[comp.sys.ibm.pc.digest] Info-IBMPC Digest V90 #98

Info-IBMPC@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL ("Info-IBMPC Digest") (05/29/90)

Info-IBMPC Digest           Tue, 29 May 90       Volume 90 : Issue  98 

Today's Editor:
         Gregory Hicks - Chinhae Korea <GHICKS@WSMR-Simtel20.Army.Mil>

Today's Topics:
                         8514/A - DRIVER WANTED
                        Address Of Bill Neidert
            Epson Equity PC Portable with Math Coprocessor?
                  Field definition in IBMPC-L Archives
                            Faulty ST-225 HD
                            Generic Keyboard
                            Logging keyboard
                   Re: Once a Day batch file (2 msgs)
               printer ejects page when pc is turned off
                              serial mice
                  Aspects of Memory Resident Programs
                       SIMTEL20 task termination
                             Re: TECO Wanted

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The Lending Library is available from: WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL (see file
PD1:<MSDOS.FILEDOCS>AAAREAD.ME details on file directories and
descriptions.)

Archives of past issues of the Info-IBMPC Digest are available by FTP
only from WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL in directory PD2:<ARCHIVES.IBMPC>.

WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL can be accessed using LISTSERV commands from
BITNET via LISTSERV@NDSUVM1, LISTSERV@RPIECS and in Europe from EARN
TRICKLE servers.  Send commands to TRICKLE@<host-name> (example:
TRICKLE@TREARN).  The following TRICKLE servers are presently
available: AWIWUW11 (Austria), BANUFS11 (Belgium), DKTC11 (Denmark),
DB0FUB11 or DTUZDV1 (Germany), IMIPOLI (Italy), EB0UB011 (Spain),
TAUNIVM (Israel), and TREARN (Turkey).  SIMTEL20 is not accessable on
the first Wednesday of each month from 6-8pm Eastern Standard Time.

If you are unable to access SIMTEL20 via Internet FTP or through one of
the BITNET/EARN file servers, most MSDOS SIMTEL20 files, including the
PC-Blue collection, are available for downloading on the Detroit
Download Central network at 313-885-3956.  DDC is a networked system
with multiple lines that support 300, 1200, 2400, and 9600 bps (HST).
This system is a subscription system with an average hourly cost of 17
cents per hour.  It is also accessable on Telenet via PC Pursuit and on
Tymnet via StarLink outdial.  New files uploaded to WSMR-SIMTEL20 are
usually available on DDC within 24 hours.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Tue, 22 May 90 15:12:38 CES
From: Juergen Uhlemann <UHLEMANN%DB0FUB11.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: 8514/A - DRIVER WANTED

Public domain or commercial: I'm looking for drivers esp. for VENTURA
PUBLISHER (but also for any other products), which supports the
original big blue 8514/A graphic adapter.

Is there anyone who knows distributors of such things ? (Normally the
producer of an adapter offers also drivers for important DTP or graphic
programs - not so IBM|)

------------------------------

Date: 22-MAY-1990 23:31:31.29
From: Doctor III <ALIAO@EAGLE.WESLEYAN.EDU>
Subject: Address Of Bill Neidert

A colleague of mine at work is trying to reach Bill Neidert (apparently
an author of a shareware product called "list" or somesuch).  I told my
co-worker I'd post his request here.  I'd appreciate it if any
responses were sent directly to this account.  Many thanks in advance.
-d.

+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
|aliao%eagle@wesleyan.bitnet|These times are so uncertain: there's a |
|			                   |yearning undefined and people filled    | 
|Thomson Financial Networks |with rage.  We all need a little        | 
|85 Wells Avenue	          |tenderness - How can love survive in    | 
|Newton, Ma. 02159          |such a graceless age?    -Don Henley    |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 23 May 90 10:43 N
From: <IUL%DACTH51.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: Epson Equity PC Portable with Math Coprocessor?

I am running an EPSON EQUITY PC PORTABLE XT-compatible laptop, equipped
with a NEC V30 CPU. On the motherboard I could not find an empty socket
for a math coprocessor (EPSON said it is not possible to add an 8087).

Has anyone been confronted  with that problem ? Is there really no
possibility to add an 8087 to such a machine ?  Thanks for suggestions
or comments.

Matthias Drobnitzky <IUL@DACTH51.BITNET>
Dept. of Radiology
Klinikum der RWTH
D-5100 Aachen, West Germany

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 23 May 90 10:45:48 IST
From: Ran Cheremsh <CHERMESH%BGUVM.BITNET@UBVM.cc.buffalo.edu>
Subject: Field definition in IBMPC-L Archives

I wonder if anything can be done so as to facilitate the search options
by LDBASE in our list's archives.

