From:	SMTP%"muswick@max.uh.cwru.edu" 14-MAR-1995 10:12:02.04
To:	EVERHART
CC:	
Subj:	Re: DECwrite for HTML?

From: muswick@v32.uh.cwru.edu (Gary James Muswick)
X-Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: Re: DECwrite for HTML?
Date: 14 Mar 1995 14:39:19 GMT
Organization: Image Analysis Center, Univ. Hospitals of Cleveland
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>
>There's no WYSIWYG HTML editor for VMS.
>
>DECwrite is WYSIWYG, and on the VAX it can input/output SGML via
>the CDA converter libraries.  SGML is damned close to HTML. 
>
>Unfortunately, while DECwrite on AXP is much faster than on the VAX, it is
>completely crippled, since the CDA converter libraries aren't available for
>it. 
>
>I'd like to suggest to SYSTEM CONSULT GmbH in Berlin, Germany (the CDA 
>maintainers) and DEC that maybe it would be a good idea to:
>
> A.  Duplicate and modify the SGML module to handle HTML.
> B.  Get it all running on AXP (VMS first, for a change)
> C.  Advertise and ship it.
> D.  Complete A-C in the current year, while there is limited competition
>     in this arena. 
>
>Will this happen, well:
>  WWW is the fastest growing segment of the internet
>  DECwrite is a multiplatfrom program
>  SGML is 90% of the way to HTML
>  DEC has been making noises about being a serious provider of internet tools
>
>If the old warhorse can't seize this obvious opportunity, then maybe it
>really is time for the glue factory. 
>
>Regards,
>
>David Mathog
>mathog@seqvax.bio.caltech.edu
>Manager, sequence analysis facility, biology division, Caltech 
>

Here is something to suggest to both DEC and users with CDA and other
VAX utils that are not available on Alpha.    (DEC may hate me for posting
this.)

The CDA convertor library on the VAX can be vested to run on the Alpha.
(You need to vest the VAX's CDA viewer also.)  I know this to work because
I have done it myself.  I needed to convert word perfect and TIFF frames 
to DDIF for viewing on an alpha workstation.  I was able to use DecMigrate 
to VEST the sharables and the viewer.  I replaced the viewer and sharables
and it all worked fine.  It takes many iterations of VESTING and usage to 
get better performance through the HIF and IIF files.  (Each time you run
a WESTED executable, the alpha will add lines to these files for hints to
VEST and areas where performance can be improved.  On a 133 MHz DEC 3000
model 400, I got the same of 30% better performance than a VaxStation Model
90.  Not great, but very usable.  Here is the catch though.  It seems that
the translation process, removes the LMF checking.  I have VESTED VUIT also
and found that LMF doesn't care.  I know that I am violating license issues,
but until DEC has the product available, am I really violating anything?

I know that DEC has reputation to uphold, but with a product as great as
DecMigrate (and I am a novice user) why didn't or hasn't DEC provided most all
VAX products immediately when the alpha was released?  Even if they just
gave them away (because of speed, liability etc.) until the real Alpha
versions came out.  DEC would have sold more Alpha's sooner, since many
waited purchase until various products came out.  If I can translate DEC
sharables and product executables, than DEC experts should have been able
to do it also, even better.

My suggestion is, that SGML should VEST as did the other libraries.

By the, way, I finally wrote my own TIFF to DDIF translator to run on the
alpha which is much faster.  But VESTing solved an immediate problem.

Gary Muswick
Image Processing Engineer
University Hospitals of Cleveland
(216) 844-7793
muswick@max.uh.cwru.edu

