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Some Tips on the ST ------------------- Volume I, JAN. 86 by John Demar Since last June, I've given my ST quite a work out. At the beginning, it seemed like I was demonstrating it more than I was using it! Packing it up for a users' group meeting, bringing it to a store that was too anxious to wait for their first shipment, showing it to all sorts of curious people dropping by at my home. Even the regional sales rep had never seen the 520ST before he looked at mine... Over the past few months, I've gathered many facts and learned a few tricks that I'd like to pass on. As always, this information is best communicated through Compuserve and the growing network of ST-specific bulletin boards. You're welcome to give a copy to a friend who isn't fortunate enough to own a modem (yet!). Hopefully, I'll compile another list like this in the future. Please forward to me any comments and tips of your own. Our BBS number is 315-457-7216 or drop a letter in the mail to QMI, PO Box 179, Liverpool, NY 13088. Enjoy! 1) Saving the GEM Desktop ------------------------- I always see an ST booted at a store and can't believe how messy they keep their DeskTop. I shouldn't be too critical -- the top of my desk is pretty hard to find! The "Option" Menu on the GEM DeskTop has a choice called "Save DeskTop". It creates the file called "DESKTOP.INF" which remembers what your DeskTop looks like (icon and window positions, screen resolution, etc). The next next time you turn on your computer, the DeskTop display will look just as you left it. For instance, I have my disk icons placed at the bottom left of the screen and the trash can at the bottom right. I resize and move my windows so that they are equality centered vertically next to each other (text viewing). Go to the Option Menu and Save the DeskTop. Next time I boot, everything looks familiar and comfortable to me! 2) Renaming the Icons --------------------- I've found it more appealing to have the disk icons named "Top Disk" and "Bottom Disk", to correspond to the physical position of my disk drives. Point to a disk icon and click the button to make it dark (selected). Go to the Options Menu and select "Install Disk Drive". Type in the new name in the drive name field and click on the Install button. Voila! Your icon is renamed. If you save the DeskTop, the name will be there permanently. You can rename the trash icon by loading the DESKTOP.INF file into a text editor and renaming it where it is shown in its special format. If you do this with ST-Writer, make sure the top and left margins are set to zero, then print to disk (do not use Save since ST-Writer uses a different format). 3) Installing an Application Document-Type ------------------------------------------ This sounds complicated but it's really a useful feature. For instance, you probably name all of your ST-Writer files with a file extension ".DOC". Normally, you would load ST-Writer then load the document file. Here's how to do it in one step! On the DeskTop, click once on the application program name (or icon) to make it black (selected). Go to the Option Menu and choose "Install Application". In the field called Document Type, enter the three characters for the file type associated with the application (DOC, for the case of ST-Writer). Then, save the DeskTop to make this a permanent choice. From now on, all you need to do is click twice on any document file (".DOC" on the name) and ST-Writer will load automatically and the document file will load into ST-Writer, waiting in the edit mode! Make sure ST-Writer is on the same disk as your document files or this will not work. 4) The Infamous <ESC> Key ------------------------- The Escape comes in handy for a couple of things. When you remove a disk from a drive and replace it with another, the DeskTop still shows the directory for the old disk. I spent the first two months closing the window and re-opening it to see the directory of the new disk. Not so! Simply press the <ESC> key and the directory will appear for the new disk! Also, the Escape key is used to erase text fields in GEM Dialog Windows. For instance, you're entering the date in the Control Panel -- just hit <ESC> and the old date will erase and the cursor will go to the beginning of the field. 5) The Case of the Dead Mouse ----------------------------- I've heard of missing mice and a sick mouse or two. But, there's no such thing as a dead mouse! The ST keyboard allows you to move the cursor around without using the little critter. Hold <Alternate> and the cursor arrow keys to move the pointer in steps and use the <Alternate> and <Shift> keys together with the cursor keys for fine movement. The <Alternate> key with the <Insert> key acts like the left mouse button and the <Alternate> key with the <Clrhome> key acts like the right mouse button. It makes a lot of sense once you think about it! 6) Printing the Screen ---------------------- You'll need an "Epson compatible" printer and a healthy printer ribbon for this one. If you ever want to grab a graphic copy of your screen display, press <Alternate> and <Help> at the same time. Make sure your printer can handle it or the ST will go to sleep for a couple of minutes. Also, if the image will not fit on your printer, use the Printer Config Desk Accessory and choose 960 for the pixels/line. Save the DeskTop to make it permanent. 7) A Cheap Monitor Stand ------------------------ Out of despair, I looked around for something to lift my monitor up a few inches. I grabbed a letter tray (one of those stackable, plastic in/out basket things) and flipped it upside down. The monitor sits nicely on it and the cables hide into the opening of the tray! Most stationary stores sell them for three to five dollars or so. I have three trays now for my drives and two monitors. 