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============================================================ The $ R / O R E A D O N L Y -={ July 1985 }=- The monthly news magazine of the Tampa Bay Kaypro User's Group and the DataCOM Network RCP/M Systems Group ============================================================ Steven L. Sanders - Editor (Sysop) ============================================================ The DataCOM Network consists of three remote CP/M databases with 60 megabyte of files available to members 24 hours at 300 or 1200 baud. An annual fee of $30.00 is required for access, an application may be downloaded by calling System #1 at (813) 937-3608 at 300/1200/2400 baud or send a SASE along with your request to: TBKUG/DataCOM Network 14 Cypress Drive Palm Harbor, FL 33563 NOTE: Articles and reviews of machines, hardware, software, and other peripherals reflect currently advertised prices as released by the distributors and are included here for YOUR INFORMATION ONLY. The TBKUG/DataCOM Network is NOT being paid to advertise these products and we cannot be held responsible for the price and/or performance of said products. ============================================================ <<<<< SYSTEM #1 NOW SUPPORTS 300/1200/2400 BAUDRATES >>>>> --={ NEWDOS on System #2 }=-- Users who are familiar with my "NEW" command (a ZCPR3 alias that logs you to drive B, user0 and runs DIRF.COM) should feel right at home with the "NEWDOS" command. NEWDOS is another ZCPR3 alias that now logs you to drive D, user2 and runs DIRF.COM in the new DOS file section. The NEW command is for those who wish to see WHATSNEW in CP/M-80 and other non-DOS operating systems. The NEWDOS command is for those who wish to see WHATSNEW in IBM (and compat) DOS programs. The NEWDOS command and file area is ONLY on system #2. --={ DDraw and ZCPR2/3 on the Kaypro }=-- DDraw is a fantastic little graphic doodling program for video-able Kaypro models written by TBKUG member Dan Griffith of Tampa Florida. I was having some problems with a few of the graphic routines not running quite right on my Kaypro 10 under BIOSMMR. BIOSMMR is a ZCPR3 plus BIOS replacement for the Kaypro 10 written by TBKUG member Michael Rubenstein. BIOSMMR makes use of some intelligent routines to facilitate the handling of characters with the high bits set (ala Wordstar) and was blocking some of DDraw's video calls. BIOSMMR users should issue the following command before running DDraw: KSTAT CON=GRAPH and then after DDraw to put it back the way it was use: KSTAT CON=-GRAPH KSTAT is a special utility supplied with BIOSMMR to change device assignments and also to toggle the graphics filter that is built-in to the new BIOS. For users with John Smith's K10ZCPR3.LBR or the K484ZPR3.LBR files, you should issue the following command: A0>GRAF {transient GRAF.COM} And finally for users running the K10ZCPR2.LBR files: A0>GRAF {resident command} Once the appropriate command has been issued then all further screen graphic modes will be enabled as designed into DDraw. I was experiencing trouble with the help messages that appear on the upper left corner of the CRT. They would print and then stay on the screen, the next message would just partially over-write the previous message causing a very messy looking screen. After issuing the KSTAT command everything began to work as advertised. Dan Griffith, DDraw's author has told me that he will release the source for DDraw which is in Turbo Pascal, after Micro Cornucopia's Turbo contest is over. Good luck in the contest Dan, DDraw is definitely a winner and gets my vote! Dan has also informed me that he is currently working on adding printer support for the Epson RX-80 and Okidata 92 models. DDraw currently supports only the Gemini 10 printer for it's two different modes of screen to printer dumping. --={ Product Review: Courier 2400 Modem }=-- U.S. Robotics Inc. of Chicago, Illinois has recently begun selling a new high-speed capable 300/1200/2400 baud modem called the Courier. A good number of the DataCOM System's users had inquired when I would be supporting 2400 baud and the answer is NOW! I would also like to let others know of the features and performance of this fine modem so here they are. Courier 2400 Specifications: Bell 103-, 113-, 212A-compatible, V.22 bis-compatible, or to put it simply; 300/1200/2400 baud capable. Supports all standard 'AT' commands made popular by Hayes plus an extended set that also includes BUSY, NO ANSWER, CONNECT 2400, RINGING, and VOICE response codes. The Courier can check the phone line for (1) dialtone before attempting to dial, and (2) the proper mode of dialing, pulse or touchtone. Has 9 LED indicators on the front for (1) HS High speed (2400bps), (2) AA Auto Answer, (3) CD Carrier Detect, (4) OH Off Hook, (5) RD Rec Data, (6) SD Send Data, (7) TR Terminal Ready, (8) MR Modem Ready, and (9) AL Analog Loopback Test. Built-in speaker with a really nice and accessible side- mounted slide volume control. The Courier also has a new ATM3 command to silence the speaker during dialing, turn it on after last digit, and then turn it back off again after connection is established with the remote. Now the unique features. The Courier has built-in help screens that tell you (1) what the current S-register settings are, (2) a summary of the ATD dialing sequences, and (3) a summary of modem commands. It even has a built-in clock that can either (1) keep track of the time between CONNECT and NO CARRIER or (2) be set for real-time display. The Courier will automatically fallback to 1200 bps if you had