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HotLinks_PR
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1992-08-04
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Ed: This is a Press Release from PageStream which attempts to
explain HotLinks. See also our review of HotLinks in the REVIEWS
drawer this issue.
SOFTLOGIK'S HOTLINKS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What is HotLinks?
HotLinks is Soft-Logik's data interchange environment. It allows any
HotLinks aware program to exchange data with any other HotLinks aware
program. Although the HotLinks interface was developed by Soft-Logik,
we are opening it up to the whole Amiga community in much the way ARexx
or IFF is open the community. In fact the data formats used by HotLinks
all follow established IFF guidelines. What HotLinks offers is a method
for documented data interchange via a document database and live update.
Having said that mouth full, what does it all mean. To best answer that,
here are some of the most asked questions about HotLinks:
Q: Is HotLinks the same as ARexx?
A: No. HotLinks is designed around the idea of data interchange, not
command interchange. HotLinks is perfectly suited for exchanging
large bitmap files and word processing documents. It does not send
commands to programs other than to let them know the HotLinks edition
they have subscribed to has been updated. In feel and operation, it
is much more like the DOS library than ARexx. Together though, ARexx
and HotLinks are a powerful team.
Q: Is HotLinks proprietary?
A: No. We want everyone to use HotLinks and help shape its future. The
actual HotLinks library, resident code and support programs however
are copyrighted by Soft-Logik.
Q: Do I have to license HotLinks from Soft-Logik?
A: No. We are making information about HotLinks freely available. The
HotLinks resident code itself is a product from Soft-Logik, much like
ARexx is a product from William Hawes. Currently the HotLinks resident
code is sold with two HotLinks compatible programs, BME and PageLiner.
Q: What sort of support will Soft-Logik offer, and to whom?
A: We are interested in supporting all developers who wish to include
HotLinks in their products. In some ads, we have restricted this to
those registered with CATS. We do not require this, but would encourage
any Amiga developer to be registered with Commodore in their native
country or region. As for the support itself, we will be sending a
developers kit to those who request it. This kit includes example code
in the C language for interacting with HotLinks, all associated includes,
development tools and a complete set of libs and programs that make up
the HotLinks environment. It also includes a paper manual full of
HotLinks programming and development information. Soft-Logik also wants
to ensure those products that claim to be Hot-Links compatible, are. To
this end, Soft-Logik asks that those developers that integrate HotLinks
into their products provide Soft-Logik with two copies of the product.
This is so Soft-Logik may validate, demonstrate and better answer
questions about supporting products. Furthermore Soft-Logik intends on
including lists of HotLinks compatible products in its ads and producing
a "HotLinks Compatible" sticker much like the green 2.0 sticker. This
is necessary to assure users that a program that claims to be HotLinks
compatible, truly is.
Q: How does HotLinks compare to similar systems on other platforms?
A: HotLinks is often compared to systems like DDE and OLE on DOS platforms,
Publish and Subscribe in Macintosh System 7 and NeXt step 3.0Us Linking.
HotLinks uses a Publish and Subscribe metaphor, not unlike the Apple
Macintosh System 7. Also like DDE and System 7, HotLinks uses the
operating system's standard message passing system. HotLinks functions
are accessed via a disk based library called HotLinks.library. The
library packages up your messages and sends them to the HotLinks resident
program, and returns to your program the results. Furthermore the library
provides a uniform interface, with the new 2.0 look, for all HotLinks
interaction.
Q: How does the Publish and Subscribe metaphor in HotLinks work?
A: When you wish to make a block of data available to HotLink users, you
Publish it. If you make changes to that data and want to give users
the new data, you Update it. If at any point you no longer want users
to receive further changes from your document, you can break the link
that associates your data with the HotLinks Edition. At this point
people could still subscribe to the old data and update it, unless you
delete the Edition. If you wish to use the data that HotLinks has to
offer, you may Subscribe to an Edition. When you Subscribe, you can:
(1) link the data and ask for notification, (2) link the data and not
ask for notification, or (3) receive the data and immediately break
the link. Each case it has its own uses. In the event that you save
a file with a HotLink in it, that file will not be updated until it
is reopened. When a file is reopened, you can check to see if you
have the most recent version of the Edition. If not, you can update
at that time.
