SCRIPT, An On-Line Manuscript Processing System

The SCRIPT commands of the IB CP67/ CMS system provide interactive creation and editing of manuscript text, and can format and output hard copies. The primary goal of SCRIPT was a convenient method within an on-line system to permit programmers to prepare and maintain system documents. The SCRIPT commands have, however, also been used extensively to prepare technical reports and papers of all kinds. The EDIT module creates and operates upon a file in secondary storage. Lines of text from the typewriter terminal are put into canonical form and added to or inserted in the file. Editing instructions can reference a line either by context or relative line number, and can change strings within the line to other strings, as well as retype, delete, or insert whole lines. The PRINT module formats the manuscript file and outputs it to either the typewriter or line printer. Lines are left and right justified by adding additional embedded blanks where necessary. A logical topology data structure correctly interprets overprinting characters. Format control lines may be inserted in the text to specify such additional features as heading lines, line length, page length, page numbering, centering, indentation, and double spacing. The design of a follow-on system with major changes in each of these areas is discussed (see Fig. 5 of the text).