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S2VSPD.MEM  --  SFTOVX Software Description
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October, 1983
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.hl 1 PRELIMINARY SOFTWARE DESCRIPTION
SFTOVX consists of a series of APL functions designed to  assist
the APL-SF programmer in moving existing applications from APL-SF
V2 to VAX APL V1.1 or later.  The migration of  APL  workspaces  and  data
files from APLSF to VAX APL occurs through text files.
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MIGRATE, an APLSF function, builds a  batch  control  stream  which
then  executes  APL  functions  that  create  text files from APL
files.  MIGRATE interacts with the user to find out what should 
be transported and prompts  the user for filenames.  MIGRATE also 
allows the user 
to specify an optional filter workspace  (containing  functions 
such as FILTER, ASFILTER, and DAFILTER) which allows the user to
modify the file before it is transported. Files which can be transferred  
include  workspaces,  and /AS,  /IS,  /DA  and  /BS  data  files. 
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The DRIVER function transfers  workspaces,
the ASDRIVER function transfers /AS data files, the DADRIVER function 
transfers /DA data files and so on.  These driver functions,
invoked by a  batch  stream,
dump the workspaces and data files as  input  scripts  into  text
files which are then transferred by the user's own methods to the
VAX.  Then they are used by VAX APL as )INPUT files.
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DRIVER   transports   variables,   system   variables,    channel
assignments,  workspace  identifications,  groups,  and  unlocked
functions within APLSF workspaces as text to the VAX.  While  the
text  file  is  being  made,  DRIVER  examines  the  user-defined
functions and performs source  transformations  that  minimize  the
incompatibilities between APLSF and VAX APL.
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SUBMIT is a VAX APL function that handles the  text
files that have been moved by the user.  SUBMIT interacts with the
user and builds a VMS command file that, when run  indirectly  or
in batch, executes VAX APL for each input script specified by
the user.  When these input scripts are processed by means of VAX
APL,  a  workspace  or  a data file is created on the VAX.  These
created files are the migrated images of  their  counterparts  on
TOPS-20.
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Note that SFTOVX is a general tool  which  can  be
overlaid  by the user's software in certain instances (for example,  the
FILTER function).
.hl 1 INCOMPATIBILITES
Incompatibilities do exist between APLSF  and  VAX  APL.
The  SFTOVX functions minimize these incompatabilities in
most circumstances.  However, not all incompatibilities can be
handled.
Some of the incompatabilities are listed below:
.ls 1,"o"
.le;Escape mode does not exist in VAX APL.
.le;Tabs in data and in files remain as tabs.  They are
not converted to spaces in VAX APL.
.le;_.Z@ is not recognized by VAX APL as the character underscored delta.
.le;In APLSF, .RU is a "U" with the  feet  pointing  to  the
right;  .LU is a "U" with the feet pointing to the left.
In VAX APL, .RU is a "U" with the feet pointing  to  the
left  and  .LU  is  a  "U" with the feet pointing to the
right (in other words, the directions of  the  feet  are
opposite  what  they  are in APLSF).  SFTOVX outputs
the "U" with the feet pointing to the right as "left  U"
(.LU)  and the "U" with the feet pointing to the left as
"right U" (.RU).  The APL graphic from APLSF is the
same as the APL graphic inside VAX APL.
.le;Dyadic $ is not  supported  in  VAX  APL.   SFTOVX  
converts a $ primitive function to .BXFMT.
.le;Monadic .EN, .DE and .OM are not supported in  VAX  APL.
SFTOVX  converts  the primitive functions .EN, .DE,
and .OM to  the  user-defined  (DEC-provided)  functions
_.LD.USEN,  .LD.USDE,  and .LD.USOM which simulate the
behavior under APLSF.
.le;A negative number raised to a non-integer power by means
of  dyadic * is an error in VAX APL;  it gives an answer
in APLSF.
.le;Output from .FM format is different in VAX APL.
.le;I-beams don't exist on the VAX.  SFTOVX replaces the
primitive   function  .IB  with  .LD.USIB,  which  
simulates most of the documented I-beams and none of  the
undocumented ones.
.le;_.BXASCII is not  supported  in  VAX  APL.   SFTOVX  
replaces  .BXASCII  with a niladic function .LD.USASCII,
which returns 128 VAX APL .BXAV codes that  resemble
ASCII.
.le;_.BXAV is different in VAX APL  than  in  APLSF.   SFTOVX
replaces  .BXAV  with a niladic function .LD.USAV,
which returns 512 VAX APL .BXAV codes that  resemble
_.BXAV in APLSF.
.le;Several system commands in APLSF are not in VAX APL.
.le;Some functions are quiet in VAX APL but not in APLSF.
.le;_.BXGAG values in APLSF are reversed in VAX APL.
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.hl 1 REQUIRED SOFTWARE
APL-SF V2 and VAX APL V1.1
.hl 1 SOFTWARE INSTALLATION
CUSTOMER INSTALLED -- SFTOVX is a software product engineered to
be installed by the customer.
.hl 1 SUPPORT CATEGORY
CUSTOMER SUPPORTED
.hl 1 WARRANTY
NONE
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THIS SOFTWARE PRODUCT IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY OF
ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED.