15 December 1986 Z-NEWS 607 Of Significance. December 1986 is Operating System theme issue of Dr. Dobb's Journal. Morris Simon (Tuscaloosa, AL) writes extensive piece covering ins- and-outs of Z-System in OS theme issue--don't miss it! And shipping date for Borland's Z80 Turbo Modula-2, the language implementation with two-way compiler/editor, stays on schedule (Z-News 604). Order now for early delivery...help us by spreading the word. We goofed in Z-News 605-1. Telephone numbers for Spite Software catalog are 800/237-9111 and 503/245-8102. Sorry 'bout that! Spite's address is correct. In case you missed previous announcement, bootable Z-System disks for Kaypro machines running Advent TurboROM is shipping. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Source code to CRUNCH and UNCR is released by compression expert Steven Greenberg, 201/670-8724. And both are ZCPR3 utilities now, recognizing DU form and installed using Z3INS. Programs, along with support documentation, are found in CRUNCH23.LBR file on Z-Nodes and on upcoming Software Update Service diskette #8. (Let us get to work and put UNCR code into LLF, LGET, NULU, VTYPE, and VFILER.) Soon, source for TYPELZ is to be released by Steven. From Our Mail Box. "... Is it normal for VFILER and MENU to clear the screen before putting up the 'Strike Any Key' message, after running an OS command," asks Jim Huddleston, Quito, Ecuador, South America. MENU, VMENU, and recent versions of VFILER, v4.1 or pre-release v4.2, have the "!" script option that forces the SAK prompt after a command line finishes. See example menu lines on SUS diskettes (MNU, VMN, and CMD scripts) or see Z-News 504, 505-2, and 606-2, and Z-User's Corner below. Example "Z" script command for MENU or VMENU looks like this: z!"$d$u:Command>" or z!"$d$u:$c>" goes to SAK prompt when your command is complete. If "!" is not there, it would not. Latter z- command sample line produces command-line prompt like conventional one seen at ZCPR3 level, outside of shell. As a convention, we always leave a space between the command-invoking character and the first character of the user- defined macro command line, unless "!" is needed. Then it occupies the space. Command line z "$d$u:>" would return to menu screen after command is run (no "!" after command letter), such action not universally desired, depending on command executed. z"$d$u:>" produces same result. VFILER, except v4.0, has built-in Z command that returns to SAK prompt at command completion. (By the way, Jim sent us a color slide showing view from his home's front porch. Wow! As spectacular as anything we have seen in the High Sierras. He also invited us to "drop by anytime." Thanks, Jim, as soon as we get a day off.) We are asked about C compiler, database and spreadsheet programs mentioned in Z-506...yes, they run on SB180 and other HD64180 machines. Shipment dates, we do not know. Terry Hazen, Los Gatos, CA, writes and asks, among other things, "How do ZGREP and FIND54 compare when searching something too large to fit entirely into memory?" Our testing reported in Z-News 604-2 of 376k-bytes of 18 files included some big and some little ones. A clean single-file search of 77k by 2114 lines took ZGREP 11.39 seconds. FIND54 took 18.70. ZGREP told which line number 22-character string was on, FIND54 did not. Tests were on our 4 mHz Z80 Ampro Seagate 225N SCSI 65-ms hard disk machine. ZGREP's pattern recognition is extensive, great for upper and lower case strings and program label searches, is so good we think it an index generator and free-form database manager. (Has many features we have not discussed or even alluded to, all useful and each a pleasant surprise.) It is fast enough that programs such as FYI 3000 Plus and SuperFile seem unnecessary, at least to us. We understand that Free Filer, from Central Computer Products, Fillmore, CA, takes 25 seconds to get through a 55k file. (ZGREP takes 17.82 seconds from our Ampro 96tpi floppy drive for above 77k test file, 12.7 if for 55k.) We own SuperFile but feel we do not need it for the things we do. Prices for these programs are relative high. FYI 3000 Plus is $395 retail, $299 mail order