Using the OSMIC prototype

THE SERVER (in Perl)

Before you can use the client, you must fire up the server.

We assume that the server has been installed.

Go to the machine and directory in which the server resides, and start it up.
 

(Note that in Linux or Unix, typing "server.pl" may not do the job, since the current directory may not be in the configured pathname.  In that case, typing
./server.pl
may do the job.
It is not necessary to use an ampersand.  Just avoid hitting ctrl-c, and leave.

We assum that the Emacs client has been installed.

Fire up emacs.  It gives you a lot of splash screens and does not seem to be ready.  However, when it seems to stop doing anything, type

m-x hyperdoc  
(This is based on the assumption that the "meta" might be something different from "alt".  It almost never is.  If you are not a skillful Emacs user, this is very confusing.)  For most people it is easier just to say--
alt-x hyperdoc

You should now see a little animation saying that OSMIC is running, meaning the OSMIC client.

Now you need to connect to the server, but you might have several choices, based on the idea that you could have many OSMIC servers to choose from, and several documents.

The main choices are: which server, and which document?

To get a document you have already started, type

alt-c

If you want to start a new one (not necessarily a good idea, type

alt-n

Both of these will bring the same response from the server.  It asks what machine, as follows:
 

Primedia location?  @localhost

If you're running the Emacs client on the same machine as the server, hit return.  Otherwise, backspace through the characters "localhost" and give the Internet name of the machine that's running the OSMIC client.  For instance,
 

Primedia location?  @happydoodle.sfc.keio.ac.jp

Now it asks
 

DocOwner?:  public
Hit return, or give some other ownername (at your peril).
 
DocName?:
Now type the name of the document.

Note: we recommend that at the present time you always use the same document name, since in the present version there is no way to combine materials from one document to another, though you can always go to vastly different "versions" under the same document name.

The system will then connect, and if all goes well, you're on.
 

There are only five edit operations-- four text operations, and one enabling operation.

Pointers below the text show the addresses of the text strings in the primedia spool.

The edit operations are:

Insert
"Insert" is not invoked explicitly.  As with most text editors, you move the cursor and start typing; and the motion of the cursor is recognized by the system as the completion of the operation.
Delete
"Delete" is invoked explicitly.  It requires two cuts to be made first (see below).
 
Rearrange
"Rearrange" is invoked explicitly.  It works with any number of cuts, as follows:
 
Transclude
"Transclude" is a virtual copy, made by copying the primedia pointers into the text.

The transclude operation is invoked explicitly.  The user selects a portion to be transcluded, and then selects another version to transclude into.

All text operations except "insert" require cuts in the text.  This is accomplished by the TAB key.

The number of cuts required are as follows:
 

Delete
"Delete" requires two cuts to be made first.
 
Rearrange
"Rearrange" works with any number of cuts, as follows:
 
Transclude
"Transclude" requires two cuts for the material to be transcluded, after which the user travels to another position and invokes the operation.

The hypertime map shows the present version and neighboring versions which are presently travel options.  By moving the cursor in the hypertime map, the user can see which options are available locally in that part of the map.

You can go back and forth between the current state of the version you're looking at, and the hypertime map, showing the map of the neighboring versions.

If you're looking at the map, the alt-g key (meta-g if you 're an Emacs pedant) will Get the version you've chosen on the hypertime map.

If you're looking at a current version, the alt-m key (meta-m if you're an Emacs pedant) will call the hypertime map from a given version.

If you're looking at one local zone of the map, and would like to shift to show the versions in another local zone of the map, the command is alt-g (meta-g if you're an Emacs pedant).

OSMIC is best seen in operation.  We suggest you try out the prototype. Return to main OSMIC page