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INOVAtronics announces EDGE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EDGE Professional Text Editor Version 1.721
Retail Price US$99.95
EDGE is a powerful and easily configurable text editor for
writing and editing common ASCII text files. Uses include
editing AmigaDOS batch files (such as the Amiga's Startup-
Sequence), as a "front end" editor for Desktop Publishing
programs, and as a source code editor for various programming
languages such as C or ARexx. EDGE is desirable for any project
where a conventional word processor would embed unwanted,
invisible formatting codes in your text. Toaster users will
find EDGE a perfect companion to Directory OPUS and great for
tweaking those Lightwave render files.
EDGE Feature List
- May open unlimited number of files (limited only by memory).
- Allows unlimited number of windows per file.
- Real-time update of a file's windows.
- Files may be saved with Snapshot which maintains the local
editing environment in the icon for the project.
- Extensive AmigaGuide on-line help everywhere.
- Powerful undo and redo feature.
- EDGE's custom screen is public, allowing other applications
to exist its screen.
- Can open on the Workbench screen, or on any application that
uses a public screen.
- User definable fonts.
- Has the ability to hide sections of text inside "folds".
Folds can be nested.
- Unlimited amount of ErrorMarks and IMarks, 10 BookMarks, one
AutoMark.
- When EDGE is running, it opens a device much like a "RAM
Disk". This device works just like any disk on the WorkBench,
inside Directory OPUS, or when named in a shell.
- User definable menus, user definable keyboard layout, all
texts, messages, errors, prompts, titles, etc., are completely
definable.
- Fast search and replace.
- Powerful, well integrated ARexx support with a rich set of
editor ARexx commands, as well as a macro recording facility.
- You may Iconify and deiconify EDGE via window gadget or
hotkey.
- Many Search/replace commands.
- Backup-system supports auto-numbering and handling of
multiple backups per file.
- All config files and startup scripts may be overridden and
startup using special keywords or tooltypes.
- Wordwrap with user definable right border.
- Autosave via user definable timer (in minutes). You can also
define how autosave works
- Two clipboards, one local to the current file and one global
which is shared by the whole Amiga.
- Powerful printing system. User definable printer device,
header and footer files, etc.
- Each file has a user definable local environment that may be
saved with the file in the icon.
- The EDGE global environment, which effects all EDGE files, is
also controlled with a point and click requestor. The entire
environment can be controlled from ARexx.
- The user may elect to use either the Commodore standard ASL
FileRequestor or the EDGE built-in requestor.
- All EDGE requestors may be user positioned or pointer
relative.
- EDGE task priority is user definable, as are the ARexx-
console and the time delay to wait before closing the ARexx-
console.
- The EDGE icon toolname is user definable and so is the EDGE
project icon.
- The status line may be either in the top or the bottom of the
window, ink and paper colors are user definable.
- The EDGE text windows can have 'autofunctions" attached to
them: bring a window in front of all other windows at
activation, zoom window at deactivation, unzoom window at
activation, adjust window size to even chars when the window is
resized.
Contact INOVAtronics for more information on EDGE or other
exciting products.
INOVAtronics Inc.
8499 Greenville Ave.
Suite 209B
Dallas, Tx 75231
Voice: 214-340-4991
FAX: 214-340-8514
=============================
The Amiga/Japanese Mailing list
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Amiga_jp-list mailinglist is devoted to dicussion of Japanese
computing issues on the Commodore Amiga computer. Topics are not
restricted and may include anything from the Amiga in Japan as well
as programming for Japanese on the Amiga.
Discussions are welcome in any language. The moderator of this group
can speak English and Japanese (and a some French:) but feel free to
post in whatever language is most convienent.
This list is maintained by James Miller and may be contacted at:
jamiller@neko.ec.t.kanazawa-u.ac.jp
To subscribe to this group send a mail message to
"jamiller@neko.ec.t.kanazawa-u.ac.jp"
with
"Amiga_jp-list"
in the Subject: line of your post. In the body of your message type
"SUBSCRIBE Amiga_jp-list <your.user.name@your.host.name>"
You will be automatically added to the mailing list. From then on any
mail directed to the mailing list should be mailed to:
jamiller@neko.ec.t.kanazawa-u.ac.jp
with Amiga_jp-list in the subject line.
