ftp.whtech.com/ftp.whtech.com.tar/ftp.whtech.com/club100/pg/pgxos/xosbas.tip

Text File | 2006-10-19 | 8KB | 178 lines

          XOSBAS.TIP by Paul Globman
              Copyright (c) 1990

This file is for XOS-C and XBASIC users who would like to integrate all the
internal RAM banks.  XOS requires all three internal RAM banks are installed.
XBASIC will function with any two banks.

                    XBASIC

XBASIC runs in the ALTLCD (TELCOM's previous screen) area of system memory,
which is available when TELCOM is not used.  There are 476 bytes of RAM in
which many utility programs are designed to run.  The advantage of m/l programs
which run in the ALTLCD, is that they never require the setting of HIMEM and
can be run directly from the main menu at any time.  Programs which require the
CLEAR'ing of HIMEM will not load into its execution address _unless_ HIMEM is
CLEAR'ed first.

PROGRAMS can be made to operate in other banks by CHAIN'ing", leaving one
program and continuing in another program in another RAM bank.  All FILES in
those banks can be displayed.

Programs can be written so DATA (.DO) files can be OPEN'ed for READ or WRITE in
other banks.  Only one cross bank file can be "opened" at a time, so if you
must access two files in other banks, one of them must first be copied into the
current bank.

BASIC programs CHAIN to programs in other banks by setting the destination
program as the IPL program of that bank.  Then the program switches banks and
lets the IPL function take over (holding the shift key while bank switching
will inhibit the IPL feature).

If you CHAIN to a data file, the TEXT editor is run.  If you jump to another
bank for a file that isn't there, then you will go to the main menu of that
bank.  The program you CHAIN to should clear IPL with the IPL"" command at the
beginning of the program (CALL 7194 in m/l).


After LOADM"XBASIC" your program will have 7 XBASIC  commands in the form of:

 10 CALL 63600,CMD
   :CALL 63600,CMD,VARPTR(X$)
   :CALL 63600,CMD,BANK

    CMD   FUNCTION    VARPTR(X$)
    ---   --------    ----------
     0    CLOSE         N/A
     1    OPEN READ   X$ = FILENAME
     2    OPEN WRITE  X$ = FILENAME
     3    GET X$      X$ = DATA
     4    PUT X$      X$ = DATA
     5    CHAIN       BANK (IPL)
     6    FILES       BANK

See the file XBASIC.200 (docs are part of the file) for programming details on
how to use XBASIC.

============================================================

                    XBAS-2

XBAS-2, is part of the XOS-C code, and offers the following additional cross
bank commands:

 10 CALL 63600,CMD,VARPTR(X$)

    CMD   FUNCTION    VARPTR(X$)
    ---   --------    ----------
     7    KILL        X$ = FILNAM.DO
     8    LOADM       X$ = FILNAM.CO
     9    RUN         X$ = FILNAM.BA


XBAS-2 does not reside in memory as a file, so you cannot LOADM, as you did
with XBASIC.CO.  Once XOS-C is installed, CALL 41179 (from any bank) will be
the equivalent of LOADM "XBAS-2".  Once XBAS-2 is LOADM'ed, you can then
LOADM"XBASIC", regardless of which bank it is stored in (bank #3 is recommended
as the storage bank for all CO and BA files).  Here's the code...

0 REM XBASIC CROSS BANK LOADER
1 REM   BY PAUL GLOBMAN (C) 1990
2 CALL 41179             'LOADM XBAS-2
3 X$="3:XBASIC.CO"       'SPECIFY FILE
4 CALL63600,8,VARPTR(X$) 'LOADM XBASIC
5 IFPEEK(61302)<>0THENSTOP  'BAD LOADM

XBASIC and XBAS-2 both run in the ALTLCD area so after XBASIC.CO is loaded into
place, XBAS-2 is no longer available.  XBAS-2 can be reloaded by CALL 41179
(which will then overwrite XBASIC.CO.