8) Upgrading to One Meg of RAM ------------------------------ Who would ever believe that we would be complaining about having ONLY 512K of RAM! With TOS in ROM (available for $25 any day now), the 520ST is more enjoyable than any other personal computer. But, One Meg gives you lots room for nice things like large desk accessories and a big RAM Disk or two. Now the bad news... If you are not extremely comfortable with electronics and soldering, DO NOT attempt the upgrade yourself! Although I have an electronics degree and ten years experience with soldering, only two out of the five I've upgraded so far have worked the first time. The others required careful debugging using an oscilloscope along with a knowledge of microprocessor systems. My suggestion is to wait for a plug-in board and pay the difference. If you can't wait, have someone install the RAM who has done it successfully before. By the way, I've been more successful soldering to the BACK of the PC board instead of directly on top of the old RAM chips. The RF shield on the back of the board acts as a heat-sink for the RAM if the cardboard is cut away and no wires touch the metal. Remember to bend back the leads 180 degrees to mirror the pinout of the chips! 9) Using Folders ---------------- When you find yourself staring at a screen full of files and looking all around for a certain file, you're ready for folders. Folders are actually sub-directories to keep associated files together, just as you would keep related things together in a file cabinet. Select "New Folder..." from the File Menu on the DeskTop. Give it a general name that describes its intended purpose (you cannot rename a folder later on!). Just click twice on the folder and you will see what's inside of it. When copying files into a folder, make sure you have enough space on the disk and do not go according to the number of bytes shown at the top of the window; this refers only to the folder, not the total disk. Click the disk icon once and use the "Show Info" selection from the File Menu to check the free space on the disk. 10) Backing-Up your Protected Software -------------------------------------- The best solution to this problem is not to purchase software that is protected! If you have a protected program and need a back-up copy, it is your right to protect yourself. First, ask the company to sell you a back-up copy, without a manual, at a reduced price. If they laugh at you, laugh at them by not purchasing any more of their products and by suggesting the same to your friends. Fortunately (and unfortunately), there are copier programs to copy just about anything on the ST. Please use these for your own personal back-ups only. And respect the rights of those publishers who are respecting your rights by NOT protecting their software. We're all looking forward to a long and prosperous life for the ST and a computer without software makes a great doorstop (commodoorstop?)! 11) Some Notes on The Operating System (TOS) -------------------------------------------- It's pretty frustrating when I hear people talk about the ST's operating system. Here's a few definitions and clarifications on what's inside of there. I'll start from the bottom up. The ST BIOS (Built-In Operating System) is a group of functions to handle the lowest-level tasks in the ST. This includes simple input and output to and from the devices and other functions specific to the hardware. These routines are used by advanced programmers when more control or speed is needed. Since the BIOS is mostly specific to the ST, use of these calls will make it harder to convert the program to another computer. GEMDOS is the medium-level set of functions that handles disk file management, general input and output, memory allocation and program loading. This set of routines is similar to CPM/68K but is NOT CP/M compatible (this has been one of the most common misunderstanings!). Although GEMDOS was written by Digital Research Inc, the makers of CP/M, GEMDOS is closely related to MSDOS with similar function numbers and parameters. Since GEMDOS separates the programmer from the hardware specifics, programs are more easily converted to other computers. Another low-level set of routines is called the "Line-A Graphics". These are very fast drawing functions used extensively by GEM and are also available directly to the programmer. The Line-A routines are responsible for just about everything you see on your ST screen. Use of these routines makes it difficult to move programs to other computers and it's very difficult (or impossible) to make them work nearly as fast on any other computer! GEM itself is actually not an operating system -- it's a library of routines available to the programmer that manages the graphics display and the user interaction with the program. GEM is divided into two major sets of functions: the VDI (Virtual Device Interface) which handles higher-level graphics, and the AES (Application Environment Services) which are high-level libraries of routines for the user/program interaction. VDI makes extensive use of the line-a graphics to control the screen display with over one hundred available functions! The AES contains libraries of routines (totaling over a hundred, again!) that use VDI and GEMDOS. The programmer uses these libraries for a consistent environment between the program and the end user. GEM programs that do not make calls to the BIOS, are, in theory, completely portable to GEM on other computers, including the IBM PC. The GEM DeskTop is actually a GEM application that runs by default when you turn on your computer. Any or all of these routines, including the BIOS can be ignored by another operating system loaded into the ST. I can't wait to see what kinds of systems become available for the ST! I hear there's definite plans for OS9 and other multitasking OS's. If this was all too heavy to handle, the next topic should be more useful! 