James Miller
Coordinator for International Relations
Ishikawa International Culture Exchange Center
jamiller@kitune.ec.t.kanazawa-u.ac.jp
=============================
Xenomiga Technology announces XENOLINK 1.90
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Next Generation Professional Bulletin Board Software
Copyright =A9 1990-1994 Xenomiga Technology
The principle upon which Xenolink has been designed:
"If a QuickSort in C is faster than a Bubble Sort in Assembly Language,
then let Xenolink be the QuickSort in Assembly Language."
It has been a year since the last release of Xenolink; Version Z.3a.
In that year, Xenolink has been redesigned and completely rewritten, to
incorporate the features that users have requested, and to support more
ambitious features, some of which are already under development.
Xenolink's efficient new architecture is now faster and more compact than
ever.
The changes are obviously far too numerous to list, but a brief synopsis
of the areas affected is listed below:
o Attractive AmigaDOS Release 2 interface
o Vastly enhanced security features
o Improved door support
o Completely redesigned FidoNet support
o Decrease in the already low usage of memory and disk space
o Even faster operation than before
Xenolink 1.90 has been tested as never before, by countless beta testers
with setups ranging from Amiga 500's to 4000's, 68000's to 68040's,
CD-ROMs, FAX-Modems, HST 16.8k modems, Point hosts, Network hubs,
multi-line systems - the list goes on.
Overview
--------
o Designed and written for AmigaDOS Release 2 and above
o Superlative reliability
o Very easy to use
o Attractive interface
o State of the art software design and system architecture
o Full multi-line capability
o Configurability to an almost sinful degree
o Foreign language support
o Highly efficient use of memory and disk space
o Optimised high speed performance
o Object Oriented library and door interface
o Full XPR (External Protocol) support
o Low CPU usage
o Supports all serial cards and all baud rates
o Uses Commodore's (GUI) Installer program for easy installation
o Mature software; large amount of third party Xenolink software
available
o Large private support network linking together hundreds of Xenolink
owners with Xenomiga Technology
Base Software Architecture
--------------------------
o Xenolink Resource Handler controls access to all Xenolink resources
- Avoids unnecessary disk activity if a resource (such as a message
base or file area) is in use by more than one process
- Crash protection; if a door crashes or hangs a Xenolink node,
system data files and log files are preserved, even on the node
that crashed
- Automatic resource preloading enables Xenolink to asynchronously
open files before they are required, thus reducing the bottleneck
caused by disk activity
o Memory usage
- Dynamic memory and resource allocation
- Xenolink and its accompanying utilities are residentable
(extremely low memory usage for multiple nodes)
- Extensive use of xenolink.library shared library routines
- All executables are very compact
(needless compiler overhead eliminated)
o Disk space usage
- Two files per message area, for unequalled speed and compactness
- Three files per file area
- Compact user data files
- Real-time data compression used on compiled nodelist
- Xenolink's compact data files have numerous advantages:
o Very high speed operation due to the small number of files
used
o Minimises disk fragmentation
o Data files are easily archived
o Makes backing up very easy (very few files to back up)
o Speed
- Very fast implementation of fast algorithms (both are important!)
