Re: URGENT--features for "XyWrite 5," replies needed

[Kari Eveli lexitec@xxxxxxxx]

Jordan,

I think you have outlined many of the features that would be important.

My sketch for a preliminary software architecture that could try to
achive this (and other things others have already mentioned here) is as
follows:

1. A XyWrite engine without no direct dependency to the current
incarnation of NB. (If the user interface and screen/printer font etc.
system is carried over, the whole idea of a separate XyWrite program is
useless. If you want this, buy a copy of current NB).

2. Loadable/customizable user interface (command line and/or menus).

3. Loadable screen/printer tables (different personalities and
compatibility with DOS Xy3 and Xy4, skipping Windows versions
altogether). The Xy3 and Xy4 versions can/(should?) be separate builds,
there is no need to try put them in the same program.

4. Loadable XPL compatibility rules for Xy3 and Xy4.

5. Loadable routines that complement the stripped down Xy engine by
providing all kinds of services like memory-handling support if needed,
different visual interfaces (DOS and/or Windows-like).

6. Complete modularity of the system (in total contradistinction to NB).

In my vision, the Windows amenities do not count for much, what counts
is more memory, a modern character encoding system, and a basic port to
Windows.

Realistically, the system must be very rudimentary to fit into the
available budget. If it can be complemented by the user, this is ok.


Best regards,

Kari Eveli
LEXITEC Book Publishing (Finland)
lexitec@xxxxxxxx

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> I like the basic contours of what you've suggested. I've been very dissatisfied with NB's major limitations
> in handling our rather extensive library of existing Xy 3 & Xy4 documents. I have had a license for NB for
> quite some time, but I would tell Anne that 11.5.12 has most likely marked the end of the line for me: the
> academic / scholarly orientation and features of it are mostly irrelevant for me, and mainly just get in my
> way; my primary use for it had been in Windows printing support -- which vDOSXy largely finessed -- and
> to a lesser extent things like format conversion. For me, I think the cost of further updates would be money
> much better spent on a Xy-5 such as you propose. I could see going in on that as much as $500., but I definitely
> do not like the subscription or endless frequent-upgrades-cost model.
>
> Hopefully, the personalized tweaking we would need to do to get it the way that we want it would not be
> overly complex or elaborate. A detailed guide on that would be essential. I'd like to be able to adapt (or even
> preferably re-use) things like existing keyboard macro files and XPL routines. The more we can carry over from
> what we already have, the better. (And don't leave Xy-3 users out in the cold, either !)  Of course, the U2 library
> is a must. I would cast a huge vote in favor of portability: being able to carry this around on a thumb-drive and
> run it from there would be a gigantic plus, in my view.