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******************************************* * * * Z 8 8 U T I L I T Y P R O G R A M * * * * Version 3.3 * * * ******************************************* For the Archimedes with RiscOS Copyright D.J.Holden 1990 _______ ____|__ | (R) --| | |------------------- | ____|__ | Association of | | |_| Shareware |__| o | Professionals -----| | |--------------------- |___|___| MEMBER Contents Page Preliminaries License to use ........ 1 A.S.P. Message ........ 1 License to copy ........ 2 General description ........ 3 Changes from earlier versions ...... 4 The 'Z_Reg' file ........ 4 Connecting lead ........ 5 Ready made leads ........ 5 Serial transfer speed ........ 6 Serial data format ........ 7 Setting the Z88 serial port ........ 7 File Transfer Starting the program ........ 8 Saving a Z88 file to disc ........ 8 Z88 File Extensions ........ 9 Saving to an application ........ 9 Sending files to the Z88 ........ 9 Sending Basic files ........ 10 Archive files ........ 10 Sending multiple files ........ 10 Printing Printing from the Z88 ........ 11 Saving Print files ........ 11 Printer sink ........ 11 Repeat printing ........ 12 Recovering Print files ........ 12 The Setup Window Setting Baud rate ........ 13 Data format ........ 13 Setup files ........ 13 Other Operations Converting between Basics ........ 14 Opening directories ........ 14 New file types ........ 14 The text buffer ........ 15 Releasing RAM ........ 15 Use with Archimedes Pipedream ...... 16 Use with Interword and FWP ........ 16 Release History ........ 17 Registration Form ........ 18 Page 1 THIS PROGRAM IS sssss h h aa rrrrr eeeee w w aa rrrrr eeeee s h h a a r r e w w a a r r e sssss hhhhhh a a rrrrr eeee w w w a a rrrrr eeee s h h aaaaaa r r e w w w aaaaaa r r e sssss h h a a r e eeeee ww ww a a r r eeeee IT IS NOT PUBLIC DOMAIN Licence to use: You are licensed to evaluate this program for a period ot THIRTY DAYS. At the end of this time you must either stop using it or send a cheque for SIX POUNDS to me at the address below. I will send you the latest version and your personal 'Z_Reg' file which will disable the annoying 'start up' message. Use after this time is a breach of this licence and as a result of recent legislation is now an offence. To simplify registration I have made the last page of this Manual a registration form. Please use this when you register as it helps me to keep my records in order. I am always happy to answer queries or listen to suggestions even if you haven't yet registered. A.S.P. Message: This program is produced by a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the Shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products. Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442-9427, U.S.A. or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536 or FAX 616-788-2765. Page 2 Licence to copy: Any private individual may distribute copies of the program provided that this is done WITHOUT CHARGE for the program or documentation. If you are charging ANY fee for copying this program, whether in money of in kind, or if you control ANY media, including bulletin boards, which distributes software YOU ARE NOT PERMITTED TO DISTRIBUTE THIS PROGRAM WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR. This permission will normally be granted with only minor restrictions. If you wish to distribute the program please write to me at the address below enclosing a SAE and a disc so that I can send you the latest version. Distribution by any organisation without this permission will be treated as Breach of Copyright. You must not make any charge for the program, although you may make a charge to cover media and distribution costs. No alterations may be made to any of the program files or documentation and you must include the !Run, !Boot, !Print and Manual (this) file. Use of this program for any EDUCATIONAL or TRAINING purposes or within any EDUCATIONAL ESTABLISHMENT without the prior written permission of the author is ABSOLUTELY FORBIDDEN. I reserve the right to charge a Site Licence Fee for granting this permission although I will not normally do so for use within state schools and colleges. It is strictly forbidden to distribute copies of any 'Z_Reg' file or any other version of the program which does not display the 'Start Up' message. These are for the personal use of registered users ONLY. David Holden 39 Knighton Park Road Sydenham London SE26 5RN 081 778 2659 Page 3 General Description: The Z88 normally communicates with the world only through its serial port and cannot save files except to its internal RAM or ROM. Disc drives are available but they are very expensive and slow. A tape adaptor is also available but this is even slower and tape is not a very satisfactory medium for data storage. The Z88 will drive a serial printer but if you have an Archimedes your printer probably has a Centronics interface. A serial to parallel adaptor can be purchased for about thirty pounds