previously dialed out at 2400 bps and connected with a system that only supports 1200 bps as it's highest speed. The Courier also has the ability to dial numbers entered as alphabetical characters like 1-800-DIAL USR. Also handy for those who use alternate long distance carriers like MCI or SPRINT is the "W"ait command which will wait for a second dial tone and then enter your password or ID#. The Courier can even be used to transmit Morse Code as the dot and dash characters generate the necessary pulses and have the proper amount of time delay between them. The Courier is housed in an attractive dark grey plastic case with a silver front just larger in depth and width than the Hayes and about the same heighth. All of the 10 DIP switches are found on the bottom of the unit and you don't need to open the case to change any of them. Also located next to the DIP switches is a big one that will automatically reverse the data in/out lines (2 & 3) and eliminates the need for different DTE/DCE cables for the RS- 232C interface to the computer. You do not need to constantly referrence the user's manual while setting switches either. All switches are plainly marked with a very nice silk screen layout on the bottom of the modem (hookah!) Performance Report: I'm happy to report that all the systems I've called supporting 2400 baud (no matter which modem is being used) has produced excellent results with very low numbers of CRC errors during transmission. Some area's phone networks will have a hard time handling the higher speed and some degradation while be apparent when using alternate carriers but this is normal even at 1200 baud. The only minor hassle is when you are set for 2400 baud and connect with a 1200 baud system, your screen will generate garbage until you reset to 1200 baud. The modem falls back automatically but not the software and/or computer. Ron Fowler of NightOwl tells me he is already working on a MEX and MexPlus overlay to take advantage of the Courier's new features. The change from 1200 to 2400 is not as drastic as when you go from 300 to 1200. But even at only (ha ha) twice the speed of 1200 baud the savings are considerable on your long distance bills. All features considered and rapidly dropping prices makes me believe this modem is a real winner! I just saw the July issue of PC World and an outfit called MicroFlash is selling new Courier's for $495. I have also noticed that the prices for the Hayes 1200 Smartmodem (which have held at $600 for 2 years now) are rapidly dropping. Also the best price for a Hayes 2400 I've seen by mail is $699. If you do a considerable amount of telecomputing then this modem is just what you need! {ed} { Note to Sysops } Just a quick note to System Operators (Sysops) of RCP/Ms and RBBSs. If your system is actively online you qualify to receive a brand new US Robotics Courier 2400 baud modem for only $350.00 !! US Robotics is out to corner the on-line market and is making their brand new 300/1200/2400 (Hayes compatible protocols) modem available very reasonably to the Sysop community. Needless to say I've jumped on this deal and have already contacted US Robotics for my copy. The #1 Kaypro 10 system at (813) 937-3608 now supports 300/1200/2400 baud at time of logon. Let me just say that it is nice to see a company that realizes the influence that RCP/M systems have on the buying marketplace. If systems like DataCOM did not offer 2400 baud who would bother to buy a 2400 modem? My hats off to U S Robotics for making such a gracious offer to the telecomputing community. This offer expires around July 15, 1985 so don't delay. Sysops of "active" systems should call the sales dept: U S Robotics, Inc. 8100 McCormick Blvd Skokie, IL 60076 (312) 971-8355 --={ Plu*Perfect's DateStamper(tm) }=-- Product Review by Steve Sanders I can't remember how many times I've said that I wished CP/M could time/date stamp it's directory entries like DOS. Well there's good news - it now can thanks to Plu*Perfect Systems' program system called DateStamper (tm). This system operates just fine without a real-time clock by keeping track of entries via a relative clock that is incremented each time you access a file. True time/date stamping can be accomplished with the addition of a real-time clock such as the one built into all new Kaypro models. In addition to the Kaypro factory clock, DateStamper also supports the Legacy, Holmes, and Kenmore add-on clock boards for the Kaypro from a program called SETUPCLK which is menu-driven. I just received the newest CLOCKS.DAT file which works with the SETUPCLK program and it now supports 30 different built-ins and add-ons. Ready-to-run clock patches are available for the Otrona Attache, Big Board II, Compupro, Epson QX-10, Heath, and Xerox 820-I and II machines. Also patches for the following hardware clocks; Advent, Mountain, QT 8080 and Z80, S-100 with 5832 and 8255, and CCS 2805. Plu*Perfect will also help you customize a special clock patch if you supply them with a sample program and all available doc on the clock being used. DateStamper is very easy to install, just run a program called SETUPDS and pick your options. In the default configuration, DateStamper loads itself into memory just under CP/M's CCP area and occupies approximately 1k of RAM. DateStamper may be configured to run above the CCP if you are familiar with MOVCPM and how to create a smaller CP/M system. DateStamper's buffers may also be relocated to any area in memory you have open which will shrink the size of the running code below the CCP. I have it running now on the Kaypro 10 (2.2G model) with