TDDTIP.007 -- Phil Wheeler [71266,125] This TDDTIP relates to the use of FUTIL.BA as a way of conserving RAM while using FLOPPY.CO with other machine language programs in your Model 100. FUTIL.BA is not a public domain program, but comes as part of the TMPC package. The following comments are largely extracted from my review of FUTIL.BA in DL6. FUTIL.BA is a machine language program manager, written mostly in Basic, but with embedded machine language code. It makes life with more than one resident M/L program very easy. This is a new situation for me, brought about by the new Tandy drive's FLOPPY.CO DOS, and FUTIL.BA came into my possession just in time. At the end of FUTIL is a set of data statements, one for each machine language program you have in residence. For example, with FLOPPY.CO and LAPWRD.CO in residence, these data statements are: 1020 DATA FLOPPY,59400,62959,59400,Y 1030 DATA LAPWRD,59675,62959,60561,Y where the 'Y' means the program can be run upon loading into high RAM. When you run FUTIL it asks: (L)oad or (S)ave? Load will load a program into high RAM and remove it from the menu, while Save will take the program out of high RAM and save it as a menu entry -- and set HIMEM=MAXRAM. As a result, no machine language program ever takes more RAM than its true size; no more of this double-saving of M/L programs! The utility seems pretty bomb- proof. It does (not stated in the manual) require caps lock on while typing in the program names, a minor irritant (which could be fixed with a simple subroutine). If you use this utility, DO NOT run machine language programs by putting the wide cursor over the name XXXXXX.CO on the menu and hitting enter!! The programs shown on the menu are not the one active in high RAM, and loading one from the menu will zap the one held in high RAM. The best approach is to run all M/L programs with a small Basic driver. For LAPWRD.CO above, I use LAPWRD.BA as follows: 0 IF HIMEM=59675 THEN CALL 60561:MENU 1 MENU The test of HIMEM assures me that I selected the right Basic driver (works unless two M/L programs have the same TOP: address). As the manual says, FUTIL will not work with all M/L programs; two warned against are Pro Aid by Micro Demon and the R/S barcode software. I've used it successfully with TMPC (of course!), LAPWRD, FLOPPY, and the Custom Software ASMBLR. My current mode of operation does not employ FUTIL, because I have multiple banks of RAM. For TDD owners without PG Designs or PCSG RAM bank expansions, I think FUTIL.BA is a must (unless FLOPPY.CO is your only machine language program). pcw -- 11/16/85