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MTsort is a new version of the Eurogam sort package. This has essentially the same functionality as the previous implementation with the following changes ...

The user graphical interface has been changed to improve control.

The functions of reading data, sorting data and optionally writing data have been separated into independent threads of the same task. This allows change of input source or sort program more easily. Thus, the package talks about input handlers, output handlers and event handlers. The input and output handlers allow data to be transferred from tape/disc/online to tape/disc/null(nowhere) independently of compiling the sort program (event handler).

The spectra are based in memory with a disc file equivalent which is used for saving at the end of the run, or on user demand.

The spectra are allocated in shared memory segments. This allows immediate viewing using the "sort" resource via the usual spectrum browser and spectrum viewer windows.

There is also the possibility of sorting directly to disc. This feature is intended only to be used if memory space is insufficient, as the sort will proceed more slowly compared with spectrum updating to memory. The package supports running with a mix of memory-based and disc-based spectrum updating.

N.B. Spectra can only be zeroed by starting the spectrum browser from the sort run window.


Maintained by Janet Sampson and John Cresswell (University of Liverpool)
Email to support@ns.ph.liv.ac.uk