BIOSMMR (a ZCPR3-type super BIOS) and a 55k TPA. There are certain conflicts with memory-hungry programs like EX14 (however EX15 seems to run OK) and SMARTKEY which also attempt to load and run just below CP/M's CCP. This is another good reason to MOVCPM down and run DateStamper above the CCP. Plu*Perfect has another program called the BACKGROUNDER(tm) which is a keyboard re-definition program similar to SMARTKEY(tm) which runs in conjunction to DateStamper with no problems. They also have an enhanced CP/M system called CP/M 2.2e that completes their 'custom' operating system and gives you additional benefits like PUBLIC files. PUBLIC files can be accessed anywhere in your system as if they were on the current drive/user area. CP/M 2.2e has other ZCPR-style advantages over standard CP/M 2.2 but that's another month's product review. Enough technical mumbo-jumbo, if you have a 52k or larger TPA area, you should have no problems. So, WHATZITDO? Well DateStamper keeps track of the time/date a file was created, accessed, or modified and stores this info in a file called !!!TIME&.DAT. This file is initially set-up with the PUTDS utility which installs this file as the very first directory entry on a given disk (floppy or hard). If PUTDS encounters any files already occupying the first entry, said file(s) and data are moved to another entry and !!!TIME&.DAT is created and initialized for use. This file may be either $DIR (visible) or $SYS (invisible) status, whatever you like. DATESTAMPing can only occur on a disk that has been installed with PUTDS utility first. The DateStamper package includes a special version of SD (the directory program) and SWEEP that allows displaying and manipulating time-stamped files. Both SDD and DATSWEEP are easily configurable for any terminal's video attributes via the SETTERM utility and use graphic line and inverse video to give you a very fancy looking display. The fancy graphics and line drawing routines are not used on the older Kaypro II and pre-84 Kaypro 4 models. A typical SDD display looks like this: Drive A15: 81 files, using 852k (1048K FREE) +2087-02 Jun --file size created accessed modified-- ----------------------{relative clock}---------------------- A15:ALIAS .COM 4K | +0000-30 May +2000-02 Jun A15:CLS .COM 4K | +0000-30 May +0002-02 Jun A15:COPY .COM 4K | +0000-30 May +3235-01 Jun A15:D .COM 8K | +2073-02 Jun ------------------{real-time clock running}----------------- A15:SDD .COM 8K | 10:43-30 May 14:12-02 Jun A15:SWEEP .COM 12k | 17:19-04 Jun A15:TIME .COM 4k | 08:35-29 May 19:37-04 Jun A15:Z3INS .COM 4k | 09:12-01 Jun 14:01-03 Jun (Note: SDD's actual display is wider than can be reproduced in this magazine's 60 column format.) The above example shows the type of date stamping with info coming from the {relative clock}, and the {real-time clock}. The relative clock is advanced everytime a file is accessed by a BDOS (Basic Disk Operating System) call and is perfectly acceptable for most uses. Without a clock DATESTAMP will prompt you to enter the current month and day each time it is initiated after a cold start. It is not affected by CTRL-C warmboots only cold resets. SDD may also be changed to display only the filenames and sizes, or filenames, sizes, and date last modified, or in it's default form it produces a complete display like the one shown above. DATSWEEP is patterned after the older SWEEP v3.1 written in 'C' and is much larger then NSWEEP (32k vs 11k) but does a lot more. DATSWEEP allows you to change the create, access, or modified times and dates and also allows for backing up files by time and or date. DATSWEEP also uses a lot of inverse video and line drawing routines for it's fancy looking menu and has a lot of on- screen prompting and help messages. The real-time clock display in DATSWEEP is constantly updating itself while the program is loaded (if you have a clock). For most ordinary file manipulations I prefer the smaller and faster NSWEEP or the ZCPR3 resident CP (copy file) command, but DATSWEEP has it's own special uses as well. I would highly recommend the DateStamper package to writers or hackers who alter and modify programs on a continual basis. Time-stamped files make an easy job of figuring out which one was the first one and which was the latest created when sifting thru your directories. The actual stamping of files is done automatically and does not slow down normal operation very much. You will notice slightly longer disk saves and access times as DateStamper actual intercepts all BDOS calls to decide whether a file is being accessed or not. Even an experienced hacker (like myself) will not mind the slightly longer disk I/O times involved when you consider the advantages to date-stamped files. This also helps me put off buying a DOS-based machine for a while longer as stamped files was one of the 'frills' I really wanted to implement. Now take all these features of time-stamped files and all the special utilities included in the package and ask yourself what is all this worth? The DateStamper package, utilities, and documentation is available for only $39.00 complete. The BACKGROUNDER (requires CP/M 2.2e) is available for $45.00, and the enhanced CP/M 2.2e is only $32.00 and includes Wordstar enhancements as well. Plu*Perfect also has a deal for users without real-time clocks, you can buy an Advent clock board for $79.00 ($10 off normal price) with an enclosed coupon. Plu*Perfect Systems has other enhancements and products available as well, see their ads in Profiles each month or write to them at: Plu*Perfect Systems Box 1494 