We have a D3/AIX multivalue healthcare logistics system, originally
installed late 1980s. The system documentation was originally created
using a PICK proprietary word processing program called 'runoff' (so
I'm told). The documentation is extensive, but currently unusable,
since we have no one who knows 'runoff'. I'm looking for any
old-school pickkies who know what 'runoff' is, and (ideally) know of a
translation program that can create simple .TXT files from 'runoff'.
Any help or explanation is sincerely appreciated!

mabosa wrote:
Matt,

I was there when Tom Ells wrote Runoff @ Microdata in 1975. I was an
early user of runoff the next year when I wrote a translation program
to send runoff documents into a Compugraphic typesetter to publish a
magazine. I do not have a current translator program, but it is not a
hard project. Send me more detail off line ( obsolete_john a@t yahoo
d.o.t com )

John Bohner

(runoff = word processor) usually equates to false - text processor
would be more appropriate.

Generating the documentation is fairly straight forward - the TCL
command line would typically be

RUNOFF <filename> <document root>

Where <filename> is the file where your documentation is stored, and
<document root> is the name of the first item in your tree (which may
chain to other documents, or simply include them)

If you have access to a terminal emulator like Accuterm, you can simply
add an "(n" option to activate nopaging and capture the output to a
file .... Then use yur favourite editor to tidy up.

Depending on your version of D3, you may also be able to simply setup a
shared printer that file, but the screen capture usually works AOK.

mabosa wrote:
Matt,

Email me directly to provide details / scope.

John Bohner

AFAIW, D3 still supports runoff - althougn I think the documentation is
sparse. You might find better documentation from Malcolm Bull or Jon
Sisk.
As I recall, the runoff processor has a simple syntax:
RUNOFF FILENAME ITEMNAME(S) LPTR
and lo and behold you have formatted text in the spooler to grab and do
what you will with.

hth
Mike

If you assign the output to a hold file, it will be in the PEQS file. You
can then export it to "dos" and use word against the file.

Runoff has been around for many years as a way to create a primitive
wordprocessing document. It is not unique to Pick as I used a version of
runoff on a DEC VAX machine while in grad school to write my papers.

Eugene

P.S. Does Universe, Unidata, Reality have a version of runoff? I am
curious as all of my documentation is also in runoff.


"mabosa" <mattheb (AT) mail (DOT) amc.edu> wrote

I think Tony G. has a converter for runoff. If you search archives
here I think he posted something a few weeks ago about it.

Rick

Here is Tony's email. I'm sure he will talk about this with you:

gravagno at home.net

Rick

mabosa wrote:

:RUNOFF FILENAME ITEMNAME <ret>


Niall

"Rick Weiser" wrote:

Thanks Rick, Here's a copy so people don't need to hunt.

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