*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*›› A REVIEW OF THE NEW DISK CATALOGER›      and YEARLY CALENDER maker››           by Alan Sharkis››A NEW DISK››RON FETZER strikes again!  This time,›he has  many  accomplices,  including›ALEX  PIGNATO,  the O'HAUG president.›And the IRON  is hot.  Red-hot!  They›modified and  put together some  real›winners. There is a need for calendar›programs that will run on our Ataris.›There  are,to  be  sure, lots of them›out there, but this  package uses the›best of the best, and modifies them.››THE SEARCH››Both RON FETZER and  ALEX PIGNATO are›very  capable  programmers,  and   as›such  are  also  excellent  judges of›programs  written  by  others.   They›give  full  credit,  if  not  in  the›screen versions then certainly in the›BASIC  listings, to all the authors. ››A GREAT MENU SYSTEM››Also they have created a menu  system›that  ties  the   programs   together›beautifully.   Seamlessly.  How often›have you had a menu system  in  front›of  you  where  some  of the programs›exit to the menu, some exit to  BASIC›and  some  simply  don't  exit?   Not›here!! These programs all exit to the›menu with no trouble  at  all.   From›the menu, if you wish, you can easily›exit to BASIC.››NEW-DIRECTORY MODULE & DISK CATALOGER››In addition-there isa great directory›module and its called from BASIC that›deserves a few real words  of  praise›and  a  disk  cataloger that is among›the best I've  seen  anywhere.   More›about  them  later.   I  just have to›write about the calendars first.››CALENDAR # 1››The first  calendar  program  on  the›menu is called YEARLY CALENDAR MAKER.›It creates  a  two-page  affair  that›prints    to    an   Epson-compatible›printer.  You give the program a year›from  1801 to 2399.  You also give it›your name so that it can  personalize›the  calender  for  you.   Next,  you›create  the  calendar  by  giving  it›dates  to  highlight  in  each of the›twelve   months,   along   with   the›description of that date.  Months can›be  skipped.   I  made  use  of  that›feature when I created the first half›of  a  school-year  calendar.  On the›first page of print-out, you get  all›twelve  months  printed.  The SPECIAL›DATES you included are in bold type. ›The    second   page   contains   the›descriptions   for  each  HIGHLIGHTED›DATE.    However,   you  have  to  be›careful when entering  data.   Should›you  discover  an  error after you've›entered a date, you  can  only  erase›the  last  date  that was enterered. ›Calendars are saved to  disk  with  a›.DAT  extender,  so the filename must›be  meaningful  to  you.   Save  your›calendar before printing!   Also,  if›you   switch   to   lower-case   when›inputting   your  name,  be  sure  to›switch back  to  upper-case  for  the›rest  of  the program.  Filenames can›only be  understood  in  upper-case. ›Heed  the  warning about setting your›printer   to    top-of-form    before›printing,  and  if  you're  using   a›Graphix  AT interface as I do, switch›it   to   transparent   mode   before›starting.   A  sample yearly calendar›is included.  This  calendar  program›began  with a simple one by Steven C.›Chen, but was made much  more  useful›with  NEW added routines made by  TOM›ANDREWS, ALEXPIGNATO, and RON FETZER.››DOCUMENTATION AND READER PROGRAM››RON  supplied  the  documentation  to›this and all other  programs  on  the›disk.   Documentation  is  on side 2,›with options  to  read  it  from  the›screen  or  to print it in 40- or 80-›column   format.   The  documentation›reader/printer program, by  the  way,›was also done by RON FETZER.››CALENDAR # 2››The  next  calendar  program  creates›monthly pocket appointment calendars,›which are small enough to  be  folded›and placed in a wallet.  This program›was written by Jim Hodny.  You select›a month and year, enter the dates and›place up to two appointment reminders›on each date.  I'd advise you to save›the calender to disk before printing,›but  you are warned by the program to›save it before quitting the program. ›You can list all the calendars on the›disk, and you can  view  the  current›calendar on screen to see which dates›have been highlighted,  but  not  the›specific  appointment  messages.  You›can,   of   course,  ask  to  edit  a›particular date, and then  the  items›entered  are  shown.   