Call for Beta Testers
    
    AhuraMazda(tm) Software
    
    Introduction:
    AhuraMazda(tm) Software will soon be releasing a 
    commercial software development product for PowerBASIC 
    3.2 known as "Laleh's Pattern Matcher," or ['LPM'$.
    LPM has been in development for over a year in the lab 
    and has been used as an in-house tool for as long.  
    With the alpha testing phase of in-house version 4.0 
    over, it is time to introduce it to beta testing and 
    eventually, public release as LPM Pro Version 1.0, 
    which will be AMS's first commercial software release.
    LPM is a comprehensive interpreted pattern matching 
    language with potential application in:
    1.  Natural language translators,
    2.  Lexical analysis engines,
    3.  Grammar/spelling checkers,
    4.  Industrial strength search engines,
    5.  Compiler compilers,
    6.  Internet Email and Usenet message scanners,
    7.  HTML parsers,
    8.  Computer language preprocessors.
    To date, LPM is implemented as an add-on library for 
    PowerBASIC 3.2 for DOS, but with PowerBASIC Inc's 
    announcement of an impending release of PowerBASIC/DLL, 
    AhuraMazda(tm) Software has great hope that LPM will 
    soon be an industry standard Windows DLL (3.1 and '95) 
    that will be linkable into any IS DLL compatible 
    compiler, such as Visual Basic and Visual C++.  LPM has 
    been designed with a timely Windows port in mind.
    Background:
    LPM uses far more advanced technology than pattern 
    matching systems based on Regular Expressions (grep, 
    for instance).  It is fully interpreted at run-time, 
    which means that debugging and upgrading LPM based 
    engines may mean only changing external data files.  
    Moreover, it is highly expressive, including the 
    ability to match: string literals; character sets; 
    substrings within balanced delimiters; substrings 
    previously matched; literals, patterns, and sublists 
    within lists, Soundex patterns, and even customizable 
    match types.
    For example, with LPM as an engine, it becomes possible 
    to scan through hundreds of email messages to weed out 
    anything that may or may not interest the reader -- 
    even if the message writer happens to misspell a word 
    now and then.  Another potential use would be to parse 
    BNF compiler grammars, or even to translate English 
    into any number of target languages.
    In short, LPM is only as limited in application as the 
    programmer who uses it.
    Beta Testing Application:
    AhuraMazda(tm) Software is looking for beta testers who 
    meet the following requirements:
    1.  Program in PowerBASIC 3.2,
    2.  Can send and receive Internet email
    attachments,
    3.  Have a serious interest in pattern matching
    technology.
    In order to be certain that prospective testers can 
    satisfy the second requirement, full application forms 
    will be sent to testers via Internet email as an 
    archived file attachment.  The application explains how 
    to proceed.  Since only those with true attachment 
    capability will be able to unarchive the attached file, 
    this process assures that only those with the 
    appropriate Internet technology will be able to reply.
    If you are interested in applying for a position as an 
    LPM beta tester, please send Internet email to
        qjackson@direct.ca
    with the subject: LPM APPLICATION.  The message body 
    should include a brief explanation for your interest in 
    testing this technology.  All such mail will be replied 
    to with an email attachment with the complete 
    application form.
    Thank you for your interest in AhuraMazda(tm) Software 
    and Laleh's Pattern Matcher.
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 * POW 1.2  On Trial * A fool and his copyright are soon parted....
--- Maximus/2 2.01wb
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