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- PROGRAM: BOSS_SW.ASM BOSS_SWP.COM BOSS_SWR.COM
- CONTACT: Keith P. Graham
- @ PC-Rockland BBS
- (914) 353-2176
- DESCRIPTION:
- BOSS_SW.COM was originally written in late 1984 to allow me to
- play computer games while at work. My boss had no understanding of the
- creative mind and did not realize that while I was killing aliens that
- I was actually working on various complex work related problems.
- BOSS_SW allowed me to switch to a fake 1-2-3 like spread sheet program
- that I could fill with all sorts of interesting facts and figures. I
- put the original program (which is very little like the current
- version) on a few BBS's and forgot about it for nearly 3 years.
- Somebody found it and sent me $5.00 for the source code. The source
- code was long gone although I did have a non-working version. The
- state of the art in TSR programs has advanced in that time so I
- wrapped my latest TSR skeleton around it. I made the mistake of
- promising users that I would provide source code, something that I have
- since stopped doing. But a promise is a promise. The source code is
- the latest up to date hot stuff ASM programming. I would like to
- protect the "secrets" so please read the comments below.
- There are two versions of BOSS_SW, a traditional resident which
- stays until you reboot or mark and delete it. There is also a pass
- through version. These are assembled using the BOSS_SW.ASM and IBM
- macro assembler and you can decide which one to use by changing
- the value of the PASSTHRU variable in the beginning of the program.
- There are conditional assemble statements which will assemble one
- set of code or the other. You can use the skeleton to assemble your
- own memory residents or pass though programs and have two versions
- of each. The code is typical "GRAHAM SPAGETTI" with very few comments,
- but you should have no problem clipping out the boss_sw main line
- and putting one of your own in.
- If you leave the skeleton intact you can use HOTFIX.COM to change
- the hot key combination.
- COMMENTS:
- The code in BOSS_SW.ASM is meant to be altered so you can
- make your own boss_sw, or your own memory resident/pass through
- program. I hope to see many new pass through programs as the code
- is adapted. Pass through's are more efficient as far as memory usage
- goes, and most people need a hot key only at certain times, and hardly
- ever from the DOS prompt. Feel free to use the code here to write your
- own variations. I am sure there are good ways to improve what I have
- done. (Boss_sw saves the entire graphics buffer, this is hardly ever
- needed. Tinkering with the memory requirements is the first thing to
- do. I can also see a need for the herc and EGA versions of this.)
- Since the source code is my property I would hate to see someone
- get rich on it without giving me a nod. If you are lucky enough to
- incorporate the code of BOSS_SW (resident or pass through) into
- a successful commercial product, I will require compensation. If you
- have more than 1000 unit sales I require 0.5% royalty on the net
- sale price on each unit sold after the first 1000. If you wholesale a
- product at $50.00 and sell 1001 units, you owe me two bits. Don't send
- any money until it gets over $100. Just keep track of the sales.
- If you never hit the hundred dollar mark, keep the money for yourself,
- you need it.
- I am adding this stuff about royalties to the documentation just
- in case soemone makes a million dollars and says to himself "I might
- not have done so well if it wasn't for the tips I pulled out of
- BOSS_SW.ASM. That guy deserves a little credit". I could enforce this
- as a contract (I might not get too far in court, but who wants to
- risk that?) and I can easily inspect executable files with debug
- for traces of BOSS_SW code. You can't plead that this is the only
- way to do it, because my way is quite unique. I am the only one
- doing pass though's this way, and my use of the semaphore is unique
- enough to make the program trouble free as well as easily identifiable.
- On top of that I have six lawyers in my family and they work free
- (or my grandmother will haunt them).
- It's possible that my code stinks and no one will ever make a
- million off of it. At least I protected myself. I code for glory, not
- bucks. I do this because I like it and can't do anything else. I
- make very little money off of the BBS's, but it's money that means
- more to me than my day job salary, it means that someone has taken
- the time to mail a check just because he thinks I did a good job.
- Those checks, however few, feel real good. Better than a million.
- BOSS_SW, by the way, is free (except as noted above) and I hope
- you enjoy using it. Don't send me any money for it, (but check out
- if you are using CBOOT or TXT2COM or OPTIKS, those are not free).
- Please include the following files in BOSS_SW.ARC:
- BOSS_SW.DOC - This text file
- BOSS_SW.ASM - MASM code for BOSS_SWR.COM and BOSS_SWP.COM
- BOSS_SWP.COM - Pass through version
- BOSS_SWR.COM - Resident Version
- HOTFIX.COM - K. Graham Hot Key Fixer
-
- Thanks,
- Keith P. Graham
-