discount; SuperFile, $195 and $145. Free Filer v4 and v5 are $49 and $79 mail order. We face it--ZGREP (aka JetFind) is a...a winner! "I would like to comment on the Z-News," writes Samuel Cameron, Harrisburg, PA. "When I first started to read it, my knowledge of CP/M was very sketchy and most of your comments were of little interest to me. As my familiarity with the SB180 increased, I find that I go back through the old issues and re-read much of what had been skimmed over before, now with re- newed interest." Learning is that way, Samuel--we go from plateau to plateau. Advice is to read fully and carefully even if all is not clear. Meaning comes as you learn sufficiently to better, more fully understand. Process of learning is called "natural back-and-fill" in Z-News 302-3. Language Benchmarks. We use Sieve of Eratosthenes, benchmark made popular by BYTE, to compare language speed at determining prime numbers. A prime number is defined as a number having two and only two distinct, whole-number divisors. Thus numbers that only are divisible by one and by themselves are prime. First prime is 2 with those following being odd numbers, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29 ... 73 ... 1679, etc. See BYTE, January 1983 issue, if interested in more details. All languages tested are compilers, except where otherwise indicated. Look at Borland's Z80 Turbo Modula-2! Computer Language Runtime, seconds 1. Micromint SB180FX ZAS, assembler 4 6.144 mHz HD64180 Borland Z80 Turbo Modula-2 6 Borland Z80 Turbo Pascal 13 Microsoft MBasic, interpreter 1008 2. Ampro Bookshelf ZAS, assembler 7 4 mHz Z80 Borland Z80 Turbo Modula-2 10 Microsoft FORTRAN 17 Microsoft BASCOM 18 Software Toolworks C/80 25 Aztec C II 33 BD Systems BDS-C 40 Microsoft MBasic, interpreter 1490 3. IBM PC/XT Borland Turbo Pascal 13 4.77 mHz 8088 Logitech Modula2/86 18 Modula Corp. PC Modula-2 23 PCollier Systems Modula-2PC 35 Microsoft GW BASIC, interpreter 1950 4. Digital Equipment Telesoft Ada under VMS/ROS 6 VAX-11/780 If you wish to determine how fast your Z80 or HD64180 computer runs assembly language version of prime number sieve benchmark, measure time to execute file SIEVEZ80.COM found on SUS #5. It's ready to run. sievez80 does it. Z-Node Activity. We are continually amazed by huge amount of Z-Node activity. Great! We like to be amazed. Let's hope activity increases. One bit started with GETVAR and RESOLVE, created by Dreas Nielsen (Z-News 507-3); followed by GH, Get Help, alias from EI; then came GLF, Get Library Files, also from EI; and now, Rick Charnes, San Francisco, CA, expands his original TLF, Type Library Files, into TLIB, an alias coming from toil (thought, action--work), an alias of unusual quality. TLIB displays files in a library and permits you to type-out to your terminal members, squeezed, crunched, or clear text. Uses recursive, nested aliases, three of 'um (created with necessary VALIAS, alias editor produced by Jay Sage, Z-Node #3 Sysop, 617/965-7259), to get job done. Rick appreciates value of tool concept. Find his latest handy work in TLIB.LBR file on Z-Nodes everywhere, and on yet-to-be-released SUS #8 diskette. Z-Node #15 Sysop, Richard Jacobson, 312/664-1730, documents LGET bug-fix made by Bruce Morgen, Director of NAOG/ZSIG. Fix corrects random crash problem that has occurred with library file extraction. (For you hackers: in LGET.COM change byte at location 06F8h to value 07h, from 0Ch. Do: save 0fh lget.com after leaving patcher or debugger. That fixes problem. Coincidentally, but not surprisingly, LLF needs similar fix. Patch location 069Dh to 07h, from 0Ch. Then: save 12h llf.com.) Z-User's Corner. A book could be written to describe each macro command line in below VFILER CMD sample script. Instead, we suggest you study descriptions in previous issues of Z-News and applicable sections of ZCPR3: The Manual and Z-System User's Guide. But first, a few conventions explained and tips passed along. General Purpose CMD File - Sample %d%u:;BASE:nw %f * 1 %d%u:;BASE:nw %f;ROOT:if %f=z.?0?;ROOT:ac BACKUP:=%f /a;fi a%u:;era %u:errwords.txt;spell %d:%f $slic;review;if ex %u:errwords.txt; << markfix %d:%f $m#;%d:;nw %f;else;%d:;fi * 2 %d%u:;era vspell.mis;vs %f;if ex vspell.mis; << era vspell.mis;era BASE:vspell.bak;BASE:nw %f;fi 3 a%u:;cleanup %d:%f $m#;%d:;BASE:nw %f 4 a%u:;phrase %d:%f passive.txt;%d:;BASE:nw %f 5 ROOT:ldr LETTERS:sys-3.ndr;LETTERS:;ROOT:fmgr *.