Z TIPS: Ever-thinking Bruce Morgen has contributed further to Z-System
knowledge base with a useful alias for those who are concerned with limited
file directory space.
EXTENDED CMDRUN PROCESSING VIA AN ALIAS AND FLOW CONTROL--5/14/85
-----------------------------------------------------------------
ALIAS, Version 1.1
Alias Name: CMDRUN
Old Alias Command Line:
1 --> IF EX A0:$1.ZEX; |I keep ZEX files on A0:
2 --> ZEX $*; |invoke ZEX with full command tail
3 --> ELSE; |no ZEX file?
4 --> LRUN $*; |try COMMAND.LBR for a COM file..
5 --> FI | ..with full command tail.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Above ALIAS script is an extension of the ZCPR3 CMDRUN processor. It allows
both ZEX and LRUN (LRUN22 or LRUNZ302) to act as dual extended command
processors through the use of parameter passing and ZCPR3 Flow Commands. When
I first attempted something of this sort, it provoked some strange responses
from some of the COM files in COMMAND.LBR, so I gave up on the idea. Then I
saw a rather simplified version of the concept in a note by Dreas Nielsen
(Corvallis, OR) on Norman Beeler's Zee-Machine (Sunnyvale, CA) Z-Node 35,
408/245-1420. Dreas said something like 'use as many parameters as you want'
and then it hit me: why use individual parameters at all, except to check for
the existence of a ZEX file? Apparently, an ALIAS file passes empty
parameters, in some cases, as ASCII spaces (20h) and some programs are written
to respond to any character as a passed parameter. By using the ALIAS '$*'
parameter (thank you, Rick Conn!) we can make sure that only existing
parameters are passed and solve the problem. ZEX is much more tolerant of
being passed 'spacey' parameters, but '$*' is more elegant there too. I'd
like to see alternate CMDRUNs implemented in ZCPR3 itself--this approach is a
bit slow for my floppy-based system, but will have to do for now--you lucky
hard disk owners will probably hardly notice the 25% speed penalty when
compared to LRUN22 or ZEX used alone as CMDRUN.COM."
For your information, Bruce conducts an advanced-user column in User's
Guide magazine, started Issue #15. Writings come from one who understands
what he writes about. What an oddity! Half #15 article is ZCPR3 related,
about Get-Poke-Go, other aliases, etc. Subscriptions to UG are obtained by
calling/writing User's Guide, Box 5245, Redwood City, CA 94063, telephone
415/364-0108; annual rate is $21.00.
Al Dunsmuir presently updates VMENU--we can't wait, just as we couldn't
for his update of VFILER. Next he works on MENU, VMENU, MENUCK, VMENUCK, and
again VFILER.
Jay Sage, Joe Wright, et al, have already worked over MENU into Version
3.7. New version loads only once as a shell (like VFILER 3.5), doesn't reload
going from menu-display to menu-display (all for greatly increased operational
quickness), recognizes QUIET flag and has all reported bugs removed. Using
MENU37 with DEMO.MNU is a joy.
Rick Conn has checked out (from Z-Node Central) SYSLIB3, VLIB, and Z3LIB
to expand their capabilities; should finish in a month. But what with him
also working simultaneously on Term3 cleanup and on ZCPR3: The Libraries
book, we wonder; a month?. By the way, Rick's new SAK, the one that cancels
ZEX with ^C, is out. Look for it on Z-Nodes.
More on Quadram S-100 Boards: Set consists of two IEEE /696 boards, 1) single
board computer and 2) graphics board--Valiant is name to be given board-pair!
Very appropriate, "courageous" and "valuable." SBC contains new AMD 9580
combined hard and floppy (auto-select between 5.25" and 8") disk controller
chip along with AMD 9581 data separator, and of course, Hitachi HD64180
microprocessor. From what we've seen, HD64180 makes Intel 80186 chip look
weak. Furthermore, we understand HD64180 has built-in (hidden) circuits to
on-chip manage RAM to one megabyte, same as 8088, 8086 and 80186! Such
circuits will likely be made operative if demand requires it.
Get ready for real graphics quality from this Quadram duo. Initially,
resolution offered is up to 2,048 horizontal (columns) by 1,024 vertical
(rows, scan lines) pixels, with 256-color palette out of possible 1,024
palettes: 262,144 total color possibilities! Graphics board uses Motorola
68020 as co-processor, Hitachi HD63484 CRT graphics controller, and up to 2
megabytes of RAM (using 8419 DRAM controller), all dedicated to graphics. NEC
7220 GDC chip simply can't compare in performance to later-design HD63484.
Time-of-day stamp is built into SBC hardware and BIOS. OS runs near top-
of-RAM using less than 20k-bytes, with applications allowed remainder of 512k-
bytes. Z-News 204 has more about these S-100 boards.
Z-Node 11 of Voorhees, NJ needs more callers. Mike Ward, Sysop, is "dying on
the vine" for lack of callers who want ZCPR3 information. His system has been
fully operational for two months--he's ready to handle your calls. We
recently scanned his system and thought it super! Mike's 300/1200 bps modem
auto-answers, followed by friendly prompts; it all happens only if you dial
609/428-8864.
Mid-Floridian's are proud of Z-Node 29 run by Sysop Ed Unrein. Compare
his board to Apple and IBM boards in geographical area. We think 8-bit has
edge using Z-System with Z-Msg software. Ed's number is 305/295-0844. Let us
know what you think!
Please note Z-Node 10's location: El Toro, CA 92630, in Orange County.
Sysop Rea Williams has had too many calls from the north thinking he was Los
Angeles County. His node number hasn't changed, is still 714/855-0672.
Coming online soon: Z-Node 37. Marvin Eyre - Robards, KY 42452.
If having trouble getting access to Z-Node Central, good alternatives are
Al Hawley at 213/670-9465, Doug Thom at 408/253-1309, and Jay Sage at
617/965-7259. Of course, you Canadians have your best shot with Jud Newell at
416/232-0442. Jud has seven other lines into his BBS; he runs biggest remote
access system on our planet. Suggestion: if you download files
from Central not on your more-local Z-Node, please upload; join us--become a
gaffer by being a go-for!
Amateur Z User's Corner: Some utility programs permit use of ^P (send console
to printer, both from keyboard and going to screen) and some don't. Only
those that use BDOS function calls 1 and 2, for characters to and from
console, do. Many Z3 utilities use direct BIOS jump table calls to by-pass
console ^S and ^C intercept functions, automatically provided by BDOS
functions 1 and 2. Many times these intercepts are not desired for security
reasons.
Speed Tip Reminder: It's worthwhile to specially prepare a "system" disk
from which you normally cold boot. Newsletter 008, page 1, paragraph 2,
outlines a technique for placing first used files near outer tracks of disks
for quick boot time access: copy STARTUP, LDR, SYS.*, QUIET, WHEEL, PATH,
VFILER, MENU, your editor/wordprocessor, in that order onto a freshly
formatted diskette. Thus disk drive doesn't go through time-consuming
read/write head seeks to get to tracks containing needed data. Cold boot time
can be cut in half from randomly constructed system disks.
After you've downloaded a typical Z-Node squeezed library file, suggested
procedure: use NULU placed along search path with LBR file on default disk.
The command line to use is "NULU -o fn -e *.*" which extracts all files from
library file named "fn." Use VFILER35 to unsqueeze all squeezed files. Files
that have type OBJ should then be renamed to COM. Next install the new COM
files to your Z3 environment using "Z3INS A15:SYS fn.COM" command where fn is
name of com file to be installed. A VFILER CMD file with a numbered command
might be "8z3ins a15:sys %n.com" to auto-install any Z utility with a single
keystroke (use Z3INS Version 1.3 only). Move VFILER file pointer to COM file
to install and then press numbered command used by CMD file, 8 for this
example. Bingo! COM file is installed to your SYS.ENV file located in
directory A15:ROOT. (Z3INS uses information in SYS.EMV and places it in COM
file being installed.) COM file is on default disk, VFILER is in A15:, you
work from, say B0:WORK1 directory.
Program HELP is not a shell, but can be made into one by using SHSET.COM.
SHSET makes a shell of any application program, including aliases. A neat
alias might be "SHSET HLP" with HLP being renamed from HELP for use as
discussed in Z-News 109 and used in DEMO.LBR. Making renamed HELP a shell
stops it from returning to Z3 command line if a requested file of type HLP is
not found.
Using ZAS with ZCON to convert and assemble ZCPR3 source code is easy
once techniques to recover from minor syntax problems are discovered. Run
"ZCON fn.ft" to convert from Intel mnemonics to Zilog. File generated is Z80
file type, which is default for ZAS. Run "ZAS fn" and notice any assembly
errors. Write down the first error code line and study what could be wrong.
From detailed knowledge of the ZAS manual, any unacceptable form or syntax
should be changed with your editor. Change the Z80 converted source file.
Re-assembly, re-edit, until there are no assembly errors. Then link or load
to create COM type file, ready to execute.
Only problems we are aware of are the .8080 and .z80 pseudo-op lines in a
few files that permit either Intel or Zilog processors to be used. Comment
these out, putting a semicolon in column one of lines containing them. As
time goes by, we will change all programs on our distribution disks to
Zilog/Hitachi mnemonics, as we move away from 8080's into full Z80
instructions, plus extensions used by HD64180/Z800 high-integration chips.
Z-News Anniversary Nears! We wish there were a birthday cake big enough to
offer a slice to each Echelon customer, those in every state of the Union, all
Canadian provinces, and a dozen countries abroad; but there isn't! So what
about a gift of "price reduction" on some software products? You'll see
reductions soon--before 23 July, mast-head date of first issue of newsletter.
Our minds leap laughingly ahead of our software project completions,
knowing we do what we do not for money but for the sheer love of it!
Thoughts on Artificial Intelligence: While many expect intelligent systems
just around corner, we thought of programming one of our machines with ability
to handle selectively these simple business management requirements: 1) take
action, don't tell us what was done; 2) take action but do tell; 3) explore
possibilities of the situation and tell us what is planned to be done, if
anything; 4) look into situation and outline tactics, strategies to deal with
it and recommend one for our approval; and finally, 5) research the condition
or problem, give us all pertinent facts and wait for us to take action or
until we state (by keyboard entry) what should be done. Remember, we deal
with conditions, but solve problems. Think of the inference!
Oh! Mighty Man, we have much stone to lift before magically turning water
into wine, before understanding power, before designing our aggregate wisdom
into our machines. We humans have power to act, write, speak without thought,
being no more than 20% conscious of what we're doing (most animation caused by
subconscious energy)! Presently, our machine designs are not too different
from what we imagine ourselves to be. Soon they get better, but only as we
get better. Now that's Life!
See you down the lines...
Echelon, Inc.
101 First Street
Los Altos, CA 94022
Telephone: 415/948-3820
Z-Node Central: 415/489-9005
Trademarks: Valiant, Quadram; SB-180, Micromint; HD63484/64180, Hitachi;
Z80/800, Zilog; WY-50/350, Wyse; Z-System, Z-Tools, ZCPR3, ZRDOS, Z-Com, Zas,
Zlink, DSD, ZDM, ITOZ, Z-Msg, Lasting-Value Software, Echelon and their
respective owners and authors; 8088/86/186, Intel; 9580/81, AMD; CP/M, Digital
Research; Unix, AT&T.
Z-News 205 is Copyright 1985 Echelon, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Permission
to reprint, wholly or partially, automatically granted if source credit is
given to Echelon.
