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Vancouver Area Rainbow Users Group N e w s l e t t e r January and February, 1990; Volume 4, Number 1 Editor: David P. Maroun, 9395 Windsor Street, Chilliwack, BC, Canada V2P 6C5; telephone (604)792-4071 Publisher: DECUS Canada, 505 University Avenue, 15th Floor, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 2H2; telephone (416)597-3437 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unless the contrary is indicated, any part of this newsletter may be freely copied or distributed unaltered and with credit given to the original source. While the information provided is believed accurate, the editor cannot take responsibility for the contributions of other writers. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Deadlines: For the March and April issue: February 28, 1990 For the May and June issue: April 30, 1990 Almost any legible format is acceptable for submissions, but the ideal is ASCII form on diskette. Diskettes should be accompanied by covering letters describing the files and indicating disk format. We can handle Rainbow CP/M, Rainbow MS-DOS, IBM PC-DOS single-sided, and some others as well (check about them). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Editorial: A Compact And Versatile Operating System by David P. Maroun Not long ago, I saw a demonstration of the OS-9 operating system on an ATARI ST. This operating system has been in use for years on Tandy's Color Computer, but only recently was developed for the ST. OS-9 is a multi-user, multi-tasking system able to run in 128 000 characters of memory. In fact, I am told that 64 000 are adequate, but just barely so. I think that usually, the best way to attain multi-user, multi-tasking capability is to use several independent computers. However, OS-9 is comparable to MS-DOS in size, and so deserves consideration as an alternative. I certainly find OS-9 more attractive than OS/2, which requires millions of characters of memory. In addition, although OS/2 is multi-tasking, it allows only one user at a time. Of course, we can expect CP/M and MS-DOS to be around for some time to come, just as FORTRAN and COBOL survived from the 1960s to the present. I only suggest that if we change or expand beyond what we have now, we should look first to efficiently-designed systems. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Corrections And Clarifications The editorial in the last issue said that the Rainbow .GIF file reader produced good results on either a 100A or a 100B, despite the warning that 100A users probably would be disappointed. The .GIF files supplied with the reader did look good on both machines. More recently, though, we viewed other .GIF files from a local bulletin board. Their graphics displays looked much clearer on a 100B than on an A. However, no computer graphics we have ever seen matched the precision and fine detail of a typical 35-mm photograph. Our last issue mentioned Rider Computer Services, a firm providing service for Digital Equipment Corporation products and selling used computer equipment from DEC and other manufacturers. Rider's address has changed. Rider has moved to 12989-80th Avenue Surrey, BC V3W 3B1 Telephone: (604) 594-9989 FAX: (604) 594-4187 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VARUG Newsletters In the DECUS Library Older VARUG newsletters have been in the DECUS international library for over a year. The library's stock of these newsletters has been updated. All the newsletters to October, 1989, are now available on one RX50, CP/M-format diskette labeled CPM273. DECUS Canada charges $40 plus shipping and handling costs for this item. If you have a copy of the DECUS Library Software Catalogue Addendum Number One, please note a factual error in the description of CPM273: There is no program included to aid viewing on the screen. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Avoiding Viruses The operator of a local computer bulletin board commented recently that no one seems to have developed a virus operating under 8-bit CP/M, the system he uses for his board. In fact, we do not know of a virus that works under 16-bit CP/M either. So, using CP/M looks like one way to avoid viruses. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A Review: TurboComm II Version 3.21 by Wilson C.Y. Chang TurboComm is a public domain communications program for DEC Rainbow MS-DOS. The name 'Turbo' stands for Turbo Pascal, the language in which TurboComm was originally developed. TurboComm II version 3.21, however, was written partly in assembly language. The program allows VT100, VT125, VT220, and VT240 terminal emulations. VT240 requires a ReGIS interpreter. Function keys can be redefined, and the <Print Screen> key will send the current display to a printer. Files can be transferred by the ASCII, XMODEM, and Telink methods. All this should make TurboComm attractive, but I have had trouble with every version of TurboComm I tried. One allowed only the ASCII type of file transfer with its complete lack of error checking. Another version deleted the last 128-character block of a file received by Telink. I remember erratic behavior, too, so I was never sure what the program would do when I tried to load it. With help from other people, I tried version II 3.21 hoping that perhaps the flaws had been worked out. The trial involved connecting a Rainbow 100A by cable to a 100B and running TurboComm on each at 9600 bits per second. Unfortunately, the problems appeared all too soon. With TurboComm running on the A, the program was slow to load on the B. Text typed at one computer was not echoed back to the typist. Seeing what was typed on the 100B's keyboard required looking at the 100A's screen. Putting the B into set-up mode and turning on the local echo made no difference. We tried transmitting files by only one method, Telink. Most of the files I transfer by modem are archived in some way, so we used .ARC files with TurboComm. These files consistently came through with the last character stripped off. TurboComm gave no error message, but archiving utilities did when they examined the transferred files. One member of our test group wrote to TurboComm II's author telling him of the sad results. So far there has been no reply. In case you are interested, here are the author's name and address: Ian Fraser c/o Keyano College Computer Services 8115 Franklin Avenue Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada T9H 2H7 There are plenty of other communications programs around for the DEC Rainbow. For the time being, I am using some of them rather than TurboComm. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Charlie's Museum Of MS-DOS Horrors: Zero-Length Files by Charlie Gibbs (Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the West Coast Computer Society's "WCCS Printout".) Those of you who program in MS-DOS have probably noticed that it, like many of Microsoft's products, can be rather quirky. Unexpected bugs can be frustrating and time-consuming during development, and embarrassing or worse if they make it out into the field. In my MS-DOS development work I have encountered some bizarre twists that have resulted in customer downtime and lots of frenzied debugging when the operating system suddenly did things that no civilized person would expect or deserve. I have decided to start a column where I'll describe some of the strange things I've discovered about MS-DOS. If I can save anyone some of the pain I've been through, it'll be worth the effort. ----- Let's start with an item I call MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING. From time to time I encounter strange attitudes regarding empty files. Is an empty file the same as a file that doesn't exist? Rather than discussing Zen and the art of computer programming, let's try a more practical test. Bring up your BASIC interpreter (BASIC, BASICA, GWBASIC, or whatever) and type in the following lines. Note that there are no line numbers--we might as well do this in immediate mode: OPEN "R",#1,"X1" CLOSE #1 We have now created a file whose length is zero. (You can exit BASIC by typing SYSTEM, then type DIR X*.* to confirm this. Then go back into BASIC.) Now type: OPEN "I",#1,"X1" We have opened the empty file for input. So far, so good. If you now type: PRINT EOF(1) you will get a result of -1; although we are at the beginning of the file, we are also at the end. Now type: CLOSE #1 OPEN "I",#1,"X2" We are now trying to open a file that does not exist. You will get an error message to that effect. Therefore, according to Microsoft's BASIC interpreter, an empty file and a non-existent file are two different things. ----- Now that we've settled the philosophy, exit the BASIC interpreter and try to copy the empty file: COPY X1 X2 A file X2, also empty, should now exist. However, the system will say "0 files copied", and typing DIR X*.* will confirm that indeed X1 was not copied. This brings us to today's quirk: THE MS-DOS COPY COMMAND WILL NOT COPY EMPTY FILES! -------------------------------------------------- Since there are times when empty files are needed (for instance, a month-to-date transaction log which gets cleared at month-end), this could cause problems when you try to back up or make distribution copies of such files. Any program which attempts to open a copied version of the file will fail. But it gets worse. Try creating a dummy file, e.g. COPY COMMAND.COM X2 It doesn't matter what's in X2. Just pretend it's something you'd rather not lose unless you're replacing it with a more up-to-date version. Once again, type COPY X1 X2 and then type DIR X*.* You will see that X2 is now gone! Not only did X1 not get copied, but X2 got deleted anyway. In other words, if X1 is an empty file, COPY X1 X2 is exactly the same as DEL X2. The next program that tries to read X2 is in for a nasty surprise. So the moral of the story is this: ------------------------------------- Don't use the MS-DOS COPY command to copy files which might be empty! ------------------------------------- Write a little program instead. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- More On Zero-Length Files And MS-DOS by David P. Maroun In a recent issue of the "WCCS Printout", Charlie Gibbs described some problems of dealing with zero-length files under MS-DOS. Alas, he did not tell the worst part of the story. You see, I have a hard disk partitioned into a CP/M section and an MS-DOS section. One day, I was using the CP/M-86 utility DOSFLX.CMD to transfer files between the two partitions. I noticed a zero-length file on the MS-DOS side, and while still running CP/M, used DOSFLX to erase the file. Then I tried to get a listing of an MS-DOS directory. DOSFLX said I was trying to read a non-DOS disk. Puzzled, I switched over to MS-DOS and ran CHKDSK. CHKDSK agreed with DOSFLX; this was a probable non-DOS disk. When I told CHKDSK to continue anyway, it carried on much as it ordinarily would. I could also get directory listings and run some programs as usual. But when I tried to run the file de-fragmenter Disk Organizer (DOG version 2.06), it checked the file allocation table, told me there was a bad cluster, and quit. To be safe, I reformatted the MS-DOS partition and restocked it with files. Setting up an eight-megabyte hard disk partition all over again is not my idea of fun. As a further check, I created a zero-length file on an MS-DOS diskette, and switched to CP/M again. I ran Media Master, logged in the MS-DOS diskette, and erased the zero-length file. Afterwards, Media Master made no complaint when I tried to read the diskette, but when I loaded MS-DOS, CHKDSK said the diskette was probably non-DOS. I got similar error messages after copying zero-length files from CP/M to MS-DOS, and also after overwriting an MS-DOS zero-length file from CP/M. I wonder whether the same problem would arise if other operating systems--say, XENIX or OS/2--were used to alter MS-DOS zero-length files. To date, I have not had a chance to try that experiment. Conclusion: Do not use CP/M to deal with zero-length files on MS-DOS disks. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Our Contribution To The 1990 DECUS Canada Symposium Software Collection The Vancouver Personal Computer Local Users Group has contributed the equivalent of twelve RX50 diskettes worth of software to the 1990 DECUS Canada symposium scheduled for Toronto. The files were actually submitted on each of the two sides of six diskettes. Each side has a short document file listing and describing all the files on that side. Except for the document files, all the software is in compressed form, mostly LHARC archives but with a few .ARC, .PAK, and .ZIP files. Some of the archives are self-extracting. Fully expanded, the files would cover much more than twelve RX50 sides. We have challenged other local user groups to match or outdo us in software contributions. So far, we do not know whether any group has taken up the challenge. All the software is designed for the MS-DOS operating system. Our users group has some new CP/M files, but did not have the opportunity to test them in time for the symposium. Copies of all the diskettes were placed in the Users Group's library. They are available to all members. Anyone who is interested can contact Ken Alger 6001 Pine Park Place Nanaimo, BC V9T 3B6 Telephone (604) 390-4482 Here is the list of the submissions. Diskette SYMPOS90A ------------------ EMACS01 LZH Part 1 of the MicroEMACS editor version 3.9 SEDTDOC LZH Documentation for the SEDT editor version 3.3 (246) SEDTDOS LZH The SEDT editor version 3.3 (246) for MS-DOS SYM90A DOC Documentation on these files The .LZH files are LHARC archives. The LHARC archiver is on diskette SYMPOS90B. SEDT runs on either an IBM PC or a Rainbow. Some of the files in the EMACS01.LZH, EMACS02.LZH, and EMACS03.LZH archives will work on a Rainbow; some will not. Details are given in the documentation included in the archives. Diskette SYMPOS90B ------------------ EMACS02 LZH Part 2 of the MicroEMACS editor version 3.9 EMACS03 LZH Part 3 of the MicroEMACS editor version 3.9 EMACS30 LZH NANSI.SYS, a replacement for ANSI.SYS on IBM PCs and compatibles; a version of MicroEMACS for ANSI controls; and a text viewing utility which uses ANSI controls LH113C EXE The LHARC archiver, version 1.13c, in a self-extracting archive SYM90B DOC Documentation on these files To get the LHARC archiver and its documentation, copy LH113C.EXE to a disk with plenty of space on it, type LH113C<Return>, and wait for the files in LH113C.EXE to extract themselves. The EMACS editor and the text viewing utility in EMACS30.LZH will both run on a Rainbow, though NANSI.SYS will not (Rainbows have ANSI controls built in). On an IBM PC, ANSI controls are necessary for EMACS and the text viewer. Diskette SYMPOS90C ------------------ ASEASY30 LZH A spreadsheet like Lotus 1-2-3 version 1 CKERMIT LZH KERMIT communications; requires a FOSSIL driver GSXMSDOS LZH GSX (graphics extension) for MS-DOS MWC-RB LZH Routines for the Mark Williams C compilers on Rainbows ODEC_501 LZH A FOSSIL driver for the Rainbow OPTION LZH Tells what options are installed in a Rainbow PAK210 EXE The PAK archiver, version 2.10 PAT31RB LZH Patches for Rainbow MS-DOS version 3.10 PKZ101 EXE The ZIP library system, version 1.01 SYM90C DOC Documentation on these files TREEANSI LZH Uses ANSI controls to create a directory tree VDEC_021 LZH Video FOSSIL driver for the Rainbow GSXMSDOS requires CP/M-86 GSX files. PAK210.EXE and PKZ101.EXE are self-extracting archives. Copy each to a disk which has plenty of space and enter the programs' names to get executable files and documentation. Both PAK and the ZIP system are generic MS-DOS programs. ASEASY30 is designed for IBM PCs and compatibles. The program runs on a Rainbow that has 768 000 or more characters of random access memory and Code Blue with its '/V' option. More details are included in the documentation inside the archive. Diskette SYMPOS90D ------------------ COCOUTIL LZH A utility for handling Tandy Color Computer diskettes DOG206 LZH A fast, relatively safe file de-fragmenter LHX LZH Recovers files from damaged LHARC archives PCC LZH Mark DeSmet's personal C compiler RB-TSR LZH A demonstration memory-resident program for Rainbows SORTF LZH Vernon Buerg's fast sort utility, version 2.25 SYM90D DOC Documentation on these files V2080J88 LZH Allows running some CP/M-80 files on an NEC V20 V20TIM LZH Measures the speed of a microprocessor WUTIL312 ARC Rainbow hard disk manager and low-level formatter The .ARC file requires PAK version 2.0 or later to extract the component files. PAK version 2.10 is on diskette SYMPOS90C. COCOUTIL.LZH was tested only briefly and incompletely on a Rainbow. Code Blue, or an equivalent IBM emulator, was needed, though maximum memory was not. COCOUTIL would read Rainbow diskettes, but would not format Color Computer diskettes. A Color Computer-format diskette was not available for complete testing. WUTIL312 and RB-TSR are dedicated to DEC Rainbows. V2080J88 requires an NEC V20. PCC.LZH includes some supplementary routines designed specifically for IBM PCs and their compatibles, but the compiler itself is generic. The remaining files are in generic MS-DOS, though SORTF's screen display is sometimes a bit different on an IBM PC from what it is on a Rainbow. Diskette SYMPOS90E ------------------ BBACKUP LZH Bear's backup and restore utilities BE LZH Byte editor for Rainbows; edits non-text files DCOPY303 LZH Makes image files of whole diskettes FIDO11A LZH Part A of the FIDO bulletin board system, version 11 FV117 LZH Views the directories of .PAK, .ARC, .LZH, .ZIP, and other archives PKZF10 EXE Searches for files in all directories and all .ZIP files RBHIST70 LZH Maintains an extended command history and redefines keys on Rainbows RX50-103 LZH Allows an IBM AT to use RX50 diskettes SYM90E DOC Documentation on these files WHERE28 LZH Searches for files in all directories and various types of archives BE and RBHIST70 are designed for Rainbows only. FIDO11A.LZH includes both Rainbow and IBM versions of FIDO. RX50-103 is designed to run on IBM ATs and compatibles only, though the RX50INIT formatter will also work on a Rainbow. RX50INIT converts RX50 CP/M-format diskettes to MS-DOS format. The remaining programs run on either a Rainbow or an IBM PC compatible. The Bear's backup utility is useful for spreading a file over several diskettes. Despite what the documentation says, the program will back up a floppy disk to another floppy disk. DCOPY303 can make an image file of a whole diskette, including system tracks, thus allowing transferring an MS-DOS or CP/M system diskette by modem. DCOPY303 will, by default, compress information when it makes an image file. The image file can be further compressed with an archiving utility like LHARC. Diskette SYMPOS90F ------------------ FIDO11B LZH Part B of the FIDO bulletin board system, version 11 MIPS LZH Measures the speed of a computer PRAMJAM LZH Passes parameters to .COM or .EXE files RBE LZH Emulates a Rainbow on an IBM PC SYM90F DOC Documentation on these files TSRSRC LZH Utilities, with source codes, for managing memory-resident programs FIDO11B.LZH includes both Rainbow and IBM versions of FIDO. Part A of the FIDO system is on diskette SYMPOS90E. MIPS was run on a Rainbow 100B under Code Blue and its '/V' option, which requires plenty of memory. The submitter has not yet successfully tested RBE. Most of the utilities in