I tried to located the place where the uploading of a specific file to
Simtel20 was announced. All I know is that the file's name includes a
string of X-V. I tried to search for this string using the following
LDBASE requests:

           S * where ALL contains x-v in IBMPC-l
           S * where body contains x-v in IBMPC-L
   and     S * where text contains x-v in IBMPC-l.

In all cases the response I got was that filed ALL/BODY/TEXT is
undefined for IBMPC-L. The "sender" field, on the other hand, is
defind.  Thus,

1. Is there a way to run a search for a string which is a part of a
word in IBMPC-L using LDBASE?

2. If no such way exists, can a specification of these fields in the
archive be added?

Sincerely

Ran Chermesh
Behavioral Sciences Dept.
Ben-Gurion University
Beer-Sheva 84105
Israel
Bitnet: CHERMESH@BGUVM

------------------------------

DATE: 22 MAY 90 17:52:28
From: ECAA100@BGUNVE.bitnet
Subject: Faulty ST-225 HD

Hello all
I have a faulty disk ST-225 , after checking it with a good drive I
have found out that the problem is with the electronics PCB of the
drive (marked as - ASSY 20301 REV). well the question is - does any of
you have the electronics schematics of this PCB or can someone direct
me to were can I get it.

Thanks in advance
Eli Aroshas.         (ECAA100@BGUNVE)


------------------------------

Date: Mon, 21 May 90 16:07:54 EDT
From: Lisa Wieferich <34TXWS4%CMUVM.BITNET@CORNELLC.cit.cornell.edu>
Subject: Generic Keyboard

     Does anyone know of a company that sells a keyboard which will
work on standard PC's, XT's and AT's and that also sells the parts for
the keyboard such as keycaps and switches?

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 21 May 90 14:58 N
From: <WMORWVJ%HEITUE5.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: Logging keyboard

I am looking for a TSR program that is able to store all keystrokes and
possibly mouse actions to a file and is able to replay these actions.

Does anyone know if such a program is available?

Thanks in advance,

Wouter van Joolingen
Eindhoven University of Technology
Educational Research Group, HG 9.35
P.O. Box 513                                    BITNET: WMORWVJ@HEITUE5
5600 MB The Netherlands                          Phone: +31 40 47 42 10

------------------------------

Date: Mon 21 May 90 13:41:38
From: tweten@prandtl.nas.nasa.gov
Subject: Once a Day batch file

From: Jhinuk Chowdhury <FF76%UNTVM1.BITNET@tamvm1.tamu.edu>

	I had come across ... a batch file ... that enables one to run
	... programs ... the first time the computer is booted.  I'd
	really like to know if any one remembers having come across the
	batch file I am talking about.

The very useful "PC Magazine DOS Power Tools Techniques, Tricks and
Utilities", by Paul Somerson tells how to do such a thing, on pp.
637-639.  The essence of the trick is to note that the DOS "date"
command puts out something like:

	Current date is Mon 5-21-1990
	Enter new date (mm-dd-yy):

If you pipe date's output to a batch file, and invent another batch
file called "Current", executing the first batch file permits the
second one to read its fourth argument and compare it with the last
date your "one-a-day" program was run.

If you can't figure the trick to pipe date's output,

	echo | more | date > chekdate.bat

will do it.  Isn't DOS wonderful!  Intuitively obvious, isn't it?

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 22 May 90 15:45 EDT
From: "Ed Harris" <HARRIS%CTSTATEU.BITNET@ricevm1.rice.edu>
Subject: Once a day batch file

Someone asked about a file that would execute once a day only (rather
than each time a machine is booted).  There is a shareware program from
Chris Dunford called onboot.exe which says it does just that (I haven't
used it).  I have it as part of a package of programs sent to me by a
book club I joined, so if people can't find it elsewhere, I would be
happy to send it somewhere from which it could be downloaded.

Ed <HARRIS@CTSTATEU.BITNET>
Southern Connecticut State U, New Haven, CT 06515 USA
Tel: 1 (203) 397-4322 / Fax: 1 (203) 397-4207

------------------------------

Date: 22 May 90 12:53:06 +0200
From: S89406043@hsepm1.hse.nl
Subject: printer ejects page when pc is turned off

Hi,

I'm having a problem with a laserprinter, connected via RS-232 and an
automatic switch to 3 computers. Whenever one of the computers is
turned off, the printer ejects one page with a few '*'-sign on one
line. All three comptuers use the MODE LPT1:=COM1: command to print via
the RS-232 port. I tried using the command MODE LPT1: just before the
computer is turned off, but then the same problem occurs. Is there
anyone who can help me with this?

