9:25:13 AM PST Sunday, January 3, 1988

(arnie s) I've been having a problem using DSKMGR with ml programs. DSKMGR
  seems to grab the other ml programs even when they are in different ml
  locations.

(Phil W) Well Arnie, I don't know what you mean by "grab".  Need a better
  description. And What version of DSKMGR are you using?  The original
  DSKMGR.100 or DSKMGR.REL, my relocating version? Or DSKMGR.200.

(arnie s) If I'm dskmgr.rel  when I load an ml program with dskmgr and then
  try to run he other program I end up in DSKMGR or in the  frozen north(blank
  screen)

(Phil W) I suspect you need some basic info re M/L program usage in the
  M100.  For that FLIPML.DOC is excellent!  And FLIPML.100 is a program
  designed to help you manage multiplke M/L programs in the 100/102 I suggest
  you give it a try. (in DL7).   There is nothing inherent in DSKMGR which
  should make it give any unique difiiculties tho the original DSKMGR.100
  does clear itself from hiram after running DSKMGR.REL does not, and I
  suggest you use it in combo with FLIPML.100.

(arnie s) I'll try that  But I've tried the same proceedures with FLOPPY.CO
  and I've had no problem.

(Phil W) Arnie, FLOPPY is a bit different in that regard (depending on
  TDD1 or TDD2). And a lot depends on the addresses of the other M/l programs
  (i.e., you may have gotten lucky!).  Anyway try FLIPML.  Great stuff! All
  done on this topic?

(arnie s) Yes.

(DaveR) Some q's for ya  1. What is the correct Basic call statement for
  PRTMSG?  I learned this from xmdpw5, by the way.  2. How can I create a null
  terminated string in BASIC?  3. Is there any assembler for the PC so I can
  use its resources for m100 assembly development?

(Phil W) Well, You can find the correct call in XMDPW5.ASM  I think it's
  5791h or 22417.  On creating a null terminated string you should be able to
  use pokes to an absolute address. I have not found a good PC assembler for
  doing 8085 (or even 8080) sorurce code.  This was a topic on the board a few
  weeks back. See DEVEL.THD (DL8).

(DaveR) great.  You are, by the way  a terrific resource for this machine.
  Radio Shack should be supporting this SIG. I guess assembly language is
  easier to deal with for what I want to do than BASIC.  Is the BYTEIT
  assembler a good way to go?

(Phil W) RS did sponsor this Sig once - it was a disaster. Yes, try BYTEIT.

(Sysop Denny)  For a null at the end of a string, try adding the phrase
  +CHR$(0) to the end of the string after the quote.

(DaveR) thanks.

(Phil W) Denny, and not just POKE AD,0?

(Sysop Denny) Well, then you'd have to do a varptr to find the address.

(Phil W) True, but then who would want to not use assembly instead
  <Grin!>.

(R Caley) Ok  Where's Tony??....off writing report modules for his CRDFIL
  program <GRIN>.

(Phil W) At Casino, with other lounge lizards!

(Sysop Denny) On an assembler, I notice that there is an ad in Pico this
  month from HSI that has an assembler for sale that is suspciously similar to
  the Custom Software assembler. Might be worthwhile checking out.

(Phil W) Yes, sounds like CS assembler to me!  Highly recommended, Dave!

(DaveR) Well, assembly lang. itself doesn't scare me no problem.  But this
  business about relocatable codes, and these funny loaders, and memory (RAM)
  utilization, is all a little bit confusing. Any suggestions on where to
  begin?

(Phil W) Relocatable is easy. Just assemble it with two ORG addressed
  (TOP of program) then run BASBLD.PW3 (DL8) and it automatically builds the
  loader. Need a disk drive to use it, tho -- or a Cassette should work. So
  no special assembly code is NEEDED to make it relocatable.  [two addresses =
  two CO files]

(DaveR) okay. can I use FLOPPY.CO and a TDD2? 

