S.O.S!!

[Rasmus Nielsen]

Hey there.

Sad to say I'm a complete java ignoramus. That's why I have this
problem that I hope someone here can help me with:

I just downloaded 2 zipped archives that apparently contain java files
for an emulator or two which I would REALLY REALLY like to get
running:

1) The "java applet emulator" is described as:
-"...an Analytical Engine emulator which runs as a Java applet within
a Web page. If your browser supports Java, you can run Analytical
Engine simulations with no additional software or installation."

2) The "command-line emulator":
a command-line emulator for The Analytical Engine which you can
download in either ready-to-run object code or source code form, which
runs on any computer with a compatible Java virtual machine
implementation.
Unfortunately the webpage don't give any kind of explanation of what
I'm supposed to do with their content. :o(

All it says is:
- "Source code (.java files) for both the applet and command-line
emulators. Emulator source code is intended for experienced Java
developers, and is utterly unsupported. The program is in the public
domain and you can do anything you like with it, but you're entirely
on your own."
As for the downloaded archives themselves:

The first download is the "sourcecode" download
(http://www.fourmilab.ch/babbage/release/aesource.zip), just
described.
It contains 15 files with the ".java" extension, and 1 file called
"Makefile" (with no extension).

The second download (http://www.fourmilab.ch/babbage/release/aeclass.zip)
is announced as the "Object code (.class files) for the command line
emulator"
It contains 30 files, all with the ".class" extension.
Now, I would be really really glad if someone here can please explain
to me what I should do with these components in order to get the
emulators to run. - Am I supposed to write an html-document for the
"applet"?! And what script should it contain? - And what the frog am I
supposed to do with the .class files?

Please, please, please help.

And thank you SOOO much in advance!
Kind regards
Rasmus Nielsen.

[hiwa]

ei**********@yahoo.co.uk (Rasmus Nielsen) wrote in message news:<22**************************@posting.google. com>...

Hey there.

Sad to say I'm a complete java ignoramus. That's why I have this
problem that I hope someone here can help me with:

I just downloaded 2 zipped archives that apparently contain java files
for an emulator or two which I would REALLY REALLY like to get
running:

1) The "java applet emulator" is described as:
-"...an Analytical Engine emulator which runs as a Java applet within
a Web page. If your browser supports Java, you can run Analytical
Engine simulations with no additional software or installation."

2) The "command-line emulator":
a command-line emulator for The Analytical Engine which you can
download in either ready-to-run object code or source code form, which
runs on any computer with a compatible Java virtual machine
implementation.
Unfortunately the webpage don't give any kind of explanation of what
I'm supposed to do with their content. :o(

All it says is:
- "Source code (.java files) for both the applet and command-line
emulators. Emulator source code is intended for experienced Java
developers, and is utterly unsupported. The program is in the public
domain and you can do anything you like with it, but you're entirely
on your own."
As for the downloaded archives themselves:

The first download is the "sourcecode" download
(http://www.fourmilab.ch/babbage/release/aesource.zip), just
described.
It contains 15 files with the ".java" extension, and 1 file called
"Makefile" (with no extension).

The second download (http://www.fourmilab.ch/babbage/release/aeclass.zip)
is announced as the "Object code (.class files) for the command line
emulator"
It contains 30 files, all with the ".class" extension.
Now, I would be really really glad if someone here can please explain
to me what I should do with these components in order to get the
emulators to run. - Am I supposed to write an html-document for the
"applet"?! And what script should it contain? - And what the frog am I
supposed to do with the .class files?

Please, please, please help.

And thank you SOOO much in advance!
Kind regards
Rasmus Nielsen.

Emulate what?

[Adam]

..class files can be executed by a Java Virtual Machine (JVM)
which you need to have installed on your computer.
Type 'java' on the command line to find out.
If you don't have it - go to java.sun.com and
download Java2 JRE ver 1.4.2 for your system (Win, Mac, etc).
Install it (this process is automatic).

Now you can play with the emulator.
I've peeked at the code and found that
eas.class is the entry point of the application.
You have to:
- Open a command prompt.
- Change the current working directory
to the location where you have put
the .class files.
- type 'java -cp . eas' (that dot is important, so are spaces) and
press enter

Adam

[FISH]

[comp.lang.javascript removed from groups list]

ei**********@yahoo.co.uk (Rasmus Nielsen) wrote in message news:<22**************************@posting.google. com>...

Hey there.

Sad to say I'm a complete java ignoramus. That's why I have this
problem that I hope someone here can help me with:

I just downloaded 2 zipped archives that apparently contain java files
for an emulator or two which I would REALLY REALLY like to get
running:
[snipped...]

As for the downloaded archives themselves:

The first download is the "sourcecode" download
(http://www.fourmilab.ch/babbage/release/aesource.zip), just
described.
It contains 15 files with the ".java" extension, and 1 file called
"Makefile" (with no extension).
Right, that will be the source code used by programmers to build the
software. Unless you are a Java programmer (or very very curious)
avoid this. You'd need a developer kit to translate ('compile') the
source files into runnable form anyway - which I'm sure you'd know
about already if you had one.

The second download (http://www.fourmilab.ch/babbage/release/aeclass.zip)
is announced as the "Object code (.class files) for the command line
emulator"
It contains 30 files, all with the ".class" extension.
This is the runnable code itself. These files are input to the Java
Virtual Machine, which runs the Java bytecode software. As a non-
programmer, this is the file you need.

Now, I would be really really glad if someone here can please explain
to me what I should do with these components in order to get the
emulators to run. - Am I supposed to write an html-document for the
"applet"?! And what script should it contain? - And what the frog am I
supposed to do with the .class files?

