Info-IBMPC@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL ("Info-IBMPC Digest") (02/22/90)
Info-IBMPC Digest Wed, 21 Feb 90 Volume 90 : Issue 27
Today's Editor:
Gregory Hicks - Chinhae Korea <GHICKS@WSMR-Simtel20.Army.Mil>
Today's Topics:
Re: BTRIEVE Help
Re: FILES command
Re: Users keeping Floppy Disks
Re: MCA Vendors Around?
Re: Kermit V3.0 and EVE (tpu) editing in VT320 mode
Re: Relocating MS-DOS
Re: Turbo Basic
Re: Word for Windows
Today's Query:
PostScript
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Date: Mon, 19 Feb 90 12:02:08 +0100
From: Christian Polzin <actisb!polzin@APPLE.COM>
Subject: BTRIEVE Help
In comp.sys.ibm.pc.digest you write:
>Our office is using a program which stores data on a BTRIEVE file. Is
>there a simple program out there which will allow us to access this
>database to generate more custom reports than we're currently able to with
>the system we have now?
There are two programs on the road. Both from Novell.
XTRIEVE - Report Writer system and much more...
XQL - An SQL-System.
Both you can integrate into your own Software. I find it good and the best.
I hope I it helps you.
Christian Polzin
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Date: 19 Feb 90 09:18:06 +0100
From: S89406043%HSEPM1.HSE.NL@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
Subject: FILES command
In this digest #16 David J. Camp told his problem with the FILES command
in CONFIG.SYS. Maybe the following can help you:
Normally 8 files can be used at the same time, but you have to realize
that DOS itself needs 3 of these files for its directory-handling so there
will only be left 5 of them. When you, in one of your programs, need more
than 5 open files, you can increase this number of files up to 255
maximum. The lowest number is 8. For each file 48 bytes will be reserved
in the memory.
With file-sharing the greatest number of open file in not independent of
the given number in the FILES command but always 20 - the 3 system-files
so 17 files which you can use at the same time.
I don't have experience with file-sharing but I would try with help of the
SHARE command and /l option to change the maximum number of locked files
(default is 20). This will cost you for each file only 1 byte. With the
option /f the reserved memory for manage of the file-sharing can be
installed. For each file there are 11 bytes and the length of the
filename needed. Default is 2048 bytes.
Good luck,
Maupie
S89406043 @ HSEPM1.HSE.NL.BITNET
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 90 13:10:52 EST
From: "Bert Tyler" <TUB@CU.NIH.GOV>
Subject: Floppy Disks
> Does anyone know of a program which will make a floppy disk read
>only? Perhaps something with password protection, so that the disks can
>only be reused by someone with the program? We truly need SOMETHING so
>folks return the diskettes, rather than treating them like chewing gum.
Uhh, given that my MEI/Micro Center catalog lists "Premium Diskettes"
(their words, not mine, for their 360K 5 1/4" diskettes with sleeves) for
23 cents apiece in lots of 100 (21 cents in lots of 1000), given that a
stamp for the returned floppy costs a quarter, and given that the people
time to return (and process returned) diskettes probably puts *both* of
the above figures to shame, treating diskettes like chewing gum frankly
seems like the best solution.
A friend of mine ships a *lot* of diskettes as part of his software
business. He buys them from MEI, and has never had a complaint. My
connection with them is limited to one $10 order of diskette mailers
(delivered on time and as promised). Their number is 800-634-3478.
PS: Their price for diskette mailers, which presumably also get thrown
away with the diskettes, is 19 cents apiece in lots of 50.
------------------------------
Date: 19 February 1990 18:01:23 CST
From: "Bob Johnson (312) 245-3532" <U27745@UICVM.uic.edu>
Subject: MCA VENDERS
Contact your local IBM rep. He'll give you a paperback book (200 pages or
so) of MicroChannel (MCA is a reg. trademark of MCA Corp.) card makers and
a 1 or 2 page description of the card itself.
Bj
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 90 19:56 MDT
From: Joe Doupnik <JRD@cc.usu.edu>
Subject: Re: Kermit V3.0 and EVE (tpu) editing in VT320 mode
In Info-IBMPC Digest V90 #21 the following note appeared:
>From: Sam Cropsey <sam@pomona.claremont.edu>
>
> I recently downloaded Kermit version 3.0 from the columbia FTP system.
>I have had a problem with it doing EVE (tpu) editing while in VT320 mode.
>The editor works fine in VT102 mode, but displays some escape sequences
>when placed in VT320 mode. Does anyone have a possible solution? Please
>send all replys to me directly. Thank you.
Because this is a common query a public response is useful. And the
answer is...
VMS considers VT300 class terminals to be 8-bit wide input devices, sets
VMS terminal parameter EIGHTBIT, and sends 8-bit control codes.
In case you've never heard of such things, they do exist and are
defined internationally. For example, CSI (decimal 155) is a Control
Sequence Introducer, which translates to the 7-bit equivalent "ESC [".
