Computernews: September-October 1991

46 Pages·1991·2.9 MB·English

by  Patricia Hood

university of toronto
computing services
Now you can choose to have a bug
in your computer. Really.
See page 16.
The warning may shock, but the WARNING
NEVER reconfigure the board while
article enlightens.
the power is ON.
/ Turn power OFF before
IJ
changing any hardware
/f
settings, such as DIP
if
switches or junipers. Failure
FI
to do so may cause injury to
/ the user and/or damage to the
/ computer.
7
See page 1 .
Styles: Edit Style is more than the latest issue of
1 - Mane
Vogue.
Z - Type Paired
3 - Description
4 - Codes
5 - Enter HRt
See page 5.
Selection: 0
A picture is worth a thousand words
... and so is that article you would
rather not type. Save your hands for
other things.
See page 10.
... plus
UTCS organizational changes are set in motion. see page 1
ISSN 0315-4661 September/October 1991 No. 273
Let’s Talk About It: Reorganization
Advising and Consulting at UTCS
UTCS Organization Chart
C&C News 4
Documents with Style
5
Introduction to the INTERNET 1 mmmmiWw
The Typist Hand-held Scanner for the PC 10
Free Electronic Mail Demonstration 15
ProComm Communications Program Seminar 15
IBM M-Motion Video Adapter 16
Commodore SL 386SX 20 17
dBASE IV 1.1
Microcomputer Short Courses 21
DOS 5.0 22
PageMaker 4.01 26
Statistical Software Updates 28
Campus-wide License for IMSL Products iH C0
Genetic Algorithm Workbench PI M 30 0
Scientific Software Survey 31
Microcomputer Scientific Software at UTCS 32
UTCS Directory 35
Terminal and Advising Sites 36
UTCS Site Licenses 37
Publisher Unless otherwise indicated, network addresses
University of Toronto Computing Services appearing after the author’s name pertain to
Toronto, Ontario NetNorth/BITNET/EARN.
Canada M5S 1C1
Permission is granted to reprint articles from
Editor: Patricia Hood ComputerNews for noncommercial purposes
provided the author, publication, and issue are
Editorial Assistant: Maureen Monne
acknowledged.
Publication Date: September 23, 1991
IBM PC, PC-XT, PC-AT, Personal System/2, Operating
Subscriptions System/2 are trademarks of IBM.
Subscriptions run for one year, beginning each Intel is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation.
January. Changes should be entered on the LaserWriter is a registered trademark of Apple
form at the back of this issue and mailed to: Computer, Inc.
ComputerNews, 4 Bancroft Avenue, Room 217 Lotus 1 -2-3 is a registered trademark of Lotus
(or phone [phone]). FAX: [phone]. Corporation.
Macintosh 512K, Plus, SE are trademarks of Apple
ComputerNews is published eight times yearly Computer, Inc.
by the University of Toronto Computing Services Microsoft Word and Microsoft Windows are trademarks
(UTCS). Enquiries should be directed to: of Microsoft Corporation.
MultiFinder is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.
The Editor Paintbrush is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
ComputerNews PostScript is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems
Inc.
University of Toronto Computing Services
SAS is a trademark of SAS Institute Inc., Cary, N.C.
4 Bancroft Avenue, Room 217
SPSS' is a trademark of SPSS Inc.
Toronto, Ontario UNIX is a trademark of AT & T Laboratories.
Canada M5S 1A1
Network address:
Acknowledgements
[email protected]
Thanks to Easby Ho for her assistance in
(NetNorth/BITNET/EARN) editing this issue.
This newsletter was entirely produced on a Macintosh using PageMaker and other related Macintosh software.
Changes at the UTCS Information Centre
0^5
- -—-
What has happened
On July 30, UTCS underwent a major reorganization. As a result, the focus of User
Support Services (formerly the Information Centre) has been changed from support
of individual faculty, staff, and graduate students to support of projects in a number
of emerging areas. Unfortunately, certain services offered to individuals in the past
can no longer be provided.
