Alida writes:
 
> We just got a package deal from HP, which includes
> HP EDIT (full-screen editor), HP SRC (Software
> Revision Controller), HP Search, a debugger, and
> other odds and ends. I (silly me) was hoping that
> all of this stuff would work together as an
> integrated development environment that would help
> us get our work done faster. Instead, I found out
> that the modules don't "talk to each other," and
> that most of them have such a miserably unfriendly
> user interface that, to me at least, they are a lot
> more trouble than they are worth.
 
You get what you pay for.   :)
 
...
> 1. HP SEARCH is, IMO, the only module that has
> offered us any productivity benefit. However, it has
> two significant flaws. The first flaw is that it
> updates the "date accessed" on all modules that it
 
<plug>
 
The MAGNET Nugget, available from [log in to unmask], saves the
access date on files it searches (of course, being well written,
you have a choice in this matter!).   (MAGNET version 1.31 and later)
 
MAGNET also handles QEDIT files (see next point).
 
</plug>
 
> 2. For most purposes, the user interface of HP EDIT
 
One word:  QEDIT
 
Ok, two more words:   buy it.
 
> is so awkward and slow that I find that I can do my
> work faster using HP's ancient line editor. The
 
> 3. HP SRC is giving me fits. Once you check
 
Maybe someone from ORBiT will comment on what they use, since they've
had a lot of experience in this area.
 
> Does anyone know of
> other packages that are faster and more
> user-friendly, and that work under MPEiX?
 
MAGNET, QEDIT, and (possibly) the free "rcs" (in 5.0, available from
the POSIX shell).
 
 
More on HPSEARCH:   (double entendre intended?)
 
Here's part of the result of looking through @.pub.sys for "jobjobjob" (which
doesn't appear to exist in any of those files), with some comments.
Original HPSEARCH output is indented, with my comments starting in col 1:
 
...
   The record length is too long for file ETDM000.PUB.SYS.
   Only searching first 51 20 characters.  (SRCHERR 620)
(Note: original output message not formatted so nicely)
   Binary file ETDM000.PUB.SYS not processed.  (SRCHERR 210)
 
Gee...why couldn't HPSEARCH have noticed the BINARY first, and kept quiet
about the record length?
 
   Binary file HP4SORT.PUB.SYS not processed.  (SRCHERR 210)
 
Ok...I don't mind that as the default ... but there doesn't appear to
be a method of overriding that choice. ... and, HPSEARCH doesn't handle
QEDIT files :(
 
...
   Could not open file LOAD.PUB.SYS.  (SRCHERR 190, FSERR 48)
   LOCKWORD: LOCKED.PUB.SYS?
 
<I hit return here, after I noticed that the HPSEARCH had hung>
 
   Lockword violation on file LOCKED.PUB.SYS.  (SRCHERR 200)
 
So...doesn't handle lockwords.  MAGNET does :)
 
...
 
   The record length is too long for file LYNX.PUB.SYS.  Only searching first
   5120 characters.  (SRCHERR 620)
(again, reformatted slightly)
 
...hmm, what is this LYNX file?
:listf lynx.pub.sys,2
   ACCOUNT=  SYS         GROUP=  PUB
 
   FILENAME  CODE  ------------LOGICAL RECORD-----------  ----SPACE----
                     SIZE  TYP        EOF      LIMIT R/B  SECTORS #X MX
 
   LYNX      NMPRG     1B  BA      707072 2147483647   2     2768  1  *
 
I never thought that one (1) byte per record would be considered
a *LONG* record length :)
 
Well, that's enough fun for today!
 
--
Stan Sieler                                          [log in to unmask]
                                     http://www.allegro.com/sieler.html