***********************************¢* DOWN LOADED FROM CSS *¢* THE XL-Friend *¢***********************************¢¢A program similar to the Genie program talked about in the Internet News leads. Loads as a TSR (Terminate and stay resident) (at $8000) and allows you to have a scratch pad, dec/binary/hex calculator, Keycode reader, and core watcher. Works with all dos's with the exception of SpartaDos 3.2d. SpartaDos X must be set for banked operation.¢¢An interesting tool for both programers and explorers alike.¢¢Editors notes:¢¢OK, these instructions don't tell you an awful lot, so here are some notes of my own.¢¢Basically, this very useful piece of software loads into RAM and then appears not be there until you bring it up using the "hot" keys. Basically, the XL-Friend contains a note pad, calculator, memory monitor and key code calculator. Each is brought up by use of SHIFT and CONTROL keys pressed together along with 1-4. A list of which does what is displayed after the program has loaded. You press the ESC key to close the program down and return to what you were doing before calling.¢¢To get help on which keys do what once you have one of the bits up and running, press the HELP key. You can move the windows contating the programs around the screen by using the arrow keys with the CONTROL key. Using them without the control key will move the cursor around in the pop-up window.¢¢The note pad allows you to type in small memos and notes which can later be saved to disk. Whatever you type will still be in RAM next time you bring up the note pad.¢¢The keycode calculator just contains all the characters available on the Atari. You move the cursor over the character you are interested in and it shows its ASCII, and internal code.¢¢The calculator is a simple calculator, but can also do radix conversions with decimal, hex, and binary, as well as simple logic. Very useful for M/C programmers.¢¢The memory monitor shows what is in memory at any point, with the hex code, ASCII code or internal code. Just move the cursor around to advance through memory. You can change the memory also by just typing new hex numbers when you get to the location you want to change. A VERY useful piece of kit for M/C programmers!¢¢The program is on this disk and is called XLF.EXE. You put it on another disk and call it AUTORUN.SYS if you wish. I have tried XLF with Basic and it works fine. It also works fine with the assembler/editor cart.¢
