28 January 1985 Z-NEWSLETTER 104 Z TIPS: VFILER is an important ZCPR3 shell. Running your entire computer system from its CMD files is easy. At cold boot your startup alias is used to load VFILER as the last operation, turning control over to you, ending in splendid DIRectory screen of VFILER. From there you have access to ten macro commands for further operations. If you move to another directory, another ten could be available. Housekeeping is VFILER's strength. Fully screen oriented, can point to files to further process them: tag for group copy to another directory, for deletion as a group, with or without individual verification prompting; rename, size, view (if text file) or send to printer. You may organize your system from CMD macro menus, VFILER's secondary strength. Housekeeping plus command menus tie your activities together. If you design CMD's to automate normal tasks, your overall efficiency is greatly improved: through reduced keyboard inputs, less typing, thus fewer typing errors; and reduced mental (mnemonic) overhead! An example CMD command and menu file: ! Vfiler CMD File for Word Processing, Database and Communicatins !reminder --> %d=current disk %u=current user %f=current file ! --> %$=%d%u:%f 0 xd %d:*.* 'Attributes (p=send to printer, ah=fn.ft, horiz sort): ' 1 ws %$ 2 BASE:;spell %$ $slic;review;markfix %$ $m#;WORK1:;ws %$ 3 a:;cleanup %$ $m#;WORK1:;ws %$ 4 a:;phrase %$ passive.txt;WORK1:;ws %$ 5 CAT:;catscan 'Master Catalog Search (e.g. *.doc): ' *.*;WORK1: 6 tmaker get finance.tmk e;copy BACKUP:=%d:finance.tmk /a 7 modem7 8 mbasic %d:dims 9 protect %$ 'Attribute (r=r/o, s=system, a=archive): ' # >>> WORD PROCESSING, DATABASE and COMMUNICATIONS Menu <<< ---------------------------------------------------------------- 0 - Directory of Current Disk (XD) - 0 1 - EDIT Current File (WordStar) - 1 2 - Spelling Check and Correction (SPELL+) - 2 3 - Punctuation and Grammar Check (CLEANUP) - 3 4 - Style Check (PHRASE) - 4 5 - Scan Master CATALOG from Console (CATSCAN) - 5 6 - Financial Tally (T/MAKER) - 6 7 - Telecommunicate via modem (Modem7) - 7 8 - Database Management System (MBasic + DIMS) - 8 9 - Set Current File Attribute (R/O, R/W, Archive) (PROTECT) - 9 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Note leading ! starts comment line (any character other than a number or # can also); the # means end-of-commands, start of menu displayed when # is pressed by console operator. Looking at Command 6: T/MAKER3 integrated multi-purpose program loads which then loads (get) special text file FINANCE.TMK and goes into edit mode (e); after editing is complete and exit occurs, ZRDOS COPY program loads and automatically archives text file to directory BACKUP, normally disk C0 on Echelon's corporate computer. BASE is always A0; B0, WORK1; and A8 is CAT (A8 is not along COM file path seach). Commands 2, 3 and 4 use Wayne Holder's (Oasis Systems, San Diego, California) The WORD Plus and Punctuation and Style. Command structure and syntax come from VFILER online help at menu entry (creating) User Functions (0-9 and #). You learn to use VFILER from within itself. VFILER has full CRT screen of instant, built-in help (menu of available commands) obtained by typing ? (or /) at command prompt, but it also has H for chaining to VFILER.HLP A search is first make to find HELP.COM along the path; if not found, running HLP is not attempted. Don't forget that aliases (created with ALIAS.COM) can be nested in CMD command lines. Extensive ALIAS variables are sometimes convenient (and fun) to use. Also MENU and VMENU may be an entry in a CMD command line! If you don't use VFILER you are missing advantages of a powerful shell--Unix (and PC/MS-DOS) users wished they had it so good! Two neat files on our Z-Nodes are WMPATCH and WSPATCH, written by Dennis Wright, used to permit WordMaster and WordStar to know about ZCPR3 and its TCAP evironment. Give them a try from either 213/670-9465 or 415/489-9005 message systems. Good_News: Crescendo Systems (Dave Lucky, 1030 Santa Lucia Drive, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523, 415/827-9339) is shipping ready-to-run ZCPR3 for SWP Microcomputer Products' ATR8000 series. Implementation comes with 30-page COOKBOOK telling of ZCPR3 virtures and ways to arrange your disk system for best efficiency. If you own an ATR8000, or want to buy one, and want ZCPR3 on it, Crescendo is the way to upgrade for only $124.95, complete. ZCPR3: The Manual is going to be shipped. We can't say for sure but the rumor is in early March all orders go out! What a relief and a blessing it will be to have it out! Into hands of