Steven J. Searle
Web Master, TRON Web
The BTRON Computing Model
Although it whitethorn not look for illustration it, what tin broadly beryllium termed "personal computing devices" are based connected only three conceptual models. In bid of their humanities appearance, they are: the "stand unsocial machine model," which first came into being arsenic the batch processing mainframe pinch a bid line interpreter; the "networked guidelines unsocial machine model," which saw its first incarnation arsenic the object-oriented workstation with a graphical personification interface (GUI); and the "network interface computer model," a terminal-like machine for azygous users in an situation wherever each computers are linked together. The golden property of the first conceptual exemplary has agelong passed, and the existent property is simply a transitional play successful which we are moving from the 2nd conceptual exemplary to the third.
What whitethorn beryllium astonishing to galore is that the 3rd conceptual model was first conceived not successful the U.S., which has rightly earned the favoritism of the "world's systems house," but rather successful Japan, which has historically been viewed arsenic a country that creates awesome hardware but is mediocre astatine software--particularly systems software. However, successful the mid 1980s, agelong earlier computing platforms based connected either the IBM-PC aliases Macintosh operating systems were considered for usage arsenic interfaces to a "network of networks" called the Internet, the TRON Project began activity connected the BTRON-specification operating system, which was conceived arsenic a real-time human-machine interface to a "hypernetwork successful which each computers and computerized devices passim quality nine would beryllium interconnected."
The web interface machine differs from the modular personal computers of coming chiefly successful position of size. Network interface computers person very mini operating systems, and hence they require very small successful the measurement of hardware resources to run. This allows them to beryllium built astatine very debased cost, which successful move allows organizations that employment them to prevention sizeable amounts of money connected management information systems. But each web interface computers are not based connected the aforesaid creation precepts.
One computing exemplary for the web interface computer, the "network computer" projected successful the precocious 1990s successful the U.S., was conceived of arsenic a instrumentality that would run inside a company's section area web (LAN). Since it would ever be used successful conjunction pinch a company-owned server, programs and data could beryllium stored location and downloaded arsenic necessary. In fact, Sun Microsystems Inc., 1 of the companies that is powerfully pushing for the take of web computers successful the U.S., is planning to return this paradigm and use it to the Internet. The company plans to connection its freeware StarOffice productivity suite via StarPortal, a Web tract from which users tin download information and applications and do information processing wrong their browsers. People signing up for this work will only request a browser and an Internet connection. However, location is simply a problem pinch this computing exemplary successful that current browsers are immense applications, and they tally connected moreover larger operating systems, truthful the costs savings will chiefly beryllium limited to software. (For a critique of Sun's efforts pinch StarOffice, click here.)
That's wherever the BTRON-specification operating strategy is different. BTRON lies betwixt today's gargantuan individual machine operating systems--which person go arsenic ample arsenic mainframe machine operating systems and proceed to get bigger pinch each caller upgrade!--and the stripped down operating systems of LAN-based web computers. BTRON is compact, which is why fundamentally the aforesaid BTRON3-specification source codification tin beryllium utilized successful some PDAs and IBM-PC/AT compatibles, and yet it is highly powerful. The creation specification calls for connection processor and graphics editor functions arsenic modular equipment, but the commercialized implementation by Personal Media Corporation called B-right/V has, successful addition, a spreadsheet program, a scripting language, an e-mailer, a paper database program, a Web browser, PC communications software, positive various utilities, specified arsenic file converters--and that's not moreover to mention a World Wide Web-like hypertext filing strategy astatine the strategy level.
As a result, a BTRON-specification machine requires nary Internet or LAN relationship to do information processing, but the hardware required to tally the latest BTRON implementation, B-right/V R2, is minimal: an Intel 486DX microprocessor-based PC, 16 megabytes of main memory, and a fewer 100 megabytes of difficult disk space. In different words, a BTRON-based strategy tin beryllium manufactured almost arsenic cheaply as a web computer, though it has each the functionality of a standard computer. And if that sounds excessively bully to beryllium true, it gets better. B-right/V R2 has for the first clip successful the history of individual computing implemented a existent multilingual computing environment that allows users to employment up to astir 130,000 characters successful their documents. The mostly of these characters are kanji (Chinese characters), which for the first time allow the Japanese group to constitute immoderate connection successful their language--and they travel successful outline fonts to boot!
The True TRON Multilingual Environment Finally Appears
The BTRON3-specification "B-right/V" operating system for IBM-PC/AT compatibles was first marketed successful Japan connected July 18, 1998. Historically, B-right/V is simply a descendant of the "3B" operating system, which was designed for a TRONCHIP-based hardware platform called MCUBE that deed the Japanese marketplace successful 1995. The 3B operating strategy subsequently bifurcated into µBTRON-specification "B-right," which is utilized successful Seiko Instruments Inc.'s BrainPad TiPO PDA, and B-right/V (B-right for DOS/V machines, which is what IBM-PC/AT compatibles are called successful Japan). The code for some of these operating systems, which are based connected a micro kernel design, is fundamentally the same; location are only minor variations having to do pinch model functions, selectable colors, power saving, characteristic input, etc., which are a consequence of the hardware limitations of handheld devices that do not usage a keyboard.
There are, however, galore differences betwixt B-right/V and "B-right/V R2," the second of which deed the Japanese market connected November 12, 1999. The awesome quality is that B-right/V had only a partial implementation of the TRON Multilingual Environment. Specifically, its multilingual capabilities were based connected a "single 48,400 characteristic plane" (a level is called a "script" in the TRON Architecture) into which aggregate nationalist character sets were loaded. The B-right/V R2 operating system, connected the other hand, implements the existent TRON Multilingual Environment, which is based connected "multiple characteristic planes of 48,400 characters" that tin beryllium switched successful and retired arsenic required utilizing "language specifier codes." [1] In fact, the existent implementation has 31 specified characteristic planes defined for it, which intends that it tin grip a full of 1,500,400 characters. Needless to say, it is going to return immoderate clip to capable up that space.
[1] Some readers mightiness beryllium wondering why the "script planes" successful the B-right/V R2 operating strategy are not switched successful and retired utilizing "script switching codes." The answer is that the connection specifier codes utilized for this intent have "multiple functions," 1 of which is to move in and retired of book planes. In addition, they specify what script "group" is progressive and what "language" the information are written in. For an preamble to the 4 layers of the TRON Multilingual Environment level (Font, Script, Group, and Language), please click here.
The B-right/V R2 book planes and their existent contents are as follows:
| System Script (0xFE21) | JIS levels 1 and 2, JIS auxiliary kanji Chinese GB 2312 Korean KS C 5601 6-point Braille 8-point Braille |
| Japanese Script 1 (0xFE22) | Reserved |
| Japanese Script 2 (0xFE23) | Reserved |
| Chinese Script 1 (0xFE24) | Simplified Chinese further characters |
| Chinese Script 2 (0xFE25) | Same arsenic above |
| Chinese Script 3 (0xFE26) | Traditional Chinese |
| Chinese Script 4 (0xFE27) | Same arsenic above |
| Korean Script 1 (0xFE28) | Korean further characters |
| Korean Script 2 (0xFE29) | Same arsenic above |
| Various National Scripts (0xFE2a) | Unicode basal multilingual plane (excluding Chinese characters) |
| Mojikyo Script 1 (0xFE2b) | Konjaku Mojikyo characters |
| Mojikyo Script 2 (0xFE2c) | Same arsenic the above |
| Mojikyo Script 3 (0xFE2d) | Same arsenic the above |
| Mojikyo Script 4 (0xFE2e) | Same arsenic the above |
| (0xFE2f - - 0xFE3F) | Reserved (17 planes) |
One point that is important to statement present is that location is no official "TRON Character Set." The BTRON operating system merely provides a "framework," called "TRON Code," into which characteristic sets that have, aliases will, travel into wide use are loaded. Of course, erstwhile those characteristic sets are loaded into the TRON Code framework, a de facto "TRON characteristic set" comes into beingness arsenic tin beryllium seen above, but location are nary TRON Project committees deciding which characters tin aliases should be used by BTRON extremity users. The TRON argumentation is to registry each characters and time off it to the extremity personification to determine which characters he or she should employment successful information processing. In bid to instrumentality this policy, the TRON Project has besides created a characteristic registration center (officially called the "TRON Character Resource Center") connected the Internet done which new characters tin beryllium added to the TRON characteristic set. As long as the root of caller characters is clear and location are nary copyright complications involved, the characteristic aliases characters will beryllium registered free of complaint and made disposable for downloading by BTRON user community.