Idyllwild, CA 92349 --={ WHATSNEW in Public Domain }=-- by Steve Sanders Warning: The program NSWP208.COM being distributed on most RCP/M systems is NOT authorized by Dave Rand the author. NSWP208 has been removed from the DataCOM Network Systems and Dave tells me he will retaliate with NSWP209 very soon. Note: I cannot believe the amount of new public domain that has come through the DataCOM systems in the last 30 days. I do not have enough room here to go into all of them and will do my best to highlight only the very best. EG*.LBR A fellow by the name of Eric Gans in California is a very avid Kaypro fanatic and has developed a whole bunch of highly useful CP/M utilities. There's EGBAS.LBR with some MBASIC utils, EGPASS.LBR for the Turbo Pascal user, EGKTEN1.LBR and EGUTIL41.LBR are super nice if you have a Kaypro 10 with a hard disk drive. Eric has written a very nice back-up for the hard disk called BBACK and there's others for ERAsing and RENaming and changing user assignments, on and on... There are several other libraries as well, space doesn't permit describing all of them. Eric is also the author of the popular DR13/14/15 programs and also the SRW121/131 programs. I have taken all of these really fine libraries and put them on TBKUG User Disk #066, and of course they are available for download. MAIL20A.LBR is Jim Gronek's dBase mailing database system. This is a comprehensive menu-driven database for maintaining names, addresses, and phone numbers. ERAQ19.LBR contains a UNIX-style ERAse command file. It allows for single-file, wildcard, or mass erasures. It will also display the amount of FREE space in 'k' remaining on the logged drive after all erasures. PCSWP210.LBR Here's a NEWSWEEP for PC/MS-DOS users. Has most all of the standard SWEEP functions; Erase, Rename, Tag, Log, Space, etc. An all around great utility. IBMMINI.LBR has an IBM and compatible mini-version modem program supporting most standard protocols for transfer and the COMM1 and COMM2 ports on the IBM (works great on K16s and new 2000 models as well.) QMODEM85.LBR has a bit more complex full-featured modem program for use with 'Qubie and Hayes modem cards. Pull- down windows and lots of other features. For IBMs or compatibles only. WSFAST24.LBR has all the files you need to patch Wordstar v3.30 for faster operation and edit while printing feature. The library now contains three .SUB files, one has the previous patches and the other has those plus the default drive B logging installed. If you have Wordstar as shipped with the Kaypros from '83 to late '84 - this is for you!! Just added WSFST24k.SUB into the library, this submit file will also patch the video of the Kaypro to use 1/2-intensity inverse and clear the screen on startup and exit. LOCK10.LBR will allow you to password code .COM or ASCII type files so they cannot be read or run until they are un-locked again. Very nice program and works as advertised. If you look at the file after encoding there is nothing legible there at all. Run it through UNLOCK with the proper password again and it's back to normal. PAIRX12.LBR contains a nice utility for checking Wordstar formatted files and will detect un-balanced pairs of printer control characters. Really helps you to find the missing ^PB before printing a whole page boldfaced. KPORTS.WQ is a well-defined breakdown of all the ports used by the Kaypros for all of it's functions. If you've been hunting for just the 'right' number to plug into a program to make something do something - check this file out. K484RCPM.LBR This is The Poor Man's RCP/M version for the Kaypro 4'84 model and uses the internal modem and clock. Terry Carroll is Sysop of The Poor Man's RCP/M in Texas and has put this set of ready-to-run BYE, XMODEM, and other utilities together for the 'occassional' Sysop. This system uses the newest MBYE36, XMODEM106, and CHAT programs but does NOT include a formal message (RBBS) system. Terry has included a program called NOTE which allows remote callers to leave up to a 17-line message which is appended to an existing file somewhere on the system. The Sysop may read this file later or impliment his own RBBS-type program. Terry has included the source code for the patch files which are MBK484-1.AQM and MBC-K484.AQM for use with MBYE36 and also XMK484-1.AQM for use with XMDM-106. Now all you need to do is put together a message system and add some security like ZCPR3 and away yo go weekend Sysops. GAMNIV01.LBR is TBKUG member Dave Oshel's reply to certain commercial game vendors. This is a really nice graphic gammon game for use with most Kaypros capable of extended video addressing like the 10s and most new post '84 models. This game pits you (the pathetic human) against the computer in a test of skill and wits. Your Kaypro screen will show you the board at all times and if you know basic gammon moves and rules you should really enjoy this one. --={ SHADES OF WORDSTAR (WINDOWS) }=-- by Dick Ezzard One breakthrough for a writer working on word processor comes when he unshackles himself from the habit of most always working on the tail end of a writing project -- a habit grooved and re-grooved because with a typewriter (or quill pen), the tail end is always the most convenient place to work. That's where the blank paper is. What does phonetic writing represent? The networks of my thoughts are multi-colored, many-dimensioned, infinitely interconnected, and instantly associated and re-associated according to my own idiosyncratic learning experiences. Compared to the intricate, immense, technicolor, 3D, living web of human thought, text extruded