Saturday, May 21, 1988
Howdy!

    These two diskettes contain two large archives, well-filled with some
very interesting utility programs.  Since many of these programs are pretty
unusual, it's unlikely that anyone but me will find them ALL useful.  
However, it's virtually certain that you will find at least some of them
helpful, and a few may give you ideas for something else you could use.

    These programs have nearly all been written in an unusually nice
programming language, SNOBOL4, which deserves to be better known than it
has been so far.  A valid question when looking at any new langugage is,
"gee, what kinds of things could I do with it?"  Although there are as many
answers to that question as there are SNOBOL4 users, the programs that make
up this package are some of the great variety of things that I've found to
use the language for, thus far.

    Please use the utility PKXARC to "un-archive" the files contained on the
two diskettes.  (NOTE:  this will be somewhat complicated if you only have
360Kb floppy disks and no hard drive on your system.  If you're not sure how,
your best bet is to ask one of your more knowledgeable friends at your local
computer club or computer store to help you.  The two archives together 
contain something like 36 files, more than 1.6Mb of documentation and 
programs.  The print file containing the user's guide is by itself too large 
to fit on a 360K floppy disk).  The command lines to perform the un-archiving 
should look something like:

    c:
    mkdir \snoutils
    cd \snoutils
     (put the first diskette in drive A:)
    copy a:pkxarc.* 
    pkxarc  a:snoutil1
     (put the second diskette in drive A:)
    pkxarc  a:snoutil2

    When this has been done, you will find a large documentation file 
(UTILSDOC.PRT) which contains the manual for the complete set of utilities.
This manual can either be read directly from disk as an on-line reference
(to use it in this mode, I strongly suggest the use of Vernon Buerg's
extremely fine LIST program) or you can print the manual.  The file is
set up for printing in COMPRESSED MODE (please put the printer into 
compressed print mode before printing the manual;  the print file does not
know what control codes might be required with your printer).  The resulting
document, when trimmed, will fit nicely into a standard MS-DOS binder, or
can be bound into a conveniently sized handbook.  You will get the best
results if your printer supports the IBM extended graphics characters;  if
not, there will be a few places where some characters may not print right.

    This set of programs is being distributed as Shareware.  This means that
you are free to use the programs as long as it takes to decide whether or
not they are useful to you.  However, if you use any of the programs on an
ongoing basis, you should "register" as a user.  This nominal registration
fee will get you the latest versions of each of the programs in the package,
compiled with the newest and most problem-free version of the SNOBOL4+ system.
In addition, the "registered" versions take up less disk space and are faster
when executed, since the shareware information screens displayed at the end
of many of the programs are eliminated in the registered versions.  

    Foreign users are especially encouraged to register their use of the
package, and may find it most convenient to pay using American Express
Traveler's Checks, available in US dollar denominations at American Express
Travel Service offices in most major cities around the world.  This will
eliminate the heavy fees that many foreign banks charge for payments in 
US currency.  Residents of the British Isles or France may also pay in 
checks denominated in either sterling or French francs.  

    Thank you, and I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

				Gordon E. Peterson II
				P.O. Box 40476
				San Antonio, TX  78229-1476
				USA

P.S.  You can earn a free "registered" version of any one of these utilities
(your choice!) if you upload this entire package (both diskettes, unmodified)
onto your local bulletin board, or put it into the diskette library of your
local computer club or users' group for distribution to other members of the
club or users' group.  Just send me "proof" of having done so, and I'll send 
your free registered program.  (This offer is limited, and may be withdrawn 
without notice.)