26 November 1984
                            ZCPR3 NEWSLETTER 101

Z3 TIPS:  Creating menus with ZCPR3 tools is easy, once the technique has been
learned.  Everything needed is in the online HELP system, for MENU, VMENU, and
VFILER.   But it takes a little doing to get used to creating!   So now we do.
Command  syntax  and grammar for MENU and VMENU are similar;  differences  are
noted as we come to them.
    Until  ZCPR3:  The  Manual is available we are obliged to  use  available
online help facility to learn ins-and-outs of various utilities.   We urge you
to study these help files.   If you don't like reading from your CRT, then use
HELPPR to print-out VFILER, VMENU and MENU HLP files.
    VMENU's  power  to  scroll forward/backward a 16  file-display  and  move
cursor pointer indicating Current File makes it the general favorite for menus
though MENU actually has more flexibility;  but,  why not mix MNU's and VMN's?
The beauty of ZCPR3 menus is they may "come and go" depending which  directory
you  are in.   Your system can be a hybrid.   Flexibility--no operating system
has more!
    Directories  may have simple,  quick (for-the-programmer who  hasn't  yet
found  menus,  or  a mix there of,  to be efficient)  command-line  completion
capability (command- vs menu-driven).   On the other hand, menus may be set-up
to  manage  complex  functions  used too infrequently to  justify  the  mental
overhead required to remember what's required...DISCAT uses such  menus.   Why
would  you  want  to remember little-used,  multitude of commands  with  their
trailing  parameter possibilities?   But if you do,  ZCPR3 lets you  use  your
recall  (organic memory) ability;  and if you forget,  a menu can be there  to
serve.  A complex three-menu skeleton to show some possibilities (command-line
VMENU entry is VMENU <*.typ> <fn.VMN><cr>):

-x
#
   ^A+++^B Word Processing Display ^A+++^B            Current Directory: $D$U

1 - ^AEdit Current File using WordStar^B   C - ^ACopy Current File to BACKUP^B
2 - ^AType (Page) Current File^B           G - ^AGoto System Utility Menu^B
3 - ^ACopy File(s) to Another Directory^B  Z - ^AEnter ZCPR3 Command Line^B
#
1ws $Pf
2page $Pf
3mcopy "Destination DIR? "="Source DIR:afn? "
cmcopy $Pf
g:3
z!"ZCPR3:Command>"
#
(put display text for menu #2 here and..
#
..put commands for menu #2 here)
#
   ^A+++^B System Utility Menu ^A+++^B                Current Directory: $D$U

C - ^ARun DISCAT Catalog System^B     D - ^ADisplay Selected Directory Files^B
Z - ^ARun ZCPR3 Command(s)^B
#
ccd cat:
d!xdir "Enter DIR:AFN and trailing options (U for all users): "
z!"ZCPR3:Command>"
##

    Menu  displays have an automatically generated command line allowing  the
user to go from menu to menu, forward and backward, and to jump to first menu.
Goto's   may  be  added  to  menu  lines  to  custom-jump  to  menus.    MCOPY
automatically  copies  files to directory BACKUP if a destination DIR  is  not
declared.   Going  to  the  CAT directory loads ST which  runs  MENU  and  its
associated MNU file.  $Pf expands to full filename cursor arrow points to, the
Current File.   Using n after the P would evaluate to just the file name, with
file  type  left off.   The latter is useful during ASM or MAC and  LOAD/MLOAD
operations.
    Options  are different between VMENU and MENU:   only "x" (permission  to
exit)  is available with VMENU,  but "cdpx" (command line  expansion,  display
menu,  and  page  screen)  with MENU.   The usage intended  for  each  program
established options available.

A  simple but powerful menu example:   Richard Conn uses an  interesting  menu
for spreadsheet and database management.  In Rick's environment, DBASE.COM and
its  overlays are in A9:,  with all *.CMD files (these are dBASE files and not
VFILER CMD's) and data files in B9:.  Each dBASE II invocation logs into A: so
that dBASE runs from a directory which contains its overlays.   The  indicated
command  file does is set the default disk to B:  which logs dBASE II into  B:
for command file and data file processing.   The menu-driven process continues
until  a Quit (which drops Rick into dBASE) or an Exit (which drops him out of
dBASE  and  back to ZCPR3).   Upon leaving dBASE,  command "B:"  is  executed,
putting him back into B9:, and the menu then resumes.  His complete DBMENU.MNU
file:

