Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!ncc!alberta!sask!lowey
From: lowey@sask.UUCP (Kevin Lowey)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics
Subject: Re: online database graphics
Summary: GIF does what you want
	 and it originated with COMPUSERVE
Message-ID: <1100@sask.UUCP>
Date: 11 May 88 23:06:18 GMT
References: <3bd128e8.44e6@apollo.uucp>
Organization: University of Saskatchewan
Lines: 42

In article <3bd128e8.44e6@apollo.uucp>, nelson_p@apollo.uucp writes:
> 
>  I have been considering getting accounts on Compuserve and perhaps
>  on some other online databases such as Dialog.  One of the things 
>  I've noticed about these services is that, even if they call them-
>  selves 'information services', their definition of information is
>  rather narrowly limited to ASCII text.
>  
>  A lot of information is better presented graphically. 

>  So why don't we see more use of graphics in online databases?  

  COMPUSERVE has developed a standard called Graphics Interchange Format.
It can be used two ways.  The first is you download a file, then use a
GIF viewer to display the image on your screen.  The image is stored in
a device independant way, so it can be displayed on many different devices.
Unfortunately the only one I've seen so far is for EGA cards.

  The second way is to use it online.  The picture is decoded "on the fly"
by your terminal emulator.  Unfortunately you need a special emulator to 
do this.  I haven't seen any terminal programs which have this emulator in
them.

  There are other standards.  For example, the NAPLAPS (sp?) standard for
systems like Telidon use a standard for low resolution colour images similar
to the displays shown on some cable TV information channels.  Simple pictures
could be developed from circles, lines, etc. The user uses a number pad to
select different "screens" which contain more information like bus schedules,
good restaurants, stock prices, etc.  Here in Saskatchewan the telephone
company has a service called AGRITEX based on this system, for use by 
the farming industry and other interested people.

  There is also the ANSI METAFILE standard.  This has been developed to
allow the transfer of graphic images to different programs.  For example,
Lotus Freelance can create META files that can be read by Lotus Freelance
and included in documents.  I'm awaiting a driver for our VAX/VMS TELL-A-GRAF
program which will allow it to use ANSI-METAFILES, thus allowing vertical
integration of Micro and Mainframe graphics systems.

  So in other words, the standards exist, and are being used.

Kevin Lowey -- University of Saskatchewan Computing Services