Info-IBMPC@C.ISI.EDU (Info-IBMPC Digest) (06/10/87)
Info-IBMPC Digest Tuesday, 9 June 1987 Volume 6 : Issue 44
This Week's Editor: Billy Brackenridge
Today's Topics:
Hercules Card Explained with Turbo Pascal Example
DEC <-> PC Data Transfers
Snobol from Catspaw
SUN PC-NFS is not MS-NET
Long files in Turbo Pascal (2 Msgs)
ECHO OFF patch for generic MS-DOS 3.20
Breakthru-286 board and Lightning cache program
One-Armed Keyboard: Nota Bene
Backup Software
Disk Cataloguers
QUICKBASIC V3.0
MSDOS LATTICE-C Source Version of Unix like TOUCH.C
Today's Queries:
Unix Utilities for C Programmer
ISAM Libraries Utilities for C
Floating Point Routines in Assembler Sought
Personal VM from VM Labs
Compatible BIOS's (2 Msgs)
Turbo C and EGA
NCR PC8 vs ZENITH Z248
Bulletin Board Software
TURBO-C: Brother, can you spare a Librarian?
Hercules card in a TANDY 1000
Expansion Boards
INFO-IBMPC BBS Phone Numbers: (213)827-2635 (213)827-2515
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 4 Jun 87 09:46:31 +0300
From: Juha Kuusama <jku%kolvi.UUCP%FINGATE.BITNET@wiscvm.wisc.edu>
Subject: Hercules Card Explained with Turbo Pascal Example
Organization: Helsinki University of Technology, Finland
Since this information was recently asked and I've not seen the answer, I
looked it up. It comes from the manual for a board that claims to be "100%
Hercules compatible", and seems to be just that. I take no responsibility of
its accuracy.
The card has a text mode and a graphics mode. In the text mode, it is just
like IBM monochrome adapter. In graphics mode it has two graphic pages ( 0 and
1 ), resolution 720 x 348. It also has a printer port, which I will not discuss
further.
The board uses the ( Motorola ) 6845 display adapter. ( Look the data sheet
for more information about that. )
The graphics are in memory, page 0 in B0000 - B7FFF and page 1 in B8000 -
BFFFF ( hex ).
The I/O ports are:
03B4: 6845 index register
03B5: 6845 data register
03B8: display mode control port
03B9: set light pen flip flop
03BA: display status port
03BB: reset light pen flip flop
03B.C.: printer data port
03BD: printer status port
03BE: printer control port
03BF: configuration switch
The display mode control port sets the mode of operation for the card.
bit 0: not used
bit 1: 0 = text mode
1 = graphics mode ( note: you must reprogram the 6845 if you
change this bit! ( otherwise you may blow your monitor))
bit 2: not used
bit 3: 0 = blank the screen
1 = screen active
bit 4: not used
bit 5: 0 = text blinker off
1 = text blinker on ( every character whose attribute bits
indicate blinking, will blink )
bit 6: not used
bit 7: 0 = page 0
1 = page 1
The display status port:
bit 0: 0 = normal character
bit 3: 0 = dots off
1 = dots on ( I don't know the meaning of this ... )
bit 7: 0 = vertical retrace
1 = active display
,all other bits unused.
The configuration switch:
bit 0: 0 = prevents the setting of graphics mode
1 = allows it
bit 1: 0 = masks page 1 out of memory map
1 = brings it to the memory
In graphics mode the offset (zinto the pagez) of the byte containing the dot
(x,y) is 2000H*(y mod 4) + 90*integer(y/4) + integer (x/8),
where [ 0 <= x <= 719 and 0 <= y <= 347 ]
The following are example procedures in Turbo Pascal:
const
indexreg = $03b4;
datareg = $03b5;
control = $03b8;
config_switch = $03bf;
var
graphic_paramtrs : array [ 0..11] of byte;
text_paramtrs : array [ 0..11] of byte;
hgccntrlport_value : byte;
procedure init_graphics;
begin
graphic_paramtrs [0] := $35;
graphic_paramtrs [1] := $2d;
graphic_paramtrs [2] := $2e;
graphic_paramtrs [3] := 7;
graphic_paramtrs [4] := $5B;
graphic_paramtrs [5] := 2;
graphic_paramtrs [6] := $57;
graphic_paramtrs [7] := $57;
graphic_paramtrs [8] := 2;
graphic_paramtrs [9] := 3;
graphic_paramtrs [10] := 0;
graphic_paramtrs [11] := 0;
text_paramtrs [0] := $61;
text_paramtrs [1] := $50;
text_paramtrs [2] := $52;
text_paramtrs [3] := $0F;
text_paramtrs [4] := $19;
text_paramtrs [5] := 6;
text_paramtrs [6] := $19;
text_paramtrs [7] := $19;
text_paramtrs [8] := 2;
text_paramtrs [9] := $0d;
text_paramtrs [10] := $0b;
text_paramtrs [11] := $0c;
hgccntrlport_value:= $20;
port[config_switch]:=3;
end;
procedure screen_on;
begin
hgccntrlport_value := hgccntrlport_value or $08;
port[control] := hgccntrlport_value;
end;
procedure screen_off;
begin
hgccntrlport_value := hgccntrlport_value and $f7;
port[control] := hgccntrlport_value;
end;
procedure textmode;
var
i: integer;
begin
screen_off;
hgccntrlport_value:= (hgccntrlport_value and $fd) or $20;
port[control] := hgccntrlport_value;
for i:= 0 to 11 do
begin
port[indexreg]:= i;
port[datareg]:=text_paramtrs [i];
end;
clrscr;
screen_on;
end;
procedure graphicsmode;
var
i: integer;
begin
init_graphics;
screen_off;
hgccntrlport_value := ( hgccntrlport_value or $02 ) and $df;
port[control] := hgccntrlport_value;
for i:= 0 to 11 do
begin
port[indexreg]:= i;
port[datareg]:=graphic_paramtrs [i];
end;
screen_on;
end;
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 4 Jun 87 09:09:16 EDT
From: Jeff_MacKie-Mason@um.cc.umich.edu
Subject: DEC <-> PC Data Transfers
R. Rasulis summarized some suggestions he received for transferring data
from DEC Rainbows to IBM PCs. He had not, however, tested the
methods suggested. I have some experience with this problem.
Method (A): Format disk on IBM as single-sided, possibly 8 sector.
*Comment* This will almost never work. The Rainbow drives write at
quad density. This means that the tracks it lays down are
only half as wide as the tracks that the PC tries to read.
The PC drive read head will find lots of garbage on either
side of the true data, and will give read errors. However,
writing from IBM to DEC will never work almost always work
this way (you can use 9 sector formatting) because the more-
sensitive DEC read head is happy to drive down the double-
wide tracks that IBM writes.
Method (B): Get an AT-style 1.2 mb drive for the IBM.
*Comment* : In principle, this might work (I haven't tried it), because the
1.2 "high-density" drive can also read 720kb "quad density"
formats, which is what the DEC drive is writing. However,
the DEC disks are single-sided--would this confuse the 1.2mb
drive? There also may be differences in write pre-compensation
factors and format (track/sector) layout. Try it on someone
else's machine before you buy a 1.2mb drive.
Method (C): Buy an I-Drive external for the Rainbow, which reads and writes
IBM-format disks.
*Comment* : This works (this is the intended purpose of the I-Drive). But
it ain't cheap.
There is a cheap, almost foolproof method available, which hasn't been
mentioned. There is a software program called Media Master, published
(I believe) by Moorpark Associates, somewhere in California (sorry, but
the ownership of MM changed after I bought it, and I don't have the new
address...look in Info World or any of the DEC mags for Moorpark). This
program allows the DEC Rainbow to format floppies using any of about 25
different formats, including IBM. (How many people still own a Cromenco?)
It will then transfer files from the Rainbow to these disks. It is
quite reliable, and the software is quite clear on what to do if you
have problems. I used this method regularly for a year when I had a Rainbow
at home and a PC at the office. The program works because the more
sensitive drive on the Rainbow can be instructed to act like a clumsy PC
drive. The only real problem is you can *never* read or write double-
sided disks...that's a limitation of the Rainbow drive. So you are limited
to 170K per disk.
Disclaimer: I have neither legal affiliation with nor financial interest in
any of the products mentioned above.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 4 Jun 87 22:40:46 pdt
From: well!hank@lll-lcc.ARPA (Hank Roberts)
Subject: Snobol from Catspaw
Snobol4 for MS/PC DOS is available from Catspaw, Inc., PO Box 1123,
Salida, CO 81201; phone (303)539-3884. I don't recall the price, but
it's something like $90.
I've used this system and find its speed and features reasonable. I
haven't used it enough to say whether or not it's more than just
reasonable. The company has been around for several years, though, and
seems to be doing a reasonable job of customer support (with a
newsletter, occasional updates, etc).
