Just Solve the File Format Problem - User contributions [en]

PaperLess MicroViewer

2022-07-26T10:00:00Z

AndrewFerguson: Added short page on the PaperLess format, and its viewer, PaperLess MicroViewer

{{FormatInfo
|formattype=electronic
|subcat=Document
}}

PaperLess is a document format / system developed by Nine to Five Software, of Boulder, Colorado. It is likely to have been released prior to PDF to [[PDF]] (version 2.0.1 was released in 1992) and had similar aims: providing a way to view electronic documents across multiple different machines. Unlike PDF it is application and vendor specific.

There were two main components to the system:

# PaperLess Printer, an authoring application that created a PaperLess document.
# PaperLess MicroView, an application that was bundled with a PaperLess document to provide a single application runtime that, when opened, would display the document.

Given the very limited number of example documents, it is not yet known whether PaperLess documents could be distributed independently of the MicroView runtime.

== Extracting / Converting PaperLess Documents ==

Although the file format for PaperLess documents has not been reverse-engineered (yet!), it is still possible to extract a document from the PaperLess MicroViewer application. TO do this, open the PaperLess MicroViewer document/application in an emulator that supports printing (such as [https://basilisk.cebix.net/ Basilisk II]), and choose the 'Print' option. This will give a [[PostScript]] output, which can be interpreted by modern tools and, for example, turned into a [[PDF]].

Although the document is contained entirely within the [[Data Fork]] of the PaperLess MicroViewer application, since it is an application it will not open without it's accompanying [[Resource Fork]]. This is a problem because unless preserved in an archive format that preserves resource forks (such as [[Stuffit]]'s .sit or [[BinHex]]'s .bin), the resource fork will be lost. It may(?) be possible to get around this issue by copying the resource fork from another PaperLess MicroViewer application, but at the time of writing, the number of available samples of such files is one, so this cannot be tested.

== Example Files ==
* The [https://archive.org/details/hypercard_laserwriter-plus-take-apart LaserWriter / LaserWriter Plus Take Apart instructions], provided by Apple on the [https://archive.org/details/apple-service-source-v2.5-cd-rom-set-1997 December 1997 Apple Service Source CD] were published in the PaperLess MicroViewer format. This document has been extracted from the CD and uploaded to the Internet Archive.

==Screenshots==
[[Image:Paperless-splash.png|400px]]
[[Image:Paperless-info.png|400px]]

File:Paperless-info.png

2022-07-26T09:59:04Z

AndrewFerguson: Info screen from PaperLess MicroViewer about the PaperLess file format

Info screen from PaperLess MicroViewer about the PaperLess file format

File:Paperless-splash.png

2022-07-26T09:57:58Z

AndrewFerguson: About / splash screen for the PaperLess MicroViewer application.

About / splash screen for the PaperLess MicroViewer application.

PICT

2021-05-22T21:46:19Z

AndrewFerguson: Added a tool for converting PICT v1 images

{{FormatInfo
|formattype=electronic
|subcat=Graphics
|mimetypes={{mimetype|image/x-pict}}, {{mimetype|image/pict}}
|extensions={{ext|pict}}, {{ext|pct}}, {{ext|pic}}
|pronom={{PRONOM|fmt/341}}, {{PRONOM|x-fmt/80}}
|wikidata={{wikidata|Q2044200}}
|released=1984
}}
'''PICT''', or '''QuickDraw/PICT''', is a graphics format native to Macintosh computers. It is associated with the QuickDraw API.

Though it is a vector format, it is often used as if it were a raster format. Many files contain just a single bitmap image.

PICT format is complicated and quirky. Although plenty of documentation about it exists, there does not appear to be any single source that provides a reasonably clear and complete specification.

== Format details ==
When PICT is used as a standalone file format, the file usually starts with an unused 512-byte header, usually with all bytes set to 0. When PICT is embedded as a resource inside some other format, this header is usually not present.

== Identification ==
A version 1 PICT file has (hex) bytes {{magic|11 01}} at offset 522 (or 10 if there is no header), and should end with {{magic|ff}}.

A version 2 PICT file has bytes {{magic|00 11 02 ff 0c 00}} at offset 522 (or 10 if there is no header), and should end with {{magic|00 ff}}.

== Application data ==
Custom application data can be stored in PICT files by using the "LongComment" opcode. Each comment has an integer that identifies its "kind".

* [http://www.opennt.net/projects/opennt/repository/revisions/26/entry/trunk/com/ole32/olecnv32/qdcoment.i A file with a list of comment kinds]

Notable comment kinds:
* 100 is an Application Comment (see below).
* 220 is used for [[ICC profile]] data.
* 498 appears to be related to [[Photoshop]], though it might also be used for other things.

The "kind" does little to identify the application, or prevent collisions. A better way is to use kind 100, which has a standard way to include a 4-byte application signature.

