(PYVMS LOGO)


Welcome to PYVMS - the Python programming language running on the OpenVMS operating system. Documentation for PYVMS is available in a number of formats. This page describes various methods to access them.


The original source is written as a number of '.HTML' files which you can find in the [.VMS.DOC] subdirectory of the distribution. You have several options to access them:
  • If you run a web-server yourself, then you can include the files there. You only need to extract all '.HTML' and '.GIF' files from the [.VMS.DOC] subdirectory. As of 19-AUG-1998 I am aware of the following two freeware HTTP servers, which run on the OpenVMS operating system:

    Commercial servers are available, too, but I don't have any information about them.

  • You can access the files directly from your web-browser like:
    $! define a foreign command
    $ NETSCAPE == "$disk:[directory]NETSCAPE.EXE"
    $ NETSCAPE file:DKA100:[PYTHON.PYTHON-1_5_1.VMS.DOC]TOC.HTML

As of 27-APR-1998 I am aware of the following browsers, which are available for the OpenVMS operating system:
  • NETSCAPE for OpenVMS is available from Compaq Computer Corporation (which merged with Digital Equipment Corporation) and can be used if you have a valid DECwindows/ Motif license. It is part of the 'Internet Product Suite for OpenVMS'. The URL is:
    http://www.openvms.digital.com/openvms/products/ips/

  • LYNX is a text-only browser that allows reading the '.HTML' files from an ASCII terminal. Please start from:
    http://lynx.browser.org/

    Currently, the documentation does not contain any pictures (except for the PYVMS Logo), so you will not miss anything important.

  • MOSAIC is included with some versions of DECwindows /Motif. Different versions of MOSAIC are also available from other sources, but I do not have any information.

I have created a simple converter (written in Python) named HTML2RNO that is able to convert the '.HTML' files into RUNOFF format ('.RNO' files). RUNOFF, also known as DSR - Digital Standard Runoff, is a text-formatter that is supplied with the OpenVMS operating system.

It converts the '.RNO' files to a '.MEM' file for line-printer output or a '.LNI' file for printers understanding ANSI format. I have not tried to include much '.test page nn' hints into the '.HTML' files to help RUNOFF make a better looking documentation - the page breaks are sometimes located at very 'unfortunate' positions...

A simple set of EDT commands converts the '.MEM' file to a '.TXT' file which is for reading the text with a text editor. They just delete the '<CR><LF>' sequences and remove any lines for bold printing. The file TXT.FDL is used to change the record attributes of PYVMSDOC.TXT.


19-AUG-1998 ZE.