=================================================================
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megabyte of files available to members 24 hours. An annual fee
of $30.00 is required for access, an application may be down-
loaded by calling System #1 at (813) 937-3608 at 300/1200/2400
baud or send a SASE along with your request to:
NOTE: Articles and reviews of machines, hardware, software, and
other peripherals reflect currently advertised prices as released
by the distributors and are included here for YOUR INFORMATION
ONLY. The TBKUG/DataCOM Network is NOT being paid to
advertise these products and we cannot be held responsible
for the price and/or performance of said products.
=================================================================
-={ THE TBKUG IS MOVING !! }=-
I will be moving into a new location on November 15 and the new
address will be:
Please note that ALL telephone lines both voice and data will
also be changing and the new numbers will be in effect as of
November 15. I would expect at least a day or two of interrupted
chaotic service before things get back to normal so please be
patient.
Modem Line 1 (813) 791-1454
Modem Line 2 (813) 791-1455
-={ Solid Underlining with Wordstar & Okidata }=-
by Randy Reder
At the last TALKUG meeting someone had a question on how to do
solid underlining using Wordstar with the Okidata printer. There
were a couple of methods suggested by other members. The one I
find easiest is to utilize the special printer codes that can be
set using Winstall.
Everybody should have received a program called WINSTALL.COM on
the disk that contains their Wordstar Package. Transfer that
program and WS.COM to a blank formatted disk. At the A> prompt,
type in WINSTALL. The program will take you through a few sets
of instructions on how to install Wordstar. It will then present
a main menu. At this point select the function which concerns
the customization of printers. You will then be presented with
another menu which will let you select the options for entering
the printer codes for boldface, superscript, subscript, etc. On
my program the "O" option is labeled as user defined codes.
Select this option.
The screen will then advise you that the first user-defined
function is ^P^Q and will ask you how you want to define this
function. The code to begin solid underlining for the Okidata 92
printer is found on page 85 of the printer manual. The hex code
is 1B 43. To instruct WINSTALL that you are using hex code you
need to type an "h" after each pair of characters. So at this
point type in "1Bh 43h." The program will ask you to verify this
selection before moving on to the next screen which will prompt
you to insert the function for ^P^W. On the same page of the
printer manual you will find that the hex code for ending the
underlining is "1B 44." So type in "1Bh 44h."
The program then will continue on in a similar manner prompting
you to define the functions ^P^E and ^P^R. I have defined the
^P^R key to print in double space. This allows me to write the
text on the screen in single space, but then have the document
printed in double space. The hex code for the Okidata 92 is
found on p. 82 of the manual. It is 1B 25 31 32. Now finish the
instructions of the program. When you are done, it will inform
you that Wordstar is installed and return you to the A> prompt.
Now try your new printer functions out. Enter Wordstar and
create a test document. When you want to begin underlining type
in ^P^Q. Like all of the other printer functions, the ^P does
not show up on the screen. Instead you will only see the ^Q.
Now type a few words and then type ^P^W.
Save your document and print it. You should find that all the
characters including spaces between the ^P^Q and ^P^W are under-
lined. Naturally, the ^P^Q and ^P^W will not show up at all. If
you want to underline text that extends past one line and
continues onto another, note that the margin preceding the second
line will also be underlined. To avoid this you need to enter a
^P^W at the end of each line and begin the underlining again by
entering ^P^Q at the beggining of the next line.
-={ WHATSNEW in the Public Domain }=-
For the ZCPR3 enthusiasts we submit the following:
ARUNZ04A.LBR This is the new Alias-Run utility that does for
alias script files what LRUNZ does for .COM files. Many
different alias scripts may be stored in one file called
ALIAS.CMD and then run when called from the commandline. This is
a big space saver especially on machines like the Kaypro 10 with
a 4k minimum block allocation.
BIOSMR12.LBR is an upgrade to Michael Rubenstein's BIOSMMR for
the Kaypro 10 owner. This update was done by John Smith and now
allows the use of Echelon's ZRDOS+ replacement for Digital
Research's CP/M BDOS. BIOSMR12 also supports some new features
added by John to allow much quicker loading of the STARTUP files
and includes them in the B drive overlay.
LUZ3.LBR contains library utilities for use under ZCPR3 and
includes a nice LDIR-type program, a LGET to extract members, and
a LX program which is the fastest CMDRUN I've seen yet for use
with a COMMAND.LBR file.