== Related formats ==
* Many bitmap images are compressed using [[PackBits]].
* Opcodes 0x8200 and 0x8201 use a format based on [[QuickTime]] or [[QTIF]]. This, in turn, is often used as a wrapper for an image in [[JPEG]] format.
* [[Macintosh resource file]] - Often contains "PICT" resources in this format
* PICT is used for graphics stored within [[Keynote]] documents.
* [[Encapsulated PostScript]]

== Specifications ==
* [https://developer.apple.com/legacy/library/documentation/mac/pdf/ImagingWithQuickDraw.pdf Inside Macintosh: Imaging With QuickDraw]
* [http://show.docjava.com/posterous/file/2012/07/9614410-DOC01.PDF PICT File Format Notes]
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20010703041301/http://developer.apple.com/technotes/qd/qd_14.html Macintosh Technical Note QD14 (a.k.a. TN21)]: QuickDraw's Internal Picture Definition - PICT version 1 (from archive.org)
* [ftp://ftp.oreilly.com/pub/examples/9781565920583/CDROM/GFF/VENDSPEC/MACPIC/PICT.ZIP PICT.ZIP] - Probably a lot of information here, but in inconvenient formats
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20010422094136/http://developer.apple.com/technotes/qd/qd_06.html Macintosh Technical Note QD06 (a.k.a TN181)]: Every Picture [Comment] Tells Its Story, Don't It? - PICT Application Comments (from archive.org)
* [http://research.stowers-institute.org/efg/ScientificSoftware/Utility/TiffTags/ICC-tag.pdf HELIOS ICC profile tagging specifications] - Tells how to embed an ICC profile in a PICT file

== Software ==
* [https://www.libreoffice.org/ LibreOffice]
* [[Scribus]]
* [[Netpbm]]
* [[ImageMagick]] (for PICT v2)
* [https://github.com/steventroughtonsmith/image2pict1 image2pict1] (for PICT v1)
* [http://www.irfanview.com/ IrfanView]
* {{Deark}}

== Converting ==

=== Converting from PICT ===

An image can be converted from a PICT using [[ImageMagick]]:
convert image.pict image.png
This example shows a [[PNG]] image as the destination image, but ImageMagick supports many other output formats.

=== Converting to PICT ===

An image can be converted to a PICT using ImageMagick:
convert image.png image.pict
This example shows a PNG image as the source image, but ImageMagick supports many other input formats.

==== Using converted images on a classic Mac system ====

Once converted, the image can then be added to a HFS disk image using [https://linux.die.net/man/1/hfsutils hfsutils]:
hmount disk.img # mount the HFS disk
hcopy ./image.pict :image.pic # copy the PICT image to the disk
hattrib -t PICT -c 8BIM :image.pic # set the type and creator codes to ensure that the image is recognised by Mac OS
humount # unmount the disk

== Sample files ==
* http://www.fileformat.info/format/macpict/sample/index.htm
* http://cd.textfiles.com/cdreview/cdreview66/PCT01_01/PC0101P/
* http://cd.textfiles.com/fantaziasampler/CLIPART/PCT/ - Version 1
* http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/geology/lazarus/ch7/pict_plots/ - Vector-only PICTs
* https://telparia.com/fileFormatSamples/image/pict/
* [https://archive.org/details/parsons-photo-pics-on-cd-rom-macintosh Photo Pics PICT format for Macintosh]

== Resources ==
* {{EGFF|macpict|Macintosh PICT File Format Summary}}, from the [[Encyclopedia of Graphics File Formats]]
* [https://www.sno.phy.queensu.ca/~phil/exiftool/TagNames/PICT.html ExifTool: PICT Tags]
* [[Wikipedia:PICT|Wikipedia article]]

[[Category:Macintosh]]

PICT

2021-05-22T21:41:04Z

AndrewFerguson: Added details of conversion from / to PICT

{{FormatInfo
|formattype=electronic
|subcat=Graphics
|mimetypes={{mimetype|image/x-pict}}, {{mimetype|image/pict}}
|extensions={{ext|pict}}, {{ext|pct}}, {{ext|pic}}
|pronom={{PRONOM|fmt/341}}, {{PRONOM|x-fmt/80}}
|wikidata={{wikidata|Q2044200}}
|released=1984
}}
'''PICT''', or '''QuickDraw/PICT''', is a graphics format native to Macintosh computers. It is associated with the QuickDraw API.

Though it is a vector format, it is often used as if it were a raster format. Many files contain just a single bitmap image.

PICT format is complicated and quirky. Although plenty of documentation about it exists, there does not appear to be any single source that provides a reasonably clear and complete specification.

== Format details ==
When PICT is used as a standalone file format, the file usually starts with an unused 512-byte header, usually with all bytes set to 0. When PICT is embedded as a resource inside some other format, this header is usually not present.

== Identification ==
A version 1 PICT file has (hex) bytes {{magic|11 01}} at offset 522 (or 10 if there is no header), and should end with {{magic|ff}}.

A version 2 PICT file has bytes {{magic|00 11 02 ff 0c 00}} at offset 522 (or 10 if there is no header), and should end with {{magic|00 ff}}.

== Application data ==
Custom application data can be stored in PICT files by using the "LongComment" opcode. Each comment has an integer that identifies its "kind".

