Introduction

This space provides details about how you can use PC PipeDream as a companion to your Cambridge Z88 portable computer, on any desktop that can support MS DOS virtualisation. It does not go into detail on all the commands, or to replace the manual (which is still available). The aim is

• to give a bit of history about the product
• to show the similarities and differences between the PC and Z88's versions
• show how the files can be converted to different formats so that they can be used with modern programs
• check whether files can be transferred from and to the Z88 with the different virtual machines.

History

PipeDream was, an evolutionary product. It is a word processor, spreadsheet and database rolled into a single program.  Its origins lie in View, Acorn's word processor for the BBC micro and Master series. Written by Mark Colton, PipeDream as a concept first appeared as View Professional for the BBC micro for the British educational market. Subsequently it was adopted and bundled in with the Cambridge Computer Z88. In 1988 PipeDream, two versions were released with additional spreadsheet functionality. One for the Acorn Archimedes, and the other for the IBM PC and compatibles (using16-bit MS DOS),. There was an optional spellchecker, but this now is included in the current version. It is the PC version that we are using in this article.

Looking back at my records, the first contact I had with Colton Software was on the recommendation of Tim Routsis on the 28th January 1988. Subsequently on the 18th May, I ordered

• PC Pipedream ....................... £99.00
• PipeDream Manual  ................£14.95 
• PC Link II EPROM Card.......... £15.00

The Z88 was already in the marketplace and there was a growing demand for PipeDream to be available on the PC. There was a saying then that 'nobody got the sack for ordering a IBM PC,' so there was a bit of a race on to see which of the many software products would become a 'market leader.'

PC PipeDream is still a useful tool to work on your transferred PipeDream documents, post-processed on your modern power-desktop such as Windows XP and newer, MAC OS X and Linux systems. How is that possible, when PC PipeDream is a DOS application? The answer is through virtualisation. The screenshot below comes from a running PC PipeDream on a 64-bit Windows 8 Desktop.

Description

On loading, PipeDream presents a typical spreadsheet layout of rows and columns creating a matrix of cells. It can be used just for that purpose, as a spreadsheet. If a word processor, is required just start typing. The spreadsheet layout is just as amenable to word processing as to spreadsheet use. If an embedded spreadsheet is entered in the text,  use the spreadsheet functions in the cells. Referring to the text and values elsewhere in a spreadsheet  is just as straightforward. Text and numeric data may easily be treated as records within a database for retrieval as required.

Think of PipeDream as a sheet on which text, spreadsheets and databases may all be set up. A menu bar at the top of the screen gives access to six pull-down menus. These may be accessed by pressing the Alt key and the initial letter of the menu name. A scrolling bar in each menu is then used to select any option, and a good many of these generate a further dialogue box. But that's not all. All the menu options can be selected by direct keyboard input, and many may also be selected using the function keys. Indeed, users of View will find strong echoes of that software in PipeDream's function key layout.

WORKING WITH TEXT

The first step in using PipeDream is learning how to move about the sheet, up, down left and right. Text may be entered starting in any column and will extend to the right till the right-hand margin for that column is reached. Multiple column format is easily achieved with separate right-hand margins for each column. All the expected word processing operations are catered for and work well. Blocks of text are highlighted by moving to the start and the end, and may then be moved, copied or deleted. Text can also be surrounded by special markers to indicate the use of bold, italics etc on printing. Tab stops cannot be set and used in the accepted way, as the Tab key is used to move to the the next or previous column. The columns can be used as a substitute, but indenting the start of paragraphs is impossible other than by using spaces. On the plus side, PipeDream has the facility to recover accidentally deleted text using the Paste command, and the same facility may be used deliberately to provide a cut and paste function. 

WORKING WITH NUMBERS

Numbers and expressions, including a wide
range of special functions, may be entered into
any slot if first designated as an expression slot
(this can also be set up as a default).
Expressions may consist of numbers, dates,
functions, conditions, strings, ranges, lists and
slot references (a range is a consecutive set of
cells, a list of individual cells). These may be
entered individually or combined using various
mathematical and conditional operators.
Fourteen mathematical functions are provided,
plus 11 financial functions (e.g. loan
repayment, cashflow etc.), 13 general functions
and 9 database functions.
I set up a spreadsheet application
duplicating one I use regularly with another
package. Entering expressions of various kinds
was reasonably straightforward, as was the
replication of formulae with correct adjustment
of cell references. These references can be
entered into expressions by moving the cursor
to the appropriate cell, but this is not as
automatic as in Logistix for example, and
requires an extra key depression (Ctrl-f6).
Recalculation is automatic whenever an
expression is modified, and quite fast enough
in the application I tried. Single cells and blocks
of cells may be formatted as required (number
of decimal places for example), and a useful
feature enables leading or trailing characters
(such as £ and % signs) to be added to blocks
of cells automatically.
I have used Logistix (see review in RISC
User Issue 3) quite extensively on the
Archimedes, and in my view PipeDream is
neither quite as convenient to use for
spreadsheet work nor as powerful. But then
Logistix does not have PipeDream's integration
of word processor and spreadsheet facilities.
DATABASE FUNCTIONS
Any data may be inserted in rows and
columns to form a database. Values may be
sorted or matched, and some nine special
functions will perform tasks such as totalling
and locating maximum and minimum values.
The facilities are a long way short of any fullblown
database system, but useful none the
less in the context.
OTHER FEATURES
The menu system works well and provides a
wealth of functions. Page layouts are readily
created with headers and footers as required
with good control over printing including various
highlights such as italic and underlined text.
Printer drivers are supplied for the Juki 6100
and Epson FX80, but other drivers are readily
created by editing the files supplied using
PipeDream itself.There are also facilities to
enable files to be transferred between
PipeDream and Lotus 1-2-3, and of course
there is complete compatibility between the
Archimedes version of PipeDream and those
running on the PC or Z88.
CONCLUSIONS
PipeDream has much to commend it, not
least an excellent manual. There may be word
processors or spreadsheets which offer more in
their respective applications, but for its unique
combination of talents PipeDream has much
going for it.
Product PipeDream
Supplier Colton Software,
Broadway House,
149-151 St Neots Road,
Cambridge CB3 7W.
Tel. (0954) 211472
Price £113.85 Inc. VAT.
RISC User July/August 1988 13

