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        |                               |
        |          PIECES OF 8          |
        |          -----------          |
        |     The Newsletter of the     |
        | Connecticut CP/M Users' Group |
        |            --<8>--            |
        |      "SMALLER IS BETTER!"     |
        |                               |
        +-------------------------------+
                  Novembe 1988

     N-CO    Th Journe I Jus Beginning
                     Par One

          Copyrigh 198 b Ric Swenton
                 10 Melind Lane
             Bristol C  0601-7176

I yo ar no currentl usin N-COM yo shoul 
orde i no becaus yo nee it  Yo ma no b 
awar o i bu yo can' liv withou it   
suppos  shoul say i yo don' us it yo 
don' kno ho t live!

Yo nee N-CO becaus yo nee -Syste an 
unti now th onl wa fo mos peopl t ge -
Syste involve  tediou an frightenin 
installatio ordeal  No wit N-COM -Syste 
onl take minute t creat o virtuall an Z8 
syste whic ca ru CP/ 2.2   simila syste 
calle Z3PLU i availabl fo system whic ru 
CP/M (CP/ 3.0).

                    Th Basics

Jus t whe you appetit s yo wil continu 
reading  wil ver briefl lis som o th 
feature availabl unde -Syste whe yo 
purchas N-COM.

Multipl Commands ar allowe o  singl comman 
line  Fo example yo coul type   DI A:;DI 
B:;DI C   whic woul displa th directorie o 
drive A B an C:   Th command ar separate 
b semicolons.

Name Directories ar use t assig  meaningfu 
nam t  drive/use area  Fo example suppos 
yo hav BASI file i driv A use  an yo 
hav TEX file i driv B use 4  Whe yo ar 
i you BASI area th -Syste comman promp 
wil loo lik this  A2:BASIC> an whe yo ar 
i you tex area th -Syste comman promp 
wil loo lik this  B4:TEXT>   Th ol comman prompt unde CP/ woul hav bee jus A an B 
respectively  Yo ca chang bac an fort 
betwee thos area eithe b typin "A2: o 
"B4: a wel a typin "BASIC: o "TEXT:".

Residen Commands ar availabl t b instantl 
calle fro memory  Typica command ar DIR 
REN ERA TYPE LIST ECHO NOTE PEEK POKE 
COPY PROT PORT  Ther ar man differen 
Residen Comman module whic ca includ 
specialt command suc a thos use i  memor 
residen debugge simila t DDT.

Flo Control command ar availabl t hav th 
syste d thing differentl dependin o certai 
conditions  Th basi I  ELS  F (endif ca 
b use t tes fo suc thing a th existenc 
o  certai fil (I EXIST) t se i a erro 
occurre durin  certai progra (I ERROR) t 
as th use fo  ye o n inpu (I INPUT an 
man mor suc a testin tw fil name t se i 
the ar th sam name.

Searc Path i use t tel th syste wha drive 
t searc fo requeste files  Yo ca plac you 
file anywher o an driv an the ca b foun 
automaticall i tha drive/use are i i th 
path  Fo example suppos yo hav  searc pat 
define a A A1 $ $$  (Th '$ symbo i use 
a  wil card  $ mean "Th curren disk use 
0"  $ mean "Th curren disk curren user".  
Let' preten tha w ar i ou tex are 
B4:TEXT an w typ  command suc a NSWEEP  
Base o ou pat definition -Syste wil searc 
fo NSWEEP.CO i thi order:

(Her i ou pat definitio  A A1 $ $$)

 Firs o - A0
 Secon o - A15
 Thir o - B    ($ mean curren drive 
                         use 0)
 Fourt o - B    ($ mean curren drive 
                         curren user)

I NSWEEP.CO existe i an o thes fou areas 
-Syste wil hav foun i an execute it.

Extende Comman Processing i th nex step  
Suppos tha NSWEEP.CO coul no b foun alon 
tha path  Yo coul se-u th syste t g 
furthe b tryin t fin NSWEE somewher else  
Yo coul hav place i i  librar o othe 
comman files   librar i  singl dis fil 
whic actuall contain man othe separat file within  I i sor o " fil o files"   
librar i use t hol o cluste relate file 
int on mai fil fo convenienc an storag 
efficiency  I NSWEE wa no foun alon th 
path yo coul hav specifie goin onwar an 
hav -Syste loo fo i i  fil calle 
COMMAND.LBR  O m system  hav place al th 
ol standb utilitie insid COMMAND.LBR   hav 
infrequen nee o file lik PIP STAT DD an 
man other bu  prefe t hav the availabl 
o-line  S  cluste al thes file int 
COMMAND.LBR  COMMAND.LB take onl on director 
entr an doe no clutte m DI displa wit th 
name o al thos ol utilities  Th importan 
thin i that throug Extende Comman 
Processing the al appea t b available.