* [http://www.opennt.net/projects/opennt/repository/revisions/26/entry/trunk/com/ole32/olecnv32/qdcoment.i A file with a list of comment kinds]

Notable comment kinds:
* 100 is an Application Comment (see below).
* 220 is used for [[ICC profile]] data.
* 498 appears to be related to [[Photoshop]], though it might also be used for other things.

The "kind" does little to identify the application, or prevent collisions. A better way is to use kind 100, which has a standard way to include a 4-byte application signature.

== Related formats ==
* Many bitmap images are compressed using [[PackBits]].
* Opcodes 0x8200 and 0x8201 use a format based on [[QuickTime]] or [[QTIF]]. This, in turn, is often used as a wrapper for an image in [[JPEG]] format.
* [[Macintosh resource file]] - Often contains "PICT" resources in this format
* PICT is used for graphics stored within [[Keynote]] documents.
* [[Encapsulated PostScript]]

== Specifications ==
* [https://developer.apple.com/legacy/library/documentation/mac/pdf/ImagingWithQuickDraw.pdf Inside Macintosh: Imaging With QuickDraw]
* [http://show.docjava.com/posterous/file/2012/07/9614410-DOC01.PDF PICT File Format Notes]
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20010703041301/http://developer.apple.com/technotes/qd/qd_14.html Macintosh Technical Note QD14 (a.k.a. TN21)]: QuickDraw's Internal Picture Definition - PICT version 1 (from archive.org)
* [ftp://ftp.oreilly.com/pub/examples/9781565920583/CDROM/GFF/VENDSPEC/MACPIC/PICT.ZIP PICT.ZIP] - Probably a lot of information here, but in inconvenient formats
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20010422094136/http://developer.apple.com/technotes/qd/qd_06.html Macintosh Technical Note QD06 (a.k.a TN181)]: Every Picture [Comment] Tells Its Story, Don't It? - PICT Application Comments (from archive.org)
* [http://research.stowers-institute.org/efg/ScientificSoftware/Utility/TiffTags/ICC-tag.pdf HELIOS ICC profile tagging specifications] - Tells how to embed an ICC profile in a PICT file

== Software ==
* [https://www.libreoffice.org/ LibreOffice]
* [[Scribus]]
* [[Netpbm]]
* [[ImageMagick]]
* [http://www.irfanview.com/ IrfanView]
* {{Deark}}

== Converting ==

=== Converting from PICT ===

An image can be converted from a PICT using [[ImageMagick]]:
convert image.pict image.png
This example shows a [[PNG]] image as the destination image, but ImageMagick supports many other output formats.

=== Converting to PICT ===

An image can be converted to a PICT using ImageMagick:
convert image.png image.pict
This example shows a PNG image as the source image, but ImageMagick supports many other input formats.

==== Using converted images on a classic Mac system ====

Once converted, the image can then be added to a HFS disk image using [https://linux.die.net/man/1/hfsutils hfsutils]:
hmount disk.img # mount the HFS disk
hcopy ./image.pict :image.pic # copy the PICT image to the disk
hattrib -t PICT -c 8BIM :image.pic # set the type and creator codes to ensure that the image is recognised by Mac OS
humount # unmount the disk

== Sample files ==
* http://www.fileformat.info/format/macpict/sample/index.htm
* http://cd.textfiles.com/cdreview/cdreview66/PCT01_01/PC0101P/
* http://cd.textfiles.com/fantaziasampler/CLIPART/PCT/ - Version 1
* http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/geology/lazarus/ch7/pict_plots/ - Vector-only PICTs
* https://telparia.com/fileFormatSamples/image/pict/
* [https://archive.org/details/parsons-photo-pics-on-cd-rom-macintosh Photo Pics PICT format for Macintosh]

== Resources ==
* {{EGFF|macpict|Macintosh PICT File Format Summary}}, from the [[Encyclopedia of Graphics File Formats]]
* [https://www.sno.phy.queensu.ca/~phil/exiftool/TagNames/PICT.html ExifTool: PICT Tags]
* [[Wikipedia:PICT|Wikipedia article]]

[[Category:Macintosh]]

HyperCard stack

2016-08-04T10:56:31Z

AndrewFerguson: Added note that HC import in LC 7+ is broken.

{{FormatInfo
|formattype=electronic
|subcat=Hypermedia
}}
A '''HyperCard stack''' is a collection of text, images, and sometimes audio, organized using the metaphor of a stack of cards and made interactive using a scripting language called HyperTalk.

== Format info ==

* [http://hypercard.org/hypercard_file_format.php Format description]

== Metaformat files ==

* {{Synalysis|HyperCardStack}}

== Converting / Viewing HyperCard stacks ==

=== Using HyperCard Directly ===
HyperCard stacks can (of course) be viewed in HyperCard through the use of an emulator such as [http://www.gryphel.com/c/minivmac/ Mini vMac] or [http://sheepshaver.cebix.net/ Sheepshaver]

=== LiveCode ===
UPDATE: As of LiveCode 7+, there is a bug preventing
HyperCard stacks from being imported - LiveCode will crash. This bug has been filed, but until a fix becomes available, use LiveCode 6 to open the stack, then other versions (or 6, if you wish) to edit the imported stack.

