DEC Runoff to any modern format conversion - MORE INFO

Johnny Billquist bqt at update.uu.se
Sat Jun 6 15:52:37 CDT 2015


On 2015-06-06 14:36, Robert Jarratt wrote:
> I have had a go with some of Tom's files but I have encountered some
> problems. It seems the files have some commands in them that are not
> recognised by any of the versions of runoff that I have. I have tried on VMS
> 5.5-2, 7.3 and 8.4.
>
> The commands that are not recognised include (not a full list):
>
> .style header
> .autotitle
> .ebb
> .fta
> .referencepoint
>
> I have a vague recollection that DEC had some other internal version of
> runoff, and I wonder if these commands are for such a version.
>
> Anyone know?

Not for sure, but it might be useful to know that Bonner Lab RUNOFF 
(which was mentioned before) actually have .style headers and .ebb 
(.enable bar), so those might be figured out from there.
There might be some more that Bonner Lab RUNOFF have that you might be 
looking for.

If you are on HECnet (which I think you are, Rob), you can find the 
Bonner Lab RUNOFF documentation at MIM::SYS$RUNOFF:RUNOFF.DOC

	Johnny

>
> Regards
>
> Rob
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: cctalk [mailto:cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Tom
>> Gardner
>> Sent: 06 June 2015 00:55
>> To: cctalk at classiccmp.org
>> Subject: RE: DEC Runoff to any modern format conversion - MORE INFO
>>
>> Hi
>>
>> Thanks for all the ideas.
>>
>>
>>
>> Apparently there is nothing off the shelf; I have sent copies of one of
> the two
>> manuals to three of us who indicated they would try something and will be
>> happy to do the same for anyone else.
>>
>>
>>
>> AFAIK, DEC RUNOFF is only similar to other runoffs in that it uses a
> period
>> "." at the beginning of a line to designate a command.    Most . commands
>> span the single line but some have multi-line and/or multi file
> implications. E.g.
>>
>>
>>
>> Something like
>>
>> .HL 1 Overview of MSCP Subsystem
>>
>> Converts to
>>
>> <h1 style="text-align:left;"> Overview of MSCP Subsystem</h1>
>>
>> Most of the conversions are obvious but some are a bit more complex, in
>> particular the
>>
>> .require command which apparently assembles the chapter files into a book.
>>
>> .referencepoint command which is some form of anchor, perhaps for an index
>> since so far it always seems to follow a HL command so maybe
>>
>> .HL 1 Overview of MSCP Subsystem
>>
>> .referencepoint overvw_mscp_sub
>>
>> Converts to
>>
>> <h1 name="overvw_mscp_sub" ID="overvw_mscp_sub" style="text-align:left;
>> "> Overview of MSCP Subsystem</h1>
>>
>> With the ID being called from a Table Of Contents built to include the
> full name
>> and page number
>>
>>
>>
>> It looks like a multipass converter would be the way to go.  Anyhow this
> is a bit
>> beyond my current coding skill but if anyone else wants to try a converter
> I'd
>> like to work with them
>>
>>
>>
>> Tom
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Tom Gardner [mailto:t.gardner at computer.org]
>> Sent: Thursday, June 04, 2015 10:47 AM
>> To: cctalk at classiccmp.org
>> Subject: DEC Runoff to any modern format conversion or DEC MSCP protocol
>> specs
>>
>>
>>
>> Hi
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> I have multiple DEC Runoff (.rno extension) files for the manual on DEC's
> MSCP
>> protocol.  I'd like to convert them to a modern format.  The manual is
> dated
>> circa 1992 incorporating ecos thru MSCP23-4 and is revision 2.4 (or
>>
>> later) of MSCP.  What appears to be an early version (Apr 1982 rev 1.2) is
> at
>> <http://www.textfiles.com/bitsavers/pdf/dec/disc/UDA50/AA-L619A-
>> TK_MSCP_basF
>> n>
>> http://www.textfiles.com/bitsavers/pdf/dec/disc/UDA50/AA-L619A-
>> TK_MSCP_basFn
>>
>> s_82.pdf
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> I've searched for a convertor without much luck,  there is a VMS Pascal
>> converter at  <https://www.ctan.org/tex-archive/support/rnototex>
>> https://www.ctan.org/tex-archive/support/rnototex which converts to LaTex
>> which can then be converted to pdf, but I don't have any DEC equipment.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Anyone know of a converter or perhaps other already converted manuals at
>>
>> other revision levels (e.g. rev 1.2   at link above)?
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> If not, anyone running VMS Pascal  or OpenVMS v6.1 (or later) willing to
> try a
>> conversion to LaTex?
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> DECs Runoff is a markup language that sort of looks like an early HTML, so
> I
>> suppose I could try a grep conversion to HTML, or just strip out the
> markup.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Any other ideas?
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Tom
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>


-- 
Johnny Billquist                  || "I'm on a bus
                                   ||  on a psychedelic trip
email: bqt at softjar.se             ||  Reading murder books
pdp is alive!                     ||  tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol


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