VALIAS11.LBR is the official release version of Jay Sage's video
alias editor. Enough cannot be said about this fine utility,
especially if you re-write aliases as often as I do. You can
edit/insert/delete/change any portion of the alias script desired
and then re-save to disk.
VERROR13.LBR is a new type of video-oriented error handler that
allows you to go back and edit the commandline in error using
Wordstar-style cursor commands.
VFILER37 is the latest in a long line of NewSweep-type disk
maintenance utilities for ZCPR3 users. Al Dunsmuir has done an
excellent job of optimizing the code and it now runs faster then
ever before. It now has all the features of NSWP except for the
ability to squeeze a file.
-={ WHATSNEW for the CP/M-80 users }=-
DAZLSTAR.LBR contains a unique full screen, multi-windowed
disassembler for Z80 programs. It has a complete tutorial on
it's useage built in and can be called on-screen anytime you need
help. DZ is a simple and fun program to help you learn the inner
mysteries of what makes Z80 programs run. (This is also
available as TBKUG User Disk #079 by mail - all TBKUG User Disk
volumes are $10/ea, we furnish the disk, the mailer, and the
postage.)
DCAT10.LBR has a utility for listing all files on each
individually cataloged disk in your MAST.CAT file. It reads in
the MAST.CAT file produced by MCAT45 and then outputs the results
to the printer.
DDRAWTUT.WQ is a complete tutorial on the use of Dan Griffith's
graphic utility DDraw. It was written by our good friends at
PeopleTalk Associates in Dallas Texas. If you have been having a
hard time figuring out how to make DDraw do one thing or another
- it's covered in this file. DDRAWTUT.WQ is a Wordstar formatted
file ready for "P"rinting by WS.COM
FINPAK-C.LBR is a menu-driven multi-function financial package
consisting of 7 different functions. (1) Compound Interest &
Loan Amortization, (2) Discounted Cash Flow Analysis, (3)
Depreciation, (4) Simple Interest & Interest Conversion, (5) Sum
of the Periods-Digits Amortizations, (6) Fixed Principal Payment
Amortization, and (7) Complex Discounted Cash Flow Analysis.
Need I say more?
GSUB13.LBR is a SUBMIT or EX replacement that puts it command
buffer in memory instead of in a $$$.SUB file. It allows for:
internal program input seperate from CCP input, chaining of batch
files, run from command line or SUB file, unlimited command
space, variables $1 - $9, control characters, wait for console
input, and comments.
(As always - all programs listed in WHATSNEW are available online
on the DataCOM Super Systems(tm), some files may be on system #1
and some may be on system #2.)
-={ A LOOK AT KAMAS }=-
By Carol McGinnis (KUGIG)
KAMAS -- the Knowledge and Mind Amplification System -- is an
integrated software package for the Kaypro and other CP/M
machines, which includes a built-in remote bulletin board system,
a built-in language, and an outline processor, the subject of
this review.
Unlike word processing, outline processing deals with the manipu-
lation of ideas. It's a method of constructing -- as the title
implies -- an outline. Because KAMAS is not specifically made
for genealogists, you will not be able to construct pedigree
charts or traditional family group sheets. But KAMAS is a good
tool to use to keep track of an ancestor and his or her
descendents. In fact, the form the KAMAS outline takes reminds
me of outlines I've seen in family history books. Someone
working on their own book might want to check out KAMAS for this
reason.
Since the KAMAS outline processing manual uses terms already
familiar to the genealogist to describe the outline -- such as
ancestor, descendent, parent, child -- the genealogist will have
a head start on learning to use this program.
The smallest unit in the KAMAS outline is the "key," which is the
required part of the "title." The key can be as long as 31
characters and each key in the outline must be unique. This
makes the key the ideal spot for an ID number. Unlike
traditional genealogy programs which place limitations on the
kind of ID numbers or codes that can be used, there are no
restrictions on the characters that can be used for the key.
Numbers, letters and hyphens can all be used, virtually giving
the KAMAS user an unlimited combination of keys.
The key, as I said, is the required part of the title. The
optional part of the title is the "subtitle," which can be as
long as 63 characters. The sub-title would be a good place for
the name of the person.
Each title can have an optional "leaf." The leaf can be as long
as 2420 characters, which is the equivalent of 38 full lines of
type. The leaf be a good place to include all the information
known about the person named in the title. The KAMAS word
processor -- used to construct the leaves -- cannot compete with
WordStar. (Sorry Perfect Writer fans, I'm not familiar with that
one.) However, the KAMAS word processor is adequate for the task
and easy to use.
Each item in the outline (consisting of the title and leaf) is
known as the "stem," the basic unit in the outline. An item or
stem with all of it's descendents is a branch. The entire
outline or file is known as a "topic." According to the manuel,
up to 16 topics can be accessed at once. (This is a feature I
did not try.)
There can only be one item at the top of the outline , known as
the "top." The rest of the outline is arranged in levels. Each
item (excluding the top) is immediately below one other item,
known as its "parent." Every item (including the top) can be
immediately above any number of items, known as its "children."
Although this may sound confusing, it is not confusing when one
is actually using KAMAS and can see how one part relates to
another.
Items in an outline do not have to be entered consecutively.
Once entered, items can be moved up or down within the outline.
Items can be added at any point in the outline and they can be
deleted. Genealogists will find this most helpful, since most of
us are constantly finding new kin.
One feature of KAMAS I especially appreciated was the ability to
output the outline to disk for storage, to the printer to get a
hard copy, or to a CP/M file so that the outline can be further
edited with a word processor. Each line of the CP/M file ends in
a hard carriage return, which might cause some minor problems in
editing with WordStar. It's my understanding that this would
not be a problem with Perfect Writer. Files can be sent to the
printer formatted or unformatted.
To begin construction of an outline with KAMAS, place KAMAS in
drive A and a formatted data disk in drive B. (Make sure you
have a disk in B. I didn't the first time I tried KAMAS and my
computer grunted and groaned and KAMAS wouldn't start up.)
KAMAS signs on in the Rove mode, which is the mode used to work
with outlines. If you are creating a new outline, type T -- the
abbreviation for "topic environment." Then type P to prepare a
new topic or outline. The computer will ask for the size of the
topic. You may select any size from 8K to 8000K depending on
your disk capacity. However, the manuel suggests starting with a
64k file. (It didn't say if a file can be enlarged later.) Once
the size is specified, the file then takes up that amount of
space on the data disk, regardless of how much data is in the
file. When you wish to check, the T command under T (topic
environment) will tell you the percentage of space used in each
topic file.
After specifying the size of the file, you must name the file.
Apparently, you are not limited to 8 characters for a name, but
only 8 characters with the extension TOP (for topic) appear on
the disk's directory. The name of the file appears as the first
line or title in the outline, so some care should be taken in
selecting a name. Once in the edit mode the name or title can be
changed. However, the name of the file also would change.
Once a topic is created, you may begin editing the outline by
typing E at the Rove prompt, and then typing O for outline. You
will be presented with the title of the topic across the top line
of the screen and the cursor will be at the far left of the line
blinking over a "." The "." later changes to a "+" when the item
gains "children" -- items which are subordinate.
Typing E for edit at this point, gives you the option of editing
the title or the leaf. Typing I gives up the option of inserting
a new item.
Overall, I was impressed with KAMAS. During the short time I
spent with it, I did not feel I had mastered it, but right away I
could see it had potential for genealogists. If a genealogist
only wants to purchase one program or only wants the bother of
learning one program, I would hesitate to recommend KAMAS as the
one program to get. However, I would recommend KAMAS as a
powerful auxiliary program.
-={ Make The Reset Button Your Friend }=-
by Charles Stafford, SKUG
That little red button labeled "RESET" in the manual, is the
real subject of this dissertation. Not only is it really your
friend,as we shall see, but it can
easily be relocated to make it
much more convenient (if I can do it, on the first try without
screwing something up, anyone can!!!).
The physical function of the RESET button is to tell the reset
pin on the main chip (the Z-80) to do a "cold boot". (If you
already know all this, just skip to the part after "HOGWASH". In
spite of the fact that KAYPRO cleverly "hid" it to prevent
inadvertent use, and colored it red to make us fearful, the red
does not mean that everything will blow up. What's more, it
takes a fair amount of pressure to operate, making "accidents"
unlikely. The only switching involved is an extremely small, low
voltage signal. There is no AC switching at all, so there are no
large transients running around the drives to "scramble" a
diskette. You will, however, lose whatever is in the RAM at the
time. Why in the world then, you ask, would I ever want to do a
"cold boot"?