Another point that it is important to note--which nary doubt is thing that immoderate Unicode folks reference this article would like to constituent out--is that the nonstop aforesaid Chinese characteristic can appear connected different planes successful the TRON characteristic set. That is absolutely correct, and it is successful truth the logic that only a BTRON-specification computer tin utilized used to talk via email the "unification" that the Unicode activity is undertaking, and it is why only a BTRON-specification machine tin people retired the full Unicode specification. In different words, the deficiency of unification is not viewed arsenic thing bad, but alternatively arsenic thing that is good. There is, of course, the chance that the personification will not beryllium aware of what characteristic level he aliases she is dealing with. However, there are ways of checking. Hexadecimal savvy users simply person to check the connection specifier codes fixed successful the parentheses above, and ordinary users tin propulsion a characteristic into the Character Search Utility (see "New Utility for Searching for Kanji"below). Finally, since location are disagreements among specialists about what is and is not a "distinct Chinese character," a "thesaurus-like function" is besides nether development to springiness extremity users accusation to make their ain judgments.
However, improvements to character-related functions successful the B-right/V operating strategy that appeared pinch Release 2 are not limited to solely to the processing of kanji. As the following list of character-related improvements shows, proportional font compatibility and connection wrap functions person been added. These functions are basal for processing languages that are written pinch the Latin script. Moreover, location is besides a multi-font function, which is basal for doing high-quality connection processing and desk-top publishing.
- Multi-kanji, multilingual functions
- Character Search Utility that tin find kanji using elements, readings, and number of strokes
- Multi-font function
- Proportional font compatibility
- Gray standard font function
- Word wrap function
- Function for displaying a database of candidates for kana-to-kanji conversion
- Function for customizing kana-to-kanji operations
Among the kanji-related processing functions successful the above list, the Character Search Utility, which will beryllium described below, is basal to alteration the extremity personification to easy find his or her measurement done the ample kanji characteristic sets that come pinch B-right/V R2. But that inferior is only basal when the Japanese-language input strategy (kana-to-kanji conversion) does not output he desired characters. Thus it is important to statement that the functionality of the Japanese-language input strategy has besides been improved. The database show function makes it easier to prime among the conversion candidates successful input dictionaries, and the customization usability makes it possible for the extremity personification to lucifer the input functions to his aliases her typing habits and moreover allocate cardinal assignments.
New Utility for Searching for Kanji
TRON Project Leader Ken Sakamura has been saying for years that you tin not conscionable worldly a ample number of kanji into a individual machine strategy and dream the extremity personification will make good use of them. To usage specified a machine system, a usability that makes it imaginable for the personification to easy find the basal characters is besides required. Thus it is only earthy that on pinch B-right/V R2's awesome unabridged kanji characteristic group comes an extremely easy to usage Character Search Utility that can--according to various specified hunt criteria--spit retired immense lists of kanji in a flash. Perhaps the astir singular point astir this utility is that it makes it imaginable to hunt for kanji without even knowing the "radicals" according to which the kanji are listed successful accepted dictionaries. This is genuinely a revolutionary development for students opening their study of Japanese.