Catspaw is also distributing the DOS implementation of a very interesting
language called Icon. I've purchased a copy of it and I'm probably going
to use it in place of Snobol4 in the future. Very briefly, it's a language
intended for Snoboloid applications that is function-oriented and
structured, like C or Pascal. It was developed by Ralph Griswold et. al.
at the University of Arizona. The implementation being sold by Catspaw
was implemented by Griswold and is in the public domain, but the Catspaw
price is reasonable and I believe the Icon Project at U. of Arizona is
charging the same.
I'm still studying the Icon book, and haven't done any programming with
it yet. I have one comment on it, based on experience: get the large
model programming system. The small model is advertised to be slightly
faster but is quite limited in capacity.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Jun 87 07:31:55 EDT
From: suneast!hinode!geoff@Sun.COM
Subject: SUN PC-NFS is not MS-NET
In Info-IBMPC Digest V6 #43 Jim Hudgens asks about running
PC networked applications under PC-NFS. I believe that
both the applications he mentions (Guru and Rbase) use
Netware or Netbios functions (depending on what's available)
to do locking, transaction atomicity, etc. PC-NFS does
not provide any such capability. As of version 2.0 (released
a few weeks ago) it DOES support DOS 3.1-style file sharing &
locking (we had to wait for the SunOS Lock Manager Service to be
released), which allows applications which use just these DOS 3.1
unctions to work very well over the net. (A good example is
Broderbunds's "ForComment".)
"You want a disclaimer form? Next window, please..."
Geoff Arnold, Sun Microsystems East Coast Division (home of PC-NFS)
UUCP: {ihnp4,decwrl,...}!sun!garnold ARPA: garnold@sun.com
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Jun 87 10:54:13 MDT
From: sandia!eeyore!marms@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Mike Arms)
Subject: Long files in Turbo Pascal
In the query "Filesize in TURBO PASCAL", you wrote:
[Get any of the source language uudecodes and change the appropriate variable
deceleration to 32 bit integer and recompile. I don't know if there is
source for Turbo Database Toolbox. -wab]
There is no 32-bit integer currently in Turbo Pascal (the language in
question). Is there any way to fix the Turbo Pascal source to UUDECODE
that will yield the correct filesize? Or does anyone have a package of
Turbo Pascal routines to allow or simulate 32-bit integers?
Mike Arms
uucp: ...{ucbvax | gatech}!unmvax!sandia!marms
------------------------------
Date: Fri 5 Jun 87 08:01:11-PDT
From: Bruce Buzbee <BUZ@KL.SRI.Com>
Subject: Long files in Turbo Pascal
All you need to do to access more than 32K records is to use the LongFileSize
and LongFilePosition functions, and the LongSeek procedure (from page 199
in the Turbo manual). These use and return REALS as parameters. I use
them quite a bit and haven't had any problem yet.
- Bruce
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Jun 87 17:57:07 PDT
From: greenfield#charles%e.mfenet@nmfecc.arpa
Subject: ECHO OFF patch for generic MS-DOS 3.20
I couldn't find these in any of the old digests. Here are
the ECHO OFF patches for generic MS-DOS 3.20. The first is
different from the IBM PC-DOS patch posted earlier; the
second is the same:
--------------------------------------------------
DEBUG COMMAND.COM
(turn off ECHO in all .BAT except AUTOEXEC)
-E 1ABC<cr>
xxxx:1ABC 01.00<cr>
(turn off ECHO in AUTOEXEC.BAT)
-E 115E<cr>
xxxx:115E 03.02<cr>
-W<cr>
-Q<cr>
--------------------------------------------------
I'm using these on my system, and they work just fine.
------------------------------
Date: 7 Jun 87 14:57 PST
From: PHMWJ%SLACVM.BITNET@wiscvm.wisc.edu
Subject: Breakthru-286 board and Lightning cache program
I would like to comment on the remarks by Bruce A. Cowan (vol. 6, issue
39) regarding the Breakthru-286 accelerator card for the PC and the
Lightning disk cache program (supplied as a package by PCSG in Dallas).
I have had these products for a while now, and have had somewhat
different experiences than those reported by Bruce. I have an early
model PC (64K mother board) with ROM upgrade, ST225 hard disk with a
combined hard/floppy disk controller, JRAM3 EMS memory card, and a
Video-7 EGA clone. When I first received my Breakthru board it declined
to run the POST -- DOA, send it back, wait for a new one. The second
board made it through the self test, but only was able to boot from the
hard disk about one time in five; usually I had a one floppy machine. It
also refused to talk to the JRAM card, even when it was able to boot OK;
I also had a 64K machine. I bought a 576K memory card to see if the
thing would talk to any memory, and it worked with that OK. I had a long
heart-to-heart with the folks at PCSG (I was able to talk to someone who
knew what was going on, which is a rare treat with a mail-order
operation), and they decided that 'the new revision will fix all that'.
