Hi folks,
 
I'm looking for some people to test out a new piece of code I've written.
It is a Visual Basic Custom Control to link to the MPE operating system.  It
uses any winsock-compliant TCP-IP transport (RNS, Daytona, LW) but hides
almost all the networking nasties.  This control provides a simple means for
VB apps to issue MPE commands, and receive the results back in a VB data
item.  You can then use VB to manipulate the data for presentation or
analysis.  On the HP3000 side there is a server program, MPED (which is the
same as I contributed last year to the CSL), that receives the commands,
executes them and returns the result.
 
Programming MPE stuff becomes this easy:
 
        MPEctl.Command = "SHOWJOB"
                ....
        result$ = MPEctl.Reply
 
Commands include MPE commands, subsystems, even UDC or script commands.
Heck you could even run your own programs, passing information to it in the
INFO= string.  This is not a terminal emulator though!  You only get to pass
one (long) request, and receive one (even longer) reply.  But the speed is
impressive.
 
We've already made up few sample apps that show-off some of the potential: a
simple job manager, and spoolfile managers.  We even made one that lets you
have a point and click front end to the compilers, segmenter and linkeditor.
Believe me, it is much easier to click a button for "ANSI compile", and
another for "Include debug information" than remembering to type INFO="-Ae
-g".
 
I'm looking for no more than 10 sites that have (obviously) HP3000s,
networking and Microsoft's Visual Basic 3.0 experience.  We'll provide the
VBX control (with help file!), the host MPED program and a couple of sample
apps.  Naturally, I'll also give whatever support I can, provided users are
on the Internet!
 
The only other requirement is we need to hear back after a week or so what
your experiences have been: good, bad or indifferent.  So if you've got a
real busy schedule, or haven't opened the VB software yet, then I'D rather
not hear from you yet.
 
Anyone game?
----
Jim Wowchuk                    Internet:    [log in to unmask]
Vanguard Computer Services     Compu$erve:  100036,106
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