= --- === --------------------------------------------------------------------- ======= -L- -I- -B- -E- -R- -E- -T- -T- -O- NOVEMBER 1997 ========= ======= The iMatix Newsletter Volume II Issue 11 --- === --------------------------------------------------------------------- = Copyright (c) 1997 iMatix - distribute freely Back issues at http://www.imatix.com Comments to: editors@imatix.com Programming - Technology - Finite State Machines - News - Other Stuff == COMMENT ---...-.-...-.--...-.--...-.-...-.....---..-....--.--..-.-.---.-- Last week I watched the presentation of a project that involved migrating an old mainframe order-entry system to the Web. I guess we were supposed to take this as a shining example of the exciting new possibilities offered by Java, thin clients, fast networks, and all those bright young minds that were never traumatised by pointless hardware constraints. For those of you who were not at the presentation (and I guess that is pretty much everyone), let me summarise. The old system ran on a MVS/CICS mainframe, with a thousand or so terminals across the country connected by a 1200 baud dial-up network. This system let people enter their orders, check payments, and so on. I guess the MVS/CICS transactions were written in Cobol, or perhaps even assembler. They were ugly, old fashioned, and probably a little slow, given that 1200 baud modems went out of fashion in 1987 along with digital watches. The new system uses Pentium PCs, running Windows NT 4.0 and Navigator 4.01, connected by 33.6k modems to a faster network and a couple of NT application servers. These in turn talk to the same old MVS/CICS transactions. Most of the browser interface is handled by Java applets. The new application is absolutely beautiful. I think the designers could get good jobs at Nintendo, or possibly Porche. Unfortunately, it now takes a minute to make an order, instead of a few seconds. This is after putting the Java applets on each PC to save download time. Clearly the network is still too slow. Hah! As if. The truth is that this project, like so many, represented nothing more than an enormous and expensive leap backwards. The designers were more concerned with gadgets than substance, so forgot the prime rules of design: economy, utility, efficiency. Writing good software is hard enough already. The Web offers stunning potential in terms of economy, utility, and efficiency. But to forget the lessons of the past is to repeat the errors of the past. Pieter Hintjens Antwerpen 1 November 1997 == NEWS .-...----.-.----....-.--...----.-.---...-.---...-.--.-...---.--..-. Over 11,000 Downloads In October! Yes, the iMatix site has been busier than a hutch of rabbits on caffeine carrots! Seven thousand visitors from 74 countries, 3 gigabytes of data sent over the Internet... Great bouncing zipdisks, Batman!! iMatix Not Involved In Stockmarket Blues, says iMatix Spokesone iMatix spokesfolk denied today that the turbulence on the world currency and stock markets was caused by the decision earlier this month to keep Xitami as free software. "No way, Jose", said an unperturbed iMatix spokeperson, "We're certain there is no link". Meanwhile, industry commentators have described the decision as "Crazy! They should be charging for this product!" Famous chaos theorist T. Bruyfelt stated (in a heavy accent which we can't really reproduce here) that: "If an insect flapping its wings over the Andes can be responsible for El Nino, then anything is possible. And if we find the butterfly in question, it's gonna have some tough questions to answer." More Statistics... 37% of our users are from the US, 63% from other countries, including Latvia, Kuwait, and Cote D'Ivoire. Netscape browsers still rule, with 67%, more than twice as popular as MS Internet Explorer (30%). Get the full story from the iMatix web site, on http://www.imatix.com/html/stats/stat9710.htm. Mirror Sites Wanted!! Got a fast Internet connection? Time, bandwidth, and 20Mb to spare? Drop us a line, and help spread the best free software around the globe. Sites in Europe are particularly welcome. == LETTERS -..-.----.-.-...-.-.----.-.-.-...-.-----....-.--.-..-..-..--.-.-. Each month we get about a thousand emails, which means that at least 90% of our users never send us a word! We're grateful. Here are some of the nicer mails we got in October. >From: David Wood >Subject: RE: Liberetto II/10 >Date sent: Thu, 2 Oct 1997 17:06:21 +0100 >Thanks for another great newsletter. It's worth the wait. >The M$ thing is begining to worry me. However, I have a theory that it >will implode on itself soon. It's getting too big, people are getting a >little fed up with it and because they charge for everything, the >little companies, if they can keep going, will reap the benefits later. >Where are the web hit statistics. I was actually waiting for them this >time and you didn't include them. >Thanks >-- >David Wood Okay, we get the message. The statistics will be on the website in the directory /html/stats from now on. We'll try to put up the stats each month or so. We agree about reaping the benefits later. Our current calculations indicate that Microsoft will have expanded to be greater than the world economy in 2006. Statistics also prove that the average person has less than two legs, so there you are! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >From: John Nelson >Subject: Please register me >Date sent: Sun, 12 Oct 1997 11:42:58 -0400 >Hi... >Please register me as a user of your Xitami Web server. I downloaded >last week and am currently learning how to use it and exploring its >capabilities. So far I am impressed with what I have seen with it. >What really impresses me is how fast you fix the bugs in the program. >Geez.. since downloading it last week you have put up 2 revisions of it >already. I still have to download the newest one yet.. hehehe. I have >plans of putting up my own web server in the next few months so I have >been checking out what's available for me. So far I like yours the >best. To be honest with you I'm not too crazy about the interface, but >I do like how fast it runs and the fact that it does not take up much >space or use too much of my CPU. I am also a little concerned with the >security of your server, but I do remember reading that you will be >working on that. And finally, just in case you're taking requests.. >hehehe.. I would love to see this thing with at least some of the >popular SSI's. So with that in mind, I want to thank you for making a >GREAT web server and am looking forward to seeing how this thing is >going to evolve. Once again, GREAT JOB! Keep up the good work! > -John Well, to be honest, three releases in one week is more a sign of the kind of sloppy work we detest than a reason for applause. We had to kick some serious butt here at iMatix HQ. Hahargh, take that!! As for SSIs, we're working on that. Yes, it's official: SSIs are now on the 'things we really seriously intend to implement as soon as the final bugs are fixed' list. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >From: Rudi Vanhoutte >Subject: multiple FSM's >Date sent: Tue, 21 Oct 1997 13:09:38 +0200 >Please add me to the mailing list for Liberetto. >I recently found Libero on the web and am now discovering its >capabilities, now I have the following problem: I would like to >generate data-tables for multiple FSM's running parallel all being >processed by one state-machine motor routine, everything should be in >one output file. Is this possible with Libero, possibly with a special >schema? >I would like to use it to generate microcontroller source code for >small embedded controllers, i.e. audio/video devices etc. Do you know >of anyone using Libero for such applications? >Best regards. >Rudi. Yes, no. There is of course only one way to have multiple FSMs running together, and that is to chase them with a big stick. Boy, do they run!! If you really want to have them run parallel, you can either train them (but that usually takes some years) or just hammer a couple of 4-by-2s across their backs. The only small embedded controllers we've ever seen were at the tax office, and I don't know if they would appreciate being called that. Seriously, though, Libero comes in three sizes: small, medium, and large, and you should chose the size appropriately. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >From: stephane.lajoie@belairdirect.com >To: editors@imatix.com >Subject: Fanmail >Date: Fri, 24 Oct 1997 16:37:42 -0400 >Hi editors! >First and foremost: please add me to the mailing list for Liberetto >under slajoie@usa.net. The magazine is great! The commentary is >especially insightful and gave me a good bit to think about. >About Libero: well I don't really get it yet. I understand it can >replace easily and clearly a bunch of switch statements but I don't >feel that it can be a general solution. Anyway, I'll try harder some >other time. Thanks also for making great software and making it free. >Xitami is impressive! >How high is the current offer from Microsoft to buy iMatix? 2-3 >millions? At what price will you give in? :) I'm watching the mailbox >now... 'Bunch of switch statements'? No, no. Libero is much more than that. Imagine lying on a tropical beach, with calypso music in the background, several half-nude members of the opposite sex but same species eager to bring you alcoholic fruit beverages, a permanent half-past-four lazy late afternoon sun, and all the curried chickpeas you can crunch. This is not Libero, just a nice fantasy. Libero is just a good way to write many kinds of program. Boring, but won't give you gas or sunburn. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >From: dholland@cix.compulink.co.uk (Dick Holland) >Date sent: Sun, 26 Oct 97 09:46 GMT0 >Hi, >I have recently discovered your FABULOUS Xitami web server, and it is >perfect for an application I am wishing to implement. >My company offers software systems for the automation and support of >front- and back-offices of international investment institutions. We >also provide our customers with a web-based service giving them >information about forthcoming product releases, histories of errors and >enhancements raised and quality metrics about the products. The website >is hosted on a Digital Alpha running OpenVMS and the OSU DecThreads web >server. >Some of our customers cannot, however, reach the web, usually because >of internal security policies (remember these guys are banks etc.!) and >we have this idea of shipping them the entire website on CD-ROM >probably monthly so they can put it on their intranets. >I demonstrated a prototype of this idea at one of our Product User >Groups in Frankfurt, Germany last Friday and the customers got very >excited by it. My CD had, of course, Xitami on board! >I would very much like to use Xitami for this application because of >its reliability, robustness and, most importantly, its complete lack of >any set-up requirements. It's absolutely the easiest thing to run I've >ever encountered. >I believe that I can distribute Xitami royalty-free in this way. Can >you confirm this for me? I would also be very keen to publicise Xitami >on our CD, so I would like your permission to do so and particularly to >use some of your official graphic images (the iMatix and Xitami logos >for example). >One final point: we make very extensive use of SSI on our site, and >thus far I have developed an AWK script that resolves the SSI >directives prior to making the web pages available for Xitami to use. I >see that you are planning SSI support in the future - do you have any >target date for its release? Yes, Xitami is excellent for this kind of application. You just plug-it in, press 'Start', and it starts... Kind of a revolutionary concept. Act 1, scene 1: The Patent Office. Prof. Einstein is bringing his new invention to the patent controller. Controller: So, Al, what d'you have there? Einstein: Ach, nothing special. Just some revolutionary software. Controller: Yes, I see. And what is the revolution? Einstein: Well, that's the great thing. You start it, and it works. Controller: Haha, that's a good one. Look, Al, we get perpetual motion, water engines, and lead-to-gold transmuters every day. Don't make me laugh. You can, of course, freely use Xitami in such projects -- or anything else that is not immoral or illegal. This is spelt-out in the License Agreement that comes with the software. Yup, SSI is on the way. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >From: Eric Terashima >Subject: How? >Date sent: Fri, 31 Oct 1997 05:40:11 -1000 >OK, I REALLY like your software, tried ALL the free Web servers, and >ALWAYS ended up coming back to Xitami. Imagine my surprise when I >found your v2.0 with FTP! Just one question: if you GIVE AWAY all this >great software, how do you guys make any money? >Thanks, >Eric Terashima Good question. Great question, actually. You know how the best art is made by poor starving artists who finally sucumb to tuberculosis in their Parisian garrets, only to be rediscovered many years later (their art, not themselves). Well, we're not like that at all. We're well-fed artists who do this partly for fun, mostly out of conviction that the Internet needs good technology, and that we'll reap the benefits later. == OKTOBERFEST UPDATE ..-.---.-.-.---...-.-.-..-.-.---.-.-..-.--..-.--....-.- Our Munchen correspondent (Sabine) tells us: "I now have the final numbers concerning the Oktoberfest 1997 (fresh out of the newspapers) 6.4 million visitors (1996: 6.9 million) 5.2 million liters of beer (1996: 5.1 million) 160,000 glasses caught at the entrances (1996: 110,000) 85 oxen eaten in the 'Ochsenbraterei'-tent x exp n roasted chickens...." So, the message seems clear. If you're a chicken, avoid Munchen in October. However, if you're into large glasses of good beer, roasted oxen, and funny hats, make a beeline for the Okoberfest. Nothing at all to do with software, we're glad to say. == FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY -.---.-.--.-.--.-.--.-.--.-.--.-.-.---....-.-.---...- "How Not To Migrate An Order-Entry System To The Web" 1. Since you're really afraid of 'legacy people' and their mysterious MVS and CICS systems, make sure you use a 'screen scraper'. That way, you can present your users with a lovely video game-style interface where each click of the designer-drawn remote control will translate into several dozen CICS transactions and take at least a minute or two. This gives your users plenty of time to watch the animated icons, and answer their e-mail. 2. At all costs avoid things like SNA, LU 6.2, and transaction servers on CICS. You may have to write Cobol programs, and we all know that nothing is worse than that. Besides, it might produce a fast application, and that would cause problems for people who need to do their e-mail. 3. Do use Java; after all, this language is object-oriented, portable, thin-client, and (most importantly) very, very fashionable. If anyone asks why 'object-oriented' is important, just look at them as if they came from Mars. After all, EVERYONE knows why OO is better! Don't worry if you run into dozens of little portability problems such as requiring Netscape 4.0.1, which only runs on Windows NT 4.0 SP3, since Sun are making little Java CPUs, so tomorrow you'll be able to run the whole application on your microwave oven! 4. Please read everything that Sun, Oracle, and Netscape write on their web sites. Please believe this, and base your business (or better, your clients' business) on it. If you go bankrupt, at least you won't be alone. 5. Make sure you develop everything on a Pentium II 300Mhz with 256Mb RAM and enough hard disk space to float the Titanic. This is the best way to make sure your code won't run on your client's systems, so that they have a good excuse to upgrade their old 486's to something decent. 6. Remember that a 33.6K modem is a SLOW connection, and no self- respecting application ever ran on anything less than a 1Mbit connection. So don't worry if things are a little slow... in ten years everyone will have a really FAST connection, and all such problems will be solved. 7. The Golden Rule of software development is: if you saw a demo of it on a stand-alone PC, it's good enough for a serious application. This is especially true of all software that runs across a network, or does heavy database access. 8. If things start to go wrong, just remember: all the rules are there just so you can break them. So, if you sold a web-based solution just to be able to avoid the nightmare of managing versions of client software on a thousand PCs, don't worry if you end-up having to install your applets on each PC. Bill Gates will find a solution. 9. When the client finally refuses to pay, because you've converted his old order entry system (reliable, black and white, fast, boring) into a new Web based system (delicate, hires colour, slow, exciting!) and he cannot get a transaction done before his clients put the phown down, just remember... Progress is always Painful. == TERMINATE THE PROGRAM -...---...-..----....-.---..---...-...---.-...---.- Progress is painful. But, not if you get Liberetto every month!! We saw one discussion group where someone said 'Why can't *our* project have a funny newsletter', referring to Liberetto. However, every page has its small print, and if you can't read between the lines, you should not go into the kitchen. As required by spam law, we therefore hereby explain how to get off the Liberetto mailing list. Place a small FSM in a circle of salt, sprinkle it lightly with curried chickpeas, and count to ten. (Look, most of this newsletter is unintelligble to most readers, so there's no reason why *you* should understand it all.)