Aliases  Let' g o no an assum tha 
NSWEEP.CO wa als no foun withi COMMAND.LBR  
There' more i get eve better   no hav 
se-u m syste t chec t se i a alia 
calle NSWEE i define i th ALIAS.CM file  
ALIAS.CM i  plai tex fil whic contain 
definition o aliases  Fo example th 
followin alia coul b define i tha file:

         GAME=PLAY=FU mbasi starwar.bas

Wha thi alia mean i tha yo coul typ 
"GAME o "PLAY o "FUN an th syste wil 
issu th comman "MBASI STARWAR.BAS fo yo 
automatically 

A  matte o routine  utilit i availabl t 
creat ordinar aliase i th for o CO files  
Usin th game exampl above a alia calle 
GAMES.CO coul hav bee created  Whe yo typ 
"GAMES" th alia woul caus th comman "MBASI 
STARWAR.BAS t b executed  I som ways thi 
i simila i operatio t  SUBMI job  Th mai 
differenc i tha th alia i  stan-alon CO 
fil an require n additiona support  Yo ar 
als require t limi th numbe o character i 
th alia comman lin t th maximu ZCPR 
comman lin buffe siz (generall 20 
characters).

Erro Handling.   Finally let' suppos tha 
NSWEE wa no define i th ALIAS.CM file  A 
fa a -Syste i concerned i ha exhauste al 
it resource lookin fo it  I no invoke th 
Erro Handler i on wa loaded  Th Erro 
Handle coul b somethin simple lik on whic 
woul simpl sa t yo "You requeste command 
NSWEEP coul no b found.  Or mor likely i wil invok  comman lin edito whic wil 
displa you origina comman an allo yo t 
edi i an resubmi i fo processin al ove 
again  Remembe tha you comman di no hav t 
b jus NSWEEP  I coul hav bee  ver lon 
multipl comman lin i whic NSWEE wa jus  
smal part  Th entir balanc o th unprocesse 
comman lin wil b offere bac t yo fo 
editing  Thi i grea fo slopp typist lik 
me.

Shells   shel i  specia progra which whe 
invoked wil instal itsel a  "fron-end t 
proces use commands  On suc shel i VMENU  
ful-scree men processor  Th use wil progra 
 men s tha th syste ca b operate b a 
inexperience use b typin onl singl lette o 
numbe men commands  Eac tim  men selectio 
functio i completed th syste return t 
VMENU rathe tha t th comman prompt   Shel 
alway r-invoke itsel afte i cause somethin 
t happen   use ma o ma no b allowe t 
exi  shell dependin o ho th men o Shel 
wa programmed.

Anothe -Syste Shel i EASE a Erro handle 
An Shel Editor  Whe th Shel portio o EAS 
i running yo hav th abilit t edi you 
comman lin i almos an desirabl manner suc 
a deletin o insertin letter o commands  Yo 
ca als scrol bac an fort betwee previousl 
issue comman lines havin th abilit t recal 
th las 5 command yo typed eve th one yo 
type day ago!

Publi Areas  ZRDO allow yo t defin  
drive/use are t b Public  Thi mean tha al 
file i tha are ar availabl fro withi al 
othe use areas  Program lik Wordsta an 
dBAS-I ca no b ru fro  use are differen 
tha th use are i whic Wordsta o dBAS-I 
ar i an the wil stil b abl t fin thei 
overla file i tha are wa declare Public.

Dis Swapping  ZRDO wil no giv yo a erro 
i yo forge t pres contro- befor yo swa  
disk  Unde CP/M w al remembe thos blaste 
BDO Er o B messages!

Use Communit Support  -Syste i heavil 
supporte b th use community  Ther ar 
literall hundred o program availabl fro th 
use communit (includin sourc code)  Man o 
th prominen one ar include wit th purchas 
o N-COM  N othe operatin syste ha enjoye suc  proliferatio o use supporte hig 
qualit software.

Goo Neighbo Helpers  Thi i  publishe lis 
o voluntee -Syste experts  I contain th 
names addresses telephon number an type o 
computer th volunteer specializ in  Fro 
acros th US an severa othe countries th 
Goo Neighbo Helper ar  valuabl resourc fo 
bot th novic an expert.

-Nodes  Ther als exist  publishe lis o 
remot acces compute system supportin -
System  Thes dia-u system (Bulleti Boar 
Systems ca provid operationa guidanc an 
technica suppor throug thei messag syste a 
wel a provid th lates updat t  -Syste 
fil o utility  Th servic i generall fre 
fo th cos o th phon call  Som -Node als 
offe commercia softwar fo sal (suc a N-CO 
an othe products).

Suppor an Questions  Yo ca contac m vi Th 
Compute Clu PBB syste i Farmington CT  
(203 67-875  2 hr 300/1200/240 bps.

              Nex month par two.
                      -
Ric Swento i  note CP/ guru autho an 
SysOp Hi view d no necessaril reflec thos 
o CCP/M I yo disagre wit hi w woul lik 
t disclai an knowledg o ho hi writing 
appeare i thi publication I yo agre wit 
him w woul lik t tak ful credi fo 
unleashin hi brillianc upo  need world.