The   warnings›about  setting   top-of-form,   etc.,›apply  to  this  calendar program, as›well.››CALENDAR # 3››The   third   calendar  program,  the›Personal Daily and  Monthly  Calendar›by Alfred Filskov III, is going to be›the most useful one for me.   It  has›only  one  flaw  -- it puts Monday in›the left-hand column  and  Sunday  in›the right-hand column of calendars it›displays on  the  screen  and  prints›out.   This  arrangement  is far from›unique, but also far from usual.   It›will  take  me some time to adjust to›that placement.  However, the rest of›the   program   is  superb.  (EDITORS›NOTE: This correction was made to the›program after the author received his›copy  of the  disk, and  the  program›now prints out  starting  with SUNDAY›rather than MONDAY!) At the program's›initial  menu,  you  can  then select›either load/create a month; delete  a›month;  get  a directory of months on›the disk; or go back to the main menu›of  the OHAUG package.  If you opt to›load/create a month, you  then  input›the  month  and  year to be loaded or›created.    That   takes  you  to  an›elaborate, five-window screen.  Three›of the windows give you the status of›the creation process, the  fourth  is›used    for    viewing/editing     of›appointments on a particular day, and›the fifth contains your menu choices.›As  you  put data in for a particular›day, the date is highlighted  in  the›large monthly calendar window.  Up to›seven memos or  appointments  can  be›placed  in  any  one day.  Individual›daily appointment  lists  or  monthly›calendars with the daily appointments›listed in the appropriate  boxes  can›be  printed  out.   It's  that   last›feature that I find most useful.››THE NEW DIRECTORY MODULE››Let's  return to the main menu of the›package.    On   it,   there's   that›directory entry.  What you get if you›select it  is  MUCH  MORE  than  your›usual    disk    directory.    First,›understand that the program  for  the›main  menu  is  written  in BASIC, so›just getting a directory  from  BASIC›is  something  of  a  feat.  But ALEX›and RON, took this module  (yes, it's›a self-contained module,  and it  can›easily  be  inserted  into  your  own›programs) thought of some REALLY NEAT›ADDITIONS!   So,   you   select   the›directory.  You get a screen with the›usual Atari DOS listing on the left. ›But  on  the  right  there  are   two›categories that are REAL NEW.  One is›called  disk  data.   It displays the›NUMBER of  FILES  on  the  disk,  the›NUMBER of SECTORS used, the NUMBER of›FREE SECTORS,  the  TOTAL  NUMBER  of›SECTORS, the DENSITY of the disk, and›the REVISION of ATARI BASIC  in  YOUR›COMPUTER.   Below this list are a set›of choices for you to make, under the›category  of "DISK ACTION.".  You can›get another directory [A].   You  are›prompted,  if you select this action,›to place the new disk in drive 1.  At›present,  only  drive  1 is supported›(hint for later improvement?) (EDITOR›This and other suggested improvements›have been added after this review was›written,) You can go to BASIC [B], or›to DOS [D]. ››You can load a disk (presumably self-›booting)  with  [L],  again,  with  a›prompt  that  the  disk  should be in›drive 1.   Pressing  [R]  brings  you›back  to  the MAIN MENU.  I can think›of two possible  future  improvements›to  this  screen.  There should be an›item to  print  out  the  directory. ›Space  may  be  a  problem here.  The›second    involves    trapping    out›keysrokes other than A, B, D, L,  and›R.   I  accidentally  pressed another›key and  the  module  went  off  into›never-never land. (EDITOR this is now›done).››STAR OF THE DISK...THE DISK CATALOGER››Now  for  that  DISK CATALOGER.  With›this inclusion, OHAUG has  gone  into›competition with one of their earlier›packages, and  the  competition  they›present  is  stiff.  Originally  this›DISK CATALOGER came from   M.A.G.I.C.›Disk  Library.   The  BASIC   listing›cites a revision by Grant Richardson,›and a further one by ALEX PIGNATO  of›OHAUG.  RON FETZER's Docs advise your›separating files into categories  and›cataloging  them  separately  if they›number more that 1,279 -- the maximum›number  of  files  the  program  will›process.   