The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group For the Bookshelf

PostScript Typeface Library Vols. 1 & 2
reviewed by Major Keary

This two-volume set is of unusual dimensions, each being 6.5 inches x 12 inches (165 mm x 305 mm). The back cover tells us that, "The unique format ... allows easy flip-through visual referencing and simplified photocopying". The copyright notice contains the usual prohibition of photocopying!

It is quite clear the authors intended that pages of these volumes would be photocopied in a production environment. The binding certainly lends itself to that, enabling a two page opening to lie flat. Each page contains samples of five typefaces with a sample of text.

Volume 1 covers serif and script faces, and Volume 2 covers sans serif, design, outline, and ornaments. A chart in each volume lists all the included typefaces with codes that identify the manufacturer, the styles and weights, and if expert sets, swash, or alternate characters are available. There is a chart illustrating various point sizes, a letter-spacing guide, information about manufacturers, and other useful material.

The beauty of this publication is that products from sixteen different manufacturers are brought together. For example, various forms of Caslon are produced by nine of the sixteen listed vendors; not all are illustrated, but the chart shows the vendors of all variations even if a particular typeface is not illustrated.

More than 4000 typefaces are illustrated, with information about many more. I think this is the only resource where such a collection is brought together. The publishers describe it as "The essential type specimen book for desktop publishers and designers", which is not an extravagant claim.

Expert sets, incidentally, are additional fonts containing small caps, old style figures, ligatures, subscripts, superscripts, and various kinds of fractions. DTP packages usually implement small caps by dropping the font size down two points, which often produces a poor result. In fine printing small capitals are designed specifically for the purpose.

Fuzzy Sets, Neural Networks, and Soft Computing
reviewed by Max Chandivert

Ordinary logic is concerned with only true or false 0 or 1 values. Fuzzy logic admits the the possibility of imprecise data or relative requirements. It is able to break away from the black-or-white constraints of conventional logic and consider shades of gray, so to speak. Instead of being confined to values of 0 or 1, fuzzy logic accepts values from 0 to 1.

This is a collection of recent research papers on fuzzy logic theory and applications, mostly to do with neural networks and control systems. The papers - from American, European, and

Japanese researchers-are edited by two eminent fuzzisists, Ronald Yager and Lofti Zadeh, both acknowledged leaders in this modern branch of research.

The reader is assumed to be familiar with the mathematics of uncertainty, and the concepts and symbols of artificial intelligence. It is not a book for getting acquainted with the subject, but deals at an advanced level with a specialised field of mathematics.

Adaptive controls require far more complex input than mere yes or no responses. An extensive range of applications is discussed by way of illustrating various facets of fuzzy logic, neural networks, and the mathematics of uncertainty. They range from the apparently simple-control of the water level in a tank-to complex problems such as controls for a futuristic group of smart cars on freeways in order to optimise traffic flow and mean speed.

All but one of the 20 chapters is a paper in its own right about a particular aspect. The exception is the last chapter that reviews available software, and hardware products, including CASE programs and fuzzy chips. I am not sufficiently familiar with the available literature to make a comparison, but the book may well be the most up-to-date presently available.

While its main market is likely to be libraries with holdings on artificial intelligence, knowledge systems, and the topics covered in the various papers, professionals in the field and serious students will, I am sure, find it well worth considering as a reference for their own respective libraries.

JIS-Kanji Character Recognition
reviewed by Major Keary

Zebra Technologies manufactures label printers that use Fujitsu's Kanji ROM sets. Who wants a label printer with a Japanese capability? Anyone manufacturing for the Japanese market. Labels of course, are not simply just the sticky kind that carry addresses for envelopes and packages.

Having a label printer able to produce Japanese characters is a good idea for those who need one, but how do you get the right characters to print? Well, Zebra addressed that problem by commissioning Glenn Seafross - consultant font designer - to design fonts and devise a way for anyone to find the right codes.

There are several systems for organising Kanji in dictionaries, but all assume the user knows something about the language. Zebra wanted to enable people with no knowledge of Japanese to find any character from the 6800 listed in JIS-Kanji. In other words, if someone provides a script showing the Japanese words as they are to appear on a label, this system allows anyone to key the correct 2-byte JIS codes into a file for printing.