Screen Size

There are two sizes of the screen, the 'Deep Screen' mode size is shown above, whist the normal display is shown below.

Menu & Mouse Operations

There is no mouse support. All operations use keyboard commands.

Selection of these sizes are done by using the Menu commands which are shown along the top horizontal banner. Using  

Z88 Users will notice that the command letters match the ones they are used to (with a few exceptions). The 

 key on the PC replaces the  Key.

Using Virtual Machines

There are a number of gotchas, when using two computers.

• File names - Remember which computer the files are in. In the following example, the files are on the Virtual Machine, not the Server. They both have C: drives and it is easy to get them muddled up when working with the same keyboard, mouse and display.

DOS and Windows File names

A DOS file name is in the format of eight characters, a period (.) then a further 3 characters. This is described as 8.3 file name. A windows file name can, and usually is, longer. The effect of this is that when a Windows file name is viewed in a DOS program, the file name does not appear correctly. See what happens when using the following command.

File Load

Notice that the DOS directory is shown as C:\PROGRA~1\DOS\PIPED whilst in Windows it is C:\Program Files\DOS\PIPED. 

Footnotes

Protechnic - Tim Routsis

Mike Williams wrote about PC PipeDream in the July/August 1988 issue of RISC User 

External Links

Windows Filenames

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filename

Return to text - 

Working Area

In this manual, anything displayed on the Cambridge Z88 screen is shown in a computer typeface, such as

Name of file to save

Anything that you should type at the keyboard is shown in a different typeface to designate the keyboard keys; for example

You are invited to a party

The keys on the keyboard with a special function are shown in the text with key legends. So, for example, if you are asked to type

myfile

you would actually type the letters m y f i l e and then press the 

In general, references to menu headings are in bold caps; for example LAYOUT.

References to individual commands are in bold; for example Save or Load.

References to options displayed by a command are in italics; for example Save only range of columns.

The 'Square' key is represented using the  symbol, also identified as the 

The 'Diamond' key is represented using the  symbol, also identified as the 

The cursor keys are represented as , ,  and  key on normal PC.

Introduction

This space will provide details about how you can use PC PipeDream as a companion to your Cambridge Z88 portable computer, on any desktop that can do MS DOS virtualisation.

PC PipeDream is the word processor that was running on good old MS DOS. It did the same things as when using the similar application on the Cambridge Z88 portable computer - but with a lot more spreadsheet functionality and with an optional spellchecker. A similar version of this application was also available on the BBC Micro computer (BBC View) for the British educational market.

PC PipeDream is still a useful tool to work on your transferred PipeDream documents, post-processed on your modern power-desktop such as Windows XP and newer, MAC OS X and Linux systems. How is that possible, when PC PipeDream is a DOS application? The answer is through virtualisation. The screenshot below comes from a running PC PipeDream on a 64-bit Windows 8 Desktop.

Screen Size

There are two sizes of the screen, the 'Deep Screen' mode size is shown above, whist the normal display is shown below.

Menu & Mouse Operations

There is no mouse support. All operations use keyboard commands.

Selection of these sizes are done by using the Menu commands which are shown along the top horizontal banner. Using  

Z88 Users will notice that the command letters match the ones they are used to (with a few exceptions). The 

 key on the PC replaces the  Key.

DOS and Windows File names

A DOS file name is in the format of eight characters, a period (.) then a further 3 characters. This is described as 8.3 file name. A windows file name can, and usually is, longer. The effect of this is that when a Windows file name is viewed in a DOS program, the file name does not appear correctly. See what happens when using the following 

 Command.

File Load

External Links

Windows Filenames

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filename

Return to text - 

Working Area

In this manual, anything displayed on the Cambridge Z88 screen is shown in a computer typeface, such as

Name of file to save

Anything that you should type at the keyboard is shown in a different typeface to designate the keyboard keys; for example

You are invited to a party

The keys on the keyboard with a special function are shown in the text with key legends. So, for example, if you are asked to type

myfile

you would actually type the letters m y f i l e and then press the 

In general, references to menu headings are in bold caps; for example LAYOUT.

References to individual commands are in bold; for example Save or Load.

References to options displayed by a command are in italics; for example Save only range of columns.

The 'Square' key is represented using the  symbol, also identified as the 

The 'Diamond' key is represented using the  symbol, also identified as the 

The cursor keys are represented as , ,  and  key on normal PC.