RON  also advises that you›identify your  first  disk  with  the›number  101,  and  that you write the›disk numbers on the  disk  labels  by›hand,  since  disk  numbers  are  not›recorded on each disk by the program.›From that point on,  you  can  select›AUTO ADD from the menu, indicate side›A and the program goes to work.  Then›you  flip  the disk you're cataloging›over, press OPTION,  and  side  B  is›automatically  done.  Pressing SELECT›brings  up  the  next  disk  number. ›Suppose you fail  to  have  the  next›disk in the drive with the drive door›closed?  The program will give you  a›#144 error, and you can restart it by›typing "CONT" after you put the  disk›in  the  drive.   Choosing MANUAL ADD›prompts you to put in  the  filenames›without  extenders,  then  put in the›extenders  when  you  are  prompted. ›DELETES can be done from  within  the›program.     This    must   be   done›carefully, but it's a useful  feature›if  you  come  across duplicate files›and wish to have  them  entered  only›once.  When you ask the cataloger for›a list  on  screen  or  printer,  the›deleted  filename  and  extender  are›shown,  but  there will be a "DEL" in›the   Sector   column.    Asking  the›program to DISPLAY puts your list  of›files up on the screen.  Asking it to›SEARCH brings up a submenu.   If  you›ask  for  a  search  by filename, the›program requires that you put in  the›filename and use spaces to pad out to›eight characters, then  type  in  the›extender  (no  period).    That's   a›procedure  you'd have to get used to,›but RON  advises  searching  by  disk›number,  rather  than  file   number,›another  submenu  option.  I've tried›both, and the search by  disk  number›is  easier  IF you know what disk the›file occupies.  When you  ask  for  a›SORT,  you're  taken  to a submenu so›that you can select whether the  sort›is  by  filename  or disk number.  It›might be useful for a future revision›to  include a sort by extension.  The›sort is made in RAM only.  Be advised›that  the  sort  is fast!  A machine-›language   sort   routine   has  been›included.  PRINT outputs the  catalog›list  in  five  columns  on a page in›compressed mode.  The date  and  page›numbers  are  included.  You can LOAD›and SAVE files.  You  don't  have  to›enter  the  drive number; the program›defaults to D1.  You can also use the›unique  ERASE command to erase a file›from RAM.  This will not  delete  the›file from its disk.  You can also get›a  normal  disk  directory  from  the›program.  RON advises  that  you  can›break the program and enter your name›on lines 2082 and 2800 to personalize›the  program.  You should then resave›it with the filename, "MAGCATAL.BAS",›so  it will continue to work with the›package.  I'll add a custom  hint  of›my  own.   The  print   routine   was›for EPSON and  Star  printers, and it›sends the printer an  "ESC-="  before›printing.   This  is  supposed to put›the Star in inverse mode, but  on  my›Epson-compatible  it  asks  that  the›eighth  bit be stripped!  Nothing was›being printed, until I went into  the›BASIC  code and took that instruction›out.  It's one  of  several  on  line›2020.  The other instructions on that›line should be left alone.  I've seen›satisfying  demonstrations  of   this›program,  but  haven't put it to work›on my system except for a small test.›The best part is that the  program at›all  times tells you in what catagory›you  are  working,  via  explaination›prompts, so that you can't get lost!!›It  just  might  be  my  next   major›project,  and  with over 700 disks in›my collection, it's long overdue.››EXTRA SPACE››The  Ol'  Hackers  thoughtfully  left›enough room on their  disk  to  allow›saving   not   only   catalogs,   but›calendars in any of the three formats›used  by the calendar programs. There›are some samples for a couple of  the›programs to help you see the results.››HOW TO GET IT››So,  this  package is certainly worth›the $3.00 that you will pay for  it. ›Make   your  check personally payable›to  RON FETZER. ›Send  the  request  to:›Harold Pegler,›OHAUG Disk  Librarian,›129  Ketchams Road,›Syosset,  NY  11791.››It's  a bargain  at any price, and as›good as any  COMMERCIAL  offering  at›TWICE THE PRICE-AND YOU MAY QUOTE ME!›*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*››››