How does it affect you?
The Microcomputer Lab is now available, by appointment only, for typesetting and
services to provide information, such as examination of hardware and software, and
CD-ROM access. All other services, such as laser printing, media and file conver¬
sions, scanning, and slide-making have been discontinued. To make appointments to
use the lab, please call George Katterloher at 978-5601.
Walk-in Advising is no longer available. Please call 978-HELP to talk to an
Advisor or to make an appointment with a Consultant. For floppy disk recovery
problems as well as other hardware problems, please call Anatole Bakumenko at
978-6486.
What hasn’t changed
All site licenses (e.g., SAS, SPSS, WordPerfect) are still available from the Informa¬
tion Desk in Room 201, as is access to the Reference Library in the same room. Until
further notice, ProComm may still be obtained from the Advising desk, also in
Room 201.
Course offerings remain the same. Registration takes place in Room 217.
When does this take effect?
All the above changes take effect Monday, September 16, 1991.

News
Let’s Talk About It: Reorganization
Warren C. Jackson
wcj@vm. utcs. utoronto. ca
Well, gentle reader, the UTCS sized. I do not think any have been functions, will be a newly formed unit
reorganization shoe that I signalled totally abandoned, but the range of called External Network Facilities
would be dropped last September products we support will be narrow¬ Management, reporting to Dennis
has finally hit the floor. There are ing over the next little while, and the Ferguson. This unit will contain most
any number of reasons for the long number of people who can instantly of the people dedicated to our ONet
fall time. One of the most important answer your questions will probably and CA*net management efforts.
was the dilemma of how we could decrease. Vera’s group will include a unit for
organizationally focus our efforts in Major areas of enhanced support our normal university facility man¬
newly emerging areas without totally that will receive explicit recognition agement activities. This group is
disenfranchising certain of our user in the new organization are instruc¬ expected to grow, on a self-funded
groups. I think we have succeeded tional technology, initially applied to basis, as our facilities management
pretty well, and you can judge for the undergraduate education area, efforts move into new areas such as
yourself. The detailed explanation office systems support, network local office systems and LANs.
below is a modification of the services, internal facility manage¬ Another unit in Vera's group,
announcement note that I sent to ment, and external networking reporting to Kam Mark, will be
UTCS personnel July 30. An facility management responsible for maintenance of
organization chart is shown as well. microcomputer systems and periph¬
erals. We expect this to be another
Organizational Details
substantial, self-funded, growth area.
Rationale
The Systems Support Group has
In the new organization, Eugene probably changed the least in the
Over the past year and a half, Siciunas, heretofore Associate reorganization, but even there a
UTCS has been moving toward Director will become Associate change of emphasis has taken
placing additional focus and concen¬ Director, Operations. Eugene will place. There is more support of
tration of its efforts in a number of report to me. UNIX and UNIX based services, and
areas. The new organizational Reporting to Eugene will be most the systems support of ORACLE, the
structure for UTCS is intended to of the ongoing operational activities new database of choice for adminis¬
more clearly reflect this new empha¬ of UTCS. Bob Chambers, Manager, trative systems, resides there as
sis and focus. The reorganization is Computer and Network Operations well.
in response to a number of pres¬ Support, and Bill Lauriston, Man¬ Within the Network Development
sures. First, it explicitly recognizes ager, Systems Support will report to and Support group, a new unit called
substantial changes in University¬ Eugene. Vera Cabanus has been Network Services Development,
wide priorities. It recognizes the promoted to Manager, Facility under Barry Lay, has been formed.
rapidly advancing capabilities in all Management Support, and reports It will focus our efforts in the area of
areas of information technology and to Eugene. Bob's new title reflects services accessible via the campus
the emergence of applications that explicitly the increasing emphasis on network, including electronic mail
exploit the convergence and merg¬ networking in our operational and internal and external database
ing of formerly separate, somewhat support. access.