JIS-Kanji is a standard in which characters are identified by a 2-byte code. Single byte codes, such as ASCII, are limited to 256 characters (2⁸), but a 2-byte code contains 65,536 (2¹⁶) combinations. Seafross calls his system Gaiji and it is very easy to use.

Each Kanji is treated as a graphic entity with a recognisable primary image element; a look-up chart gives references to possible hits in a second JIS look-up chart. In some cases it is difficult to decide which part of a character is the primary element, but the system caters for that. With a little practice the procedure is easy to pick up.

But, you say, we don't have a Zebra label printer. Glenn Seafross has encoded all the JIS-Kanji and included them on a disk that comes with the book. However, they are not displayable in the sense of a TrueType font, but require a program for access. Sample C code is included and it should not be difficult to write a suitable program to send images to printer and display them on-screen.

Apart from that, the book is a valuable resource for any student of written Japanese and, more particularly, for anyone with an interest in computer generated character sets.

Lotus DataLens in the Client/Server Environment
reviewed by Major Keary

Data is not simply something entered from a keyboard. It can come from other sources, such as online databases and information services, mainframes, and so on.

Lotus recognised that ten years ago and introduced a translate utility that enabled 1-2-3 users to catch data from other sources. In 1989 DataLens technology became available with a developer toolkit for use by programmers to develop drivers for DBMS servers. Drivers for dBASE, Paradox, and some other applications have been included with 1-2-3 since 1990.

The spreadsheet has been around for a long time, but it was largely Lotus 1-2-3 that made the PC an important element of corporate information systems. DataLens in a client/server environment now gives individual users the ability to draw on large databases from disparate sources.

This book is about the application of DataLens technology within the client/server environment. There is in-depth discussion of installing and invoking DataLens, its use with Lotus products, the creation and modification of tables, data analysis, SQL commands, and networking.

A series of case studies illustrates the practical application of DataLens and includes a description (with listing) of a macro for pulling data from an external source.

The last section describes DataLens drivers developed by other manufacturers for various platforms. Lotus has encouraged such co-operative efforts. Datasix (France) has developed drivers for IBM platforms; Oracle has them for Sun, Vax, and mainframes; there are drivers for Macintosh; and several others.

DataLens gets little, if any, treatment in books about Lotus 1-2-3; this seems to be the only comprehensive source of information. It is not light reading, but should be valuable for anyone interested in pulling data from external sources into spreadsheet form.

Internet CD
reviewed by Major Keary

For those interested in LINUX the full program is available on a CD-ROM accompanying Internet CD.

There are cheaper ways of acquiring LINUX - it is freeware-but this package delivers extensive documentation about installation and options. There are also a number of ready-to-run Internet utilities for DOS, Windows, and UNIX:

• Eudora version 1.4 (the last freeware release)
• Various implementations of Gopher; the book includes a user manual for Gopher 111
• INFOPOP and IPWIN, information tools covering many topics including how to use Gopher, archie, and WWW
• Telnet, ftp, and WAIS
• Trumpet, a shareware collection of networking software
• UUCP for DOS and Windows
• Crynwr Packet Drivers

Essential Client/Server Survival Guide
reviewed by Major Keary

The tone of this easy-to-read book is set by the Foreword, attributed to Zog the Martian, which says, "It felt like (the book) was talking directly to me and to my crew in a friendly voice. We were initially apprehensive about visiting a foreign planet, but the book made it painless and fun... (and) ... helped me understand client/server technology and how to use it...".

There are lots of cartoons and cartoonlike illustrations that help lighten the text and flatten the learning curve. Don't mistake the Survival Guide for a Dummies or Complete Idiots clone. The language of this book is witty without talking down to the reader.

If you have a reasonable understanding of computer technology and want to learn more about one of its future directions, then the Survival Guide is bound to provide fascinating reading.

On the other hand, if you are a system analyst, programmer, system manager, instructor, or a student of computer science, it is essential reading and a valuable reference resource.

Every now and then there are boxes with background briefing, opinion, warnings against potential pitfalls, or added details of something raised in the main text. Each of these is a succinct stand-alone item that could provide ideas for trainers - the kind of thing to use in a slide show.

A number of products are described along the way, including IBM's LAN Server, NetWare, and Lotus Notes; however, the main thrust is the concepts underpinning and associated with client/server technology.

The style may not be a paradigm for all documentation, but the book is worth studying just for the way in which it presents information. It explains concepts brilliantly. The various well-identified boxes enable readers to choose whether to take a side excursion or to read the main text uninterrupted.