[http://www.livecode.com/ LiveCode] (formerly RunRev, which in turn was formerly MetaCard) is able to import HyperCard stacks and save them in the LiveCode file format. Stacks can then be edited and published as standalone applications through LiveCode, which supports Windows, Mac, GNU/Linux, Android, iOS and the web as deployment platforms. The community edition of LiveCode is free software (open source), and runs on Windows, Mac and GNU/Linux. There is an online tutorial for [http://www.hyperactivesw.com/mctutorial/rrtutorialtoc.html converting HyperCard stacks into LiveCode]

=== Stackimport / Stacksmith ===
Stackimport is "a command line tool that reads a HyperCard stack and generates a folder with XML and PBM files from it containing a more easily readable representation of its contents". It is currently Mac only. Stacksmith is a 'clone' of HyperCard (by the same author as Stackimport) that includes the code from Stackimport and so can natively import HyperCard stacks. Source code for both [https://github.com/uliwitness/Stacksmith Stacksmith] and [https://github.com/uliwitness/stackimport/ Stackimport] is available on GitHub, and a prebuilt binary (Mac only) of Stacksmith which also includes the binary for Stackimport can be found on the [http://stacksmith.com/moreinfo.php Stacksmith website].

== References ==
* [[Wikipedia:HyperCard|HyperCard]] on Wikipedia
* [http://hypercard.org/ Open Source HyperCard-related stuff]
* [http://www.kreativekorp.com/swdownload/wildfire/HC%20FILE%20FORMAT%202010.TXT The Definitive Guide to the HyperCard Stack File Format] describes all known details of the HyperCard 2.x format
* [https://archive.org/details/CC501_hypercard Computer Chronicles: Introduction to Hypercard] (video)
* [http://tmbg.bryceland.com/JHstack.php Emulation of 1990s They Might Be Giants Hypercard stack (in Flash)]

Pleo

2016-03-08T23:24:22Z

AndrewFerguson: New page for file formats used by Ugobe Pleo robot

[[Pleo]] was a robotic dinosaur created by UGOBE and released around 2007. Although it used the Free Software (Apache licensed) [[Pawn]] programming language as the embedded langugae, Pleo almost exclusivly used proprietary file formats for all other aspects.

=== Sound ===
Pleo has the ability to play mono, 8-bit 11k sound files. These sound files begin as a [[WAV]] file, but are converted into a [[USF]] Ugobe Sound File by UGOBE's proprietary tools. This USF file includes various additional header information which is necessary for the Pleo to play the sound.

=== Motion ===
Pleo has the ability to move through 14 motors which are spread throughout the robot. UGOBE provided 3D-modelling templates for the 3dsMax software, and completed 'animations' can be exported as a [[CSV]] file. This CSV file is then converted into the proprietary [[UMF]] Ugobe Motion File format, which like the sound file includes additional header and playback information.

=== Project Files ===
Another format used by Pleo is the Ugobe Project file. This is an XML document that contains various linking information, allowing sounds and motions to be linked with [[Pawn]] source files. The build tools then read the UPF and generate the Resource File.

The Ugobe Resource File ([[URF]]) is a bundle file containing all the compiled code, sounds, motions and other resources that are required for that particular program.

==External Links==

* The [http://svn.lirec.eu/scenarios/MyFriend/MyPleo/miniBundle/phypleo/documentation/Pleo%20Programmers%20Guide.pdf Pleo Programmer's Guide]] has information on the structure of the file formats mentioned above, as well as other used file formats and other information about Pleo
* [http://www.dogsbodynet.com/myskit/ MySkit] is an application that can convert WAV to USF, and CSV to UMF, as well as vice-versa. Originally intended to create self contained animations for Pleo, it can also produce URF files of these animations form the USF / UMF files. Some of the source code for MySkit that deals with the I/O of these files can be found in OpenPDK (see below)
*[https://github.com/GarethNelson/openpdk/tree/master OpenPDK] is a collection of scripts aiming to be a free software (mostly GPL licensed) alternative to the proprietary UGOBE tools. It is far from complete, but provides a useful starting point.

Pawn

2016-03-08T22:54:28Z

AndrewFerguson: New Page covering the Pawn programming language

{{FormatInfo
|formattype=Languages
|subcat=Programming Languages
|extensions= {{ext|p}}
}}
[[Pawn]] is a programming language, formally called Small, that has a C-like syntax. As you would expect with a text-based programming language, Pawn source files are saved as regular text files, normally with the extension .p

Pawn source files are then compiled into Pawn bytecode. This is a binary file that commonly has the extension .amx .

One use of Pawn as an embedded language was as the scripting language for the UGOBE [[Pleo]] line of robotic dinosaurs. These robots had a version of the Pawn interpreter embedded into them and could execute compile Pawn files when they were on the Pleo's SD card.

== Links ==
* [http://www.compuphase.com/pawn/pawn.htm The homepage for Pawn]

== References ==
<references/>

Compact Pro

2016-02-21T21:21:24Z

AndrewFerguson: /* Software */ Added The Unarchiver (a CPT extractor)

{{FormatInfo
|formattype=electronic
|subcat=Archiving
|extensions={{ext|cpt}}, {{ext|sea}}
}}

'''Compact Pro''' was an archiver for the Mac platform in the 1990s, competing with [[StuffIt]]. A PC version called ExtractorPC was also released.

