WANG VS
Visionary Server

This page was last changed on: July 23th, 1997

Please the select one of the item you're interested in below:

   WHOAMI      - let me introduce myself
   README       - read me first!
   SEARCHIT   - a powerful search engine
   FD2CTL         - the unbelievable Control File generator
   SCANIT         - object code disassembler
   LOCATOR   - find the location of a file automatically from within (COBOL) programs
   MESSAGE    - send or receive message to or from other users
   MENU            - makes creating, modifying and managing menu's so much easier
   PAKMAN     - a PacMan clone
   TETRIS          - line up those falling blocks
   PATIENCE   - get rid of all of the cards
   COMING SOON...

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WHOAMI

Hi,

my name is Bo Schreurs, male, 40 years young, and I´m a Wang VS System Engineer.
I'm writing programs for the Wang VS as long as I can remember. Well to be honest as far
back as 1981. My favorite language is COBOL. It´s very flexible and easy to understand.
Well, as long as structured minds are writing the programs anyway. Some people manage
to make a mess of everything. The Wang VS Assembler has my devotion too. A little more
complex, but then again more powerful in performance and execution than COBOL.
I think I can say that I'm an expert designer and programmer with lots of good idead or inventions.
Although the Wang VS is a excellent machine, it sometimes lacks those neccessary utilities.
But then again, we can develop those utilities ourselves, right?
I will place some of those utilities which I use most, on my homepage,
and hope it will make your life easier as well.
If you have comments or problems with the downloaded programs, or would like to see
improvements on them (yeah sure), drop me an email, and I will see what I can do for you.

You can send your email to:   bo schreurs

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README

All programs for the Wang VS on this page can be downloaded freely.
You may pass them to a fellow Wang VS user if you like.

WARNING
However these programs may not be used commercially in any way,
they may not be changed and may not be sold!

DISCLAIMER
As far as I know these programs are free of copyright, however if someone
feels his/hers rigths are violated, please contact me, so I can take precautions.
Although I'm certain no program causes the loss of data in any way,
using the downloaded programs will be at your own risk!
I'm not responsible for any loss or damage to data files, programs or computer equipment!

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SEARCHIT

Do you have problems with the Year 2000 issue, because of the huge amount of COBOL programs you'll have to scan through manually,
to look for those date fields? Would you like to have
a tool which can do this automatically for you? And even more???

Look no further!
Download this powerful search engine for the Wang VS computer.
It is called SEARCHIT. It will scan through any kind of file,
sequential, variable, indexed, COBOL source code, Assembler source code,
data files, wp files, you name it. No problem.
Specify what to look for, or specify what NOT to look for, it is all very flexible.
And best of all, it's FREE!
What?, you don't have a year 2000 problem?
Who cares, you can use it for other problems too.
If you want to know which source codes are using a certain field
or which source code contains a specific copy file, this is the tool to use as well!

Download this powerful search engine for the Wang VS  SEARCHIT NOW!

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FD2CTL

When you design and run reports on the Wang VS, you need CONTROLfiles.
They're not easy to create though (as you probably now).
It's even worse when the layout of your data file changes,
especially when a field is inserted or expanded in the middle of your data file.
This means adjusting all the start and end positions of your control file, or
well, restart from scratch and create the control file once again.
You also have to deal with comp fields (i.e. PIC S9(03)V99 COMP), and
remember that they only take up 3 bytes of space internally.
Well, your problem is solved. Now there is FD2CTL.
Specify the location of your COBOL source file containing
the SELECT statement of your data file, and the location of the FILE DESCRIPTION
statement of your data file, and you're off.
FD to CTL will create the CONTROL file for you automatically!

Download this Control File generator for the Wang VS  FD2CTL NOW!

Hint: the program takes the first 8 characters of each field in the File Description
to create a field in the Control file. You can specify a special created File Description
containing the "Control field names" and specify this "layout" in FD2CTL.
This way YOU control the way the field appear in the Control file.

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SCANIT

If you ever wanted to know how a program worked (internally) this is the tool for you.
This program disassembles Wang VS object code to "readable" assembler source code.
Well, not completely true, it is you who has to instruct the scanner how to interpret the data.
You instruct what to disassemble and what not.
You'll need to need assembler to make full use of this program.
A skilled assembler program can reengineer programs this way.
Let me know what you think about it.

Download this Disassembler program for the Wang VS  SCANIT NOW!

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LOCATOR

Remember specifying filenames hardcoded within COBOL programs?
When datafiles were moved from one volume to another, you had to recompile
your program. So we switched to assigning filenames to a program using
a PROCEDURE. Doing so, we could refer to a parameter reference name within
the procedure and specify the location of the file. This way, if a file got moved,
we only had to change the procedure.
But then again, when this file is used in several programs (thus procedures),
we were still changing a lot of stuff.
Even worse when we had to assign a specific data file to a program
for one specific user, yeah, unbelievable.
Then testing programs. Weren't we suffering. Setting up special test datafiles,
creating specific procedures, oh boy.
And what happens if we have multiple computer systems. One for development
and one for production. We would have to have an identical set of procedures on both
systems. And we always forgot to update one of them (especially when files were
removed from a source program). Yeah, those were the days.