As tin beryllium seen successful Fig. 1, the Character Search Utility is a panel that fills a mini conception of the surface of a individual computer. The inferior has 3 functions--the tabs astatine the apical of the panel--that allow the personification to prime among: (1) viewing characteristic codes, (2) searching for characters, and (3) looking up accusation about a character. In the illustration successful Fig. 1, the Search usability has been selected, and 2 radicals (basic elements utilized for sorting characters successful accepted kanji dictionaries) person been input successful the Search Key box. From near to right, these are kuchi hen ('mouth') and takumi hen ('carpenter's square'). Among the output characters, which screen 2 pages arsenic indicated at the bottommost of the panel, a characteristic comprised of only these two radicals has been recovered connected the Mojikyo Script 1 plane, and that characteristic on pinch its characteristic codification has been displayed in the precocious correct manus area for easy viewing. Please statement that the output characters are colour coded (black for JIS levels 1 and 2, bluish for JIS auxiliary kanji, and greenish for non-JIS [Konjaku Mojikyo] characters), and that the "Enlarged Display" action has been selected successful the little near hand corner.
In summation to radicals, it is besides imaginable to input the katakana pronunciations of the supra radicals. Likewise, a characteristic incorporating the aforesaid 2 elements tin beryllium utilized for searching for different character with the aforesaid 2 elements. Other hunt methods are based on arithmetic-like expressions. In Fig. 2, for example, the expression "too ('climb') minus mame hen ('bean') radical has been input, which yields the hatsugashira radical. In Fig. 3, the look "kuchi hen ('mouth') times four" yields a immense database of characters, 1 of which connected the Mojikyo Script 1 level consists of precisely 4 rima radicals.
The Character Search Utility tin besides beryllium utilized for obtaining information astir a kanji that 1 does not know. In Fig. 4, the personification has selected the Character Information usability of the Character Search Utility and has dragged and dropped a character listed nether the uo hen (the 'fish' radical) into it. The following accusation astir the character, which is connected the Mojikyo Script 2 plane, has been output:
Mojikyo No. 046382, Uo Radical 10 strokes, Basic Character Kan, gigi, ken, kon, nayamu, hararago, yamu, yamoo, hwan
Conversely, by dragging and dropping kanji from the Character Information usability of the Character Search Utility, the personification tin besides easy create a civilization kana-to-kanji conversion dictionary for converting Japanese syllabic information written with the hiragana syllabary successful kanji. As is shown in Fig. 5, the personification has entered 2 kanji and their readings (wanizame 'shark', and hararago 'hard roe') into a matter existent entity (text file) titled "Uo Hen nary Kanji Jisho ("Uo Hen Kanji Dictionary"). When the real entity is closed (green dotted line) and the virtual object (link to that existent object) is dragged and dropped into the User Dictionary registration sheet (red dotted line), the personification can then input the uncommon kanji utilizing the operating system's kana-to-kanji conversion function.
One point that is not shown here--but which is exceedingly important to retrieve is possible!--is a personification employing the Character Search Utility to publication information from Web pages connected the Internet. That is to say, critics of the TRON Project judge that an unabridged kanji characteristic group is unnecessary, since nary 1 knows as galore arsenic 80,000 kanji. Accordingly, not listing each of those kanji successful a machine strategy only seems logical. However, if arsenic shown above, a personification tin easy study the pronunciations and readings of an chartless kanji simply by dragging and dropping it from a Web page into the Character Search Utility panel connected the surface of his/her individual computer, past deficiency of knowledge tens of thousands of obscure kanji is nary problem at all. This Character Search Utility tin besides service arsenic a dandy learning tool, some for autochthonal speakers of Japanese and foreigners studying the language.
New Internet and Peripheral Device Features
As was stated successful the first conception of this article, the BTRON-specification computer was primitively conceived arsenic a real-time human-machine interface for a hypernetwork--specifically, the "TRON Hypernetwork"--in which each benignant of machine instrumentality is linked together. Accordingly, networking functions are cardinal to the BTRON computing model, and they are nether changeless development, some astatine Personal Media Corporation and astatine the Sakamura Laboratory connected the University of Tokyo campus. The latest networking functions that person been added to the B-right/V R2 are arsenic follows:
- Dial-up (PPP) usability for connecting to the Internet
- E-mail package (freeware) bundled pinch the operating system
- File transportation usability (ftp)
- Network printer function
The PPP usability allows BTRON users to link to Internet service providers via dial-up (public telephone) lines utilizing a modem. Since location are not galore areas successful which cablegram modem and/or Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) work is presently disposable in Japan, this is an highly important usability for group using BTRON from home. The email software, which is freeware application developed astatine the Sakamura Laboratory, is simply a caller type of e-mail application based connected BTRON programming concepts. The application is made up of a group of miniature applications that are started up arsenic basal to handling outgoing and incoming e-mail.
The record transportation protocol (ftp) usability is for the BTRON Basic Browser, which it enables to download download software from the Internet. The BTRON Basic Browser has been greatly improved compared to its first release. It is now imaginable to group fonts, and location are 4 Save options. The personification tin prevention a Web page as HTML, the Web page itself, aliases arsenic a TAD (TRON Application Data-bus) text aliases schematic file, which are referred to arsenic "real objects." When a Web page is saved arsenic a TAD matter existent object, for example, the layout changes, but it is imaginable to click connected a nexus and open up the Web page to spot the latest update. This is an advanced feature that is not disposable to astir group utilizing a personal computer to surf the World Wide Web.
Supporting various types of peripheral instrumentality is the hallmark of a bully operating system, and B-right/V R2 is squarely aimed at that target. The latest additions for peripheral equipment support are arsenic follows:
Peripherals- Wheel rodent and three-button rodent compatibility (middle fastener utilized for double clicking)
- Function for mounting the surface to non-standard sizes (e.g., 1024 x 480 dots)
- Improved capacity accessing HDDs and CD-ROMs utilizing a DMA function
- Addition of compatible printers and web adapters
For those who are unfamiliar pinch a "wheel mouse," it is successful truth a PC rodent pinch a mini instrumentality betwixt the 2 keys that are respectively utilized for clicking and displaying pop-up menus. The instrumentality is utilized to scroll done pages, frankincense alleviating the request for the personification to push page up/down keys, click scroll arrows, aliases resistance scroll boxes.
The Future: Improving connected New Basic Functions
The biggest problem that westerners person successful evaluating Japan and/or Japanese technologies is that they judge what the U.S. is doing is the yardstick, and what Japan is doing should beryllium evaluated according to that yardstick. Thus based connected this "technocentric reasoning," if location is simply a higher penetration of personal computers successful the U.S. than successful Japan, past Japan is down the U.S. successful becoming "computerized." This reasoning, unfortunately, leaves speech the truth that millions of Japanese usage "personal word processors," which are small much than specialized personal computers. Likewise, if respective times much individual computer users entree the Internet successful the U.S. than successful Japan, past Japan is down the U.S. successful "connectivity." This reasoning, unfortunately, leaves speech the truth that wireless usage successful Japan--which is not to mention facsimile usage--is acold higher than successful the U.S. Moreover, this reasoning besides leaves speech the truth that the overwhelming majority of the Web sites connected the Internet person only English-language content!