TSRSRSC.LZH will run on either a Rainbow or an IBM PC clone. However, some of the programs require MS-DOS 3 or later for optimum performance. The submitter could not get RELEASE.COM to run on a Rainbow. PRAMJAM runs on a Rainbow, though the screen display is a bit odd at the beginning. Diskette SYMPOS90G ------------------ AUTOPARK LZH Automatically parks the heads of a Rainbow hard disk. DBTOOLS LZH Supplementary routines for Rainbow dBASE III version 1.1 DIALH2 LZH A home dialer for the Rainbow; with the source code EMACS-RB LZH The MicroEMACS editor set up for the Rainbow; with the source code SYM90G DOC Documentation on these files WSS404RA EXE Part A of the WSSINDEX disk catalog system, version 4.04 for the Rainbow WSS404RB EXE Part B of the WSSINDEX disk catalog system, version 4.04 for the Rainbow The .EXE files are self-extracting archives. To extract the files from WSS404RA.EXE to drive B:, you can put this diskette into drive A: and place an empty diskette in drive B:. Then you can enter A:<Return> WSS404RA -eB:<Return> . Please note: Lower case must be used for the 'e' at the left of the 'B' in the second line. The component files will then be put onto the diskette in drive B:. If the Rainbow version of WSSINDEX is configured for DOS calls, it can be run on an IBM PC which has ANSI controls installed. However, the user must know the scan codes for special Rainbow keys, or must redefine IBM keys to match special Rainbow keys. Diskette SYMPOS90H ------------------ FIXRB LZH Corrects problems in some versions of Rainbow MS-DOS. LHSRC LZH Source code for the LHARC archiver version 1.13c SYM90H DOC Documentation on these files WSSI403A EXE Part A of the WSSINDEX disk cataloger, version 4.03 for most MS-DOS computers WSSI403B EXE Part B of the WSSINDEX disk cataloger, version 4.03 for most MS-DOS computers XPRRESS LZH A graphics editor for the Rainbow The .EXE files are self-extracting archives. To extract the files from WSSI403A.EXE to drive B:, you can put diskette SYMPOS90H into drive A: and place an empty diskette in drive B:. Then you enter A:<Return> WSSI403A -eB:<Return> . Please note: Lower case must be used for the 'e' at the left of the 'B' in the second line. The component files will then be put onto the diskette in drive B:. If version 4.03 of WSSINDEX is configured for DOS calls, it can be run on a DEC Rainbow. However, the user must know the scan codes for special IBM keys, or must redefine Rainbow keys to match special IBM keys. Diskette SYMPOS90I ------------------ CCLAS12R LZH Classical Classifier, an outline processor, set up for DEC Rainbows EPISTAT LZH GW-BASIC statistics package set up for DEC Rainbows PFSA LZH Does algebraic calculations, including calculus RBBUFR3 LZH Two programs: One for extending the Rainbow keyboard buffer to 128 characters and allowing control-C to clear that buffer, and a second program that emulates keystrokes to run programs automatically SIDEWAYS LZH Prints sideways from an IBM PC to an Epson MX-80 printer SYM90I DOC Documentation on these files Versions of Classical Classifier exist also for Kaypro CP/M (this was the original version) and for the IBM PC. The version provided here is set up for the Rainbow, but the Turbo Pascal source code is included, as is an installation program for redefining keys. A version of EPISTAT exists for the IBM PC, but the version on this diskette is adapted for the Rainbow. However, EPISTAT is provided in source code form. PFSA was run briefly on a Rainbow 100B under MS-DOS 2.11. The program seemed to work. The FORTRAN source code for PFSA is included. One program in RB-BUFFR3 turns control-C on a Rainbow into the equivalent of control-Break on an IBM PC, thus making aborting commands much easier under Rainbow MS-DOS. The Pascal source code for SIDEWAYS is included. The compiled program was not fully tested by the submitter. Diskette SYMPOS90J ------------------ ADJRAM LZH Allows changing the size of a RAM drive without resetting the computer or losing files in the RAM drive. JOBSDISP LZH Displays images which are in Rainbow graphics memory. CP/M-86 and MS-DOS versions are included. JOBSDV41 LZH Prints Rainbow graphics screens to DEC or Epson printers. CP/M-86 and MS-DOS versions are included. QEDIT207 LZH A small, fast, user-configurable editor SYM90J DOC Documentation on these files TABS21 LZH Converts between blanks and tab characters, and removes trailing blanks. WU31SC ARC The source code for the Rainbow hard disk low-level formatter WUTIL version 3.1 WU31SC.ARC is a specially prepared archive with files hidden inside it. The archiving utilities PKXARC, ARCE, or PAK can be used to remove two files from WUT31SC.ARC. One of these files tells how to get the remaining files from the archive. The PAK archiver is on diskette SYMPOS90C. ADJRAM was run on a DEC Rainbow 100A with no noticeable difficulties though the program is not designed specifically for that computer. JOBSDISP.LZH, JOBSDV41.LZH, and WU31SC.ARC contain files dedicated to the Rainbow. In trials, the MS-DOS version of JOBSDUMP (in JOBSDV41.LZH) did well. The CP/M-86 version performed badly under Rainbow CP/M 2.0 and 2.1, though it did well when run under CP/M 1.0 or under AME-86 and Rainbow MS-DOS. Fortunately, resetting a Rainbow by the <Set-Up> <Ctrl>-<Set-Up> sequence does not erase graphics images from memory, so a person can prepare a graphics picture under CP/M then switch to MS-DOS to print. QEDIT (in QEDIT207.LZH) is designed to run on IBM PCs and their clones. Nevertheless, the program ran on a Rainbow 100A that had 852 000 characters of random access memory, the IBM emulator Code Blue with its '/V' option, and either MS-DOS 2.01 or MS-DOS 3.10. The Rainbow also had an NEC V20 instead of the original 8088; it is not known whether this change affected the performance of QEDIT. QEDIT would not run under Rainbow MS-DOS 2.11-1. The configuration program included in QEDIT207.LZH would not run at all on the Rainbow. TABS21.LZH is a generic MS-DOS program. The source code is included with it. Diskette SYMPOS90K ------------------ 22NCE124 LZH Allows running 8-bit CP/M programs under MS-DOS on an IBM PC or close compatible ANALY25 LZH The ANALYTICALC spreadsheet for 256 000 characters of RAM ANALYDOC LZH Documentation for ANALYTICALC IWBEN LZH A benchmark program from Info World to test a central processor and hard disk SYM90K DOC Documentation on these files When 22NICE (in 22NCE124.LZH) was run on a Rainbow, the program just said it could not find a free interrupt