Thanx in advance,
Maup

| Maupie           | Fax: 04108 - 16335
| P.O.Box 54       | Phone: 040 - 482176
| 5250 AB  Vlijmen | E-Mail: S89406043 AT
| Holland          |        HSEPM1.HSE.NL

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 22 May 90 11:33:45 MET
From: Ron Croonenberg <U448035%HNYKUN11.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: serial mice

hello,

I'm making some programs with Turbo-C and I would like to use a mouse
in those programs.

I know there are drivers for serial mice but I want to make one myself.
I've written a Interrupt Service Routine (with the help of a book) for
reading characters from the serial port. But I don't know the meaning
of these characters.

I did see however what happend when the buttons are pressed and what
happens when I move the mouse in one direction.

I would like to know how I can detect the direction in which a mouse
moves and what happens when a mouse changes direction.I would like to
know this for the microsoft and genius type mouses.

(I have a manual for the mouse a have , but it says nothing about....)

Ron Croonenberg Katholieke Universiteit Nijmegen
(u448035@hnykun11.bitnet)

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 22 May 90 12:56 MET
From: "Jim Groeneveld, NIPG TNO." <GROENEVELD%TNO.NL@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: Aspects of Memory Resident Programs

A. Introduction.

I am not a 'low level user' of the IBMPC, that is I do not know about
interrupts, machine code and assembler and I don't want to know it
either.  I am just a 'higher level user' applying the PC with word
processing, higher computer languages and other common applications. I
also use a lot of TSR's (=Terminate and Stay Resident programs) like
SideKick, PC-Outline (like now), PC-Tools, etc. I have some remarks on
the application of TSR's in general from a user point of view. These
follow below. I also give some suggestions on how to overcome my
critics. These concern the user interfaces from the TSR's.  Although I
do not know how to implement my hints, they serve as suggestions for
programmers creating TSR's to make their applications better to use in
combination with any other program. There are many kinds of TSR's which
may be divided into two groups as far as their activation is concerned:

1. TSR's which look at and respond to circumstances in the computer
except for keyboard presses. These are not the ones I am concerned
about.

2. TSR's which look at and respond to keyboard presses from users.
These are the ones I am not satisfied with.

B. Stating the problem.

I would like TSR's to react in a more flexible and standardized way. My
dis- satisfaction with the second type of TSR's is illustrated by some
examples:

1. I use PC-Write very much and PC-Write allows many exceptional key
combina- tions to use. For example I want to delete the word right of
the cursor and press Ctrl-ESC, but instead of deleting the word
PC-Tools is being activated.

2. In ProComm I want to activate a macro using one of the number keys
above the alphanumeric keyboard in combination with the Alt-key. I
don't get the macro, but instead some special character generated by
the Dutch keyboard program KEYBNL or an action or window from PC-Window
(a pd/sw SideKick like program).

3. Or even worse: I use a splendid pseudo multitasking program (pseudo,
because programs in the other windows do not run, but are paused) for
the ordinary XT, Multiple Choice (MC), which allows for up to 8
different windows (memory partitions), but it occupies among other ones
the keys 1-8 on the numeric keypad in combination with the Control key.
Now, when within PC-Write I want to go to the next word with
Ctrl-Right-arrow that does not work, but activates the 6th window of
MC, if there are so many installed, or does nothing if there are less
than 6 installed.

   The solution for the time being for the first and last problem is to
use sticky shift keys in PC-Write: pressing Ctrl, releasing it and
pressing numeric 6 (right arrow) deletes the right word in PC-Write,
while pressing both keys simultaneously causes MC to respond, not
PC-Write. (MC responds to some more exotic, but not used otherwise,
keys.)

So the problem might be described twofold:

1. TSR's may steal active keys/combinations from other programs.  This
is an ugly matter.

2. some TSR's may be activated by (stealing) more than one key
(combination), inducing different operation. This is even more ugly.