independent, aspects of the technol¬ Three other groups will report In Don Gibson’s group, User
ogy. The reorganization is designed directly to me. Don Gibson will be in Support Services (the change of
to facilitate efforts, in conjunction charge of a restructured group name from Information Centre)
with other Computing and Communi¬ called User Support Services. Norm reflects a de-emphasis on the
cations units, to provide a set of Housley will be in charge of a support of individual faculty, staff
coordinated services in various restructured group called Network and graduate students, and a
areas. It reflects the need to clearly Development and Support, while greater concentration on supporting
delineate certain externally funded Ron Vander Kraats will be in charge projects in a number of emerging
aspects of our activities. Finally, it of a group called Administration and areas (and I like the new name
anticipates new areas of support. Information Services. better!). John Bradley will be
As a consequence of the reorgani¬ Within Bob Chamber’s group, in responsible for the unit which
zation, a number of traditional UTCS addition to his normal networking supports Instructional Technology.
activities have had to be de-empha- and computer operations support Its initial emphasis will be a number
ComputerNews September/October 1991 1
News
of projects utilizing computers in smaller number of products and Services, will be renamed Adminis¬
undergraduate education. Alex areas. (There is a modest write-up tration and Information Services.
Nishri will be responsible for the from Martha on the services of this Pat Hood is being transferred to
Office Systems Support unit. It will group, included below.) The Informa¬ Ron’s Group, to continue to be
work with the equivalent unit in tion Technology Support unit, responsible for the Information
Systems Development, and will reporting to Terry Sanderson, will Services unit. It will retain most of
coordinate the efforts of other UTCS continue to support the other UTCS the functions of Pat's old unit, with
resources in the analysis and groups, as well as others in the area added emphasis on short courses in
specification of solutions for office of microcomputers. support of all UTCS efforts and the
systems projects. The Advising and Ron Vander Kraats’ group, administration of site licenses.
Consulting unit, reporting to Martha formerly called Management Infor¬
Parrott, will focus on the support of a mation Systems and Administrative
Advising and Consulting at UTCS
Martha Parrott
parrott@vm. utcs.utoronto. ca
The Advising and Consulting Consulting is offered by appoint¬ UTCS and from vendor technical
group is available to University ment only. UTCS Consultants are support.
faculty, staff, and graduate stu¬ full-time staff members with experi¬ What exactly do we support?
dents. We offer two levels of ence in all of the products we Below is a list of products supported
support: Phone-in Advising and support. In addition to a general by Advising and Consulting. As
consultations by appointment. knowledge of our range of products, Warren Jackson has indicated in his
Phone-in Advising is available each of the four consultants special¬ announcement of the reorganization,
from 978-HELP (4357) Monday izes in at least one of four areas of we now support a smaller number of
through Friday between noon and application software: word process¬ products. While this is true, it is also
6:00 p.m. The HELP line is an¬ ing, databases, spreadsheets, and true that our statistics suggest we
swered by student advisors trained statistical packages. Appointments will still be able to deal with 70% of
by UTCS to deal with queries about are limited to a maximum of one the queries that customarily come to
the products we support. At the hour and are available on a first us. In other words, a great majority
minimum, these advisors will be come, first served basis as time of our constituency is using a core
expected to handle queries on any allows. We will do our best to help group of products that we do
of the product features covered in you in a reasonable time, using all support.
UTCS’ introductory short courses— the resources available to us within
a significant increase in the depth of
service offered at this level in the IBM Platform Macintosh Platform
past. The aim of Phone-in Advising
is to answer quick questions DOS System & Finder
immediately, offer a call back or an WordPerfect Microsoft Word
appointment for more difficult dBASE IV FoxBASE
questions, or, if appropriate, redirect Lotus 1-2-3 Microsoft Excel
your call to another UTCS group. It ProComm MacKermit
is important for us to limit the initial QuickMail
telephone time for each caller to a
maximum of five minutes, since Use of SAS, SPSSx, and SYSTAT will be supported primarily by the
calls will be taken in sequence, and Statistics Consultant; other Consultants will have some knowledge of
we would like to minimize the SAS.
amount of time you spend waiting in
the queue.