* default.vmn 6 protect %$ "Protect Attribute (r=r/o,a=archive,s=sys,1..8): " 7 MAIL:;ROOT:setfile 1 t3.mnu;ROOT:menu t3.mnu 8 DIMS:;BASE:mb dims;%d%u: 9 if ex %d%u:%n.lbr;%d%u:;ROOT:lbr %n;%h:;else; << ROOT:sak /p2 library file cannot be found;fi 9 if ex %d%u:%n.lbr;%d%u:;BASE:nulu -o %n -f;%h:;else; << ROOT:sak /p2 library file cannot be found;fi * 0 echo are you sure (y/n)? ;if in;%d%u:;BASE:lzed %$;fi a ROOT:alias %d%u:%n c!ROOT:crc %$ d ROOT:cat "File Search Mask (or for menu): " f %d%u:;ROOT:lx wordfreq %f;sak strike any key;ROOT:vtype %n.frq;era %n.frq g!a%u:;find "Enter word search string: ";%h: h HELP:;ROOT:dir14 *.h?p h;ROOT:quiet s; << getvar ghelp enter file by name - ;ROOT:resolve hlp %%ghelp;ROOT:quiet r;%h: l!if %t=lbr;%d%u:;ROOT:llf %n;%h:;else;echo --> file not library <-- ;fi n %d%u:;ROOT:nulu -o %f -f;%h: p poke fe37 "Printer Column Width, in Hex (50h=80, 64h=100)? "; << ROOT:print %f "Options (=default, e=exact): ";poke fe37 50 !%d%u:;if xn crunch;crunch %f;else;echo;if xn squeeze;sq %f;fi;fi;%h: * s!%d%u:;echo y=squeeze or n=crunch file (y/n)? ;if in;sq %f;else;crunch %f; << fi;%h: u!%d%u:;if %t=?q?;uf %f;else;if %t=?z?;uncr %f;else; << echo not compressed file ;fi;fi;%h: v ROOT:;vtype %$ w!%d%u:;ROOT:lx wc %f;%h: x!%d%u:;%n;%h: z!%d%u:;%n "Command Tail: ";%h: # >>> VFILER GENERAL PURPOSE MENU <<< =========================================================================== 1 - Edit/Print Pointer File (Newword) Alias (BALIAS) - A 2 - Spelling Check and Correction (VSPELL) CRC of File (CRC) - C 3 - Punctuation and Grammar Check (CLEANUP) List LBR Files (LLF) - L 4 - Style Check (PHRASE) Enter Library File (NULU) - N 5 - Go to Writer's Workbench (VMENU) Print Pointer File (PRINT) - P 6 - Protect Pointer File (PROTECT) Compress File (SQ/CRUNCH) - S 7 - Telecommunicate (TERM3/MENU) Uncompress File (USQ/UNCR) - U 8 - Database Management System (MB/DIMS) View File (VTYPE) - V 9 - Enter Pointed-to Library (NULU) Execute COM Pointer File - X 0 - Edit Pointer File (LZED) Run File with Tail - Z =========================================================================== Word Handling Commands: Frequency of Words (WORDFREQ) - F Get Word Spelling (FIND) - G Words in File (WC) - W ====================== The CMD "menu" is obtained from the "Files" and "Help" side of VFILER by entering # character, "shifted-3". Don't forget, you can have a different CMD for each directory; but with so many commands possible from one menu, we presently use only three. One for general purposes, and one for high-level and another for assembly language programming. VFILER searches along path to find a CMD. Search starts with current directory. Command path a0 a15 sets path search as directory A0: followed by A15:. Searching first current or default then along path is built-in, intrinsic ZCPR3 feature. We use first script line as title of CMD file. A space, i.e., a blank, in column 1 starting a line is not acted upon by script processor, is trigger for a comment line. We usually leave test or alternate lines in script and simply remove leading command character. These are lines above with "*" at their right sides. At anytime, re-activating use of a "commented-out" line is a matter of restoring the command character. Make sure character is not used elsewhere in script. If it is, processor expands the one that is first in the text. Notice two "9" commands above--only the first is processed. The second is treated as a comment line. Also, notice either ' or " is used to surround prompt text. All these doings, part of a perpetual interactive development process, to make scripts more appropriate, useful. Remember, any alias can be converted easily to a CMD macro command line. Or you can use alias as alias in CMD script. For example, above "f" command was converted from WF, Word Frequency alias, of Z-News 506-4. Line could be shortened to f ROOT:wf. Such would be a little slower executing, but still fast enough