Back in the box again. Sigh.
After waiting for a month or more, I called to check in the status of my
returned board. 'What returned board?' They never did find their
records, but eventually accepted that I had sent them my board after I
had UPS look up the delivery receipt. After all this, did the newly
revised board work? Yes, and I still use it. It still doesn't work
properly with the JRAM memory under 640K, although it's fine as EMS
memory, so I have the nuisance of having an extra card in my machine
(which is serious in a machine with only five slots). If I were
considering buying one, I would check very carefully on compatibility
with EMS memory -- at the very least, you may not be able to cache the
expansion memory (of course, you can't cache EMS memory), and you may
not get it to work at all.
Now that it all works, what can I say about how well it does? I agree
with the assessment that it is somewhere between a 6Mhz and 8Mhz AT at
processor-intensive tasks. I have found that the disk cache is quite
useful -- that is what most of my EMS memory is doing. Like any cache,
usefulness depends largely on size and the nature of what you're doing.
Having a disk cache is not useful unless it is large enough to contain
the file allocation table and directories with enough space left for
something else. With a half meg of cache memory, I found that I
usually got hit rates of a little less than half on reads. With one and
a half megs, I can usually get hit rates of almost 90% in a long session
at the computer. A cache is most useful if you do somewhat repetitive
things, like edit-compile-test-edit, or if you work with a program which
reads the same stuff in from disk often, like a DBMS or most word
processing programs.
Sorry for the long append, but I think there is some useful information
to be gleaned from this experience.
Pat McAllister PHMWJ@SLACVM.BITNET
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 7 Jun 87 13:15 IST
From: Itamar Even-Zohar <B10%TAUNIVM.BITNET@wiscvm.wisc.edu>
Subject: One-Armed Keyboard: Nota Bene
Doug Lind is looking for some software which allows "making <CTL>, <ALT>,
<SHFT> 'sticky'" (Info-IBMPC Digest 31 May 1987 /Vol. 6, Issue 40). Nota Bene,
allowing reassignment of its keyboards, makes the desired operation quickly,
easily and elegantly possible.
Moreover, since almost everything can be altered on Nota Bene keyboard(s) to
suit individual needs, many more changes can be introduced to help one armed
or otherwise handicapped users. Here is the explanation of this particular
operation in Nota Bene 2.0 manual (Section H2-4):
<< The shift-type keys can be changed so that, rather than having to hold down
<< the shift-type key while using a particular key, you just press the
<< shift-type key once and release it, then press the desired key.
(Here comes the explanation how to implement it.)
As I was trying to explain in my short description of Nota Bene (Info-IBMPC
Digest, 29 April 1987, Vol. 6: Issue 32), this is a unique software in allow-
ing individual modifications to suit very particular needs.
Itamar Even-Zohar
Porter Institute for Semiotics, Tel-Aviv University
(B10@Taunivm)
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 8 Jun 87 10:28 CDT
From: <CC_HARRI%SWTEXAS.BITNET@wiscvm.wisc.edu>
Subject: Backup Software
I have had very good luck with a software package call FASTBACK by
Fifth Generation. We can backup our XT in 6-8 minutes. This program is menu
driven and easy to use. Price was less than $100.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 09 Jun 87 08:11:17 GMT
From: K573605%CZHRZU1A.BITNET@wiscvm.wisc.edu
Subject: Disk Cataloguers
Hello out there
Probably an old question: What program can I use to keep track of
files in a growing lot of floppy disks? PD or shareware if
possible.
If I am the only one left over with this problem: sorry. Forget
what follows, but please tell me which volume / issue of
INFO-IBMPC I have to consult to find out what is already known.
By the way, is it possible to access a KWIC file for earlier
digests via BITNET/EARN?
[You have to dial it with a modem no mail access. -wab]
If the problem is still immediate, let me tell you which programs
I already have tried out and why I am not satisfied with them.
Disk File Manager (dfm.arc on PC-Blue Vol 241)
-----------------
A program with windows and menus and all the like. In one of
these windows I enter manually in the file name, the size and
date, a comment and a lot of other stuff. Then I can search for
files, print lists and all the like. But: isn't it my computer
that is supposed to read in all the information that is already
stored on disk? Next one, please.