Firstly you need to find out if you have Java (aka the Java plugin)
installed on your computer. Windows PC's with Sun's JRE installed
usually have a Java icon in the Control Panel section, with a swirly
coffee-cup logo. This tool enables you to configure Java and gives
useful info. The latest full version of Java is 1.4 - but I suspect
the code you're using will work under far earlier versions.

The Java Runtime Environment (JRE) can be downloaded from this
user-friendly site: http://java.sun.com/getjava/

To run the applet you'll need to find an appropriate HTML file. If
one isn't provided in the Zip file, try scouting around the site you
downloaded the applet from to see if you can find one.

To run the code stand alone, you'll need to use MS-DOS, as the author
doesn't appear to have packaged the code so it can be run from just
clicking an icon. Make sure the directory where the java.exe program
lives is in your path (be careful, as Microsoft bundled ancient versions
of Java with some version of Windows - make sure it is the java.exe from
the Sun version) and follow the command line instructions on the site
you downloaded the software from.
-FISH- ><>

[Dr John Stockton]

JRS: In article <22**************************@posting.google.com >, seen
in news:comp.lang.javascript, Rasmus Nielsen <ei**********@yahoo.co.uk>
posted at Thu, 26 Feb 2004 16:09:37 :-

Sad to say I'm a complete java ignoramus. That's why I have this
problem that I hope someone here can help me with:

Firstly, the Subject line of a news article should describe the topic of
the article, not the state of the author. You should find that stated
either in the newsgroup FAQ or in material that it links to. You should
always seek and read a newsgroup FAQ before posting to the group, unless
you have been reading the group for some reasonable while; preferably
both.

Secondly, the first thing that a Java or Javascript programmer should be
taught is that they are not the same language; in particular, they have
different newsgroups. The comp.lang.javascript FAQ is clear enough on
this point; the comp.lang.java[.*] FAQ[s], if extant, ought to be
equally clear.

About the only question positively on-topic for both groups is "why do
people not understand that?"

--
© John Stockton, Surrey, UK. ?@merlyn.demon.co.uk Turnpike v4.00 IE 4 ©
<URL:http://jibbering.com/faq/> Jim Ley's FAQ for news:comp.lang.javascript
<URL:http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/js-index.htm> jscr maths, dates, sources.
<URL:http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/> TP/BP/Delphi/jscr/&c, FAQ items, links.

[Ivo]

"Dr John Stockton" <sp**@merlyn.demon.co.uk> wrote

(...) different newsgroups. The comp.lang.javascript FAQ is clear enough
on this point; the comp.lang.java[.*] FAQ[s], if extant, ought to be
equally clear.
About the only question positively on-topic for both groups is "why do
people not understand that?"

© John Stockton, Surrey, UK. ?@merlyn.demon.co.uk
Usenet continues to attract new users.
Just a guess. (And we may be both thankful and proud that it does.)
They may even become the majority one day. And change the rules.
Just a thought.
Ivo

Turnpike v4.00 IE 4 ©
<URL:http://jibbering.com/faq/> Jim Ley's FAQ for news:comp.lang.javascript <URL:http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/js-index.htm> jscr maths, dates, sources. <URL:http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/> TP/BP/Delphi/jscr/&c, FAQ items,

links.

[Rasmus Nielsen]

Thank you, Adam, and Fish, for your great help! Now I can manage.
Thanx again. :o)

Kind regards.
-P.S. Dr Stockton: Just out of curiosity: Were your remarks somehow
supposed to be helpful?! Or is it a territorial thing?

[Dr John Stockton]

JRS: In article <22**************************@posting.google.com >, seen
in news:comp.lang.javascript, Rasmus Nielsen <ei**********@yahoo.co.uk>
posted at Sat, 28 Feb 2004 13:30:22 :-

-P.S. Dr Stockton: Just out of curiosity: Were your remarks somehow
supposed to be helpful?! Or is it a territorial thing?

ISTM useful that you should realise your stupidity; and others are
likely to learn from the example provided.

--
© John Stockton, Surrey, UK. ?@merlyn.demon.co.uk Turnpike v4.00 MIME ©
Web <URL:http://www.uwasa.fi/~ts/http/tsfaq.html> -> Timo Salmi: Usenet Q&A.
Web <URL:http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/news-use.htm> : about usage of News.
No Encoding. Quotes before replies. Snip well. Write clearly. Don't Mail News.

[FISH]

Dr John Stockton <sp**@merlyn.demon.co.uk> wrote in message news:<zm**************@merlyn.demon.co.uk>...
[snipped...]

ISTM useful that you should realise your stupidity; and others are
likely to learn from the example provided.

The confusion between Java and JavaScript stretches back to Netscape's
decision to rename LiveScript. It is tiresome to both parties to deal
with misplaced postings, but in this case pointing the finger of blame
at the novice is probably not so productive.

It is natural to assume that two entities within the same 'field' which
share a similar name stem are related. C and C++. Coke and Diet-Coke.
MacBurger, MacFries, MacEverything... This is an often used naming
convention - particularly useful in branding. With Java and JavaScript
you have the added problem that they both came to prominence through the
same field - dynamic web content - and at the same time. The seeds of
confusion were sown such that even if the original poster in this thread
was to do extensive searches on Google, the odds are low that they would
run into a site which *prominently* explains that Java != JavaScript.
(Indeed, even your own JavaScript 'FAQ' doesn't appear to explain the
difference! (?))

Perhaps if the term 'JavaScript' was phased out (except them specifically
refering to Netscape's implementation) in favour of 'ECMAScript', this
might in time reduce the level of confusion? Until then, Java and
JavaScript programmers will just have to continue to *politely* guide
misdirected posters to the right group...
-FISH- ><>