but even if you buy the adaptor you must still change your printer leads every time you want to print a file which can be inconvenient. This program is a desktop accessory which allows you to save your Z88 programs and data to Archimedes discs. It will convert Basic programs to and from Archimedes format so that you can write programs on one machine and run them on the other. You can send and save single files from the Z88 or a block of files and save them as a single large Archive file on the Archimedes which enables you to make a Backup of all your Z88 files. It will also print files on your Archimedes printer as a background task. This means that neither the Z88 nor the Archimedes is put out of action while printing your documents. This can be a great advantage when printing a long N.L.Q document on a slow dot-matrix printer. When you have finished printing your file you can save a copy of the printed file with all embedded codes so that you can print extra copies at a later date. If you have an A3000 you will need the serial upgrade but this will cost you less than the Z88 printer adaptor and is a worthwhile investment anyway. ****************************************************************** * * * WHEREAS EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ENSURE THAT THIS PROGRAM * * * * IS ERROR FREE AND OPERATES CORRECTLY NO RESPONSIBILITY CAN BE * * * * TAKEN FOR ANY LOSS OR CORRUPTION OF DATA CAUSED BY ITS USE. * * * ****************************************************************** Page 4 Changes for Version 3.xx: If you have used an earlier version please read this section before using the program. It will inform you of the changes which have been made from the earlier series (up to Ver. 2.7) so that you don't need to read the entire Manual to discover the improvements. Although functionally similar Version 3.0 was completely re-written in Machine Code. This makes the program more compact and very much faster. Conversion between Basic's is now almost instantaneous and the quicker operation makes it possible to increase maximum transfer speed to 19200 baud, although data transfer may not be 100% reliable at this speed. The standard RiscOS method of Saving a file by dragging a file icon has now been implemented. I have combined this with the earlier method of Saving to a 'standard' directory which seemed to be liked by many users for it's ease of use. The program now responds to 'file clicking'. The program will also automatically be Run and the file loaded if you double-click on one of it's own file icons. It is now possible to choose either 7 or 8 data bits and parity on/off for serial transfer. I still recommend 8 data bits, no parity for use with the Z88 but you may wish to experiment. It is also possible to select different Send and Receive speeds. When transferring a Basic program from the Z88 you are no longer offered the option of converting it to Archimedes Basic before Saving the file. This was thought unnecessary by many users as it is simple to convert files separately. If you disagree with this please let me know and I will offer the choice as a 'Setup' option. It is now possible to 'break up' multiple files sent from the Z88 and save them as separate files on the Archimedes. The 'Z_Reg' file: When you register I will send a copy of the latest version of the program. In the application directory you will find a file called 'Z_Reg'. This file contains your name and registration number encrypted so that when Z88 Utility is started up if it finds a valid Z_Reg file in its application directory it will disable the start up message and display your name in the 'Info' window. If you give copies of Z88 to your friends YOU MUST NOT INCLUDE THIS FILE. IT IS STRICTLY FOR THE PERSONAL USE OF REGISTERED USERS ONLY. If you obtain later versions of Z88 Utility from a P.D. library your Z_Reg file can be used with them so you can obtain updates from any source and pass later versions on to your friends. Page 5 Connecting Lead: Before you can use the program you will need a lead to connect the Z88 to the Archimedes. Leads can be purchased but you can easily make one from two 9 pin 'D' plugs, one male and one female, and a short length of cable. The cable needs five wires and could be screened four core cable as sold in Hi-Fi shops, using the screen as Ground, or the cheaper 6 core flex sold for burglar alarms and telephones. Wire the two plugs as follows; Z88 (the MALE plug) Archimedes (the FEMALE plug) CTS RTS RX TX L RX TX L GND * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * L L GND L RTS CTS These diagrams show the plugs looking on the solder lugs, ie. as you see them when soldering the leads. To make a lead connect; GND to GND RTS to CTS CTS to RTS RX to TX TX to RX Inside each plug you must also link together three pins marked 'L' on the Archimedes and two marked 'L' on the Z88. Ready Made Leads: If you don't feel competent to make your own lead or simply can't be bothered I can supply ready made leads to registered