QUIKIES

Version:  3
 Update:  October 21, 1981
   Home:  HP/RCPM, 312-955-4493, 1am-5pm
 Editor:  Roy Lipscomb, Logic Associates, Chicago


Permission has been granted to copy any of these
items for non-commercial use, provided each copy
properly credits the sources.  Reproduction for
other uses must receive prior permission from the
individual sources.

Comments and contributions are invited, and may be
forwarded to the home system.



1.--------------------------------------------------
ITEM:  The "re-execute" command.

DESCRIPTION:  After exiting to CP/M from a program,
the program may be re-executed without reloading it
into RAM from disk.

REQUIREMENTS:  Issue the command SAVE 0 @.COM to
create the null command "@".

PROCEDURE:  Issue the null command:  @
This will cause CP/M to load precisely nothing into
the transient program area (thus leaving the old
program intact), then transfer control to the TPA.

SOURCE:  (Anyone know?)



2.--------------------------------------------------
ITEM:  Using the I command of DDT to read files from
disks other than A.

PROCEDURE:  Translate the desired drive's name into
its alphabetic sequence number; for instance, "1"
for "A", "2" for "B", and so on.  Then perform the
following sequence of commands to install the file's
name and drive number, and read the file into RAM:

     -Ifilenam.typ<cr> (desired file's name)
     -S5C<cr>
     005C 00 x<cr> ("x" = the above sequence number)
     005D yy .<cr> ("yy" = don't care)
     -R

SOURCE:  Hal Walchli, Pittsburg Area Computer Club
Newsletter, June 17, 1981.  (Also seen in other
newsletters.)


3.--------------------------------------------------
ITEM:  Fix for bug in SUBMIT.COM (2.X only)

DESCRIPTION:  SUBMIT will not accept pseudo-control
characters.

DIAGNOSIS:  Create a file X.SUB consisting of one
line--

     PIP X.SUB=X.SUB[S^Z]

where "^" and "Z" are separate characters.  Then
issue the command SUBMIT X.  The faulty version
of SUBMIT will display the message "Error on line
001 Invalid Control Character," then exit to CP/M.

FIX:  Execute the following procedure:

     A>DDT SUBMIT.COM<cr>
     DDT VERS 2.2
     NEXT  PC
     0600 0100
     -S442<CR>
     0042 61 41<CR>
     0443 32 .<CR>
     -^C
     A>SAVE 5 SUBMIT.COM<CR>

RETEST:  Issue the command SUBMIT X.  No error
should occur, and X.SUB should remain unchanged.

SOURCE:  Dave Marschall of AMSI.


4.--------------------------------------------------
ITEM:  Comparing two .COM files via DDT.

PROCEDURE:  Load one file and dump a stretch of RAM.
Load the second file, and dump the same location.
If both dumps are small enough to fit together on
the screen, the areas can be compared visually.

(To perform the actual program loads, use the I and
the R commands.  If either program is not on the
logged-in disk, you can read it by using the pro-
cedure described in item #2 above.)

SOURCE:  Hal Walchli, Pittsburg Area Computer Club
Newsletter, June 17, 1981



5.--------------------------------------------------
ITEM:  Insert any control code into an ED file.

DESCRIPTION:  ^C, ^E, ^L, ^P, ^S, ^R, ^U, and ^X
are command codes for ED; when encountered, they
are executed instead of inserted into the file.  It
is possible to have ED insert these codes instead
of executing them.

PROCEDURE:  1)  Create CODES.LIB by issuing the
command PIP CODES.LIB=CON: and typing the above
control codes (they will not echo to the screen),
followed by a control-Z.  2)  Whenever you are
in ED now, and wish to insert one of these codes,
read the codes in with the R command (specifi-
cally, RCODES), then use the C and D commands to
remove the unwanted codes.

SOURCE:  Roy Lipscomb, Logic Associates



6.--------------------------------------------------
ITEM:  Counting records in a file.

PROCEDURE:  PIP CON:=filename.typ[ND6]

EFFECT:     The "virtual" record numbers for
each record will be output to the screen.  The
last number will be the record count of the
file.  (Records are assumed to be terminated
by a carriage return.)

EXTENSION:  Instead of CON:, you can substitute any
valid CP/M filename, and the "count up" will
be entered into that file instead.  (Numbers under
6 digits are preceded by blank fill.)  This type
of file can be useful during program testing.

This option reveals a slight anomaly in PIP: if a line
begins with tabs, those tabs will not be deleted
but will be retained and appended to the line number.

SOURCE:  Roy Lipscomb, Logic Associates




7.--------------------------------------------------
ITEM:  Execute any commands by pressing only 2 keys.

REQUIREMENT:  Public domain program SYNONYM.COM,
version 2 or later, available on various RCPMs.

PROCEDURE:  Select an unused alphanumeric, or other
character allowable as part of a file name.
As an example, let's take "A".  Let "command"
be a command-plus-parameters.  Issue this command:

        SYNONYM A command

Now whenever you wish to execute "command", just
A and carriage return.

EXTENSION1:  To create a single name for a sequence
of several commands, 1)  place the commands into a
.SUB file (eg, TESTIT.SUB), and 2) follow the above
procedure to create a name for the command
"SUBMIT TESTIT".

EXTENSION2:  Better yet, use /.COM or SUPERSUB.COM
to eliminate the need for a separate .SUB file.
That way, all the commands to be executed can be
coded as part of "command" above.

SOURCE:  Roy Lipscomb, Logic Associates