PC-Disk Version 3.0D (pcdisk3d.com from PC-Blue Vol 142)
--------------------
Has never heard about subdirectories. The program lets me do a
DIR on the disk, but does not show the directories. I can CHDIR
to get access to the files in subdirs, but before starting the
program I have to write down a list of the directories on this
disk. So what? Next one, please.
DBS-KAT 1.3 (from PC-Blue Vol 197)
-----------
A solid program full of nice features. But it labels my disks
with 4 digit, consecutive numbers. Microsoft provided me with 11
characters to stick a (for me) meaningful name on disks. Why the
hell should I number the disks and keep them in a numbered order?
I don't like DBS-KAT. Next one, please.
(last minute update: DBS-KAT 2.0 from PC-Blue Vol 257. *My*
volume labels or still the programs volume labels?)
CatUtility (catutil.com from PD:<MSDOS.DISK-UTIL> from simtel20)
----------
This one comes quite close to what I dreamed. Subdirectories,
*my* vol labels, etc. But why does it insist on printing out
every directory on a new page? I can print only the directory
names to a file, but not the files contained in these
directories. I could not find a workaround and I am definitely
not a debug hacker. Sorry, next one please.
The program of my dreams
------------------------
You may consider me as a heretic, but: do you know Mac Disk
Cataloguer II from New Canaan Microcode? It does just what a disk
cataloguer is supposed to do. Feed it with tons of disks and it
spits out sorted list, labels, etc. Slight disadvantage of this
program: it runs on the wrong computer. So, next one please.
Now, would *you* please tell me if there are disk cataloguers
without any of the above drawbacks? I never saw an ad for a
commercial program of that kind, so could *you* tell me if there
is any? Or do I have to sit down and reinvent a wheel?
Any suggestion highly appreciated. Thanks in advance! ala
Andreas Lang, Kornfeldstr. 11, CH-5200 Windisch, Switzerland
userid: K573605 Bitnet/Earn-node: CZHRZU1A
(University of Zurich)
PS: What follows is a digitized alpenhorn sound sample
caught this morning on a Swiss alp.
Please use yodel.exe to decode. Have fun!
--- CUT HERE ---
5ex4329c5t082 2 p9891z79z74t3%07c6v (239087vc3 z496xdc hu 82hgfe
z53c95 zg u"3 vot 9z 9p9hcbn 87"47t 2 p9t9z pv99u4 j8 cuj trzkt
zduzf cvp8hnp98u hu3/gue 2Z$012U Z9Z2 p9 z92 392 8u 9z ougq8z
--- CUT HERE ---
------------------------------
Date: 9 Jun 1987 08:00-CDT
Subject: QUICKBASIC V3.0
From: SAC.HQSAC-ACMI@E.ISI.EDU
Just received the Version 3.0 update to QuickBasic. The
package consisted of four disks and a Version 3.0 Update
pamphlet. Two disks for the Microsoft Binary Format real
numbers (QB) and two for IEEE-format real numbers and math
coprocessors (QB87).
One of the reasons, a minor one, that I ordered the update
was because of the 8087 emulation. I was lead to believe
that I could compile programs and they would run using the
80-bit IEEE math support with or without an 8087/80287.
Well that is only partly true. You need the
math-co processor in order to compile your code. If you use
the BCOM library then you must include the EMULATOR.OBJ file
when linking to provide the emulation support. Thus once
compiled the program will run with or without an 8087/80287
but cannot be compiled without the math chip.
I cannot afford an 8087 at this time, and was hoping to at
least emulate the math chip with this update. Microsoft
advertises 8087 emulation but never says that the chip is
needed to provide the emulation. Does TURBO BASIC do the
same thing?
Marc Frederick
------------------------------
From: jchvr@ihlpg.ATT.COM (Hartong)
Subject: MSDOS LATTICE-C Source Version of Unix like TOUCH.C
Date: 4 Jun 87 11:43:04 GMT
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories - Naperville, Illinois
Please find below a MSDOs version of TOUCH for lattice-c
Please use or abuse at your own risk.
h.f. van Rietschote
mcvax!ihnp4!hvlpa!hvrietsc
[TOUCH.C has been added to the info-ibmpc lending library. Note that there
is also a TOUCH.ASM that does the same thing. -wab]
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 6 Jun 87 20:30:17 PST
From: dar%telesoft.UUCP@sdcsvax.ucsd.edu (David Reisner @favorite)
Subject: Unix Utilities for C Programmer
I'm a designer and systems programmer with a strong background in Unix
(among other things), little experience with the recent crop of PCs (e.g.
