From: fredm@media.mit.edu (Fred G Martin)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.logo
Subject: winlogo
Date: 28 Jul 92 02:15:19 GMT
Organization: MIT Media Laboratory

WinLOGO was recently demonstrated to my research group at the Media
Lab.  It started out life as a Spanish-language version of Logo that
incorporated "advanced" user interface features (e.g., windows,
scroll-bars, dialog boxes).  Despite its name, it is *not* an
MS-Windows 3.x application: rather it is a plain-DOS application that
makes use of an windowed graphics library.

WinLOGO has recently been ported to English.  A Mr. Shiva Raja is
presently working on U.S. marketing of the new English WinLOGO.  If
people are interested in obtaining more information about WinLOGO,
they should probably contact Mr. Raja directly.  His U.S. phone number
is (508) 263-1791.

Sorry to act as the "net police," but I am fairly certain that WinLOGO
is *not* a public-domain or shareware software product.  Assuming that
the WinLOGO that is under discussion is the same one as I have seen,
it shouldn't have been posted to alt.pictures.binaries.utilities, and
it shouldn't be posted to this group, either.

	- Fred

Fred Martin | fredm@media.mit.edu | (617) 253-7143 | 20 Ames St. Rm. E15-301
Epistemology and Learning Group, MIT Media Lab     | Cambridge, MA 02139 USA


P.S. Of general interest may be the promotional literature distributed
by "IDEA I+D," the South American company that created WinLOGO.  I
took the liberty of scanning in the copy that Mr. Raja left with me.
I don't think anyone will mind if it's sent around, so I'm appending
it to this letter.




IDEA I+D
Software and Communications
Abans IDEALOGIC, S.A.



A NEW STANDARD FOR THE NINETIES.


Designing WIN-LOGO has been a real challenge. Our goal was to create a
LOGO to the standards of present-day advanced software which would
meet the demands of many teachers working with a broad spectrum of
pupils and students.

WIN-LOGO, in its initial version, is the result of this attempt.

We decided that WIN-LOGO should have a graphic user-interface, with
pull-down menus, windows for the different work environments, and
mouse support to simplify the use of all these resources.

We also decided that WIN-LOGO should:

* admit actual graphic cards, thus taking advantage of the extended
possibilities of color and resolution that they offer.

* profit from printing speed, quality and color features.

* access computer communication ports, allowing control over various
types of devices, like measuring instruments, robotics, or special
peripherals developed to work with backward pupils.

It was also necessary to make extensive use of Ine work that has been
achieved with ACTI-LOGO and LOGO-LCSI, ensuring, as far as possible,
syntax and primitives compatibility, which will adhere to tradition.

These rather technical decisions were made in order to enable WIN-LOGO
to conform to certain pedagocical principles. We have challenged and
expanded the limitations of previous LOGOS and hence their potentials
for use with young learners. We have made possible the creation of
microworlds and applications through the tools and extensive editing
facilities. And thus we have created a LOGO with the essential
conceptual power to work with secondary school pupils and University
students alike.

WHAT IS WIN-LOGO?

WIN-LOGO is a tool for developing applications in LOGO language in a
windows environment.

Each window shows a "world" of different characteristics, like a
periscope through which we can view its contents. The three most
important worlds of WIN-LOGO are: the graphics world, the
text-processing world and the work area. The graphics world, the
kingdom of the turtles, is a world of plane geometric objects where
the results of the commands we give are represented. The
text-processing world is the place where we can read the results of
our actions. In the work area we write and modify commands and
instructions.

There are other auxiliary windows: the Shape window, in which we can
edit and create shapes for the turtles; the Debugger, where we can
trace the execution of our procedures, thus facilitating our
programming tasks; the Variables window, in which we can display the
conlents of the variables and make modifications; the Help window,
where we can get on-line information about WIN-LOGO; and finally the
Edit window, which collaborates with the Work window in the editing of
procedures and text.