by a typewriter or even a word processor is a poor, skinny, little worm, -- an essentially linear artifact. Like typewriter text, a WordStar file is a string of characters with various knots such as word spacings, line endings and paragraph endings tied into the string. But just as a reference book permits multiple easy access at any point for reading, so does the word processor instrument facilitate access to text at any point --at infinite points-- for writing. The text string can be cut into and re-arranged and new knots can be tied effortlessly. Re- arrangement and interjection operations in the paper-and-ink world are cumbersomely involved with note slips and note cards and physical cutting and pasting but they come easy with a word processor. (Deletion is almost too easy!) The freed-up writer learns the use of place-markers to jump around and work throughout an entire WordStar file -- instead of merely adding on to a string's tail end. The writing process becomes much more like blocking out and filling in. You get to write in the middle and at the beginning as well as at the tail end. The second breakthrough comes when the writer enlarges his canvas by one more dimension: Instead of working throughout a single file, he works all over the system! Even though WordStar will suck you into one-file operations, there is no need to so stultify yourself. You can easily work in two or more files simultaneously. You can append notes to the end of another file. You can quickly glance at an outline. You can work all over the disk, indeed, you can work all over the system. And it doesn't take a new high-cost program to do these things, just the application of your own human technique to available WordStar interfile power. Avoid file focus! Try to make it a habit to work in two or more files simultaneously. This technique is especially valuable when you are working on some writing of a certain heft, something more than just a simple letter, some kind of ... Project. One problem with computers is the tiny periscope view which forces us to focus on the current segment of text rather than the context. A sweeping panoramic overview is difficult. Since layout of an entire complex project may be difficult to hold in the mind's eye, it is often useful, sometimes essential, to have a jotted outline to refer to when you are working on a mural-sized piece, so you can momentarily step back for a full project overview. Let's say you are writing along, finish a segment, and need to glance at the outline of your project to see where to go next. You hit a special function key and your outline comes into view. After browsing, finding out what you wanted to know, you hit a couple of keys and the outline goes away again. Okay, many of the newer, more elaborate word processing programs boast a "windows" feature. Windowing allows you look at two (or more) files simultaneously, work in either or both, yet maintain separate identities for filing on the disk. Typical uses for a window feature are to glance at an outline file when working on text (just what we're talking about here), or to jot down something which is not germane to your main effort of the moment by jotting in a separate "Odd Notes" file. While WordStar does not have a specific windowing capability, ingenuity lets you achieve the same logical effects with an "almost windows" facility I'll call "Window Shades." Shades technique has the metaphorical effect of (while working in a main file) pulling down a shade with a message written on it (such as your outline). You can look at the outline, then snap the shade back up out of the way and go back to working in your regular window. Shades starts with WordStar's regular ^Kr command which will bring any other file into the file you are working in. The simple ^Kr file read command, however, once executed does not differentiate between the stuff that belongs to the file you are working in and the material you have brought over from the other file. It may be bothersome to have extraneous bits and pieces of the outline "welded" into your text where it is hard to strip out again. The technique part involves thinking ahead, to be prepared for what you will want to do later, which is erase! The solution is to bring the extraneous matter in as a marked block. Then you can easily see on the screen what is the outline you are referring to and what is your text file. And as soon as you have glanced at the outline, you can erase it with a ^Ky and go back to what you were doing. So you want to pull your shade down as a segregated marked block. To do that, you pre-mark a tiny block into which you read the reference file. Use ^Kb, <return>, ^Kk, ^Qb (puts cursor into the currently marked block) and then do ^Kr to bring in your reference material. It comes in already marked as a block. When you are done looking at it, ^Ky snaps the shade back up by erasing it in the file in which you are currently working. (It still exists for repeated reference in its own file and you can glance at it again anytime by just repeating the operation.) Because the operation is a little complicated, if you are going to do shades a lot, you will want to automate the whole thing by setting up a pre-programmed special function key to cascade the WordStar commands involved. Many systems allow for programming function keys. Another alternative is to use a special program such as SmartKey I or II, ManyKey, ProKey, QuikKey, etc., to work in conjunction with WordStar. The keystrokes you want to put into a special function key are as follows: ^Kb<CR>^Kk^Qb^KrO<CR> where <CR> stands for the RETURN key or ENTER key. To use this special function key properly you have to pre- set your reference outline file in a file called "O" which is the file always read in by this particular sequence. Properly installed, when you hit this special function key, bang, in comes your outline as a marked block, just like pulling down a shade in front of your main file. As mentioned previously, ^Ky gets rid of it again. And you are right where you were before pulling down the shade. Before you install a special function key, you may want to give youself a walkthrough demonstration, slow test the operation "by the numbers." Put something in a file called O and then see how easy it is to bring it in, glance at it, and erase it. The technique involved, your own mental ju- jitsu, is first to always keep the outline of your current project in a file called O. (Different outlines from different files on different disks can be easily swapped into your O file at the start of a writing session.) And secondly, because you will just want to glance at it momentarily, you bring the shade down prepared for easy erasure by pre-marking the block. Human foresight and WordStar tools together yield the desired effect. You can also, of course, rig a similar key to expedite writing notes out to another file. Let's say that your application requires that you keep a separate set of footnotes or endnotes to each chapter. As you are writing along, you write a note or a citation which has to be sent to the endnote file. You mark the note as a block and hit a special function key which brings in the note file, integrates the new note at the bottom of the notefile, writes the whole thing back out and erases the note in your current text file. In this case, you write something to be included in the "shade" which gets pulled down and snapped up automatically. The technique: 1) Write your note wherever you happen to be in the current text file. 2) Do ^Kb to mark the beginning of the note, then immediately hit <return> to push the note down one line. Go to the end of your note, hit <return> and mark ^Kk (block end). Your note is now configured as a block with a blank line at the top, and a line ending included at the bottom. 3) ^Qb puts the cursor at the top of the note on that blank line. 4) Read in your note file, ^Kr (it comes "into" the block) and immediately write it back out again. That's Kw back to the same filename, and Y for yes to overwrite that file. 5) ^Ky to erase the block in your text file, away goes the note. Steps 3, 4, and 5 can be automated with the following programmed special function key: ^Qb^KrN<CR>KwN<CR>Y^Ky which will always bring in a file called N and overwrite out to a the file called N. All you have to remember is to keep your current notes file in a file called N. This same technique works even if you are not intentionally keeping a separate footnote/endnote file. Say you are working on a current project and a thought occurs about something off point that you'll want to keep for future reference. Jot it down in a block and hit your notes key. Bang, it's gone from your current text, saved in your notes file. If you absolutely need to look at two (or more) files simultaneously, rig a special function key to print a marked block, pull down the shade (like your outline), hit this new special function key, then rip the outline out of your printer and tape it up next to the screen. ^Ky gets the shade out of your way on the screen. A special function key which cascades the commands to accomplish instant printing of a marked block is: ^KwP<CR>Y^KpP<ESC> You can see that this command set writes any marked block (possibly your outline pulled down as described) out to a special file called P for printing, and immediately prints it. The "Y" is in there to answer "Yes" to the overwrite query WordStar will give you if a previous P file exists on your disk. (And if one does not exist, the single character "Y" will be entered in your file, a relatively harmless effect.) One final comment: Although these commands work just fine with WordStar on a regular system, there is some slight delay for disk accesses as WordStar writes back and forth to files, perhaps has to load up part of the overlay file to get going. Where cascaded commands on programmed special function keys really come into their own is when you operate WordStar on a RAM disk, either a portion of memory confi- gured as a disk or an add-on piece of hardware like the Drive C sold for the Osborne computers. With that kind of setup you get snappy shades indeed. In conclusion, although WordStar has no separate windows, ingenuity will allow most people to get along with pull down "shades" to glance at other files. Perhaps the most important thing to be learned from this is that when working with WordStar you should AVOID FILE FOCUS. Don't get stuck in the habit of working on the tail end of only one file at a time. There are many techniques that allow you to work in several files simulta-neously, and if you break typewriter tunnel vision habits, you can work all over your system, writing to several files on any disk in any one session. Last, in this hurried note, here's an update, this time tested, of the WordStar Ghostbuster special function key: ^K0^QE^QS^KB^QX^QD^KK^Q0^K0 This will make the entire screen into a marked block, wiping out the ghosts as it goes, and returning the cursor to whence it came. To unmark the block, either hit ^KH or hit the ghostbuster SFK a second time; it works as a toggle. The same idea can be used to delete an entire screenful, or to dump