There are three situations I can think of, right offhand, that
would call for it. First, a new and untried piece of software
that "locks up" the keyboard; second, to check on a new sysgen,
that you've added "autostart" instructions or an initial command
line to; third, when you've fouled up whatever is in the RAM (I
know YOU'D never be in this situation, but I have been) so
irretrievably that it's just easier to start over rather than try
to salvage anything. In these situations, the only solutions
are: shut the whole works off, and head for the Margaritas; or,
use the magic red button. Unfortunately if you choose the magic
button, you need arms like Wilt Chamberlain and eyes in your
finger tips, (no, I never have any trouble finding it or reaching
it, HOGWASH).
Now comes the interesting part. Relocating that elusive little
red monster to the front panel actually involves very little
trauma, and even less money. They (the factory) made it easy for
us, they didn't even tighten the ring on the button more than
"finger tight". Here we go:
1. Unplug the computer, and remove the power cord from its
socket on the back. (All instructions for anything start this
way.)
2. Remove the 10 screws that hold the hood on your computer,
they're "Phillip's" and are very tight unless someone has had it
apart since it left the factory.
3. Remove the hood, and set it aside.
4. Find the reset button and its two white wires and observe
their route back to the printed circuit boards; they join a
couple of the other wires (with plastic wire ties) and go right
past the back of the front panel.
5. The best (most convenient) place to put the reset button
seems to be between the drives and the video tube. The exact
location will be dictated by your desires. I put mine above the
power light and just even with the slot in the "A" drive. The
space behind this part of the panel is clear so all the metal
chips from the next operation will fall to the bottom and can be
vacuumed out.
6. At the selected location, drill a small pilot hole, and then
a 3/8 inch hole and vacuum out the shavings and chips.
7. Now use a small pair of nippers (finger nail clippers will do
if used with care), cut the two plastic wire ties, that restrain
the wires that come from the reset button.
8. Unscrew the ring around the reset button on the outside of
the case, move the button to the new hole and reinstall the ring
as tight as your fingers can get it. There's nothing that will
really disturb it, and it's only plastic, so don't use pliers.
9. For those real purists, now's the time for a trip to HSC
where a few cents will make you the owner of two new plastic wire
ties, the right size which you can install to hold the wires in
their new location. (Us normal folks can skip this step.)
l0. Reinstall the hood, put all 10 screws back in.
You're finished, and will no longer need those grotesque arms
(maybe you can trade them to Mike for some new software).
Enjoy your new found freedom!
-={ Review: Qwikkey v 2.1 }=-
by Randy Reder
Have you ever dreamed about buying one of those wonderful
programs such as Prokey or Smartkey so that you could define
certain keys to perform several functions while using Wordstar,
but never felt you could afford it? Then look at the program
QK21.COM which is found in the QK-21.LBR file. This program is
updated version of the original QK.COM. The main difference is
that it now works with Wordstar.
At the A> prompt, type QK21. The screen will aske you to
designate an attention/termination key and an escape sequence
key. The same key can be designated for both functions. This
key is the one which will tell your computer that you want to
define a key to perform different or series of functions. It can
be hit at any time, during any program or at the A> prompt.
Designate a key which you will not be using for any other reason.
I have designated my backslash key, "\", to be both the
attention/termination and escape sequence key.
The program will then inform you that Qwikkey is loaded and will
return you to the A> prompt. Now enter Wordstar and begin typing
a test document. When you want to define a key to perform a
different function, hit the key you have just designated. In my
case I press the backslash key. The screen then displays the
following prompt: "Key:"
At this point I select a key which I won't be using while working
on the document. The screen will display that character followed
by an equal sign. For example if I select the "[" key, the
screen will show: "Key:[="
Then I type in the new definition. For example, I could type in
"^Q^R^K^B^Q^C^K^K^K^W". This sequence instructs the cursor to go
to the beginning of the document, mark the beginning of the
block, go to the end of the document, mark the ending of the
block, and then write the entire block to a file. You will then
be prompted for the name of a file to write the block to.
Once you have entered several definitions for different keys, you
can save these definitions to a file so you want have to reenter
them everytime you want to do this. You save the definitions by
typing "QK21" at the A> prompt. The definitions will then be
saved in a filed called QK21.DEF. You can make up your own file
names.
Like the original version, these new key functions are not saved
once you turn the computer off or cold boot it. So the next time
you want to use the new key functions you have to reload them.
This updated version allows you to do this quite easily. At the
A> prompt, type in "QK21 L." This will instruct the program to
load the definitions that were originally saved in the file
QK21.DEF.