users. These cost Seven Pounds for a 1.5 metre lead inclusive and are made from high quality low loss screened cable. Please add 70p per metre if you require a longer lead. I can also supply Z88 to standard 25 pin 'D' leads for connection to a serial printer for the same price. Alternatively you could purchase a Z88 to P.C. lead but make sure this has a 9 pin plug and not the alternative 25 pin. Also ensure that the pins shown above are linked together. A lead of this type should work as the Archimedes serial port has the same layout as a P.C. but I haven't tried it myself. Page 6 Serial transfer speed: The program normally transfers data at 9600 baud. This is the default setting on the Z88 and I have found it perfectly reliable but you may wish to experiment with other speeds. I have heard of problems with other programs at this speed but I believe this is because the receiving computer did not use a buffer but wrote each byte directly to the disc. Using a buffer means that the Archimedes operates faster than the Z88 so it is always ready for the next character thus avoiding any 'handshake' problems. The only person who had repeatedly reported problems above 2400 baud has had his Z88 checked and found that the cause was poor solder joints on the Z88 serial port connections. After repairs transfer at 9600 baud is now satisfactory. I have not had any further reports of problems at 9600 baud when transferring text files. See the section on the 'Setup' window for details of how to change the speed if you wish to experiment. The other default settings for the Z88 and Archimedes are compatible, although you may need to reset the Z88 settings to their original value if you have changed them. I do not normally recommend using the Xon-Xoff protocol so as this is 'On' by default on the Z88 you will probably need to disable it. Sometimes difficulty is experienced when transferring Basic files from the Archimedes to the Z88 above 2400 baud. I believe this is because Basic programs use many characters which are converted to an Esc-B sequence. These must be translated by the Z88 as they are received and it has difficulty in keeping up. The easiest solution is to slow transmission down to 2400 baud. An alternative is to convert all Basic programs to text although this doesn't result in much of a speed increase because the programs become much longer. The maximum speed for data transfer is now 19200 baud. I have included this speed in this version but it is not 100% reliable. I do NOT recommend it for data transfer to the Z88 as files seem to be corrupted about 25% of the time. Reliable transfer from the Z88 is feasible although at times corruption does occur. I have sometimes transferred a whole series of files back and forth with no problems, at other times it seems to be impossible to use this speed. I have one user who uses this speed with perfect reliability all the time, others find it useless, which confirms my belief that there is considerable variation between individual Z88's. Page 7 Serial Data format: The standard data format for the Archimedes is 8 data bits and 1 stop bits with no parity. I have had no problems with this format and so recommend retaining it. Setting up the Z88 serial port: On the Z88 press the square key followed by 'S' (for Setup) or select 'Panel' from the Index. Press the Right Arrow key to move the cursor to the right hand column. The top two items on this column are Transmit and Receive baud rates. If these are not set to the speed you require simply delete the existing speed and enter the new one. DON'T press ENTER at this stage as this will exit the 'Panel'. Use the Up and Down arrow keys to move between the options. When you get to 'Parity' press 'N' for No Parity and at 'Xon/Xoff press 'N' again for 'No'. When the settings are correct press ENTER. The option to use Xon-Xoff protocol was introduced with Version 3.2 but I have not found any advantage in using it although you may wish to experiment. Page 8 --->> FILE TRANSFER <<--- Starting the Program: Double click on the Application icon and the Z88 icon will install itself on the icon bar. At this stage the word 'Ready' will appear below the icon. When you have transferred a file this will change to show the file size. When Printing a file it will show the number of characters remaining to print and when Sending a file it will show the number of characters sent. Saving a Z88 file to disc: Make sure the connecting lead is properly plugged in and select 'Z88 to Disc'. A window will open on the screen to tell you that the Archimedes is ready to receive a file and reminding you of the baud rate selected. This window has a 'Cancel' box and if you click on this at any time the operation will be aborted. Once this window is displayed you can turn to the Z88. Press the square key followed by 'X' to enter the Import/Export popdown or select this option from the Index. Press 'S' to Send a file followed by ENTER. Now type the name of the file you want to send. As you