7.1 TAE Information

Here is a list of the major VICAR changes to TAE:

• Second session log, which is essentially a transcript of the interactive session.
• VICAR-style batch log, which again is essentially a transcript of the output from a batch job. (Not yet operational)
• Syntax check mode.
• Duplicate commands are not saved in history list.
• Total size of initial parameters to an application increased.
• Limited tape handling (some Sun systems only).
• Prompt-style dynamic tutor.
• FLAG, LISTPROC commands.
• Usage command (Not yet operational)
• $AUTOUSAGE global variable.
• Raised size of command line from 3000 to 6144.
• Raised maximum string size from 132 to 50, max references from 100 to 250, and max count of a multi-count parameter from 300 to 600.
• Miscellaneous minor bug fixes.

It is possible that you can run many of the VICAR applications without these modifications. Some will require the increased limits, but not the other changes.

TAE Plus

VICAR uses the Transportable Applications Environment (TAE+), developed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and Century Computing, for its user interface. Although a version is supplied on the VICAR you may wish to get your own, in order to get the documentation or to get a version for a different machine.

Some modifications have been made to TAE in order to get it to work better with VICAR. We have merged the VICAR and GSFC versions of TAE+. However, some modifications are still required.

Versions Supported

VICAR is currently designed to work with TAE+ version 5.2. Century Computing has released TAE 5.3, and it is unknown if VICAR will work with TAE 5.3. If you need to use a different version, you may have to make some modifications to the build procedures (you will have to rebuild if you use a different version of TAE).

TAE+ 5.2 is supported by the TAE Support Office, at Goddard Space Flight Center. They can help you with questions about TAE, or you can obtain certain beta versions of the software from them (the software is normally distributed via COSMIC; see below). The TAESO also publishes a quarterly newsletter, which you may wish to obtain. The TAESO may be contacted at (301) 286-6034, or via e-mail at "tso@pop500.gsfc.nasa.gov".

Using the Supplied Version

The VICAR distribution includes a version of TAE+ which you may use. It has the VICAR modifications applied to it already, so will somewhat simplify the build process. Even if you use the VICAR-supplied version, though, you may wish to get your own copy of TAE+ in order to get the full documentation set. While it is probably not needed for most uses of VICAR (which are covered in the VICAR User's Guide), the TAE documentation is needed if you want to go beyond VICAR and use TAE+'s other capabilities for graphical user interface prototyping and building.

Obtaining Your Own

You may wish or need to obtain your own version of TAE+. If you have a workstation that is not fully supported by VICAR, you will need to get your own TAE before porting VICAR. Or, you may wish to use a different version than that supplied. Or, you may simply want to get the TAE documentation.

TAE version 5.2 is available from the Computer Software Management and Information Center ( COSMIC). It is free to NASA-related institutions, and available at a nominal charge to private industry. Universities get a discount. You may contact COSMIC at 382 E Broad St., Athens, Ga. 30602, or at (706)542-3265.

The TAE home page and the commercially-supported version of TAE+ is available from Century Computing.

If you do use your own version of TAE+ you will have to rebuild the system, after (potentially) merging in the VICAR modifications.