3 November 1986
                                 Z-NEWS 604

Of  Significance.   Modula-2 for Z80s is here, specifically Turbo Modula-2  by
Borland  International.  Brought to you paradoxically by Echelon, the  company
that pushes advanced operating systems and assembly-language programming using
relocatable  SYSLIB,  Z3LIB, VLIB, GRWLIB, and GRXLIB  libraries--why?   Well,
because...
    Modula-2  is  needed.   Realizing short comings  of  his  Pascal,  author
Niklaus  Wirth,  Professor from Technical University of  Zurich,  Switzerland,
created  Modula-2.  And Borland has taken Professor Wirth's present  work  and
performed same magic on it as they did on his earlier Pascal, now standard  of
the  industry.   The result, an easy-to-use computer environment  for  writing
programs with a structured high-level language.  Turbo Modula-2 is needed  for
situations  where  mathematics,  portability, program  maintenance,  ease  and
quickness of writing code are first priorities.  (Z-News 504-1 has  benchmarks
of  beta-test  Turbo  Modula-2  against  C-Language  compiler  and   Assembler
competitors).    And  with  little  extra  effort,  Modula-2  produces   fast,
competitive code.  We won't argue with that!
    Kernel and primitives of Micromint's SB180/SB180FX graphics co-board, the
GT180,  Z-News 506-1, using much-lauded Hitachi HD63484 chip, are  written  in
Turbo  Modula-2.  Combination produces graphics quality (resolution of  up  to
720  by  500  pixels and color palette of 4096) beyond  Apple  II,  Macintosh,
Atari,  Commodore, and IBM PC capabilities.  Wow!  Eight-bit  Z-Systems  rule!
See  Steve Ciarcia's Circuit Cellar in Nov. and Dec. 1986 BYTE magazine.   And
please don't miss Echelon's ads in these two issues.
    For  $69.95,  plus  $6.00  shipping and  handling  in  USA  (actual  cost
elsewhere), here is what you receive:

  o Installation Program                       o Turbo Modula-2 Menu Shell
  o Turbo Modula-2 Compiler and Linker         o Library Manager for Modules
  o Full-screen WordStar-like Text Editor, Interactive with Compiler
  o Ready-To-Use Module Library with more than 100 Routines
  o Z80 Native Code Generator, for Stand-alone Programs
  o Utility to Use and Manipulate Microsoft REL Files
  o Utility to Analyze Program Performance (Profiler)
  o Bound, 552-page Manual with 16-page Index

Turbo Modula-2 has these features:

o Instant  invocation of editor when compiler detects  programming  errors.
  You can quickly correct mistake, and compiler resumes where it left off.
o Very fast compilation utilizing but one pass.
o Extensive function library--14 modules incorporating over 100 procedures.
  Standard  Modula-2  modules such as InOut are available, in  addition  to
  single  (6  digits) and double precision (14 digits) math,  command  line
  access  and manipulation, input/output redirection, and much  more.   You
  may  also add your own extensions or replace existing modules as you  see
  fit.
o Programs  can be organized with overlays permitting code size  to  exceed
  memory.
o Generates Z80 native code using an optional second pass of the  compiler,
  stand-alone executable programs.
o Bit manipulation and sets (for Assembly- and C-Language hackers).
o Easy  inclusion  of  Assembly Language routines in  binary  form,  or  in
  relocatable  (REL)  form.  Turbo Modula-2 can search  REL  libraries  and
  include  only routines of interest.  (Routines from SYSLIB, Z3LIB,  etc.,
  are all accessible.)
o Extensions  to  Modula-2 include comfortable generalized READ  and  WRITE
  statements (like Turbo Pascal), string comparison and assignment,  multi-
  dimensional open arrays, and exception handling to control the program in
  case of errors.
o The compiler optionally flags non-standard statements to ensure portabil-
  ity to other Modula-2 environments.  Programs written with Turbo Modula-2
  are portable to other computing environments.

And now, Turbo Modula-2 compared to Turbo Pascal:

  1. Turbo Modula-2 has separate compilation.  Only changed modules  need
  be  recompiled  whenever changes are made in  supporting  or  dependent
  modules.   Such  a feature is especially important on  large  projects,
  where  under Turbo Pascal, even the smallest change  required  recompi-
  lation  of the entire project.  Unlike some other languages that  allow
  separate  compilation,  Modula-2 still performs full type  and  version
  checking between modules.

