11-Nov-86 20:46:43-EST,2766;000000000001 Return-Path: Received: from CUVMA.COLUMBIA.EDU by CU20B.COLUMBIA.EDU with TCP; Tue 11 Nov 86 20:46:41-EST Received: from WUVMD(MAILER) by CUVMA (Mailer X1.23b) id 5737; Tue, 11 Nov 86 20:05:12 EST Received: by WUVMD (Mailer X1.23b) id 1047; Tue, 11 Nov 86 19:02:04 CST Date: 11 November 1986 19:00:28 CST From: Skip Russell Subject: comparison of Pascal and Harris Kermits To: Frank da Cruz You asked if I thought my Fortran version of Kermit should replace the Pascal one. Although I think my Kermit is generally a big improvement over the Pascal version, I don't think mine should replace it for two reasons: The first is that mine runs *only* as a remote server. There is no facility for driving a remote Kermit, either from within the program or through command-line arguments. So, for example, Harris-Harris xfers are not possible without using some intermediate like a PC. It is intended primarily for Harris--micro communications, where the micro has the "local" Kermit. Command line "send" and "receive" would be easy to add, but so far for us, the need hasn't arisen. Secondly, all the newer Harris machines have i/o processors which are capable of doing buffered single-character i/o. They are also capable of timing-out while waiting for input. These two capabilities are not present on many of the older Harris machines (including ours). The Pascal Kermit requires this hardware and my Kermit does not. On systems with the hardware, there is a potential advantage to using the Pascal Kermit, but I don't know what it really means in terms of effective baud rate, etc. I recently gave a copy of my program to Joe Doupnik who has access to a Harris machine. He has the Pascal Kermit, so maybe he will be able to compare the two. You also asked whether the Fortran compiler was standard on all Harris machines. Actually, both Harris Fortran 77 and Harris Pascal are optional products, so no system is guaranteed to have either one. However, I think the Fortran is considerably more widespread at Harris sites than Pascal, judging by the programs available in the Harris Users Exchange library. Incidently, the reason I am waiting to submit my Kermit is that "MSTIBM" (prelim 2.29a) has a glitch in the packet-size logic which is causing some problems. I have discussed it with Joe D., and I'm sure the two Kermits will be in concordance when the formal release of 2.29a comes about. I hope this answers your questions. I'll keep you posted on future developments. -- Skip Skip Russell (Washington University, St. Louis) BITNET: c04689sr@WUVMD