all those who want it! Richard Conn is reviewing final page proofs now. Those having placed orders receive it through the mail, without further contact. Once we get our hands on this beautiful document we will forget all the delays and be happy. ZRDOS2 appears on schedule, and if nothing unplanned occurs will start delivery at end of February. Our flyer on it and ZRDOS is informative. Ampro Computers (67 E. Evelyn Avenue, Mountain View, CA 94041, 915/962- 0230) is shipping their SCSI (Small Computer Systems Interface - ANSI Standard) add-on board to Little Boardtm and costs $99.00 plus S&H. We use this interface on Dave McCord's Z-Node at 415/489-9005. If you haven't been accessing our node you've been missing use of a unique set of fast hardware and software. An aside: the Echelon team is working presently to complete our planned nodal activity, hopefully by September 1985. Z-Node runs secure ZCPR3 and ZRDOS (or Z-Com) with Term3 and Emsg. All tie together through use of Term3 to form automatic global (Earthly) message handling system. Sysops wishing to convert to such a communications system please write for further details. Sort_of_Bad_News: Zilog has slipped first deliveries of Z800 into next quarter missing promised Valentine's Day introduction--as declared some months back--being the tenth anniversary of their founding. The only good side of this announcement is they also delayed introduction of top-of-the-line Z80,000 the same amount. When or how will fire be put under them is unknown. So we wait for this beautiful Z80 upward compatible chip, and wait and wait! Remember it will run our software without change. And do it with 3 to 10 times speed of a 4-mHz Z80! Its instruction set contains 8080 and Z80 operation codes, plus many more for hardware arithmetic and 16-megabyte RAM control for efficient multitasking, running more than one program simultaneously. REACTIONS: We opened a hornets' nest when we didn't indicate expected delivery dates for our new prdoucts, as included on List Prices sheet dated 7 January 1985. Our new sheet (being printed now) indicate status of each line item. A general summary indicates all new items are shipping or will be within 60 days or less. The exceptions are ZRDOS3, Emsg, Change Control Manager (MaintMan) and ZCPR3: The Libraries. More dates when they firm. Question regarding our Lasting-Value Software has been received. What is it? We've never been too clear about the label...the line consists only of those application programs that either impress or take full advantage of Z- System environment. Presently we consider these few under our definition: Discat -- File and Disk Catalog Manager XtraKey -- Stand-alone Function-key Generator KAMAS -- Integrated Idea/Outline Processor Term3 -- Terminal/Computer Communications Program MaintMan -- Document Maintenance Manager Emsg -- Electronic Message and Mail Handler KAMAS and XtraKey are provided by Compusophic Systems and Xpert Software, respectively (see newsletters 007 and 009); the rest, Echelon. All other than these programs provided by Echelon are considered "core" packages--those that put you into high-technology computing with ZCPR3 and its utilities and ZRDOS modules (Z-System)! Remaining software, not part of core or applications, are program development tools (Z-Toolstm) consisting of assemblers, debuggers, translators, disassembler, and Syslib3. These aid in quickly writing and debugging assembly language programs, even without source code. Z-Tools, along with ZCPR3 utilities, permit efficient creation of end- user solutions...end-users are those who don't buy tools; they buy solutions to their problems. Syslib3, VFILER, MENU, VMENU, ALIAS, PWD, SAK, Named Directories, all real turn-key system producers! Programmers, learn and not forget: end-users are wind in our sails--they blow, we go! End-users are everywhere; one could be you. Why Z? What a name for an operating system and its environment! Well, it's the last letter in the alphabet; it's associated with Zilog, source of our chips. And it's fresh and easy to remember, compared to cob-webbed Unix and the like. Amateur's Corner: Learning assembly language programming is greatly simplified with debuggers and disassemblers of quality we offer. Example: disassemble a COM file for a program you have source code to and then compare source listings. Re-assemble disassembled source, modify by editing until no assembly errors occur--learning by doing! Our ASM and MAC (with subroutines coming from Syslib3) files are ideal to use as source. See how the REL files were linked into contiguous binary code groupings and then from