-={ PRODUCT NEWS }=-
From the Nashville KUG
Perfect Software / Word Plus Self-Help Package from
Rememberbooks. Richard L. George of the Tidewater KUG has
prepared a set of 14 flip charts that contain the "guts" of the
manuals (plus undocumented commands) for the Perfect programs and
The Word Plus. The package also includes extensive disk
narratives (over 245K) and a two-year Index (30K) of the major
computer magazines. $12.95. Write Rememberbooks, Box 2501,
Virginia Beach, VA 23450.
People's Choice Computer Information Network. Another
alternative to CompuServe and The Source. Local access in more
that 500 cities. Offers electronic mail, a bulletin board,
classified ads, public domain software, games, an encyclopedia
and information in several other categories, and special interest
groups (including one for CP/M). Base price is $9.50. Connect
time is $10/hour during the day, $4/hour evenings. There is no
surcharge for 1200-baud. Call 916-966-4317 or write People's
Choice, Box 1807, Fair Oaks, CA 95628.
Programmed Press now has an investment-oriented statistical
software package available for all Kaypro models. The collection
of 50 programs - covering statistical forecasting, stocks, bonds,
options, futures and foreign exchange-require only one disk drive
and 64-K memory. They also offer a 220 page Computer-Assisted
Handbook that explains all the programs. The ready-to-run
diskette containing all 50 programs is $l00; the book is $l9.95.
Contact them at 230l Baylis Ave., Elmont, N.Y, 11003, or call
516-775-0933.
PBCS is offering a line of packaged software available in both
CP/M and PC-DOS. Programs include Loan Manager, Phone Manager,
Menu Manager, Nutrition Manager and Friendly (home management).
They also design or customize software for home or business use.
Call [206] 641-7390 or write 13701 Bel-Red Road, Bellevue, WA
98005.
WORKBOOK.FIN by Linda Latta, helps you get the most out of your
Perfect Writer software, including "pretty printing".
Specifically, it's a manual for Perfect Formatter, and explores
the dark crevices of PFCONFIG.COM. The manual is 38 pages
(including a command index), costs $12, and will surprise even
the experienced PW user. Published by Triple L Manuscripts, Box
77, Monmonth, OR 97361.
Sheepshead Software has reduced the price of their Kaypro
Universal Drive Test Kit to $99. The kit includes a Dysan
Digital Diagnostic Disk and program disk, and it works on either
old Tandon TM-100 or newer half-height drives, but not on the
Robie. Additional or update copy-program disks are $15, and a
new Dysan DDD is $40. Call 1-800-654-9275 or write Sheepshead
Software, Box 486, Boonville, CA 95415.
Internal/external hard disk upgrade kits. The Kaypro 2, 4, 10,
and 16 can be fitted internally or externally with formatted
hard-disk drives ranging from 10MB to 240MB. Price range is
$950-16,495. The pre-tested kits come with complete installation
instructions. Also available are backup systems consisting of a
20MB-60MB steamer tape or 10MB removable cartridge disk; price
range is $1,550-2,195. Contact Technology Information System
Inc., 3621 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85012, or call 1-800-821-
1989, ext. 448.
-={ Avoiding The 1989 PF Crash }=-
Did you know that part of the Perfect Filer Version 1.xx is
designed to fail in 1989? Beginning then PF won't accept the
"current date", meaning that you won't be able to use that
template to date letters and reports. Also, PF won't
automatically record "date entered" on new records, making it
harder to select subsets on the basis of elapsed time.
By simply changing one byte in the file "SETUP", the life of
Perfect File will be extended by 11 years to 1999. By then
someone can crack the 2000 barrier, if anyone cares. The deadly
byte is a hex "58" (decimal 88) at address 0715 (hex) of SETUP.
Change it to a hex 63 (decimal 99). While you are at it, you may
wish to change the nearby byte at hex 0719 for hex 50 to hex 55
(decimal 85), so that PF will reject erroneous current years of
less that 1985.
You can change these bytes using DDT. Put a copy of SETUP (this
is a 4K file on your Perfect Filer disk) on a disk with CP/M's
DDT.COM, and proceed as follows. (<CR> means carriage return.)
Copy the modified SETUP to your FILER disk and verify that PF now
accepts current years up to 99, but not less that 85.
-={ Until Next Month... }=-
Many thanks to all the TBKUG / DataCOM Networks members for your
support. The new system is fast coming together and should be in
the "on-line" testing phase very soon.