- Enhanced Global Quick Indexing (EQDX) algorithms enable virtually
instantaneous location of any file catalogue entry or user
- Written in C and assembly language, using SAS/C Version 6
- Any area requiring speed has been written directly in assembly
language; this includes:
o Screen/modem i/o
o Mail processing parsing and i/o
o Searching
o Sorting
o Hashing
o Semaphoring
o CRC checking
o Ease of use
- Only a few assign statements required
o Xenolink does not require you to add countless assign
statements to your startup-sequence
o Location of all directories specified in "dir.config" file
- Separate configuration files, stored in a single directory:
o General/global configuration options
o Node configuration
o Message bases
o File areas
o User access templates
o Bulletins
o Archivers
o External protocols
o BBS text
o BBS entry points
o Access restrictions
- FidoNet configuration files stored in a separate directory:
o Node security (password, default protocol, archive type,
send type)
o Nodelist configuration
o NetMail routing and forwarding
o EchoMail area configuration (origin lines, feeds,
passthrough areas)
Sysop Interface
---------------
o AmigaDOS Release 2 interface
o Different fonts (and different point sizes) supported.
o Pulldown menus and keyboard shortcuts
o Font/Overscan preference aware; most Xenolink screens size
themselves to the largest size configured via AmigaDOS preferences
o Automatic screen centering
o Xenolink front end can open on any public screen
o Can display all 256 characters in any font, including the
international character codes 128-160, which cannot be displayed by
the standard Amiga console or CLI
o Full 16-colour high intensity ANSI support, on both the local screen
and remote
o Supports many IBM PC ANSI extensions not supported by the Amiga
console, such as cursor save/restore
o System configuration is stored in text files, for easy editing with
either a text editor of your choice, or a Xenolink GUI program
o Can change resolution and colours of screen while node is running
o Up to 5 "favourite" resolutions/bitplanes can be stored for easy
point-and-click retrieval
Security
--------
o Logging of all node activity
o Xenolink can automatically inform a user via mail whenever an illegal
access attempt is made on his account; the user will be told the
passwords used
o User passwords are stored in the user file using a non-reversible
encryption algorithm, so that if a hacker ever does manage to steal
your user files, user passwords will be indecipherable
o New user procedure requires that user passwords are at least 8
characters long and include both letters and numbers, to hinder brute
force dictionary based decryption attempts. New user procedure
written in AREXX so this feature can be altered or disabled
o Xenolink mail processor ensures that only specific systems can write
mail in certain areas; Xenolink automatically sends a message to the
system operator whenever a system attempts to illegally write mail
o Packet level passwords used; Xenolink also protects against mail
packets using an incorrect packet password (this feature can be
disabled for individual nodes)
o Xenolink FidoNet mailer logs illegal connection attempts, as well as
the password used by the remote system
o Password protection of any menu command
o Xenolink prevents co-Sysops from moving messages/files from areas in
which they could not edit/delete them, into areas in which they can
o Registration file and log files are locked while Xenolink is
running, to hinder hackers
o Built-in protection against the mail unpacking hack which afflicted
many Amiga BBS programs
o Xenolink is shipped with Xenomiga Technology secured versions of UNARJ
and PKAX
o Protection against remote file transfers which attempt to send over
complete device/path names or wildcard characters
o Individual BBS lines can be configured to allow/prohibit
logins/uploads/downloads from users at specified access levels/baud
rates at specified times
Node
----
o Each node can be set up differently
- Verbosity of logging
- FidoNet-compatible address list
- Can specify different screen parameters for each modem connect
string as well as for local logins:
o Resolution
o Colours (2, 4, 8, or 16)
o Interlace
o Font (any point size)
- Can also provide up to 5 other "favourite" screen resolutions
which can be selected while the node is running
o Xenolink front-end
- Displays recent caller list with call statistics
- Displays system statistics
- Displays information on and activity of user currently online
- Caller information on the last 80 callers is preserved on disk
- Gadgets to
o Login locally
o Drop carrier on user online
o Open or bring node screen to the front
o Iconify front end
o Go to stealth mode
o Poll FidoNet system
o Set Sysop chat availability
o Take node offline temporarily (without exiting)
o Set open-screen status
- Easy one touch (F1) login
o Compact mode dispenses with the front end display, and shows node
activity in a small window on any public screen you select (such as
the Workbench)
o Stealth mode dispenses with all displays, and allows a node to run
invisibly in the background
o ListNodes utility displays activity on all nodes in operation
o FAX-modem compatibility
- Xenolink can be configured to recognise incoming FAX calls, and
to transfer control to a FAX handling program (such as GPFax)
Doors
-----
o Full CLI door support
- Any program that runs in your CLI (shell) can be run as a door
- Does NOT require the use of fifo.library or custom handler files
o DOS Shell feature allows the CLI shell to be run within Xenolink
o AREXX interface
- Complies with the ABBEREXX door standard
- Supports many commands used by other BBS programs
- Many Xenolink specific commands
o Can run many Paragon/Star-Net doors
o Xenolink doors run in the same task context as Xenolink itself:
- Eliminates task context switching
- Door interface provides direct hooks into Xenolink functions
o Xenolink's shared library (xenolink.library) provides an easy to use
Object Oriented Interface for door programmers:
- Complete access to users, messages, the file catalogue, system
configuration, linked lists, node operations, tilde codes, etc.