Why are talking in the past tense here?
WELL THESE DAYS ARE OVER! NOW THERE IS LOCATOR!
LOCATOR takes control of pointing to the correct location of a datafile.
Just call this subroutine from within your (COBOL) program, and pass it
a table with filenames to be located, and you're off!
LOCATOR will return the location of the datafiles.

Use the LOCATION program to tell LOCATOR only once where the
data files are located, and it will store in in his database.
When LOCATOR gets called, it will look there to give you the location
of the datafiles and pass it back to you.
When the location of a file changes, just tell it to LOCATOR once again,
and from then on, it will pass the updated location back.

What about specific user data file assignments?
If there are not to many files to be specified, you can specify this in the
same LOCATOR file, if there are many files to be specified,
you can use a special locator file, which is used for user specific data file locations.

Each Wang VS system can have its own LOCATOR file, with its system
specific data file locations. If a program is passed from one system to the other,
it makes use of the LOCATION file of that current system.
This makes passing programs from your development system to your
production system a breeze. No need to remember which files to assign.

An user specific LOCATOR file can be used to test programs on a production platform!
Just specify an user specific file for user MIS for instance, and specify that the data files
should all refer to volume TEST (or any other volume name), and when the programs
run they will all look for data files on volume TEST for user MIS.
If user YOU runs the program, they will look for the location as specified in the
"normal" LOCATOR file. Ain't that nice?

Read the README.TXT file from the LOCATOR.ZIP file for more information.

Download this File Locating System for the Wang VS  LOCATOR NOW!

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MESSAGE

As you probably now, there isn't an easy way to send or receive messages to other users.
Sure, the operator or MIS manager can use the operator console to send messages.
And of course, the user can send a message to the operator, but that's it.
Wouldn't it be nice to send and receive messages to any user you like?
Now you can. This program takes care of it.
You can only send a message of 1 line however, and the receiving user should have
a message port open (which is created by certain programs like Speed II, Office, Menu and such programs).
Why not give it a try.

Download this Messaging System for the Wang VS  MESSAGE NOW!

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MENU

Are you one of those programmers who have to create Menu's, change them or delete them?
Don't you hate it when specific users want a specific menu, or just one specific program on their menu?
Didn't this mean changing the COBOL menu, recompiling it, and reinstalling it?
Or creating a new COBOL menu from an existing COBOL menu, adjusting it, compiling it, etc.?
Are you als one of those who had to find numerous bugs before a menu actually ran to specs
(and if it did, it was time to change the menu again)?

Well, fasten your seat belts, because here is MENU.
It's fast, it's slick, it's parameter driven, in short, it's awesome!
Put it to the test, and you'll agree, this is the tool you've been waiting for.

The MENU package actually exists of two programs, the Menu Manager called MENUPRO written in COBOL,
and a fast Assembler program which takes care of executing the Menu's.
The program comes with an online documentation system.
Read the included README.TXT file for more information.

Basically, the MENUPRO program lets you create, change, copy or delete menu's or info screens, assign them to users,
specify menu defaults, print screens and such thing (includes a powerful window painter).
The MENU program executes those Menu's very very fast. Faster than a speeding bullet.
The programs are Freeware, so give it a spin.

Download this Menu Package for the Wang VS  MENU NOW!

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PAKMAN
Ever played that famous game Pacman from Atari?
Was addicted to collecting video wavers, and avoiding these nasty ghosts?
Believe it or not, now you can play this game on your Wang VS as well.
It's not as colorful and not as fast as the original, but it sure is fun!
The playfield allways stays the same, and as far as I can remember the speed of the
ghosts do not increase. But he, it was just to show that neat games can be programmed
for the Wang VS as well...

Download this Pacman clone for the Wang VS  PAKMAN NOW!

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TETRIS

Are ou one of those who collects every tetris look-a-like which exists on the face of the earth?
Well start downloading then, because this is one too!
Believe it or not, but this one runs on your own Wang VS. Amazed?
Well your VS is capable of more things than you can imagine!
This one is fast. Pure Assembly at your service.
It's even neater when run under winloc or lightspeed.

WARNING!
Playing this game is highly addictive!
It can result in a huge loss of time.
The programmer of this game cannot be held responsible when such things occur.
Having said this, you've got to try it to believe it.
Or are you scared to try it???

Download this Tetris clone for the Wang VS  TETRIS NOW!

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PATIENCE

Playing cards is more like you cup of soup.
Well, try this one then. It's the most played game on this side of the universe.
The deck is shuffled randomly.
Try to get rid of all the cards.
No, you don't need a GUI interface to move cards and such.
A few keystrokes is all what it takes to control this game.
Although it sounds simple to complete the game,
you will be amazed how many tries it will take you to actually finish a game.

Download this card game for the Wang VS  PATIENCE NOW!

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COMING SOON...

I'm planning to release more useful programs for the Wang VS community.
So keep watching this page.
What can you expect?
A system independant printing utility called QueueD.
By the way, if you have programs which you like to share with other Wang VS users,
let me know, I'm happy to place them on my home page!

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