situate yourself in a clean [sub]directory and execute the command
file RESTORE.COM, as in the following example.
        $CREATE/DIRECTORY [someplace.VAXS81]
        $SET DEFAULT [someplace.VAXS81]
        $ALLOC MT?: RSTTAP:             ! the logical name RSTTAP:
        $MOUNT RSTTAP: VAXS81           !  is required.
        $COPY RSTTAP:RESTORE.COM *
        $@RESTORE.COM
Then selectively move the executables, com files,  and  documentation  to  their
more appropriate and permanent [sub]directories.

     To reproduce the tape for distribution (which please feel free to  do  even
if  you are not part of the official distribution net), try one of the following
three methods:

     1.  If your system has only  one  tape  drive,  get  a  copy  of  the  file
         MTCOPY.EXE  from  the  tape.   Hang  the tape and execute MTCOPY (which
         makes copies on a one drive system using a disk file).

     2.  If you have a system with more than one tape drive, mount the  tape  to
         be copied on one drive with logical name ITAPE, and the tape to receive
         the copy on another with logical  name  OTAPE.   Then  run  a  copy  of
         TPCPY.EXE from this tape and follow directions.

     3.  Load the tape onto your system following the  above  example.   Execute
         the command file TAPEBUILD.COM (also from the tape).


     Although NONE of the software is officially supported by the authors,  most
would probably like to hear about any trouble you have with their creations.  As
librarian, I will be happy to forward your  unofficial  SPR's  to  the  authors.
Please include "SPRING81" and the subdirectory of the offending package, as well
as the names of the files involved and  a  BRIEF  description  of  the  problem.
Include your name and address (complete) so the author can get in touch with you
if details or dumps are needed.  Please  don't  send  me  printouts,  tapes,  or
floppies of the problem.