Compact Pro could decode [[BinHex]], split archives over multiple floppy disks, and display text or images when an archive was opened. It was also able to produce self-extracting archives, which were saved with a .sea extension.

When attempting to obtain Compact Pro, be sure you don't mistakenly end up with a [http://www.marykay.com/en-US/Gifts/Mary-Kay-Compact-Pro-unfilled-/170205.partId?eCatId=10670 makeup organizer], a [http://www.husqvarna.com/asia/products/cultivators/t300rs-compact-pro/ cultivator], or a [http://www.gravely.com/en-us/zero-turn-mowers/Compact-Pro/Pages/default.aspx lawnmower].

== Software ==

* Compact Pro Archives can be accessed and extracted by [http://unarchiver.c3.cx/unarchiver The Unarchiver]. Although a GUI version is only available for Mac, [http://unarchiver.c3.cx/commandline command-line versions] are available for Mac, Linux and Windows. On some GNU/Linux distributions, this can be obtained through the ''unar'' package. Source code is also available (under the LGPL)

== Links ==
* [[Wikipedia:Compact Pro|Wikipedia article]]
* [http://www.cyclos.com/compactpro.htm Official site] (no longer supported; not OS X compatible)

[[Category:Macintosh]]

SEA (StuffIt)

2016-02-21T21:18:31Z

AndrewFerguson: /* Software */ Added The Unarchiver as a program to extract SEA files

{{FormatInfo
|formattype=electronic
|subcat=Archiving
|extensions={{ext|sea}}
}}

'''SEA''' (Self-Extracting Archive) is a format and file extension used for self-contained archives for the Macintosh platform which are compressed in the [[StuffIt]] format with the extraction program embedded in the archive file so that it is directly runnable. ([[Compact Pro]] also produced self-extracting archives with the same extension.)

===Software===
* SEA files (both Stuffit and Compact Pro files) can be accessed and extracted by [http://unarchiver.c3.cx/unarchiver The Unarchiver]. Although a GUI version is only available for Mac, [http://unarchiver.c3.cx/commandline command-line versions] are available for Mac, Linux and Windows. On some GNU/Linux distributions, this can be obtained through the ''unar'' package. Source code is also available (under the LGPL)

[[Category:Macintosh]]

StuffIt

2016-02-21T21:13:13Z

AndrewFerguson: /* Software */ Added The Unarchiver and macunpack (two stuffit extractors)

{{FormatInfo
|formattype=electronic
|subcat=Archiving
|extensions={{ext|sit}}
|mimetypes={{mimetype|application/x-stuffit}}, {{mimetype|application/x-sit}}
|pronom={{PRONOM|fmt/639}}
|released=1987
}}
If somebody tells you '''StuffIt''', they might be brushing you off rudely, but, especially if they're a Mac user, they might just be recommending their favorite file archiver. Since the late 1980s, StuffIt has been the most popular file archiving system for the Mac platform, with a version available for Windows as well (though it never achieved a high degree of popularity there). Like a number of other Mac archivers, StuffIt supports storing the [[Resource Fork]] along with the "regular" file, which is one reason Mac-specific archivers were popular in preference to "generic" ones like [[ZIP]]. StuffIt also produced more compact archives than its main competitor [[PackIt]] at the time it was first released in 1987, when its author, Raymond Lau, was still in high school. It has faced other competitors since, but remained on top. In recent times, however, with OS X being [[Unix]]-based, traditional Unix archiving and compression programs such as [[Tape Archive|tar]] and [[gzip]] are getting increasing use on Macs.

The makers of StuffIt have also released the newer format [[StuffIt X]].

These formats remain proprietary, and do not interoperate with other programs unless they are officially licensed.

== Software ==
* [http://www.stuffit.com/ Official site with downloads/purchases]

* Stuffit Archives can be accessed and extracted by [http://unarchiver.c3.cx/unarchiver The Unarchiver]. Although a GUI version is only available for Mac, [http://unarchiver.c3.cx/commandline command-line versions] are available for Mac, Linux and Windows. On some GNU/Linux distributions, this can be obtained through the ''unar'' package. Source code is also available (under the LGPL)

* [http://linuxcommand.org/man_pages/macunpack1.html macunpack], part of the [http://linuxcommand.org/man_pages/macutil1.html macutils] package in many GNU/Linux distributions, can extract Stuffit Archives.

== Format info ==
* [http://www.russotto.net/arseniccomp.html StuffIt method 15 compression format]
* [http://apple2.org.za/gswv/a2zine/GS.WorldView/Resources/The.MacShrinkIt.Project/ARCHIVES.TXT Archive format info, including StuffIt]

== Sample files ==
* http://cd.textfiles.com/carousel344/MACTOSH/ ...

== Other links ==
* [[Wikipedia:StuffIt|Wikipedia article]]

[[Category:Macintosh]]

LocoScript

2016-02-14T17:51:47Z

AndrewFerguson: Added information for converting / transferring locoscript documnents

{{FormatInfo
|formattype=electronic
|subcat=Document
}}
'''LocoScript''' was the word processor bundled with the Amstrad PCW. There were four major versions for the PCW, and two for MSDOS.

