Presents a programing subroutine which will create a graphical plot that occupies any number of columns specified by user and will run with versions of BASIC programming language. Illustrations of the subroutine's ability to operate successfully for three possibilities (negative values, positive values, and both positive and negative values) are…

Provides the rationale for considering communication in a graphic domain and suggests a specific goal for designing work stations which provide graphic capabilities in educational settings. The central element of this recommendation is the "pictorial conversation", a highly interactive exchange that includes pictures as the central elements.…

Review of computer software offering text editing/processing capabilities highlights work habits, elements of computer style and composition, buffers, the CRT, line- and screen-oriented text editors, video attributes, "swapping,""cache" memory, "disk emulators," text editing versus text processing, and UNIX operating…

A general description of microcomputer-based spreadsheet software capabilities and their usefulness in library management analysis and planning are presented. Five specific spreadsheet models which apply to retrospective conversion cost and scheduling, COM and book catalog costs, and acquistions processing costs are discussed and displayed in…

Provides guidelines for designing television screen displays, including format (material on one screen - no scrolling, screen readable, variety in layout, eye movement considered) and visual imagery (organization consistent with message, pictures added to enhance image, movement/animation used with discretion, and others). Also provides rationale…

Review of text processing software for microcomputers covers data entry, text editing, document formatting, and spelling and proofreading programs including "Wordstar,""PeachText,""PerfectWriter,""Select," and "The Word Plus.""The Whole Earth Software Catalog" and a new terminal to be…

Discusses interdependence of computers and microelectronics, importance of programing, offices of the future, communications for the 1980s, emerging information systems, and the inexpensive, fast, and reliable small devices such as memory chips. (JN)

Discusses the evolution of the nationwide telecommunications network, including key technologies (transistors, communications satellites, and lasers), putting these technologies together, current and future services, and challenges for the future. (JN)

Describes modifications made to expand the capabilities of a display unit (Lear Siegler ADM-3A) to include medium resolution graphics. The modifying circuitry is detailed along with software subroutined written in Z-80 machine language for controlling the video display. (JN)

Describes applications in variety of settings of videodiscs as tools of information retrieval with online databases, identifies underlying technical capabilities, and discusses five operations required to implement any application: coordinating diverse formats; indexing; physically arranging items on disc; designing input, search, and output;…

Current Mitre Corporation projects focusing on applications of videodisc technology for both civilian and military use include using analog videodisc technology in association with an office work station on a local area network and storing individual map feature separation plates for a digital map display system. (Author/EJS)

The Research Libraries group (headquartered at Stanford University) has a computer terminal that can be used to create and retrieve bibliographic information in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean vernacular scripts as well as in roman alphabet languages. The development, operation, and future of the system is described. (JN)

This article describes machines of the near future that will enable the book to be transmitted via computer. Discussion covers television screens, the use of liquid crystal displays, printers and paper, on-demand printing, computerization of basic reference books, use of optical discs for preservation, and creating one's own fictional characters.…

Discusses design features of the Online Catalog of LS/2000, OCLC's enhanced version of Integrated Library System. This minicomputer-based system provides bibliographic file maintenance, circulation control, and online catalog searching. Examples of available displays--holdings, full MARC, work forms, keyword entry, index selection, brief citation,…

General principles of computer graphics are reviewed, including discussions of display hardware, geometric modeling, algorithms, and applications in science, computer-aided design, flight training, communications, business, art, and entertainment. (JN)