(Phil W) No, you will need an OS which supports 0: device in Basic, but
  to get started, you can assemble programs of reasonable length wholly in
  RAM, to get a feel for it.  For example, TEL101.ASM can be done in RAM, and
  it is about 10K as a source file, 1.8K as a CO. BASBLD does need a non-RAM
  device, though -- but I suspect even CAS: will work fine.  And because
  BASBLD is slow, it will not likely slow execution all that much!

(DaveR) does DSKMGR suffice as an OS?

(Phil W) No. You will need one of following: TS-DOS; POWER-DOS;
  DISK-POWER 100

(DaveR) okay, i got the idea.

(Phil W) see POWR-D.TD2 on how to use it with TDD2.

(DaveR) yes, i read the dl's.  thanks.  can I modify BASBLD to work wholly in
  RAM?

(Phil W) BTW -- Dave, what we need is free 0: OS for the M100!  Well,
  re BASBLD it works by reading the files from the menu I believe that
  BASBLD.NEW will do what you want it requires that both CO files be loaded in
  their running locations while PW3 version picks them off the menu storage
  location, without being loaded.

(DaveR) i just got a little lost  but i am logging this and will mull it
  over. As far as free OS, I guess when you start totalling $$ in m100, it
  starts to look like a bigger machine but then again, this is trench
  computing which is a disappearing challenge people are missing a lot of fun.

(Phil W) I will clarify re BASBLD (trench computing -- love it!)
  BASBLD takes two CO files to create a BA loader. In the NEW version those
  files are loaded in RAM at running locations. In the PW3 version, they are
  CO files on the menu. For PW#, writing the DO loader file to RAM will move
  the CO files on menu around, giving garbage.  NO such problem with the NEW
  version which is my fix of Richard Haw's original program.

(DaveR) thinking...  I am losing some last letters of your comments on each
  line. As far as trench computing, in many ways, the PC has opened up
  computing for zillions but it doth not necessarily a programmer make.

(Phil W) Well, I like programming on the PC, but there are lots of folks
  doing it very professionally in the public domain.  For M100, there are
  still lots of challenges, and few addressing them. Makes it kind of a
  nice niche.  But I am also moving into PC more and more.

(DaveR) That's because of the resources available for this beast (pc that is).
  BTW, some lines of your comments end with a "."  and I think some letters
  are lost.

(Phil W) Hmmm.. all should end with ... and I am getting echoed back
  exactly what I am typing. Denny is grabbing a transcript, so you may want
  to look for it later, if he decides it is substantial enufff to merge, that
  is!  You still here, Denny?  Hmmm..Denny got zapped, I think! I see Gene,
  Jeff and Ron

(gene) [I temporarly zapped Denny]

(Ron) Hi, Phil..got a long question for you, ok?

(Phil W) Sure, Go ahead, Ron

(Ron) I was reading "Portable Computing with the M100" and I came across a
  telcom program called "Term.ba". This program lets you up and download data
  using the cassette circuitry(CIC) while ON-LINE! My question then is this...
  The CIC uses an 8-pin DIN and the TDD uses an 8-pin connector. Is there a way
  of shunting the modem circuit in the CIC to produce digital output and then
  devising a cable to link a TDD to the CIC?

(Phil W) The fundamental problem is that the TDD uses the same UART chip in
  the M100 as is used by the comm port. I cannot imagine that the Cassette h/w
  can be used ot support the serial needs of the TDD. Aside from that would
  be some software issues.  Nothing is impossible but it would be easier to
  buy a Booser Pack or some such and download directy to a megaRAM.

(DaveR) gotta go Phil...TNX alot!

(Sysop Denny) [forgot to disable call waiting, geesh!]

(Ron) Ok. Sounds like the right approach

(Phil W) [bye, Dave!]]

(Ron) speaking of MegaRAM, any data on the SoundSight?

(Phil W) Well, there is a new product announcement in the new Portable 100
  (or Pico). Sounds very good, but everything does to me!  Maybe Denny has
  better info (probably has a free one by now!!)

(Sysop Denny) No free one (yet), but I did talk to them last week and I looks
  like they are starting to ship the Gold cards, but the text editor to allow
  editing of huge files is not due till Feb./Mar.