and aborted. The program is popular with some users of IBM PCs and their clones. ANALYTICALC runs on either a Rainbow or IBM PC which has enough memory and disk space. The documentation indicates how to set up the spreadsheet on either machine. Diskette SYMPOS90L has a version of ANALYTICALC for systems with 320 000 characters of RAM. IWBEN requires Code Blue to run on a Rainbow and tell its results. Diskette SYMPOS90L ------------------ 22DSK130 LZH Allows an IBM PC, XT, AT, or clone to use CP/M-format diskettes. ANALY32 LZH The ANALYTICALC spreadsheet for computers with 320 000 characters or more of random access memory SHOWMEM LZH Describes memory-resident programs. SYM90L DOC Documentation on these files The submitter could not get the system in 22DSK130.LZH to run on a Rainbow. ANALYTICALC will run on either an IBM PC or a Rainbow. Rainbow users should ignore the references to ANSI.SYS, BIGANSI.SYS, and redefinition of keys since their machines have ANSI terminal emulation built in. Diskette SYMPOS90K has complete documentation for ANALYTICALC, and a version of the spreadsheet for computers that have 256 000 characters of random access memory. Despite what the documentation included in SHOWMEM.LZH says, the version of MAPMEM in TSRSRC.LZH on diskette SYMPOS90F does run on a Rainbow. However, according to some trials made, MS-DOS 3.1 is needed for either SHOWMEM or MAPMEM to report the names of most memory-resident programs. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A Review: PC-FILE+ Version 1.0 by Janet Charlton For someone with modest database needs, a filer may be adequate. Such a program stores information in an organized way and allows reports. The versatility of dBASE or RBASE is missing, but so is the complexity. One popular filer is Buttonware's PC-FILE. I got a copy of PC-FILE+ version 1.0 more than a year ago, and thought I would pass on my experiences. Oh, do not tell me! I know version 1.0 is not the latest. Version 3.0 is out, and perhaps there is an even newer one around by now. In fact, I looked at one update, PC-FILE Database, but decided it had little to offer over my old PC-FILE+ version 1.0. Besides, version 1.0 is still available. Getting Started PC-FILE+ is shareware. You get it almost free (you may have to pay for the disks or pay the telephone charges for receiving from a bulletin board). If you use the program regularly, you are supposed to pay $69.95 in US funds to Jim Button's Buttonware Inc. If you buy more than one copy, you pay less per copy. For example, 50 to 99 copies cost $48.97 each. The main PC-FILE+ version 1.0 program and some supplementary executable files are listed as Volume 312 of the PC/Blue library, operated by the New York Amateur Computer Club. That volume has two large .ARC files containing executable files and a demonstration database. Also on the disk are a de-archiving program, and brief descriptions of the package. The PC-FILE+ documentation is in volume 337. Volume 337 also includes copies of the demonstration database and some of the supplementary executable files. The duplication is not exact; I noticed some slight differences between the files in volume 337 and their apparent twins in volume 312, though I am not sure how important those differences are. Getting the documentation takes some effort. It consists of one 407 622-character text file archived ('squashed' is the term used) down to about 40% of the original size. You are told to de-archive directly to a printer. I found that arrangement annoying. Why could Jim Button not break up his huge text into small enough pieces to fit onto ordinary double-density diskettes? I did not have a hard disk or even a 3.5-inch floppy drive available at the time, but I created a RAM drive large enough to hold the entire text, and edited it to eliminate the many blank lines (which annoyed me) and to lengthen some of the short lines (more annoyance). Once this task was done, though, I had complete, easy-to- read documentation. PC-FILE+ On Rainbows PC-FILE+ is designed to run on IBM PCs and compatibles. I used the program on Rainbows, mostly a 100A running MS-DOS 2.11-1. Does a Rainbow need adjustments to run PC-FILE+? You bet it does! The machine needs the Code Blue emulator with its '/V' option, which in turn requires plenty of memory. The 100A had a full 852 000 characters of random access memory and Code Blue 1, so I thought I was ready. I started running PC-FILE+, and got a little past the opening screen. The program then stopped in the middle of opening a database. Had it crashed? No, as it turned out. A little experimenting proved that if I pressed keys often enough, the program would continue. I settled on pressing the <Set-Up> key to get things going again; pressing other keys posed the risk of giving unintended commands to PC-FILE+, or filling the keyboard buffer. Once I got past the beginning, I found PC-FILE+ an easy program to learn compared to some I can remember. There are plenty of on-screen prompts to tell the user what to do. Extra help messages are available if needed, and they appear in little boxes which you can move with the arrow keys. Thus you see both a help message and the part of the program you want help with. I wish other software suppliers (WordPerfect Corporation, for instance) would follow PC-FILE+'s example. IBM PCs show 25 lines on the screen; Rainbows show only 24. PC-FILE+ version 1.0 uses the 25, but that caused no real problems. All I missed seeing was the bottom line of a help box, and if I really wanted to see the line, I could move the box up the screen. I did run into trouble when I tried to use the printer. As it turned out, I had to tell PC-FILE+ to use 'PRN' for the name of the print device rather than the 'LPT1' it was originally configured to use. To make the program recognize PRN, I wrote the line /PRPORT, PRN in a configuration file called 'PCFILE.PRO'. I am still puzzled about the name 'LPT1' being rejected. That same name works well enough in other programs (GW-BASIC, for example) running under Rainbow MS-DOS 2.11-1. PC-FILE+ is a big program. The main PCF.EXE file has 282 635 characters, and the help file PCF.HLP has a further 43 746. Still, I was able to run the filer on a machine equipped with only two floppy disks. Using Code Blue's '/V' option slows the Rainbow system clock to about 2/3 of its usual speed. The option also slows down screen output, disk accesses, or both. I did not choose especially high speed for either screen displays or disk functions, but overall, I found PC-FILE+ fast enough. Occasionally, though, I wished disk operations were a little speedier. I tried PC-FILE+ briefly on a Rainbow 100B. I could not get the program past the opening part under MS-DOS 2.11-1 nor under MS-DOS 3.10. When I used MS-DOS 2.01, the program ran about as well as on the 100A. Using 2.01 left more memory free, but denied access to a hard disk. The older operating system also did not allow running SETPORT, so I could not use a printer requiring control by the data terminal ready signal. Using PC-FILE+ PC-FILE+ version 1.0 has utilities for using files in dBASE II or III database format. The Multiplan SYLK format is also supported. I was able to take a dBASE II database, convert it to SYLK format, and read it into a Multiplan 1 spreadsheet. That is something I have wanted to do for a long time! PC-FILE+ permits the use of passwords to restrict access to various parts of the program. I found this feature unimpressive. The reason: The passwords were recorded in the .PRO file, where anyone could read them. When you load PC-FILE+, it looks for a database on the default drive, which may be specified in the .PRO file. If no database exists, the program prompts you to create one. You are also guided through the creation of an entry screen for the adding of records. You have a choice of using a fast method or painting the data entry screen. The fast method requires just naming the fields and indicating their relative positions and sizes on the screen. If you choose to paint, you get a more flexible editor so you can draw the fields on the screen. Each field except the last can have up to 65 characters. If there are 21 fields or less, the last field can be used for comments, and can have up to 1665 characters. The actual limit for the last field depends on what the rest of the database is like. The maximum number of fields is 70. Once the database is defined, you get a menu telling what keys to press if you want to add a record, find one, write a letter, write a report, sort, call up utilities (to read dBASE databases, for instance), or carry out various other operations. If the prompts are not enough, you can put the program into teach mode. Then help messages pop up whenever you give a command. The command to find a record also allows modifying or deleting it. You have various options for finding. Among them: You can go immediately to the beginning or end of the database, or specify a condition for searching. You can also "browse"--have 20 records listed one below the other on the screen (if your database has that many records), and page through the database. If you delete a record, and decide you want it back, you can go to the utilities section from the program's main menu, and undelete. If you choose to specify a condition for searching through the database, you again have a choice. A simple search involves your filling blanks in a sample data entry screen. You might, for example, enter 'Vancouver' in a field for the city. Then you press the <F10> key (actually, <F20> on a Rainbow), and the program will search for records with 'Vancouver' filled in for the city. Putting a '~' at the beginning of the field tells the program to search for 'Vancouver' anywhere in the field. You can also specify a "complex search", with ORs, ANDs, and parentheses. A sample might be (NAME = "MacIntyre") & (CITY = "Vancouver" | CITY = "Edmonton") to search for someone named 'MacIntyre' in either Vancouver or Edmonton. The search condition can be up to 250 characters long. PC-FILE+ may or may not distinguish between upper and lower case letters, depending on how you have the program configured. If you add more records to the database, you can optionally have parts of previous records stored in memory, and enter that information with a few keystrokes. You can also have fields automatically repeated if you wish. You can sort the database on up to ten fields at once. You can specify which part of a field to recognize during sorting, and mention different parts of the same field. For example, entering ADDRESS,15,5 ADDRESS,5,8 would tell the program to sort on the 5-character portion of the ADDRESS field beginning with the 15th character, and to do a secondary sort on the same field but to choose the 8-character part beginning with the 5th character. You can do a random sort to put the records into a random order, sort on Roman numerals, and sort on the sounds of words. Sorting is done on an index file, not on the database itself. Thus, sorting goes much more quickly than I, for one, expected. If you want to write a report, you choose which records to include, which fields to include, and which numbers to include in subtotals. You can send the report to the screen, a disk file, or to a printer attached to any port on the computer. There is even an option for removing extra spaces and blank lines. You need not have any special printer. PC-FILE+ permits specifying printer codes, so you can configure the program to a variety of printers using any size paper, if you know the codes. You pick from several formats for the report, from just having one record per page to using a form you paint on the screen. You can choose from the options by typing the name of the format, typing its number, or moving the cursor to it. If you are a programmer at heart, you can write out a sequence of commands telling PC-FILE+ how to make the report. Suppose you want to do a mail merge using your database. There is no need to convert the database into a form suitable for a word processor like WordStar. PC-FILE+ has built-in letter-writing ability for doing mail merges. PC-FILE+ permits defining "smart keys", keystroke sequences to carry out special operations likely to be repeated. The <Alt> <Y> command on the main menu is supposed to define the smart keys, but I could not get it to work. I finally used a separate text editor to edit the PEOPLE.KEY file supplied with PC-FILE+ as an example, and renamed PEOPLE.KEY to suit my database. I then used the utilities section of PC-FILE+ to change the key definitions. PC-FILE+ allows limiting the part of an entry screen to be edited. The program also permits having dates or times entered automatically, pre-entered information entered as constants, and calculations done in fields. You have a choice of formats for automatic entry of dates, including 'YYMMDD' (as in '900115'), a favorite in databases (because it is already set up for sorting). You can identify a record with a "unique" number. You can specify an edit mask, to restrict the kind of information which can be entered. Such mask may, for example, prevent putting textual data into a field reserved for numbers. I mentioned the .PRO configuration file previously. You can set one up from within PC-FILE+, or use your favorite text editor. The .PRO file can be used to set program defaults such as the printer codes, the page length, and the screen colors, among other things. Throughout its operations, PC-FILE+ guides the user with prompts. I suppose that some experienced database users might object to getting a sort of guided tour every time they used a program, but as someone who uses it only on occasion, I like the help. PCDECODE, PCLABEL, and PCFIX Included with the PC-FILE+ package are some supplementary programs. One is PCDECODE.EXE, which is designed to make databases encrypted by older versions of PC-FILE usable by PC-FILE+. I ran PCDECODE directly under Rainbow MS-DOS 2.11-1 on the 100A, without Code Blue; but I had no older, encrypted databases, so I cannot tell much more about the program. PCLABEL.EXE is another separate program, and is designed for making up mailing labels from PC-FILE+ databases. I used PCLABEL's '/BIOS' option, and ran the program under Code Blue without Code Blue's '/V' option. I tried unsuccessfully to put printer codes into PCLABEL's configuration file with the recommended <Alt> <keypad number> sequence. Finally, I just typed 'ESCAPE CODES GO HERE', used SEDT to edit the configuration file, and inserted the codes. Of course, it is always possible to set up the printer before running PCLABEL, so this problem is not critical anyway. Like PC-FILE+, PCLABEL uses plenty of prompts to guide you through its operations. You can also save label information in a .LBL file for further use. PCLABEL is not limited to reading PC-FILE+ databases. It can also handle a source file with information delimited with commas, a pure ASCII source file, and certain files produced by PC-TYPE, another Buttonware product. PCFIX.EXE is supplied for repairing damaged index files. The program ran on the Rainbow 100A under Code Blue with its '/V' option. For Programmers The manual contains a section for programmers who wish to integrate PC-FILE+ with database programs written in BASIC or Pascal. Conclusion If you are used to doing database work in BASIC, Pascal, dBASE, or RBASE, you likely will find PC-FILE+ too limited. PC-FILE+ just does not have the extensive programming options of these other systems. But, how many of us use all their features? PC-FILE+ is entirely sufficient for many purposes. Using it on a Rainbow does involve a few problems, but any program has its limitations. Overall, I think PC-FILE+, even the old version 1.0 I used, is well worth considering. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ARK.COM Fails Again by David P. Maroun Previous issues of this newsletter have reported serious difficulties with Brian E. Moore's CP/M-80 archiver, ARK.COM. Versions appearing after 0.2 have produced corrupt archives. Well, version 1.1 was posted recently on the Frog Hollow bulletin board, so I tried this new archiver. I reported my results in a message which I put onto Frog Hollow. Here is that message: I recently downloaded ARK11.ARK, which contains Brian E. Moore's CP/M-80 archiving utility, ARK.COM version 1.1. I have had trouble with every version of ARK.COM since 0.2, and even it had some annoying features. Version 1.1 fits in well with this sad tradition. I used ARK.COM on a DEC Rainbow 100B, and found that the program added garbage to one of my CP/M-86 Multiplan files, so that de-archivers gave error messages. Anyone who has my previously-uploaded ARKTEST file can check out that problem personally. I also discovered that ARK 1.1 will make up corrupt disk directories. ARK went through the motions of creating archives even though there was not enough disk space for them, and made directory entries for the bogus archives. At one point, I had 298 k of files listed in a RAM drive with a total capacity of 126 k. One of the archives actually had a zero length, but SD and NSWEEP described it as having 96 k. STAT.CMD listed the correct number of bytes, but the wrong number (128) of records. I think someone should persuade Brian Moore to stop putting out bad programs. The ARKTEST file I mentioned in the message contains a modified extract from the end of the Multiplan-86 file which ARK.COM altered. Even if someone used ARK.COM without running into the problems I reported, the utility would be out-of-date. ARK.COM simply does not compress files as much as other programs do. Rainbow users have the option of DOSFLXing CP/M files to MS-DOS and using PKZIP or LHARC to create .ZIP or .LZH archives. DOSFLX can then bring these compact files back to CP/M where the CP/M-80 de-archivers UNZIP and LHRD can remove files from them. Someone who wants to work entirely under CP/M can use CRLZH.COM (CRUNCH with LZH compression) combined with the NULU library utility. The resultant libraries compare in size with what the MS-DOS archivers produce. Using CRLZH and NULU is a two-step operation, but extracting from their libraries can be done in one step with LT.COM version 2.9. LT can extract and uncrunch right out of a library to disk. LT can also display a crunched text file on the screen with pauses. DOSFLX, PKZIP, LHARC, UNZIP, LHRD, CRLZH, and LT are all available from the VARUG library. A caution for users of LT: If a file was set read-only before crunching, LT has difficulty uncrunching the file to disk. You can uncrunch such a file with UNCRLZH.COM, a companion to CRLZH.COM, but I prefer to set files to read-write before compressing them, and then use LT to extract. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Questions And Answers Do you have a computer-related problem? Send it to us. We can publish it, and if we do not know the solution, perhaps someone else in the users group can provide one. QUESTION: Sometimes my printer responds to a form feed by going to the middle of the next page rather than the top. I took the printer in for service, but no problems showed up. What can be responsible, and how can I avoid getting page breaks messed up? ANSWER: A printer can give an incorrect form feed if it finishes printing in the middle of a page, and you insert another page. You can assure getting the correct page breaks in several ways. One is to give a form feed before printing on that new page. Another is to set the top of the form for the new page, either by pressing a top-of-form button on the printer (if it has such a button) or by sending a software code to set the top of the form. An example of such a code is '<ESC>[66t', which tells a DEC LA100 printer to make the current line the top of the form and to use a page length of 66 lines. This particular code may, however, require your resetting the margins. Check your printer manual for details on your particular machine. QUESTION: How can I transfer files from dBASE II running under Rainbow CP/M to dBASE III running under MS-DOS on an AT clone? The AT clone has a high-density 5.25-inch diskette drive, if that makes any difference. ANSWER: Here is one way: We assume the high-density drive can handle 40-track, double-density diskettes as well as high-density, 80-track diskettes. This assumption is certainly true for many such drives. Use the AT clone to format a double-density diskette for 40 tracks and one side. On most machines, if the high-density drive is A:, the command to use is FORMAT A:/4/1<Enter>, but check your MS-DOS manual to be sure. Load MS-DOS in the Rainbow, and place the newly-formatted diskette into drive B: of that machine. Copy the RDCPM utility from the Rainbow MS-DOS system diskette to the 40-track diskette in drive B:. Place a CP/M-format diskette with the dBASE II files in drive A: and use RDCPM to transfer the files to drive B:. For example, if you want to transfer the dBASE II database RECEIPTS.DBF, the command to use is B:RDCPM READ A:RECEIPTS.DBF B:<Return> . If a file is too big to fit onto the single-sided, 40-track diskette, use RDCPM to transfer the file first to a Rainbow 80-track MS-DOS diskette. Then use a compression utility such as PKARC, PAK, LHARC, or PKZIP to reduce the file's size, and copy the compressed file to the 40-track diskette. Now, put the 40-track diskette into the AT clone's 5.25-inch drive. If the files are compressed, de-compress them. Use the DCONVERT utility supplied with dBASE III to change the dBASE II files to dBASE III format. You can expect complete conversion for a dBASE II database, but not necessarily for a dBASE II program. QUESTION: The keypad <5> key on my keyboard sometimes repeats. I notice, too, that the keyboard feels warm in spots. Is there something simple to check before shopping for a new keyboard? ANSWER: You can check whether the keyboard's logic board is securely attached to its heat sink. On an LK201AA keyboard, for example, a small metal clip holds the two together. If the clip breaks, you may have problems such as you describe. QUESTION: I often work in compiled BASIC, and would like to time events to a tenth of a second. I have thought of using the 'ON TIMER' command, but it only counts seconds. Any suggestions? ANSWER: The GW-BASIC interpreter and compiler, including QuickBASIC, have a TIMER function which measures time to a hundredth of a second. Try using that TIMER function. Be sure to distinguish it from the 'ON TIMER' command and the TIME$ function. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Buy, Sell, Or Swap This section is presented as a service to members. There is no charge for advertizements placed here, though donations will be accepted. Only items related to computing will be advertized; if you wish to sell an old car, we respectfully suggest that you publicize elsewhere. Advertizements are not accepted from suppliers. Ads should preferably be submitted to the editor in writing or as ASCII computer files, but may also be phoned in. ---------------------------------- FOR SALE: VAX 11/730 unlimited user with MicroVAX II as end node, $20 000 Rainbow 100Bs with keyboards, monochrome monitors, 10 megabyte hard disks, and 256 k or more of RAM; $1000 Rainbow 100Bs with keyboards, color monitors, 10 megabyte hard disks, and 256 k or more of RAM; $1100 DEC Rainbow version of dBASE III version 1.0, unopened; $250 Contact Charles Haynes at (604) 985-6125 during business hours. FOR SALE: DEC Rainbow 100A with 256 k of RAM, dual drives, an amber monitor, a Brother 1109 printer which has both serial and parallel ports, and a printer cable designed to function with the Rainbow. The instruction books are available for both the computer and printer. Asking $695 for the whole package, or will trade for a Porsche 911. Offers will be considered. Call Ralph Nickels anytime at (604) 595-6811. FOR SALE: Poly-XFR CP/M communications software for Rainbow 100, $20; CP/M-86/80 operating system version 2.0, $14. All software items are in the original packages and have documentation included. One AC fan for a Rainbow 100A (also fits many other computers), $10. Offers will be considered. 7.6 cm (3 inch) adding machine rolls, $0.15 each or best offer. Telephone David P. Maroun at (604) 792-4071. FOR SALE: One RX50 drive in good condition; $180. Also, three 65 536-character DRAM (memory) chips, $1.10 each. Telephone David P. Maroun at (604) 792-4071. FOR SALE: 300 baud coupler modems, $10 each or best offer 1200 baud GDC-212 modems, some with rotary dial phones, $75 each or best offer HP125 CP/M micro computer, with dual 3.5-inch floppy drives, Word/125, and utilities, $800 or best offer Diablo 630API daisy wheel printer, dual sheet feeder, serial interface, 40 characters per second. Comes with sound cover, ribbons, & wheels. $1400 or best offer. KBS Business Systems CP/M micro computer, dual 5.25" floppy drives, serial & parallel interfaces; offers Contact William Cheng, telephone (604) 661-5045; FAX: (604) 661-5055. Call during business hours. FOR SALE: Peachtree business modules for MS-DOS: PeachCalc spreadsheet, general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, personal calendar, job cost system, and inventory control. $15 each. Note: These modules require Code Blue and maximum memory to run on Rainbows. Contact David P. Maroun at (604) 792-4071. FOR SALE: DEC Rainbow 100-A1 system unit with an 11-megabyte hard disk, CP/M-86/80 version 2.0, MS-DOS version 2.05, and hard disk management utilities. $325 or best offer. Contact David P. Maroun at (604) 792-4071. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What Do You Think Of This Issue? Please tell us what you liked and did not like. The best articles were:__________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ The worst articles were:_________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ Comments or suggestions: Send your opinions to The Editor, VARUG Newsletter, 9395 Windsor Street, Chilliwack, BC, Canada V2P 6C5.