  2. The library facilities of Turbo Modula-2 allow a full and extensible
  set  of primitives, which are not included in the final program  unless
  specifically  requested  by  the programmer.   Thus,  programs  can  be
  optimized for size even though hundreds of library functions may exist.

  3. Turbo  Modula-2 includes support for  co-routines  (multiprocessing)
  and interrupt handlers.

  4. Existing  Turbo  Pascal programs can be easily  converted  to  Turbo
  Modula-2.

  5. Turbo  Modula-2  uses  same Terminal definition  database  as  Turbo
  Pascal.

  6. Turbo Modula-2 possesses additional numeric types: unsigned integers
  (CARDINAL), long integers (LONGINT), and long reals (LONGREAL).   These
  allow  greater precision and flexibility in  mathematical  calculations
  and data handling.

    Turbo  Modula-2  is Borland's practical implementation of  Modula-2.   It
follows  closely the definition of standard Modula-2 as defined  in  Professor
Wirth's book, Programming in Modula-2 (3rd Edition, New York: Springer Verlag,
1984).  It differs from Modula-2 in two main areas:  it has an easy-to-use I/O
library,  and optional extensions based on the professor's suggestions,  e.g.,
general-purpose  READ and WRITE statements, string comparison and  assignment,
multi-dimensional open arrays, and exception handling.
    And  more  good  news:  shipping date for Turbo  Modula-2  package  is  5
December 1986.  Place your order now for early delivery.
    --------------------------------------------------------------------
String  Searching, Continued.   Here, deep into alpha/beta testing of  Bridger
Mitchell's  pattern- and string-searching utility, tentatively  called  ZGREP.
Remember  in  Z-News 602 we said we would be a test site only if  program  was
faster  than  FIND54.   Well, it is!  And the most  surprising  thing  is  its
options and their affect on search-and-find speed.
    ZGREP is command-line- and menu-driven, defaults can be cloned, 12 search
modes, understands drive/user areas, named directories, and ZCPR3 error  flag,
for an extremely flexible user interface.
    But  first, a little testing background.  For our "standard"  method,  we
use  VCED shell for comparing command-line driven search programs,  i.e.,  all
the  assembly-language,  plus SIFT and SEARCH C-language,  programs.   (Z-News
505-1,  506-1,  and  509-3.)  Shell quickly permits re-running  tests  to  get
averages.   VCED,  with command-line recall, makes  such  re-runs  convenient,
precise,  and elegant.  But it adds 1.5 seconds or more of overhead to  bench-
mark measurements.  Therefore, in our comparisons of ZGREP and FIND54 we  went
directly to the Z-System command line prompt, eliminating shell re-load time.
    FIND54  benchmarks,  from  command line, are reduced to  7.94  and  13.92
seconds,  for  Ampro Z80 65ms-hard disk and  3ms-floppy,  respectively.   (Our
benchmark  consists  of  2  files, each 16k-bytes  long,  with  identical  15-
character string to-find near end of each file.)  Under the same hardware  and
test conditions ZGREP measured 7.66 and 13.74 seconds, respectively.  ZGREP is
extremely fast if search options are set for simply finding matches and  show-
ing  found-lines on screen, 4.29 and 8.34 seconds.  ZGREP's speed truly  shows
when  using  complex  file-search list with search-string not  found  in  most
files, typical search-and-find needs here at Echelon.  For example,  searching
18 files of 376k-bytes total, with search-string found in only one file, takes
but  46.20  seconds  (FIND54 takes 86.18 seconds) on our  HD  Ampro  Bookshelf
computer.  (Such times must be near limit of rotary disk data transfer, forget
string search.)  Bridger has come up with some fast algorithms that 1)  reduce
effects of latency of slow rotating machinery and 2) speed finding both simple
and  complex  strings, Unix "regular expression" style.  Our test  version  of
ZGREP (v0.14) is in same sophistication league as Electra-Find (Z-News  506-1)
but  is  up to six times faster.  Bravo, Bridger!  Soon, we will tell  how  to
acquire ZGREP program, as it exits beta testing.