- Doors may initiate file transfers, send messages to other nodes,
etc.
- Doors which use the Xenolink library routines extensively are
often as fast as Xenolink
o Internal BBS commands can be replaced by external modules
Messaging
---------
o Independent access flags per user per message area, including:
- View
- Read
- Write
- Forward
- Delete mail to self
- Delete mail from self
- Delete any mail
- Sysop
o Users are notified of mail sent to them
- User's "waiting mail" file automatically updated if user not
online
- Node message automatically sent to user, if user online
- Users informed of all waiting mail, upon login
o Message headers can be searched in a variety of ways:
- To self
- From self
- To or from self
- To any user
- From any user
- To or from any user
- Subject text
- To or from any user, or subject text
- To or from any user, or subject text, and message body text
o Message headers can be searched forwards or backwards
o Since all messages are stored in numeric order, and in only two files,
all search operations execute at very high speed
o Wildcard matching, text string searching
Files
-----
o Independent access flags per user per file areas, including:
- View
- List
- Upload
- Download
- Free downloads
- Move
- Edit
- Kill
- Sysop
o Descriptions can be of any length
o Up to 255 directories may be attached to a single file area
o Files can be catalogued or searched in many ways:
- Forward alphabetically
- Reverse alphabetically
- Forward chronologically (oldest first)
- Reverse chronologically (newest first)
- All files newer than a particular date
- Text substring search of file names and descriptions
- Wildcard search (#, ?, *) of file names and descriptions
- Extremely quick operation
o View files online
- Can display text files online
- Can be configured to view the contents of any type of archive
o Integrity testing
- Can be configured to test any type of archive
- Uploaded files which fail the test can be automatically moved to
a specified "bad files" area
o Zmodem upload resume
- Supported for both BBS transfers and FidoNet transfers
- User can resume the upload at a later login session
- Upon login, user is reminded of any waiting unresumed uploads
o Complete XPR support:
- Allows different parameters for send and receive
- Allows specification of throughput for each protocol
- Support for batch and upload-resumable protocols
- Xenolink is shipped with the following:
o Xmodem Checksum
o Xmodem CRC
o Xmodem 1K
o Xmodem 1K-G
o Ymodem
o Ymodem-G
o Zmodem
o Zmodem 8K
o Automatic ZSKIP sent it user attempts to upload a duplicate file
with Zmodem
o Files can be marked by number/number ranges
o Powerful mechanism for attaching files to messages (to users)
- Message author automatically notified when files are downloaded
- Downloaded files can be deleted automatically
Users
-----
o Up to 256 access levels/user templates
o User aliases/handles supported
o Easy generation and storage of user questionnaires
o Utilities provided to globally affect user attributes, or
message/file area access, by access level
o User selectable use of ANSI to compress consecutive space characters
o User selectable, highly responsive hot key capability
o Powerful command line editing using ^A,^F,^X,^K, and cursor keys
Networking
----------
o Xenolink comes complete with its own integrated mailer and mail
processor, and requires neither expensive add-ons such as TrapDoor,
nor slow third party mail processing software
o Xenolink's integrated mailer supports:
- FTSC-1
- YooHoo/Wazoo
- EMSI
- Zmodem
- Zmodem 8K
- SEAlink
- TeLink
- Modem7
o Support for external mailers
- Uses same 4D file name conventions as TrapDoor
- Uses same flow control codes as TrapDoor
- Can easily switch between using TrapDoor and Xenolink's mailer
- Can spawn a Xenolink login session on any existing serial
connection
o Integrated mail processor:
- Single-pass operation
o Very high speed processing of mail