for this particular task. "d" command directly uses CAT alias of Z-News 505-3. Again, notice "h" command used to get online help (HLP) modules. Command is not shown on CMD menu display. All files are in A0:BASE, A6:PRIVATE, and A15:ROOT directories. A6: is declared "public" by STARTUP alias. To-be-worked-on file, %f, %n, and %t, the one pointed to by VFILER arrow, of course, is in current (default, logged into) directory. If a command file (COM) has a directory declared ahead of it, that file cannot be placed in COMMAND.LBR, library file that ZCPR3 defaults to searching when file is not found along path. LX may have directory in front of it to speed running a COM file known to be in COMMAND.LBR. Notice "f" and "w" command lines. WORDFREQ and WC are in COMMAND.LBR. Z-News 606-2 has details of "s" and "u" command lines, with possible variations. Change of pace. The more we see icons used (Z-News 106-3), the more we feel command phrases are generally better. Short one-, two-, and three-word phrases usually have more meaning and are quicker to learn. Consistency of command letters and phrases are of vital importance, reduces user anxiousness, encourages an efficient user interface. We use WordStar/Newword convention as our starting point and have tried to maintain a heavy thread of consistency throughout, e.g., uniform syntax, built-in and online help availability. We are conscious of the long-term well-being of our users. We place you first in the long run, but not necessarily in the short. Let us know what you think. "Z-System will evolve with you. Unix is the only other operating system which might approach this degree of flexibility, but it's much too bulky to take advantage of Z80 elegance and efficiency." Morris Simon, in TCJ Z-Notes, Issue 25, pages 10-13. An apropos extension. We noticed an ad, "Most DOS shells are designed for idiots," in a PC magazine. (Yes, that is wording used in ad.) Well, it went on to tell what newly designed shell could do, and uses 96k-bytes of memory doing it. From shell, files can be found, text strings found, command aliasing, browse and copy files permitted...nothing that cannot be done from within MENU, VMENU, or VFILER in less than 16k-bytes. And it is hoped few think (intellectual) or feel (emotional) Z-System shells are designed for idiots. Combined with tools AC, PATH, PWD, MKDIR, HSH, VCED, BALIAS, TALIAS, VALIAS, VERROR, GETVAR, RESOLVE, VTYPE, XDIR, QUIET, WHEEL, plus dozens more, we have power DOS users never know. We have an operating system! In Other Words. Seagate (Alan Shugart's company in Scotts Valley, CA) comes out with more fast SCSI full- and half-height 5-1/4 inch hard drives...40 to 160 megabytes formatted, with average seek times as fast as 17 milliseconds! Of course, Seagate has lots of competition from Quantum and from LaPine's 3- 1/2 inchers, both companies located in Milpitas, CA. "Ain't free-enterprise capitalism grand!" Our Z80 Ampro and HD64180 SB180 and DT42 microcomputers have lots of hardware growth paths to more storage. Joining Eastman Kodak, Konica Technology Inc. announces KT-510, a 10- megabyte removable media floppy drive. (Drive is priced at less than $400 in OEM quantities.) Surely, new generation packaged computers will include one such, or similar, unit for data storage backup. Tape is just too slow for big RAM and hard disk systems. Wyse Technology (San Jose, CA) lowers price of Model WY-60 ASCII/ANSI terminal to $599 from $699. Additionally, Wyse products are now sold by Sears Business Systems Centers. Model 60 is going to be our next terminal. SB180/SB180FX owners may want to read Ken Turner's real time clock piece starting on page 7 of Issue 26 of TCJ. It is about using HD64180 built-in reload timers, in BASIC and Assembler. By the way, Art Carlson, editor of The Compuer Journal, 190 Sullivan Crossroad, Columbia Falls, MT 59912, 406/257-9119, is first, to our knowledge, to use acronym DTP for desk top publishing. DTP, yes; it must be getting mature if it has an acronym of its own. And now, speaking of DTP... We look for a "document processor" that does more than a typical word- processor; one that permits easy creation of text, and allows