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FOREVER Z
Z-System column #1 appearing in Morrow Owners Review,áì
Febrary/March 1987
(c) 1987 Rick Charnes, all rights reserved
I'd like to dedicate this first column to the large numbersáì
of Morrow owners who have ordered the special bootable Z-Systemáì
disk. The response has been very gratifying, and I hope here toáì
offer tips, hints, and general "Z" miscellanea to all youáì
intrepid explorers embarking on your cosmic adventure through theáì
Z-System skies. I can't guarantee that you'll be the same personáì
when you return, but if I can just help with the navigation aáì
bit...
I'd like to cover two topics for this first column, as theyáì
will likely be the most useful and enjoyable programs you have:áì
aliases and shells.
Now first, shells.
There are three of these shell utilities on the Morrow diskáì
- VFILER, VMENU, and MENU. All users of Z use one or more ofáì
these daily. They are indispensable and quite extraordinary.
What is a shell? In a way, you could say it's a secondaryáì
operating system. When you run a program that's a shell, you canáì
then run other programs from it. These other programs, ratheráì
than returning to your operating system prompt upon exit returnáì
instead to your shell utility.
Shells exhibit one of the most intriguing aspects of Z-áì
System, the way all its disparate parts are related to each otheráì
in a thousand subtle, and generally to the user unnoticed, ways. áì
Z is unique among operating systems of which I'm aware in havingáì
such a large number of utilities that exist in this dynamic andáì
two-way relationship to it.
You'll often hear the word "utility" bandied about in "Z"áì
literature, and here it has a quite specific meaning. You see,áì
these programs are sort of lonely by themselves. In order foráì
them to run at all, they first have to be given the "imprint" ofáì
the operating system. Dozens of tiny little messages areáì
constantly being sent back and forth between the utilities andáì
the operating system. General information is shared about youráì
"system environment," as well as information specific to eacháì
program/operating system interaction. It's somewhat likeáì
schoolchildren passing notes to each other in class while no oneáì
else sees it going on - that's the kind of information thatáì
really makes the world go round, and Z-System run.
The most useful shell for everyday use, and one which youáì
will begin using from the first day you boot up, is VFILER. Ifáì
you can imagine NSWEEP, itself an extraordinary program, taken toáì
the 100th power, you will begin to have some idea of what it is. áì
Perhaps the thing you might want to do with that magical momentáì
when you've got Z-System installed for the very first time is toáì
just type V-F-I-L-E-R, carriage return, and stand back.
The first thing you'll notice is that your files areáì
displayed in five columns, unlike NSWEEP which gives you one. áì
This way you can generally see the contents of an entire disk ináì
one screen. You'll notice many of the familiar regular andáì
"mass" operations of NSWEEP - copy, rename, delete, etc. But youáì
have much more. You have the ability to "move" files from oneáì
disk/directory to another. Files are copied to the new area,áì
then the old ones deleted. The feature, however, that makesáì
VFILER and the other shells shine are their menu functions, as Iáì
mentioned in my article last issue. Any kind of operation can beáì
one from these menus, and in fact for a challenge I sometimes seeáì
if I can run my entire computer session from VFILER. It can beáì
done, and the process is most educational. You can write theseáì
menus yourself or start off with the ready-made ones availableáì
from Z-Nodes in the file DEMO.LBR.
I have to warn you, though: if you start enjoying yourself,áì
you'll find yourself spending half your time "putting theáì
finishing touches on" your menus instead of doing what you setáì
out to do...
With VFILER you can write 36 different command lines thatáì
can be run either by pressing any of the 10 number keys alone, oráì
by first pressing your escape key then any of the letters. áì
Remember the concept of a "pointer file." This means that youráì
command line will act upon whichever file VFILER's friendlyáì
"pointer" (see it there?) is pointing to. You reference thisáì
file in your command line with "%f" for the entire file, "%n" foráì
the filename, and "%t" for the filetype.