press ENTER after typing the filename the Archimedes will 'beep' to tell you that it is receiving and the characters received will be counted. While receiving a file the mouse pointer will change to the 'hourglass' shape. While it is this shape you can move the pointer around although you can do nothing else on the desktop. Once the first character has been received the only action which will have any effect is clicking on the 'Cancel' icon, everything else will be ignored. When the end of the file has been received the 'Receive' window will close and a 'Save' window will open. This should already contain a filename which has been extracted from the Z88 file. You can of course change this name if you wish, although if you do so the 'internal' name held within the file will remain unaltered and will be restored if you send the file back to the Z88. If you click on the 'OK' box in this window the file will be saved to the 'Standard Directory' for that type of file. Unless it is a Basic program this will normally be the Z88_Text directory. Alternatively you can drag the 'file icon' to a directory viewer to save the file to that directory. The method of saving to a 'Standard Directory' by clicking on 'OK' is used as well as the normal 'icon dragging' system as most of the time you will probably be saving a series of files to the same directory. This system is quicker when this is the case and avoids the problem of files being 'mislaid' because you dragged them to the wrong directory. If you click the mouse on the close icon the window will close. Don't worry, you can still save your file. Click on the Z88 icon and the Main Menu will appear. Put the mouse pointer over 'Save file' (the top item) and slide it to the right and the 'Save' window will reappear. Once the file has been saved the Save window will close and the file will be wiped from memory. Page 9 Z88 File Extensions: The Z88 filing system supports a three letter DOS type file extension. This is defined by a '.' after the filename followed by up to three digits. If this is offered to an Archimedes filing system it is interpreted as <directory>.<filename>. This will almost always produce a 'Not Found' error if you try to Save the file and so these extensions are removed before opening the Save window. They are still retained by the filename held within the file and will be used if you send the file back to the Z88. Since there are no standard file extension for Z88 files and many people don't use them at all every type of file (diary, Pipedream etc.) except Basic files is saved as a 'standard' Z88 file. Saving to an Application: Instead of saving to a disc you can drag the file icon directly to another application (e.g. Pipedream or Edit). In this case the program will 'know' that the file has not been properly Saved and the Save window will not close and the file will be retained in memory. Sending files to the Z88: To send a file to the Z88 simply drag the file icon to the Z88 icon or, if it has previously been sent to the Archimedes from the Z88 and so has one of the standard filetypes just 'double-click' on the file icon. A 'Send' window will open which is similar to the 'Receive' window. At the Z88 use the square key and 'X' to bring up the Import/Export popdown. Press 'R' for receive followed by ENTER. When prompted for a filename you need only press ENTER as a filename will be supplied by the Archimedes, but you can type a name if you don't want to use the original one. As with the 'Receive' window the 'Send' window has a 'Cancel' icon and if you click on this the operation will be aborted. Clicking anywhere else in the window will send the file to the Z88. Sending a file is a background task so as soon as you have clicked the mouse the 'Send' window will disappear. You can now continue with other things on the desktop. The number of bytes remaining will be shown below the Z88 icon so that you can follow progress. If drag another file to the Z88 icon while a file is being sent a window will open to ask if you wish to continue. If you click on 'OK' the operation will continue but if you click on 'Cancel' it will be aborted. The Z88 should tell you that it has found the embedded filename. This method is used for Z88 files and Archimedes files. Archimedes files will have a Z88 drive and directory prefix added to the Archimedes filename. This prefix can be set from the 'Setup' window. Page 10 Sending Basic files: If you drag an Archimedes Basic file to the Z88 icon it will be converted to Z88 Basic before it is sent. Archimedes Basic files will have the file extension '.bas' added to their name. Archive files: You can send a group of Z88 files to the Archimedes as an Archive file which can be sent back to the Z88 at any time. This enables you to preserve your entire Z88 memory in case of battery failure. To do this first make sure that your buffer is large enough. Call up the Setup window and set the buffer size sufficient to hold all the Z88 files. Next proceed as if you were sending