control of graphics; one that permits better use of modern laser printers. Imagen Corp.'s Document Description Language (DDL) used by Hewlett-Packard, Xerox, and Cordata (erstwhile Corona), and soon to be supported by Compugraphic Corp. and Linotype Co.; PostScript from Adobe Systems used by Aldus and presently supported by Linotype and Xerox; and Xerox's own Interpress language signal one thing. Though DDL is probably best, there is no standard in bit-mapped languages for controlling high-resolution printers, 300 to 480 dots/inch (dpi), and photo typesetters, 1200 to 2500 dpi. Notwithstanding, we know of no better platform to write a document processor for than Micromint's SB180FX and GT180 graphics coprocessor, described in Steve Ciarcia's Circuit Cellar column, Nov/Dec '86 and Jan '87 BYTE. Combination has resolution exceeding IBM color EGA and Apple IIgs standards and monochrone Macintosh. Maybe MicroPro will do it in their new Newword, or will it be WordStar v4.0?. Let us see if we can help MicroPro with such a decision. At least give us proportional character spacing right-margin justification. Leon Williams, 415/499-1200, 33 San Pablo Avenue, San Rafael, CA 94903--he is the man. =================================================================== Of Angels and Eagles. You likely realize, if having read more than a few issues of Z-News, Echelon is a company "of other cloth." We speak of "deep living." We speak of WONDER! Consciousness-rising is at center of what we do: results whose products are understanding, learning! "Shallow" is at one end of human living spectrum; deep, the other. Thinking, deep thinking followed by action--more of these things are desperately needed, if quality of our culture is to improve. But only conscious thought brings more of this deeper, less shallow living. Unconscious, subconscious, instinctive thought keeps us where we are, protects the past, permits only surface change. Conscious, superconscious, intuitive thought opens door to new knowledge, new understanding, new action to deep living--progression or tread-mill? Both subjective, but which one is up to you. Facts obscure truth. Certain types of fiction, thoses with lilt, bring it out and get at significance. We feel facts all too often get in the way of understanding. What do you think? Resonate and link ideas with people--this, we do with varying degrees of success. But, no matter how hard we try to be constructive, some percentage of the community takes offense. Why? We strike a painful chord, perhaps. That's not what we aim for. We attempt to provoke without malice! Think, why is it you do not like what we say? Is the truth sweet to the taste but sour to the stomach? What (is it that) makes for uneasiness? To some people, going abroad, to Europe, to the Orient, signifies exciting adventures, glimpses of unknown places or returns to memorable locales enjoyed on previous trips. Foreign travel holds promise of new opportunities, new experiences, and new acquaintances. But think, what greater adventures you face as you learn things new, really new. (And all in your "backyard," this El Dorado.) You are never the same again, you change permanently from what you were. See you down the lines... Echelon, Inc. 885 North San Antonio Road Los Altos, CA 94022 USA Telephone: 415/948-3820 Telex: 4931646 Z-Node Central (RAS): 415/489-9005 Trademarks: Little Board, Bookshelf, Ampro Computers; SB180, SB180FX, GT180, Micromint; PRO-180, Magnum Digital; ON!, Oneac; DT42, The SemiDisk, Deep Thought 42, SemiDisk Systems; TR-XL180, M.A.N. Systems; VAX, Digital Equipment; HD63484/64180, Hitachi; Z-System, ZCPR3, ZRDOS, Z-Tools, Zas, Zlink, Z-Msg, Term3, Quick-Task, FINDS, PPAL, Lasting-Value Software, Echelon; CP/M, Digital Research; Unix, AT&T Bell Laboratories; TurboROM, Advent; Graphix Toolbox, Turbo Pascal, Turbo Modula-2, Borland International; Ada, AJPO-DOD United States Government; WordStar, Newword, MicroPro International. * * Z--the high flyer! * * Z-News 607 is Copyright MCMLXXXVI Echelon, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Permission to reprint, wholly or partially, automatically granted if source credit is given to Echelon.