Changing from EDWIN Version 4 to EDWIN Version 5 ================================================ It is hoped that Version 4 of EDWIN can be withdrawn before the start of the new term. Version 5 has been running in parallel with version 4, and it has recently had the final planned updates done to it, and will now be ported to all other systems. The following timescales are envisaged - VAX : (Version 4 of EDWIN is the one using the logical name $EDWIN) (Version 5 of EDWIN is the one using the logical name EDWIN_DIR) (Ie. to use Version 5 change %include "$edwin:.inc" to %include "Edwin_dir:specs.inc") (A complete list of Include files are given below.) The file $EDWIN:.INC will be removed on Monday 17th Sept. This allows people to link existing programs, but not re-compile them. The file $EDWIN:.OPT will be removed on Thurday 20th Sept. Existing programs will still run, but users can no longer link with version 4 of EDWIN. The sharable library will be removed during the following week after checks to see that people are not depending on it. APM : It is planned to introduce the new version when the new operating system is released. Further details of the changeover will be made using the APM alert mechanism. EMAS : A pre-release version will be available by the end of the week. The versions in ECSLIB and CONLIB would be updated after this is tested. Please contact Gordon Hughes if you have any queries about the schedule. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The major visible change is that all the Imp procedures conform to the VMS naming conventions (ie. start EDWIN_) and these should be declared using the appropriate include files. The following name changes have happened - CURSOR -> REQUEST INPUT ( 'Think GKS' ) DRIVE DEV -> DRIVE DEVICE D CURSOR -> REQUEST DEVICE DEVICE NAME -> DEVICE DATA_NAME DEVICE -> DEVICE DATA_DEV NO ** NB: The internal logical device numbers (ie. DEVICE) has changed, so that people who have written machine specific hacks with constants written into them won't get them to work any more. If you must know about a device then the constants in the include file CONSTS file should be used. Two new pieces of information which can be used to write more portable programs are - DEVICE DATA_UNITS PER CM - Units per cm on a plotter, otherwise 0 DEVICE DATA_MAX COLOUR - Number of Colours available (0 => 1!) The following are the official names of the Include files - VAX/VMS APM EMAS EDWIN_DIR:CONSTS.INC EDWIN:CONSTS.INC ECSLIB.EDWIN_CONSTS EDWIN_DIR:CONSTS.PAS EDWIN:CONSTS.PAS ECSLIB.EDWIN_PCONSTS EDWIN_DIR:SPECS.INC EDWIN:SPECS.INC ECSLIB.EDWIN_SPECS EDWIN_DIR:SPECS.PAS EDWIN:SPECS.PAS ECSLIB.EDWIN_PSPECS EDWIN_DIR:TYPES.INC EDWIN:TYPES.INC ECSLIB.EDWIN_TYPES EDWIN_DIR:TYPES.PAS EDWIN:TYPES.PAS ECSLIB.EDWIN_PTYPES EDWIN_DIR:SHAPES.INC EDWIN:SHAPES.INC ECSLIB.EDWIN_SHAPES EDWIN_DIR:SHAPES.PAS EDWIN:SHAPES.PAS ECSLIB.EDWIN_PSHAPES EDWIN_DIR:TXSTACK.INC EDWIN:TXSTACK.INC ECSLIB.EDWIN_TXSTACK EDWIN_DIR:TXSTACK.PAS EDWIN:TXSTACK.PAS ECSLIB.EDWIN_PTXSTACK A major change on VMS (ECSVAX anyway!) is that you just say LINK file to link, rather than having to state the library. Some examples of using the geometric routines and transformation stack from Pascal, and the general Edwin routines from Fortran can be found in the files Edwin_dir:*demo.* Please inform Gordon Hughes (JGH@ECSVAX) of any problems which you experience. Gordon Hughes 11th Sept 1984