a screenful to the printer. That's all for now. --={ Interview: Ward Christensen }=-- by Keith Petersen, W8SDZ The following is an edited copy of an interview that appeared in the form of several messages on Ward Christensen's bulletin board. It offers some interesting insight into the life and times of our "CP/M Guru". From: Ward Christensen Re: Interview I'm a negativist, hater of life, and have a short fuse - it doesn't take much to set me off. That's why I'm into computers - its almost like a drug, letting you get so completely wrapped up in it, the "world passes you by", i.e. I've been known to have a bad headache or stomach ache, but an hour of computing, and I'm oblivious to it, until I stop for something. It's a totally engrossing way to "pass the time". What I do for IBM and why I like working there? Well, very long story, but you asked for it. Lets go back to my Sr. year of high school. I "built" a computer - merely a 10- stage binary counter with phone-dial input, and some wires to handle carrying from one "flip-flop" to the next, and lights to show output, etc. After pi__ing away 3 semesters at a big university not being sure what I wanted to do with my life (still the case, by the way), I dropped out and went back "home" - and skipping a few chapters of the book, got asked that since I'd "built" a computer in high school, would I like to learn to program them? This was in '65 or so. I said "sure", and took a few IBM classes in Milwaukee, riding into school on my motorcycle. After a few months, I realized that I really liked computers - I was technically inclined, and somewhat a loner, and what better thing could there be? Sure, I liked going on motorcycle rides, but not in the winter, etc. Came time to go back to college, I talked with our IBM Systems Engineer, and asked what kind of schooling I should get. I hoped he wouldn't say "business degree", 'cause that turned me off. No, he said math, sciences, etc. So I went to a small college (now bankrupt, R.I.P.) and got a Physics Major, Chem Minor, and hit "deans list" 6 semesters in a row, then took ONE job interview, IBM. I figured simply that I could either work for someone who USES computers, or someone who MAKES them, and the decision sounded easy if I wanted to be "where he action is". However, I wasn't smart enough to go looking for the best job in IBM, instead I just interviewed the local office, which was looking for a systems engineer - the "technical side of sales", i.e. doing configurations, performance planning, helping solve bugs, etc. I wound up in the Hammond IN branch, and have stuck with it since. If I had it to do over again, I'd look for a job in research or something more technically involved. Matter of fact, it came as quite a shock to find the IBM office back then didn't even have a computer in it! Here I was, working for a computer mfgr, but not working with a computer! I was only able to work with the customer's machines! So, I guess that got me interested in a home computer. I remember being interested in the very early 70's, and bought a Data General Nova instruction manual, got literature from TI on their minicomputers, etc. I learned about the 8008 in Jan '74, and taught myself TTL that summer, and bought an Altair, the "first popular" computer kit, in early '75. SO, long answer - what do I do for IBM? Well, I'm still an SE, but have moved up a few jobs - trainee, assistant, associate, se, and now advisory. We are just now starting to have PC's in the offices. As to my view of "IBM vs my personal contributions" - well, I guess that after writing a letter to IBM trying to get them to come out with a personal computer, and receiving a reply "we don't think there is a market for them", I kind of "went off on my own". For conflict of interest reasons, I decided that I'd give away anything I did, rather than trying to sell it. This is a very "conscientious", or whatever word fits - thing for me to do - people say I've passed up millions $ in the many things I pioneered. But, I wasn't the entrepreneur type, and IBM paid well enough to finance my hobby. I'm sure it helped my IBM related career, i.e. outside recognition, etc. I guess I don't remember the Ted Nelson thing fighting to get the "world up in arms against the computer giants". I've seen nothing wrong with "computer giants" - thought I admit that when a company gets larger than some critical mass, it gets a "momentum" disproportionate to its technical abilities - allowing it to sometimes come out with products that would have failed if done by other companies - perhaps the PC Jr is such - having recently had new life breathed into it ala new keyboard, and significant price cuts (temporary tho they were). The kind of practical innovation that has come out of IBM has been VERY fascinating. I used to like to talk to fellow computer hobbyists about the printer we had that printed about as fast as you could pull paper out of a box; and about the 2.5 BILLION byte "boxes" of disk storage, etc. I always kept my hobby separate from my job - I didn't see how I could enjoy the hobby if it became the same as my job, but as of Jan 1, I knuckled under to that, too, and am now the workstation specialist (means PC's and terminals) for one of the branch offices in downtown Chicago. (which I really hate - being a small town "boy", the big city is really a pain!) But, having bought a house at a time that interest rates were low, its like having a rich uncle, what with what has happened to interest rates. It tends to keep me rooted in one spot. (I always was very conservative). Old Q's: "you