IBM-PC/XT/AT, Apple Macintosh, etc.), and I want to start using an AT in a
practical fashion as painlessly as possible. I anticipate using
Softsmarts Smalltalk (v2 image), TI's PC-Scheme, and C.
So far as I know, I'm looking for four things...
1) A few library routines for use with Microsoft C (5.0, probably). I'm
particularly interested in getting a list of the files in a directory
(perhaps specified with wildcards). I'd also like support, if any is
required, for displaying >25 (43?) lines of text on an EGA, for coloring
text and background regions, for cursor positioning ("GOTOXY"), and an
input routine with line editing. Public domain or for purchase. Source
strongly preferred but not required. Reliability very important.
2) A good, concise, clear reference on the PC/AT, EGA, and perhaps MS-DOS.
Things like what character codes the keyboard sends, the control codes
understood by console "virtual terminal", how to select text and
background colors for EGA, the info necessary to manipulate EGA thru BIOS
or directly from C, file and perhaps directory formats, etc. Is Armbrust
& Forgerson's "Programmer's Reference Manual for IBM Personal Computers"
such a book, and is it good?
3) A c-shell for MS-DOS. I'm particularly interested in the history and
substitution commands. It would be nice to be able to write simple shell
scripts. It would be great if look-alikes for some of the more commonly
used Unix utilities (grep, find(!!), etc.) came with the shell. (Somewhere
around here, I've got an ad for a Bourne-shell, but I haven't seen any for
a c-shell.)
4) A simple file backup program, hopefully with a Unix-ish style. (I'd
just as soon stay away from DTREE, etc.)
Also, is character I/O (e.g. to/from COM1) asynchronous, and is there an
easy way to find out if there are characters waiting to be read?
I would appreciate responses by mail, as my news access is inconsistent.
Thanks in advance for any information which you can provide.
-David
sdcsvax!telesoft!dar
telesoft!dar@sdcsvax.arpa
------------------------------
From: devon!paul@seismo.CSS.GOV (Paul Sutcliffe Jr.)
Subject: ISAM Libraries Utilities for C
Organization: Devon Computer Services, Allentown, PA
I am developing a series of programs in C under MS-DOS. The file
access parts would be much easier to handle if I had access to
something similar to the Un*x "dbm" library. I am aware of several
commercially available products that provide ISAM capabilities to the
C programmer. However, without having seen any of them in action,
it's hard to know which would be best suited to my needs.
I am including here a list of the features I am looking for in such a
package. I'd like to hear from anyone who makes, sells, or just uses
a package that meets (or is close to) my requirements. Comments, both
good and bad, are welcome:
Required features:
- For MS-C V4.0 or >, running under MS-DOS V2.0 or >
- Simultaneous access through multiple keys, (10 key minimum)
- Duplicate values possible within a given key of reference
("With duplicates" in the cobol terminology)
- Max key length of at least 50 chars. 255 would be better.
- Sequential access with starting key greater than or equal, next
and previous retrieve.
- Largest record at least 4K. 10 or 16K would be preferable.
- No royalty fee.
- Easy to use.
Highly desired features:
- Support for variable length records.
- Automatic space reclamation after delete
- Source available.
- Data Integrity on the order of "flat" MS-DOS files in both the
content and index components of the ISAM.
- Utilities to establish index or content damage "at a glance"
- Utilities to establish usage (for tuning, buffer allocation)
- (because of the possibility of Un*x/Xen*x applications, multi-user
multi-process record control--locking, etc.)
Please e-mail your response. If you would like to see a summary of
the responses, send e-mail.
Thanks to all in advance.
-paul
--
UUCP: paul@devon.UUCP -or-: ...{seismo,ihnp4,cbosgd}!bpa!vu-vlsi!devon!paul
"No problem is so big or so terrible that it can't be run away from."
-- Linus van Pelt
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 31 May 87 11:59:39 CET
From: Eberhard W. Lisse <LISSE%DACTH51.BITNET@wiscvm.wisc.edu>
Subject: Floating Point Routines in Assembler Sought
Hi,
a friend of mine is looking for the following:
Source of a BASIC-Interpreter with floating point arithmetics in 8088/Z80 or
80286 assembler
or
floating point arithmetic routines in same assembler languages to be
incorporated into a to be written BASIC interpreter.
Purpose:
He is working on his thesis in chemistry engineering which involves developing
a portable real time data acquisition system (hardware and software).
That system will run under a BASIC enabling the users to write the programs
for each run in a high level language.
