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READ.ME
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1986-12-16
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This SNOBOL4+ utilities demonstration diskette was prepared on December
16, 1986 by Gordon E. Peterson II.
---------------
This disk contains an assortment of interesting software for the IBM
PC, along with related supporting files.
The file UTILSDOC.TXT describes some of the utilities provided on the
diskette, along with several others which are available separately. All the
utilities described have been written in the very powerful SNOBOL4+ language.
As an example of the power of the SNOBOL4+ language, the complete source
program listing for the LIST utility is provided on the diskette. Note that
even with all of the options supported by LIST, and without any particular
effort to optimize the program (it could very easily be changed to 30 or
fewer source statements with no loss of function or efficiency), the fully-
featured utility is only 37 SNOBOL4+ source statements long! The DIRTREE
program is only 66 statements.
The print file EXAMPLE.LST shows an example output from the SPACE
utility, which is described in the UTILSDOC.TXT file. The SPACE utility is
available separately, and includes all the functions of the DIRTREE
utility as a subset. The EXAMPLE.LST listing is set for a 132 column printer
(or an 80 column printer in condensed print mode). This utility is tremen-
dously useful in helping you to manage your hard disk. It also helps you
to root out all those places you have the same file under different names
or in different subdirectories, consuming unnecessary space (you'd be
surprised, like I was, to see how much space you can recover!).
Please notice that .SAV format files produced by SNOBOL4+ are
specific to the version (although not the copy) of the corresponding SNORUN
run-time package. All the .SAV files on this diskette, therefore, correspond
to the SNORUN.EXE runtime (version 2.0) as supplied on this diskette. These
.SAV files, for example, will not run under later versions of SNORUN. Should
you receive a later version of SNORUN from somewhere, or newer versions of
these .SAV format programs compiled under a later version of the SNOBOL4+
system, please be careful to not get them confused.
I have also written a device driver supporting your PC's loudspeaker.
This device driver allows you to reconfigure your machine's beep to sound
however you want it to. It allows you to write sound programs directly to
the speaker from any of your programs, regardless of the language you have
written them in. And, it eliminates those annoying delays your PC goes into
whenever it is beeping. The device driver is called DRVSPKR.SYS and should
be available, with a complete User's Guide and tutorial, from the same place
you got these SNOBOL4+ utility programs, for $10 or less.
You are also encouraged to acquire your own personal copy of
SNOBOL4+, which is one of the two most powerful and highest-level program-
ming languages currently available for PC-class machines. Unlike some
powerful programming languages, SNOBOL4+ is very easy to learn and allows
you to write significant and useful programs in short order. It is probably
the most useful single programming support tool I have. You'll love it too.
Ask at your local computer store. If they don't have it, ask them to order
it for you. If they won't, you can order it through me. The price is
$99.95 (please add $10 for postage and handling within the U.S. or $50 for
airmail delivery and additional handling charges to Europe. Do not send
cash. Price subject to change without notice; please allow sufficient time
for mail delivery and foreign checks to clear).
This diskette is being placed into the public domain as an experiment
in "ShareWare". The "ShareWare" concept is to make quality software
available at extremely low prices so that everyone can afford it. Also, in
a world of dozens of competing programs, how can you tell which ones you will
and which ones you won't use?? "ShareWare" allows you to actually take the
software home and live with it, on your own machine.
If you end up liking this software, and using it, I hope that you'll
want to make a contribution to the program's author at the address below.
In this way, I can advise you of updated versions of these programs, as well
as the many other useful programs that are available. Since program
development is an ongoing effort, you are also encouraged to suggest other
generally useful utilities you'd like to see. A contribution of ten dollars
is suggested, but feel free to make it more (or less!) based upon your
honest feeling of how useful this software is to you, just as you would tip
a waiter in a nice restaurant based upon how helpful he was during your
dinner!
I hope that you will find these utilities useful. Enjoy!
Gordon E. Peterson II
P.O. Box 40476
San Antonio, Texas 78229-0476
United States of America
P.S. Since I am presently spending quite a lot of time outside of the
United States, please allow extra time for mail at the above address to
be forwarded to me. Thanks!