o Eliminates the necessity of storing network information
such as SEEN-BY and PATH lines (this feature can be turned
off so that network control lines can be optionally
displayed)
o Easy support of passthrough mail areas
- 4D support
- Point support
o Can use 4D method or 2D pointnet
- File sending/attaching
- Highly advanced and secure routing and forwarding features
- Automatic message dupe checking
- Automatic message reply linking
o Nodelist compiler
- Nodelist compiler uses real-time data compression
- Pointlists supported
o As many AKA's as you wish
o Full support for RLO type external file request (Freq) handlers
o Multiple NetMail areas
o Multiple origin lines permitted per message area
o Multiple addresses permitted per message area
o Large number of third party Xenolink FidoNet software available
including the following highly popular programs:
- AreaFix
- Hatch
- Tick
- FileFix
Configurability
---------------
o New user application script written in easily-modifiable AREXX
o Almost all text strings can be configured for each menu set.
- Version 1.90 has more than 3 times the number of configurable
strings than version 1.0 Z.3
- Even the message headers are now completely configurable!
o Special control sequences can be embedded in text files and prompts,
to insert almost any type of system data, and even perform if/then
type logic
o Multi-language; up to 256 different languages/menu sets supported
o Almost all prompts requiring keypresses can be configured
individually for each menu set; for example:
- Y/N for Yes/No
- O/N for Oui/Non
- J/N for Ja/Nein
- H/I for Hai/Iie
- etc.
o Can use a screen font designed for your language, as mentioned above
Version 1.90 is now available, and includes an all-new completely
rewritten 315 page hard cover manual.
Xenolink costs US$ 150, plus US$ 15 shipping and handling. To place an
order, send cheque or money order for US$ 165 to the address below. For
more information, write to the same address:
Xenomiga Technology
1132 Bay Street, Suite 1101
Toronto, Ontario
M5S 2Z4
Canada
Inside AustralAsia, XenoLink is available only from :-
Sidecar Express BBS
Sysop: Brendan Pratt
(075) 463 252
300-14400/v32bis + ZyXEL 19200
FidoNet 3:640/463
AmigaNet 41:400/463
Voice : 015 143 696
Current price is $280 plus $20 courier delivery thoughout Australia.
Credit Cards welcome.
=============================
SHAREWARE REGISTRATION COMES TO AUSTRALIA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Amiga users have often found it difficult to register the latest
and greatest program available for their computer. Many of the authors
are in out of the way places, such as Germany, Scandinavia or the USA.
As you can expect, many have been reluctent to send money, not knowing
whether they will get what they were after in return. This has now
changed..
Continental Drift BBS in Sydney, Australia has recently expanded its
scope of Amiga support.
We have recently added a Shareware Registration section to the BBS, and
invite all Australian Amiga Users to come and have a look.
Currently, the programs that can be registered at this site are:
DASModPlayer - A great Pro-Level ModPlayer by Pauli Porkka.
MagicUserInterface - Allowing users to change the look and feel of
their programs
MagicWB - Which has made the Amiga Workbench, one to be
envied. If you haven't seen this, you haven't
seen anything!
If you are interested in registering your copy of the above programs and
live in Australia or New Zealand, then drop us a line, preferably by
Email
CONTINENTAL DRIFT BBS
Shareware Registration
PO Box 259
Newport NSW 2106
Australia
Or call the BBS on:
+612 949 4256
Or myself:
Andre Lackmann 76711.710@compuserve.com
FIDO: 3:714/911
Also, any shareware authors out there looking for a wider audience, we
will be happy to act as registration site for your programs.
Contact us at the above addresses.
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