*=*=*=*› THE DISK DIRECTORY HEADER  Version II› =====================================›       by John Foskett, September 1993› "DIRHEAD2.BAS" IS ON THIS OL' HACKERS› Nov./Dec. 1995 NEWSLETTER"›› A USER FRIENDLY HEADER››     By   reading   the   directory  of› commercial disks it can be  seen  that› in many cases the directory contains a› header   of   some  form  giving  some› details like a title,  version,  date,› etc. Such a header could be written to› a newly formatted disk by using a disk› sector  editor   but   this   can   be› confusing and time consuming, since it› must always be remembered how  a  disk› stores  its data. In order to overcome› these problems in a user friendly way,› "The Disk Directory Header" was born.›› WHAT CAN IT DO?››    The  Disk  Directory   Header   can› create  a  header  consisting  of upto› eight lines,  completely  filling  the› first  directory  sector  if  required› where  each  line  can consist of upto› eleven  characters,  the  normal  file› name length. The Disk Directory Header› provides  nine  standard headers which› can be selected from the main menu  as› well  as  a  way  of creating a custom› designed header.›› THE SCREEN››     The  top  section  of  the  screen› comprises of the  title.  The  central› and  the  lower  sections comprise the› main working part of the screen.›› USING THE DIRECTORY HEADER››    When The Disk Directory  Header  is› first run, the centre section contains› a menu and a prompt. To select one  of› the  nine  standard headers, press the› appropriate number key, the menu  will› be  erased  and  the   chosen   header› printed  in its place on the left side› of the screen. If  the  chosen  header› requires  a  date  then  this  will be› requested  before  prompting  for  the› formatting details.›› A REMINDER››    As a part of  the  main  menu,  the› bottom  line  of the screen contains a› small two option menu, as a  reminder,› that  at any time START can be used to› cycle through the  background  colours› whilst  SELECT  is  used  to reset the› colour  back  to  blue.  If  a  custom› designed header is selected  from  the› menu, the menu is again erased and the› necessary details  printed  to  enable› its  construction.  As  each  line  is› entered,  it  is printed to the screen› and a menu is displayed on the  bottom› line. Select "N" to continue and enter› the next line, "P" to exit  early  and› to  prepare the disk or ESCAPE to exit› back to  the  menu.  If  and  when  an› eighth    line    is    entered,   the› 'N/P/ESCAPE'   menu  is  bypassed  and› control  is  passed  directly  to  the› 'Prepare disk' section.›› PREPARE DISK››    This section  is  entered  after  a› header   is   completed   and   RETURN› pressed, ESCAPE will exit back to  the› menu. Prepare disk allows a disk to be› first formatted in  either  single  or› enhanced density, ESCAPE again is used› to exit.  "S"  is  pressed  to  select› single  density  or "E" is pressed for› enhanced   density.  After  selecting,› 'CAUTION'   is   displayed  on  screen› requiring   "Y"   to   be  pressed  to› continue. Any other  key  will  return› back  to  the previous stage to select› the format density.››    Upon pressing "Y", the  disk  which› is  currently in drive #1 is formatted› and   the   header  written  into  the› directory.   After   this,  the  disks› directory is read and printed  to  the› right  hand  side  of  the  screen  to› confirm its presence.››    Once  the  header  has been written› and   the   directory  displayed,  the› option to write the  DOS.SYS  file  is› given.    Upon   pressing   "Y",   the› directory display on screen is  erased› and  the  DOS.SYS  file written to the› disk and locked. The  disks  directory› is    then   once   again   read   and› displayed.›› ANOTHER DISK?››     Regardless   whether  or  not  the› DOS.SYS file has been written  to  the› disk,  the  option  to prepare another› disk   with   the   same   header   is› presented. Pressing "Y" will allow the› format density for  this  disk  to  be› selected. Any other key will exit back› to the menu.›› MODIFYING THE STANDARD HEADERS››     Naturally  the  standard  built-in› headers will need  to  be  amended  to› incorporate the users name rather than› my own name. The standard headers  are› stored  at  the  end of the listing in› the form of basic DATA. When modifying› the  headers,  the  single line format› must be maintained due to the way that› the  program   selects   the   various› headers.  Each  set  of  header   DATA› terminates  with  the  '@'   character› which  is  most  probably  the   least› likely  character   required   for   a› header.  It  can be used within a line› of characters but  must  not  be  used› alone.  The limitation of a maximum of› eight lines where each line  comprises› of a maximum of eleven characters must› also  be  maintained.  The  main  menu› should also be modified to reflect the› changes  made.   If  a modified header› needs a date, then its  position  must› be  considered so that the details can› be printed within the header on screen› and  for inclusion into the string for› writing   into   the  first  directory› sector of the disk. For this reason it› may prove more convenient to leave the› date  position  where  it  is  and  to› simply modify the header around it.›› TECHNICAL DETAILS››    A VBI routine is  used  to  control› the  background  colour  cycling,   to› disable  the  attract  mode   and   to› disable   the   CONTROL-1   stop-start› toggle. It also provides  an  optional› keyboard  lock to ensure that only the› normal uppercase character  set  ascii› codes  can be used when selecting from› the   menus.  This  part  of  the  VBI› cancels any  accidental  operation  of› the  respective two keys. The keyboard› lock   is  disabled  when  the  custom› designed header is selected to  enable› the  use  of all characters.  All text› erasing is achieved by using a machine› code routine which defaults to erasing› the lower section of the screen  only,› unless  otherwise  set up.  The cursor› used within the data entry section  is› 'player  zero',  its  colour  is  also› controlled by the VBI according to the› background  colour.  A  small  machine› code routine is used  to  ensure  that› the player zero stripe is clear before› the cursor is defined.›› MACHINE CODE››    A small  machine  code  routine  is› used  to  access the internal routines› enabling data to  be  written  to  the› disk.›› CUSTOM DISPLAY LIST››    A  custom  display list enables the› use of a mixed mode text screen.›› The above stated machine code routines› are  stored in the form of relocatable› machine code strings. The display list› is  also  stored  as   a   relocatable› string.  The  strings  being  directly› defined to eliminate initialising time› caused by the loading of data.››              **=**==**›