8-bit control codes occupy the first two columns in the right half of the
8-bit character tables, values 128 to 128+31, analogus to their 7-bit
brethern in 0 to 0+31. There is a handy rule about converting from 8-bit
to 7-bit forms: the 7-bit version is ESC <8-bit character - 40 hex>, for
80 hex <= char <= 9f hex. Such 8-bit controls are becoming more common
and will be natural in a few years. Here is another common one: RI,
Reverse Index (go up one line), 141 decimal, equivalent to ESC M.
With this arcane piece of knowledge now firmly established we return
to the question of EVE/TPU. MS-DOS Kermit runs with a default setting of
DISPLAY 7-BIT, thus trimming off the high bit of each character. Of course
that rather spoils 8-bit control codes sent by the VAX so the user needs
to say SET DISPLAY 8-BIT and all will be fine. A VT100 class device is
really a 7-bit one and VMS sends the corresponding kind of controls, such
as ESC [ 1; 24 H rather than CSI 1; 24 H and so on (known formally as
Control Sequences rather than as Escape Sequences, but that story is for
another day).
The choices are then, either tell Kermit SET DISPLAY 8, or tell VMS SET
TERMINAL/NOEIGHT.
If this subject interests you then you can see it in action in MS-DOS
Kermit for selection of character sets (terminal emulation and file
transfer) such as SET FILE CHARACTER-SET LATIN1: high bit off is 7-bit
controls (C0 region) and Graphics Left region with ASCII; high bit on is
8-bit controls (C1 region) and Graphics Right region with ISO 8859-1
Latin1 character set holding many international symbols.
The International Standards Organization, ANSI is the US branch, has lots
of these things. The DEC VT300 terminals contain these character sets and
character set switching mechanisms; hence so does MS-DOS Kermit (and soon
C Kermit, CMS Kermit, and Mac Kermit). In fact there are about 90 some odd
tables in MS-DOS Kermit v3.00 used to translate between the external
character sets and the five common Code Pages, and people keep sending in
small corrections.
Sam, I hope you are keeping careful notes on all this!
Joe D.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 90 08:43:32 CST
From: motcid!marble!smithju@uunet.UU.NET (Justin A. Smith)
Subject: Relocating MS-DOS
In comp.sys.ibm.pc.digest you write:
>Anyone out there know how to kick MS-DOS around in a PC?
> In order to free up more of the basic 640K of RAM, it sure would be nice
>if the operating system (Command.Com) could be moved up into the extended
>memory, so that all those all programs could have more room to knock
>around in. Can it be done! What is a guy to do?
Well, If you have a 386 machine and use QEMM memory driver it allows most
TSR's and command.com to be loaded HI. Typically this leaves >610K free
for programs. If you donot have a 386 (not everyone does!) try 4DOS v2.1,
this is a really neat dos shell, it completely replaces command.com, and
it swaps all of itself except 4 or 5 K to disk, or EMM memory. command.com
occupies about 25K i believe.
Also you could try reducing the number of BUFFERS and FILES in config.sys,
but watchout it will probably slow down your system!. I'm not sure where
you can find 4DOS in the US, I saw it on a bulletin board in the UK. Its a
shaeware package. If you have any problems finding it just drop me a line.
Regards Justin Smith.
------------------------------
Date: 19 Feb 90 09:26:03 +0100
From: S89406043%HSEPM1.HSE.NL@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
Subject: Turbo Basic
In I-IBMPC #15 there was someone with a problem in Turbo Basic. Here is
the answer:
When you open a file for INPUT, OUTPUT or APPEND the maximum length of the
file is 64 kilobytes. However, when you open a file like this:
OPEN "file" for RANDOM as #1 len= <record size>
the maximum length of the file is 16,777,215 records, and the maximum
record-size is 32,767 bytes, so...
When you do use this command, you have to make a record-definition with
the FIELD command. When this is done, you can write and read in the file
with the PUT and GET commands. Don't forget that each file must be closed!
When you need more information about this of when you have any other
problems with Turbo Basic, please send me a message!
Greetings,
Maupie.
S89406043 @ HSEPM1.HSE.NL.BITNET
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 90 21:55:37 -0500 (EST)
From: Steven Timm <st0o+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Word for Windows
Thanks to everyone who responded to my query about Word for Windows. I
have decided to buy.
A summary of the answers to the questions I asked:
>The literature suggest 1-2 MB of EMS memory is recommended (but not
>required) what happens if you don't have it?
Apparently Windows will swap to disk.
>Can the program run stand-alone without Windows (or is that question
>immaterial because the program comes with Windows)
The program comes with run-time Windows (and must be run with it.)
>Is extended memory usable as EMS memory?
Apparently yes if you have the right driver, and a better fix is coming in
Windows 3.0
>Are there any significant differences between the academic version and the
>full version?
Academic version probably has only users guide, not full reference manual.
But form is available if you want to order manual.
Thanks again for the help!
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 90 15:40:07 CST
From: Tony Phillips <S102066@UMRVMA.UMR.EDU>
Subject: PostScript
Does anyone know of a PC/xt compat. w/ CGA program that does screen
previews of PostScript code?
Or, does anyone have a electronic PostScript manual?
Thanks.
Tony Phillips
S102066@UMRVMA.UMR.EDU
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End of Info-IBMPC Digest
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