Overview

HFRD VMS Hypertext Services ... read this first

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2 - Overview




; This read this first is a quick ``throw-together'' Nproviding an introduction and some guidance for support external to HFRD. It Ndoes not pretend to be as exhaustive as is necessary, but hey I'm not getting paid for this :^) 

K The implementation of the internal hypertext environment started off as a ADivisional management action-item, ``make it easier to access Kinformation-systems-based documentation and other data in a multi-platform Penvironment''. Gopher was a first and brief stop, just as the power of the NWWW technologies was becoming obvious (mid 1994). Like many others, I became Oimpressed with the potential to integrate disparate data formats and platforms Cwith the ease of the point-and-click functionality of the browser. 

E After evaluating the CERN (live) and an earlier OSU DEC-threads (by Cdocumentation) servers I decided some of the limitations and other Lidiosyncracies of these warranted investing a little in our own (how's that Gfor hubris!) The upshot was that although the Divison provided Gcore time and justification for development and implementation of this Nenvironment, I spent considerable of my own time on the package as well. The NHTTPd server's multi-threading is done using VMS ASTs, and this is by far the Mlargest AST-driven system I have designed and built. In short, I found it a Mchallenge, I learned a remarkable amount (particularly about VMS' ASTs), and Hgained a great deal of satisfaction from it. I hope its of some use to !someone out there other than us. 

E Without apology, the server and its environment has been designed toOsupport an intra-organisational hypertext environment and has been tailored to Othe requirements of the High Frequency Radar Divison and its VMS environment. MAny other usefulness is purely coincidental! All this not-with-standing, it Mshould prove useful in the broader context. As mentioned above, it is not a Jcommercial-grade product and as this is its first public release a little .fiddling and experimentation may be required. 

Documentation



H Some documentation is provided, but again this is mainly for internal, ODivisional support purposes. If external readers find it useful then that's a Mbonus! It is basically unaltered from its original, internal purpose, apart Kfrom more extensive author contact information, the copyright notices, and Lsome small disclaimers in the introductions. If the software should become Imore widely used the author would consider making the documentation more generic. B

See the [.DOC] directory. NYou should find HTML, Bookreader (and HyperReader), plain-text and PostScript =versions (all generated from SDML sources using DEC <Document and the SDM2HTM application found in this package). 

> The ``Proceedings of the Twenty-Fifth Annual DECUS Australia PSymposium, 1995'' contain a paper by the author summarising a presentation made Hduring that event, titled ``Introduction to World Wide Web Technologies K... what the surfboard is made from''. I have taken the liberty of Fincluding it for informational purposes, in PostScript format, in the +[.DOC] Fdirectory. Partly it documents some of the uses HFRD has made of theKhypertext environment, although even now (1996) it may be getting a littledated. 

Feedback



I It would be interesting to know who is using what parts of this package Kand where. If you find it of use could you please make a moment to drop an%e-mail (or even snail-mail) listing: 



H This information will be confidential. I may use it to feedback to you9any monumental changes in the package :^) With thanks.H

E-Mail me now!  




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