A BASIC program with subroutines to LOADM either cross bank BASIC enhancer
prior to its use, can be made to perform tasks not previously though possible.


PROGRAMS can be called into the current bank to operate there.  Programs have
either a .BA or .CO file extension and perform a function.  XBAS-2 (and XOS)
brings BASIC programs into the unsaved program file slot and then IPL's the
program.

So after using XBAS-2 (or XOS's F3(Cmd)) to call in a BASIC program, you will
discover that the  program seems to run itself every time you turn power on, or
switch into that bank.

To turn off the auto-execute of the program, put IPL"" into the code (see line
10).  This would be installed in any BASIC program that gets called in from
another bank.

  10 IPL"":REM clear IPL

Both XBASIC and XBAS-2 offer a "result descriptor" byte so you can check the
result of any XBASIC operation.  The RD byte is different for each so careful
study of the docs are required to ensure proper operation.

============================================================

                    XOS-C

The functions of XOS are explained in the XOS docs, but the applications of the
functions are left to the user to discover.  Here are a few tips...

INSTALLATION - After installing XOS as per docs, and before doing ANYTHING
else, go to each bank and enter/exit BASIC.  This must be done before any
attempting to copy files between banks to ensure file pointers are properly
set.


PRINT - background printing operates like the TEXT function F3(Save to: LPT:).
Note the ":" after LPT: directs the output to the printer.  Without the ":" the
file will be saved to cassette as LPT.DO.  The ":" signifies a "device" name
rather than a "file" name.

By creating a small file (2 bytes) with an ESC-E (^[E) and calling it EMPH.DO
(the actual filename is optional), you can cursor select EMPH.DO, press XOS's
F7(Prnt) and the printer will be put into the EMPHASIZED mode.  If you have the
kind of printer that allows margin settings and fonts via control characters,
you can print formatted .DO files while using the Tandy 200 to run another
program, log on to CIS, or maybe edit another DO file.

Use F7(Prnt) for quick dumps when formatting is not needed or if the file is
already formatted.  Unlike SHFT/PRINT, background printing does NOT filter out
control codes.


PASTE - you are working on a large file and you CUT a section of TEXT into the
PASTE buffer, only to discover that you have no room in that bank to PASTE it
back into the file.  If you go to the Menu and use F6(Pste) and go to another
bank, you will transfer the PASTE buffer to that bank.  Now you can return to
the bank you were working in and can use the PASTE buffer for other TEXT
manipulation.  After clearing memory to make room for that missing block of
TEXT, you can then go to the bank where you left the PASTE buffer and again use
F6(Pste) to return to the first bank.  The PASTE buffer will once again contain
the original block of TEXT you had previously CUT.


NAME - if you cursor select a file on the menu and rename it so the first
character of the filename is a blank, and then use only 5 characters (or
less) for the filename, you will produce an extensionless filename.  This is
useful if you wish to protect that file from being accessed by programs because
the filename will not be recognized.  Simply renaming the file with a normal
filename will restore its extension.


F3(Cmd) - the execution of IPL programs are inhibited by pressing the SHIFT
key.  When using F3(Cmd) to run a BASIC program, holding the SHIFT key will
prevent the program from running but will leave the program intact in the
unsaved program area.  You can access the program by simply entering BASIC.
You can now LIST, EDIT, or RUN the program manually.

BASIC programs called in from another bank via the F3(Cmd) can be made to
remove itself from RAM upon completion.  The following code can be used to
terminate the program and return to the Menu, instead of the MENU command.

10010 CLEAR99,MAXRAM:MAXFILES=1
10020 M$="CALL40961"+CHR$(13):AD=64798
10030 L=LEN(M$):POKE AD,L
10040 FORI=1TOL:M=ASC(MID$(M$,I,1))
10050 POKE AD+2*I,0:POKEAD+2*I-1,M:NEXT
10060 NEW