(Phil W) [what year?]

(Sysop Denny) heh, heh  I hope we will be able to get them here for a
  conference soon. They have indicated a desire to do a CO, but nothing firm
  yet.

(Phil W) Well, It does sound impressive!  But can add up to big bucks!
  The thing I like best is that the 102 still is slim but it seems to not be
  available for 100, from the ads) true, Denny?

(Sysop Denny) From what I see in the ad, it looks like it wouldn't work with
  a M100.

(Ron) I spoke with George Lucas at SS  and he said it will work with the 100
  He is sending me some literature but right now a 128K Gold Card for a M100
  is $399.ga

(Sysop Denny) [steep!]

(Phil W) So what is 102 price for 128K ?

(Ron) Probably the same. 2Mb could be a wallet-buster, though  Nevertheless,
  It looks like the right product at the right time. Folks are always moanin'
  about the lack of RAM in the 100/102 but they like the size and portability
  of the machines vs. the lugable MS-DOS "laptops".

(Phil W) Well, re "right time", I'd say about three years late, since small
  ms-dos laptops are becoming available (Toshiba T1000 = 6.4 lbs with 1.3Meg of
  RAM and a disk drive), and other guys have had big RAMS available for a long
  time now.

(Sysop Denny) What facinates me most about this new SS stuff is the utilities
  that they describe. It looks like they have a Basic compiler and a method in
  which you can store all of your ROMs in RAM and then eliminate the need for
  them. The possibilities look very mouth-watering.

(Phil W) Yes it does sound fantastic. But what I really need is an 80 x 16
  (or so) screen to make that kind of investment worthwhile.  And (being a
  skeptic!) the Vault sounds good, too, but reports are not too encouraging. I
  still LOVE my 8 bank PG RAM) in my 100.

(Ron) Just wanted to say re the SS ROM Eliminator that I see alot of folks
  swapping ROMs like floppy diskettes!

(Phil W) Yes, sounds "fantastic". Hey, there's Tony, the lounge lizard.

(Sysop Tony) Good morning, he said sheepishly.

(Phil W) I reported that you were probably still in the Casino this AM
  <Grin!>

(Sysop Denny) Had a hot string going.

(Phil W) Perhaps you could fill us in on your latest re CRDFIL.

(Sysop Tony) Gee whiz, guys. You know I don't gamble.  (grin) I also have an
  option on the Brooklyn Bridge. Well, I was up all night making the latest
  puppy work, and thought I'd catch a nap before the CO. The nap idea didn't
  work out too good.

(Sysop Denny) Yeah, I know, "I'll just rest my eyes for a few minutes"!

(Sysop Tony) Anyway, the latest is the first of 3 print modules. It prints data
  to cards or labels, in a semi-customized format. But does allow for picking
  what data fields get used, and allows you to both search for matching words,
  and provides a pseudo-sort for output. It can be used in a form that will
  "Provide a list of names and phone numbers from the datafile, where Florida
  is in the State line, and is sorted by city, or only those in a certain
  city."

(Phil W) Sheesh! dBaseIV it is becoming!  Sounds pretty good, Tony. CRDFIL
  has been quite a popular program, and the enhancements will be well-received,
  too, I suspect. Well its about time to call it a CO.  Any last minute Q's or
  C's?

(Jeff S) which DL is CRDFIL in?

(Phil W) DL 4

(Jeff S) Thanks

(Phil W) Anyone else? Ok, I hereby declare these proceeding closed. Tks for
  coming and read Denny's extensive transcript to miss all you missed! Bye all.

(Sysop Tony) Thanks Phil.  Bye.

(Jeff S) bye


List of Participants:

  71266,125   Phil W
  71706,260   GENE MCGARR
  72216,512   gene
  72300,3645  Ron
  72407,3224  Marty T
  74136,2520  BOB WILSON
  75755,1312  Jeff S
  76317,350   DaveR
  76672,2222  arnie s
  76701,40    Sysop Denny
  76703,4062  Sysop Tony