C. Desired solution.

What I would like is to be able to use and activate the wanted TSR's
without loosing any functionality of other normal, underlying programs.
As improvements to reach that goal one may think of:

1. the use of activating keys which are hardly or never used anywhere
else, (e.g. Ctrl-Alt, Shft-Shft, Ctrl-Shft, Shft-Ins, Shft-Del,
Ctrl-n2, Ctrl-n8), like SideKick;

2. the use of only one activating key (combination) per TSR. In order
to maintain the full functionality of the TSR after activation it
should start to offer a menu with additional choices, replacing the
multi-key approach.  This might cause one more key stroke to be
necessary to obtain the same desired effect (the wanted operation), but
that is of minor interest in this circumstance (good example:
SideKick);

3. the possibility of transfering the activating keystroke to the
underlying program by offering two different types of exit (like
POPDOS, see below):

   a) one without any keystroke passed on, normal, 'black' exit;

   b) one with the activating keystroke passed on, 'transparant' exit.
This method may even be improved as is proposed below.

D. Proposed standard:

I propose the following standard of activating and exiting a loaded TSR:

1. activate TSR using any key combination (e.g. Alt-R), but only one
per TSR;

   a) seldomly applied keystroke otherwise;
   b) for each TSR a different one (though practically not possible);
   c) possibly user-definable (as is already supported by some TSR's);

2. exit TSR in one of two different ways according to the users choice:

   a) without transfering key stroke: any key (e.g. ESC) or the
activating key combination if other keys have been pressed meanwhile;

   b) with transfering key stroke: the activating key combination if
pressed again, just after activation, so if no other keys have been
pressed in between.

Advantages:

1. with activating a TSR: minimalization of the number of keys (key
combinations) to activate a TSR to only one:

   a) interferes the least with other interpretations of the key
combination in underlying programs;

   b) limits the TSR in the number of keys (combinations) to look for;

   c) keeps the number of keystrokes to be pressed with more loaded
TSR's surveyable and convenient from a user point of view.

2. with exiting a TSR:

   a) without passing the activating key combination to the underlying
program: normal exit;

   b) with passing the activating key combination to the underlying
program:

      1) the key combination remains available for the underlying
program by pressing it twice;

      2) more TSR's can be loaded using one and the same key
combination to be activated: after exiting the first one directly, the
second one is activated and so on, until there is no more TSR to
respond and the key is finally passed on to the underlying normally
loaded program. A disadvantage of this is that only one of these TSR's
can be activated at the same time: activating the next one firstly
exits the previous one, or even only exits that one if the key
combination is not passed on further.

POPDOS meets these demands best by being activated only by Alt-U and
being exited always (not depending on actual other keystrokes while
active):

1. by ESC without passing on any key or

2. by Alt-U with passing on the key combination Alt-U to the underlying
program.

Quit neatly. May other TSR's (re)act similarly.

| NIPG TNO <work>: Y. Groeneveld (call name: Jim) <home>| GROENEVELD@HDETNO51 |
| Postbus 124    | Wassenaarseweg 56 | Schoolweg 14     | GROENEVELD@TNO.NL   |
| 2300 AC Leiden | 2333 AL Leiden    | 8071 BC Nunspeet | TNOSUR::GROENEVELD  |
| Nederland (NL) : (+31|0)71-178810  | (+31|0)3412-60413| RULTNO::JIM         |

------------------------------

Date: 19 May 90 13:39:24 GMT
From: nelson@sun.soe.clarkson.edu (Russ Nelson)
Subject: SIMTEL20 task termination

w8sdz@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL (Keith Petersen) writes:

   Today I received word that my task of maintaining the SIMTEL20
   archives is to be terminated effective May 25, 1990, because of
   budget cuts.

Instead of all giving Keith our condolences, why don't we get off our
butts and contact our congressmen?  If they can talk about funding a
high speed national network, then they can surely talk about funding a
national software library.

--russ (nelson@clutx [.bitnet | .clarkson.edu])  Russ.Nelson@$315.268.6667
Violence never solves problems, it just changes them into more subtle
problems

------------------------------

Date: 20 May 90 20:40:08 GMT
From: well!feustel@well.sf.ca.us (David Alan Feustel)
Subject: Re: TECO Wanted

Michael Harris <mharris@BBN.COM> writes:

>Is there a (good) TECO for the PC?  I'll pay (sigh) if necessary.
Thanks.  VEDIT is an extended TECO-like editor running under dos. It's
pretty good.

Phone:	 (home) 219-482-9631 
E-mail:	feustel@well.sf.ca.us	{ucbvax,apple,hplabs,pacbell}!well!feustel	
USMAIL: Dave Feustel, 1930 Curdes Ave, Fort Wayne, IN 46805

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End of Info-IBMPC Digest V90 #98
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