GEnie CP/M RoundTable, Category 7, Topic 7
Message 1, Sun Dec 14, 1986
From: J.F.SMITH [Jim Smith]

I have had the opportunity to beta test a soon to be released
product offered by Plu*Perfect Systems.  As a pre-release note
may the following wet your appetite.  This one is going to
knock your socks off.

B - a - c - k - G - r - o - u - n - d - e - r  ii
adds new dimensions to CP/M 2.2 Z80 computers

TASK SWITCHING ... lets you run two programs at one time and switch
between them.  For example, your text editor is available when you
are using a database manager, spreadsheet, or communications
program.  With task switching, all of your programs immediately
become "desktop accessories" for use while running any other task.

BACKGROUND COMMANDS ... let you run BGii's built-in commands without
disturbing your two primary tasks.  You can change disks, get file
directories, erase, rename, view and print files.  And get "help"
for a program at any time, even when it's running.

BACKGROUND PRINTING ... prints any number of files automatically
while you are running other tasks.  In addition, a program's printer
output can be redirected to a file.

EXTENSIBLE COMMANDS ... allow programmers to add customized
foreground and background commands to those already built into BGii.

TASK-TO-TASK DATA TRANSFER ... lets you mark and "cut" a region of
data on the current screen and later "paste" it into another
program.  There's a built-in notepad for making short notes while
other programs are running, and you can "dump" the current screen to
your printer, or to a file.

KEYBOARD MACROS ... allow you to use handy "alternate" and numeric-
keypad keys to represent complete commands, text, and printer
control sequences.  You can create and edit new definitions, or
even automatically record your keystrokes at any time.  These custom
definitions can be saved for use with particular programs, and
automatically loaded, if desired, when the programs are rerun.

BACKGROUND CALCULATOR ... lets you do quick calculations in 15 digit
decimal or hexadecimal arithmetic, save results in memory registers,
and automatically recall the answer in a program.

NAMED DIRECTORIES ... for easily-remembered drive and user-number
areas.

BGii is a high-performance virtual-memory extension to CP/M.  It
works best with a ram-disk or a hard disk.  BGii replaces the CP/M
command processor and requires about 2.75K of additional space (just
0.25K in a ZCPR3 system).  The virtual-memory file on the disk
requires about 100K.  BG can be instantly removed to restore the
original command processor, should a very large program require more
space.

BGii is compatible with the ZCPR3 command processor concept and
associated high-memory buffers.  Conflicts exist with a very few
ZCPR3 applications programs that depart from CP/M standards.

BackGrounder ii, is Copyright 1986 by Bridger Mitchell and
Plu*Perfect Systems.