4.0656 Rs: CDROM Standard; Chinese Mac OS & KWIC (2/51)

Elaine Brennan & Allen Renear (EDITORS@BROWNVM.BITNET)
Tue, 30 Oct 90 20:28:14 EST

Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 4, No. 0656. Tuesday, 30 Oct 1990.


(1) Date: Tue, 30 Oct 90 08:54:00 EST (21 lines)
From: Michael_Kessler.Hum@mailgate.sfsu.edu
Subject: CD-ROM Standard

(2) Date: Mon, 29 Oct 90 22:05 PST (30 lines)
From: <HARDERR@CLARGRAD>
Subject: RE: 4.0651 Qs: ... Chinese KWIC

(1) --------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 90 08:54:00 EST
From: Michael_Kessler.Hum@mailgate.sfsu.edu
Subject: CD-ROM Standard

Paul Hoffman (sorry, no E-Mail address given) has just written "CD-ROM
In Business: Hype vs. Reality" in _MicroTimes_, Oct. 29, 1990; #75
(distributed in northern California). While it does not address all the
questions raised, the article does point out a few things that are
relevant:

1. Apparently, all CD-ROMs are "not slow, they're glacial. Molasses in
winter. Snails on Valium".

2. Most CD-ROMs are either Mac or DOS compatible. Very few disks can be
read by both types of machines. "This is not due to any technical
problem: the drives and system software for both platforms can read
disks that are formatted to the international standard".

3. CD-ROM players are available for about $600 (US).

MKessler@HUM.SFSU.EDU
(2) --------------------------------------------------------------33----
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 90 22:05 PST
From: <HARDERR@CLARGRAD>
Subject: RE: 4.0651 Qs: CD-ROM Standards; Chinese KWIC


Please be aware that Apple distributes a Chinese Operating system
for the Mac. It can be obtained from the Apple Programmer's and
Developer's Association (APDA) # 1-800-282-2732. It does
not have KWIC features built-in, but since Fonts are handled at the
OS level on a Mac (as it should be, if only Apple had done it right!
When will linguists start writing programs for linguists, so they
don't have to be at the mercy of programmers) any standard KWIC
algorithm should work. If that doesn't work, try HyperCard.
Writing KWIC for foreign languages is quite easy. HyperCard is
extremely flexible, and having a complete programming language
built-in, can be used on virtually any problem. I have done
concordances for specific corpora for Syriac, Greek, Aramaic, and
Coptic. Chinese should not be any big deal. The problem's
difficulty depends on how the text has been formatted with his
editor. If He/She has saved teh files in some kind of consistent
ASCII format (Or something that can be translated into ASCII) this
should be a matter of a week or two's workl at the most for someone
who has a knwoledge of HyperTalk.

Send me a voice Phone number if you need help (No I am not illiterate!,
I just type with a lisp!).

Ray Harder
818-969-3434
drop me E-mail a Phone number and I'll call you if you wish!