p.6 EDITORIAL
[author : Jonathan Erickson] #Edito
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FEATURES
p.18 THE INFORMATION UTILITY
[author : Rolf Oswald]
Spatial data, such as that gathered from satellite images, presents real dilemmas when shared information over heterogeneous networks and geographical-information systems. In particular, the challenge of dissimilar file formats must be overcome. Rolf examines how Manitoba's Information Utility tackles this and other thorny data-exchange problems.
p.32 CROSS-PLATFORM COMPRESSION
[author : Pierre J. Dion]
Data compression is one means of achieving efficient data transfer. However, efficiency across disparate computer systems can be limited by the lack of cross-platform tools. Pierre presents an implementation of LZH compression for MS-DOS, UNIX, and MVS.
p.38 DATABASE INTEROPERABILITY AND APPLICATION TRANSPORTABILITY
[author : Edward Dowgiallo]
In the database world, interoperability refers to the ability to build applications that can simultaneously access data in different databases provided by different vendors; transportability is the ability to move an application from one network/hardware combination to another while using the same database. Ed examines the strategies database vendors implement to make this possible.
p.44 REXX AND THE OS/2 WORKPLACE SHELL
[author : Eric Giguere]
The REXX language interface provides a simple way to customize the OS/2 Workplace Shell environment. Eric also takes a peek at the upcoming object-oriented REXX being developed by IBM.
p.50 THE IDEA ENCRYPTION ALGORITHM
[author : Bruce Schneier]
The International Data Encryption Algorithm (IDEA) may be one of most secure block algorithm available to the public today. Bruce examines its 128-bit long key (over twice the length of the familiar DES) and unravels the algorithm for both encryption and decryption.
EMBEDDED SYSTEMS
p.58 VISUALIZING DATA IN REAL TIME
[author : James F. Farley and Peter D. Varhol]
Our authors use Vision, a graphical front end for data display, and Visual Basic to build an application that acquires and displays sensor data from an optical fire detector.
NETWORK SYSTEMS
p.68 UNDERSTANDING OSI NETWORK MANAGEMENT
[author : William Stallings]
The OSI network-management system, which relies on an object-oriented design, provides an operator interface for monitoring and controlling network activity.
EXAMINING ROOM
p.78 EXAMINING THE STARVIEW APPLICATION FRAMEWORK
[author : Ramin Firoozyi]
StarView is a cross-platform C++ application framework that operates across Windows, Macintosh, NT, OS/2, OpenLook, and Motif. C++ code written to this application framework can be copied from one machine to another and rebuilt, resulting in a native executable that has the speed of a C++ application and the look-and-feel of the native GUI.
PROGRAMMER'S WORKBENCH
p.90 WIRELESS DATA AND MINIMUM AIRTIME SOFTWARE
[author : Darrell Diem]
Wireless networks, which can be implemented as LANs, MANs, or WANs, have their own unique technical challenges. Darrell examines how minimum airtime algorithms can reduce transmission errors and wireless-network airtime costs.
COLUMNS
p.109 PROGRAMMING PARADIGMS
[author : Michael Swaine]
Michael examines powerful tools for manipulating HyperCard extensions.
p.115 C PROGRAMMING
[author : Al Stevens]
Al continues with D-Flat++, this month implementing classes for tool bars and tool buttons using a text-editor named TED to illustrate how you can use these classes. TED sports a menu bar, status bar, and tool bar, and it lets you work on one text file at a time.
p.119 ALGORITHM ALLEY
[author : Tom Swan]
Tom uses frequency distribution to explore if pseudorandom numbers really are. In particular, he examines a statistical method known as the "chi-square distribution."
p.123 UNDOCUMENTED CORNER
[author : Andrew Schulman]
Andrew presents VXDLIST, a program that walks the Windows Enhanced mode VxD chain and displays the names of all VxDs loaded on the system. VXDLIST will be particularly useful for exploring the upcoming "Chicago" operating environment, which is based on VxDs.
p.131 PROGRAMMER'S BOOKSHELF
[author : Jonathan Erickson]
Mobile Robots is about more than just silicon-based creatures scurrying around underfoot. It's really an application of an exciting approach to organizing intelligence systems using an architecture referred to as "subsumption."
FORUM
p.10 LETTERS
[author : you]
p.144 SWAINE'S FLAMES
[author : Michael Swaine]
PROGRAMMER'S SERVICES
p.138 OF INTEREST
[author : Monica E. Berg]