We are also looking for ISAM routines either in source code or OBJ files to be
run on an IBM-PC/XT/AT, preferably public Domain.
I'd appreciate any pointers to where to get those files if they exist.
I have no ARPA access here in Germany. I can access the ARCHIVE-
REQUEST@SIMTEL20.ARPA by mail if they are already there. Otherwise one can
send the files as UUencoded mail to this account.
thanx in advance,
el
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 04 Jun 87 08:33:12 GMT
From: K573605%CZHRZU1A.BITNET@wiscvm.wisc.edu
Subject: Personal VM from VM Labs
Hello
Does anybody out in Netland have experiences with
"Personal VM" from VM Labs, Alexandria, VA 22307 ?
I saw a 1st ad in PC-Magazine, 6/8 (4/28/1987), p. 323.
It seems to be a VM/CMS-emulator (only software) under MS-DOS.
It claims to have interfaces to Mansfield's KEDIT and REXX.
How VM/CMS-like is this product? Implementation, documentation
quality? Any comments are welcome.
Thanks in advance & greetings from the Swiss mountains
Andreas Lang, Kornfeldstr. 11, CH-5200 Windisch, Switzerland
userid: K573605 Bitnet/Earn-node: CZHRZU1A (University of Zurich)
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 4 Jun 87 12:48:51 EDT
From: "James J. Pascale" (CCB-T) <pascale@ARDEC.ARPA>
Subject: Compatible BIOS's
To begin with I want to congratulate the moderator/s of this
digest on the fantastic job they have been doing. I'm going to miss
you, especially if no one takes over after July 1.
Evidently you have been doing too good of a job and answered the
question directly . I anxiously awaited the answer to the persons
query on the ins and outs of the different BIOS's being marketed with
the clones and saw none on the net. Would it be possible to send the
same info to me, if in fact it was answered. Any info on the topic
would greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance
Pascale@ardec.arpa
------------------------------
Date: 4 Jun 1987 11:05:08 PDT
Subject: Compatible BIOS's
From: Billy <BRACKENRIDGE@C.ISI.EDU>
To: "James J. Pascale" (CCB-T) <pascale@ARDEC.ARPA>
That one never got answered with an exhaustive survey. Wouldn't I
like to have the research staff to dig this one out.... Just keeping
track of the IBM Bioses is a nightmare!
Dick Gillmann distributes a program called BRAND with code he sells
out of his company Inner Loop Software. When a customer calls up with
a problem and Dick suspects a BIOS incompatibility he asks the
customer to run BRAND. This program searches the BIOS for dates and
copyright notices of both the BIOS and BASIC and prints the
information out on the screen.
He wrote this program after he got bit by a very strange bug. All of
his products (Boxes & Arrows, ScrollMate, VDTE, and DLX) write
directly to the PC screen. Don Estridge laid out strict rules for
doing this in the first of the PC Seminar proceedings with the
introduction of the PCjr. These were supposed to be the rules for PC
compatibility, but few companies have followed them.
Compaq violated the rules (Compaq lies to you when you ask BIOS what
kind of display is attached). The solution to this problem is to
search the BIOS for the string COPYRIGHT COMPAQ.
One day an irate customer complained that one of Dick's products
wouldn't run on his clone. After much investigation the string
COPYRIGHT COMPATIBLE was found in the BIOS. Dick's compare string
count was one byte short.
I guess the point of all this is that BIOS compatibility is a moving
target and a survey done today won't be valid tomorrow.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 4 Jun 87 09:54 CDT
From: "Think First, Program Later" <LANTZ%eg.ti.com@RELAY.CS.NET>
Subject: Turbo C and EGA
I have several program which do ega graphics through direct reference to
memory. My EGA card is a Paradise Autoswitch. My problem is that the
programs work fine when compiled under Microsoft C but all I get is a
blank screen when I use Turbo C. Has anyone else had this problem and,
if so, is there a work around?
THANKS
BERNIE LANTZ TI SPRING CREEK
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 4 Jun 87 16:47:08 CDT
From: Fred Washburn <WASHBURN@STL-HOST1.ARPA>
Subject: NCR PC8 vs ZENITH Z248
Within the next few months we will purchase several hundred PCs, our choices
are limited to the following two.