a single file but instead of entering a filename when prompted by the Import/Export popdown enter '*' which means 'all files in this directory'. When all the files have been sent the Archimedes will behave as normal but the filename offered will be 'Archive' and not the name of any of the files. Unless you repeatedly use this name as your standard Backup filename you will therefore need to enter a new name. The filetype shown will be the type of the first file sent. If you click on 'OK' instead of dragging the icon to a directory the Archive file will be saved to the appropriate directory for that type. To send the files back to the Z88 proceed as normal but instead of pressing 'R' for Receive at the Import Export menu press 'B' for Batch receive. The Z88 will 'de archive' the files as they are received and restore their original names. Sending Multiple Files from the Z88: The normal method for multiple files is to save them as a large Archive file as described above. However it is possible to so save them individually. Open the Setup window and click on 'Archive' so that it is deselected. Now when a block of files is received it will be saved as a series of individual files. If you drag the file icon to a directory then all the files will be saved to that directory. If you just click on 'OK' then each the files will be saved to it's appropriate 'standard' directory. Page 11 --->> PRINTING <<--- Printing from the Z88: To print a file select 'Z88 Print' from the menu. Now set the Z88 to print a file as if it is connected directly to a printer. The easiest way to do this is to load the file into 'Pipedream' and press the diamond key followed by 'PO'. The Archimedes will behave as it did when you were saving your file to disc but this time when the file has been received instead of opening the 'Save' window the 'Receive' window will close and the file will be sent to the printer. This is a 'background' task so you can do other things on the desktop while waiting for your document to be printed. The number of characters remaining to be printed is shown below the Z88 icon to keep you informed of progress. If you click on the Z88 icon while printing is in progress an 'Alert' window will open to inform you that the program is busy. This window has 'OK' and 'Cancel' boxes. If you click on the 'OK' box the window will close and printing will continue. If you click on the 'Cancel' box the program will stop printing and the printer buffer will be emptied. This enables you to stop printing at any time. You should ensure that the printer driver on the Z88 is compatible with your Archimedes printer and that the 'Send linefeeds' option is compatible with the printer setting. Saving 'Print' files: When printing is finished you can save your print file. The 'Save' window will not appear automatically so you must use the menu to open it and enter a filename. As there is no embedded name in a printed file you must enter a name but a default filename will be offered. If you click on the 'OK' icon in the Save window Print files are saved in the Z88_Print directory. Printer Sink: You may wish to save a 'Print' file without actually printing the file first. Although the program has no option to actually do this it is possible. Before carrying out the normal print operation press F12 and type 'FX5,0' and press RETURN. Now proceed exactly as if you wished to print the file. Everything will happen as normal but the file will be sent to a 'Null' printer by the Archimedes so it won't actually be printed. You can then Save your Print file as normal. When you have Saved the file press F12 again and type 'FX5,1' RETURN to restore the normal printer action. Page 12 Repeat printing: If you drag the file icon of a 'Print' file to the Z88 icon or 'double-click' on it's icon it will be printed. You can use this method to print multiple copies of a file. Recovering Print files: It is not normally possible to send a 'Print' file back to the Z88 so if you are likely to need to edit the file at a later date rather than just printing additional copies you should also save a 'normal' version of the file. If you do need to edit a file which you have only saved in 'Print' format this may be possible. If the modifications are only minor you may be able to load it into !Edit and change it. If the changes are more complicated you will need to remove all the control codes. You will need to remove the carriage returns if your printer is set to expect linefeeds from the computer. To do this delete all the [0d]s at the start of each line and then press CTRL-F8 to convert the linefeeds at the end of each line to [0d]s again. Now save the file as plain text and send it back to the Z88. You will lose all your text formatting and printer commands but it may be possible to salvage the majority of your work. Naturally if the file contained spreadsheet slots then all the formulae will be lost as the result only will have been printed. Page 13 --->> THE SETUP WINDOW <<--- If you select 