Q: How does HotLinks physically interchange the data?
A: In all cases an actual disk based file is created when data is
exchanged. This file contains the data as well as security and audit
information. Currently HotLinks maintains a special directory where
HotLinked files are kept. Files in the HotLinks directory are not
meant to be accessed by the normal OS, but can be as they are normal
Amiga files. In the future however, files may be kept in many places,
possibly across networks. By using the calls in the HotLinks library,
the program does not need to know where the file is physically located.
The files are written by the program, via HotLinks, in much the same
manner as if using the DOS library. Open, Read, Write, Seek and Close
calls all have HotLink equivalents. For this reason, implementing
HotLinks is very similar to implementing traditional file I/O.
Q: What kind of data can be exchanged?
A: Eventually, everything. At this time, only the formats for bitmapped
graphics and formatted text have been defined. The bitmapped format
is a simple extension of the existing IFF ILBM format, and the text
format is IFF DTXT. It is our intention that wherever possible, any
existing approved IFF format will be used. In this way, a minimal
amount of redevelopment will need to be done. Of course many kinds
of data that will be exchanged do not yet have an established IFF
format. We will work with any developer or group of developers
to establish new standards. This will expand the IFF standard as
well as focus program data interchange in and out of HotLinks. We
also want to include those members of the Amiga community that are
involved in the BIX amiga.dev/iff section, as they have helped shape
several standards.
Q: Can you give me an example of how HotLinks is used?
A: Here are a few examples:
A user scans in an image using HotLinks aware software. The user
has the choice of saving the image as a normal file, and/or publishing
it to HotLinks. They publishes it to HotLinks, then switches into a
page layout program. Next, the user subscribes to the image, places,
rotates and scales the image. After having done this they realize
that there is a minor problem with the image, not enough to require
re-scanning, just touch up. The user then enters the touch up program
and subscribes to the file, touches it up and updates it. Now when they
flip back to the page layout program the file has updated, but none of
the position, rotation, scaling information has been lost. Another
example could involve text. A user may first create a body of text in
a fast text or word processor, then publish the file to HotLinks. From
here the file could be grammar checked, flowed into page layout,
re-edited, re-checked and re-flowed. The document could make many trips
around the loop without losing any important information. In each case
the subscribing program only changes the information it understands, and
passes on the rest. Finally, HotLinks would be an excellent way to
update parts of a multi-media presentation without disturbing the whole.
Each part, text, sounds, animations, graphics, could be Hot-Linked
editions. The user could work on these while maintaining the originals
in the presentation. When the user feels that the updated version is now
better, then they can choose to update that portion. In the meantime,
the integrity of the whole presentation is maintained.
Q: What do I have to do to support HotLinks?
A: At its heart, HotLinks merely enhances the file I/O environment. To use
a HotLinks edition, you will have to do the equivalent of reading and
writing a standard file. For the most part this means treating HotLinks
like another format you import or export. The major difference is that
you get HotLinks edition requesters when asking for an edition instead
of the standard ASL or ARP requester. There is also an edition infor-
mation requester available. Depending on what options you support, you
may want to add a HotLinks menu or sub-menu.
Q: What is in the future for HotLinks?
A: One of the biggest things in the future of HotLinks is network support.
The real power of HotLinks can be unleashed when multiple users on a
network can be collaborating on a single venture, each providing the
other with different parts of the whole. The current version of HotLinks
is not network compatible, but due to the multi-tasking nature of the
Amiga, it offers a powerful way for programs to interact.
Also we foresee the integration of ARexx, for seamless computer control
of the whole environment.
[Soft-Logik]
============================================================================