NCR PC8 with ZENITH Z248 with
- 8MHz 80286 CPU - 8MHz 80286 CPU
- 640 KB RAM - 1.1 MB RAM
- 8MHz 80287 Coprocessor - 8MHz 80287 Coprocessor
- 1.2 MB Floppy Disk - 360KB Floppy Disk
- 20 MB Hard Disk - 20 MB Hard Disk
- Enhanced Keyboard - 10 Function Keyboard
- EGA Graphics Board - EGA Graphics Board
- Color VDU (EGA) - Color VDU (EGA)
SOFTWARE SOFTWARE
- MS-DOS 3.2 - MS-DOS 3.2
- MS-Windows
Estimated usage is Multimate 65 %, Lotus or Enable 25 %, and dBase III 10 %.
Putting cost consideration aside I would appreciate any recommendations
or condemnations for these PCs.
Please reply to WASHBURN@STL-HOST1.ARPA.
Thanks in advance.
Fred Washburn
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 4 Jun 87 15:55:49 MST
From: "Kelvin Nilsen" <kelvin@arizona.edu>
Subject: Bulletin Board Software
Here at the University of Arizona, we are supporting a primitive
bulletin board system running on a Compaq computer for the distribution
of Icon support software. We want to upgrade our bulletin board to
provide capabilities similar to Unix mail and news, and downloading
via kermit, xmodem, and ymodem. Some features missing from full-fledged
Unix are the ability to restrict a user's access to no more than the
desired capabilities, and to allow user-ids to be created on demand
by new users as they log onto our system. We are expecting to pay
about $300 for good bulletin board software. Please send your
recommendations for software including phone numbers for existing systems
that we might be permitted to experiment with. I will summarize for this
digest if there is enough interest.
Thanks,
Kelvin Nilsen
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 4 Jun 87 10:28 EDT
From: Peter Heitman <HEITMAN%cs.umass.edu@RELAY.CS.NET>
Subject: TURBO-C: Brother, can you spare a Librarian?
I really like TURBO-C. It IS possible to have the screen in the
Integrated Development Environment contain only the editing windows.
A 'hot key' switches between having two windows - the edit window and
the message window and having just the edit window. The surprises have
been many - mostly good ones. The library is very complete, the
documentation is well done, the integrated environment is actually useful
for larger projects, etc. The bad surprises have been few. Tabs are hard
coded to 8 spaces ( meaning I will need to reformat 100+ source files
that assume that tabs are 4 spaces ). The inline assembler is not usable
unless you have masm - which costs more than TURBO-C. (However, most of the
reasons I have used inline assembler are not necessary with TURBO-C. The
8088 registers are directly accessible from C, and it is possible to enable,
disable and invoke interrupts inline from C). The only real show-stopper
for me is that there is no librarian included with TURBO-C. Does anyone
know of a public-domain, shareware or cheap librarian for Microsoft-
compatible object modules? I am really going to need one and I
don't want to buy a Microsoft language product just for the librarian.
If no one knows of an available replacement, does anyone know what the
.LIB files look like? Maybe I'll write my own...
Peter "I just love getting new toys" Heitman
heitman@umass-cs.csnet
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 5 Jun 87 14:07:19 EDT
From: Dan Hayes <dhayes@cc3.bbn.com>
Subject: Hercules card in a TANDY 1000
I understand the problems with running a Hercules mono graphics card in a PC
with a CGA card at the same time. Although I am trying to set up a front
panel switch to disable one card or the other on my PC clone, for the moment
the best solution is still to remove the card I'm not using when there are
compatibility problems.
However my brother has a TANDY 1000 and he would like to use a
Hercules compatible card (since the full length Hercules card won't
fit in his case) and his CGA adapter is part of the mother board
making it impossible to remove. Has any one had experience with these
cards in a TANDY 1000 and is there a way to disable the CGA functions
on the main board.
I am not familiar with the EGA cards but do they have the same type
of problems running in the same machine as a CGA card that a Hercules
card has.
Dan dhayes@cc3.bbn.com
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 7 Jun 87 11:08:46 edt
From: Mayank Choudhary <micky@ohio-state.ARPA>
Subject: Expansion Boards
Hi!
I have an XT-compatible with 640K on the motherboard, 135 watt supply,
and 3 expansion slots available. I am thinking of adding a 286
processor and a 20M hard disk.
I have not had much experience with mail order companies, good or bad,
due to the fact, that i have not ordered for anything more than $75.
I would be grateful for any help in selecting a mail order company,
and suggestions regarding the merits/demerits of various processor
boards and hard cards/hard disks available in the market.
I have not seen any installations of a hard card. Do they work right,
what with heat dissipation and motion of the disk.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Micky
micky@ohio-state.ARPA
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End of Info-IBMPC Digest
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