mknox@EMX.UTEXAS.EDU (Margaret H. Knox) (02/04/88)
At *LONG* last I finally got around to ordering PluPerfects DateStamper package. Overall impression -- Money VERY well spent! The did a good job, and for the price, a very good value. It took some time to go through and verify that none of the addresses used in the BDOS by DateStamper were in conflict with the numerous patches I have made myself (I could have used the "non-standard BDOS" version, but I hate to waste memory). It would have been nice if they had provided a list of address they alter. They reference a number of PD routines they have modified to work with DateStamper (MCAT, XCAT, APPEND, TOUCH, MAKE, EX14A, etc.) and say they are "available on various bulletin boards." Anyone know if any of these routines ever made it into the SIMTEL20 archives.? Sure wish I had source code (sigh!). Only a satisfied customer....
bridger%rcc@RAND-UNIX.ARPA (Bridger Mitchell) (02/05/88)
Thanks for the kind words about DateStamper, Margaret. >> It took some time to go through and verify that none of the addresses >> used in the BDOS by DateStamper were in conflict with the numerous >> patches I have made myself (I could have used the "non-standard BDOS" >> version, but I hate to waste memory). It would have been nice if they >> had provided a list of address they alter. DateStamper's several internal patches into the standard DRI CP/M 2.2 BDOS require that the BDOS file functions operate exactly as in DRI's released version, and be located exactly at those addresses. DateStamper also patches the BDOS exit routine. The exact patches have evolved through several versions, and it wasn't possible to get them into the printed manual. The "long" or "non-standard BDOS" version of DateStamper patches only the entry to the BDOS. It has proved compatible with quite a variety of CP/M 2 emulators -- ZRDOS, P2DOS, Z80DOS, Apple, ...-- but requires about another 0.25K. >> They reference a number of PD routines they have modified to work with >> DateStamper (MCAT, XCAT, APPEND, TOUCH, MAKE, EX14A, etc.) and say they >> are "available on various bulletin boards." Anyone know if any of these >> routines ever made it into the SIMTEL20 archives.? Sure wish I had >> source code (sigh!). An increasing number of public-domain utilities are supporting DateStamping, particularly for file copying, directory listing, and disk cataloging. The ones you list are available on the DateStamper Toolkit disk from Plu*Perfect Systems. More recent ones include: CR23D and UNCR23D -- crunch/uncrunch PPIP -- file copy SAVSTAMP -- save create datestamp when editing,... ZFILER -- file utility Jay Sage's RCPM (617-965-7259) has a number of these. EX14a fixes EX14 (in-memory batch command processor), which wouldn't run with any sort of RSX. As a side note, DosDisk, which has just started shipping, provides datestamping for files on MS-DOS disks when run on a DateStamper-equipped system. The distribution disk includes upgraded directory (SDD) and file maintenance (DATSWEEP) utilities that display/use/manipulate the MS-DOS datestamps. Finally, you'd asked earlier about QP/M. It's a (Z80) CP/M 2.2 BDOS emulator by MicroCODE Consulting that has been used principally, I believe, on Kaypros and Zerox 820-I upgrades. --bridger
abp@j.cc.purdue.edu (Jeffrey J Wieland) (02/05/88)
In article <8802041714.AA01070@newton.arpa> bridger%rcc@RAND-UNIX.ARPA (Bridger Mitchell) writes: >Thanks for the kind words about DateStamper, Margaret. I've been using DateStamper since October; I used it with WordStar 4.0, Eco-C80, and the Make utility supplied in the tool kit to develop a ~3500 compiler for a course in compilers and operating systems that I took. DateStamper made keeping the numerous source files up-to-date easy. DatSweep made incremental backups possible (I use a 1M Advent RAM Disk; it sure beats copying ALL the sources just to make sure that everything is safely on a floppy). >As a side note, DosDisk, which has just started shipping, provides >datestamping for files on MS-DOS disks when run on a >DateStamper-equipped system. The distribution disk includes upgraded >directory (SDD) and file maintenance (DATSWEEP) utilities that >display/use/manipulate the MS-DOS datestamps. I've been using DosDisk since December (it came with my upgrade for the MultiCopy program for CP/M Kaypros). I take disks back-and-forth from work regularly, and I have only had a problem with one disk: a demo-disk for CompuView's VEDIT PLUS. None of our machines at work could read it, either. I was able to access it with Media Master on my Kaypro. I've also been using the public domain demo for BackGrounder II. Did you know that there is a way to log to another disk while running BGII? It involves DatSweep (doesn't work with NewSweep, so it must be something peculiar to DatSweep). Maybe if I get a full-time job, I'll spring for the complete version. Jeff Wieland abp@j.cc.purdue.edu