DEC Runoff to any modern format conversion - MORE INFO

[Mark Wickens]

I've run the converter too that was in the DECUS collection and there 
are plenty of errors/warnings but you do get output - I've put the 
resulting doc files here (they are terminal formatted so you can open 
them in a text editor to view):

http://wickensonline.co.uk/static/files/mscp/

Regards, Mark.

On 06/06/15 13:36, 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?
>
> 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
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>