At least in the PCW versions, the [[Amstrad CP/M Plus character set]] was used for the text portions, except that the [[C1 controls]] range was used for control codes (different ones from the C1 control standard, which probably didn't exist yet) instead of the graphical characters of the CPM/PLUS set.

== Converting LocoScript Documents ==

Probably the most difficult problem with converting LocoScript documents into more readable formats is not the conversion process itself, but the fact that the majority of LocoScript files were stored on 3-inch floppy disks, which are now difficult to access. However, there are methods of transferring data if a working PCW is available.

* '''LocoLink''' (and the later 'LocoLink for Windows') is a hardware / software combination that connects a PC parallel port to the expansion connector of an Amstrad PCW, and provides the software tools for both transferring LocoScript documents to the PC, as well as converting them to RTF or TXT formats. Note that the later PcW 16 has part of LocoLink built-in, and while this means documents can be transferred from an older PCW to a PcW 16 and then onto a PC, PcW 16 computers are few and far between, making this option unlikely.

* Alternatively, it is possible to [http://fvempel.nl/3pc.html connect a 3-inch floppy drive to a PC], and read the disks from that. Conversion programs can then be used to access the transferred documents.

* A somewhat easier solution is to [http://fvempel.nl/drive.html connect a 3.5-inch floppy drive to a PC] ([http://pcwpage.co.uk/making-a-data-cable-for-a-3-to-a-standard-3-5-drive/ another guide]), transfer the documents from 3-inch to 3.5-inch media on the PC, and then read the documents off the disks on a PC with 3.5-inch floppy drive. Instructions for adding a second drive are available, and there are programs such as 22disk and [http://ai.ansible.uk/freebies.html CP/M copier] (listed as CPM.EXE) which can read 3.5-inch media created on a PCW.

* There is also software that runs on a PCW, enabling it to read and write to 3.5-inch MSDOS floppy disks. One such program is Moonstone Computing's PCW 2-in-1.

== Links ==
* [http://www.locoscript.co.uk/ Publisher's website]
** [https://web.archive.org/web/20141218181748/http://locoscript.co.uk/ 2014 archive]
* [http://www.seasip.info/Unix/Joyce/ls1frm.html LocoScript 1 file format]
* [http://cirsovius.de/CPM/Projekte/TURBO-PASCAL/LOCO/LocoConv-en.html LocoConv - Pascal source to read LocoScript documents]

[[Category:Amstrad]]

HyperTalk

2016-01-23T23:54:12Z

AndrewFerguson: New page on the HyperTalk language

{{FormatInfo
|formattype=Languages
|subcat=Programming Languages
|released=1987
}}
= HyperTalk =

'''HyperTalk''' is the programming language that came with Apple Computer's HyperCard. It was created by Dan Winkler. HyperTalk scripts are not standalone, to be executed they must be part of a [[HyperCard stack]].

HyperTalk was designed to be as English-like as possible so that it would be easy for non-programmer to modify and create their own programs.

HyperCard came with several resources for learning HyperCard, one of which was a full Script Language Guide. There was also a HyperTalk Reference stack bundled with HyperCard, of which there exists [http://hypercard.org/HyperTalk%20Reference%202.4.pdf a PDF]. However, perhaps the most complete reference to HyperTalk is the book series "HyperTalk: The Book". Initially published with a [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=yoUrAAAAYAAJ focus on HyperTalk 2.0], a [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=slmeQgAACAAJ later edition] was released to cover HyperTalk 2.2. As well as including a description of all the language terms in the language, the book highlights some bugs and limits of the language. (It's completeness is perhaps due to the fact that one of the co-authors of the book was the original designer of the HyperTalk language).

Several modern implementations of HyperTalk are available, with varying degrees of compatibility. The language used in '''LiveCode''' is estimated to be around 70-80% compatible with HyperCard, but there are some [http://web.archive.org/web/20121025152800/http://www.runrev.com/developers/lessons-and-tutorials/moving-to-rev/hypercard major differences]. '''[https://github.com/kreativekorp/openxion OpenXION]''' aims for compatibility, but this has only been largely achieved for non-graphical use due to the fact the OpenXION is command line only.

Several attempts have been made to translate HyperTalk to other programming languages, and are listed on the [http://creysoft.com/xtalk/ Open Source xTalk Interpreter Archive]. However none have achieved 100% compatibility.

== External Links ==
* [http://lexnet.bravepages.com/HTMLJS.htm Manually Translating HyperTalk to JavaScript]

== References ==
* [[Wikipedia:HyperTalk (programming language)|Wikipedia article]]

Programming Languages

2016-01-23T23:05:48Z

AndrewFerguson: Created link to (soon to be created page) HyperTalk

{{FormatInfo
|formattype=Languages
|thiscat=Programming Languages
|released=~1950
|image=Babbage difference engine drawing.gif
|caption=Babbage's Difference Engine
}}
__NOTOC__
'''Programming languages''' are languages expected to be executed (interpreted, compiled, etc.) by a machine in order to perform operations or algorithms. They are distinct from markup languages, which represent the structure of a document rather than specific operations to be performed, though it is possible to combine both in a document (e.g., HTML containing embedded JavaScript, or PHP code which includes HTML). Programming language code is stored as [[source code]] which may be directly interpreted by a machine or compiled or assembled into [[executables]].