whence they came. Disassembling code is fun and informative and teaches programming fast. We encourge all to consider value of our Z-Tools package, both as production software and as information bearers! You've probably noticed bias in ways we approach computer usage: we don't patronize the naive user; he is given a chance to grow, to learn to be an elitist! We prod and push ourselves to learn, as we do with you. Some say you don't need to know how something works to use it, but such concepts result in parallel philosophy: one doesn't need to understand life to live--not true! To live (and not be simply a product of reaction, to have a personal will) requires deep understanding of life. Using a computer is one thing--understanding its logical operations is something quite different. That difference makes difference. Both sheep and wolf within us must remain intact! See you down the lines... Echelon, Inc. 101 First Street Los Altos, CA 94022 Telephone: 415/948-3820 ZCPR3 BBS & Z-Node: 415/489-9005 Trademarks: Z80/800, Zilog; WY-50/75/85, Wyseword, Wyse Technology; VT- 220/100/52, Digital Equipment; Z-System, Z-Tools, Lasting-Value Software, ZCPR3, ZRDOS, Z-Com, Z3-Dot-Com, Discat, Emsg, Syslib3, Term3, MaintMan, Echelon and their authors; PC-DOS, IBM, Int'l Business Machines; MS-DOS, Macro-80, Xenix, MBasic, Microsoft; CP/M, MP/M, MAC, RMAC, Digital Research; WordStar, MicroPro; T/Maker3, T/Maker; Little Board, Ampro Computers. Z-Newsletter 104 is Copyright 1985 Echelon, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Permission to reprint automatically granted if source credit is given to Echelon. ============================================== [zrdos2.ei] Z R D O S 2 ZRDOS2 is extended over ZRDOS for enhanced buffered command line editing, big hard disk usage and improved ZCPR3 I/O Package interfaces. Planned shipments start 28 February 1985. Those who would like to upgrade to a super Z80 coded BDOS and no longer be dependent upon Digital Research can now be fully free. (Requires BIOS buffer space of 304 bytes.) ZCPR3 combined with ZRDOS2 create super system. Additionally, we offer a complete set of software development system (Z- Tooltm) utilities: relocating Z80 macro assembler, linker, library manager, two debuggers, five trans-lators (to and from Intel/Zilog/TDL/CDL) and 8080/Z80 disassemblers. Some important ZRDOS2 features: Downward compatible with CP/M-80, full ZCPR3 compatibility Takes advantage of Z80 Instruction Set with single-level re-entrance ZCPR3 Wheel Byte used to write-protect selected files from non-Wheel users Handles files and disks to 512 megabytes Changed floppy disks automatically logged in Read/Only Disk status maintained after warm boot Read Console Buffer Function (10) has full edit and recall capability plus treats rubout (DEL) same as backspace File Archive Attribute Bit set by Function 30, compatible with MP/M and CP/M 3 Support Utilities include A(rchive)C(opy), useful for archiving and backup, plus Set/Display File Attribute, View, Compare, and Dump programs Enhanced Error Messages with non-cryptic announcements Extended Functions (47, 50 & 52) get DMA and set/reset warm boot trap Z800 version (ZRDOS3) has over 47 non-CP/M Functions added to achieve easy MS-DOS program migration Z80 version in hex code to patch existing CP/M system @ $74.99 Z800 version pricing not yet established Function 10 enhanced with full insert edit capability, plus command recall from buffer area, add new convenience with ZCPR3 multiple commands per line. Documentation is 45 pages of tight, unambiguous language describing each DOS function. We are only handling ZRDOS2 on 8" SSSD disks at present; if demand is high for other formats we will download. The Z80 development system Z-Tool Package is $200.00 complete; the super mainframe-featured screen oriented dynamic assembly language debugger adds $195.00. Again, Z800 version pricing not yet established. -------------- Function 10 Control Codes: CTRL-E Set/Reset Insert EDIT MODE CTRL-R Recall last entered Buffered Line Seven EDIT MODE Functions (active only in Edit Mode) CTRL-S move cursor left one character CTRL-D move cursor right one character CTRL-A move cursor left one command CTRL-F move cursor right one command CTRL-G delete character at cursor CTRL-K clear to end of line CTRL-T delete one command entry ZRDOS2 editing features add new dimensions to multiple command possibilities! -------------- Trademarks: Z80/800, Zilog; Z-Tool, Echelon; MP/M, CP/M, Digital Research; MS-DOS, Microsoft; ZCPR3, Richard Conn; ZRDOS, Dennis Wright. Copyright 1984 Echelon, Inc. All Rights Reserved 2 January 1985