*****************************************************
*  M A G E L L A N   Interface Toolkit v1.0     *****
*    18 September, 1989                             *
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The MAGELLAN Interface Toolkit contains several files, many of which
are included as MANX Aztec C (v3.6) source code.  Several of these small
files are included to help you understand the GET/PUT interface and the
relatively simple protocol to use it. Makefiles are included to help you get
your own interfaces going.  Some of the files:


fileo.c -- simply opens a named file and writes a cell's value to it

portio.c -- sends commands to the MAGELLAN.PORT opened as MAGELLAN starts

rexxio.c -- executes the AREXX macro named in the cell of the clause:
         for example:

         if the cell 'arexx' 'macroname' contained the word "ATTEMPT"

           IF ----
           THEN
            arexx macroname   PUT  rexxio

         the result would be the same as if you had typed: REXX ATTEMPT

=========================================================================
Several AREXX macros are included:

  ATTEMPT.rexx causes a message "ATTEMPT"
to be sent to the port MAGELLAN_REXX.port opened when MAGELLAN starts

  CLEAR.rexx causes a "CLEAR ALL" to be executed

  LOAD.rexx will ask for a directory and a filename and load a knowledgebase

  to run any of these, simply:
       (1)start up your AREXX environment----   "execute START-AREXX"
       (2)run the macro ---------------------   "rx ATTEMPT"

With the source code of portio.c, you can modify other programs to command
MAGELLAN in various ways.  Future MAGELLAN versions will permit additional
outside control over MAGELLAN.

==========================================================================
Several small SuperBase database files have been included:

   USERS.sbd. USERS.sbf  USERS.# is a simple database, uneditted and not
   broken up with multiple-block records.  It can be simply accessed and
   viewed using "TYPE USERS.sbf opt h" to see the validity of the SBFIO
   process.

   USERS2.# is a slightly more complex variant of this simple database, and
   demonstrates the simple SBF reader's multiple-block read capabilities.
===========================================================================


In most cases, data writing is not currently supported.  The reason for this
is the complex fresh-data problem of spreadsheets in that a recalculation
would be required after a data-write, and this function is not routinely
accessible from outside the spreadsheet.  Using the GET/PUT protocol, these
programs may all be extended to include more file writing, etc.,
capabilities.  An excellent workaround is to stimulate the spreadsheet or
database to accept or import data that MAGELLAN has written to a file.  The
FILEOUT.c program can be easily modified to append to a file, or to create a
file that can be executed by AREXX.  Using the AREXX capabilities of other
software can be done in a variety of ways from MAGELLAN:

(1) in a result statement(explicitly, as if typed at a CLI prompt):
    THEN  data to-be-sent $ "rx filename.rexx"

(2) using the value as the name of the rexx program:
    THEN  rexx filename  PUT rexxio

(3) in the IF part of a rule, often with testing of results just obtained

(4) as a procedural-type INQUIRY (INQ) file attached to a cell
    etc.
===========================================================================

We hope that you will accept the Interface Toolkit in the spirit that it was
created: as an inexpensive, simplified approach to the interfaces provided
with MAGELLAN 1.1.  The interfaces included are quite simple, and are mostly
useful to help illustrate the handhaking approach taken between MAGELLAN and
interface programs via the GET/PUT protocol.   We hope that you will take
the enclosed source code and produce excellent and powerful interfaces to
your other software products.  If you would like to share any of the
interfaces that you create with other MAGELLAN developers, the NEW MAGELLAN
BBS is an excellent way to do this.

Thank you for your interest and support.

Emerald
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Intelligence


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