Here's a sample command line I use for opening up andáì
inspecting the contents of an .LBR file. Remember, you'reáì
generally allowed 200 characters in your command line, which isáì
about two and a half screen-widths. Think of what you can doáì
with that! For the purposes of this article, of course, I canáì
only show it on 2 separate lines, but when you type it in youáì
enter it all on a single line. There's a Z-System tradition toáì
display long lines in print form by separating them with ">>" andáì
that's what I've done here. I invoke this "macro" (command line)áì
with "N", since it uses NULU. Individual commands are alwaysáì
separated with a semicolon:
N if %t=lbr;echo ^[G4 OPENING UP %F AS A LIBRARY...^[G0 >>
sak /p4;nulu -o %n -f;else;echo file is not a library;fi
To analyze: The initial "N" indicates the character thatáì
will invoke it from VFILER. You actually will be typing <ESC>,áì
which is the lead-in character, then "N". Then VFILER checks theáì
filetype with the "IF" command to make sure it is indeed aáì
library. If so, it goes to the next command, which "echoes" theáì
sequence "<ESC>G4" to my terminal. If you read my column lastáì
issue you know how much I like reverse video, which this enables. áì
The text message tells me that it's opening the file up,áì
appropriate substituting the library name for "%F" in the echoedáì
message. Then "<ESC>G0", which appears here and on your screenáì
as "^[G0", turns off the reverse video.
Because it looks so nice in reverse I like this attractiveáì
message to remain on the screen for a few seconds, so the 'SAKáì
/P4' tells the program SAK to pause operations for four seconds. áì
Then NULU awakens and opens up the file, substituting its nameáì
for '%N'. If the file is not a library (sometimes you'll hit "N"áì
by mistake, I assure you!), the 'ELSE' command takes over andáì
we're echoed a message to that effect. The 'FI' command is theáì
equivalent of 'ENDIF' and ends the 'IF' interaction.
VFILER is an extraordinary program and I'm quite sure you'lláì
find it to be one of the most treasured friends in your arsenaláì
of Z tools.
The other two shell utilities are MENU and VMENU. Theáì
difference among this trio is interesting. VFILER shows you aáì
screen's worth of files, or by hitting the "#" key the menu, butáì
not both at the same time. MENU is on the other extreme. Youáì
never see your files, but you have much more room for descriptiveáì
material of your menu. Such beautiful displays are possible! Ináì
my word processing menu for MENU.COM I am able to edit theáì
pointer file with Newword, edit it with Wordstar, correct it witháì
Correct-It, print it with my print spooler, soften it witháì
HRDSFT, filter it with FILTW.COM, or count the number of words ináì
it --- each with a single keystroke.
VMENU is right in between the two and is lovely in aáì
different way - the top half of your screen fills with files andáì
the bottom half with your menus. Yes, that's menus -- plural;áì
255 menus are possible in both VMENU and MENU! You move from ì
menu to menu, and list of files to the next, with a singleáì
keystroke. Ah, what infinite variety of forms in this Z world!
You'll find uses for all three of these utilities, and willáì
enjoy learning when you want to take advantage of the specialáì
features of each.
The next feature I'd like to quickly cover is the alias. Anáì
alias is essentially a submit file wrapped up into a single .COMáì
file package. You'll probably spend hours dreaming up favoriteáì
combinations of commands you want to stuff into one, so I'll onlyáì
tell you one of my simplest and most favorite. I've alwaysáì
disliked CP/M's reverse "statement formation logic," as in
PIP NEWFILE=OLDFILE
So I've taken Z-System's resident copying command, CP, and madeáì
myself a nice MS-DOS style copy program called appropriatelyáì
enough, COPY.COM. To wit:
CP $2=$1
Now, when I want to copy LOVELTR.TXT to drive B0:LETTERS>áì
(remember, we can give names to our directories in Z-System) Iáì
can type
COPY LOVELTR.TXT LETTERS:
Gee -- makes me feel like I have a IBM PC...
Again, your only thing to watch for is that 200 characteráì
buffer, so you'll enjoy learning how to put the most in thereáì
without hitting that magic upper limit.
I hope you all are having a excellent time with Z-áì
System. Don't forget to log on to the Z-Node nearest you for theáì
latest in the large number of excellent public domain utilitiesáì
available. This grand adventure is just beginning.
Next time I'll cover, among other things, an amazing programáì
called HSH that will actually let you recall and edit previouslyáì
issued command lines as well as edit the one which you'reáì
currently writing.
Z you next time...