2 ComputerNews September/October 1991
News
UTCS Organization Chart
Micro (Sales and)
Maintenance Supervisor Budget and Results Supervisor
Kam Mark Marg Doherty
Staff Support Supervisor
Adriana Koufis
Information Services Supervisor
Patricia Hood
ComputerNews September/October 1991 3
Computing Communications
News from UTCC
The University of
is nothing more personal than your name in a
telephone book, so we take great care to
TorontoTelephone ensure each individual appears as distinctly as
possible. It is a known fact that the first thing a
person does upon receipt of a new directory is
Directory
to check his or her name.
Departmental listings appear in the back of
the directory. The fastest-growing departmen¬
tal listing isn’t an actual department. Three
years ago, there were no FAX telephone
One of the best-read books on campus is numbers in the directory. This year, there will
being written as you are reading this article. be almost 200 FAX telephone numbers-over
The U of T Telephone Directory is being two pages of them.
prepared now and will be distributed in early A new addition to this year’s directory will be
November. a mark indicating telephone numbers that have
Actual preparation began back in June voice mailboxes. Voice mailbox subscribers
with the distribution of existing listings to will be able to identify other subscribers, and
departments. Telephone coordinators in will be able to use the “send" feature more
each group make additions, deletions, easily. General inquiry telephone numbers for
and/or changes to their listings. Each departments using voice mail to handle calls
listing is then examined individually by will also be identified.
Theresa Falcioni and Sandy Levere in This year, we anticipate the directory will
University of Toronto Voice Commu¬ have over 5,000 different listings and we will
nications (UTVC) to ensure it be distributing 12,000 copies.
appears correctly in the directory.
On occasion, we encounter two Debbie Stewart
or more people with the same Voice Communications
surname and initials. There
UTCC on the Move!
University of Toronto Computing and
Communications has moved to a new
location in Simcoe Hall. You will be able to
find the office in room 240.
Voice Communications has vacated its
previous space at 1 Spadina Crescent, and
is now located at 215 Huron Street, fourth
floor.
4 ComputerNews September/October 1991
Features
W% II'M QM Uflfh CtlfllO
In the July/August issue of Computer- i
UUUlHIICIIlw ¥¥1111 dl|I6
News, we looked at the benefits of
in WordPerfect 5.1 for the PC
using formatting styles in word-
processing, and looked at styles in
Microsoft Word on the Macintosh
Irene F^osiocki
Specifically. In this issue, our focus is [email protected]
styles in WordPerfects. 1 on the PC.
WordPerfect has a “Style” feature all the different formatting codes
that enables you to store groups of selected earlier for headings,
formatting instructions and use them subheadings, citations, and so on.
within one or more documents. This When you need to change a style,
feature makes it easy to give a you edit it and change the formatting
particular appearance to text without codes; WordPerfect automatically
having to select the same formatting updates all occurrences of that style
codes over and over again. Apart in the document to reflect your new
from the ease with which you can format. You don’t have to search for
use the Style feature, you can also the codes and manually change
achieve a consistent look throughout them throughout the document.
your document. This is especially For example, let's say you have
useful when you are working with a created a style for the subheadings
large document or with a number of in your document. This style
documents sharing the same contains a serif Font code (Times
formatting. Roman), and Large and Bold
A WordPerfect style may consist codes. While reading through the
of formatting codes frequently used document, you decide a sans serif
throughout a document, or it may font (Helvetica) would look better.
contain both formatting codes and To change the font, all you have to
text. Once a style has been created, do is edit the style, adding the new
you call up the style library (more font. Once the style is saved, all
about this later), select the style, and occurrences of the subheading style
the formatting takes place automati¬ code within your document will be
cally. You don’t have to remember updated automatically. (While you
could use a WordPerfect macro to
enter formatting codes and text, a
macro is more difficult to edit than a
Styles: Edit
style. In addition, any changes to
1 - Nane the formatting done with a macro
must be made manually at each
2 - Type Faired
place the macro was used in the
3 - Description document. A macro is neither as
efficient nor as easy to use as a
4 - Codes
style.)
