R: Lost Tribe Found

["Adriano Ortile" md4929@xxxxxxxx]

>  There are 23 full-time Xywrite III+ users here. We use the application
to
> reformat auto repair information articles (written using a truly ancient
system;
> Crossfield's version of Standard Electronic Typesetting Format, running
on a
> Hastech mainframe - which is then translated into raw ASCII for the
Xywriters.
> We're hoping to enter the 20th century sometime around 2007). The
reformatting
> we do is in aid of creating text that's suitable for the electronic
version of
> our printed books.
>
> Brian Henderson
> Mitchell Repair Information Co.
> San Diego, CA
>
> brian_henderson@xxxxxxxx
>
>
I worked for the Italian distributor of Hastech; later, Hastech has been
bought by Crosfield (not Crossfield!), and the Italian distributor by
Crosfield Electronics Italia; and later... I don't know what happened, as
Crosfield is no more operating in Italy.
About Italian news papers. While the people working directly on Hastech
system were using Hastech terminals, all the others were using PC. Also the
peripheral bureaux were using PCs. The PCs were running a special software,
a mix of specially customized XyWrite III and a dedicated communication
program.
XyWrite was customized to allow the journalist to write for the exact space
reserved for him on the news paper, formatting the text for one or two or
more columns, or for a box, etc.; Bold, Italic and Normal were also
supported and translated for Hastech; the journalist was able to control
his story to match the reserved space with a precision of more than 95%.
The files were then sent to the Hastech editorial system (with correct
address page, syntax control for file names, etc.) or to another PC, stored
on the main bureau, and from it then to the Hastech system.
To be noted: every file was written with XyWrite!
I don't know if such a program can be useful for you: but, in case, you
know it exists.

Adriano Ortile

N.B. My spelling checker beeps for error on bureaux and not on bureaus.
What is correct in English: bureaus or bureaux?