This is a book you can take on the train, plane, or bus and enjoy reading. It ranks as one of the best of its kind.

The Illustrated Network Book 
A Graphic Guide to Understanding Computer Networks
reviewed by Major Keary

Both network novices and professionals should find this a valuable resource. Trainers and consultants in particular will welcome the format and useful illustrations.

The approach is innovative, using a two-page format, with an explanation of a topic on the left page, and a chart, flow chart, or schematic diagram opposite. The diagrams are in Microsoft PowerPoint format on an accompanying disk, which provides a ready presentation resource.

The first diagram is a simple box with the title, Definition, and the following text:
Through a combination of hardware and software, networks permit information and peripherals to be shared efficiently and economically.

The book then progresses through increasing levels of complexity: PC LAN with host connection; OSI model layers; topologies (star, ring, bus, tree); Ethernet wiring and cable names; various kinds (thick and thin) of coaxial connection; Token Ring; Supervisory Frames; bridges and routers; gateways; and many more aspects of networking.

Explanations are brief, and in some instances readers will want to find some other source for in-depth explanation. What the author does provide is succinct, and in most cases sufficient, information.

The aim is to make the essentials comprehensible, particularly in areas often glossed over. The OSI model; wiring and connection schemes; operation of Ethernet, Token Ring, and FDDI; packet formats; IEE 802.2; bridging strategies; and multi-protocol router operation are all dealt with in a plain, readable style.

It is a valuable reference for libraries with holdings on networking and related subjects. For trainers it is an invaluable aid-particularly the on-disk illustrations (they are black and white, but should be easily convertible to colour).

A useful feature is the lay-flat binding; the book can be open at any place and will stay that way. Using a book that refuses to remain open at the one place is annoying and wastes time. Anyone with a serious interest in networking should look at it.

OS/2 2.1 Application Programmer's Guidi
reviewed by Major Keary

Even though a series of new - some specialised - versions of OS/2 are about to be released the way in which the operating system works will not fundamentally alter.

The book is for those familiar with C or other high level languages, but who are either new or intermediate OS/2 programmers. In other words, you don't need to know much about OS/2, but you do have to know something about programming in C or similar.

The code - and there is a lot of it - used in the book is also on an accompanying disk, which makes life much easier for those who want to use all or some of the examples. Some books provide code that is, in real life, pretty useless. The kind o thing that says "Hello, World", for example. This is real code that can be used in real OS/2 applications.

An often overlooked benefit of OS/2 is tha it preserves a user's investment in DOS and Windows. Not just the dollar cost of the programs, but the time invested in learning how to use them. As more applications are written specifically for (or released in OS/2-specific versions) the system there will be a diminishing need for DOS and Windows in the OS/2 environment. However, for the time being it is necessary to have them on-line.

OS/2's flat memory model solves a lot of the problems that have been so restrictive in DOS and Windows. The fact that both 16-bit and 32-bit applications can be written is an added advantage for use of the system.

For those who want to write applications to take advantage of the OS/2 32-bit platform here is a guide that is comprehensive and detailed. The use of application program interfaces (APIs); Configuration, Installation, and Distribution (CID); System Object Models (SOM); and Distributed Computing Environment (DCE) - which is not the "DCE" used in communications terminology - are all dealt with in detail.

There is not room here to mention all of the topics covered-each with usable code examples-but any programmer with a serious interest in OS/2 will find a wealth of information. The authors are IBMers, some programmers and others technical writers, and fully conversant with their subject.

Van Nostrand Reinhold is to be congratulated on its series of OS/2 books.

Developing C/C++ Software in the OS/2 Environment
reviewed by Major Keary

This is another of the excellent publications in Van Nostrand Reinhold's OS/2 series. It is, as the title indicates, about using C and C++ to write OS/2 applications. The information is available elsewhere, but spread around various IBM manuals. The book brings it all together in one place and covers the design of input files, use of dynamic-link libraries, and Program Manager tools.

As the author points out, to write a simple OS/2 Presentation Manager application it was necessary to use the following tools:

• C/C++ compiler and associated libraries
• Linker
• NMAKE utility
• Resource compiler
• Dialogue editor
• Icon editor
• Presentation Manager
• Information Processing Facility compiler
• Tag language
• Editor
• Development Environment Software

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