12) Types of Programs --------------------- The first day my ST arrived, I sat for three hours trying to make the cursor appear with 4XFORTH from the Dragon Group. Finally, I gave them a call and they talked me through it... install the program as a TOS application! There are four types of programs on the ST and here's a quick explanation of each: GEM APPLICATION. A GEM application is a program with a ".PRG" type at the end of the filename. This type of program uses the GEM interface or was written to enter and exit appropriately with the GEM DeskTop. GEM DESK ACCESSORY. A Desk Accessory is a program, usually smaller than a full application program, that loads into memory when you turn on the computer. They remain in memory and are convenient at anytime from a GEM application through the "Desk" Menu. These program, with a ".ACC" file type, are really multitasking programs running in infinite loops when the main application isn't busy. A desk accessory must be programmed as such and regular application will NOT work as an accessory. NON-GEM PROGRAMS. Other programs that do not make use of the GEM routines have a ".TOS" file type. They strictly use GEMDOS functions and supply their own interaction with the user. Usually, a TOS program requires a blinking cursor which is enabled automatically when the program is run. TTP PROGRAMS. A special type of TOS program has a ".TTP" file type. These programs require a list of arguments for input to the application. If you are familiar with CP/M or MSDOS, these programs are usually run by entering the name of the program as a command followed by the parameters. With the GEM DeskTop, these parameters are passed through a dialog window. A few "Command Processors" or "Shells" are available for the ST that give you a command-line environment similar to Unix, CP/M or MSDOS. TOS and TTP programs may be used through those command programs. 13) Some Notes on the Hardware ------------------------------ I'm still impressed every time I look inside of an ST! I could go on for ever talking about the details but I better save that for later. So, here's a few comments on a some hardware-related things... The 520ST has a Memory Controller that can handle up to four megabytes of RAM without any additional support chips. The Operating System looks for up to four meg of RAM and all program may access it continually without banking or segmenting. With 32 1-Meg Ram chips and a lot of work, you have a 4-Meg ST! The ROM Cartridge port on the left side of the ST has no read/write line and is strictly for read-only memory. You cannot add RAM or other support chips to that port. The DMA port is not a Hard Drive Port; it requires about $200 worth of circuitry to control a bare hard disk drive. However, it is relatively inexpensive to control SASI and SCSI devices and allows for up to eight compatible peripherals. Atari says that a $699 hard drive will be available soon. A couple of other companies are showing hard drives and hard drive controllers for the ST. The ST has four custom integrated circuits that are available only from Atari. Besides the ROMS, all of the remaining IC's are readily available "off the shelf". Everything in the ST is soldering in without sockets except for the custom chips and ROMS (these are not guaranteed to stay socketed in later production runs). The floppy disk controller in the ST will control only two disk drives. But, it will control 5 1/4" drives with a format compatible with MSDOS and an IBM-PC. A simple cable from inside the SF343/SF314 drive can hook to a 40 track or 80 track 5 1/4" drive. This isn't too useful really, but it is definitely faster to copy files direct from disk instead of transferring them through terminal programs between an ST and IBM-PC. However, the latter method is usually more convenient and less expensive. Another note: the ST cannot drive both the monochrome and color monitors at the same time. 14) Programming on the ST ------------------------- No matter which language you decide to program in, you won't get very far with a serious application without the Atari Developers Kit. The ST is a sophisticated hardware and software system that requires the documentation and lots of effort to learn. I've used 4XForth extensively on the ST (I have serial number 3 of 4XForth) and recommend it to anyone. The H&D Forth from Mirage is not as professional as 4XForth and the price reflects that fact. If you just can't deal with Forth, there's many other choices. ST BASIC is very complete and extensive. However, I do not recommend BASIC for any serious programming on the ST. If you just want to learn a few things, you have nothing to loose -- BASIC is free! The same goes for LOGO. It's not a serious language for program development but it's a very nice, powerful language for kids to use. In fact, many grade schools teach LOGO instead of BASIC. "C" is a favorite language for software developers on many computer, large or small. The Atari Developers package comes with Alcyon C from Digital Research. Alcyon C is acceptable but has many slow, intermediate steps in the compile process. Another C, from Haba, hasn't received very good reviews because of its incompleteness. Yet another C, from Megamax, looks very promising but it isn't available to the general public yet. The preliminary copy, that I purchased from Megamax, has some room for improvement but is very fast and easy to use. I'm looking forward to the final version and I'm placing my bets on this one. More implementations of "C" are promised from other companies including Lattice C which is popular on many other computers. Pascal is finding its way onto the ST but I haven't looked at any of them yet. Modula 2, a language similar to Pascal, is available from TDI and seems to be fast and complete. I haven't looked it over completely but I know a couple of people that are enthusiastic about it. I've noticed that other languages are promised for the ST including Fortran, Basic compilers, a Basic in ROM cartridge, Cobol and a few more. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Well, that's all for now! I've intended to write these things down for quite a while and I hope it's useful to someone. Again, you're welcome to comment on my comments or offer your own notes for the next issue of "Some Tips on the ST". <jd>