* [[ActionScript]] (Flash)
* [[Ada]]
* [[ALGOL]]
* [[APL]]
* [[Arduino programming language]]
* [[Assembly language]] (various versions for different machine architectures)
* [[AutoHotkey]]
* [[B]]
* [[BASIC]] (Beginner's All Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code)
* [[Batch file]] (DOS, Windows, OS/2)
* [[BCPL]]
* [[BLISS]]
* [[BlooP, FlooP, and GlooP]]
* [[Bourne shell script]]: .sh
* [[Breder]]
* [[C]]
* [[Ć]]
* [[C Sharp|C#]]
* [[C++]]
* [[C+=]]
* [[CEEMAC]]
* [[CFEngine]]
* [[ChordQL]]
* [[Clojure]]
* [[COBOL]] (COmmon Business-Oriented Language)
* [[CoffeeScript]]
* [[COMAL]]
* [[Coq]]
* [[CPL]]
* [[D]]
* [[Dart]] (was Dash)
* [[dBase programming language]] (and related languages such as [[FoxPro]] and [[Clipper]])
* [[Erlang]]
* [[F Sharp|F#]]
* [[Forth]]
* [[FORTRAN]] (FORmula TRANslation)
* [[Go]]
* [[Graphics Programming Language]] (GPL) (mid-level language on TI computers)
* [[Haskell]]
* [[High Level Shading Language]] (HLSL)
* [[Hoon]]
* [[HyperTalk]]
* [[INTERCAL]]
* [[Java]]
* [[JavaScript]] (JScript, [[ECMAScript]])
* [[JCL]] (Job Control Language; used on IBM mainframes)
* [[Julia]]
* [[LISP]]
* [[Logo]]
* [[Lua]]
* [[M4]]
* [[Machine language]] (various versions for different machine architectures)
* [[MATLAB script file]]
* [[mIRC scripting language]]
* [[MUMPS]] (Massachusetts General Hospital Utility Multi-Programming System)
* [[Music Macro Language]]
* [[Nock]]
* [[Objective-C]] (used in Mac and iOS development)
* [[OpenGL Shading Language]] (GLSL)
* [[Pascal]]
* [[Perl]]
* [[PHP]]
* [[Pixie (programming language)|Pixie]]
* [[Pixilang]]
* [[PL/I]]
* [[PostScript]]
* [[Processing]]
* [[Programmable calculators]]
* [[Programmable Command Language]] (PCL), for TOPS-20
* [[Prolog]]
* [[Python]]
* [[R]]
* [[Rant]]
* [[Redcode]]
* [[RobotWar]]
* [[RPG]]
* [[Ruby]]
* [[Rust]]
* [[S]]
* [[SAIL]]
* [[Scala]]
* [[Scheme]]
* [[Scratch]]
* [[Smalltalk]]
* [[SNOBOL]]
* [[SQL]]
* [[Swift]] (Apple)
* [[Swift (parallel scripting)]]
* [[Tcl]]
* [[TRAC programming language]]
* [[TUTOR]]
* [[Visual Basic]]
* [[VBScript]]
* [[WaveGL]]
* [[WebAssembly]]
* [[WMLScript]]

[[Interactive Fiction]] engines often use specialized programming languages for game development.

== External links ==
===Resources===
* A comprehensive list of over 2000 programming languages and a small sample programs for each of them is available [http://www.99-bottles-of-beer.net/ here]
* [http://rosettacode.org/ Rosetta Code] attempts to present solutions to the same task in different programming languages.
* [http://storify.com/carlzimmer/coding-for-middle-school-girls?utm_content=storify-pingback&utm_source=t.co&utm_campaign=&awesm=sfy.co_s2LP&utm_medium=sfy.co-twitter Coding for middle-school girls] (tips on introducing them to programming)
* [http://langpop.corger.nl/ Programming language popularity chart (based on Github and StackOverflow activity)]
* [http://hivelogic.com/articles/top-10-programming-fonts Top 10 programming fonts]
* [http://www.integralwebsolutions.co.za/Blog/EntryId/901/What-s-The-Most-Popular-Programming-Language.aspx What’s The Most Popular Programming Language?]
* [http://lifehacker.com/which-programming-language-should-i-learn-first-1477153665 Which programming language should I learn first?]
* [http://exple.tive.org/blarg/2013/10/22/citation-needed/ Why array indices start at zero; historical info]
* [http://www.codecademy.com/ Code Academy: learn to code interactively online]
* [http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57615356-285/best-free-sites-for-learning-how-to-write-code/ Best free sites for learning how to write code]

=== Commentary ===
* [http://boingboing.net/2013/02/27/what-most-schools-should-reall.html Why you should learn to program]
* [http://mentalfloss.com/article/53160/meet-refrigerator-ladies-who-programmed-eniac Meet the 'Refrigerator Ladies' Who Programmed the ENIAC]
* [http://devblog.avdi.org/2014/01/31/the-moderately-enthusiastic-programmer/ The Moderately Enthusiastic Programmer]
* [http://techcrunch.com/2013/10/10/my-experience-as-a-fourth-grade-hacker/ My Experience As A Fourth Grade Hacker]
* [https://medium.com/learning-to-code/565fc9dcb329 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me When I Was Learning How to Code]
* [http://michaelochurch.wordpress.com/2012/01/15/the-problem-with-programming-language/ A problem with the term, programming “language”]
* [http://animalnewyork.com/2014/artists-notebook-ramsey-nasser/ Discussion of creating programming languages in Arabic]
* [http://www.viva64.com/en/b/0260/ The Last Line Effect]
* [http://bost.ocks.org/mike/algorithms/ Visualizing algorithms]
* [http://www.playthepast.org/?p=4982 Excavating Code: An Archaeological Record of Software Development]
* [https://medium.com/towards-a-remarkable-career/the-art-of-the-bug-ac5a535315fa The art of the bug: Failure should be fun]

===Humor===
* [http://james-iry.blogspot.com/2009/05/brief-incomplete-and-mostly-wrong.html A Brief, Incomplete, and Mostly Wrong History of Programming Languages]
* [http://colinm.org/language_checklist.html Programming Language Checklist]
* [http://www.quora.com/Programming-Languages/If-there-is-a-war-of-programming-languages-who-would-you-support-and-why/answer/Prithviraj-Udaya?srid=LZ&st=ns Programming languages as Tolkien characters]
* [http://programmingisterrible.com/post/65781074112/devils-dictionary-of-programming Devil's Dictionary of Programming]
* [http://9gag.com/gag/av0z0Bn?ref=fb.s This Is Why You Shouldn't Interrupt A Programmer]
* [http://kingjamesprogramming.tumblr.com/ Random mashup generator of the King James Bible and a programming book]
* [http://moviecode.tumblr.com/ What the computer code seen on screens in movies and TV shows actually does]

===Misc.===
* [http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/video/obama-slow-man-27453525 President Obama writes a line of code (video)]
* [https://medium.com/@3fingeredfox/margaret-hamilton-lead-software-engineer-project-apollo-158754170da8 Picture: Margaret Hamilton, lead software engineer, Project Apollo, with source code from moon landing mission]
* [http://www.watchpeoplecode.com/ Watch People Code (live video streams)]

HyperCard stack

2016-01-23T17:52:53Z

AndrewFerguson: Added information on viewing and importing HyperCard stacks

{{FormatInfo
|formattype=electronic
|subcat=HyperMedia
}}

A '''HyperCard stack''' is a collection of text, images, and sometimes audio, organized using the metaphor of a stack of cards and made interactive using a scripting language called HyperTalk.

== Format info ==

* [http://hypercard.org/hypercard_file_format.php Format description]

== Metaformat files ==

* [https://www.synalysis.net/Grammars/HyperCardStack.grammar Synalysis grammar file] (for Hexinator / Synalize It!; [[Synalysis grammar file|more details]])

== Converting / Viewing HyperCard stacks ==

=== Using HyperCard Directly ===
HyperCard stacks can (of course) be viewed in HyperCard through the use of an emulator such as [http://www.gryphel.com/c/minivmac/ Mini vMac] or [http://sheepshaver.cebix.net/ Sheepshaver]

=== LiveCode ===
[http://www.livecode.com/ LiveCode] (formerly RunRev, which in turn was formerly MetaCard) is able to import HyperCard stacks and save them in the LiveCode file format. Stacks can then be edited and published as standalone applications through LiveCode, which supports Windows, Mac, GNU/Linux, Android, iOS and the web as deployment platforms. The community edition of LiveCode is free software (open source), and runs on Windows, Mac and GNU/Linux. There is an online tutorial for [http://www.hyperactivesw.com/mctutorial/rrtutorialtoc.html converting HyperCard stacks into LiveCode]

=== Stackimport / Stacksmith ===
Stackimport is "a command line tool that reads a HyperCard stack and generates a folder with XML and PBM files from it containing a more easily readable representation of its contents". It is currently Mac only. Stacksmith is a 'clone' of HyperCard (by the same author as Stackimport) that includes the code from Stackimport and so can natively import HyperCard stacks. Source code for both [https://github.com/uliwitness/Stacksmith Stacksmith] and [https://github.com/uliwitness/stackimport/ Stackimport] is available on GitHub, and a prebuilt binary (Mac only) of Stacksmith which also includes the binary for Stackimport can be found on the [http://stacksmith.com/moreinfo.php Stacksmith website].

== References ==
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HyperCard HyperCard] on Wikipedia
* [http://hypercard.org/ Open Source HyperCard-related stuff]
* [http://www.kreativekorp.com/swdownload/wildfire/HC%20FILE%20FORMAT%202010.TXT The Definitive Guide to the HyperCard Stack File Format] describes all known details of the HyperCard 2.x format
* [https://archive.org/details/CC501_hypercard Computer Chronicles: Introduction to Hypercard] (video)