-dpx
#
               *** Access to dBASE II and MultiPlan (MP) ****

dBASE II
       D -- Invoke dBASE II and Set Options
dBASE II Applications to Run
       1 -- Check Book                 6 -- Labels
       2 -- Income Tracking            7 -- Software Inventory
       3 -- Business Expense Tracking  8 -- Hardware Inventory
       4 -- Time Cards                 9 -- Itemized Inventory
       5 -- Name and Address           0 -- <spare>
MultiPlan                          Editor
       M -- Invoke MultiPlan           E -- Invoke Editor on File
Miscellaneous Functions
       B -- Run Microsoft BASIC        X -- Directory Display
       T -- Time and Date              Z -- Enter Any ZCPR3 Command
#
da:;dbase DPSETUP;b:
1A:;dbase B:cb;B:
2A:;dbase B:it;B:
3A:;dbase B:be;B:
4A:;dbase B:tc;B:
5A:;dbase B:nad;B:
6A:;dbase B:labels;B:
7A:;dbase B:sw;B:
8A:;dbase B:hw;B:
9A:;dbase B:itm;B:
ma:;mp MPSETUP.MP;b:
ewm "Name of File to Edit?
becho use command 'SYSTEM' to exit;mbasic
t!time
x!xd
z!"Command Line?
##
--------------

    DBMENU  file  is for use with MENU and not VMENU (VMENU allows up  to  16
display text lines versus MENU's 22,  here Rick has 19).   Notice the 'SYSTEM'
he  reminder uses.   Highlight display text using ^A and ^B to start  and  end
highlighting,  respectively. When designing screen layout, try to achieve text
separation,  more  than  provided  by  the  characters  alone.   For  example,
highlight   headers   or  highlight  functions  but   never   both.    Achieve
distinctiveness!
    Remember, study the capabilities of the system and you are set free--free
to do exactly what you wish to do!

Good  News:   Zilog  Z800 microprocessor details released indicate  one  super
chip...25 mHz clock rate,  8-bit bus,  4-DMA channels, CTC's, a UART, math co-
processor for number crunching,  instruction set downward compatible with  Z80
and 8080,  etc.   Write to Zilog,  Inc. (1315 Dell Avenue, Campbell, CA 95008)
expressing  your interest in 8-bit microprocessor advancement.  Direct letters
to Edgar A. Sack, new president of Zilog; Jerry Higgins, Systems Division; Tom
Popek,  Components Division;  William Walker,  Finance;  Harry W.  Look,  Z800
Product  Manager;  and John Johnen,  Software Marketing.   Let them know  they
could  be "numero uno" in 8-bit computers for both industrial  and  individual
use.   (Additionally,  first  S-100 board manufacturer announcing Z800 product
will do a brisk business,  coming from pent-up hobbyist and system  integrator
demand.)
    But  along with good comes bad:   samples of Z800 chips are now scheduled
for  April  '85,  not mid-February,  as was previously announced  by  ex-Zilog
president Franc deWeeger (he recently resigned to become president of Advanced
Semiconductor Materials-America, a subsidiary of ASM-Holland).

New-Users-of-CP/M_Corner:  Many ask why, for so little money, we supply source
code to our ZCPR3;  can we make enough money to stay in business?  Our answer,
"We want you to be more than a computer user, to know about computer software,
to  understand  what makes your machine tick!"  Being a user  is  a-okay,  but
there's  so  much  more to learn,  learning that  alters  your  perception  of
reality!   Being  simply a user is much like simple consumption...get  beneath
surfaces and enjoy wonders to behold!
    By  the  way,  we  make  a staying-in-business  profit  from  application
programs,  Discat,  Z3-Dot-Com,  and others to follow,  like Term3,  and  from
ZCPR3: The Manual.

Big Business:  Several months back we stated that competition in long-distance
telephone  (satellite) arena would create largest redistribution of  corporate
and  personal  wealth in history of our free  enterprise  system...well,  such
musing  could  be  more  than true.   AT&T is spending most  of  their  energy
worrying about IBM and not about customers,  outcome of which could be loss of
their  vitality!   Watch  profit and loss statements for  next  nine  months--
indication of vigor, management discipline.

Echelon  customers  are members of a family,  a family connected by  a  common
thread:   understanding.   We  all  want  to  learn,  learn  through  working,
thinking, doing, thus becoming what we are capable of becoming.  We expect not
instant  gratification from our actions--we know doing,  in itself,  is reward
enough!   But  neither do we forget the value of quality  of  results--lasting
value.
    When  we  reach for stars,   we sometimes don't come up  with  one,   but
seldom do  we get a hand-full of mud either!   Echelon--your single source for
economical,  efficient,  and generally overall useful 8-bit CP/M-80 compatible
software.

See you down the lines...

                                                                Echelon, Inc.
                                                             101 First Street
                                                          Los Altos, CA 94022
                                                      Telephone: 415/948-3820
                                              ZCPR3 BBS & RCP/M: 415/489-9005

Trademarks:   CP/M,  Digital Research;  Z3-Dot-Com,  Alpha Systems; Bookshelf,
Ampro Computers;  Z80,  Zilog;  Unix,  AT&T Bell Laboratories; ZCPR3, Syslib3,
Term3,  Richard L.  Conn;  Discat, Lasting-Value Software, Disk7, Echelon; PC-
DOS,  IBM,  Int'l Business Machines;  Xenix,  Microsoft; WY-50, Wyseword, Wyse
Technology; ZRDOS, Dennis L. Wright; Metal, Delphi Data Systems.

Newsletter 101 is Copyright 1984 Echelon,  Inc.  All Rights Reserved.  Permis-
sion to reprint automatically granted if source credit is given to Echelon.