[starlogo-users] Linux & locale (Germanized version)

[Wolfram Schwenzer]

Hi,
Though I'm an old LOGO aficionado (since the days of Terrapin LOGO for 
the Apple IIe) I'm new to StarLOGO
(to behonest I've quitted reading 'bout it some years ago when its 
vevelopment was confined to MSWindows).
I have taught LOGO in computer "science" courses using MSWLOGO , both in 
English & German versions (you can
easily write a translator between them using LOGO itself showing to your 
ignorant, smiling colleagues how vastly more
powerful this "kid's language" is in comparison to any BASIC dialect I 
know of ;-) ...).
But then I thought twice whether there was no way to get away from 
operating system "bondage" (to show WHY just
consider MSWLOGO's development which was heavily connected to Borland's 
TASM using in-line  code  & which causes
now headaches to  the team  who develops a new version as the commercial 
product of this assembler is NO LONGER
AVAILABLE. The only remedy against such a "low of fate"  is - to my 
humble knowledge - NOT to use canned,
commercial products but freeware tools which do not have this merciless 
dependency upon the will & whims of the manufacturer :-( ....)

The only operating system-independent LOGO has been - until now - (and 
as far as I know, I'd like to be contradicted ;-) ...)
UCBLOGO, which is still supported by Brian Harvey (good ol' chap, I 
admire him really :-) ...) . Now Daniel Azuma tried his hands
upon a Java version of LOGO which even allowed applets on HTML pages, 
but which was no further developed though he made
its sources public. Now I've read about a STARLOGO version all in Java 
(I downloaded the Linux port today) and I would be glad to
contact people who have installed it or used it or even worked with the 
sources; I 've tried my hands on early Java some years ago,
but the sheer bulk of its further development has left me dumbfounded & 
irritated, so I need a little bit of encouragement to enter
the lion's - pardon me, the tiger's - cave again  ;-) ....

I would also be willing/interested to share in translating 
docs/commands' sets etc. into German to ease & whet the youngster's 
appetite
here in Germany to try STARLOGO for a change & treat.

    Yours friendly

Wolfram Schwenzer