From  Our  Mail Box.   "...and discovered that my  subscription  has  expired.
Horrors!   Therefore,  I am enclosing a check for $40.00 to cover a  new  sub-
scription  for Z-News plus any issues I have missed...monies left over  should
be enough for at least one bottle of Zinfandel or whatever might be needed  to
assist your terrific company."  Peter Cutler, Hershey, PA, gives us a piece of
his mind, and his pocket book.  Thanks, we needed that.
    We  regularly  receive letters from people  calling  themselves  computer
users  who  declare  they do not have the time to learn how  to  use  Z-System
because  our documentation is "convoluted," even Z-System User's Guide.   Most
letters are from formal "educated" people, i.e., college graduates,  teachers,
and  professors.  From what they tell us, they want to quickly understand  how
our utilities can speed the tasks they use their computers for.  And,  coinci-
dentally,  they  are so busy they can't spend time  "re-inventing  wheels"  to
figure out the things they need to know.  To this we say, think of the  manual
that would allow an Australian native to quickly know what is needed to  drive
and  control  the features of a modern automobile, say, for  example,  a  1986
Honda  Accord  SEi.   A common denominator is  noticed  among  "users."   They
believe they already know a lot because of their education and schooling,  and
it  seems  it is beneath them to study, really study, what it takes  to  learn
something  really  new.  Minds are crystallized.  New things, it  is  thought,
should  fall into expectations of their knowledge and understanding.  So  many
are  so  anxious that even "spoon feeding" doesn't work--they are  too  "busy"
with their day-to-day activities.  Their egos stand in way of BEING, of becom-
ing  more than they presently are.  But intellectual knowledge has  little  or
nothing to do with knowing how to use something.  It has taken 3 to 5 generat-
ions  for  us to "instinctively" know how to use automobiles  and  telephones.
And computers offer orders of magnitude more possibilities than these.   Where
does instinct come from?  From genes, from use, doing, and observation.   It's
race heritage, habits built into low-level structures of being!  Soon, say  in
forty  years, computer usage will be in our genes.  But it only comes  through
work or one form or another: study and do, do and study (study, read  7-times,
Z-News 302-3).
    After reading something you feel you don't understand: relax, wait a bit.
Then,  identify the words that cause you trouble, that are  stumbling  blocks.
Look  these words up in a reference dictionary and see if meaning occurs.   If
not,  a background book on the general subject is indicated.  Read it.   Short
cuts  to learning are few, but learning is continuous if you have an  attitude
that  says,  "It's  up to me.  I can do it with  materials  available  to  me,
materials at hand.  I shall not complain.  It is up to me."  Now, what is your
business?  ...you know ours from Z-News 009-7, dated 12 November 1984.

Z-Node  Activity.    Though  not a Z-Node, Larry  Herring,  The  Micro  Store,
Richardson, TX, runs a super RAS, 214/350-9580.  Larry is a dealer of Z-System
software  from a store front, and has most of Echelon's utilities online  from
his  RAS.   Give him your support, especially if in northern Texas.   His  and
partner's,  Tamara Watson, voice phone is 214/231-1096, at the store.   Z-News
401-3 has more on The Micro Store.

Z-User's  Corner.    Not much has been said about ZLUX shell,  John  Poplett's
extended library utility, probably because it has found use mainly on  Z-Nodes
and RASs, not by mainstream Z-System users.  Now Terry Carroll of Bedford, TX,
The  Poor Man's Z-Node (#56), 817/283-9167, takes this shell and  applies  it,
using  abundant free-thinking and creativity, to general library file  manage-
ment status.  His program, ZLBR, demonstrates flexible use of a shell to  gain
quick  access to LGET, LLF, and NULU library utilities, as well as other  more
general commands.  From within the shell, you can view files on any directory,
library  or straight, squeezed or crunched.  Add, delete,  replace,  "krunch,"
extract  files  from libraries.  Any straight command may be run as if  at  Z-
System prompt.  (We use VFILER from within ZLBR and vise versa.)  A screen-of-
help  is  available after entering program using usual "?"  or  "/"  character
followed by <cr>.  Command-line syntax is:

                          lbr [du/dir:]libname<cr>

We  renamed  ZLBR  to LBR, as most users of ZLUX have  renamed  ZLUX  to  LUX.
Certainly, both RAS and non-RAS operators will find ZLBR useful.
    ZLBR  is a supertool, in the VFILER vein, one that has  extreme  flexibi-
lity.   (Aliases GLF and TLF are examples of single-purpose  tools.)   Version
1.0a  requires  you have TYPELZ online along command search path,  while  v1.0
requires TYPELZ be renamed to TYPE.  Latter causes trouble for those who  have
TYPE  as  a resident command, RCP or intrinsic, and either do not wish  to  or
cannot  conveniently  change or remove it.  Version 1.0a assembles  with  ZAS,
without change, and source is formatted Z-System Standard.
    A  final  comment.  Terry takes ZLUX and makes it  into  something  else,
giving  this  something-else another name, ZLBR.  At the same time,  he  gives
original author full credit for contributions he (John Poplett) has made.   We
commend  these actions to others who enhance a tool beyond  original  author's
scope.   We say again, let's have more programs, more tools,  more  utilities,
but let's not give up single-purpose tools, simple tools.  Turning them, these
simple tools, into supertools--we don't want that.  Use Z-System facilities to
connect tools to tools and tools to applications.

Z-News  Renewal  Policy.   Six-months free subscription with first  $44.00  or
more worth of software purchased--that is our policy!  The six months gratuity
"gets you started."  After that, $24.00 per year delivers Z-News to your  mail
box every fortnight.