                     -<8-

[Editor' note: Th followin wa downloade fro 
th TC BB (phon # -20-67-8752.)

          ! TELEPHON COMPAN ALER !!

Th enclose informatio shoul b o concer t 
EVERYON wh ha eve calle int a RBB an 
especiall t sysop an other wh hav operate 
RBBS/RCP systems  I short Southwester Bel 
Telephon i no chargin busines phon rate fo 
line supplie t thos wh us an operat AL 
remot systems EVE THOUG THES SYSTEM AR 
TOTALL NO-PROFI AN OPERATE A  COMMUNIT 
SERVIC o a  hobbyis endeavor.

Th ke issu behin thi mov is  believe  
dee seate suspicio o th par o th mor conservativ element i governmen an busines 
towar  popula acces t contemporar 
technologies especiall thos whic provid o 
facilitat unregulate communication services  
I i worth o not tha man Easter Bloc 
countrie restric o prohibi th ownershi o 
typewriters mimeograp machines duplicator an 
th like no t mentio computer an RBBS's 
whic woul b unthinkable  

I i fac o America lif tha economic 
function her i muc th sam fashio a polic 
an governmen powe functio i wha w recogniz 
a totalitaria states  S Bell b chargin th 
muc highe busines rate t anyon wit  
compute connecte t hi o he phon line i 
suppressin th popula us o thi technolog a 
effectivel a woul licensin regulation o law 
prohibitin th us o suc systems  Mak n 
mistake  Th nationa networ o sysop an 
RBBS' ha ver powerfu potentia fo th 
communication o idea an i totall unregulate 
an availabl t anyon wh ca affor  use CP/ 
compute an  phon lin an wh ha th wit t 
instal  bi o publi domai communication 
software.

I i especiall ominou tha th Sysop' Societ 
BB lis i bein use t establis wh i runnin 
o-lin systems  Perhap th nex ste wil b 
fo phon companie t requir use list fro 
sysop an charg the busines rate too!!

Th followin item wer downloade fro th 
Kaypr Clu o Austin' RBBS/RCPM ak -Nod #77  
Pleas contemplat th fac tha thes item o 
informatio hav travele t yo vi th publi 
phon line an hav passe throug severa hand 
a widel separate point i th country  The 
have o soo wil b rea b hundred o people  
The hav reache yo faste tha coul an 
magazin o newspape an ar free assumin tha 
yo ar makin  loca call  I yo ar alarmed 
an  hop tha yo are the th powe o ou 
communication networ lie eviden befor you a 
i lie eviden t th Bel syste companies th 
FC an other wh ma b concerne tha suc 
powe i beyon thei control.

                 Lindsa Haisley
                    -Nod #77

                        *

T Al BB User an Operators:

    Her i  lis o phon number an addres o 
place YO ca voic you complain concernin th 
unfai an discriminator pricin bein use b 
Southwester Bel agains Houston' BB hobbyists.

    Pleas sen a man letter a yo can an 
pas thi lis alon t you favorit BB an 
encourag you friend t d th same Wit a 
effectiv lette writin campaign w ca appl 
pressur t M Bel t revers thei stan o thi 
issue.

    Hopefull someon wit bette writin skill 
tha  wil produc som wel writte "form 
letter t send bu i not simpl sen  shor 
lette definin th BB problem,an you stan o 
th issue an a appea t revers th practice 
o SWB concernin BBS' an Busines rates.

    Al BB user hav  stak i th outcom o 
thi case Los o th issu coul resul i  
substantia los i th numbe o fre acces an 
hobbyist' board tha ca affor t b active 
no jus locally bu nationally.

         **  MAK YOU VIEW HEAR  ***

Publi Utilit Commissio Members:

        Willia Cassin Chairman
        Mart R Greytok
        Jo Campbell

Al ca b reache a th followin address:

        780 Shoa Cree Blvd.
        Suit 450N
        Austin,Texa 78757

    (512 45-022  o  (512 45-0227
    (512 45-022 TD only

       ***********************************

Southwester Bel Telephone
Administratio Offices
96-2397

Southwester Bel Telephone
Texa Headquarter-Custome Appeals
On Bel Plaz-35t Floor
P.O Bo 655521
Dallas,Texa 7526-5521
-80-42-0499

      *************************************

Federa Communication Commission
122 Nort Loo West
Suit 900
Houston,T  77008
(713 22-2748

Federa Offic o Consume Affairs
Executiv Offic o th President
Washington,D 20506

[Editor' note: Wha followe wa  length an 
extensiv lis o peopl i Texa t writ t 
expres you opinions Unfortunately th lis wa 
muc to lon t lis i it entiret i thi 
newsletter Yo ca obtai th entir lis fro 
th TC BB (phon # -20-67-8752 i  fil 
calle URGENT.MZ o b sendin  stamped sel-
addresse envelop t Ji Taylor P Bo 642 
Newington C 0611 wit  brie not remindin m 
tha yo wan th list.

                     -<8-
.pa
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