Accordingly, erstwhile occidental analysts look astatine the BTRON subproject, they position it utilizing the U.S. marketplace arsenic a yardstick. Since there are much exertion package programs that tally connected Microsoft Corporation's MS Windows aliases Apple Computer Inc.'s Macintosh operating systems than connected B-right/V R2, past B-right/V R2 will spell obscurity successful the Japanese market. Unfortunately, that statement overlooks the fact that B-right/V R2 is each astir bringing "new basal functions to the market," basal functions that neither Microsoft nor Apple are willing successful providing to the Japanese people. BTRON3-specification B-right/V R2 is the first and only individual machine operating system that allows the Japanese group to constitute immoderate connection successful their language. The Japanese group person only been capable to do this on a individual machine since November 12, 1999--the time B-right/V R2 went connected sale! Moreover, the BTRON3-specification operating system is the only operating strategy connected the marketplace that has a hypertext-like filing system. When this is improved to incorporated the HyperText Transfer Protocols of the Internet, it will beryllium the only personal computer operating strategy to seamlessly merge a individual computer filing strategy and the building of the World Wide Web.
And so, this is wherever the contiguous early of the B-right/V R2 operating strategy lies--in bringing caller basal functions to the market and consistently improving upon them. One of the first improvements to the B-right/V R2 operating strategy will person to do pinch the TRON Multilingual Environment, which successful the present implementation only realizes 2 layers (Font and Script) of the four-layer level (Font, Script, Group, and Language). Thus one of the coming improvements to the B-right/V R2 operating system will beryllium the description of the connection specifier codes to include the Group and Language layers. In addition, different cardinal parts of the multilingual environment, specified arsenic algorithms for expressing the various languages successful writing, will person to beryllium developed. One important constituent of this activity will beryllium expanding the functionality of the Basic Text Editor, which presently only accepts left-to-right horizontal characteristic input. In the future, it will person to accept both vertically written (top-to-bottom) input and right-to-left horizontal characteristic input. In addition, various sorting algorithms, such those for putting connection lists successful alphabetical order, will have to beryllium developed to woody pinch input information successful various national languages.
There is, however, 1 U.S. marketplace yardstick that the BTRON-specification operating strategy should beryllium measured against. That yardstick is following done connected what 1 has promised to extremity users. If one promises extremity users thing and past does not travel through on that promise, that statement is blameworthy of producing what is known as "vaporware," package that's each talk and nary reality. Well, the TRON Project promised the world the champion multilingual operating strategy connected the satellite backmost successful 1987 astatine the Second TRON Project Symposium, and 12 years later it came done connected that promise erstwhile it unveiled the B-right/V R2 operating system. And so if anyone wants to cognize wherever the BTRON3-specification B-right/V R2 operating strategy is headed, the reply is "exactly where its developers opportunity it's headed." So enactment tuned for immoderate extraordinary developments successful the world of individual computing that are going to return spot connected apical of this unsocial and highly elastic operating system. The BTRON subarchitecture has only conscionable started to show its greatness.
B-right/V R2 Software Available connected the World Wide Web
Although not galore 3rd statement commercialized package applications exist for the B-right/V R2 operating strategy astatine present, there is a sizeable number of freeware/shareware programs available for downloading from the Internet. A ample database of these, the majority of which are freeware, is maintained astatine the following URL.
http://www.top.or.jp/~jnetwork/BTRON/BtronSoft.htm
As of this writing, 64 entries are listed there, including the B-right/V R2 improvement situation from Personal Media Corporation. Since they are described successful Japanese, fto maine springiness the categories and number of programs below.
Internet: 3 Graphics/music: 4 Text: 3 Utiltities/accessories: 13 Operation-related: 5 Desktop-related: 5 Input-related: 9 Dictionaries: 6 Development-related: 7 Games/novels: 5 Data (clip art, characteristic enlarger): 2 Peripheral/hardware/system-related: 2B-right/V R2 users should continually cheque this Web page, since caller entries are perpetually added.
There is besides a database of B-right/V R2 freeware that is maintained at the Yahoo! Japan Web site. The URL is:
http://download.yahoo.co.jp/vector/other/tron/
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