The Graphics World

WIN-LOGO has many new features for turtle graphics: 12 turtles, 128
user-definable shapes and shape lists. The shape list allows turtle
rotation simulation, alternating between 16 predefined shapes. There
are contact sensors to allow animation.There are user-definable line
styles with 10 different line widths for drawing outlines and patterns
to fill in shapes. Graphic writing is available with 8 types of fonts
and various sizes. And there is the option of using images from other
applications in PCX format, as backgrounds over which the turtles can
draw.

In the graphics world the representation and visualisation of its
contents can be made using different geometries and zoom, which allow
us to approach or distance objects.

The World of Text

The Text window resembles a roll of paper, which can be scrolled up
and down, on which text is written in different widths and two font
sizes. Various colors may be chosen for the paper and for the
foreground and background of the characters.

The size of the text window can be modified without altering text
width and attributes previously selected.

The Work Area

This window behaves somewhat differently to the text window: if we
modify its width, its contents will be rewritten adapted to the new
size in order that we can monitor the changes in our work.

With the arrow keys we can display any text previosly written in this
world. If we place the cursor on any line and press the RETURN key,
WIN-LOGO will accept that line as a command or language instruction.
It will automaticaly recognize when the cursor is placed within a
procedure. With these facilities we can speed up our testing tasks.

The editing features include block delete, copy and move, even between
this area and the Edit window. Search and replace operations are
available too, as in a powerful text editor.

Menus and Dialog Boxes

In order to accede easily to our different commands, WIN-LOGO allows
us to select them through pull-down menus.

When we load WIN-LOGO, a menu bar is displayed at the top of the
screen. To open a menu and display its options we can click on the
menu name or press Alt and the underlined letter in the menu name.

Some menu options directly execute a command. Others open Dialog Boxes.

There are special keys, called Accelerators, that can carry out the
menu option actions without activating the menu. These keys are
user-definable.

The Dialog Boxes display information, eventually allowing us to enter
or edit field values.

The Primitives

WIN-LOGO has more than 300 primitives. They include the new primitive
set for the environment and mouse. And important extensions and
improvements to the group of basic mathematics, to properties, groups
and lists management, and to the graphics possibilities.

But the most relevant feature in this topic is that the users can
incorporate their own WINLOGO primitives, developed in Assembler or
"C" language, with the same efficiency as any original primitive.

WIN-LOGO is, without doubt, the first user-extensible LOGO language.

Setting up WIN-LOGO

WIN-LOGO users can fully customize the environment startup modes. The
configuration file allows us to define all of these specifications:

* the initial windows, their sizes and position

* the types of fonts

* the initially loaded primitive set

* memory configuration for each work area and nodal space

* definition of macro keyboards

* inclusion of menu and edit accelerators

* the redefinition of error messages

* inclusion of a run file for micro worlds

In short, WIN-LOGO can shape itself to the size of our needs.

FEATURES

* Work environment with multiple windows (graphics, texts, work, etc),
with pull-down menus and mouse support.

* Dialog Boxes for options configuration.

* Graphics cards support: CGA, Hercules, EGA, VGA 16 and 256 co!ors
and MCGA.

* Turtle graphics with advanced features - Multiple turtles (12) -
Shape editor with 128 user-definable shapes and rotations - Ten
different line widths for drawing - Graphic writing in different types
of fonts (Script, Gothic, etc) and in any orientation. - Zoom effect -
Backgrounds with Graphics PCX (Scenes). - User-definable patterns and
outlines.

* Complete text edition with block, search and replace management.

* Two sizes of fonts for text window.

* Debugger window for the refining of procedures, with animation and
break points.

* More than 300 primitives. New list, properties, mathematics,
environment and mouse control primitives.

* Powerful graphic and text printing.

* Possibility of adding user-primitives developed in Assembler or "C"
language to WIN- LOGO's nucleus.

* Fulfils IBM's SAA recommendations and Microsoft's WINDOWS philosophy.

* Compatible with Logo LCSI and ActiLOGO.

* Expanded memory support

HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS

640kb main memory. MS-DOS version 2.0 or further. Two 5.25" floppies,
or one 3 1/2" floppy, or a hard disk as a minimum.

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