were 29 when you got into this, right? And what background did you have to read TTL tech material anyway?" Yes, 29. And for technical background, I had a degree in physics, and even from a liberal arts college, you DO learn some basic electronics. Also of course remember I'd built this computer in high school, but still I was most certainly not one of the "jocks". TTL just came natural to me, I guess because its so mathematical in nature. Its as "simple as" 0 volts being a "false" value, and 5 volts being a "true" value, and voila (or is it viola?) you could do things like and, or, exclusive or, not, not-and, etc - but instead of numbers on a sheet of paper, they were electrical signals. History on the micro? When did it go from switches on the front panel? I guess '76 or so - or whenever the apple ONE came out, and the SOL, which was a small machine based upon similar technology to the original Altair that is credited with starting it all. But then again, my current CP/M machine, with 256K, 3 floppies, and 8M of hard disk, still has front panel switches, and LIGHTS. I sure miss the LIGHTS on my PC - you can tell what its doing, how its doing, etc. When did I first discover I could "play" with a computer? Well, I guess that high school project was one. It was purely a technical challenge, and learning tool - had no practical application. Actually, I was motivated to spend the $$ to build it knowing I'd win first prize (I suppose I could be a bit less egotistical and say "hoped.."), of $75. Sure enough I won, but got a hand-shake and 'gee, sorry - we never got out to get funds for a bond' story. Owell. Then, within my first year working at IBM, the first customer I worked with was sufficiently impressed to try to hire me away, and a whopping 40% pay hike over what IBM paid - but I figured I'd be better in the long run to stay with IBM. Right! That company doesn't exist any more!. What "clicked" to make me excited about the fact of having my own computer? Well, I don't remember, sorry. I guess I just never found anything technically challenging enough, and realized that a computer would be a tool of unlimited variability that could do what I wanted it to do. I guess I was just a computer junkie, even though at the time there weren't home machines. I remember this customer (that offered me the job) wasn't allowed to trust me with a key, but they approved me sleeping over Friday night so I could use the computer Saturday. As a result, they got some results they certainly didn't get out of their own people - because I was willing to spend so much time at it. It really IS a "habit" - like a drug, etc. Why else would I be - as I am now - typing at after midnight, having to get up shortly after 6:00 tomorrow, etc. It is just so completely unlimiting, I guess. Today, I was stuck in a VERY crowded elevator for about 6 minutes. Two of the people were claustrophobic. I say this because somehow my interest in computers is as inexplicable as the claustrophobia is to them - it is just there. I think because I was a loner, I never got interested in the more "humanitarian" things - never got interested in "partying", owning a boat, etc. I HATE driving - being very law abiding, it is unbearable to be placed in a situation of watching everyone else break the law, from failing to signal, to parking in two places, to speeding, - sitting home at my computer is perhaps a sign of "withdrawal". I did fall in love once, 1977, er, March, ah, March 2nd, ah, 8:30 PM (not that it made a big deal to me, heh heh). Believe it or not "my disk drives rusted up" as a result of that - but sadly for the wrong reason -massive depression because she was a "career worman", and I just didn't fit in her life. It did open my eyes to a lot of life, but also made me sort of "give up" - I look at it as both the best and the worst thing that ever happened to me. What did I do in '55 w/hen Chuck Berry and Bill Haley revolutionized music? They did? Was I building radios? No, I didn't have the ambition to learn anything that complicated. I just mixed chemicals together, and blew up the back yard, I guess. (take one part gunpowder, bury in 1 foot deep hole; bury a wire with fine wire wrapped around match head in it, cover with dirt, go in house and plug other end in socket, go back out and apologize to neighbors cookout for sprinkling dirt on them.. "Get a job" was the first 45 I bought, and I didn't buy many. Came from "college educated" family, with sort of "snobbish" mother - when we got a TV, unlike everyone else who put an antenna on the roof, she insisted it go in the attic so no one would know we had time for such frivolity. I think they sort of turned me into a loner, too, by steering me toward the "children of their friends", rather than the local neighborhood kids, who were mostly factory workers' kids (not all, one friend's father was doctor, etc). I guess it was HeathKit that got me into electronics - I built their 16-in-one transistor experimentors kit my jr year of High School; Oh, also I think I subscribed to Popular Electronics. Later to Radio Electronics. You are bound to pick up some things from that, by osmosis if nothing else. I was even known to buy old used computer boards for two bucks fifty, and literally blow-torch the chips off of them to make my projects. Ward was asked why he was using an IBM computer now and he replied, "One day I decided I wanted to use a slow computer with a lousy keyboard." --={ Editor Speak }=-- I'm not even going to say a thing, Ward said it all. Until next month sportsfans (and computer orphans) ... Steve Sanders