'Setup' from the menu a window will open from which you can set all the main program options. The directories used for the four file types can be seen and also the directory prefixes added to the filename when an Archimedes file is sent to the Z88. The Archimedes directories are at the top. If these are simple directory names it will be assumed that the directory is a sub directory of the application directory. Alternatively you can enter a full drive/path name in which case it will be treated as an absolute pathname. Each of these names can be up to 127 characters long. There are only two Z88 directory prefixes as Z88 text and Basic files will already have a prefix so only Archimedes files need to be catered for. See the Z88 manual for details of the Z88 RAM filing system. Setting Baud Rate: You can choose between 300, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600 or 19200 baud by clicking on the up and down arrows beside the Baud Rate window. The Z88 cannot use 4800 baud but this speed was included for completeness as you may wish to use the program as a terminal for another purpose. Please see the earlier warnings before using 19200 baud. Data format: You can chose between 7 or 8 Data bits, 1 or 2 Stop bits and parity checking On or Off by clicking on these items. Note that the Z88 always uses 8 Data bits, 1 Stop bit so DON'T change these. They are included only for use with other portables if required. Xon-Xoff: It is possible to select Xon-Xoff protocol with this version although I have found no advantage and so do not normally recommend its use. Setup files: You will see a 'Save' icon in the Setup window. If you click on this the contents of the window will be saved as a data file 'Setup' in the application directory. Whenever the program is started it looks for a 'Setup' file and loads it if found. This lets you set these variables and have them set automatically each time you start the program. You can also drag a Setup file to the Z88 icon at any time. This enables you to easily reset all the items in the Setup window if you have changed them at any time. Only Setup files saved by the same version of the program will be accepted. If you try to load any other type of file the program will not recognise it as a Setup file and will try to send it to the Z88. If it is recognised but has been corrupted so that the data is invalid then the program will be terminated. Page 14 --->> OTHER OPERATIONS <<--- Converting Between Basics: If you hold down SHIFT when you drag a Z88 Basic file to the icon it will be converted to Archimedes Basic and the 'Save' window opened for you to save it in Archimedes format. If you drag an Archimedes Basic file to the icon while holding down SHIFT it will be converted to Z88 Basic and the 'Save' window opened. You can therefore convert between Archimedes and Z88 Basic and keep program files in either format. Although Archimedes BASIC programs will be converted into the correct format for the Z88 there are many keywords and functions which the Z88 will not recognise. No attempt is made to alter these so if you use the Archimedes to write programs for your Z88 please remember this. Opening Directories: Sometimes, especially if you are using a hard disc, the directory your files are in can be several branches up or down the directory structure from the directory viewer open on the screen. This can require you to open a number of directories before reaching the required one when sending or printing a file. To simplify this the directories specified for each file type in the 'Setup' window can be opened directly, no matter how far removed Place the mouse pointer on 'Open Dir' and slide it to the right. A sub-menu will be displayed showing the four types of file. Simply click on the one required to open its directory viewer. New file types: The program invents three new file types and recognises one other. The three new types are Z88 text files (288, for obvious reasons), Z88 print files (289) and Z88 Basic files (28B). It recognises Archimedes Basic files (FFB) but treats all other files as text files. This was done intentionally rather than only accepting recognised file types as many users will be transferring files from the 'View' family which do not type stamp their files. There are sprites to identify these new filetypes. When a file is received from the Z88 the program assigns a file type and will normally store the file in the appropriate directory for that type. The fourth directory is used for Basic files which have been converted to Archimedes format. A separate directory is used so that you can keep copies in both formats without confusion. Page 15 The Text Buffer: The program claims workspace from the available pool of RAM as it is needed and gives it back when it is no longer required. When loading a file from disc this presents no problem as the program can find out how big the file is before loading it and claim sufficient workspace for it. When a file is to be sent from the Z88 there is an