Lunch  Break.   Builders will be interested in Part Two of series  running  in
Computer Smyth magazine, Vol.2/No.3. pages 39 to 45.  Full description of  how
to  install  Ampro's  Little Board/Plus and floppy drives  into  an  Integrand
enclosure,  all  reported.   (More  on  CS  magazine  in  Z-News  509.)   From
configuring  the  drives, Shugart and Matsushita 5-1/4 inchers in  this  case,
installing cables, mounting the computer board, it's all there.  Some  details
on  ZCPR3  software supplied by Ampro are also included.  Editor  Edward  Dell
writing  of  tree-like  ZCPR3  named  directories,  "...believe  me  they  are
infinitely easier to use than those under PC DOS 3.1."  Computer Symth is only
$15.00 per year, four issues.  Use your credit card, call 603/924-9464.
    Gary  Kildall, "inventor of CP/M" and founder of DRI, has  replaced  John
Rowley as President and CEO of Digital Research, Inc.  John did what could  be
done  with what he had as resources, considering market place; but  it  wasn't
enough for venture capitalists.  Gary likely will do worse than John, mark our
words...situation of non-technical people forcing technical decisions.  Woe
is
us...
    Compaq,  the Dallas, TX, IBM PC clone maker, comes out with  80386  chip-
based  desktop computer, DESKPRO 386, and sets 386 standards.  Kaypro,  Solana
Beach, CA, joins-in with "totally" compatible 386 machine of their own.  After
taking  control of microcomputer market created by little guys, IBM loses  it.
IBM lose control of PC market?  Yes, IBM has lost control...trying to  protect
their minicomputers and mainframes.
    MicroPro  International (San Rafael, CA), the WordStar people,  purchases
Newstar Software company (Pleasant Hills, CA) along with Newword wordprocessor
programs.  Principals Stanley Reynolds, Walter Feigenson, and Peter Mireau  of
Newstar  have joined MicroPro in yet-to-be-disclosed positions.  From what  we
hear,  MicroPro so liked Version 2 and 3 enhancements of Newword, they  bought
the  company  that  produced them.  We further understand  a  new  version  of
WordStar is to be released by June 1987.  Hopefully, MicroPro does not  forget
us  Z-System  and  CP/M-compatible  computer users.   If  anyone  can  upgrade
WordStar, Peter Mireau can.  Write Mr. Leon Williams, MicroPro's President and
CEO,  if you want WordStar v4.0 to run on Z-System Z80 and HD64180  computers.
His  address:  33 San Pablo Avenue, San Rafael, CA 94903,  telephone  415/499-
1200.
    Fujitsu Ltd. of Japan, buying 80% of Fairchild Semiconductor of USA  from
Schlumberger  Ltd.  of  France, rattles U.S. chip  industry.   With  value  of
Japanese  yen  so high, expect many more such buy-outs.  We are in  an  inter-
national, global market finally.  One Earth, one people.  Fujitsu's action  is
not   predatory,  but  simply  a  good  business  move  to  strengthen   their
corporation.  Remember, Fairchild is the company that invented the  integrated
circuit,  spawned  100  companies  creating Silicon  Valley,  with  help  from
Stanford   University  graduates.   U.S.  government,  its  slothfulness   and
bureaucracy,  and our tax laws promote general decline in American  industrial
power.  History is not on our side!
    Using  perpendicular  (vertical)  recording technique,  Maxell  Corp.  of
America produces 5-1/4 inch cartridge floppy with five times more data density
than present Winchester hard disk systems.  They also produce, in  conjunction
with  their floppy media, a companion read-write head.  Head is a  product  of
parent  Hitachi  Ltd.  of Japan and can handle up to 100,000  bits  per  inch.
Using  imbedded  servo technique of Kodak (Z-News 309-4,  404-3,  502-1),  100
megabytes are placed on one removable diskette, giving optical disks a run for
the money.  We are guessing Hitachi is first to offer a packaged drive for OEM
use.   Here is competition for Kodak's SCSI-interfaced  10-megabyte  cartridge
floppy,  which is now shipping.  Our SemiDisk DT42 computer, already  using  a
3.3 megabyte Kodak, is ready for a perpendicular drive, now!
    ====================================================================
Of Angels and Eagles.   One's condition of birth does not necessarily  dictate
one's  fate.  We have a long way to go--many plays we have not yet  acted  in.
We  north  Americans seem to think our fate is fixed to our heritage,  to  our
culture, to our background.  Of all these influences, and that's all they are,
influences, our minds control what we do and what we are.  What we are is  our
fate!   What we do is what we are!  Rise up and break the chain, the  Catch-22
situation, and become more than we presently are.  We are at the  cross-roads,
and where the road leads is up to each of us.
    An  immediate change is brought about by dropping prevalent attitude,  of
"them  versus  us."  We are cosmic travelers on planet  Earth,  co-inhabitants
with  all life, biological and non-.  Think, then work to create something  of
lasting value.
    Our biggest problem seems to come from thinking we are forced to do  what
we  don't like to do.  How we make our living is the main culprit.  Why  there
is  so  many hobbies is because we don't like our jobs.  Make  your  job  your
hobby and you HAVE IT MADE.
    Doing  what  we  like is freedom, entertainment.  Liking what  we  do  is
happiness,  fulfillment.  But, doing what we don't like on a regular basis  is
slavery, en-chain-ment.
    Extreme  individual productivity comes from enjoying what is being  done.
This,  group  America  needs, can use, at all  levels,  from  top  management,
through engineering, manufacturing, to floor sweeper.  So, find a way to  make
a living that is fun.  See you down the lines...

Echelon, Inc.         885 N. San Antonio Road          Los Altos, CA 94022 USA
Telephone: 415/948-3820   TELEX: 4931646    Z-Node Central (RAS): 415/489-9005

Trademarks:   Little Board, Bookshelf, Ampro Computers; SB180/SB180FX,  GT180,
Micromint;  PRO-180,  Magnum  Digital; ON!, Oneac; DT42,  The  SemiDisk,  Deep
Thought  42,  SemiDisk  Systems; TR-XL180, M.A.N.  Systems;  Macintosh,  Apple
Computers;  HD63484/64180,  Hitachi;  Z-System, ZCPR3,  ZRDOS,  Z-Tools,  Zas,
Zlink, Z-Msg, Term3, Quick-Task, FINDS, PPAL, Lasting-Value Software, Echelon;
Unix,   AT&T  Bell  Laboratories;  Turbo  Pascal,  Turbo   Modula-2,   Borland
International; Electra-Find, O'Neill Software; WordStar, MicroPro.



                 *                                        *



                              Z sets you FREE!



                 *                                        *



Z-News  604 is Copyright 1986 Echelon, Inc.  All Rights Reserved.   Permission
to  reprint,  wholly or partially, automatically granted if source  credit  is
given to Echelon.
s Reserved.   Permission
to  reprint,  wholly or partially, automatically granted if source  credit  is