5 - Enter HRt
Creating a Style
To create a style, you select the
Style feature from the Layout menu
(<Alt><F8>) followed by Create from
the Style menu. The Styles: Edit
screen will appear (see Figure 1).
Figure 1
Selection: G
ComputerNews September/October 1991 5
Features
There are five elements of a style. all the formatting codes you want want the style to turn on at the
1- Name included in this style, along with any beginning of the report and remain in
WordPerfect identifies and lists the text you may want to include. The effect until you deliberately change
style by its name. The name is also only codes that cannot be included it), and a good description would be
included within the [Style On] and in a style are ones that are modified “Set margins and line spacing for
[Style Off] codes that are inserted during a generation (e.g., index reports.” At the Codes option, you
into the document once the style has generation or master document enter the formatting codes for the
been selected. Each style in a list generation). When you have title. To set the margins, select
must have an unique name, up to 12 selected the Codes option, Word¬ Layout, Page (<Shift><F8>,<2>)
characters long. The name should Perfect places you in the Style: followed by Margins, Top and
be as descriptive as possible. Codes screen, which is similar to a Bottom. Make the top margin .75
text editing screen with Reveal inches and the bottom margin 1 inch.
2- Type Codes turned on. Press <F7> to exit out to the Codes
Before you select formatting codes screen. For the left and right
to include in a style, you must decide 5-Enter margins, select Layout, Line
what type of style it is. WordPerfect The final option in the Styles: Edit (<ShiftxF8>,<1>) followed by
has three from which to choose: screen allows you to specify the Margins, Left and Right. Make the
1- Paired style affects part of a effect of pressing the Enter key left margin 1.25 inches wide and the
document only, and inserts a when using a paired style. The right margin 1 inch wide. For a
[Style On] code at the beginning Enter key can be used to start a new double-spaced report, stay in the
of a definition and a [Style Off] paragraph in the same style, to turn Line menu and select Line Spacing,
code at the end of a definition. off the style, or to turn off the paired 2. Press <F7> to set these instruc¬
Paired formats, such as bold, style and immediately turn it on tions and exit to the Codes screen.
underlining, and font sizes are again. Figure 2 is an example of how the
typically included in a paired The creation of styles is best codes will appear in the Style: Codes
style. described by a couple of examples: screen.
2- Open style inserts a [Style On] a simple open style and a more A more complicated paired style
code in the document; it has no complex paired style. would be one created for formatting
[Style Off] code. Any codes the title page of each chapter in a
placed inside the open style will book. This style would suppress any
Sample Styles
affect all text following the [Style headers or footers set in the docu¬
On] code and will remain in ment and print a page number at the
effect until another code is A simple open style could be bottom centre of the page; insert a
encountered that changes the created for setting the basic format horizontal graphics line at the top of
settings of the Open style. An of a report. To begin creating this the page; and change the font, size,
Open style typically includes style, you select Style from the and alignment of the chapter title. A
margin settings, headers and Layout menu (<Alt><F8>), followed simple descriptive Name would be
footers, page numbering by Create from the Style menu. “chapter head” (remember the 12
options, and tab settings. When the Styles: Edit screen character limit), the Type would be
3- Outline style is used with the appears, you select each option in “Paired,” and the Description would
paragraph and numbering turn. A simple descriptive Name for be “Formats chapter title and first
features to define a style for the style would be “report style,” the page.” The first step in defining the
each level of paragraph or Type would be “Open” (because you formatting codes is to suppress the
outline numbering.
3- Description Figure 2
WordPerfect allows you to enter a
description to distinguish what each
style does. The description supplies
information about the style to the
user; it may be up to 54 characters
long. Descriptions make it easier
when sharing style lists with co¬
workers or training new staff to use
your department’s special styles.
4- Codes
The Codes option is used to select
6 ComputerNews September/October 1991