obvious problem as the Archimedes has no way of knowing how big the file is before it arrives, and this could vary from a few dozen characters to over 100K. The user should therefore set the size of this buffer to accommodate the largest file in use. This is done from the Setup window. Click on the Up or Down arrows beside the Buffer Size window to increase or decrease the size of the buffer in 16K steps. If the buffer is filled up while a file is being transferred the program will try to claim more RAM from the Wimp Pool. In theory this should present no problems but in practice at high transfer speeds the time taken might cause some data corruption. On a 1Mb machine with other applications active or a large Ramdisc it is also possible that the program might be unable to claim the extra RAM required and it is better to discover this before transfer starts than after spending several minutes transferring 95% of a large file. If the program is unable to claim the extra RAM needed for a file which is too large for the current buffer you will be informed and given the choice of giving up or saving or printing that portion of the file which has been successfully received. If you choose a large buffer but after the file has been received it is not full the program will immediately give back as much RAM as possible so that it it not retained if you do not Save the file straight away. Releasing RAM after use: Normally the RAM taken as a buffer is given back to the Wimp Pool when no longer needed but under some circumstances this may not be done. For example, after printing a file which has been sent from the Z88 it is kept in the buffer in case you wish to Save it and if you do not the RAM will not be relinquished. This should not be a problem unless you are dealing with very large files but an item on the menu is provided to facilitate this. If you select 'Clear' from the menu then any file held in memory will be deleted and the RAM returned. You will be asked for confirmation before this is done. You can watch this in operation by opening the 'Task Window' on the desktop while the program is running. You will see that the RAM allocated to the program varies as the files are sent and saved. Page 16 Use with Archimedes Pipedream: If you drag a Z88 file to the 'Pipedream' icon on the icon bar it will be loaded just like any other Pipedream file. The only difference you will notice is that the first line of the file will be the Z88 embedded filename. If you intend to print the file from Archimedes Pipedream you will need to delete this line first. Archimedes Pipedream files can of course be dragged to the Z88 icon and sent to the Z88 Use with Interword: If you use Interword on the Archimedes or have a number of old 'BBC' Interword files which you may wish to transfer to the Z88 then I have written an application called 'PipIn' to convert between Interword and Pipedream format. This is primarily intended for use with Archimedes Pipedream but works perfectly well with the Z88. An evaluation copy is now normally supplied to registered users of this program but if you do not have a copy it can be obtained from approved P.D. libraries or from A.P.D.L. (the Archimedes Public Domain Library) on disc B070 for #1.50 at my address given at the start of this Manual. The latest version of PipIn (0.92) will also convert from Pipedream to Plain Text and from Pipedream to First Word Plus format although not in the reverse direction so it will probably be of use even if you don't have either Interword or Pipedream on the Archimedes. PipIn is currently being improved to make it possible not only to convert between Interword and Pipedream but to also print Interword files and to convert them to plain text. These features will be especially useful if you have upgraded to the Archimedes from a BBC or Master and no longer have access to Interword. Page 17 --->> RELEASE HISTORY <<--- 2.7 Jan 91 Final BASIC program. All subsequent versions in machine code 3.0 Sept 91 Beta test new program 3.1 Dec 91 Basic program transfer bug corrected. 'Clear' option added to menu. Confirm before quitting if file not Saved. 3.2 Jan 92 Xon-Xoff implemented Choice of 1 or 2 stop bits Clear operates correctly to terminate Send 3.3 July 92 'Archive' files may be broken up Immovable windows bug corrected 'File clicking' used at last Spare RAM given back when file received Registration Form for Z88 Utility Please send this form with a cheque for Six Pounds for registration and Seven Pounds for a connecting lead or printer lead if required to David Holden 39 Knighton Park Road Sydenham London SE26 5RN ____________________________________________________________________ Name and Address: ____________________________________________________________________ Where did you obtain the program: ____________________________________________________________________ Have you had any problems: ____________________________________________________________________ What additional features would you like: