AmigaDOS

Inside & Out

Ruediger Kerkloh
Manfred Tornsdorf
Bernd Zoller
A Data Becker Book
Published by
Abacus
Sixth Printing 1991
Printed in U.S.A.
Copyright 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991
Copyright 1987, 1988, 1990
Abacus
5370 52nd Street SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49512
Data Becker GmbH
Merowingerstrasse 30
4000 Diisseldorf, West Germany
This book is copyrighted. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of Abacus Software or Data
Becker GmbH.
Every effort has been made to ensure complete and accurate information concerning the
material presented in this book. However, Abacus Software can neither guarantee nor be
held legally responsible for any mistakes in printing or faulty instructions contained in this
book. The authors always appreciate receiving notice of any errors or misprints.
Amiga 500, Amiga 1000, Amiga 2000 and Amiga are trademarks or registered trademarks
of Commodore-Amiga Inc.
ISBN 1-55755-041-7
Table of Contents
Preface ............................................................................. vii
1. Introduction ...................................................... ... ............ 1
1.1 The Task of AmigaOOS ................................................. 4
1.2 The Workbench and the Shell .......................................... 6
1.3 Workbench Backup ........................................................ 7
1.4 Introduction to the Shell ................................................. 9
1.5 The First Command ..................................................... 10
1.6 Directory Structure ...................................................... 12
1.7 Command Templates ................................................... 15
1.8 Quitting the Shell ....................................................... 18
2. AmigaOOS Commands ......... ......... ................................. 19
2.1 Disk and File Management.. .......................................... 22
2.1.1 Fonnat. ..................................................................... 22
2.1.2 DIR .......................................................................... 25
2.1.3 CD .......................... .... ............................................. 28
2.1.4 MAKEDIR .............................................. .................. 31
2.1.5 DELETE ................................................................ ... 32
2.1.6 COpy ..................................... ......... .... ............... ...... 33
2.1.7 LIST ......................................................................... 36
2.1.8 RENAME .................................. ...... .......................... 41
2.1.9 DISKCOPY ............................................................... 43
2.1.10 RELABEL ................................................................. 44
2.1.11 INFO ........................................................................ 45
2.1.12 INSTALL .............................................. ................... . 46
2.1.13 TYPE ............................ .. ..................... .................. .. 49
2.1.14 JOIN ............................... .. ..................................... .. . 50
2.1.15 SEARCH .................................................... ........... ... 51
2.1.16 SORT ........................ .......... ......... .... ........................ 53
2.1.17 PROTECT ................................................................. 54
2.1.18 FILENOTE ................................................................ 57
2.1.19 SETDATE ................................................................. 58
2.1.20 DISKDC>CTOR .......................................................... 59
2.1.21 DISKCHANGE .......................................... .. .............. 63
2.2 System Commands ................................................ ...... 64
2.2.1 NEWCLI ................................................................... 64
2.2.2 ENDCLI. ...................................................... ............. 67
2.2.3 RUN ....... ....................................... ....... .................... 68
2.2.4 STATUS ................................................................... 69
2.2.5 CHANGETASKPRI .................................................... 71
2.2.6 BREAK ................................. .... .................. ..... ......... 72
2.2.7 PATH .......................... .. ........................................... 73
2.2.8 ASSIGN ........................................................ ...... ..... 75
iii
2.2.9 ADDBUFFERS .. ........ ........ .. ...................................... 78
2.2.10 WHY .................. .. ...... .. .................................. .. ........ 79
2.2.11 FAULT .. ............................................................ ...... . 80
2.2.12 DATE ... .. .................................................................. 80
2.2.13 SETCLOCK .......................................... .. .................. 81
2.2.14 PROMPT ....................... .. ...... ................................... 82
2.2.15 STACK ................. .. ............ ...................................... 84
2.2.16 BINDDRIVERS ......................... .. ........ ............. ........ .. 85
2.2.17 MOUNT ................ .................................................... 85
2.3 Script File Commands ...................................... .. .... .... . 89
2.3.1 EXECUTE .............................................................. ... 89
2.3.2 ECHO ..... .... ..... ... .. ................. .......... ...... ....... .. .......... 92
2.3.3 FAll...AT .............. .. .................................................... 93
2.3.4 QUIT .. ................................................ .... . .. ...... .... .. . .. 94
2.3.5 ' IF/ELSE/ENDIF .. .. ............... .. .... .. ........ .. ............... .. .. . 95
2.3.6 ASK ............................................................ ...... .. ..... 97
2.3.7 SKlP/LAB ...... ..................................................... .. .... 98
2.3.8 WAIT ....................................................................... 99
2.3.9 VERSION ................................. ...... ..................... ... . 100
2.4 The Editors ...... .. ............... .... ... ...... ............... ...... .. .... l 02
2.4.1 Reading text with ED .. ............ ....... ...... ........ .............. .103
2.4.2 Text handling with EDIT ................................. ... ... .. .... 105
2.4.3 Parameters of EDIT ...... ... .. .. .. ..... ...... ................. ........ .105
2.4.4 Starting EDIT ............. ... ..... .......... ............. ........ .... .... 107
2.4.5 Editing Text.. ... ........ ......... ....... .. ........ .......... ... ......... .108
2.4.6 Multiple Files ... .. ............ ....... ..... ............ .. ................ 109
2.4.7 Command Macros ........... ........ .. ......... .. ... .. ............. ... .1 09
2.4.8 Quitting EDIT .. .. ................................ .. ................... . .110
3. Devices .. .... .. ............. .... .... .. ..... .... .. .. ........................... 111
3.1 Floppy Disk Devices (DFX:) ..... .............................. .... .114
3.2 The RAM -Handler (RAM:) ..................... ........ ........... .115
3.3 The Parallel Device (PAR:) ............................. .. .. ......... 117
3.4 The Serial Device (SER:) .. ........................................... 118
3.5 The Printer Device (PRT:) .. .. ... ............ ... ............ .. .. ..... 120
3.6 The Console Device (CON:) ............ .... ... .. .... ....... .... ..... 121
3.7 The Raw Device (RAW:) ................... .............. .......... . .122
3.8 NEWCON-handler (NEWCON:) ..... ....... ..... .... ....... ........ 123
3.9 The RAD device (RAD:) .. .............. .. .... .. .... ........ .......... 124
3.10 The PIPE Handler (PIPE:) ... ............ .............. .......... .... .126
3.11 The SPEAK handler (SPEAK:) ........ ........ ... ... .. ...... ....... 127
3.12 The AUX Handler (AUX:) .......... ............. ... .. ................ 128
3.13 The FastFileSystem .... ............. .................... ............ ... 129
4. More AmigaDOS Commands .................................. .... .... 131
4.1 AmigaDOS 1.3 Commands .. .. .. ...... ............. ........ ......... 135
4.1 .1 AVAIL ............................... .. ....... ................ ......... .... 135
4. 1.2 FF ......................... ........ .................... ........ .. .... ... .. ... 136
4.1.3 LOCK ....... ....... ............... ..... .......... ..... ........ .... ... ...... 137
4.1.4 NEWSHELL .... ..... ...... ........ .... ............................ ..... . 137
4. 1.5 REMRAD ........... ........ ...... ....... ...... ....... ............... .... 140
iv
4.1.6 RESIDENT ............ ............. ......... .... .............. .... ....... 141
4.1.7 SETPATCH .............................................................. 145
4.1.8 SETENV/CiETENV .................................................... 145
4.1.9 ICONX ............... ............... ... .. .... ..... ........ ........ ... ..... 146
4.2 AmigaDOS 2.0 Commands .......................................... 147
4.2.1 MAKELINK .... .... ... ............ .... ..... .. ....... ..... ............ ... 147
4.2.2 UNALIAS ........... ...... .......... ...... .... ...... ........ ............. 147
4.2.3 UNSET/UNSETENV .................................................. 148
5. AmigaDOS Tricks and Tips ... ............ ..... .... ... .. ............... 149
5.1 Input and Output in AmigaDOS ............ ........................ 152
5.2 Wildcards ..... ....... ...... .... ....... .... ..... ............................ 153
5.3 Breaking in AmigaDOS ............................................... 155
5.4 The RAM Disk and AmigaDOS .................................... 157
5.5 Printing from AmigaDOS .......................................... .. 158
5.5.1 File printout with COpY .......... ... .. ................. ............. 158
5.5.2 Redirecting output. ...... , ... ......... ............ ..... .... ............. 159
5.5.3 Printer control characters .... ................. .. ....... ... ............. 160
5.6 Using the Console Device ............................................ 162
5.7 Using the Serial Device ............................................... 165
6. Script files ............................................................. ...... 169
6.1 Introduction to Script File Processing .... ........................ 172
6.1.1 What are script files? ... ..... ......... ... ....... ..... .... .... ........... 172
6.1.2 What script files look like .......... ........... .. ..................... 172
6.1.3 Calling script files ...... .............. ......... .. .... .... ..... .......... 173
6.1.4 A simple example ................ .. ........ ... ........ .... . ; .. ......... 174
6.2 Modifying the Startup-sequence .... .... .. .... ... ...... .............. 176
6.2.1 A Custom Startup-sequence ................................. ... ...... 179
6.2.2 Shell-startup sequence ............................................. .. .. 180
6.3 Practical Script Files ................................................... 182
6.3.1 A special printer script file .. ... .......... ....... ........ ............. 182
6.3.2 Creating your own script files ....................................... 186
6.3.3 Starting script files with the mouse .............................. . 188
6.3.4 The Types script file .................. ........ ... ........ .............. 189
6.3.5 Putting everything into the RAM disk ...... ......... ..... ...... . 190
6.4 Using ALIAS ............................................................ 192
7. AmigaDOS and Multitasking .......................................... 197
7.1 What is Multitasking? ........................................ ........ 200
7.2 Multitasking with AmigaDOS and Workbench ........... .... . 201
7.3 Multitasking with NEWSHELL. ................................... 204
7.4 Multitasking using RUN ........................... .................. 206
7.5 Using AmigaDOS ...... ....... ... .... ........... .... .. ... ... ........ ... 209
7.6 CHANGETASKPRI ...................... ... .............. .......... .. 211
7.7 Multitasking dangers ................................................... 214
8. Creating AmigaDOS Commands ...................................... 217
8.1 AmigaDOS Commands in C .... ........... ..... .... ................ 221
8.2 REPLACE ......... ............. ..... .. ..... ............ ........... ... .... 225
8.3 Public Domain AmigaDOS Commands ... .. ..... .... ............ 232
v
9. Quick Reference ............................................................ 235
9.1 The ED Program ........................................................ 238
9.1.1 ED 1.14 ................................................................... 238
9.1.2 ED 2.00 ................................................................... 240
9.2 TIle Edit Program ....................................................... 241
9.3 The AmigaDOS Commands ......................................... 244
Appendix .............................................................................. 263
Index ................................................................................ .... 269
vi
Workbench
1.3
2.0
Preface
The Amiga Workbench, a user-friendly mouse controlled graphic
operating system, makes it easy for the beginner to enter the world of
computers. The windows and icons which appear on the screen after
you start the computer are much more attractive to a new user than a
plain cursor waiting for simple keyboard input.
Sooner or later, either by mistake or out of curiosity, you click the
Shell icon on the Workbench disk. A Shell window appears and
the boring eLI (Command Line Interface) cursor of AmigaDOS makes
its appearance. This user interface, although it doesn't use the mouse,
is more powerful than the Amiga Workbench. In fact, the Workbench
is loaded from AmigaDOS when the Amiga is turned on.
You actually can't get by without using AmigaDOS if you wish to do
any meaningful work with the Amiga. The Workbench is a powerful
graphic interface that makes it easy for the average user to access the
Amiga. You can only do so much with the Workbench, while
AmigaOOS's capabilities are almost unlimited.
This book will be very helpful to you if you keep it by your side as
you work with AmigaOOS. After a simple but necessary introduction,
you'll find a lot of information about AmigaDOS. You'll learn
solutions to common problems, detailed descriptions of all AmigaDOS
commands, programming script files, multitasking, and even an
explanation of the internal workings of AmigaOOS and the Shell.
The last few pages contain a Quick Reference of all the commands.
One final comment: The Amiga is an ever expanding system and the
Workbench is constantly being improved. This book covers
AmigaOOS in Workbench 1.2, 1.3 and 2.0. These new system disks
work much better than the older versions. So, any additions or
differences between the Workbench versions are indicated as they appear
in this book. This book supports Workbench 1.3IKickstart 1.2,
Workbench 1.3IKickstart 1.3 and Workbench 2.0/Kickstart 2.0.
R. Kerkloh. M. Tornsdorf. B. Zoller June 1990
vii
1 .
Introduction
ABACUS
1 .
Workbench
1.3 and 2.0
users:
1. INTRODUCTION
Introduction
The ftrst steps in any area of computing usually seem the hardest. For
this reason, we have kept the theories in this chapter to a minimum.
The following sections are intended to make your rust experiences with
the Shell and AmigaOOS as easy as possible. In fact, the only
AmigaOOS commands that appear in the following sections of Chapter
1 are the necessary ones. For those who wish to experiment further, the
later chapters contain more background information on AmigaOOS.
For now, however, we recommend that you read this book in sequence
and work through the examples as they appear. Whether you've just
unpacked your Amiga or are an old hand at the computer, starting from
the beginning is always the best way to learn anything. Good luck!
Workbench 1.3 and 2.0 have two AmigaDOS access programs: The
eLI (contained in the System drawer) and the Shell, which is in the
Workbench window. Please use the Shell for all of your work with
this book. The Shell is an upgraded version of the original Amiga
command line interface or eLI. Once you have become familiar with
the Shell, you will probably use the Shell exclusively, but please
use the Shell for the examples in this book. In Workbench 2.0 the
Shell and the eLI program both operate in the same manner.
3
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1
What is
DOS?
4
AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
The Task of AmigaDOS
Before we begin working with AmigaDOS, we must first briefly
explain the function of AmigaDOS. DOS is the abbreviation for Disk
Operating System. You may already know the definition of an
operating system: The program(s) that controls the computer (tells it
what to do). Don't confuse an operating system with an application
program (e.g., word processors, spreadsheets, etc.). An operating
system only provides the computer with basic instructions from which
a programmer can construct his programs. It takes over such tasks as
memory management, hardware control (keyboard, disk drive, printer,
etc.) and coordinating various functions. It also makes operating system
functions available to a programmer. A system programmer, for
instance, shouldn't worry about which areas of memory in the
computer are occupied and which areas are still available. The operating
system automatically allocates free memory of the desired size, if
enough memory is available.
In AmigaDOS the disk commands that the computer can execute aren't
integrated into the operating system itself. On some home computers,
you can enter certain commands which the operating system recognizes
and immediately executes (such as Load, Save, etc.). AmigaDOS is
based on a different principle: AmigaDOS commands are short
programs that can be loaded from a disk drive (floppy disk, hard disk or
RAM disk) before they execute. Upon execution, AmigaDOS returns to
the routines contained in the operating system. This method has certain
advantages over an operating system with integrated commands:
Each command occupies memory only when it executes. After
execution, it is removed from memory. AmigaDOS also allows
often used commands to remain resident in memory.
If the authors find that a command contains some kind of bug or
error, it can later be fixed with a corrected version.
An unlimited range of commands exists. New commands can be
added to AmigaDOS as needed.
The biggest disadvantage of separate AmigaDOS commands is disk
switching; exchanging disks takes time. This frequently occurs on
smaller computers with a limited amount of memory space and a single
disk drive. By using a hard disk or multiple floppy disk drives in
conjunction with a RAM disk, this disadvantage can be avoided.
ABACUS
AmigaDOS
2.0
AREXX
1.1 THE TASK OF AMIGADOS
In AmigaDOS 2.0 all the AmigaDOS commands were rewritten for
compactness and speed. This allowed many commands to be made
internal commands, thereby allowing them to execute directly, no more
loading from diskette. The Amiga designers recognized the flexibility of
a system that calls commands from diskette so they built in an internal
command override system, keeping the best of both worlds, internal and
external commands. The following are the internal commands of
AmigaDOS 2.0, these commands will be discussed in greater detail
later:
Alias INTERNAL
Ask INTERNAL
CD INTERNAL
Echo INTERNAL
Else INTERNAL
EndCLI INTERNAL
Endlf INTERNAL
EndShell INTERNAL
EndSkip INTERNAL
Failat INTERNAL
Fault INTERNAL
Get INTERNAL
Getenv INTERNAL
If INTERNAL
Lab INTERNAL
NewCLI INTERNAL
NewShell INTERNAL
Path INTERNAL
Prompt INTERNAL
Quit INTERNAL
Resident INTERNAL
Run INTERNAL
Set INTERNAL
Setenv INTERNAL
Skip INTERNAL
Stack INTERNAL
Unalias INTERNAL
Unset INTERNAL
Unsetenv INTERNAL
Why INTERNAL
AREXX is a version of the mainframe computer REXX programming
language that has been implemented on the Amiga. ARE XX has been
integrated in the Workbench 2.0 operating system. AREXX is an
application programming language that can be used to extend operating
system commands and customize application programs for easy
interaction.
The complete power and possibilities that AREXX gives to the Amiga
is beyond the scope of this book, so AREXX programming will not be
covered in this volume. To do AREXX justice a separate volume would
be necessary to describe all the features of this excellent addition to the
Amiga.
5
1. INTRODUCTION AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
1.2 The Workbench and the Shell
Command
Line
Interface
6
The previous section gave a rough description of what AmigaDOS
does. AmigaDOS contains the tools with which the user can perform
functions required for the operation of the computer. For example, how
do you tell the computer that you want to format a disk? The
Workbench can do this: In Workbench 2.0 there is a menu item in the
Icon menu named Format disk and in Workbench 1.3 there is a
menu item in the Disk menu named Initialize. You insert the
blank disk, click once on its icon and select the Format disk or
Initialize item from the menu, depending on which version of the
Workbench you are running. This loads the corresponding command
from the Workbench disk and any other commands as needed. The
Workbench is actually nothing more than a program loaded from the
disk when the computer boots up, creating the graphic user interface or
GUI.
An alternative to the Workbench is the Shell or Command Line
Interface. AmigaDOS commands entered from the keyboard form the
command line interface, instead of icons or pointer. The mouse can
only be used to change the size of any window opened for a Shell
task.
Isn't the Shell a step backward in computer technology, then? It may
seem that way at first glance, since the Workbench simplifies startup
procedures on the Amiga. However, some aspects of the Amiga's
operating system, and even the Workbench itself, cannot be accessed
without AmigaDOS. The Startup-sequence. a file made of commands
instructing the Amiga what to do or load as it starts up, can be edited
and tested from AmigaDOS. This Startup-sequence is located on the
Workbench disk, and the Amiga executes this file every time you tum
the Amiga on.
In Workbench 1.3 some of the filenames on a disk are not visible on
the Workbench (e.g., an invisible file may have no matching inf 0
file). As a result, AmigaDOS provides the best way to really look
behind the scenes in Amiga disks. Workbench 2.0 solved this problem
by allowing the user to view all files on a diskette, but AmigaDOS
still gives more flexibility in the displaying of disk information.
ABACUS
1.3
Backup
copies
Workbench
Backup
1.3 WORKBENCH BACKUP
VVorkbench Backup
Before you begin working with AmigaDOS and the Shell, make a
copy of your original Workbench disk. Use this backup as your
Workbench disk. As time passes, the backup disk may become CO"Upt
(unreadable), or important files may be erased accidentally. If this
happens, you can make another backup from the original Workbench
disk.
It's easy to make a backup copy of the Workbench disk. If you have
never backed up a disk before, do the following:
Take the original Workbench disk. Look for the write protect tab
(that sliding piece of plastic set into one comer of the disk. Move
the write protect to the write protect position (you should be able
to see through the disk in a hole created by the write protect). You
cannot overwrite the Workbench disk when the write protect is in
this position.
Place the original Workbench disk in the internal disk drive,
sometimes called drive DFO': (drive floppy 0). Tum on your
Amiga. The booting process begins immediately.
After a while the Workbench screen appears. The loaded
Workbench disk is represented by an icon on the screen. Move the
mouse pointer onto this icon. Click on this icon by pressing and
releasing the left mouse button. Press and hold the right mouse
button. Workbench 2.0 users should move the mouse pointer to
the Icon menu title and select the Copy item from this menu.
Workbench 1.3 users should move the mouse pointer to the
Workbench menu title and select the Duplicate item from
this menu. Release the right mouse button.
Now the Amiga asks you to insert the SOURCE disk which you
would like copied (the FROM disk). You already have that disk in
the drive, so click on the Continue gadget
Have a blank, unformatted disk ready to become your backup
Workbench disk. This is the disk that the Disk Copy function
refers to as the TO disk. Check the write protect of the TO disk;
you should not be able to see through the comer of the disk, like
you could with the original Workbench disk.
During the copying process, the Amiga may ask you to exchange
the FROM (source) and TO (destination) disks several times,
depending on how much memory is available. Never remove a
disk from a disk drive when the drive light is on!! You
7
1. INTRODUCTION
8
AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
could lose data, and even destroy the disk! A window on the screen
tells you when the process is done.
The difference between the original and the backup disk is that the
backup appends the words "Copy of' in front of the original name.
Therefore, if the original Workbench disk is named Workbench
x.x, the new disk has the name Copy of Workbench x.x.
Remove this extension using the Rename item from the Icon
menu (the Workbench menu in 1.3). Use the <Del> and
<Backspace> keys to delete the "Copy of' text and press the
<Return> key. DOS always distinguishes between the two disks
by the date and time of creation assigned to each disk. These details
are always stored on the backup.
Take the original Workbench disk and put it in a safe place.
Anywhere far away from moisture and magnetic objects will work
(a linen closet, an unused desk drawer, etc.). Use the backup you
have made as your Workbench disk.
ABACUS
1.4
Starting the
Shell
1.4 INTRODUCTION TO THE SHELL
Introduction to the She 11
Remove all disks from any disk drives you have connected to the
Amiga. Press and hold the <Cui> key, the <Commodore> (sometimes
called the left <Amiga> key) and the right <Amiga> key to reset the
Amiga. Wait until the icon requesting the Workbench disk appears on
the screen. Insert your backup copy of the Workbench disk. The Amiga
system boots and the Workbench screen appears.
Double-click on the Workbench disk icon, the Workbench disk
window opens. Look for the Shell icon. Double-click on this icon.
The Shell loads, and a window named AmigaShell (NewShell in
1.3) appears on the screen. In our explanations we will refer to both
versions as the Shell window.
The AmigaShell window has some of the attributes of a normal
window on an Amiga. It has a drag bar (which allows you to move it
around the screen); a sizing gadget (which allows you to change the
window's size); a depth gadget (1.3 has a front gadget and a back
gadget) for moving the window into the foreground or background of
the screen. Workbench 2.0 also has a zoom gadget which toggles the
window between full size and last size. Workbench 2.0 AmigaShell
windows also have a close gadget, the Workbench 1.3 NewShell
window has no close gadget: You must use a Shell command to
close the window in Workbench 1.3 (more on this in Section 1.8).
The only thing displayed in the NewShell window is the DOS
prompt. This consists of a process number (1.), the current drive
(SYS:) and a greater-than character (1. SYS: . This character tells you
that the computer is ready to receive and execute commands from the
keyboard A cursor waits beside the prompt for your input
9
1. INTRODUCTION AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
1.5 The First Command
<Backspace>
and <Return>
keys
10
All inputs in the Shell must be entered by pressing the <Enter> or
<Return> key (some Amigas have <.J> embossed on this key). Since
both keys perform the identical function, we refer to the <Return> key
for the duration of this book.
If you press the <Return> key without entering a command, the
prompt appears one line down from its previous location.
Unfortunately, you cannot use the four cursor keys to move the cursor
to a particular line within the window. All commands must be
completely typed out every time they are used. In the input line itself,
single characters that have been input can be erased from right to left
using the <Backspace> key (some Amigas have < ~ > embossed on
this key) above the <Return> key. An entire line can be erased by
holding down the <Ctrl> key and pressing the <X> key (this is called
"pressing <Ctrl><X>," and will be used throughout this book to
describe key combinations involving the <Ctrl> key).
Only available commands can be executed. Enter the following:
files
Remember to press the <Return> key at the end of the line.
AmigaDOS responds with:
Unknown command
Only commands available as programs in the disk drive can be
executed, AmigaDOS 2.0 can also execute internal commands. This is
the special feature of AmigaOOS. The Shell receives the command
(program name) from the user, searches the disk drive for a me by that
name, loads the file into memory and executes it This means that the
Shell can execute programs as well as AmigaDOS commands.
Move the mouse pointer to the top of the Shell window. Press and
hold the left mouse button and drag the window to the top left of the
screen. Release the left mouse button. Move the pointer to the sizing
gadget at the lower right comer of the AmigaShel1 window. Press
and hold the left mouse button and drag the sizing gadget to the bottom
right of the screen. Release the left mouse button. Workbench 2.0
owners can simply click on the zoom gadget, next to the depth gadget,
to toggle the window full size.
ABACUS
DIR
I.S THE FIRST COMMAND
We'll begin with a relatively simple but very important command, and
list other commands as you gain experience in AmigaDOS and the
Shell. The name of this first command is DIR (directory). DIR
displays a list of the files contained in the specified disk drive (floppy
disk, hard disk or RAM disk). Enter the following (remember to press
the <Return> key when you're done entering the command):
DIR
It doesn't matter whether you enter uppercase or lowercase characters in
the Shell. Shell commands even accept mixed case letters.
After a while, the Shell displays the contents of the internal disk
drive (drive DFO:). This list is the directory of the Workbench disk.
The names don't appear on the screen very quickly at frrsL Soon the
names start flying by on the screen. Press any key to stop the display,
and press the <Backspace> key to resume the display.
The display should be similar to the following. Your display may
differ-don't worry if it does; remember the Amiga is an ever
expanding system and new features are continually being added.
1.SYS:>dir
Trashcan (dir)
Rexxc (dir)
Expansion (dir)
Libs (dir)
WBStartup (dir)
Prefs (dir)
Fonts (dir)
C (dir)
Devs (dir)
S (dir)
L (dir)
Utilities (dir)
System (dir)
.info
Expansion. info
Shell. info
Trashcan.info
WBStartup.info
1. SYS: >
Disk.info
Prefs.info
System. info
Utilities . info
11
1. INTRODUCTION AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
1.6 Directory Structure
Dala files You may recognize some of the filenames displayed by the D I R
command; while others may be unfamiliar to you. Info files contain
icon data, date and time information and comments. You cannot see
some files as icons on the Workbench screen because these files don' t
have matching .info files. However, you don't need .info files when
you work in AmigaDOS.
Some other file entries, shown from the Workbench as drawer icons,
have extensions of (d i r) when you view them using the D I R
command. The directory (or drawer) structure by which AmigaDOS
handles the data files is the same for both the Workbench and
AmigaDOS. You can't see all the data files in the Shell at once,
either. The D I R command only displays the root (main) directory of a
disk for now.
This form of data file management is often referred to as a tree
structure. The main directory serves as the trunk, and the subdirectories
extend from this trunk like the branches of a tree. Each subdirectory can
either contain data files or another subdirectory. There is almost no
limit to the number of subdirectories you can have.
Subdirectories How do you reach other subdirectories? From the Workbench it's no
problem: a subdirectory appears as soon as you double-click on a
drawer. If more drawers appear in this new subdirectory window, you
can access their contents in the same way.
12
If you want to look at the contents of a particular subdirectory from
AmigaDOS, you must append a path to the DIR command. This path
describes the "access route" through directories and subdirectories to get
to a particular file or directory. The simplest path is to simply provide
a directory name. Enter the following (press the <Return> key at the
end of the input):
DIR System
The DIR SYSTEM command displays the directory of the System
drawer on the Workbench disk.
The names shown are actual data files-no (dir) extensions appear.
Since there are no more (di r) names, we cannot go deeper in this
branch of the tree. We can only access files in this directory.
Let's look at a directory (drawer) that we normally can't see from the
Workbench. The Devs directory has no added .info file, which is
why you can't normally see it in the Workbench 1.3 window,
ABACUS 1.6 DIRECTORY STRUCTURE
Workbench 2.0 does have an option for viewing all diskette files.
However, we can view the contents of this directory from AmigaDOS.
Enter the following command:
DIR Devs
This command displays the following directories and ftles (Workbench
1.3 will also contain a r a md r i v e . de vic e and a clipboard
directory):
1.SYS:>dir devs
Printers (dir)
Keymaps (dir)
clipboard. device
narrator.device
printer.device
system-configuration
l.SYS:>
MountList
parallel.device
serial.device
You'll immediately see that there are two more directories contained
within this directory. You can easily view one of these directories by
adding a slash (j) character and the name of the desired directory. You
are still in the main directory; so enter the following to read the
printers directory inside the devs directory:
DIR Devs/Printers
Don't confuse the slash character (j) with the backslash character (\).
The result of this command looks something like this for Workbench
1.2 users (1.3 and 2.0 users will find these printers on the Extras
diskette; they should insert the Extras diskette and enter: D I R
"Extras xx:devs/printers" where xx is their version
number):
1.SYS:>dir devs/printers
Alphacom_Alphapro_10l
CBM MPS1000
Diablo_Advantage_D25
Epson
generic
HP LaserJet PLUS
Okidata 292
Okimate 20
1. SYS: >
Brother HR-15XL
Diablo 630
Diablo C-150
Epson_JX-eO
HP LaserJet
ImagewriterII
Okidata 92
Qume_LetterPro 20
The underscore character U shown above is located on the keyboard by
pressing <Shift><->.
13
1. INTRODUCTION AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
The P references editors retrieve the data needed to drive different
types of printers from this directory. No further subdirectories are
available from this directory. This directory is one of the deepest
subdirectories on the Workbench disk.
Drive specifier A complete path usually contains the name of the disk or the disk drive
specifier. When you begin, AmigaDOS defaults to DFO: (the internal
disk drive). This part of the path is optional. If you have two or more
disk drives, you can access them with the D I R command as well as
using the drive specifier. The disk drive specifier must begin the path
statement. In the simplest case (no path statement), DIR DF!: , for
example, displays the main directory of a disk in the frrst external disk
drive. Hard disk users call their device DUO:. Statements referring to
subdirectories always follow the colon:
14
DIR DHO:TEXT/LETTERT/BILL
Unfortunately, if you have only one disk drive connected to your
Amiga, you can't just load any disk you want and look at the directory.
If you remove the Workbench disk, insert another disk and enter a D I R
command, the Shell requests that you insert the Workbench disk.
We'll explain this problem in more detail in C h a p ~ r 3. All you need is
a single disk drive for this chapter to try out the functions.
The System directory you viewed earlier showed some commands that
can be accessed as AmigaDOS commands, but aren't necessarily
AmigaDOS commands themselves. The actual AmigaDOS commands
are in a different directory.
You can view the AmigaDOS commands by looking in directory c: of
the Workbench disk. Enter the following command to view the
commands located on the diskette:
DIR C
AmigaDOS 2.0 users should enter the following command to view the
AmigaDOS internal commands:
RESIDENT
ABACUS
1.7
1.7 COMMAND TEMPLATES
Command Templates
Every AmigaOOS command has a built-in help function called the
command template. Because these commands are so powerful, even an
experienced AmigaOOS user can forget the syntax of a command. If the
syntax is incorrect, AmigaOOS 1.3 responded with one of these
messages:
Bad args (or) Bad arguments
When AmigaOOS 2.0 was completely rewritten the error messages for
many commands were also greatly improved. You could refer to
Chapter 10 of this book to find the correct syntax, but it's often much
faster to call the command template for the command.
Enter the AmigaOOS command, followed by a space and a question
mark, then press the <Return> key. AmigaOOS displays the argument
template for the desired command Enter the following:
DIR ?
AmigaOOS displays:
DIR,OPT/K,ALL/S,DIR/S,FILES/S,INTER/S:
The command template is easy to read once you learn the coding. DIR
is the keyword (command}-this must appear first in the syntax.
A comma separates arguments from each other in the argument
template. These shouldn't be entered when you type the command
itself. Therefore, DIR has five arguments available: OPT/K, ALLIS,
DIR/S, FILESIS and INTER/S. Arguments can also contain qualifiers
(control characters) preceded by a slash (/) character. The second
argument of the DIR command includes the word OPT. OPT is an
abbreviation for OPTIONAL. This means that OPT is a form of input
which can be included or omitted.
The final section of the second argument is / K. The letter K is an
abbreviation for Keyword. This options keyword must be given in the
command.
The colon (:) at the end of the argument template is important, but it's
not part of the argument template (more on this at the end of this
section).
Possible qualifiers that can appear in an argument template in 1.3 and
2.0:
15
1. INTRODUCTION AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
/A (Argument) This qualifier always requires a certain argument. If you omit the
argument, the command cannot execute.
/K (Key)
/ S (Switch)
The qualifier's name must appear as input (e.g., OPT in the D I R
example above), and a keyword must appear as well. The parameters
allowed and the functions executed depend on the respective Shell
command (see Chapter Two for more details).
This qualifier needs no arguments. It acts as a switch (toggle) for a
command. In commands switches operate similar to a light switch--
they turn a command on or off or switch the command to another
mode.
Possible qualifiers that can appear in an argument template only in
ArnigaOOS 2.0:
IN (Numeric) This qualifier indicates that a numeric argument is expected
(ArnigaOOS 2.0 only).
1M (Multiple) Multiple arguments can be included. In 1.3 commas were used to
signify multiple arguments. Multiple arguments must be separated by
spaces. This has been updated in ArnigaOOS 2.0, also the number of
arguments is unlimited in ArnigaOOS 2.0.
IF (Final) The argument is the final argument. This allows using strings without
enclosing them in quotation marks (AmigaDOS 2.0 only).
, (comma) The command takes no arguments (AmigaDOS 2.0 only). In
AmigaOOS 1.3 the comma was used to show multiple inputs.
If none of the qualifiers appear in an argument, then the parameter
accompanying the command (if any) can be identified from its position
within the command line. For example, the command below has no
qualifiers. It tells AmigaOOS to display directory C of drive DFO: on
the screen:
DIR DFO:C
AmigaDOS 1.3 In AmigaDOS 1.3 it's possible that an argument can be unnamed. The
DELETE command (which we'll discuss in detail later) has a number of
different arguments. Enter the following in the Shell of AmigaOOS
1.3:
16
DELETE ?
The Shell of AmigaOOS 1.3 responds with:
"""""ALL/S,Q=QUIET/S:
The ten commas at the beginning of the argument template imply that
you can delete up to ten files at a time.
ABACUS 1.7 COMMAND TEMPLATES
AmigaDOS 2.0 AmigaOOS 2.0 has greatly improved on this method by allowing
unlimited arguments to be separated by spaces in the input line.
Arguments
The ALL/ S argument means that if you precede the word ALL with the
name of a directory, the command deletes all the files on the directory
and the directory itself. The following input deletes all files from the
directory in drive DFO: named NORTON, then the NORTON directory
itself:
DELETE DFO:NORTON ALL
If you e n t e ~ this command and had a set of files inside a directory
named NORTON in DFO:, AmigaOOS would report the status of the
deleted files on the screen. The Q=QUIET / s argument switches on the
display of the file deletion process. The equal sign between the Q and
the QUIET means that you can either use the word or the letter as the
argument. The following command deletes all the files from the
NORTON directory in drive DFO:, then deletes the NORTON directory.
This command and the above DELETE command perform the same
function. However, the command below suppresses the list of deleted
files on the screen:
DELETE DFO: NORTON ALL QUIET
This version of the DELETE command does the same thing (notice the
use of the letter Q instead of the word QUIET):
DELETE DFO: NORTON ALL Q
An argument introduced by the user through its name can be placed
anywhere within the input line. For instance, the COpy command
includes the arguments FROM and TO / A, among others. Both of the
following command sequences perform the same function--<opying the
letters file from drive DFO: to a file on drive DF1: named text:
COPY FROM DFO:letters TO DF1:text
copy TO DF1:text FROM DFO:letters
It doesn't matter whether the command names and arguments are entered
in uppercase or lowercase letters.
After command parameters are displayed in a command template, the
cursor reappears in the same line as the command template following
the colon. You can now enter an argument or set of arguments without
re-entering the command keyword.
When working in AmigaDOS, if you're not 100% sure which
command uses which arguments, enter the command, a space and a
question mark to see the command template.
17
1. INTRODUCTION AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
1.8 Quitting the Shell
We mentioned in Section 1.4 that AmigaDOS 1.3 Shell windows
have no close gadget. AmigaDOS uses a command instead of a close
gadget to exit and return you to the Workbench.
ENDSBELL The ENDS HELL command closes the Shell window currently active.
ENDCLI
Enter the following (again, remember to press the <Return> key at the
end of the input):
ENDSHELL
The Shell window immediately disappears and the Amiga returns you
to the Workbench.
This introduction to working with the Shell has made you familiar
with its basic operation. The following chapters systematically explain
all the currently available commands.
The ENDCLI command also closes the Shell window currently
active. This command has been retained for compatibility with earlier
versions of AmigaDOS.
AmigaDOS 2.0 AmigaDOS 2.0 users can also click on the close gadget located in the
AmigaShell window.
18
2 .
AmigaDOS
Commands
ABACUS
2
Note:
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS
AmigaDOS Commands
This chapter lists the AmigaDOS commands in detail. The commands
appear in order of difficulty and importance and !lQ1 in alphabetical
order. The easier to learn commands appear first, this way you won't
immediately confront the relatively difftcult commands, which can
confuse you if you don't have the background information needed for
these commands. The Quick Reference chapter lists the commands in
alphabetical order.
Section 2.1 describes all the commands that fall under the general
heading of disk drive and ftle management. Here you'll find the
commands which access the floppy or hard disk drives, and files stored
on these disk drives.
Section 2.2 describes the commands which access the operating system
in some way or another. A typical member of this group is the Date
command which deals with the system date.
Section 2.3 describes commands used in script files. These are similar
to batch files on MS-DOS computers. Script files perform multiple
commands, saving the user the effort of repeatedly typing in the same
command sequences. The Startup-sequence is a script flIe. Script
files are one of the most powerful features of AmigaDOS.
Finally, Section 2.4 explains two comprehensive commands. These
commands, ED and Edit, invoke two different text editors which are
used to create script flIes.
The following sections contain a great deal of descriptive material. We
recommend that you tryout commands (when you can) as much as
possible while you read. This will help you understand the functions of
the commands. Use a backup copy of the Workbench disk, do not use
the original disk. If you don't have a backup, go to Chapter 1 and make
one. You may also want to keep a blank, unformatted disk around for
testing some commands.
AmigaDOS is constantly being improved and updated, the updates
usually contain a number of added arguments and commands, making it
much more versatile than previous versions. To show the history of
AmigaDOS and make this guide usable to all Amiga users we will first
present the 1.2 version of the command, then the 1.3 implementation
and finally the AmigaDOS 2.0 version. Any differences in the
commands will appear after the general description of the command.
Each version of the AmigaDOS command will be preceded by
Workbench 1.2 implementation:, Workbench 1.3
implementation: and Workbench 2.0 implementation: .
21
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
2.1
2.1.1
Disk and File Management
This section lists the commands used for handling files and managing
the Amiga disk drives.
FORMAT
Workbench 1.2 implementation:
Syntax:
22
FORMAT DRIVE <disk> NAME <name> [NOICONS)
A disk must be formatted or initialized before you can use it on an
Amiga. Formatting prepares a disk so that the Amiga can read data
from and write data to the disk. In Workbench 2.0 the Icons menu
contains an item named Format Disk... (in 1.3 the Workbench
menu contains an item named Initialize). AmigaOOS recognizes
unformatted disks immediately and places a DFx:??? name under the
disk icon on the Workbench (1.3 names the disk as BAD)
The AmigaDOS Format command requires more information than the
Workbench's Format Disk ... item (1.3 Initialize). You
must give arguments specifying the disk drive and the additional details
about the new disk's name. To format a disk in disk drive DFO, you
must input:
FORMAT DRIVE DFO: NAME Example NOICONS
The NAME argument can be up to 30 characters long. Names that long
can cover up other disk names while in the Workbench, so we
recommend that you use shorter disk names. If you include blank
spaces in the NAME argument, the argument must be enclosed in
quotation marks. Incidentally, that applies to all work with the
AmigaDOS arguments which cannot contain spaces, or the argument
must be enclosed within quotation marks. AmigaOOS 2.0 also includes
the IF switch to signify a final argwnent which can contain spaces. For
example:
FORMAT DRIVE DFO: NAME "My Text" NOICONS
ABACUS
NOICONS
2.1 DISK AND FILE MANAGEMENT
The NOICONS argument suppresses the creation of the Trashcan
icon which normally appears in any disk window on the Workbench.
The Trashcan is unnecessary when using AmigaDOS.
The DRIVE and NAME arguments must be input every time you use
the Format command. If the syntax was entered correctly, AmigaDOS
loads the Format command and the window displays:
Insert disk to be initialized in drive OFO: and press Return
Now that the Format command has been completely loaded, those
who have only a single disk drive can now remove the Workbench disk,
and insert the disk to be formatted. Before you press the <Return> key,
however, you should know that any data previously stored on this disk
is destroyed when you format the disk. If you wish to cancel the
procedure, press <Ctrl><C> (hold down the <Ctr!> key and press the
<C> key) and press the <Return> key. AmigaDOS then responds with
a *** Break.
If you wish to continue, press the <Return> key alone. The Amiga
formats the disk in the drive. AmigaDOS displays which cylinder (track
set) is currently being formatted. Each cylinder consists of two
concentric tracks on the disk, about 0.5 mm wide on opposing sides
(surfaces) of the disk. Each track can then be broken down into 11
sectors, each of which can contain 512 bytes of data. Since the disk
possesses 80 cylinders (or 160 tracks) altogether, the entire disk
capacity amounts to 880K:
(80 * 2 * 11 * 512)/1024 Byte = 880K
You don't need to format a disk if you plan to use the DI SKCOPY
command. The DI SKCOPY command automatically formats the disk if
it has not been formatted.
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Syntax: FORMAT DRIVE <disk> NAME <name> [NOICONS] [QUICK] [FFS]
[NOFFS] [INHIBIT]
The QUICK, FFS and NOFFS arguments are new additions to Version
1.3. The QUICK argument speeds up the formatting operation so that it
only takes a few seconds on a pre-formatted disk (a disk that has been
formatted once before). Only the tracks that contain the Root block and
the Boot blocks are formatted. A standard disk format (without the
QUICK argument) takes about two minutes.
23
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
Root block
Boot blocks
FFS and
NOFFS
Inhibit
The Root block (found on cylinder 40, side 0, sector 880) is the block
containing the root of the directory structure. The QUI CK option writes
an empty directory to the disk. This file must not be erased. Formatting
of the Boot blocks (cylinder 0, side 0, sectors 0 and 1) renews the boot
program so the Amiga can eventually auto boot. This also eliminates
any viruses that may have gotten into the boot blocks.
The FFS and NOFFS arguments are interconnected. They create the
desired file system for single partitions when formatting a hard disk.
Adding the FFS argument puts the new and faster FastFileSystem
into use. The slower original F i 1 e S y stem is used if NO F F S is
entered.
A partition must be entered in the MountList if you want to run
under the new FastFileSystem. This MountList is found in the
Devs drawer on the Workbench disk. Each partition of the hard drive
not autoconfigured has an entry here. Before the new FF S partitions can
be used, the following lines must be added to each partition entry:
FileSystem = 1.FastFileSystem
GlobVec = -1
DosType = Ox4444F5301
StackSize = 4000
A requester displays the message Not aDO S Dis k ... if such a
partition is placed inside the Startup-sequence the frrst time. It
can be removed by clicking on the Cancel gadget. The partitions
must be re-formatted under the new F i 1 e system. In case the
FastFileSystem is attached to a partition, all you have to do is
re-format the partition. The entire hard disk must be re-formatted if you
wish to change the size of the partition (LowCyl to HighCyl). Save
the contents of the formatted partitions to floppy disks before
performing this formal.
Inhibits disk access while formatting.
Workbench 1.3.2 implementation:
INHIBIT was made automatic and NOFFS removed since it was not
very useful. The error messages were also improved.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
24
This operation is identical to Workbench 1.3 .2, but the command has
been optimized for compactness and speed.
ABACUS 2.1 DISK AND FILE MANAGEMENT
2.1.2 DIR
Workbench 1.2 implementation:
Syntax:
Example:
A
DIR DIR,OPT/K
Thi& command displays the files and directories on a disk, lists
subdirectories and the files within these subdirectories.
You read about this command in Chapter 1 and used it to view
AmigaDOS' file structure. In reality, this command does much more.
The command template ofDir looks like this:
DIR DIR,OPT/K
The DIR argument represents the exact path of the desired directory.
This argument initially defaults to the root directory of the Amiga's
drive DFO: (the internal disk drive). Therefore, if you want to read the
directory on another device, you must supply the drive specifier as the
DIR argument (e.g., DFl:, RAM:, DUO:, JUO:). The colon (:) at
the end of each drive specifier tells DOS that the name is in fact a
device name. The D I R argument may be followed by any path to a
particular directory (drawer).
You want to view the Letters directory. The Text directory in the
disk in drive DFl: contains the Letters directory. The following
sequence accesses that directory:
DIR DF1:Text/Letters
Further subdirectories can be accessed at any time simply by adding
another slash character and directory name to the DIR argument.
If you omit arguments and qualifiers, the D I R command displays the
current directory. The use of the CD command (change directory)
dictates the current directory (see Section 2.1.3).
The capabilities of the DIR command expand with the use of the OPT
argument. Four qualifiers can be used with OPT: A, D, I and AI.
The A (All) qualifier displays all of the files and directories in the
current disk. You can view every directory and every file: AmigaDOS
lists each directory then the directory's contents in indented format.
This option is very helpful if you cannot find a certain file. However,
this option also creates a stream of data which quickly fills, then scrolls
the screen. Pressing any key stops the scrolling; pressing the
<Backspace> key continues the directory display. The following
2S
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
D
I
26
command displays all the files on the disk in drive DFl: (the second
disk drive):
DIR DF1: OPT A
The D (D I R) qualifier lists only the directories of the current disk. This
is useful for quick searches for a specific directory, without listing the
root directory files in addition to the directories.
The I (INTER) option runs the DIR command in interactive mode.
This mode allows the user complete control of the directory output.
When DIR is invoked in interactive mode, ArnigaDOS prompts with a
question mark after it displays each file. The user has the following
options for controlling the display:
<Return> Continues interactive output (displays the next file or
directory) name.
Del<Return> Typing this word and pressing the <Return> key deletes
the file currently displayed on the screen. Notice that
you enter the letters DEL, not press the <Del> key
(see Delete). You can only delete empty directories
(i.e., the directory you want to delete contains no files
or subdirectories). If you try to delete an occupied
directory using this command, ArnigaDOS responds
with the error message Err 0 reo de 2 1 6 then
displays the error.
<E><Return> Enters a deeper directory level. The directory output
resumes upon entry to this directory.
<B><Return> Moves back up to a higher directory level (closer to the
main directory). If you try to move to a level higher
than the main directory, the D I R command ends.
<T><Return> Types (displays) a plain ASCII text file in the Shell
window. If you use the <T> key to display programs or
ArnigaDOS commands, you'll only get garbage on the
screen. Pressing <Ctrl><C> stops the output and
returns you to interactive mode. If the output still isn't
back to normal, press <Ctrl><O> to restore the
Arniga's normal character set.
<?><Return> Displays the command template of commands available
in interactive mode. The template for directories appears
on the screen as follows:
B=BACK/S,DEL=DELETE/S,E=ENTER/S,Q=QUIT/S:
<Q><Return> Quits interactive mode and returns you to the Shell
prompt.
If you enter an incorrect command in interactive mode, AmigaDOS
responds 'with the message Invalid response-t ry again? :
after which you can re-enter the command.
ABACUS
AI
2.1 DISK AND FILE MANAGEMENT
The AI (All Interactive) qualifier displays all directory entries
interactively.
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Syntax:
ALL
DIRS
FILES
INTER
DIR DIR,OPT/K,ALL/S,DIRS/S,FILES/F,INTER/S
This new implementation of the D I R command adds the three
arguments ALL, INTER and DIRS which perform the same functions
as the A, I, D and AI arguments. The FILES argument is new and
allows only fIles to be displayed, subdirectories will not be displayed.
The OPT argument must be left off when using these new arguments.
Displays all directory entries in the current disk.
Displays the names of the directories only in the current disk. This
argument displays the following output of the Workbench 1.3 disk:
1> dir dirs
Trashcan (dir)
c (dir)
1>
Prefs
System (dir)
1 (dir)
devs (dir)
s (dir)
t (dir)
fonts (dir)
libs (dir)
Empty (dir)
Utilities (dir)
Displays the files in the current disk directory, subdirectories will not
be listed.
Displays the current disk directory in interactive mode (identical to I
qualifier). The INTER argument adds a new option to the command
list:
C=COM/S,COMMAND
A new option has been added to the interactive mode which allows the
user to execute an AmigaOOS command either directly or through the
RUN command. This function can be useful when you are in the
directory of a data fIle you want printed. For example, you're in the S :
directory and you want to print out the Startup-sequence file.
Enter <C> or COM and press the <Return> key. Interactive mode
requests the command. Enter the following to print out the Startup-
sequence and continue in interactive mode:
Command ?:run type dfO:s/startup-sequence to prt:
27
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADQS INSIDE AND OUT
Do not use the diskette FORMAT command while in interactive mode;
no confrrrnation will be allowed.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
Operation is identical to Workbench 1.3.2, but the command has been
optimized for compactness and speed.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - , ~ ( ~ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
2.1.3 CD
Workbench 1.2 implementation:
Syntax:
Examples:
28
CD DIR
The CD (Change Directory) command allows you to move to directories
either above or below the current directory. Let's review the idea of a
tree structure used in disks. CD lets you move from your current
directory's location to another branch. Once you use the CD command,
the directory to which you move becomes the current directory.
The following command (CD without arguments) displays the current
directory:
CD
If you start ArnigaDOS immediately after startup, this response is the
disk drive specifier (e.g., Workbench 1.3, Workbench2.0, DFO :).
The following command makes the System directory the current
directory (if the System directory is immediately accessible):
CD System
Entering another CD without arguments displays the new current
directory (e.g., SYS: System, Workbench2. 0 : System).
All ArnigaDOS commands now refer to the current directory. For
example, if you enter DIR AmigaDOS displays the System directory
instead of the main directory.
There are two ways to display the S y stem directory from the main
directory. The first method displays the System directory's contents
and returns you to the main directory:
DIR DFO: system
ABACUS
The main
directory
/
Note:
Note:
1.1 DISK AND FILE MANAGEMENT
The second method changes the current directory to the System
directory and displays the directory's contents:
CD DFO:system
DIR
The second method doesn't automatically return you to the main
directory. You must use one of CD'S single-character arguments to
move up toward the main directory.
This character moves you one directory up in the hierarchy of
directories. Multiple slash characters move you up as many directories
as there are slashes. The following command moves you one directory
up (notice the space between the CD command and the I):
CD I
The following sequence moves you up two directory levels toward the
main directory (notice the space between the CD and the frrst I but no
space between the two slashes):
CD II
If you enter more slash characters than there are directory levels,
AmigaDOS responds with the message Can't find and the number
of slashes you entered.
This character moves you directly to the main directory when used in
conjunction with CD (notice the space between the CD and the colon):
CD:
There are some minor differences between the two arguments. When
AmigaDOS searches for a pathname using a disk name as the D I R
argument instead of a drive specifier (e.g., using CD Workbench:
instead of CD DFO:), AmigaDOS doesn't care which drive the disk is
in, as long as the disk is in one of the drives. If AmigaDOS cannot find
the disk name, it displays a requester asking you to insert the specified
disk in any drive.
AmigaDOS is extremely choosy about the way that it reads and accepts
filenames; it will not accept some characters in directory names or
filenames. For example, if you have a directory named Test Drawer
and you enter cd Test Drawer, the Amiga responds with the too
many arguments (or Bad arguments) error message, even if the
directory is available. AmigaDOS will not accept the space character.
There are three ways to avoid this problem: Rename the file to a single
word filename (e.g., TestDrawer); use the underscore character U to
separate the two words instead of a space (e.g., Test_Drawer); or
enclose the directory name in quotation marks when calling the CD
command (e.g., cd "Test Drawer"). The easiest method is to use
29
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
Example:
one word fllenames. The underscore character Shifted> minus sign)
allows you to separate words, making fllenames more readable.
Often you must specify the drive you want to access. For example, if
the disk in drive DFO: has the name My data and you want to get to
the main directory of that disk, all you have to do is enter the
following:
CD My_data
The following gives the same result, and is easier to remember than a
disk name:
CD DFO:
The latter example requires that you have the correct disk inserted in
drive DFO:-DOS will not look for a disk name unless you specify
one. Here lies the basic difference in the CD command, because while
CD DFO: automatically returns you to the main directory of the disk in
the internal disk drive, CD : always returns you to the main directory
of the currently active disk.
Drive DFO: contains a Workbench disk and drive DFl: contains a
disk named Work data which includes a file named Customers.
Entering the following changes to this directory:
CD DF1:Customers
Entering the CD command without arguments displays the following;
Work_ Data: Customers. When using the complete pathname the
disk can be put into any drive without further confusion. It is all the
same to the Amiga Now the difference between CD : and CD DF 0 :
becomes obvious: a CD : makes the main directory the current
directory, CD DFO: makes drive DFO: the main directory.
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Version 1.2 and Version 1.3 of this command are identical.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
30
Operation is identical to Workbench 1.3.2, but the command has been
optimized for compactness and speed. The command has also been made
an internal command.
ABACUS 2.1 DISK AND FILE MANAGEMENT
2.1.4 MAKEDIR
Workbench 1.2 implementation:
Syntax: MAKEDIR /A
This command performs the same function as the New Drawer item
in the window menu of Workbench 2.0. There you can make a new
drawer, name the new drawer whatever you want and drag files into the
new drawer. Workbench 1.3 users duplicated the Empty drawer to
create a new directory. An example of this is the Expansion drawer
on the Workbench disk. The greater the capacity a disk drive has, the
more powerful the MAKEDIR command becomes: The ability to create
directories on high-capacity hard disks is vital to keeping disks
organized. This command is used to keep a hard disk organized.
The MAKEDIR command is very easy to use. It requires only one path
statement, followed by a slash and a name for the new directory:
MAKEDIR DF1:System/Monitor
It is important that all of the paths specified in the command exist.
You cannot create more than one directory at a time.
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Version 1.2 and Version 1.3 of this command are identical.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
Syntax: MAKEDIR NAME/M
AmigaDOS 2.0 allows multiple arguments to be passed to the
MAKEDIR command. This allows the easy creation of multiple
(drawers) subdirectories. Multiple arguments must be separated by
spaces. If no arguments are passed to the command an error message,
No name given, is displayed.
31
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
2.1.5 DELETE
Workbench 1.2 implementation:
Syntax:
Note:
Wildcards
32
DELETE """'" ALL/S,Q=QUIET/S
This command removes unnecessary directories or files from a disk or
RAM disk. The following command deletes the Extra drawer
directory from the C directory on the disk in drive DFO:: -
DELETE DFO:C/Extra_drawer
AmigaDOS cannot delete a directory which still contains data. If you
try to delete a directory that still had files in it, AmigaOOS displays the
message Not Deleted: directory not empty. You must
move or delete these files before you can delete the directory.
Be very, very careful with the DELETE command; it's easy to delete
the wrong file. Unlike the Trashcan on the Workbench, once you
delete a file you can't get it back.
The Amiga wildcard is very useful with the DELETE command (see
Chapter 5 for more information). Like a wildcard in poker, the file
wildcard acts as a match for many files. This wildcard is made of two
characters-a number sign (#) and a question mark (?). The following
command deletes all the files beginning with test:
DELETE DFO:testf?
There's a second way of deleting more than one file. The DELETE
command evaluates a maximum of ten files separated from one another
by a single space:
DELETE DFO:Utilities/Notepad DFl:system/say.info
How can you squeeze ten path specifiers onto one line? You don't have
to. The cursor can move up to three screen lines for one command line.
You press the <Return> key when you're done entering data.
The QUIET argument keeps the file deletion process from appearing on
the screen. The following command deletes all the files and directories
from the ut i lit i e s directory in drive D FO:, then deletes the
directory itself without telling the user what it's doing:
DELETE DFO:Utilities ALL QUIET
ABACUS 2.1 DISK AND FILE MANAGEMENT
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Syntax: Version 1.2 and Version 1.3 syntaxes of this command are identical.
The new version of DELTE doesn't stop when an entry cannot be
found. The following command deletes the file t est 3 from drive
DFO:, even if AmigaDOS cannot find the file test2 on the disk:
delete dfO:testl dfO:test2 dfO:test3
The old version of the command would have deleted t est 1 and then
displayed an error message.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
Syntax:
2.1.6
DELETE FILE/M/A,ALL/S,QUIET/S,FORCE/S:
FILE/M allows multiple arguments to be included. In 1.3 commas
were used to signify multiple argument. Multiple arguments must be
separated by spaces. This has been updated in DOS 2.0, also the
number of arguments is unlimited in DOS 2.0.
FORCE IS allows the deletion of a file, even though it's in use; use
this with extreme caution.
COpy
Workbench 1.2 implementation:
Syntax:
COpy FROM,TO/A, ALL/S,QUIET/S
The COpy command is one of the most important and flexible
commands for manipulating files using AmigaDOS. This command
can copy a single piece of file or a complete directory on any device of
your choice that can receive data. Naturally it can also copy within a
disk drive. The command template reads:
FROM,TO/A,ALL/S,QUIET/S
The FROM argument represents a path description for the source data or
source file. Because an / A qualifier doesn't exist, there is no input
obligation. If the FROM description is wrong, then the actual directory
becomes the source file. The TO argument represents the destination
path for the copy operation. The description depends on the source data:
33
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
34
a) FROM refers to a single file
In this case the destination path can be any subdirectory you choose
within the device, or a device that you specify. It treats the destination
device as a drive, so the data is put in the desired directory under the
same name. The following example takes the file test from directory
C: of drive DFO: and creates a duplicate of the same name in the C:
directory of the RAM disk:
COPY DFO:C/test RAM:C
The C: directory must already exist in the RAM disk (see the
description of the MA KED I R command for details on making
directories). If there is already a fIle in the destination directory named
t est, AmigaDOS overwrites the fIle. AmigaDOS is consistent in
this: It overwrites an existing file without warning.
The following command copies the Startup-sequence script fIle
to a printer:
COPY DFO:S/Startup-sequence PRT:
If you want the copy to have a name other than the one already stated,
you have to specify that filename.
If a subdirectory with the same name already exists in this drawer, the
copy is placed under the old name, because in the input there isn't a
difference between drawers and data names. Here is an example:
COPY DFO:C/MAKEDIR RAM:MD
This copies the MAKEDIR command in the C: directory to the RAM
disk under the name MD. There cannot be an existing subdirectory in the
RAM disk named MD. If such a subdirectory already exists, then the
MAKEDIR command is stored under its default name in that directory.
Now we come to the second option of the FROM argument.
b) FROM refers to an entire drawer
The destination path must point to a directory onto which you want to
copy files. Unfortunately you cannot specify the printer as a destination
device. The COpy command cannot send multiple fIles to a printer.
Usually only the data in the drawer itself is copied. Subdirectories are
ignored. The command should include the subdirectories you want
copied as well. The following command copies the contents of drive
DFO: onto the hard drive (DUO:) into an existing directory named
Games:
COPY DFO: DHO:Games all
ABACUS 2.1 DISK AND FILE MANAGEMENT
The DISKCOPY command copies entire disks more efficiently than the
COpy command. However, using COpy brings a little order to the
disk. When files are edited they may become fragmented on a disk, this
means they are scattered over many different tracks. When copied with
the COpy command they are copied to the destination disk so they are
on tracks that are close to one another. Now the read head of the disk
drive does not have to move as far to access the file.
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Syntax:
COpy FROM,TO!A,ALL!S,QUIET!S,BUF=BUFFER!K,CLONE!S,DATE!S,
NOPRO!S,COM!S
When you want to copy data to a directory that doesn't exist on the
destination disk, the new version of the command creates a directory of
the same name on the destination disk. The source files are then copied
into this directory.
The new COpy command also allows you to print the contents of a
directory to a printer. This output may be distorted if the directory does
not contain only true ASCII data files.
Now we come to the added arguments mentioned in the command
template above:
The BUFFER (or BUF) argument allows the user to allocate a number
of 512 byte buffers to be used in the copying process.
The CLONE, DATE, NOPRO and COM arguments represent additional
information passed to the copy. The additional information that
AmigaDOS prepares for all files and directories state the date in which
the file was created, and the protection bits listed under the description
of the PROTECT command. Up to 80 characters of comments can be
added to a file.
The LIS T command allows you to see this information. This is
explained in the next section.
The CLONE argument copies the original file's creation date, protection
bits and comments to the new file.
The DATE argument copies the original me's creation date to the new
file.
The COM argument copies the original file's comments to the new file.
The NOPRO argument suppresses the protection bit information when
copying the new file.
3S
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
Example: The following command copies a data file named Te s t to the RAM
disk using the original fIle's creation date and comments. No protection
bits are passed to the new fIle:
COPY Test RAM: DATE COM NOPRO
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
Syntax:
2.1.7
COpy FROM/A/M,TO/A,ALL/S,QUIET/S,BUF=BUFFER/K/N,CLONE/S,
DATE/S,NOPRO/S,COM/S:
FROM/M allows multiple arguments to be included. Multiple
arguments must be separated by spaces. The number of arguments is
unlimited in AmigaDOS 2.0.
LIST
Workbench 1.2 implementation:
Syntax:
Names
Size/Dir
Protection
bits
36
LIST DIR,P=PAT/K,KEYS/S,DATES/S,NODATES/S,TO/K,S/K,
SINCE/K,UPTO/K,QUICK/S
The LIS T command lists important file information that the D I R
command doesn't show.
The LIST command displays the following information, filename or
directory name, size of fIle or directory, protection bits, date and time of
creation.
The fIlenames and directory names appeal on the screen in their order on
the disk. LIS T makes no distinction in names between files and
directories.
The next entry in the listing distinguishes files from directories.
Filenames list their file sizes in bytes; directories display the word D i r
in the location reserved for fIle sizes.
The next entry displays the protection bit status of each fIle. All the
file entries listed above contain four protection bits. Each protection bit
letter represents the following:
r (read) should allow reading of the fi l e
w (write) should allow writ i ng to the file
e (execute) should allow execution of the fil e
d (delete) allows entry to be deleted
ABACUS 2.1 DISK AND FILE MANAGEMENT
If one or more of the options is suppressed a dash appears in place of
that option. A file with the combination ewe- therefore cannot be
deleted. The remaining flags (ewe) acen't implemented at the time of
this writing. DOS leaves these flags alone.
The PROTECT command described later lets you change the status of
these flags.
Time & date The next two entries list the time and date when the file was first
created. These date entries always appear if you enter the correct date
with the Pre f ere nee s editor, or if you have an Amiga with a
battery-backup real-time clock.
Bottom line At the bottom of the list the number of files and the number of
directories on the disk appear, as well as the number of blocks
(1 block=512 bytes=O.5K) free on the disk.
The following command displays a list of files and directories contained
in the current directory of drive DFO: (the internal disk drive):
LIST DFO:
If the Workbench disk is in drive DFO: text similar to the following
appears on the screen.
Trashcan.info 1144 ----rwed 20-Jun-90 17:22:48
Trashcan Dir ----rwed 20-Jun-90 04:35:07
Rexxc Dir ----rwed 20-Jun-90 04:35:18
Wbstart up .info 824 ----rwed 20-Jun-90 17:22:47
Utilities. info 824 ----rwed 20-Jun-90 17:22:46
System. info 824 ----rwed 20-Jun-90 17:22:47
Shell.info 722 ----rwed 20-Jun-90 17:22:47
Prefs.info 1144 ----rwed 20-Jun-90 17:22:46
Expansion.info 824 ----rwed 20-Jun-90 17:22:46
.info 87 ----rwed 22-Mar-78 03:43:47
disk.info 388 ----rwed 20-Jun-90 17:36:37
Expansion Dir ----rwed 22-Mar-78 03:44:36
Libs Dir ----rwed 20-Jun-90 04 :35 : 53
WBStartup Dir ----rwed 20-Jun-90 04:35:57
Prefs Dir ----rwed 22-Mar-78 03:49:29
Fonts Dir ----rwed 20-Jun-90 04:36:45
C Dir ----rwed 04:33:37
Devs Dir ----rwed 20-Jun-90 04:33:54
S Dir ----rwed 20-Jun-90 04:34:01
L Dir ----rwed 20-Jun-90 04:34:07
Utilities Dir ----rwed 22-Mar-78 03:44:59
System Dir ----rwed 23-Mar-78 04:43:38
9 files - 13 directories - 40 blocks used
There's more to LIST than you might think. Invoking the command
template (LIS ?) displays the following:
37
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
DIR
PAT
KEYS
DATES
NODATES
TO
S
SINCE
UPTO
QUICK
38
DIR,P=PAT/K,KEYS/S,DATES/S,NODATES/S,TO/K,
S/K,SINCE/K,UPTO/K,QUICK/S
Don't panic! Most of the time all you'll ever need is the LIS T
command without arguments. Here's an overview of each argument:
The D I R argument lets you specify another directory (e.g., LIS T
RASM:C).
The PAT argument allows you to use patterns or wildcards. The
wildcard (t?) is extremely useful for finding selected entries (e.g.,
LIST PAT At? displays only the entries beginning with the letter A).
This argument returns the starting blocks of the selected programs on
the disk (only AmigaDOS "power users" will use the KEYS argument).
The DATES argument enables date display in the format DD-MMM-
YY (this output is the default for the List command).
The NODATES argument disables date display.
The TO argument specifies the file or device that should receive the
output (e.g., LIST DFO: TO PRT: sends the listing of DFO: to the
printer).
The S (substring) argument enables you to search for entries that are
arranged according to their substring. A substring is part of a name.
Chapter 3 lists details about the input #?subname#? in the Pat
option.
The SINCE argument displays all entries created since the specified
date. The specified date must be in DD-MMM-YY format, or stated as
the words YESTERDAY or TODAY.
The UP TO argument displays all entries created before the specified
date. The specified date must be in DD-MMM-YY format, or stated as
the words Yesterday or Today. The following example of SINCE
and UPTO includes the YESTERDAY specifier:
LIST SINCE 09-JUN-87 UPTO YESTERDAY
The QUI CK argument lists only the entry names, as well as the
number of blocks remaining.
The following command, which would be entered on one line in the
Amiga, searches for the C subdirectory in drive DFO: and looks for all
the commands that begin with C. The command then looks for all
entries created after September 10, 1986 and sends all these entries to
the printer (no dates appear on the printout):
ABACUS 2.1 DISK AND FILE MANAGEMENT
LIST DFO:C PAT Cf? NODATES TO PRT: SINCE
lO-SEP-89 UPTO TODAY
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Syntax:
BLOCK
NOHEAD
FILES
DIRS
LFORMAT
LIST DIR,P=PAT/K,KEYS/S,DATES/S,NODATES/S,TO/K,SUB/K,
SINCE/K,UPTO/K,QUICK/S,BLOCK/S,NOHEAD/S,FILES/S,
DIRS/S,LFORMAT/K
There are some very useful arguments added to this version. This
version also displayed any comments attached with the FILENOTE
command.
The BLOCK argument displays file sizes in disk blocks instead of
bytes.
The NO HEAD argument suppresses the display of directory names and
creation date. This argument always appears when the List command
is entered with a directory name (e.g., LI ST DF 0:). In addition,
NOHEAD disables the display of the closing line (xx files -yy
directories-zz blocks are used).
The FILES argument displays the filenames only.
The DIRS argument displays the directory names only.
The LFORMAT argument allows the formatting of List text for use as
script files. The output format specification follows the LFORMA T
argument enclosed in quotation marks:
LIST DFO: LFORMAT= .......
Any text can be used in the output format specification. When the
character string % s appears as the output format specification,
AmigaDOS inserts the current filename at that point. The following
example inserts the filenames listed in directory C: in the resulting
output:
Input:
LIST DFO:c LFORMAT="This is the %s command"
Output:
This is the Run command
This is the Fault command
This is the Install command
This is the Stack command
This is the Prompt command
This is the Else command
This is the Status command
This is the Ed command
This is the BindDrivers command
( ... )
39
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
40
The following use of the LFORMAT argument can be used to create a
script file that removes all of the d (delete) protection bits in drive
DFO:'s Text directory:
list >Script_file dfO:Text LFORMAT="protect 'lis -d"
The result could be something like this:
PROTECT Text 1 -d
-
PROTECT Text 2 -d
PROTECT Text 3 -d
PROTECT Letter 1 -d
-
PROTECT Letter 2 -d
This file can be executed directly using the EXECUTE Sc ri pt _file
command (see the description of the EXECUTE command).
The % s string can appear more than once in the output format
specification. If two % s are used the current filename appears in both
locations. When three of these strings are used, the second and third
occurrences display the filename while the first occurrence displays the
path of the specified directory. The following example creates a script
file that will copy a backup of the commands in the C: directory to the
directory named Directory:
Input:
LIST >Script_file c: LFORMAT="COPY 'lis's TO
directory/'s.BAK"
Output:
COPY c:RUN to directory/Run.BAK
COPY c:FAULT to directory/Fault.BAK
COPY c:INSTALL to directory/Install.BAK
COPY c:STACK to directory/Stack.BAK
COPY c:PROMPT to directory/Prompt.BAK
COPY c:ELSE to directory/Else.BAK
(. .. )
When four % s are used, the occurrences alternate between the specified
path description and filename.
The Version 1.3 List command still has more functions. The wildcard
features increased flexibility. It's now possible to use the wildcard with
the path description. The following example lists all the files in the C
directory beginning with the letter m:
LIST DFO:C/m#?
The Version 1.2 LIST command would display this message:
Can't examine "dfO:c/m#?": object not found
ABACUS
Protection
bits
2.1 DISK AND FILE MANAGEMENT
In addition to the existing rwed protection bits, Workbench 1.3 adds
three new protection bits: h (not implemented), s (Script), p (pure) and
a (Archive). See the description of the PROTECT command for details
about these protection bits.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
Syntax:
ALL
2.1.8
Syntax:
LIST DIR,P=PAT/K,KEYS/S,DATES/S,NODATES/S,TO/K,SUB/K,
SINCE/K,UPTO/K,QUICK/S,BLOCK/S,NOHEAD/S,FILES/S,
DIRS/S,LFORMAT/K,All/S
The ALL argument was added to this version:
The ALL argument displays all the directories and files on a disk. This
is very useful for creating printed listings of your disks contents.
RENAME
RENAME FROM/A,TO=AS/A:
This command assigns new names to a file. The command is useless
without arguments. It must have two paths:
1. the complete path description of the object to be renamed
2. the new pathname
This command appears to be very simple. The following changes the
filename My-text to the name Essay, keeping the file in the same
directory as before:
RENAME text/My-text text/Essay
Actually the RENAME command is much more flexible. The example
above is only a special case where the path stays the same. You can
also transfer data or directories within the disk data structure. For this
you must make another distinction:
1. The renamed object is a single data object
In this case the destination path out of the directory description must be
followed by a new name for the file. The following example places the
Format command located in the System directory into the C:
directory under the name Formatting:
RENAME DFO:System/Format DFO:c/Formatting
41
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
Example:
Note:
If there wasn't a C: drawer or if the command could not find the
FORMAT command, the following error message would appear:
Can't rename system/Format as c/Formatting
2. The renamed object is a drawer
If you only want to change a drawer name, use a simple RENAME. For
example:
RENAME DFO:Expansion DFO:Expan
You can even move a drawer to a different place in the disk data
structure.
Suppose you have a directory on disk named BAS IC which contains
the subdirectory PROGRAMS. In addition, a directory named GAMES
which contains a subdirectory named ADVENTURES exists in the main
directory. The following command places the entire GAME S directory
and its contents in the PROGRAMS directory:
RENAME DFO:GAMES to DFO:BASIC/ PROGRAMS/GAMES
You must specify the new directory' s name as well as the source direc-
tory's name. The TO argument can be omitted.
You cannot move a file or drawer from one disk drive to another using
RENAME. The following input is not permitted:
RENAME DFO:C/type RAM:type
Only the COpy command can perform this task.
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Version 1.2 and Version 1.3 of this command are identical.
There are no changes to the RENAME command. It is no longer
possible to have two files in the RAM disk with the same name due to
a better RAM handler.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
Syntax:
FROM
42
RENAME FROM/A/M,TO=AS/A, QUIET/S:
FROM/M allows multiple arguments to be included. Multiple
arguments must be separated by spaces. The number of arguments is
unlimited in AmigaDOS 2.0.
ABACUS
QUIET
2.1.9
1.1 DISK AND FILE MANAGEMENT
The name of the file being renamed is displayed on the screen, unless
you specify the QUIET option, which can be useful in script files.
DISECOPY
Workbench 1.2 implementation:
Syntax: DISKCOPY FROM/A,TO/A,NAME
The DISKCOPY command is the AmigaOOS equivalent of the Copy
item in the Icons pulldown menu (in 1.3 the Duplicate item in
the Workbench pulldown menu).
Unlike the COpy command, this produces a complete copy of the entire
disk. The following example copies a disk using only one drive:
DISKCOPY FROM DFO: TO DFO:
The TO argument is required; the FROM argument may be omitted.
If you are certain that the data on the destination disk is no longer
needed, press the <Return> key to begin the copy operation. You can
abort the copying process by pressing <Ctrl><C>:
*** BREAK
Disk Copy Abandoned.
Remember to insert original disk
Disk Copy Terminated
If you press <Ctrl><C> while the Amiga is writing to the destination
disk, not all of the information will be contained on the disk.
Remember to put the original disk in the drive after aborting.
In the Workbench a message may appear telling you the number of disk
changes you'll have to make during the copy process. It looks like this:
The Disk Copy will take 4 swaps ..
An Amiga 500 with 512K could copy a disk with just three disk
changes. The waiting time between disk changes can be bothersome.
This problem doesn't exist if you own an Amiga with two disk drives.
43
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
There are two differences between the Workbench Copy (1.3
Duplicate) item and the DISKCOPY command. First, the NAME
argument isn't always needed. This argument lets you assign a different
name to the destination disk from that of the source disk. The
following example copies the contents of drive DFO: into drive DFl:
then assigns the name Work 1.2 to the new disk (note the use of
quotation marks around the name because of the space between Work
and 1.2):
DI SKCOPY DRIVE DFO: TO DRIVE DF1: NAME "Work 1.2"
Second, OOS can tell the copy from the original every time from the
date and time of the copy operation.
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Version 1.3 added the Mul ti option to make multiple copies if
enough memory is available. NoVerify option was added since verify
is now automatically on. It also does single disk copies on lMEG chip
ram Amigas. The error messages have been improved.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
2.1.10
Version 2.0 and Version 1.3 of this command operate identically, the
new version has been optimized to operate faster.
RELABEL
Workbench 1.2 implementation:
Syntax:
44
RELABEL DRIVE/A,NAME/A
This command assigns a new name to a disk. The following line
changes the name of the disk in drive DFl: to Games:
RELABEL DF1: Games
There must be a space after the drive specifier. If the filename itself
contains a space (e.g., Test disk), you must enclose the filename
within quotation marks. The following example renames the disk in
drive DF2: to Test disk:
RELABEL DF2: "Test disk"
ABACUS 2.1 DISK AND FILE MANAGEMENT
The maximum length allowed for disk names is 30 characters. Longer
names can pose problems for the Workbench.
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Version 1.2 and Version 1.3 of this command are identical.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
2.1.11
Version 2.0 and Version 1.3 of this command operate identically, the
new version has been optimized for compactness and the error message
has been improved.
INFO
Workbench 1.2 implementation:
Syntax: INFO
The INFO command appears twice in this book: here and in Section
2.2. This version of the INFO command displays disk drive
information.
Entering this command without arguments displays information about
the currently connected drives. An example of this output follows:
Mounted disks:
Uni t Size Used Free
RAM: 30K 30 0
DFO: aaOK 1645 113
DF1: aaOK 534 224
Volume s Available:
Ram Disk [Mounted]
Workbench 2.0 [Mounted)
TextPro [Mounted)
Full Errs Status Name
100% 0 Read/Write Ram Di sk
93% 0 Read Workbench 2 .0
30% 0 Read/Wri te TextPro
The first section contains information about all the mounted
(connected) disk drives. The Unit category lists the drive specifier. The
S i z e category lists the disk capacity as specified in the Forma t
command. The Used and Free categories display the number of
blocks (1 block=O.5K; 2 blocks=lK) used and the number of blocks
still available. The Full category lists the percentage of the disk used.
A zero under the Err category means that no defective blocks (errors)
exist.
4S
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
The S tat u s category gives the position of the write protect on the
disk. The disk in drive 0 can only be read. The last category (Name)
displays the names of the respective disks.
The second section (Vol urnes Available) lists the names of the
disks so that you can check disk names without removing the disks
from the drives.
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Syntax: INFO DEVICE
The new INFO command includes the DEVICE argument. You can
receive information about the specified device only. The In f 0
command automatically reformats data for easily reading longer names
using a Tab function.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
2.1.12
Syntax:
Note:
46
Version 2.0 and Version 1.3 of this command operate identically, the
new version has been optimized for compactness and speed.
INSTALL
INSTALL DRIVE/A
The INSTALL command converts Amiga format disks to bootable
disks (Le., an installed disk can be used to boot up when you turn the
Amiga on). The Workbench disk is an installed disk.
The following example makes the formatted disk in drive DFO: into a
bootable disk by placing the boot block onto the disk:
INSTALL DFO:
You cannot make a hard disk drive into a bootable disk. KickStart 1.3
and KickStart 2.0, located in ROM on the Amiga 500 and 2000, lets
you boot from a hard disk without using an INSTALL command on
the hard disk (never use the INSTALL command on a hard disk).
If you install anew ly formatted disk then reset the Amiga immediately,
the system resets, stops and enters the CLIo There are a number of
reasons for this. A bootable disk looks for AmigaDOS commands-it
needs these commands to function. The trouble is, it doesn't know
where to search for these commands. You have to copy the essential
ABACUS 2.1 DISK AND FILE MANAGEMENT
directories on the Workbench disk onto the new disk. These directories
are:
C
L
System
Devs
S
Pref
Fonts
Libs
In addition, you would have to write a Startup sequence (see Chapter 6
for detailed infonnation about the Startup--sequence and script
files) to assign system directories within the disk.
The simplest solution to having a bootable disk is to copy the
Workbench disk using the DISKCOPY command. This copies the boot
block and all the necessary directories to the new disk. Then if you need
memory for other applications, delete the directories and files not needed
by the booting procedure.
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Syntax:
NOBOOT
CHECK
INSTALL DRIVE/A,NOBOOT/S,CHECK/S
The added arguments are NOBOOT and CHECK.
The NOBOOT argument makes a bootable disk non-bootable.
The CHECK argument examines the boot block and tells the user
whether the boot block has been damaged. This damage may have been
done by a computer virus. This virus is a program that loads into the
computer when the disk is accessed and copies itself onto any disks
placed in that drive while the computer is turned on. The virus can
cause extensive damage if the disk is used further.
A boot block virus cannot do anything to a non-system disk because it
has nothing to do with controlling the computer. The CHECK argument
displays the following message for non-bootable disks:
No bootblock installed
When the CHECK argument examines a boot disk with an intact boot
block, the message reads:
Appears to be normal Vl.2/Vl.3 bootblock
The CHECK argument displays the following message if the boot block
is corrupt or abnonnal:
47
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
May not be standard Vl.2/Vl.3 bootblock
There is a good possibility your computer has been infected by a virus
if the disk is one that you formatted. The results of viruses vary from a
message on the screen, to a Guru Meditation, to completely formatting
the hard disk. There are as many remedies as there are viruses.
We'll briefly describe one method to remove a virus from an infected
disk. Turn off the computer for at least five seconds using the main
power switch. Boot it with a disk that you know is not infected with a
virus. Because most users make a backup copy the first time they use
the new Workbench disk, the original disk will almost always work.
Start the Amiga with this disk and open a Shell window. Enter the
following command:
DIR >NIL: RAM:
COPY C:INSTALL RAM:
PATH RAM: ADD
Put the Workbench disk back in a safe place. Now check out all of your
disks for viruses, even if you only have one drive, using the INSTALL
DFO: CHECK command. The boot block can be installed by using
INSTALL DFO:, DON'T use this command on any commercial
software. When you have done this to all of your disks, you should
again have control of the boot blocks. Unfortunately this only takes
care of the simple viruses hiding in the boot blocks. Smart viruses
infect other parts of the disk (such as trackdisk.device). If you
think you have a smart virus or any of your commercial software disks
are infected contact your local dealer or a user's group as quickly as
possible-they may be able to help you.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
Syntax:
ROBOOT
48
INSTALL DRIVE/A,NOBOOT/S,CHECK/S,FFS/S
The added argument is FFS/S. The AmigaDOS version has also been
optimized for compactness and speed.
The FFS/S option is used when you want to use the disk with the
FastFileSystem.
ABACUS 2.1 DISK AND FILE MANAGEMENT
2.1.13 TYPE
Workbench 1.2 implementation:
Syntax: TYPE FROM/A,TO.OPT/K
The TYPE command displays ASCII files on the screen, to a device or
to a file. The following command displays the Startup-sequence
script file in the S subdirectory of the Workbench disk on the screen:
TYPE DFO:S/Startup-sequence
The output can be stopped temporarily by pressing any key. Pressing
the <Backspace> key continues the display. Pressing the <Ctrl> and
<c> keys aborts the display and returns to the DOS prompt (> 1).
Adding toP R T: sends the output to the printer. The following
example performs the same function as above except it sends the output
to a printer:
TYPE DFO:S/Startup-sequence TO PRT:
The data can also be redirected to other output devices. The following
example sends the Startup-sequence file to the T directory and
stores it under the name my text:
TYPE :S/Startup-sequence T/mytext
Adding the OP T N argument displays text with line numbers. This is
useful for viewing a BASIC program stored in ASCII format
The OPT H argument displays each word of the file being typed as a
hexadecimal number. OPT H is intended mainly for the true hacker. The
TYPE command is perfect for text output when the data doesn't contain
any control characters. If you try to TYPE a DOS command (e.g.,
TYPE C/TYPE) you'll get garbage on the screen. However, the TYPE
C/TYPE OPT H command organizes the screen into a table like this:
0000: 000003F3 00000000 00000002 00000000
0010: 00000001 0000004F 000001C4 000003E9
0020: 0000004F 286A0164 700C4E95 2401223C
0030: 00000095 49FAFFEE 286CFFFC 2FOC2F02
0
0 (j . dp. N. $ ,,<
1. .. ( I . . /. /.
On the far right we have our text displayed in ASCII. Each period
stands for a non-displayable character that AmigaDOS handles by
displaying a period.
49
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
The first column lists the hexadecimal line numbers. The middle
column displays the contents of the file using four long words. Each
long word is made up of four bytes, and each byte represents one
character, so each byte corresponds to a character on the right margin.
The I in the last line stands at the 52nd byte position (=3*16 +4). The
ASCII code that is associated with the text for an I reads: $49
($=hexadecimal) or 73 decimal (4* 16 +9).
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Syntax:
Version 1.2:
Version 1.3:
TYPE FROM/A,TO,OPT/K,HEX/S,NUMBER/S
The options OPT H and OPT N arguments can also be accessed using
the HEX and NUMBER arguments without the opt argument. For
example:
TYPE S:Startup-sequence OPT N
TYPE S:Startup-sequence NUMBER
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
2.1.14
so
Version 2.0 and Version 1.3 of this command operate identically, the
new version has been optimized for compactness and speed.
JOIN
Syntax:
JOIN """"""",AS/A/K
The JOIN command lets you concatenate (join) up to fifteen files to
create one new file.
The fifteen commas in the command template represent the maximum
fifteen source files. The AS argument must follow. Then follows the
path description for the concatenated file (I A). The simplest form of the
JOIN command can simulate the basic function of the Type
command. By placing an asterisk behind the command you specify the
source data and J 0 I N displays it on the screen. The following
demonstration displays the text of the startup sequence on the screen:
JOIN DFO:S/Startup-sequence AS *
There is no argument available to let us print multiple files at one
time. The copy command accepts the wildcard, but that really doesn't
allow more data to be accessed. The JOIN command makes it possible
ABACUS 2.1 DISK AND FILE MANAGEMENT
to print out 15 data files right after each other. The following prints
text files textl through text 5:
JOIN textl text2 text3 text4 as prt:
The JOIN command also has something to offer the compiled language
programmer. If you run out of room using your editor, this command
allows you to concatenate separate files into one file before compiling.
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Syntax: JOIN """"""",AS=TO/K
The JOIN command now understands the TO argument as well as the
AS argument
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
Syntax:
2.1.15
JOIN FILE/M,AS=TO/K/A
FILE/M allows multiple arguments to be included. Multiple arguments
must be separated by spaces. The number of arguments is unlimited in
AmigaOOS 2.0. The new version has been optimized for compactness
and speed.
SEARCH
Workbench 1.2 implementation:
Syntax:
FROM
SEARCH
SEARCH FROM,SEARCH/A,ALL/S
The SEARCH command lets you look for data using a character string.
If AmigaOOS fmds the character string it displays the name of the file
in which the string is located, followed by the line number and the line
that contains the string.
The FROM argument represents the complete path specification of a
directory and a single data item. If the FROM argument is omitted. the
command looks in the current directory.
The SEARCH argument must precede the search string:
SEARCH SEARCH "Goodness gracious"
51
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
Wildcards
The SEARCH command searches the current directory for the words
"Goodness gracious". Quotation marks must surround any string
containing a space. SEARCH makes no distinction between uppercase
letters and lowercase letters. If you want to search all subdirectories you
can direct the SEARCH command to do so.
Like the LIST command, this command allows you to complete the
pathname using wildcards. The following command searches for all
files in a subdirectory starting with three letters:
SEARCH DFO:C?/t? SEARCH window
This would find all the files starting with C in any directories
containing one letter names, containing the word "window."
Like all of the AmigaDOS commands, the SEARCH command can be
stopped by pressing <Ctrl><C>. When searching all the directories,
pressing <Ctrl><D> moves AmigaOOS to the next file.
When AmigaOOS returns the message Line x truncated, the lines
in the file being searched are too long (this happens often).
The SEARCH command is very helpful to the C programmer. The
command can quickly fmd the desired include directories.
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Syntax:
NONUM
QUIET
QUICK
FILE
S2
SEARCH FROM,SEARCH/A,ALL/S,NONUM/S,QUIET/S,QUICK/S,FILE/S
The 1.3 SEA R C H command replaces the message Lin e x x
truncated with Warning: line xx too long. In case the
search operation comes up empty (null), ArnigaDOS returns error code
5. The error code can be analyzed in a script file (see Chapter 6).
There are four new arguments:
The NONUM argument suppresses line number output when the search
finds multiple items. The text found appears at the left margin of the
screen for easy readability.
The QUIET argument searches files without output.
The QUI CK argument displays the filenames being searched next to one
another instead of under one another. A new directory begins a new
line.
The FILE searches for a specific filename instead of a string.
ABACUS 2.1 DISK AND FILE MANAGEMENT
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
Syntax:
FILE
PATTERN
2.1.16
SEARCH FROM/M/A,SEARCH/A,ALL/S,NONUM/S,QUIET/S,
QUICK/S,FILE/S,PATTERN/S
The new version has been optimized for compacbless and speed. Two
new arguments have been added, Fll..E/M and PA TIERN/S
FILE/M allows multiple arguments to be included. Multiple arguments
must be separated by spaces. The number of arguments is unlimited in
AmigaDOS 2.0.
PA lTERN/S allows pattern matching to be used in searches.
SORT
Workbench 1.2 implementation:
Syntax: SORT FROM/A,TO/A,COLSTART/K
The SORT command sorts (alphabetizes) text files.
The arguments are as follows:
FROM The FROM argument specifies the pathname of the file to be sorted.
Because this cannot be a directory, an additional input is necessary
(fA).
T 0 The TO argument specifies the destination of the sorted data. Here a
pathname or device name must be given. The FROM data isn't really
changed. If you want output on the screen, for example, you must enter
the * character. Using the PRT: device directs the sorted output to the
printer.
COLSTART The COLSTART argument specifies the column at which the sorted
output should start. For example, if you reserve 10 places for first
names and a certain number of places for last names the following sorts
the last names starting at the tenth column:
SORT FROM fred TO ned COLSTART 11
If you omit the COLSTART argument the sorting begins at the first
column.
S3
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Version 1.2 and Version 1.3 of this command are identical.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
Syntax:
CASE
NUMERIC
2.1.17
SORT FROM/A, TO/A, COLSTART/K, CASE/S,NUMERIC/S:
The new version has been optimized for compactness and speed. Two
new arguments have been added, CASEI S and NUMERIC I S .
When CASEls is specified the sort is case sensitive.
NUMERIC/S allows numeric sorts.
PROTECT
Workbench 1.2 implementation:
Syntax:
S4
PROTECT FILE/A, FLAGS:
The PROTECT command lets you set a single protection bit (see
Section 2.1.8 for a detailed description of the four protection bits).
r Read-the file can be read
w Write-the file can be written to
e Execute-an 'execute' is allowed
d Delete-an entry can be deleted
The delete bit can be activated from DOS. This bit acts like the write
protect on disks, except the delete bit guards an individual file from
deletion instead of the entire disk. The following command sets the
delete bit on the Let ters directory in drive DFl::
PROTECT DF1:Letters
Files inside directories can be protected by activating their own d e ~ e t e
bits. The following example sets the delete bit in the In vi tat ion s
file contained in the Letters directory:
PROTECT DF1:Letters/Invitations rwe
If you view a protected file using the LIS T command, the protection
bits appear as four hyphens. These hyphens indicate that the file can no
longer be accessed. Any attempt to erase the file returns an error code.
The protection can be removed using the FLAGS argument. The
ABACUS 1.1 DISK AND FILE MANAGEMENT
following command enables all four protection bits in the Invitations
file:
PROTECT DF1:Letters/lnvitations rwed
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Syntax:
h(idden)
s(cript)
p(ure)
a (rchive)
PROTECT FILE/A,FLAGS,ADD/S,SUB/S
Workbench 1.3 adds four new protection bits to the PROTECT
command:
h (Hidden)-controls visibility of certain file entries
s (Script)-controls starting script files w/o Execute
p (Pure)-controls program loading using Resident
a (Archived)-controls file copying (Kickstart 1.3)
When using Workbench 1.3/Kickstart 1.2 to start your Amiga you
must pay particular attention to the p and s flags.
The hidden protection bit suppresses the entry of the respective files
in the directory. For example, the .info files responsible for the icon
on the Workbench disk can be made invisible in the directory list.
Larger directories can be made more readable using this method.
The script protection bit deals with script files. When the script flag
is positive (set), the script file can be started from a shell. It is not
necessary to enter the Execute command to invoke a script file
anymore. A set script flag automatically calls an Execute
command.
The pure protection bit allows the associated program to be loaded
using the Resident command. By doing this it is always ready for
the user and it also doesn't have to be loaded from the drive anymore.
The pure protection bit is necessary because not every program has
the qualities needed for using the Re side n t command. More
information about the Resident command can be found in Chapter
4.
The a rchi ve protection bit controls the option of copying files under
Kickstart 1.3. The Copy command only copies files that have negative
(unset) a rchi ve protection bits. A file with a posiiive (set)
archive protection bit is said to be archived. The archive
protection bit changes to negative when you write to the file. A new
archi ve protection bit must be set
One practical application: When you work with the RAM disk, you can
activate a script file as a background process that can save all modified
data on a disk. When you place the commands Copy, wai t and
Execute in working memory, the disk drive eventually performs a
save operation. The following file acts as a script file to do just this:
55
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
wait 5 min
copy ram:i? to dfO:
execute BACKUP SCRIPT
This script file also functions under Kickstart 1.2. The complete
contents are saved whether the RAM disk has been written to in the last
five minutes or not
The ADD and SUB arguments make individual protection bits positive
or negative. These are the equivalents of adding + and - to change
protection bit status. The following examples show how ADD and SUB
work:
SUB
Status before ----rwed
Input protect file d sub
Status after ----rwe-
ADD
Status before ----rwe-
Input protect file d add
Status after ----rwed
The ADD and SUB options can be replaced by plus and minus signs.
The input is simplified this way:
Status before ----rwed
Input protect file -w
Status after ----r-ed
+
Status before ----r-ed
Input protect file +w
Status after ----rwed
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
Syntax:
ALL
QUIET
S6
PROTECT FILE,FLAGS,ADD/S,SUB/S,ALL/S,QUIET/S
The new version has been optimized for compactness and speed. Two
new arguments have been added, ALL/ S and QUIET / S.
When All / S is used aU protection bits can be cleared.
The QUI ET argument does not display the filename of the files being
accessed. This can be useful in script files.
ABACUS
2.1.18
Syntax:
:1.1 DISK AND FILE MANAGEMENT
FILENOTE
FILENOTE FILE/A, COMMENT/A
The F I LENOTE command allows you to place up to 79 characters of
comments in a file or place a comment about the version number in a
program. You can read the comments later using the LIST command.
The text appears on a separate line. A colon at the beginning of the line
indicates that it is a comment. For example:
FlLENOTE C/FILENOTE "This command lets you add 80 characters to files ' "
The quotation marks must surround any text containing spaces. If the
LIST command is used on the C/FILENOTE me, this is the result
c/filenote 700 rwed 20-Jun-90 23:30:19
: This command lets you add 80 characters to f i les!
Two final observations about the FILENOTE command: Comments
inserted using FILENOTE don't copy using the COpy command. In
addition, if the destination file already exists, the comments in the
destination file remain intact.
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Version 1.2 and Version 1.3 of this command are identical.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
Syntax:
ALL
QUIET
FILENOTE FILE/A,COMMENT/A,AII/S,QUITE/S
The new version has been optimized for compactness and speed. Two
new arguments have been added, ALL/ S and QUIET / S.
When All / S is used all comments can be cleared.
The QUIET argument does not display the filename of the files being
accessed. This can be useful in script fIles.
57
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
2.1.19
Syntax:
FILE
DATE
TIME
Note:
SETDATE
SETDATE FILE/A, DATE, TIME
This command makes it possible to store the correct date entry of files.
This is useful for Amiga users who have battery-powered real-time
clocks in their Amigas; the time is set without using the
Preferences editor.
The FILE argument represents the path description of the directory/file.
The specified file must be found and in the same format as it appears in
the LIST command.
The DATE argument represents the current date. If the old date is only
within a week of the current date, then you can enter the current day' s
name for the DATE argument, as shown in the following example:
SETDATE text/Letter Saturday
The command sets the date correctly by itself. The correct date can even
be set by using the word yesterday as the DATE argument. These
words appear in the listing executed by the LIS T command. If you
want to pre-date something (assign a future date), the LIST command
shows the word fut ure for any future datings.
The TIME argument sets the current time. When the time setting is
correct, then the entire date description appears. If you do not set the
time, the time automatically sets to 00:00.
Date settings before January 2, 1978 are usually not shown. When this
occurs, two empty spaces appear in the LIST display.
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Version 1.2 and Version 1.3 of this command are identical.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
Syntax:
ALL
58
SETDATE FILE/ A, DATE , TIME,Al l /S :
The new version has been optimized for compactness and speed. A new
argument has been added, ALL/ S.
When ALL/ S is used all dates can be set to TODAY.
ABACUS 2.1 DISK AND FILE MANAGEMENT
2.1.20 CISKCOCTOR
Workbench 1.2 implementation:
Syntax:
Error
messages
DISKDOCTOR DRIVE/A
The DISKDOCTOR attempts to save data on disks that have read/write
errors or possible data corruption in general.
The DRIVE argument represents the disk drive specifier (e.g., DFO:,
DF1:, etc.). The following example invokes the DISKDOCTOR and
examines the disk: in DF1: (the fust external disk drive on an Amiga
1000 or 5(0):
DISKDOCTOR DF1:
The following messages that are displayed by DISKDOCTOR during
execution are documented in the following section.
DiskDoctor cannot run in the background
This is displayed when you try starting DISKDOCTOR as a background
process using the Run command. DISKDOCTOR can only be executed
directly (without Run).
Unknown device xxx
This occurs when the description of a device name that DOS doesn't
know is entered (xxx stands for the device name).
Not enough memory
DISKDOCTOR needs more memory than the system can allocate. Hint:
Close all unnecessary windows and/or end all other running programs.
This message also appears when you try to use DI SKDOCTOR on a
device other than a disk drive (printer, serial device, etc.).
Device xxx not found
DiskDoctor cannot fmd the desired device. This error almost never
occurs with normal 3.5" drives because of the trackdisk. device
found in ROM (in WOM for the Amiga 1000). This error is usually a
result of a device name entry error in the Mount list for unusual drives
(e.g., 5.25"). By using a special disk drive the error message appears
when the device is not found in the Mount list.
S9
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
Unable to open disk device
The disk device was found, but it cannot be opened
Unexpected end of file
DOS handles the file with a great amount of redundancy. The advantage
of this redundancy is that it's easier to reconstruct this file if the file
somehow becomes damaged. This error message occurs when the file is
shorter than is declared in the file header.
Error: Unable to access disk
This occurs when the drive is unable to respond (e.g., no disk in the
drive).
Disk must be write enabled
Write protects prevent writing to the disk. Because DISKDOCTOR
wants to write to the disk, write protects must be set to write enable
(no hole in the write protect area).
Unable to read disk type - formatting track zero
DISKDOCTOR cannot read the disk type from track zero, sector zero. It
reformats that track and sector.
Track zero failed to format - Sorry!
There is a good chance of a defect on track zero of the disk when this
message appears. There may be a problem with the drive itself (read!
write head is incorrectly positioned) if this happens frequently with
other disks.
Unable to write to root - formatting root track
DISKDOCTOR cannot rewrite the track on which the root block
appears. This root block acts as the reference point of all the disk
directories. DI SKDOCTOR tries to format the track (track 40, side 0)
and install the disk. Because the name of the disk is found on this track,
DiskDoctor assigns the name Lazarus to the disk.
Root track failed to format - Sorry!
The root track cannot be formatted. The disk cannot be rescued.
Cannot write root block - Sorry!
60
The root block cannot be written. DISKDOCTOR can't do anything
about it.
ABACUS 2.1 DISK AND FILE MANAGEMENT
Warning: File xxx contains unreadable data
The specified file (xxx) cannot be reconstructed fully and doesn't
contain any readable data. You may be able to salvage some of this data
using a disk monitor. In most cases, the file must be erased by
answering Yes to the "Delete corrupt files in directory
yyy?" prompt.
Attention: Some file in directory xx is unreadable and has
been deleted
DISKDOCTOR has taken the initiative and erased a file because too
much information was missing for reconstruction.
Failed to read key
A block cannot be read
Failed to rewrite key
A block cannot be rewritten
Warning: Loop detected at file xx
Normally, a file stands at a single block together with a block pointer
that connects it to the rest. This error message means that the given file
has a loop in the connection. A file block loops back to a block that
has already been read. The read operation of the file may never have
ended because the same data was being read all the time.
Parent of key xx is yy which is invalid
A block exists which is not connected to the list because the operating
block is useless.
Hard error Track xx
Track number xx cannot be read either because it was incorrectly
formatted or because of mechanical failure. The problem may be caused
by the reconstruction of some files or directories.
Key xx now unreadable
The block with the number xx is no longer readable.
Replacing dir xx
The given directory can be reconstructed and is now being integrated
into the directory structure of the disk.
Inserting dir xx
The given directory can be reconstructed and is now being entered in the
main directory of the disk.
61
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
Replacing file xx
The given file can be reconstructed and is now being entered into the
original directory.
Inserting file xx
The given file can be reconstructed and is now being entered into the
main directory of the disk.
Now copy files to a new disk and reformat this disk
This is the closing message of DISKDOCTOR. All rescued files and
directories can now be copied to a new disk. Then the defective disk
should be refonnatted.
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
DISKDOCTOR can also be used for reconstructing the recoverable
RAM disk.
The use of the Version 1.2 and 1.3 DISKDOCTOR are identical. The
1.3 program has been enhanced and updated.
Workbench 1.3.2 implementation:
Diskdoctor V1.3.4 corrected the out of memory error message and now
uses BufMemType so it will work with large hard drives.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
Syntax:
62
DISKDOCTOR DRIVE/A
The new version has been optimized for compactness and speed. You
can use DISKDOCTOR on standard and FastFileSystem diskettes. The
DosType keyword in the MountList must be set to Ox444f5301 to use
DISKDOCTOR on FastFileSystem diskette! Never use DISKIX>CTOR
on a FastFileSystem diskette if the DosType keyword is not set
correctly.
ABACUS
2.1 DISK AND FILE MANA,GEMENT
2.1.21 DISKCHANGE
Workbench 1.2 implementation:
Syntax: DISKCHANGE DEV/A
This command deals only with material for Amiga owners who use
5 1/4" disk: drives or removable media drives. These drives, unlike the
3.5" drives, don't come with DOS already on them. In this case, the
DI SKCHANGE command is given, followed by the name of the given
device (the DEV argument). After that the new disk: can be selected.
This command can also be used to inform WorkBench of a name
change to a floppy diskette using the RELABEL command.
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Version 1.2 and Version 1.3 of this command are identical.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
Syntax: DI SKCHANGE DRI VE/ A
Version 2.0 and Version 1.3 of this command 'are identical. The new
version has been optimized for compactness and s p e e d ~
63
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
2.2
2.2.1
System Commands
The following section describes system commands, including the
commands that are related to the AmigaDOS Shell itself.
NEweLI
Workbench 1.2 implementation:
Syntax: NEweLl WINDOW, FROM
Multitasking The NEWCLI command gives the Amiga user access to multitasking.
64
CLI stands for Command Line Interface. Multitasking allows different
programs to run at almost the same time. For example, you can print a
letter while fonnatting a new disk.
The command runs alternating tasks, not parallel tasks (that's why the
word almost). This is something like the digital readout on a clock
radio. The numerals on a clock light up one after another, not all at
once. The rapid rate at which they change fools the eye into thinking
the numbers are lit simultaneously.
The NEWCLI command makes it possible to add a running task. After
entering the command, another AmigaDOS window appears. In 1.2 it
is named after the current task (e.g., NEWCLI task 2), in 2.0 it is
named AmigaShel1. The Amiga can have more than one CLI window
open at a time.
However, work can only be done in one window at a time. You can, for
example, enter FORMAT DRIVE DFO: NAME Empty in the original
CLI window, then click on the new window and enter DIR DF1: to
see the contents of the disk in the external drive.
There is a disadvantage to multitasking: Each additional task increases
the risk of errors. See the chapter on AmigaDOS and Multitasking for
more information about multitasking.
Finally, we'll describe the parameters allowed in the NEW C L I
command. First, NEWCLI can open a window in the size and title
specified by the user. The following command creates a window named
Amiga with a width of 250 pixels and height of 100 pixels, with the
ABACUS
FROM
1.2 SYSTEM COMMANDS
upper left corner of the window starting at X -coordinate 50 and
Y <OOrdinate 70:
NEW CON:50/70/250/100/Arniga
This option works best when using the command in conjunction with a
Startup-sequence script me.
If the size input is missing, the CLI creates a window the full width
and half the height of the normal screen or one quarter of an interlaced
screen.
With the addition of the FROM argument and the name of a script me,
the NEweLI command can automatically call a new eLI and execute a
script me. If the script file is in a drawer the complete pathname must
be specified. An example:
NEWCLI FROM S/Copies
In this example the script file named Copie s in the S: directory
executes, before you can work with the new CLI.
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
NEWS HELL
Resident
commands
supported
Every time the NEweLl command is called it executes a script me
named eLI-Startup, which is in S: directory on the Workbench
disk. The only command contained in this file is the P ROMP T
command, which creates the OOS prompt for the neweLl.
The NEweLl command has become obsolete with AmigaDOS 1.3. In
the C: directory on the new Workbench disk there is a new command
called NEW SHE L L. This command creates a window port to
AmigaDOS that has many advantages over the eLI.
Many of these additions can only be used when the shell segment is
resident in Amiga RAM before calling the NEWSHELL command. The
command reads:
RESIDENT CLI l:SHELL-SEG SYSTEM pure
This command is automatically executed when the computer is fIrst
turned on so that you don't have to bother with it The Shell window
has the following advantages:
AmigaDOS now contains a RESIDENT command that can load most
of the commands into working memory so they do not have to be
loaded from disk. These commands are then ready for use by the user. It
is covered in detail in the More AmigaDOS Commands chapter.
Calling resident commands is only possible through the Shell. In a
typical AmigaDOS window such a command is loaded from the disk.
65
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
Command
synonyms
allowed
66
It's often a good idea to give your AmigaDOS commands shorter
names using Rename. There are disadvantages to this. Rename the
Fault command, which is found in the C directory, to FT (RENAME
C: FAULT AS C: FT). The FAULT command can be used to view the
text of an error message. For example, if FT 103 is entered, Fa ul t
103: insufficient free store is displayed (in 2.0 Faul t
103: not enough memory available is displayed).
Try to erase your AmigaDOS command directory using DELETE C.
This can't be done because the directory is not empty. The error
message Not Deleted-directory not empty is displayed,
which is FAULT 216. AmigaOOS also makes use of the AmigaOOS
commands.
NEWSHELL allows you to call any command by another name. The
syntax for this reads:
ALIAS Newname originalname
Newname stands for any character string without spaces that can be
used to call that command. originalname is the name of the
command that should be executed by using the new name. When
AmigaOOS finds a name at the beginning of a line for which such a
relationship exists, this name is replaced by the related command. All
other input remains unchanged. For example:
ALIAS D DIR
The D I R command can be called by entering a D followed by a
<Return>. The relationship between the shortened version and the
normal command is not stored on disk but in a table that is controlled
from AmigaOOS.
The description of the original command is not limited to a single
word. You can build your own command using ALIAS if you use the
same options with a command all of the time:
ALIAS s-up RUN ED S:Startup-sequence
Now you can load the Startup-sequence into ED for editing by entering
S-UP.
Unfortunately the relationships are lost when the computer is turned
off. For this reason a script file can be created so that any number of
ALIAS relationships can automatically be established. This file is
found in directory S: of the Workbench disk and is called
Shell-Startup. All entered relationships are valid in each new
AmigaOOS window.
A list of the current relationships can be obtained by entering just the
word ALIAS.
ABACUS
Output of
current path
Direct
calling of
script files
2.2 SYSTEM COMMANDS
In the AmigaDOS Shell, the prompt represents the actual directory
path. This indicates at which branch of the directory tree you stand. The
current path can be read by entering CD. Making your own prompt is
discussed under the description of the PROMPT command.
Usually only object programs can be started directly from AmigaDOS.
For example, if you try to start a script file by entering its name, the
error message Unable to load xxx: file is not an object
module (xxx stands for the filename) appears. Script files can be
started using the EXECUTE command.
Script flags allow access to a script file without the EX E CUT E
command. DOS recognizes the flag, knows it's dealing with a script
file and automatically calls EXECUTE. The command for setting the
flags reads: PROTECT Filename +s (see PROTECT).
When script files are started in this manner a script file with the name
Shell-Startup is called by NEWSHELL. This file is found in the
S: directory of the Workbench disk.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
2.2.2
The NEWS HELL windows of AmigaDOS 2.0 now contains a close
gadget. The NEWCLI command is now the same as the NEWS HELL
command; a Shell window will be opened, not a simple CLI window.
The command was also optimized for compactness and speed. It was
also made an internal command.
Further information on the NEWSHELL command can be found in the
More AmigaDOS Commands chapter.
ENDCLI
Workbench 1.2 implementation:
Syntax: ENDCLI
This command closes the current eLI window task started from the
Workbench or with NEWCLL A second CLI cannot be closed from the
fIrst CLI window. If a CLI which was started by using RUN ends, the
CLI ends before the process is ended; the window remains open for
output from the currently running task. When the last task ends; the
window closes.
67
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
Note: If the Workbench is not already loaded and you enter ENDCLI , the
Workbench screen appears without icons or a menu bar (you won't
have access to the Workbench). Enter the LOADWB command, then
enter ENDCLI to exit to the Workbench.
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
There is no such command as ENDSHELL; Shell can be ended using
ENDCLI. Some versions of the Shell-Startup script file contain
the statement ALIAS ENDCLI so that Shell will accept the
ENDSHELL command.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
2. 2. 3
ENDCLI is synonymous with ENDS HELL; this was done to keep
compatibility with earlier versions of AmigaDOS.
RON
Workbench 1.2 implementation:
Syntax :
68
RUN PROGRAM NAME
This command executes a program or AmigaDOS command while
allowing access to a program running in the background and the current
AmigaDOS task. Any output from the RUN command appears in the
AmigaDOS window which started the task. The example below prints
three files named letterl, letter2 and letter 3 and then
displays the RAM disk directory:
RUN C/JOIN Letterl Letter2 Letter3 TO PRT:
DIR RAM:
The JOIN command sends the multiple letters to the printer. The RUN
command starts the first task and immediately frees up the computer to
display the RAM disk contents.
There is an alternative to using J 0 I N to print the three letters.
AmigaDOS accepts the plus sign (+) character followed by the
<Return> key as a specifier for multiple commands. The following
example performs the same task as the example listed above:
RUN TYPE Letterl to PRT : +
TYPR Letter2 to PRT : +
TYPE Letter3 t o PRT:
ABACUS
2.2 SYSTEM COMMANDS
The entire command group executes as a background process as soon as
you press the <Return> key following the last line (the line without
"+").
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
It should be possible to leave the AmigaDOS She 11 used to start a
task by using END C L I, but also without closing the window
eventually used for output.
The following command creates a background process that writes the
entire contents of the disk in drive DFO: to a flle named List:
RUN >List DIR DFO: OPT A
It should be theoretically possible to leave the Shell using ENDCLI
and close the window while the D I R command continues to work. It
doesn't work that way; the device receives an EOF (end of file)
command character. The number of the task (e.g., CLI [2]) is given
to the device.
To allow the closing of the She 11 while the running process
continues, redirect the output to NIL: using the > redirection symbol.
Our sample file displays the task number instead of the disk directory,
if the command TYPE Li s t is used.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
2.2.4
The RUN command was optimized for compactness and speed. It was
also made an internal AmigaDOS command.
STATUS
Workbench 1.2 implementation:
Syntax: STATUS PROCESS,FULL/S,TCB/S,CLI =ALL/S
This command displays all the information available about the
AmigaOOS tasks running at that particular time. If you enter STATUS
without parameters, or if you enter STATUS all, AmigaOOS displays
the names of the individual tasks. The following example is a response
to STATUS ALL:
69
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
PROCESS
TCB
FULL
Task 1: Loaded as command: status
Task 2: Loaded as command: beckertext
In this case, because the BeckerText program was started from
AmigaDOS using RUN, it is assigned task number two.
The PROCESS argument specifies the correct task number for
additional information about the task. Entering Status 2 would only
show the second line of the above output.
The TCB argument produces more information about the individual
Tasks Control Block. Entering Status TCB for the above data would
return the following:
Task 1: stk 1600, gv 150, pri 0
Task 2: stk 3200, gv 150, pri 0
The information following the task number has the following meaning:
stk Processor stack size of this task
gv Global vector table width
pri Specified task's priority (values range from -128 to +127)
The FULL argument displays complete information about tasks.
Status full displays the following for the above example:
Task 1: stk 1600, gv 150, pri 0 Loaded as command: status
Task 2: stk 3200, gv 150, pri 0 Loaded as command: textpro
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Syntax:
70
PROCESS,FULL/S,TCB/S,CLI=ALL/S,COM=COMMAND/K
The 1.3 STATUS command gives negative priorities correctly. In
addition, the new STATUS includes the COM=COMMAND/K argument.
This argument helps the user determine if a specific program exists in
the current task. The user must enter STATUS COM and the name of the
task. The following example searches for a task named TextPro and
displays the corresponding process number:
STATUS COM TEXTPRO
No other output occurs. If the process doesn't exist, the condition flag
is set to 5 (=W ARN). If the task is found, the shell number is output
and the condition flag is set to O. This argument is especially helpful in
script files for seeing if a background task is running.
ABACUS
2.2 SYSTEM COMMANDS
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
Syntax:
2.2.5
Syntax:
PROCESS/N,FULL/S,TCB/S,CLI=ALL/S,COM=COMMAND/K
Operation is identical to Workbench 1.3, but the PROCESS argument
is specified as numeric. The command has also been optimized for
compactness and speed.
CBANGETASKPRI
CHANGETASKPRI PRI/A
This command changes the current CLI task's priority. Each task in
the Amiga has a given priority. This value can range from -128 to
+ 127. The following example sets the priority of the current task to 5:
CHANGETASKPRI 5
Entering STATUS FULL after the above CHANGETASKPRI command
will display a message similar to the following, depending on which
tasks are running your computer:
Task 1: stk 1600, gv 150, pri 5 Loaded as command: status
Task 2: stk 3200, gv 150, pri 0 Loaded as command: textpro
H the input is out of the allowed range, the following appears:
Priority out of range (-128 to +127)
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Syntax: CHANGETASKPRI PRI/A,PROCESS/K
The PROCESS /K argument allows the user to change the priority of
any process. You must enter the process number following the
PROCES S argument. The following example changes process number
4 to a priority of -5:
changetaskpri Pri -5 Process 4
This option is very useful in case you have started a printing operation
as a background process and want to slow down this task so your other
tasks are done more quicldy. CHANGETASKPRI lets you lower the
priority of the printing task, freeing up time for other tasks to execute.
71
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
Syntax:
2.2.6
CHANGETASKPRI PRI=PRIORITY/A/N,PROCESS/K/N
Operation is identical to Workbench 1.3, but the PRIORITY and
PROCESS arguments are specified as numeric. The command has also
been optimized for compactness and speed.
BREAK
Workbench 1.2 implementation:
Syntax:
PROCESS
C,D,E,F
72
BREAK PROCESS/A,ALL/S,C/S,D/S,E/S,F/S
This command halts execution of a DOS command from any
AmigaDOS window. For example, if the first task window contains the
DIR OPT A command, the complete output of this command can be
stopped by entering BREAK 1 from a second window.
You can achieve the same result by activating the first window and
pressing the <Ctrl> and <C> keys. But there is another use for this
command. In the description of the RUN command we mentioned a way
to print out more than one letter when it's started. What would you do
if you wanted to stop the printing process? Turning the printer off is
not the correct way. Pressing <Ctrl><C> in the window from which
the process was started doesn't work because the process is running
without a window. However, the BREAK command will stop output to
the printer.
The PROCES S argument tells the system which task to interrupt
The BREAK command without arguments defaults to <Ctrl><C>. The
C, D, E, F arguments allow you to change the control character to
<Ctrl><C>, <Ctrl><D>, <Ctrl><E> or <Ctrl><F>. The following
example transmits a <Ctrl><D> to task number 3:
BREAK 3 d
A multiple me operation will stop at the beginning of the next me
when BREAK is sent. The operating system's response to <Ctrl><C>
varies from case to case and depends on the respective AmigaDOS
command. In most cases, nothing happens.
ABACUS
ALL
2.2 SYSTEM COMMANDS
The ALL argument sets all four <Ctrl> codes simultaneously. The
following example sends all the <Ctrl> codes to task 3:
BREAK 3 ALL
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Version 1.2 and Version 1.3 of this command are identical.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
2.2.7
Operation is identical to Workbench 1.3, but the command has been
optimized for compactness and speed.
PATH
Workbench 1.2 implementation:
Syntax: PATH """",ADD/S,SHOW/S,RESET/S
This command displays the current directory and disk path. If the PAT H
command is entered without parameters or is followed by SHOW, a disk
path appears on the screen. Here's an example of the output of the path
command:
Current directory
RAM:c
ASOO WB 1.2 D:System
C:
This list shows the order and directories used when searching for a file.
If the name of a program is entered (e.g., an AmigaDOS command),
DOS first searches the current directory for the file. The current
directory can be specified using the CD command
IT DOS doesn't find the file in the current directory, it searches RAM: C
and the System drawer on the Workbench disk. If the file is not in any
of these places, DOS finally looks in a virtual (i.e., it exists only
within the computer) device named C: . This pseudo device ensures that
the AmigaDOS command searches for the correct directory. See the
description of the ASSIGN command for more information about
virtual device C :
The PAT H command allows the user to add or remove paths. For
example, if you use the calculator in the Utilities drawer of the
73
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
ADD
RESET
Workbench disk often, the following command to load the program is
entered:
Uti l i t ies/Calcul a tor.
However, if you enter the command Path SYS: Ut i lities ADD
beforehand, the path list will have the following added:
ASOO WB 1.2 D:Util i t i es
Now AmigaDOS automatically looks in the Utilities drawer.
The PAT H command is especially useful when used in conjunction
with the RAM disk and Workbench 1.2. Because additional paths in the
list are always searched before the c: device, several DOS commands
can be placed in the RAM disk. This saves the floppy disk user quite a
bit of work because the operating system looks in the RAM disk first
for the desired command. Next it calls for the Workbench disk to be
inserted because the command was not found (see Chapter 3 for more
information on this subject). The Workbench 1.3 and 2.0 RESIDENT
command is a much better solution.
The ADD argument must appear at the end of the list to add up to ten
new path specifications.
The RESET argument removes all of the paths up to a maximum of 10
paths. All paths except the current directory and the c: are deleted.
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
The PATH command's function remains unchanged but the search order
is different in the l.3 version. When you omit a specific path for a
command, AmigaDOS first searches the resident commands. If it
cannot fmd the command in residence, the search operation continues as
described above.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
Syntax:
PATH
REMOVE
74
PATH PATH/ M,ADD/ S,SHOW/S,RESET/ S, REMOVE/S
AmigaDOS 2.0 allows multiple arguments to be passed to the PATH
command. Multiple arguments must be separated by spaces; this
replaces the multiple comma method used in 1.3.
The REMOVE / S argument allows you to remove a segment of the path
without resetting the entire path.
The PATH command has improved its compactness and speed; it has
also been made an internal AmigaDOS command.
ABACUS
2.2 SYSTEM COMMANDS
2.2.8 ASSIGN
Workbench 1.2 implementation:
Syntax:
NAME
ASSIGN NAME,DIR,LIST/S
Before we describe this command in detail, look at the Amiga's
response when you enter ASSIGN LIST:
Volumes:
RAM disk [Mounted]
A500 WB 1.2 D [Mounted]
Directories:
S A500 WB
L A500 WB
C A500 WB
FONTS A500 WB
DEVS A500 WB
LIBS A500 WB
SYS A500 WB
Devices:
DFO DFI PRT PAR SER
RAW CON RAM
1.2
1.2
1.2
1.2
1.2
1.2
1.2
D:s
D:l
D:c
D:fonts
D:devs
D:libs
D:
Vo 1 u me s lists the names of the disks currently recognized by
AmigaDOS. The word [Mounted] means that the disk is currently in
the drive (this doesn't literally apply to the RAM disk).
Look at the entries beneath the Directories category. The left
margin lists the known devices. You read some information about the
C: virtual device under the description of the PAT H command. Each
virtual device is a real path related to a currently existing directory. A
device name can also be labeled for the path on the right. The c:
device is related to the C: drawer on the Workbench disk. The C :
drawer contains all the AmigaDOS commands. The device name doesn't
have to be the same name as the drawer name, in some cases. A
program in the device named Fonts: can be assigned a drawer named
Character sets:. Naturally, the ASSIGN command allows these
assignments tObe changed.
ASSIGN NAME,DIR,LIST/S
The NAME argument represents a device name (AmigaDOS recognizes
this from the ending colon).
75
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
DIR
LIST
The OIR argument represents a complete pathname. Entries under OIR
can be assigned to this path. If this argument is omitted, the command
deletes the specified device from the list
The LIST argument changes the display format of the current list. If
no changes are desired, the LIST argument may be omitted from the
ASSIGN command
The end of the output lists the devices that can be accessed from
AmigaDOS. These devices are described in detail in Chapter 3. Devices
are separated from one another in the list by spaces. Device names more
than three characters in length are not yet implemented.
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Syntax:
EXISTS
REMOVE
76
ASSIGN NAME,DIR,LIST/S,EXISTS/S,REMOVE/S
The command must include the device name and the E X I S T S
argument. ASSIGN will search the assign list for the device and display
the directory and device assigned. The following occurs when you use
ASSIGN in conjunction with the Oevs: directory:
Input: ASSIGN DEVS: EXISTS
Output: Devs: SYS:Devs
The AS SIGN command sets the condition flag to WARN if the device
is not found. This error status can be used in a script file (see the
chapter on Script Files for more information). The following script file
tests for the existence of the Extras disk. The user is asked to insert
the Extras disk if it isn't in the drive:
ASSIGN >NIL: Extras: exists
IF WARN
ECHO "Please insert the Extras disk in a disk drive"
ENDIF
The >NIL command directs all output to the NIL: device. This device
acts as a trash can-the redirected data doesn't come out. Unwanted
output can easily be suppressed this way. Error status can be read using
the IF WARN command. The script file executes the IF WAR N
command if the Extras disk isn't found (warn = 5) and displays the
specified text
A volume or device can be removed from the mount list with the
REMOVE option. This option should only be used by software
developers since it does not free up resources, it only removes the name
from the list.
ABACUS
2.2 SYSTEM COMMANDS
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
Syntax:
TARGET
DISMOUNT
DEFER
ASSIGN NAME,TARGET/M,LIST/S,EXISTS/S,DISMOUNT/S,
DEFER/S,PATH/S,ADD/S,REMOVE/S,VOLS/S,DIRS/S,DEVICES/S:
The ASSIGN command has eight new arguments and two new versions
of ASSIGN have been added to 2.0: non-binding and late-binding. The
command has also been optimized for size and speed.
The TARGET 1M argument allows you to make multiple assignments
to a single device. This could be used to store your own custom fonts
in a separate directory from the F 0 n t s directory. For example. the
following command will allow two Fonts directories: the standard
Fonts directory and your Custom Fonts directory located on the
RAM: disk. -
ASSIGN FONTS: SYS:FONTS RAM:Custom Fonts
The standard F 0 n t s directory will be search frrst and then your
Custom_Fonts directory. Once the assignment has been made the
ASSIGN command will display the following:
Volumes:Ram Disk [Mounted]
Workbench2.0 [Mounted]
Directories:
CLIPS Ram Disk:clipboards
ENV Ram Disk:env
T Ram Disk:t
ENVARC Workbench2.0:Prefs/Env-Archive
SYS Workbench2.0:
C Workbench2.0:C
S Workbench2.0:S
LIBS Workbench2.0:Libs
DEVS Workbench2.0:Devs
FONTS Workbench2.0:Fonts
+ Ram Disk:Custom Fonts
L Workbench2.0:L
Devices:
PIPE AUX SPEAK RAM CON
RAW SER PAR PRT DFO
DF2
The DISMOUNT I S argument allows devices and directories to be
removed from the assignment list. This option should only be used by
software developers since it does not free up resources, it only removes
the name from the list.
The DE FER I S argument creates a late-binding assignment. This
assignment only takes effect when the assigned object is accessed. This
can be used to avoid constantly having to switch disks, since the
77
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
PATH
VOL
DIRS
DEVICES
2.2.9
assigned object is only required when it is actually needed. The
assignment remains in effect until explicitly changed.
The PATHI S argument creates a non-binding assignment. It does not
take effect until it's referenced and only remains in effect while it's
needed. This can be very useful to avoid unwanted disk swapping if the
disk in the drive contains the necessary directories.
The VOLI S argument will only display information on the current
volume assignments.
The D I RS I S argument will only display information on the current
directory assignments.
The DEVICES I S argument will only display information on the
current device assignments.
ADDBUFFERS
Workbench 1.2 implementation:
Syntax:
DRIVE
BUFFERS
78
ADD BUFFERS DRIVE/A,BUFFERS/A
This command assigns a large buffer to a specified disk drive. When
working with AmigaDOS, sometimes a command can be loaded from
the drive before it's used for the first time, and then the command
remains in memory for subsequent command calls. The reason for this
is found in the disk drive buffer memory. The operating system loads
all data into the disk buffer before it can be used elsewhere. If a program
is small enough to fit in the buffer, it doesn't need to be recalled from
the disk or hard disk again. This speeds up execution time.
The DRIVE argument is the drive specifier to which the buffer should
be assigned.
The BUFFERS argument specifies the number of blocks allocated for
the additional buffer (1 block = 512 bytes).
The following example assigns 11 blocks of RAM to drive DFO:
ADDBUFFERS DFO: 11
Drive DFO is given an additional 11 blocks for working memory (1
block = 512 bytes). Through this addition one of the 160 tracks of a
disk can be loaded into memory.
ABACUS
2.2 SYSTEM COMMANDS
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Version 1.2 and Version 1.3 of this command are identical.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
2.2.10
Syntax:
Operation is identical to Workbench 1.3, but the ADDBUFFERS
command has been optimized for compactness and speed.
WHY
WHY
This command displays a response from the Amiga describing the
reason a command could not be executed. In most cases AmigaOOS can
be asked WHY the function did not work.
For example, you would like to read the startup sequence. You enter:
TYPE S/Startup-sequenze
The computer responds:
Can't open S/Startup-sequenze
You enter:
WHY
The computer responds:
Last command failed because Error code 205
Entering the command Fault 205 explains the error: Object not
found. We purposely misspelled startup-sequence above.
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Version 1.3 of this command improved the error messages by passing
the error number to the FAULT command and then displaying the
message. If you rename the FAULT command the error number and not
the message will be displayed.
79
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
2.2.11
Operation is identical to Workbench 1.3, but the command has been
optimized for compactness and speed. The WHY command was also
made an internal command.
FAULT
Workbench 1.2 implementation:
Syntax: FAULT "", I I , ,
This command converts error numbers into descriptive text. Only some
errors have texts. If a specific text doesn't exist, the word Error
appears, followed by the error number. Two examples:
Input: fault 10
Output: Fault 10: Error 10
Input: fault 120
OUtpUt: Fault 120: argument line invalid or too long
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Version 1.3 of this command improVed the error messages.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
2.2.12
Operation is identical to Workbench 1.3, but the command has been
optimized for compactness and speed. The FAULT command was also
made an internal command.
DATE
Workbench 1.2 implementation:
Syntax:
80
DATE TIME,DATE,TO=VER/K
This command sets and reads the current time and date on the Amiga,
independent of the Preferences editor.
ABACUS
TIME
DATE
TO=VER
2.2 SYSTEM COMMANDS
The TIME argument represents the clock time in HH:MM:SS fonnat
(H = hours, M = minutes, S = seconds) or just HH:MM fonnat.
The DATE argument must have the format DD-MMM-YY (D = day, M
= month, Y = year). If the old date is less than a week old, you can
enter the day of the week itself instead of the date fonnal Even if the
old date is within a day of the present date, you can enter Yesterday.
Either case installs the correct date.
The TO=VER argument directs the date setting to a file. The following
example sends the current date to the file DOUG:
DATE TO DOUG
Entering DATE without parameters displays the current day of the
week, date and time:
Thursday 19-Jul-90 10:17:48
The calendar begins at January 2, 1978. The ftrst of January is shown
as unsel Time periods before that time are invalid.
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
The new DATE command now accepts one digit date input as well as
two digit input. For example, in addition to the input date 01-Jul-90,
you can also enter I-Jo1-9O.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
2.2.13
The new DATE command now accepts digit month input as well as
month name abbreviation. For example, in addition to the input date
01-Jul-9O, you can also enter 1-7-90.
The DATE command has been optimized for compactness and speed.
SETCLOCK
Workbench 1.2 implementation:
Syntax: SETCLOCK OPT LOADISAVE
This command places the time and date set by DATE into the Amiga
battery-powered real-time clock (this is an option for early Amigas).
81
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
OPT LOAD
OPT SAVE
The real-time clock and the data entered in Da te are independent of one
another.
The OPT LOAD argwnent tIansfers the real-time clock date and time to
the system.
The OPT SAVE argument transfers the system date and time to the
real-time clock.
In most cases the command is used in the startup sequence of the boot
disk to set the time. The command sequence SETCLOCK >NIL: OPT
LOAD can be found on the Startup-sequence. The command
sends a message to the NI L: device. This virtual device ensures that
the output does not appear on the screen.
If you enter SETCLOCK without parameters and no real-time clock
exists, the computer replies:
Internal clock not functioning
You will receive this message if you don't have a real-time clock in
your Amiga. The entire procedure takes about six seconds to load. The
command can also be erased from the Start up-sequence.
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Syntax: SETCLOCK LOAD I SAVE I RESET
Version 1.3 of this command added the RESET argument. This
command also had a minor bug in that the argument template was not
displayed with the input of a "?". Instead the error message showing the
correct usage was displayed.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
Syntax:
2.2.14
Syntax:
82
SETCLOCK LOADISAVEIRESET
Version 2.0 of this command has been optimized for compactness and
speed. The 2.0 version of this command displays the argument template
correctly with the input of a"?".
PROMPT
PROMPT TEXT
ABACUS
2.2 SYSTEM COMMANDS
This command changes the appearance of the OOS prompt When the
prompt appears, the computer is ready to receive input. The Amiga
default prompt is the AmigaOOS task number followed by a greater-
than character (1)). This can confuse the new user.
The PROMPT command lets you change the prompt display. If the text
contains spaces, it should be placed in quotation marks. Example:
PROMPT "What do you want?"
If you enter PROMPT without any parameters, the prompt defaults to a
greater-than character. If you want the number of the respective
AmigaOOS task displayed, the combination % n must be entered.
Example:
Input:
Output:
PROMPT "r am number %n ! "
r am number 1 !
The old AmigaOOS 1.2 prompt can be restored by entering:
PROMPT %n>
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Syntax: PROMPT PROMPT:
The new PROMPT command allows you to display the current drive and
directory path as part of the prompt text. In addition to the command
string %n, which shows the number of the actual AmigaDOS task, the
command characters % s lets you display the last position of the CD
command. For example:
prompt "%n.%s> "
The new prompt could look like the following:
3.Workbench 1.3:System>
You are in the third AmigaOOS task. The actual directory is the
System: directory of the Workbench 1.3 disk.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
Syntax: PROMPT PROMPT:
Version 2.0 of this command has been optimized for compactness and
speed. The 2.0 version of this command has been made an internal
command
83
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
2.2.15 STACK
Workbench 1.2 implementation:
Syntax: STACK SIZE
This command specifies the amount of memory allocated for the stack.
Each AmigaOOS task places DOS commands in a special memory
location accessible from a machine language stack. Normally the size
of the location is 4000 bytes per CLIo The amount of stack memory
can be specified from 1600 bytes on up. However, if a large amount of
memory is needed, the memory given to the She 11 could be
overwritten and a system crash could occur. The DIR command is
especially susceptible to crashing. Try this on the Workbench disk
when there is nothing important in working memory (this will usually
crash the computer in AmigaOOS 1.2 and 1.3; in AmigaOOS 2.0 use
LI ST ALL in place of DIR OPT A):
s tack 1600
dir opt a
The SORT command is also fussy about stack memory. This depends
on the starting point of the data to be sorted. Unfortunately, there are
no given values to avoid. Only trial and error help here.
Another interesting fact is that a new task always receives as much
memory allocation as the CLI from which it was started. Remember
this, or else memory can be used up very quickly.
If you are uncertain about t ~ e size of the stack, use the S T A C K
command without any parameters.
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Version 1.2 and Version 1.3 of this command are identical.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
Syntax:
84
STACK STACK/ N:
Version 2.0 of this command has been optimized for compactness and
speed. The ST ACK/N argument is now specified as numeric. The 2.0
version of this command has also been made an internal command.
ABACUS
2.2.16
Syntax:
2.2 SYSTEM COMMANDS
BINDDRIVERS
BINDDRIVERS
This command integrates the device drivers (hard disk, plotter, etc.)
found in the Expansion drawer into the system. You'll find this
command used primarily in the startup-sequence of a boot disk. You
must have the driver to operate the hardware. If you don't need the
drivers, then you can delete this command from the startup-sequence,
and the Expansion drawer from the Workbench. By doing this the
system booting time shortens by a couple of seconds.
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Version 1.2 and Version 1.3 of this command are identical.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
Version 2.0 of this command has been optimized for compactness and
speed.
2.2.17 MOUNT
Workbench 1.2 implementation:
Syntax: MOUNT DEVICE/A
This command can add new devices to AmigaDOS. The basic
configuration of the Amiga recognizes the following devices:
DFO: Internal disk drive
PRT: Printer
PAR: Parallel port
SER: Serial port
RAW: RAW: window
CON: CON: window
RAM: RAM disk
These devices can be addressed immediately. New devices (e.g., hard
disk partitions) can be installed using the Moun t command. Moun t
waits for the name of the new device as a parameter. Information about
8S
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
Disk drives:
Other
devices:
86
this device can be found in the text me MountList. contained in the
Devs directory on the Workbench disk.
Here's some sample information about the 5-1/4" floppy disk drive
device (installed as DF2: on some systems):
DF2: Device = trackdisk.device
Unit = 2
Flags = 1
Surfaces = 2
BlocksPerTrack 11
Reserved = 2
PreAlloc = 11
Interleave 0
LoWCyl = 0
HighCyl = 39
Buffers = 5
BufMemType = 3
i
Any device can be entered in the MountList. Each entry must begin
with the device name (in this case. DF2:) and must end with a number
sign (J). The data between these strings specifies the device's
characteristics. Mount accepts the following keywords:
Keyword
Device
Unit
FileSystem
Priority
Flags
Surfaces
BlocksPerTrack
Reserved
PreAlloc
InterLeave
LowCyl
HighCyl
Buffers
BufMemType
Mount
Function
Name of the device driver
Device number (e.g . 0 for df'O:)
Label of a special FileSystem
Task priority (mostly 10)
Parameter for Open device (usually 0)
Number of sides of drive (for disks: 2)
Number of blocks per track
Number of boot blocks (usually 2)
(no function)
Device-specific (usually 0)
Number of small tracks
Number of large tracks
Size of buffer memory in blocks
Type of memory:
0.1 = Chip or Fast RAM
2.3 = Only Chip RAM
4.5 = Only Fast RAM
1 = Device connected
-1 = Device connected on frrst access
Keyword Function
Handler
Stack
Mount
Path description of the device driver
Size of the processor stacks for the task
See above
ABACUS
1.2 SYSTEM COMMANDS
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Syntax:
AUX:
PIPE:
RAD:
NEWCON:
SPEAK:
MOUNT DEVICE/A,FROM/K
The MountList can receive any name that follows the FROM
argument:
MOUNT DF2: FROM Devs:Devicelist 1
The MOUNT command searches in the Devs directory for the file
MountList if you omit the FROM argument.
Workbench 1.3 allows you to install new devices. A few of these new
devices are briefly described here (see Chapter 3 for detailed
information).
A serial port connection that doesn't store the data in a buffer. The
important entries are already in the MountList, so the connection can
be installed using the command sequence mount aux:.
The device enables different tasks to exchange information. For
example, if you want to send information from one CLI to another,
this sequence allows you to make the exchange easily:
Input to 1st CLI: COPY S/Startup-sequence TO PIPE:
This information can be read in the second CLI from the pipe:
Input to 2nd CLI: TYPE PIPE:
Output: The Startup-sequence is listed
The statement for installing the pipe: is already in the MountList.
A recoverable RAM disk. Unlike the device ram:, data remains in
memory even after the computer is reset. Not even a Guru Meditation
can reset the RAD: device. Unfortunately, memory management is not
dynamic, so RAD: takes up all of its allotted memory even when it is
empty. The capacity of RAD: is included in the MountList.
A new window port that expands on the usual CON: window. The
NEWCON: device manages a 2K buffer for temporary storage of the last
input. The old input can be recalled and edited with the help of the
cursor keys. The NEWCON: device can be used in conjunction with the
NEWCLI command.
Controls Amiga speech output.
The new MOUNT command reads the keywords described above in
addition to the following statements:
87
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
Keyword Function
MaxTransfer Maximum number of blocks that can be transferred
Mask Address area that can be addressed by the DMA
Handler Path description of the device driver
GlobVec Global vector for the process, 0 sets up a private
global vector, 1 is no global vector and if the
keyword is absent the shared global vector is used.
StartUp A string passed to the filesystem, handler or device
on startup as a BPTR to a BSTR (see Chapter 8).
BootP ri Sets boot priority of a device, used with the
recoverable RAM disk.
DOS Type Indicates the filesystem. For the FastFileSystem it
should be Ox44F5301 otherwise Ox44F5300.
These statements are only evaluated in conjunction with the
FastFileSystem.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
Version 1.3 and Version 2.0 of the MOUNT command are identical.
88
ABACUS
2.3
2.3.1
2.3 ScRIPT FILE COMMANDS
Script File Commands
This section contains information about the commands used in
conjunction with script files. Script flies (called batch flies in the
MS-DOS world) are simple text flies containing any number of
AmigaOOS commands, written using ED or a word processor. The
EXECUTE command runs these commands in sequence. The Script
Files chapter contains detailed explanations and several practical uses
for script files.
EXECUTE
Workbench 1.2 implementation:
Syntax:
EXECUTE NAME
This command executes script files. Because script files are text files,
They cannot be directly accessed like programs. If this is attempted, the
computer responds with the Error code 121: file is not an
object module error message.
The EXECUTE command needs the name of the file to be executed. For
example, a script file named printer might contain the following
line:
TYPE Text/Letter TO PRT:
DATE TO PRT:
The EXECUTE printer command works the same as if both of the
above lines had been typed in from the AmigaOOS Shell. The script
file prints the letter, followed by the current date and time.
As with most AmigaDOS commands, the filename and additional
parameters may be added-these are transferred to the script file. The
script file, in this case, must have a predetermined variable to which the
parameters can be assigned.
The above script file should serve as an example of this. Instead of
printing out the given text (Text/Letter), a variable can now be
inserted, which can be assigned any name. The variable is declared in
the example below using the .KEY directive:
89
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
90
. KEY name
TYPE <name > to PRT:
DATE TO PRT:
The Printer script file is now called using:
EXECUTE Pr i nte r Text/Letter
There are a few rules about using variables. They are as follows:
1. The .KEY directive, with which the variables are declared, must
always be at the beginning of the script file.
2. If the assignment allows multiple parameters, they must be
separated by a comma. The .KEY directive can only be used
once, otherwise the error message Execute: More than one
K di rect i ve is displayed. Example of correct usage:
KEY dataname , des tinati ondevi ce
COpy <dat aname> TO <des tinationdevice )
3. Replace the text between the greater-than and less-than characters
with your own contents. There should be nothing about the
variable name in their place, but instead the statement of what
was assigned by the EXECUTE command.
Normally, these three points are all you need to know when working
with variables in conjunction with script files. There are a few
additional functions that should not be overlooked.
In addition to .KEYS, there are a number of directives beginning with a
period that can be put in a script file:
DEF This directive assigns given contents to a variable. This
instruction can emerge anywhere in the text. A use for this
is to give a firm name to a variable in case the Ex ecut e
command is not given a definite name (default name). Such
a script file can look like the following:
.KEY datafi l e,devi cename
.DEF devicename PRT:
TYPE <datafil e> TO <devi cename >
When the devicename parameter is omitted, EXECUTE
defaults to the printer.
For this use there is a special but very simple procedure.
The variable name in the greater-than and less-than
characters must be expanded by adding a dollar sign and the
text that is to take the place of the variable, on the chance
that the EXECUTE command isn't given any parameters.
The above example would then look like this:
ABACUS
2.3 ScRIPT FILE COMMANDS
.KEY datafile,devicename
TYPE datafile TO <devicename$prt:>
In case a filename is entered but not a device name, the
output automatically goes to the printer (PRT:)
. DOLLAR This directive changes the dollar sign ($) placed at the
beginning of a text to any other character. For example:
.DOLLAR t
The corresponding line under .DEF would now have to read:
TYPE datafile TO <devicenametprt:>
.BRA This directive has a task: similar to .dol. This allows the
less-than character ) to be replaced by another character .
. KET This directive is similar to .BRA, except it changes the
greater-than ( sign.
A period followed by at least a space allows the user to
insert a comment line. BASIC programmers use a REM
statement for this .
DOT This directive changes the period preceding each instruction
to another character.
Script files should be used without any other control characters,
otherwise it becomes too confusing.
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Script files are still called through EXECUTE. By adding the S (Script)
flag, it's now possible to start script files by entering their names. The
Script flag must be set first using the PROTECT command. The
following sequence sets the flags for a script file named Test_Batch:
PROTECT Test Batch +s
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
The current shell number can now be accessed with <$$>. A blank
comment line can be inserted with J in the script file. Version 2.0 of
the PROTECT command has been optimized for compactness and speed.
91
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
2.3.2 ECHO
Workbench 1.2 implementation:
Syntax:
ECHO TEXT
This command makes it possible to direct a character string to any
output device. 1be default device is the screen:
ECHO "Hello, Doug!"
You must add a greater-than character and another output device name to
send the output to another device:
ECHO >PRT: "One more beer and I'll go home."
The text must be enclosed in quotation marks if any spaces exist in the
text.
The ECHO command features an optional parameter of the * n character
combination. This combination forces a linefeed in the text output:
ECHO "Careful*n Stairs!"
The output on the screen looks like this:
Careful
Stairs!
In the rare instance that you wanted to use * n as an actual entry in the
text, use the character string **n.
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Syntax:
NOLINE
FIRST
LEN
92
ECHO ,NOLINE/S,FIRST/S,LEN/S
Three arguments were added, one for line suppression and two that
allow the echoing of a substring.
The NOLINE/ S argument suppresses the linefeed that usually follows
after the output.
The FIRST / S indicates the beginning position in the string to echo.
The LEN / S indicates the length of the string, beginning at the FIRST
position, to echo.
ABACUS
2.3 SCRIPT FILE COMMANDS
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
Syntax:
2.3.3
ECHO ,NOLlNE/S,FlRST/K/N,LEN/K/N
The FIRST and LEN arguments are specified as numeric keywords.
Operation is identical to Workbench 1.3.2, but the command has been
optimized for compactness and speed. The ECHO command has also
been made an internal command.
FAILAT
Workbench 1.2 implementation:
Syntax: FAlLAT RCLlM
This command halts a command sequence if the Amiga reaches a
specified error return code limit. Each AmigaOOS command and many
other programs return an error number if an error occurs during
execution. In AmigaOOS most numbers are assigned a related error text
so that by using FAULT, followed by the respective number, the
explanation can be read. For example. the number 216 means that you
tried to delete a drawer that still contained entries.
If the error number for an AmigaOOS command inside of a script file is
greater than or equal to ten, the script file stops working and returns
control to the main program (for example, back to the Amiga Shell).
This error limit can be read by using FA I LA T. This is very useful
because the limit could be anywhere. In some cases it's desirable when
a script file reports a warning (an error number less than 10).
An example: When compiling, the difference between warnings and
errors is most obvious. Warnings can usually be ignored because they
are caused by a poor programming style. If the error limit is set in a
script file of a compiler, the work is stopped as soon as it encounters
incorrect data. This prevents the calling of other work operations
(assembling, linking).
To set a new error limit in a script file. FAILAT requires an argument
of the new error number at which the operation should be stopped. This
new limit is valid only while work is being done in the script file.
After that it is automatically reset to 10.
If a new error limit is given directly from the Shell, the limit is also
valid in the script file called from the Shell. If the limit is undefined.
then the error limit returns to 10. If the FAILAT command does not
emerge in the data file the given error limit remains unchanged.
93
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
Each new Shell called automatically supersedes the error limit of the
She 11 that it was called from. After it is called the limits can be
changed independent of one another.
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Version 1.2 and Version 1.3 of this command are identical.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
2.3.4
Operation is identical to Workbench 1.3, but the command has been
optimized for compactness and speed. The FAILAT command has also
been made an internal command.
QUIT
Workbench 1.2 implementation:
Syntax:
QUIT RC
This command exits a script file at any point. The QUIT command is
unnecessary at the end of a script file. If you want the script file to tell
you what went wrong, QUIT can display the desired error number.
Control returns to the calling script file and the following text appears
if the error number is greater than or equal to 10:
Quit failed returncode xx
The xx represents the error nwnber.
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Version 1.2 and Version 1.3 of this command are identical.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
94
Operation is identical to Workbench 1.3, but the command has been
optimized for compactness and speed. The Quit command has also
been made an internal command.
ABACUS
2.3.5
IF/ENDIF
EQ
2.3 ScRIPT FILE COMMANDS
IF/ELSE/ENDIF
These commands execute certain parts of a script file if specific
conditions are met. These three commands must be handled as one:
ELSE and ENDIF are only allowed to be used in conjunction with IF.
The simplest case only requires IF and ENDIF:
IF EXISTS Text/Letter
TYPE Text/Letter TO PRT:
ENDIF
ECHO "Have I printed the letter yet or not ? ..
In this example the TYPE command executes because the data file
Letter really existed in the subdirectory Text. In this case it doesn't
matter about the rest of the script me directly under the END IF.
It can be determined whether data files are contained in a disk drive or
on the RAM disk. Another set of codes that are allowed to follow the
IF:
EQ compares two texts for the same contents:
IF "That is the text" EQ "That is the text"
ECHO "Yes, the two texts are equal"
ENDIF
Some inquiries naturally do nothing because the interrogation can also
be omitted. With just the EQ command, the text remains unchanged.
Using EQ in conjunction with batch variables is interesting (see the
description of the EXECUTE command). Two examples:
.KEY input
IF <input> EQ Letter
ECHO "You entered the word 'letter' !"
ENDIF
.KEY input
IF <input> EQ ....
ECHO "You didn't enter anything!!!"
ENDIF
Here you must differentiate between the variable input, the contents
of input and the text letter. It is important to note that when
comparing text, it does not matter whether it is in capital letters or not
If letter EQ LETTER returns the same result
9S
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
IF FAIL
ERROR
IF WARN
NOT
ELSE
96
Using IF FAIL determines whether the last command had an error
number greater than or equal to 20. This evaluation is useful when,
before the use of the command, the error limit has been changed from
10 to a larger value than 20. If not, the execution of the script file is
interrupted.
IF ERROR is the same as IF FAIL. In this case, however, the error
limit stays at 10.
The error limit for IF WARN is set at five. It is not necessary to set the
error limit higher than 10 with FAILAT.
The labels IF WARN and ERROR should not be confused: If IF WARN
traps error number 225, for example, this is a fail error instead of a
warning. It recommends that a higher error limit be set with FAlLAT.
If NOT is added before any of the above conditions, the opposite of the
declaration is done. For example:
.KEY text
IF NOT EXISTS <text>
ECHO "I don't have any such data file"
ENDIF
IF EXISTS <text>
ECHO "Here it goes !"
TYPE <text> TO PRT:
ENDIF
The script file needs the name of a text file contained in the variable
text. In the first section it tests to see if the data file doesn't exist. If
it does not, the first ECHO message appears.
After that, I F EX IS T S is used again to see if the file actually exists. If
it does, the script file prints it on the printer (this only works with true
text fIles).
The E L S E command can easily be built into a script file as an
alternative to the IF NOT statement. The above example looks like the
following when you're done using the ELSE command:
.KEY text
IF NOT EXISTS <text>
ECHO "I don't have that data ! "
ELSE
ECHO "Here it is !"
TYPE <text> to PRT:
ENDIF
This example delivers the same result as before, except faster and easier.
Finally, a few comments about the three commands. Each IF /ELSE/
ENDIF block is allowed to have any number of lines. The block must
ABACUS
2.3 ScRIPT FILE COMMANDS
end with either an ELSE or an ENDIF. A block can also have any
number of interlocking IF commands. An ELSE or ENDIF must
always be associated with the last IF in a block. The example below
evaluates how many parameters the EXECUTE command is given (a
maximum of three). It becomes easier to see the function of the
program through the structured indenting of the program:
.KEY textl,text2,text3
IF NOT <text 1> EQ ""
IF NOT <text2> EQ
IF NOT <text3> EQ
ECHO "All three inputs exist"
ELSE
ECHO "The three inputs are missing"
ENDIF
ELSE
ECHO "The second and third inputs are missing"
ENDIF
ELSE
ECHO "No input has been made"
ENDIF
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
GT
GE
VAL
EXISTS
GT is for greater than comparisons. GE is for greater than or equal to
comparisons. The VAL option may be specified to compare numbers.
EX I S T S checks for the existence of a file.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
2.3.6
Operation is identical to Workbench 1.3, but the command has been
optimized for compactness and speed. The IF / E L S E / END I F
commands have also been made internal commands.
ASK
Workbench 1.2 implementation:
Syntax:
ASK PROMPT/A
This command has the computer wait for a response from the user
before continuing with the script file.
97
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
The ASK command can either be given without arguments or with text
that displays a question. The computer waits for an answer, either Yes
or No (Y or N), followed by the <Return> key. If something else is
entered, the ASK command waits until a correct answer is given. The
evaluation occurs through error code number five so the command can
confirm the input. The following example demonstrates the first
reaction to different input
FAILAT 5
ASK "Should I stop? (yIn)"
ECHO "Good, then I'll go further"
Because the error limit is usually set at 10 for stopping script file
execution, it must be set to five here so that entering Yes would return
you to the AmigaShell.
This solution hardly satisfies everyone. It would be better for the user if
two different program lines could work at once. What you ~ do is use
the IF WARN command from Section 2.3.5. That adds the nuisance of
lowering the error limit to a value smaller than six. Example:
ASK "Do you know the ask command? (yIn)"
IF WARN
ECHO "Very good, go on !"
ELSE
ECHO "Set at six !"
ENDIF
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Version 1.2 and Version 1.3 of this command are identical.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
2.3.7
Syntax:
Skip
98
Operation is identical to Workbench 1.3, but the command has been
optimized for compactness and speed. The Ask command has also been
made an internal command.
SKIP/LAB
SKIP LAB
The SKIP command is the script file equivalent of the BASIC/C GOTO
command, or assembly language's jmp instruction.
ABACUS
Lab
2.3 SCRIPT FILE COMMANDS
If a script fIle encounters a SKIP command, the text fIle is searched for
the LAB (label) command. The fIle executes at the routine specified by
the label. If you add a name to the SKIP command, the script file
jumps to the label of the same name. For example:
ASK "Can you go around with Skip and Lab? (yin)"
IF WARN
SKIP mark
ENDIF
ECHO "Not too bad"
QUIT
LAB mark
ECHO "Use only in moderation"
The program text cannot be re-entered with the SKIP command. As
with other programming languages that use a jump command, SKIP
should be reserved for cases where there is no alternative, since it
detracts from structured programming. In the above example it makes
for a sloppy program because it exits an IF /ENDIF construction. That
should be prevented whenever using the SKIP command. In almost all
cases an IF /ELSE/ENDIF construction is the best solution.
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
The BACK option was added; this allows you to skip back to the
beginning of a script file before searching for a label.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
2.3.8
Operation is identical to Workbench 1.3, but the command has been
optimized for compactness and speed. The SKIP /LAB commands have
also been made internal commands.
WAIT
Workbench 1.2 implementation:
Syntax:
WAIT SEC=SECS/S,MIN=MINS/S,UNTIL/K
This command delays script file execution for a specified amount of
time. A typical example of a needed pause is the execution of two tasks
that access the same disk drive at the same time (excepting the RAM
disk). If the directory of the disk in drive DFO: is listed in one
AmigaDOS window using the DIR command, and the LIST DFO:
command lists the directory of the same disk in another AmigaDOS
99
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
window, the two commands are executed parallel to each other. The net
effect is that it takes longer for the commands than if they had been
entered one after the other. Because both processes must access the disk,
each command can only access a few tracks during execution time. A
lot of time must be allotted because the drive head must always be
changing its position.
If you wish to load two programs with the Startup-sequence, we
recommend that you wait for the ftrst program to load using the WAI T
command. The time needed to wait is entered as the argument. The time
can be entered in seconds, minutes or in system time format. WAI T
without any parameters waits one second. Some examples:
WAIT waits 1 second
WAIT 5 waits 5 seconds
WAIT 5 sec (s ame as 2)
WAIT min waits 1 minute
WAIT 5 min waits 5 minutes
WAIT UNTIL 14:30 waits until 14 : 30 (2: 30 pm)
You can interrupt the WAI T command by pressing <etr!> <C>. In
Chapter 5 we'll show you how WAI T can be used to make an
AmigaDOS alarm clock.
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Version 1.2 and Version 1.3 of this command are identical.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
2.3.9
Syntax:
100
Operation is identical to Workbench 1.3, but the command has been
optimized for compactness and speed.
VERSION
VERSION [ <library name>] [version] [revision]
This command returns the version and revision number of the
Workbench from a device or library. When the VERSION command is
entered without arguments, you receive statements about the Kickstart
and Workbench versions. For example:
Kickstart version 33.180. Workbench version 34.4
VERS ION can have a special library of device names attached:
ABACUS
Input:
OUtput:
2.3 ScRIPT FILE COMMANDS
VERSION trackdisk.device
trackdisk.device version 33.127
It is possible to test the version number. Error code 5 is returned if the
given version number is greater than the one tested. The error status can
be evaluated from within a script file with the help of a IF /ELSE
construction. The following script file calls the Ma t h program if the
fast math library Version 34.44 or less is present. Otherwise it returns
an appropriate message.
VERSION >NIL: mathieeedoubbas.library 33.44
IF WARN
ECHO "the fast Math library is not there ! "
ELSE
RUN Math
ENDIF
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Syntax: VERSION [<library name>] [version] [revision] [unit]
The [Unit] option allows you to specify a unit number other than 0,
used when accessing multi-unit devices. This command also had a
minor bug in which the argument template was not displayed with the
input of a"?". Instead the error message showing correct usage was
displayed.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
Syntax:
VERSION NAME,VERSION,REVISION,UNIT:
Operation is identical to Workbench 1.3. but the command has been
optimized for compactness and speed. The 2.0 version of this command
displays the argument template correctly with the input of a"?".
101
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
2.4
ED
ED 2.0
EDIT
102
The Editors
The ED and Edi t programs are two large programs that make it
possible to edit text files. MEMACS (MicroEmacs), which is available
with Workbench 1.3 and 2.0, is a screen-orientated editor with drop-
down menus. It can be started from AmigaDOS and is an excellent
editor. Since it has drop-down menus and this book is about
AmigaDOS, we will not discuss this editor in this book.
ED is afull screen editor. It can load the entire text into the working
memory of the Amiga and display an entire screen of that file. With the
help of the four cursor keys the cursor can be placed at any position
inside the window. You can then edit the text at that position. You can
scroll the text to see data above and below the screen window. If the
text to be edited has more columns than the ED window shows, the
window scrolls left and right when the cursor moves beyond either
margin. Anyone that has worked with AmigaBASIC is at least familiar
with the principle of screen editors.
ED 2. 0 has been updated by John Toebes III, and the improved
version is excellent. The new 2.0 operating system allows
programmers to add menus to their programs. The menus for the latest
version of ED are contained in the ED-Startup script file in the S:
directory. They allow you to use the mouse when using ED to access
often used commands. The normal ED commands are still available.
The new version includes menus and the new standard Amiga file
selector.
The EDIT program is a line editor. The basic difference from ED is that
you edit text line-by-line through different commands. You cannot
manipulate text within a window, similar to the CL I.
There are many reasons for using two editors. These two editors allow
the user to edit script files or enter source codes for compiled languages.
In most cases ED is much easier to use, and gives a better overview of
the text (very important when programming).
EDIT needs relatively smaller amounts of memory than ED, because
the entire text does not need to be loaded into memory. In cases
involving large files that ED cannot load, EDIT can help. EDIT also
lets the user open more than one source file at a time. Overall, ED I T
has more flexibility than ED.
It would take an entire book to describe ED IT'S capabilities. Only its
basic functions are supplied in this section.
ABACUS
2.4.1
Existing
filename
Nonexistent
filename
1.4 THE EDITORS
Reading text with ED
ED is usually accessed through the ED command and a ftle/path:
ED Text/Prog
The Text Ip rog argument is the pathname of the text ftle you want
edited. Two different conditions can exist when invoking ED in this
way.
This case loads the text file into the working memory. If this is
successful, the ED window appears, displaying all or part of the text
file (depending on the ftle's size). If the loading operation is interrupted,
the Amiga displays the message Unable to open window ... on the
screen. This error could occur if the filename given is in fact a
directory, or if the file doesn't contain text characters. These are
indicated by the messages x is a directory and cannot be
edi ted or File contains binary.
If the ftle doesn' t exist, an empty ED window appears. When starting
ED, you can specify the S I Z E argument, which sets the working
memory size in bytes. The following allocates 60,000 bytes to the
test file in the text directory:
ED Text/Test SIZE 60000
If the S I Z E is missing, ED defaults to a size of 40,000 bytes. The
S I Z E should be increased if you want to load a larger text file. Now
work can continue with ED. After the size and position of the window
has been set, it is possible to move all over the screen and manipulate
data and even add new text The <Backspace> and <Del> keys function
as usual: <Backspace> erases the character immediately to the left of
the cursor, and <Del> erases the character that the cursor is on. The
mouse cannot be used with ED.
There are two different ways to control ED (ED 2. 0 has been updated
to include menu control):
1. Direct mode by pressing the <etrl> key and another key. The
respective command is executed.
2. In the command line. Pressing the <Esc> key displays an
asterisk at the bottom left of the screen. As long as the asterisk
is visible, you are in command mode (i.e., you can' t edit the
text). Entering and executing a command, or by pressing
<Return>, you can exit this mode.
103
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
Basic ED
commands
The end of this book shows a complete listing of the commands that
can be executed from ED. Here we are only presenting the most
important commands, but they are sufficient in most cases.
Direct mode <Ctrl><A>
<Ctrl><B>
<Ctrl><G>
Insert line.
Delete line.
Displays the last <Esc> command
(important for searching and replacing).
Delete from cursor to end of line. <Ctrl><Y>
<.Esc> mode <Esc><X> (eXit) Saves text to disk and exits ED. A copy of the
file named ed-backup is placed in subdirectory t of
the disk.
104
<Esc><Q> (Quit) Exits ED without saving the text. If you have
entered any data, the program will ask for confirmation
from you before quitting.
<Esc><SA> (SaveAs) Saves the text without exiting ED. If you
want the text saved under a different name, the name can
be changed to a new name or an already existing name.
Note: The old contents of a previously existing file are lost
forever.
It is possible to send the data directly to a peripheral
device: <Esc><SA> "PRT:" sends the text to the
printer.
<Esc><J> (Join) Combines two lines into one. This is very useful
when a line has been accidentally separated by the user
by pressing the <Return> key in the middle of a line.
The cursor must be placed at the end of the top line.
<Esc><BS> (BlockStart) Marks the beginning of a block of text for
different block operations. The line in which the cursor
currently stands is the top line of the block.
<Esc><BE> (BlockEnd) Marks the end of a block of text for different
block operations.
<Esc><lB> (lnsertBlock) Places a copy of the block marked out by
<BS> and <BE> at the current cursor position.
<Esc><DB> (DeleteBlock) Deletes the block marked by <BS> and
<BE>. The line is removed from the text.
ABACUS
2.4.2
2.4.3
2.4 THE EDITORS
Text handling with EDIT
Forget everything that we just talked about regarding ED. EDIT works
on a completely different principle:
The working memory buffer of EDIT can only hold a few lines of text
at a time. Under normal circumstances, the user edits these one after
another. When editing is complete for the last line of the buffer, ED I T
automatically loads the next line from the data file and writes the
previous lines to a destination file. EDIT requires both files (this is a
major difference from ED).
The user can only edit the lines currently in the buffer. It is also
possible to scroll up a limited number of text lines. If a line has left
the buffer and been written to the destination file, it is no longer
accessible by ED IT.
When the session with ED I T ends, the complete contents of the buffer
are saved to the destination file. The rest of the source file must
eventually be saved so that data isn't lost. You can exit ED I T without
read or write operations taking place.
EDIT also lets you open and read different data files while editing. Each
new data file is superimposed over the beginning of the original source
data file. When you return to the original file, it reopens and assumes
the original position.
Finally, ED I T has another feature: It can read ED I T commands from
any properly configured data me as well as from the keyboard.
Parameters of EDIT
Workbench 1.2 & 1.3 implementation:
Syntax:
FROM
EDIT FROM/A,TO,WITH/K,VER/K,OPT/K
The EDIT command itself is started with EDIT. The arguments are as
follows:
The FROM argument specifies the name of the file to be edited. This
data file must already exist (completely new text cannot be created
using EDIT).
105
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
TO
WITH
VER
OPT P
OPT W
OPT PXWy
The TO argument specifies the name of the destination me to which the
data are written. If this name is missing, ED I T creates a worle file in
the t subdirectory and places me data in it. When you quit ED IT, this
work file receives the complete pathnarne of the source me as given in
the FROM argument. The original source file is placed in the t
subdirectory under the name EDIT-BACKUP until it's overwritten by
further work with ED IT.
The WI TH argument loads a file which specifies commands. This file
can give commands just as the user can give commands from the
keyboard.
The VER argument directs EDIT'S output to a device other than the
screen. VER Data_File would put the input into a file named
Data_File. Using VER con:1 0 / 10/30 0/1 00 /VerWi ndow
places the contents of such a file in a window.
The 0 P T P argument specifies the number of lines allowed in the
buffer. Example: OPT P1 0 0 configures the buffer to hold 100 lines (40
lines is the default). This is very practical when more system memory
is needed.
The OPT W argument changes the maximum line length to a value
other than 120. Example: Opt W81 sets line length to 81 characters.
The OPT PxWy argument is a combination of OPT P and OPT W. The
x and y arguments are the values for these arguments.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
Syntax: EDI T FROM/A,TO,WITH/K,VER/K,OPT/K,WIDTH/N,PREVIOU5/N :
Two new arguments have been added to the Version 2.0 of EDIT.
EDIT determines the amount of memory required by multiplying the
WIDTH and PREVIOUS values.
WIDTH The WIDTH argument specifies the maximum line width. The default
value is 120.
PREVIOUS The PREVIOUS argument specifies the maximum number of previous
lines. The default value is 40.
106
ABACUS
2.4.4
2.4 THE EDITORS
Starting ED IT
In most cases, you enter the name of the file to be edited when you
start EDIT. As was explained above, the edited lines are placed in a
help file named EDIT-BACKUP.
The EDIT prompt (a colon) appears after you invoke EDIT. It waits
for user commands, much like AmigaDOS. Because of the line
orientation, you must search for the next line to edit. ED I T
automatically numbers all the lines of the source file internally.
Immediately after you start ED IT, line 1 of the source file is the fIrst
line to be edited. Unfortunately the contents are not automatically
displayed. To reach another line, there are different methods:
a) Entering <N> (Next) places the user at the next line.
b) Entering <P> (Previous) places the user at the previous line.
c) Entering <M><x> (Move) places the user at line number x.
To display the contents of line I, for example, it is suffIcient to enter
<N> followed by <P>. Multiple commands can be entered at once, but
as in ED, they must be separated by semicolons. EDIT does not
distinguish between lowercase and uppercase letters.
The <P> and <M> commands let you return to the line of the buffer not
written to the destination file. As soon as a line with a number greater
than 40 is reached, many of the previous lines are placed in the
destination file. If the user tries to go back to line number I, for
example, the error message Line number 1 too small appears.
Preceding the <P> and <N> commands with a number executes the
command multiple times. For example, lON advances EDIT 10 lines
in text.
The <F> (Find) command lets you fmd a specifIc string within the data
fIle. The command must be followed by the search text enclosed by any
characters. For example:
F ?Key?
EDIT searches for the current line number containing the word "Key."
If you omit input following <F>, the command searches for the last
text string searched for. This is very practical when looking for more
text that contains a certain search string. You must advance to the next
line after a successful search using <N>, so that the same line doesn' t
get returned constantly.
107
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
2.4.5
108
Editing Text
After finding the designated text, you can make changes to it. These
changes cannot be made directly to the line (as opposed to ED), but
must be made by using certain commands. The important commands in
EDIT are:
e (exchange) Substitutes one character string with another. Example:
The line reads: ''Edit is difficult to use."
Input: e/difficult/easy
Result: Edit is easy to use.
or:
Input:
Result:
a (after)
Input:
Result:
b (before)
Input:
Result:
d(delete)
i (insert)
e/difficult/ /
Edit is to use.
Inserts a given text behind a certain character string.
Example: The line reads "Edit is a program."
a/a/flexible /
Edit is a flexible program.
This command inserts a given text before a certain
character string. Example: The line reads "Edit can do
more !"
b/more/much /
Edit can do much more
Deletes the current line. The line number disappears;
the text is not re-numbered. A line can be deleted by
entering the line number in the command line. Entire
text passages can be removed if the start and end line
numbers are given. For example:
"d 10 100"
Lines 10 to 100 are erased.
Inserts the following lines preceding the current line.
Entering a <Z> in a separate line ends insert mode. The
buffer contents are renumbered starting with the fIrst
newly entered line. For example: The texts read:
20. "The input mode"
21. "makes everything too complicated."
ABACUS
2.4.6
2.4.7
2.4 THE EDITORS
Line 21 is the current line, and the following input is
made:
i
and working reasonably
with Edit are possible.
It should not be thought impossible.
The result looks like this:
20. "The input mode"
21. "and working reasonably"
22. "with Edit are possible."
23. "It should not be thought impossible"
24. "makes everything too complicated."
Multiple Files
It's possible to open more than one source file from ED IT. The
command for this reads:
FROM .datafile
After this command new lines are called only from the data file with the
name datafile. As with the original source file, input in the new
file begins with the first line of the text
Using FROM without parameters returns to the start of the original
source file. The program basically leaves all channels open, and marks
how many lines of each data file have been read already. If after closing
a data file using the command CF .datafile (CloseFile) the file is
opened again with FROM .datafile, the lines that were already read
can be called into the buffer one more time.
Command Macros
Edi t can receive command macros (program information) from a data
me that contains all of the normal Edi t commands. The name of this
me is given either at the start of the program after the addition of the
WI TH argument or the C command can be used when working with
ED IT. A macro me can look like the following:
109
2. AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
2.4.8
110
i
****************************************
* Program
* Author
* Date
* Language
* Assembler
.. c ..
*
*
*
*
Aztec c68/am-c v3.4 *
****************************************
z
If this introduction is inserted before the active line in ED IT, entering
C followed by the filename between two periods is all that is needed.
Example:
C .introduction.
The insertion is not ordered by the C command, which just calls the
me. The I command emerges here, through which the following text,
up until the Z, is inserted before the active line. As soon as the end of
this file is reached, or a line with the Q command occurs, ED I T returns
to command level. This does not necessarily have to be the keyboard
again because a command file is also allowed. In such cases a C
command is contained in the command data file.
A macro me can be constructed for any imaginable case. If you know
the situation well, working with EDIT can be much faster than ED.
Quitting Edit
Normally, the <w> (windup) command exits EDIT. The contents of
the buffer and the rest of the source data file are copied to the
destination file in subdirectory t with the name EDIT BACKUP. If a
name for the destination file wasn't specified at the biginning of the
work with ED IT, the work me in subdirectory t receives the name of
the source me. After that all the channels close and the program ends.
EDIT can also be exited using the STOP command (copy procedures
are not executed). This leaves the destination file incomplete. If a
destination file isn't given at the start of the editing session, no
renaming is done on the work file. The source data file is also
unchanged and remains under the same name.
See the Appendix for complete descriptions of EDIT's commands.
3 .
Devices
ABACUS
3
Handlers
3. DEVICES
Devices
A device is simply a piece of hardware with which the computer can
exchange information. The disk drive is a typical device.
This data exchange between computer and device doesn't always have to
go in both directions. A printer only accepts data, while a mouse only
conveys information to the computer.
The description of the AS SIGN command includes a list of devices that
can be accessed from AmigaOOS. The standard devices of the Amiga
are listed below:
PIPE AUX SPEAK CON RAW
SER PAR PRT DFO
A colon (:) must always follow the device name, so that AmigaOOS
can tell devices apart from directories or fJJenames.
This chapter describes the individual device names and what you can do
with these devices.
Handlers are found in the L: directory. Handers are treated as if they are
actual physical devices even though no hardware is required for their
operation. The SPEAK: , PIPE: and AUX: devices are handlers.
Handlers must be MOUNTed before they can be used. This is usually
done in the Startup-sequence or the StartupII script fJJe.
They must also be described in the MountList located in the DEVS:
directory.
113
3. DEVICES
3.1
AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
Floppy Disk Devices (DFx:)
All devices beginning with the letters DF are Amiga floppy disk
drives. A total of four disk drives can be connected at one time (DFO:
DF3:). The drive specifier DFO: represents the internal disk drive on
any Amiga; DFl: represents the frrst external disk drive (Amiga 500
and 10(0) or the second internal disk drive (Amiga 2(00); and so on.
The Devices section of the ASSIGN list contains many references to
the letters DF.
All AmigaDOS commands default to drive DFO: in the basic Amiga
configuration (with only one disk drive). If you enter an AmigaDOS
command without a disk drive specifier, AmigaDOS automatically
accesses drive DFO:. The following command accesses the directory in
drive DFO:
OIR
The following command accesses the directory in drive DF2: (the
second external disk drive in some units, the second internal disk drive
on the Amiga 2(00):
OIR OF2:
See the descriptions of the LIST and CD commands in Chapter 2 for
the problems that can occur in disk directory handling.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
114
The device driver has been optimized for compactness and speed in
AmigaDOS 2.0.
ABACUS
3.2
3.2 THE RAM-HANDLER (RAM:)
The RAM-Handler (RAM:)
The RAM-handler simulates a disk drive device (RAM:) with the
Amiga's working memory. Handlers are treated as if they are physical
devices. The word RAM is short for Random Access Memory, a type
of memory that allows free access (both reading and writing). With few
exceptions the RAM disk can be used like any other disk drive. The
RAM disk's biggest advantage over floppy disk drives is high speed
data exchange.
There is a disadvantage to using a RAM disk for storage: The contents
of the RAM disk are temporary; they vanish when you turn the
computer off, or when it crashes. Because of this, important data should
be saved from the RAM disk to a "real" disk drive from time to time.
Another disadvantage is the memory requirement of the RAM disk. The
memory capacity for the RAM disk is dynamic. The more data you
store in the RAM disk, the less memory you have available for
applications and user memory. The more system memory you have
available, the more data you can store on the RAM disk. The RAM
disk doesn't give useful information about its capacity (it's always
100% full according to the disk gauge on the left border of the RAM
Disk window). This makes sense because the system only supplies
the memory it needs and no more.
You must create a RAM disk before you can work with it. The
following command opens a RAM disk:
DIR RAM:
You'll find the command in the Startup-sequence of 1.3, so that
the RAM disk is immediately accessible. If the S ta rt up- sequen ce
installs a RAM disk and the user didn't want it present, he's out of
luck-there is no DeleteRamDisk command. Section 5.3 explains
how to use the RAM disk to decrease disk swaps when using only one
drive.
Note: The following disk commands do llQ1 work with the RAM disk.
Chapter 2 supplies detailed information about each command.
ADDBUFFERS This command produces the error message:
Warning: Insufficient memory for buffers
It would be a waste of memory to assign both a RAM disk and buffer
memory to RAM, if the operating system IDdlet you do this.
115
3. DEVICES
DISKCOPY
FORMAT
RELABEL
INSTALL
AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
The data files or directories of a RAM disk can only be copied one at a
time using the COpy command. Copying the entire disk using the
DISKCOPY command is impossible.
The RAM disk doesn't need to be formatted before using it for the rust
time. If you click on the RAM DISK icon and select the Forma t
disk . item in the Icon menu (in Workbench 1.3 you would select
the Initialize item from the Disk menu) the Amiga lets you get
as far as the 0 K to forma t ... requester. If you click on the 0 K
gadget, the Amiga displays the following requester:
Format failed - (1.3 Initialization failed)
cannot find handler
If you try to format the RAM disk using AmigaDOS Forma t
command, AmigaDOS displays:
Format failed - (1.3 Initialization failed)
cannot find handler
You shouldn't assign another name to the RAM DISK in AmigaDOS
1.3. If you do you will not be able to access the RAM DISK from the
Workbench. Version 2.0 has solved this problem. Version 1.2 would
not allow you to rename the RAM DI SK.
This command turns normal disks into boot disks. The Amiga can be
started using these disks. The RAM DISK cannot be used as a boot
disk.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
116
Operation is identical to Workbench 1.3, but the handler has been made
an internal handler and is not located in the L: directory.
ABACUS
3.3
3.3 THE PARALLEL DEVICE (PAR:)
The Parallel Device (PAR:)
This device allows the Amiga to access Centronics interfaced hardware.
The device works through the parallel port on the case of the Amiga
and must ftrst be connected before you access it The PAR: device is
parallel because all eight bits of a byte are transferred at once. It is also
possible to transfer information one byte after another or bit for bit (see
the next section for a description of serial transfer).
The connection can be used for more than one device. For example, an
analog/digital video converter can be connected, and the video and audio
signals will be converted to a format that can be understood by the
computer. In this case the data from outside is sent to the computer
through the connection. Other data flow directions are possible. A
typical application for PAR: is a printer connected to the Amiga. The
actual information runs through the connection to the printer. The
reason for using a printer with a parallel connection is found in the
handling of this device.
The speed at which the transfer of data takes place depends on how fast
the data from the device can be processed. In addition to the eight lines
used for transferring the data, there is an additional line used for
handshaking. Over this line the data receiving device (printer) informs
the transmitting device (Amiga) that it is ready to receive new data.
This maintains optimal data transfer speed.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
The device driver has been optimized for compactness and speed in
AmigaOOS 2.0.
117
3. DEVICES
3.4
Using
command
bytes
Using
control lines
No
Handshaking
118
AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
The Serial Device (SER:)
The serial device is also known as the RS-232C interface. The
connection point on the Amiga is called the serial port and can be used
for a wide variety of functions (modem, MIDI, etc.). The serial port
transfers individual bits one after another, and not at the same time like
the PAR: device. Each data direction also requires one signal. Parity is
chosen before using the connection (even, odd or none). This eighth bit
is automatically set so that either all set bits are always even or all set
bits make an odd number. The receiver must be set at the same parity.
In a few cases, parity can discover transfer errors. Only the bottom
seven bits of the byte can be transferred when the parity bit is active.
The remaining bit is sent as the parity bit (transfer control bit).
Each transfer is synchronized by one start bit and two stop bits. The
speed at which the single bits are transferred must be identical at both
the sending and receiving devices. This speed is traditionally measured
in Baud (after the French inventor Baudot). One baud is equal to the
transfer rate of about one bit per second.
The RS-232 connection also has handshake protocols. There are three
ways to achieve correct data transfer:
This method is usually called xON/xOFF protocol. This method
assumes that the connection is bidirectional. As soon as a device cannot
receive any more data, it sends a special message (xOFF) through its
return line. The sending device stops data transfer until it receives the
xON message from the receiving device. The advantage of this method
is that only three lines are needed, and that's why a three-wire
handshake is frequently used in telecommunications. The operating
system automatically looks in the active program for correct utilization
of the command characters.
This method is similar to the handshake used with the PAR: device. It
requires additional wires, Ready TO Send/Clear To Send and Data Set
Ready/Data Terminal Ready (RTS/CTS and DSRlDTR), over which
additional information can be exchanged. A data channel used only for
return messages can be established. The advantage of this method is the
faster transfer speed because the control codes don't go through the
relatively slow data channel.
If the user is 100% certain that the data-receiving device can process the
incoming bytes faster than the sender is sending them, then you can
conceivably do without the handshaking. This method is most useful
when a fast transfer of data from one computer to another is desired,
with the least amount of expense (2 lines). As a permanent solution
this method is ineffective because it takes too much time to configure.
ABACUS 3.4 THE SERIAL DEVICE (SER:)
All parameters must be set with the Preferences editor before
using the serial port. In addition, there is a gadget called Buffer
Si ze that can be used to change the size of the transfer memory for the
receiving data. This buffer holds the receiving data in case the receiving
program is not ready. If it takes too long to read the data and no
handshake takes place, this buffer can be overwritten. Data that was in
the buffer are lost
Null modem cables are ready made cables that have the correct wiring to
allow two computers to easily exchange data thru the serial ports. The
software used is the same software used with a modem, only the cable
without a modem connects the two computers together. Hence the
name null modem cable. Most computer dealers carry null modem
cables, in case you need to transfer data from a laptop into your Amiga
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
The device driver has been optimized for compactness and speed in
AmigaOOS 2.0.
119
3. DEVICES
3.5
AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
The Printer Device (PRT:)
The printer device is intended specifically for output on the printer. If
the PRT: device is addressed, it uses the printer driver and selections set
by the Preferences editor. By using printer drivers Commodore has
attempted to standardized printer output In this manner all programs
use the same printer functions and command characters. When new
printers become available, only the printer driver and not the program
will have to be re-written. Different printers require different drivers
because different printers use different codes for activating the same
function. Despite the many printer drivers on the Workbench disk, there
are always difficulties with a few printers.
We believe that these methods are easy to use with completed printer
drivers. However, it would be much better if there were a program that
made it possible to put together custom drivers for any available
printer. Please see the Abacus book Amiga Printers - Inside and Out for
a description of an excellent shareware program that does just that.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
120
The device driver has been optimized for compactness and speed in
AmigaDOS 2.0.
ABACUS
3.6
Example 1:
Example 2:
3.6 THE CONSOLE DEVICE (CON:)
The Console Device (CON:)
The CON: device refers to both the keyboard and monitor of the Amiga
(i.e., the console). Because the keyboard and monitor screen of the
Amiga are normal input and output devices, they can be addressed like
any other device. Both input and output can take place in any window.
The CON: device is accessed as follows:
CON:X/Y/WIDTH/HEIGHT/NAME
The arguments following CON: have the following meaning:
x/y
WIDTH
HEIGHT
NAME
Coordinates of upper left screen comer
Screen width in pixels
Screen height in pixels
Window's name
DIR >CON:IO/IO/300/100/Testwindow
The directory output appears in a window with the given dimensions.
As soon as the output ends, the window disappears again.
COPY CON:IO/IO/300/75/input CON:IO/IOO/300/75/output
This displays two CON: windows on the screen at the same time. The
input entered in the input window appears in the output window after
pressing the <Return> key. Pressing <Ctrl><Backslash> Ctrl><\
removes both windows.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
The device driver now includes the NEWCON device which allows the
enhanced Shell operations in AmigaDOS 2.0.
121
3. DEVICES
3.7
AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
The RAW Device (RAW:)
This device is closely associated with the CON: device. At first glance
it looks exactly the same. The first difference between the two is
established when entering input. The RAW: device doesn't display any
characters. The following example is a good demonstration of the
function:
COPY RAW:IO/IO/300/75/input CON:IO/IOO/300/75/output
Enter any characters in the top RAW: window. All of the characters are
transferred to the CON: window without waiting for the <Return> key
to be pressed. If it is pressed, the cursor appears at the beginning of the
line.
Another nice feature of RAW: is that control characters for cursor
movement, <Delete> and <Backspace> can be transferred. The receiving
device (CON:) removes these characters when executing them. In our
example only the cursor keys function as usual. Pressing <Ctrl><C>
ends the entire process.
If the output doesn't function, there is a possibility that input was first
entered in the bottom window. As in the AmigaDOS window, the
output can be suppressed by other data. In this case, the <Return> key
should be pressed in the bottom window.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
122
The device driver has been optimized for compactness and speed in
AmigaDOS 2.0.
ABACUS 3.8 NEW CON-HANDLER (NEWCON:)
3.8 NEWCON-handler (NEWCON:)
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
The She 11 uses this new window interface for output and input in
1.3. The NEweON: device is similar to the old CON: device from the
original eLI. Before it can be used it must be mounted, like all other
handler devices, using the MOUNT command:
MOUNT NEWCOM:
The important entry in the MountLi st file found in the Dev s
directory on the Workbench disk should look like the following:
NEweON: Handler = L: Newcon Handler
Priority = 5
StackSize = 1000
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
Operation is identical to Workbench 1.3, but the device has been made
the internal CON: device and does not have to be mounted.
123
3. DEVICES AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
3.9 The RAD device (RAD:)
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
124
The abbreviation RAD stands for Recoverable rAm Disk. This is a
reset-resistant RAM disk for the Amiga. The RAM disk device named
r am: loses all of its information after a reset A normal reset does not
affect the RAD: device. In most cases the data can even survive a Guru
Meditation. The ramdrive. device is located in the Devs:
directory.
The RAD: device has at least one disadvantage. RAD doesn't have a
dynamic memory system. RAD uses the same amount of memory
whether it contains any data in it or not. A typical entry for the RAD:
device in the MountList looks like the following:
RAD: Device = ramdrive.device
Unit = 0
Flags = 0
Surfaces = 2
BlocksPerTrack 11
Reserved = 2
Interleave = 0
LowCyl = 0
HighCyl = 21
Buffers = 5
BufMemType = 1
You must specify RAD's capacity in the HighCyl parameter before
you can mount RAD with MOUNT RAD:. Each cylinder has a capacity
of 11K. RAD would have a capacity of (21 + I) ... 11K = 242K if it were
mounted using the above entry. In 1.3 RAD must be formatted before
it can be used with the FastFileSystem.
After a reset, all you have to do is enter MOUNT RAD: and the contents
of RAD are restored. If you discover that some data is lost, use the
D I SKDOCTOR to restore RAD.
When RAD is no longer needed, the largest section of its memory can
be freed by using the REMRAD command. It can be removed by using
the AS SIGN command:
ASSIGN RAD: REMOVE
The entire memory area that was occupied by RAD is then free after the
next boot operation.
ABACUS 3.9 THE RAD DEVICE (RAD:)
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
Operation is identical to Workbench 1.3, but the device has been made
an internal device and is not located in the DEVS: directory.
125
3. DEVICES
3.10
AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
The PIPE Handler (PIPE:)
This device opens a communication channel for data exchange between
different tasks. This communication channel consists of a 4K data
buffer that can be written to and read at the same time by a task.
Before a PIPE: device can be used. the device must be mounted using
the following command:
MOUNT PIPE:
Any number of communication channels can theoretically be open at
once. For this reason the PIPE: device name has a channel name added
to it. In the following example the actual contents of the directory are
loaded into ED with PIPE: "test":
DIR >PIPE:test
ED PIPE:test
This was only possible through an intermediate fIle in Workbench 1.2:
DIR >DFO:helpflle
ED DFO:helpfile
The output process waits until another process is finished if the channel
capacity is not large enough. For example. if the output of the entire
directory contents is directed to the Workbench disk using a pipe:
device (DIR >PIPE: test opt a), the process waits a while because
the buffer cannot take any more characters. In this situation a second
Shell can help read out of the PIPE.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
126
Operation is identical to Workbench 1.3. but the device driver has been
optimized.
ABACUS 3.11 THE SPEAK HANDLER (SPEAK:)
3.11 The SPEAK handler (SPEAK:)
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
This device controls the Amiga's speech output. The SPEAK: device
must be mounted using the MOUNT command, this is usually done in
the Startup-sequence.
MOUNT SPEAK:
Example for speech output
ECHO > SPEAK: "nice to see you"
DIR > SPEAK DF: opt a
TYPE S:Startup-sequence TO SPEAK:
It is possible to choose different output modes using OPT. The options
must be separated by a slash(/) with no spaces between them or the
colon. The following options are available:
p### Pitch (### is 65-320)
s### Speed (333 is 30-4(0)
m Male voice
f Female voice
r Robot voice
n Natural voice
00 No option in input stream
01 options allowed input stream
aO tum off direct phoneme mode
al tum on direct phoneme mode
cD break sentences on punctuation alone
d1 break sentences on punctuation, RElURN and LINEFEED
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
Operation is identical to Workbench 1.3.2, but the device driver has
been optimized.
127
3. DEVICES
3.12
AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
The AUX Handler (AUX:)
This handler supports the serial interface of the Amiga. The data is no
longer stored in a temporary buffer. The AUX: device must be mounted
using the MOUNT command, which is usually done in the
Startup-sequence:
MOUNT AUX:
Multi-user operation can be easily realized with the Amiga (see Chapter
5) by using this device. With a simple NEWS HELL AUX: command
an inexpensive used terminal can be attached to the Amiga for all your
AmigaDOS work. This frees up the Amiga keyboard and Workbench
screen and gives you a true multi-user computer very inexpensively.
The transfer parameters are set from the Preferences programs.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
128
Operation is identical to Workbench 1.3.2, but the device has been
optimized.
ABACUS 3.13 THE I'A8'l'I'ILIIISU'l'IUI
3.13 The FastFileSystem
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
You'll find this new handler in directory L: of the Workbench 1.3 disk.
Generally, a file system can be viewed as an enlarged handler. It handles
the organization of data on the disk differently. A fIle system also does
not access the device directly, but deals with device handlers.
So like the SPEAK handler uses the speak.device, a file system
can address the trackdisk.device to read data from a disk drive. A
fIle system is not fixed to any special device. To address a hard disk,
make an entry in the MountList and the file system accesses the hard
drive.
Until now communication with the connected drives (floppy or hard
drive) took place over the file system found in the Kickstart operating
system. The new FastFileSystem (abbreviated FFS) was invented
for drives whose memory medium does not change (RAD, hard disk).
The name reflects the improvement over FileSystem: It is faster
than the old file system.
Because a disk change is not allowed, the FFS functions only with a
hard drive or the new RAM disk RAD:. Only partitions that are not
automatically mounted on the hard drive work with FFS.
To take advantage of the new FFS, the following lines must be entered
for the device and partition in the MountList :
Globvec = - 1
FileSyst em = L: FastFileSystem
Do s Type = Ox444F5301
These changes can be made easily using ED. The call for ED looks like
this:
e d devs : mountlist
Then the device can be connected using mount <Devicename>.
This command should be entered in the startup sequence following the
BINDDRIVERS command.
Before the first access the hard drive or RAD disk must be formatted for
the FastFileSystern. The Format command must have the added
argument FFS. For example:
129
3. DEVICES AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
FORMAT DRIVE DZH1: name Part 1 FFS
You only have to format the partitions if the hard drive is already
divided into partitions. The entire hard disk must be reformatted if a
partition in the MountList changes the statement after the LowCyl
or HighCyl parameter.
ADDBUFFERS Special attention should be given to the ADDBUFFERS command (see
Chapter 2) when using the FFS. In opposition to the old file system,
increasing the buffer memory using ADDBUFFERS also increases the
speed. This increase is especially evident in the output of the directory
when using the D I R command.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
130
The new ROM filing system of 2.0 is based on the FastFileSystem,
but has been expanded to support the original filing system for
compatibility reasons. Since the new file system is incorporated into
ROM, the handler is no longer necessary in the L: directory. For
floppy diskettes the new FastFileSystem can be created using the FFS
option of the format command. Floppy diskettes formatted in the
FastFileSystem format will not be accessible to AmigaDOS 1.3 users,
the Not A DOS disk error message will be displayed and the
diskette icon will be labeled OOSA:.
4
More
AmigaDOS
Commands
ABACUS
4.
4. MORE AMIGADOS COMMANDS
More AmigaDOS
Commands
So far we have covered the AmigaDOS commands common to
Workbench 1.2, 1.3 and 2.0. The Amiga is a very flexible computer
system and its operating system is constantly being improved. This
chapter will cover the AmigaDOS commands added to Version 1.3 and
2.0. Any differences in the commands will appear after the general
description of the command. Each version of the AmigaDOS command
will be preceded by Workbench 1.3 implementation: or
Workbench 2.0 implementation:.
Version 1.3 Version 1.3 of the Workbench and Kickstart, featured many added
improvements over 1.2. A few of the improvements are:
RAD:
New and improved AmigaDOS commands
A comfortable Shell in addition to the CLI
AmigaDOS commands can be loaded and remain resident
commands
A FastFileSystem for disk drives without changing storage
media (hard disks, RAM disk)
A faster math library
New device handlers (AUX:, SPEAK:, PIPE:, NEWCON:)
Reset-resistant RAM disk that boots with Kickstart 1.3
Booting from special devices (Kickstart 1.3 only)
Much of this list functions with Kickstart 1.2. This is good news
especially for Amiga 500 and Amiga 2000 users, because these
computers have Kickstart resident in ROM (Read Only Memory).
Workbench 1.3 in conjunction with Kickstart 1.2 can boot from special
devices. The new RAM disk r ad : belongs to these devices from
which the Amiga can be booted in seconds using Kickstart 1.3.
Kickstart 1.2 users can only boot from drive DF: (the internal disk
drive). There is greater value in the compatibility of the old Workbench
and Kickstart versions. If you switch from 1.2 to 1.3 there could be
problems with the existing software. You should go back to the old
Workbench if you encounter difficulties (for example, we had problems
with the debugger db of the Aztec compiler).
133
4. MORE AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
Version 2.0 Version 2.0 of the Workbench and Kickstart, featured many
improvements over 1.3. The main improvements to AmigaDOS were
that every AmigaDOS command was rewritten in the C programming
language. This optimized each command for compactness and speed.
Many of the AmigaDOS commands were made internal commands and
no longer have to be loaded from the c: directory, greatly improving
the Amiga's already astounding performance.
AREXX
134
The Amiga designers recognized the flexibility of a system that calls
commands from diskette so they built in an internal command override
system, keeping the best of both worlds, internal and external
commands. Here are the internal commands of AmigaDOS 2.0:
Alias Ask
CD Echo
Else EndCLl
Endlf EndShell
EndSkip FaHat
Fault Get
Getenv If
Lab NewCLl
NewShell Path
Prompt Quit
Resident Run
Set Setenv
Skip Stack
Unalias Unset
Unsetenv Why
The Shell window also has the new Workbench 2.0 improvements. It
now contains a close gadget, a zoom gadget and a depth gadget It also
automatically displays as much data as will fit in the window when the
window is resized.
AREXX is a version of the mainframe computer REXX programming
language that has been implemented on the Amiga. AREXX has been
integrated in the Workbench 2.0 operating system. AREXX is an
application programming language that can be used to extend operating
system commands and customize applications program for easy
interaction.
ABACUS
4.1
4.1.1
4.1 AMIGADOS 1.3 COMMANDS
AmigaDOS 1.3 Commands
Some new, very useful commands exist in the c: directory on the
Workbench 1.3 disk and internally in AmigaDOS 2.0. We want to
examine these new commands more closely. Each version of the
AmigaDOS command will be preceded by Workbench 1.3
implementation: and Workbench 2.0 implementation:.
AVAIL
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Syntax: AVAIL [CHIP IFAST I TOTAL]
This command displays the amount and types of memory available.
The Workbench screen title bar displays the amount of free working
memory. A VA I L displays much more, as the following example
illustrates:
I ~ 1 2 1 i : A:II:ailaQlIi: In-Qsli: MaKimllm La::9:li:st
chip 77472 445760 523232 42712
fast 226200 290688 516888 219008
total 303672 736448 1040120 219008
Descriptions for the chip memory, fast memory (only present in
memory expansions) and for the entire memory region (chip memory+
fast memory) appear in each column. The amount of memory not in
use is displayed under Available and the size of the memory being
used is shown under In-Use. Both values add up to the value found
under Maximum.
A program can be loaded into small memory sections but these
memory sections must be the smallest allowable size. When a program
won't load anymore, even though there is still enough memory, there
is a good possibility that the program segments are larger than the
largest segment of available memory.
135
4. MORE AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
Syntax: AVAIL CHIP/S,FAST/S,TOTAL/S,FLUSH/S
The argument template now displays correctly when a "?" is inpuL The
FLUSH/S argument attempts to flush available memory as much as
possible to recover as much memory as possible.
4.1.2 FF
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Syntax: FF -O/S,-N/S, FONTNAME
This command activates a program named FastFonts, developed by
Microsmiths. FastFonts accelerates text output on the Amiga
screen. The output increases in speed by a maximum of 20 percenL
The user enters FF -0 to enable FastFonts (this command can
usually be found in the Startup-sequence of many boot disks). The
following message appears on the screen:
FastFonts V1.1 Copyright-198? by C.Heath of Microsmiths. Inc
Turning on FastText
The message can be suppressed by redirecting it to the NI L: device
with:
FF >NIL: -0.
The -N argument can be entered if the normal output mode is required.
The starting message will then appear with the T urn in g 0 f f
Fast Text message.
FON1NAME can be used to replace the system font with an 8X8 pixel
font.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
136
The command has been optimized for compactness and speed and made
and internal part of AmigaOOS.
ABACUS 4.1 AMIGADOS 1.3 COMMANDS
4.1.3 LOCK
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Syntax: LOCK DRIVE/A,ON/S,OFF/S,PASSKEY
This command write protects a diskette or any partitions of a hard disk
drive. The diskette or hard disk partitions must function under
FastFileSystern (FFS) from Workbench 1.3. A LOCKed partition
behaves exactly like a disk on which the write protect clip is in the
write protect position.
The LOCK command can also secure the write protect condition using a
4 character password. You can then only remove the write protection
when you know the password. The following command sequence
protects drive DU1: until you unlock the drive using the password
open:
LOCK DR1: ON open
Any attempt at writing to partition DU1: is greeted with the message
Vol urne xxx is wri te protected (xxx represents the name of
partition DU1:).
The following command restores write access to the partition protected
by the above LOCK command:
LOCK DR1: OFF open
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
4.1.4
Operation is identical to Workbench 1.3, but the command has been
optimized for compactness and speed.
NEWSBELL
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Syntax:
NEWSRELL WINDOW, FROM
This command allows you to open another Shell window for DOS
command entry. The NEWCLl command also performs this function.
137
4. MORE AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
FROM
138
NEWSHELL can open a window in the size and title specified by the
user. The following command creates a window named Amiga with a
width of 250 pixels and height of 100 pixels, with the upper left corner
of the window starting at X -coordinate 50 and Y -coordinate 70:
NEWSHELL:50/70/250/100/Amiga
This option works best when using the command in conjunction with a
Startup-sequence script me.
If the size input is missing, AmigaDOS creates a window the full
width and half the height of the normal screen or one quarter of an
interlaced screen.
With the addition of the FROM argument and the name of a script me,
the NEWSHELL command can automatically execute a script file. If the
script me is in a drawer the complete pathname must be specified. An
example:
NEWS HELL FROM S/Copies
In this example the script file named Cop i e s in the S directory
executes, before you can work with the new AmigaDOS window.
A Shell has the following advantages over the CLI:
The input line can be edited by using the cursor keys. The cursor
can be placed anywhere on the input line by using the <Cursor
left> and <Cursor right> keys.
The Shell uses the NEWCON: device for input and output.
This new window interface is responsible for many of the new
Shell features. The <Del> and <Backspace> keys function as
usual. Additional text is entered from the current cursor position.
When the <Return> key is pressed, the She 11 accepts the
entered line.
The following key combinations can be used to edit a command line:
<Ctrl><A> Places the cursor at the beginning of the line (also
<Shift><Cursor left
<Ctrl><Z> Places the cursor at the end of the line (also <Shift>
<Cursor right
<Ctrl><K> Erases the text from the cursor to the end of the line
<Ctrl><U> Erases the text to the left of the cursor
<Ctrl><W> Moves the cursor to the next Tab position
<Ctrl><X> Erases the entire line
ABACUS
Recalling
previously
entered
commands
Control
code
handling
Startup
script file
Resident
commands
Shorter
program
names
4.1 AMIGADOS 1.3 COMMANDS
This new feature also comes from the NEWCON: device. Every
command entered is stored in a 2K buffer. Pressing the <Cursor up>
key restores the last command. This function is very useful when a
command is not executed due to a typographical error. With a keypress
the command line re-appears; you can quickly correct it with the cursor
keys.
If you're looking for a certain command that was entered a short time
ago, the NEWCON: device can help. Enter the first letter of the
command and press <Shift><Cursor up>. The command that starts
with that letter reappears.
Pressing <Shift><Cursor down> moves you to the end of the buffer.
When a control code is entered in the Shell (for example: <Ctrl>
<L, the code is displayed in inverse video. However, the control code
operates normally.
Every time the NEWSHELL command is called, a script file with the
name Shell-Startup automatically executes. This file is found in
the S directory of the Workbench disk. Here the appearance of the
Shell prompt can be stored. The following Shell functions are only
useful when the She 11 segment is integrated into the operating
system before the Shell is called. The command needed here reads:
RESIDENT eLI l:Shell-Seg System
These commands are usually found in the startup sequence of the
workbench 1.3 disk so that you don't have to enter them manually.
Programs can remain in the working memory of the Amiga for use by
the Shell with the help of the RESIDENT command. These
commands are immediately accessible to the user and do not have to be
loaded from the disk drive. More information on this subject can be
found under the handling of the RESIDENT command.
You can give the AmigaDOS commands, found in the C directory of
the Workbench disk, other names. Many programs use AmigaDOS
commands and they should not be renamed.
The AmigaShel1 features a function that makes it possible to call a
command under any name, or multiple names. This name is specified
with the help of the ALIAS command. An example:
ALIAS EX EXECUTE
After entering this line the EXECUTE command can be called using the
name ES. The ALIAS command assigns the flfst character string the
same text as the rest of the line. In this case the rest of the line only
consists of the word EXECUTE. The following use of the ALIAS
command lets you call the startup sequence into ED by typing St-up:
139
4. MORE AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
ALIAS St-up ED S:Startup-sequence
If you don't want to enter the ALIAS command every time you open a
Shell, you can place the ALIAS commands in the S directory in the
script file She 11-S tar t up. As already said, this script file
automatically executes with each NEWS HELL.
The ALIAS command without the additional statements lists the
existing name assignments.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
4.1.5
The command has been optimized for compacbless and speed. It has
also been made an internal command of AmigaDOS. The 2.0
NEWSHELL window also contains a close box, so it can be closed
using the mouse. The 2.0 AmigaShell window also dynamically
adjusts the contents of the window when it is resized, displaying as
much information as possible in the window. The new AmigaDOS
windows also have the new Workbench 1.2 zoom gadget and depth
gadgets, in place of the front and back gadgets.
REMRAD
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Syntax:
REMRAD
Abbreviation for Remove Recoverable RAM Disk. This command
erases the contents of the recoverable ramdrive.device called RAD : . The
RAM disk then takes up a relatively small section of memory. When
the computer reboots, this memory is returned to the system.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
Syntax:
DEVICE
FORCE
140
REMRAD DEVICE, FORCE:
The command has been optimized for compacbless and speed, but is
larger than the 1.3 version since it contains more options.
When you have installed multiple ram drive.devices , the DEVICE
argument allows you to specify which ramdrive.device to remove.
If the ramdrive.device is in use when you attempt to remove it, a
drive in use message will be displayed. The FORCE argument
can be used to remove a ramdrive.device currently in use.
ABACUS
4.1.6
Syntax:
4.1 AMIGADOS 1.3 COMMANDS
RESIDENT
RES IDENT NAME,FI LE,REMOVE/ S,ADD / S,REPLACE/ S,PURE/ S,SY STEM/ S
This command loads the user's favorite AmigaDOS commands into
working memory. AmigaDOS commands or programs previously had
to be loaded from disk: before they could be used. Because of this you
had to leave the Workbench disk in the drive even though the
commands would often involve other disks (for example: the D I R
command). RESIDENT makes it possible for the user to load his most
frequently used commands into working memory. Then the command is
in memory and immediately accessible.
Before the RESIDENT command existed, important commands could
be copied into the RAM disk: and DOS was informed by means of the
PAT H command to look in the RAM disk before it accessed the
Workbench. This method functioned very well except for one large
disadvantage: When a command in the RAM disk: was called, it still had
to be loaded just like from the disk: drive. This is a very inefficient use
of memory because the command is then present in two memory
locations. Each new call of the program copied another command into
RAM.
Commands loaded using RESIDENT are loaded into working memory
once. When it is called a second time from a second AmigaDOS
window, the program is executed from the location in RAM.
An AmigaDOS command must meet some requirements before
RESIDENT can properly function:
The command must be re-executable. This means that you must
be able to use it from more than one AmigaDOS window.
Example: The first AmigaDOS window lists the directory of
drive DFO: while the DIR command is being used in the second
AmigaDOS window for drive D F 1:. Most AmigaDOS
commands, with very few exceptions, are "re-executable" on the
Amiga.
The commands must be re-entrant. As described above, the
program code of a RESIDENT command can only be found in
one location when the command is executed in several places at
the same time. The feature that makes a re-entrant command so
good is the use of local variables that must be replaced with
every call of the program.
To understand this problem we'll describe an example. Suppose you
execute a drawing program that contains the color code for the current
141
4. MORE AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
PURE
text color in a memory location. This memory location gives the code
for the color white directly after loading the program. Change this color
to red and restart the program. The second program now has the color
red as the default instead of white because they use the same memory
location. This is a harmless example. The Amiga does not differentiate
between the two and when the second is called, AmigaDOS 1.3
responded with a system crash (Guru meditation).
A crash could have been prevented if the P (Pure) status flag had been
set using the PURE argument. This flag, with the help of the
PROTECT command, can be set or erased for each me. A Pure flag tells
AmigaDOS that the program can be made resident using the
RESIDENT command LIST the AmigaOOS commands and you'll see
that it makes sense to have the Pure flag set for many commands.
Now we come to the use of the RESIDENT command. When the
command is entered without arguments, a list of the present
RESIDENT commands appear. When the command is entered with the
SYSTEM argument the resident system segments are also shown. For
example:
>1 RESIDENT SYSTEM
~ UseCount
Cd 0
List 0
Resident 1
Execute 0
CLI System
Filehandler System
Restart System
CLI System
UseCount supplies information about how active the respective
command is at the time. This statement usually returns a O. A 1 means
that the command is being used at the time. System segments are listed
as System.
NAME / FILE The NAME and FILE arguments specify the exact path of the command
or segment that should become resident. The following example places
the DIR command in the Shell:
142
RESIDENTR C:DI R
When you use the RESIDENT command in a file where the Pure flag
is unset, the following error message appears:
Pure bit not set
Cannot load xxx
(xxx stands for the filename)
ABACUS
REMOVE
ADD
REPLACE
4.1 AMIGADOS 1.3 COMMANDS
When Pure is unset, a file can still be loaded using RESIDENT by
adding Pure. The message Pure bi t not set is displayed in this
case. The PURE argument should be used with caution because
programs where the Pure flag is not set are not usually re-entrant.
The REMOVE argument eliminates an entry from the list of resident
files. The following example removes the EXECUTE command from
the list:
RESIDENT EXECUTE REMOVE
The UseCount value of a system segment is set at -1. Because an entry
can only be removed when UseCount is at zero, a segment cannot be
erased using REMOVE.
The ADD argument makes it possible to make more commands or
segments resident
The REPLACE argument replaces any command (or segment) with a
command (or segment) already in the list Because an entry can only be
removed when UseCount is at zero, an active command cannot be
replaced. For example, if the EXECUTE command was resident,
entering the following would replace it with the DATE command:
RESIDENT EXECUTE DATE REPLACE
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
Syntax:
RESIDENT NAME,FILE,REMOVE/S,ADD/S,REPLACE/S,PURE=FORCE/ S,
SYSTEM/S
AmigaOOS Version 2.0 was rewritten for compactness and speed, and
many of the commands have been made internal commands. Entering
RESIDENT SYSTEM will display a list of resident commands,
internal commands and system segments.
To keep the AmigaOOS system as flexible as possible the internal
commands can be controlled with the REMOVE argument. You can
remove internal commands using the REMOVE argument and ADD your
own commands. The AmigaDOS internal commands can be activated
again with the REPLACE argument
The PURE argument can now also be called with FORCE.
143
4. MORE AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
The following is a list of the ArnigaOOS 2.0 internal commands:
1. SYS:> RESIDENT SYSTEM
NAME USE COUNT
Assign 0
List 0
Execute 0
Alias INTERNAL
Ask INTERNAL
CD INTERNAL
Echo INTERNAL
Else INTERNAL
EndCLI INTERNAL
Endlf INTERNAL
EndShell INTERNAL
EndSkip INTERNAL
Failat INTERNAL
Fault INTERNAL
Get INTERNAL
Getenv INTERNAL
If INTERNAL
Lab INTERNAL
NewCLI INTERNAL
NewShell INTERNAL
Path INTERNAL
Prompt INTERNAL
Quit INTERNAL
Resident INTERNAL
Run INTERNAL
Set INTERNAL
Setenv INTERNAL
Skip INTERNAL
Stack INTERNAL
Unalias INTERNAL
Unset INTERNAL
Unsetenv INTERNAL
Why INTERNAL
FileHandler SYSTEM
Restart SYSTEM
Shell SYSTEM
CLI SYSTEM
1. SYS:>
144
ABACUS 4.1 AMIGADOS 1.3 COMMANDS
4.1.7 SETPATCB
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
Syntax: SETPATCH R
This command is found in the startup sequence on Workbench
diskettes. SETPATCH is used to patch or add updates to the operating
system. New versions of SETPATCH will be made available as the
AmigaDOS system is improved.
In Workbench 1.3 it modified the Kernal so that a Guru Meditation
does not follow a Recoverable Alert The R argument in 1.3 allows the
recoverable ramdrive.device to work with the new 1 MEG chip ram
machines, the 68010 and allow RUN to be used from the resident list.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
Syntax:
4.1.8
Syntax:
SET PATCH
The new ROMS have been corrected so the R option is no longer
necessary. New versions of SETPATCH will be made available as the
AmigaDOS system is improved.
SETENV/GETENV
SETENV NAME/A, String
GETENV NAME/A
These commands allow the use of environment variables. Environment
variable are stored in the ENV:, which in 1.3 is the RAM: disk. To
remove a definition use SETENV NAME, the variable will remain in
ENV:, but it will be empty.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
Syntax:
SETENV NAME/A, String
GETENV NAME/A
Entering SET E NV without parameters will display the current
environment variables. The SETENV and GETENV commands have
been optimized for compactness and speed. The commands are now also
145
4. MORE AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
4.1.9
internal AmigaDOS commands. LOCAL and GLOBAL environmental
variable may be implemented in the next release of AmigaDOS.
ICONX
Workbench 1.3 implementation:
This command allows you to call a script file from the Workbench by
double clicking on it with the mouse. The following must be done
beforehand:
Create a Project icon for the script me with the help of the icon
editor on the Extras disk. The SHELL icon is loaded into the
editor from the Workbench, modified and then saved under the
name of the script me.
Open the disk drawer with the new icon, click on the icon and
choose the Information item from the Icon menu (in 1.3
the Info menu item from the Workbench menu.) The
SYS: C: ICONX command must be entered in the Default
Tool gadget. Save the Information window. The script me
can now be called by double clicking on the icon. Descriptions
about the window size for the output of the script mes can be
made in the Tool Types string gadget in the Information
window. For example:
TOOL TYPE WINDOW=CON:O/O/400/100/Scr i pt window
The window can stay open after processing the script me by entering
the following:
TOOL TYPE DELAY=lOOO
Delay time must be given in 1/60 seconds.
You can use the extended selection capabilities of the Workbench to
pass the Workbench file to the script file. The selected files appear to
the script file as keywords, therefore the key keyword must be on the
first line of the script me.
Workbench 2.0 implementation:
146
Operation is identical to Workbench 1.3 but the command has been
optimized for compactness and speed.
ABACUS
4.2
4.2.1
Syntax:
4.2.2
Syntax:
V2.0
4.1 AMIGADOS 2.0 COMMANDS
AmigaDOS 2.0 Commands
Some new, very useful commands have been added to AmigaDOS 2.0
internally. This section will explain these new commands.
MAKELINK
MAKELINK [FROM] <name> TO <name2> [HARD]
Creates a flle that points to another flle. When the first flle is specified,
the linked flle is called. The default is "soft-linked" files, which means
the linked file can be on another diskette.
FROM <name>
TO <name2>
HARD
UNALIAS
UNALIAS NAME
The name of the original flle.
The name of the linked flle.
Files will not be linked across volumes.
Removes an alias from the alias list.
NAME The name of the alias to remove.
AmigaDOS 2.0 internal command.
147
4. MORE AMIGADOS COMMANDS
4.2.3
Syntax:
UNSET/UNSETENV
UNSET NAME
UNSETENV NAME
Unset an environmental variable.
AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
NAME The name of the variable to unset.
V 2 . 0 AmigaDOS 2.0 internal command.
148
5 .
AmigaDOS
Tricks
and
Tips
ABACUS
5
s. AMIGADOS TRICKS AND TIPS
AmigaDOS
Tricks and Tips
The purpose of this chapter is to solve some of the problems that you
may sooner or later encounter while you work with AmigaDOS. Some
of these items have been known in the Amiga community for a long
time; others are "hot off the press. "
In addition to these tricks and tips, you'll also fmd plenty of additional
information and advice about AmigaDOS.
151
S. AMIGADOS TRICKS AND TIPS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
5.1
152
Input and Output in AmigaDOS
You have probably wished that you could just press a key in
AmigaOOS and have the output go the printer. What exactly starts the
output? If you said, "Pressing the <Return> or <Enter> key", you'd be
half right. There's more to it than pressing a key. You can also execute
the printout by pressing the <Backspace> (f-) key.
Running output in the background can almost act as a completely
different task. It's possible to enter a new command while an old
command is still working. Not all output can be carried on
simultaneously, so the new command waits until the old command is
finished executing. This has nothing to do with the multitasking
capability of the Amiga, since DOS commands are always executed one
after another. In spite of this, work can be done somewhat faster
because DOS is active through all of this. An example:
COPY text TO duplicate
DELETE text
If for some reason the copy operation is uncompleted (e.g., the disk is
full), the data file text is lost. Now there is neither a copy nor the
original. A tip: The Dis kD 0 C tor can sometimes help in such a
situation. It's assumed that no writing has taken place to the blocks of
the data fIle. This should be checked out in any case.
ABACUS
5.2
5.2 WILDCARDS
Wildcards
MS-DOS users who upgraded to an Amiga miss the old * and?
wildcard characters. These characters made it possible to enter a shorter
filename on the older generation computers (e.g., IBM, VIC20, C64).
If the user wanted to erase the files named test (testl, test2,
test3, etc.) from a disk, the DEL command used in conjunction with
the name test * deleted all these files, and any other files beginning
with the letters "test". If the user wanted to deal only with those data
files whose names are five letters long, the question mark could be used
(e.g., DEL "test?"). A file named testlversion in this case
would remain untouched. The two wildcards can be combined. For
example:
n????version*1I
In this case all the files with the word "version" in them starting at the
fifth position and having any letters after that are addressed. The
following data filenames would fulfill the requirements of this example:
TestVersionl
LastVersionOfToday
FourVersion
Those new to computers can get the idea of wildcards from these
examples.
The number sign (#) can be used in place of the asterisk on the Amiga.
The question mark looks for an exact character position in the filename.
The # sign is as flexible as the asterisk. As you may know, a number
sign at the beginning of a filename sometimes means nothing more
than a word or number. Sometimes a numeric value is also expected
behind it. For example, the D I R command can be enlarged by adding
Test#3a so that it searches only for those filenames that start with
Test and end in three A's. This function is not patterned after the
asterisk. If, instead of the number, you entered a question mark, the
characters following the question mark would be ignored. The number
sign combined with the question mark becomes the equivalent of the
asterisk wildcard. For example, the following input displays all files in
the directory ending with .info:
DIR #?info
A few examples follow. Their purpose is to show the use of the
wildcard options.
153
5. AMIGADOS TRICKS AND TIPS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
Filenames:
DIR
versions:
154
Cat. I
Cat.2
Catnip
Pussycat
l. Cat.?
2.C#?
3.7rrmm?
4.#?
5. Dog?????
6.#?Dog
7. ??#28#?
l.Dog
2.Dog
Doggy
Wiener_Dog
The following would be the results if each of the above D I R commands
were entered:
I: Cat.l, Cat.2
2: Cat. I , Cat.2, Catnip
3: Wiener_Dog
4: all files
5: no files
6: l.Dog, 2.Dog, Wiener_Dog
7: Pussycat
The last example clearly shows that many combinations are possible as
long as they make sense.
ABACUS
5.3
Keyboard
breaks
S.3 BREAKING IN AMIGADOS
Breaking in AmigaDOS
The Amiga doesn't have a <Run/Stop> key like the C64 or a <Break:>
key like an IBM. But it's possible to stop the execution of an
AmigaDOS command by pressing <Ctrl><C>. All AmigaDOS
commands react by returning to the program from which they were
called (in most cases, AmigaDOS itself). As a reminder of ending
before the command was finished, the message * * * Break appears.
The three asterisks indicate an interruption of type C. From this type of
interruption comes <Ctrl><D> through <Ctrl><F>. Each <Ctrl>
break has its own advantages. <Ctrl><D> works only in conjunction
with the SEARCH and EXECUTE commands.
The SEARCH command, which can search entire directories for a given
character string, reacts to <Ctrl><C> like every other command: The
command stops. If <Ctrl><D> is used, the file being searched at the
time is dropped and the next file searched. The <Ctrl><D> command is
a less suitable break command than <Ctrl><C>.
It is somewhat more difficult with the EXECUTE command. <Ctrl>
<D> stops execution of script files made up of AmigaDOS commands
(see Chapter 6 for more details on script flIes).
Basically, <Ctrl><C> has a higher priority than <Ctrl><D> for the
execution of a ArnigaDOS command within a script file. The
ArnigaDOS command that is currently running ends, and control
returns to the DOS level. When it leaves the command, it leaves an
error code (error number >= 10) when it returns to EXECUTE, so that
the script file is left under the output of the message (example:
<Ctrl><C> for carrying out the SEARCH command). If the command
returns to the DOS level without a message, the script file works as
normal (Example: <Ctrl><C> for carrying out the Dir command).
<Ctrl><D> has a special function for the EXECUTE command. By
entering this key combination, the active ArnigaDOS command of
the script file finishes its work and then execution of the text file is
stopped. This can cause problems when the AmigaDOS command itself
reacts to <Ctrl><D>:
The SEARCH command responds to <Ctrl><D>. If <Ctrl><D> is used
while this command is working through a script flIe, the SEARCH
command reacts and not EXECUTE. After the SEARCH operation ends,
the script file isn't left unless there are no more commands.
ISS
5. AMIGADOS TRICKS AND TIPS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
Command
breaks
156
If you start a command using RUN, an independent task starts. No more
input can be sent to it from the original AmigaDOS window. This is
treated as a "non-interactive process". Only the output is shown on the
screen. A sample:
RUN OIR OFO:
After the input of the new number that is given for this process (for
example [2 n, the main directory of the disk is displayed in the
AmigaDOS window. The command no longer reacts to <Ctrl><C>.
There is a way to exit a non-interactive process. The AmigaDOS
BREAK command acts like the <Ctrl> key. The command waits for the
number to be stopped and the associated letter of the branch interrupted
(c-f). If all of the interrupt calls should be used, the ALL argument can
be used to do this.
For interrupting the directory output of the above example the
command must read:
BREAK 2 C
The BREAK command can stop operation of a command that was
entered in a different AmigaDOS window than the one that is presently
active. The number of the process that corresponds to AmigaDOS
window must simply be entered.
ABACUS
5.4
Single drive
copies
5.4 THE RAM DISK AND AMIGADOS
The RAM Disk and AmigaDOS
This section is for the user who has only one disk drive. Difficulties
frequently arise with this minimal configuration. These can be eased
with the help of the RAM disk. The fortunate user can buy more
floppy drives but the addition of a RAM disk can be much more
rewarding.
Copying a single data file or an entire drawer using two disk drives is
no problem. The Copy command can read:
copy DFO:Utilities/Notepad DFl:Helpprogram
How do you copy with only one drive? One option is to give the name
of the disk instead of the drive number. For example:
COPY FROM BeckerText:Letters/Peter TO Text:Letters
DOS automatically alternates between these disks and ignores the drive
number. This method has two disadvantages:
1. The name of the two disks must always be known
2. Many disk swaps must be made, even for a short me
The best method uses the RAM disk for storing the me before it goes
to the destination disk. First the disk that contains the me to be copied
is placed in the drive. The desired me is copied to the RAM disk using
the COpy command. Then the destination disk is placed in the drive and
the desired file is copied onto it from the RAM disk. The following
process copies the entire C: directory to another disk:
1 . (insert source disk)
2. COPY DFO: CRAM: (copy the directory contents to RAM disk)
3. (insert destination disk)
4. MAKEDIR DFO: C (create directory named "c")
5. COPY RAM: DFO: C (copy directory contents to destination disk)
The operation can only function when the COP Y and MA KED I R
commands have been made resident with the RESIDENT command or
have been copied to the RAM disk and the system was infonned using
Assign or Path. The two commands must be available when the
system disk is not in the drive.
After the copy operation, the data in the RAM disk should be erased so
the memory can be returned to the system. The following command
erases the entire C directory that was placed in the RAM disk.
DELETE RAM:C ALL
157
5. AMIGADOS TRICKS AND TIPS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
5.5
5.5.1
158
Printing from AmigaDOS
Those of you that do a lot of printing from the Workbench should get
your money's worth from this section. This section deals with the
basics of printing from AmigaDOS, the problems that can occur and
some solutions.
File printout with COpy
copy enables the duplication of an entire directory or a single data file.
The argument template reads:
COpy FROM,TO/A,ALL/S,QUIET/S
A quick recap: The FROM and TO arguments specify the source and
destination of the operation; the ALL argument copies all files from the
FROM directory. QUIET performs a "quiet" execution of the command
(it suppresses the output of the command).
COpy can access any connected device-it isn't limited to the floppy or
hard disk. The possible data flow directions depend on each device. For
example, the printer cannot be used as a data source; it can only be used
as a destination device. A disk drive can be used for reading and writing.
Enter the ASSIGN command without arguments, and look under the
Devices heading:
DFO DFl PRT PAR SER RAW CON RAM
We are only interested in the printer (PRT:) device for now.
The following command gives you a printout of a text file:
Which output format should you use? That depends on the parameters
set in the Preferences editors. Also, if a serial data transfer is
desired, Preferences handles the printer as a serial device instead of
a parallel device.
ABACUS
5.5.2
s.s PRINTING FROM AMIGADOS
The printer device is easy to setup using Preferences. A program
that sends data to the printer needs no more provisions than an interface
type, printing width and paper length. The command characters for the
printer are inserted so the data can be interpreted. For special uses this
can be avoided by using the rough drivers PAR: and SER: . Data goes
directly to the peripheral.
Redirecting output
Output can be sent to any device using OOS commands. The screen is
usually the default device. There's no reason why you couldn't change
that output device. The following example would send the directory of
the current disk out the serial port (you could transmit your directory
through a modem if you want):
DIR > SER:
All devices that can receive data can be replaced by the PRT: (printer)
device. Simply enter the command, a space, a greater than sign, a space
and the device name (PRT :). The following example prints the current
main directory:
DIR > PRT:
The following example prints all the directories on the current disk:
DIR > PRT: opt a
The following example prints all the directories on the RAM disk:
DIR > PRT : ram: opt a
The following example prints the text Hello:
ECHO> PRT: "Hello"
The following example prints the startup sequence:
TYOE >PRT: DFO:S/Startup-sequence
159
s. AMIGADOS TRICKS AND TIPS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
5.5.3
160
Printer control characters
The printer drivers in Preferences have a few things missing. You
can't easily use foreign character sets or double-strike mode. You can
get around this in AmigaBASIC using the CHR$ command (see your
AmigaBASIC manual or Abacus' AmigaBASIC Insilh and Ollt).
AmigaDOS has no equivalent of CHR$, so another way must be found.
The basic problem with control codes is that they can't be accessed
directly from the keyboard. A few can be accessed by pressing <Ctrl>
and another key. For example, control code 15 enables condensed mode
on most Epson printers. The user can access this by pressing <Ctrl>
<0>. Every control character has a corresponding letter. But be careful:
The 0 is really an uppercase 0 and not a lowercase 0 (remember to
press the <Shift> key). You cannot see control codes on the screen
when they are entered, but that doesn't matter. The important thing is
that the printer understands them. The user must direct the output to the
printer.
The use of the ECHO command is applied here. It is used for special
output of text. The following example shows how ECHO is used in
conjunction with a control code (note the brackets):
ECHO> PRT: [Ctrl and 0]
The brackets mean that you should enter the key combination, not the
text. The space before <Ctrl><O> is required.
After the following command is input all text that is sent to the printer
will be printed in condensed mode.
ECHO> PRT: [Ctrl and T]
It's difficult to interrupt an AmigaDOS command by pressing
<Ctrl><C>. A trick here is helpful. Using BASIC, create a file on the
disk that contains the command <Ctrl><C> in the form CHR$(3)
(A=I , B=2, C=3). The following program shows you how:
OPEN "DFO:CTRL-C" FOR OUTPUT AS n
PRINTil, CHR$(3);
CLOSEU
Run the BASIC program and return to AmigaDOS. Now <Ctrl><C>
can be sent by using one of these two commands:
COPY FROM DFO:CTRL-C TO PRT:
TYPE >PRT: DFO:CTRL-C
ABACUS 5.5 PRINTING FROM AMIGADOS
Next is a multiple-number escape sequence. This covers all of the
printer control codes that can be accessed through the <Esc> character.
At least one <Ctrl> character follows each <Esc> command. The
<Esc> key can be found in the upper left hand comer of the keyboard.
A typical Epson command entered in BASIC serves as an example. The
CHR$ (9) enables the Amiga's Norwegian character set:
PRINTil,CHR$(27);"R";CHR$(9);
The AmigaOOS equivalent looks like this:
ECHO >PRT: [ESClR[Ctr1 Il
A space must follow the colon, but there cannot be one before or after
the R.
Of course some difficulty can arise when you work with other
languages. C programmers use brackets 0 and braces (). They can be
accessed by using the American character set if you enter a letter in the
alphabet before "A": CHR$ (0) is used. Again, a BASIC program that
has the desired sequence in a me is of some help:
OPEN "DFO:USA-Set" FOR OUTPUT AS i1
PRINT'1,CHR$(27);"R";CHR$(O);
CLOSE tl
Run it and copy the file to your AmigaDOS work disk. The following
line activates the new character set
COPY USA-Set PRT:
161
5. AMIGADOS TRICKS AND TIPS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
5.6
Printer/
typewriter
Creating
text files
Appending
text files
162
Using the Console Device
The Console device permits a few added features in AmigaDOS. The
following section should give a few experiments with this device.
Basically, all output created from AmigaDOS commands from the
current window can be directed to any device. It is sometimes useful to
direct output to a specified window. For example, if you want to see
the main directory of a disk then return to AmigaDOS, you don't have
to open a new window using the NEWS HELL command. The following
command displays the main directory of the disk in drive zero in a
specified window:
RUN OI R > CON:I O/ I O/ 400/1 00 / main OFO:
You can stop the display at any time by clicking on the window and
pressing any key. The output continues if the <Rettlm> key is pressed.
The window automatically disappears after the command finishes
executing.
Nothing is easier from AmigaDOS than turning a connected printer
into a typewriter. The following command is all it takes:
COpy * TO PRT :
The asterisk, which represents the current AmigaDOS window, causes
all input to be sent to the printer after the <Return> key is pressed. An
advantage over a normal typewriter is that you can correct the line of
text before pressing the <Return> key. The entire line can be erased by
pressing <Ctrl><X>. Pressing <Ctrl><\.> returns the user to
AmigaDOS prompt.
There are times when you may need a text file in a hurry. To quickly
create a small text file, the following will suffice:
COpy * t o OFO:t ext
The difference between this command and the one in the previous
section is that this command sends the characters to the disk drive
instead of the printer. There they are placed in a data file under the name
tex t. You can edit these files later using ED or Edit . This function
can also be ended by entering <Ctrl><\'>.
If you want to append one text file to another, use the following
command sequence:
JOIN CON:IO/IO/ 400/1 00/ Input DFO:textdat afile AS DFO : newdata
ABACUS
AmigaDOS
alarm clock
Keyboard/
ASCII
conversion
5.6 USING THE CONSOLE DEVICE
The JOIN command merges data files together. In this case, the first
data file is in a CON window and the second file is a text file that
already exists on the disk. The result is stored under the name
Newdata on drive DFO:.
After entering the command, a window of the given dimensions appear.
The entry that is going to start the text file can be entered here.
Pressing <Ctrl><\> concludes the input and stores the resulting fIle on
the disk under the given name.
Naturally the input can be added to the end of the text file. The fIrst two
parameters after the JOIN command must be exchanged:
JOIN DFO:textdatafl1e con:10/10/400/100/Input AS DFO:newdata
You may fInd yourself losing track of time during these AmigaOOS
sessions. There's the clock on the Workbench disk that can be
programmed to sound an alann. But it has a few disadvantages. First, it
takes a long time to load. Second, it requires too much memory. Third,
only absolute alann times can be programmed. Finally, an alann time
must be preset
The following lines create a low-budget alann clock, don't forget the
plus (+) sign in the first line:
RUN WAIT 10 MIN + (Return)
ECHO "Hey, the coffee's done !" (Return)
Unfortunately the output always appears in the window from which the
process was started. To see the clock you should remember that this
AmigaDOS window can never cover another window.
You can make the screen flash when your time is up. To do this, the
command code must be enlarged by adding <Ctrl><g>. The revised
code looks like this:
RUN WAIT 10 min + (Return)
ECHO [Ctrl gJ"Hey, the coffee's done !" (Return)
The WAI T command makes the alann go off at an actual clock time
(see Chapter 3 for details of Wait). You may wish to create a text fIle
with the alann message and then TYPE the text file TO the SPEAK:
device for an audible alann!
Because AmigaDOS clock is a separate task, you can set more than one
alann clock at a time. If you open the maximum number of tasks (20),
AmigaOOS slows down.
Knowing the ASCII codes of all of the keyboard characters on the
Amiga can be helpful when programming. Before you buy a book to
look this up, enter the following line from AmigaOOS:
163
5. AMIGADOS TRICKS AND TIPS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
164
TYPE CON:300/10/150/50/Converter YO * OPT H
A small window appears in the upper right hand comer of the screen,
into which you enter the characters for which you need to know the hex
ASCII codes. The input must always be 16 characters. For example, if
you want to find the hex ASCII code for the letters S and J, enter the
two characters and press the <Return> key 14 times. The result appears
in AmigaDOS window. The letters have the hex ASCII codes $73 and
$6A, respectively. The rest of the places are occupied by the characters
representing the <Return> key ($OA). The statements are always in
hexadecimal format. This function can be stopped using <Ctr1><\>.
ABACUS
5.7
5.7 USING THE SERIAL DEVICE
Using the Serial Device
Everyone knows about the multitasking capabilities of the Amiga. It is
known as a true multi-user system. This enables multiple terminals to
be connected to one central unit Such a terminal can be any screen and
keyboard that sends the entered characters to the central unit, and
receives the information that the central unit gives. The task of the
central unit is, in the case of the Amiga, to work on more than one
program at a time.
The function of a terminal can theoretically be taken over by any small
computer (e.g. , Model 100, C64, Atari ST, etc.) interfaced to the
central unit with the correct connection (null modem cable). Because
the standard unexpanded Amiga can only address one serial connection,
additional terminals can only be added by using extensive hardware and
software.
We' ve tried this. Our configuration used a IBM 386 PC compatible as
the terminal, and an Amiga 2000 with a hard drive and two floppy disk
drives as the central unit. We used a null modem cable; you could make
the connecting cable yourself. Each end had a DB-25 connector, joined
to a 7-wire cable. The length of the cable is relatively unimportant
because a serial transfer is not very susceptible to trouble. The
connection looked like the following:
Pin with Pin
2 3
3 2
4 5
5 4
6 20
20 6
7 7
Function:
TXD->RXD (sender - receiver)
RXO<-TXD (receiver - sender)
RTS->CTS (handshake one direction)
CTS<-RTS (handshake other direction)
DTR->DSR (function control)
DSR<-DTR (function control)
GND (ground)
Notice the completely symmetrical pinout. It doesn't make any-
difference which end is connected to which computer. When buying the
DB-25 you should pay attention to the case: Some of the gray DB
plugs fit poorly in the Amiga The connectors that bolt into the Amiga
connector are better yet (and naturally a little more expensive). These
can be used to connect an Atari ST computer as a terminal as well.
Many inexpensive display terminals are readily available. Any of these
could be hooked up to your Amiga for all your AmigaDOS needs,
freeing up your Amiga keyboard and Workbench for serious Amiga
graphics work.
Our cable supported 3 wire handshake (xON, xOFF) and also the RTS/
CTS handshake.
165
s. AMIGADOS TRICKS AND TIPS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
Attention:
Note:
166
Make sure both computers are turned off before connecting the two.
The 8520 chip and the RS-232 system will continue to work as long as
you follow this rule.
For our first try in AmigaDOS we entered and saved the following
parameters in the Amiga computer with the help of the
Preferences programs. The communication program running on
the PC was also set to these parameters:
Baud rate
Buffer Size
Read Bits
Write Bits
Stop Bits
Parity
Handshaking
9600
512
8
8
2
None
RTS/CTS
After making sure the AUX: device was mounted (ASSIGN
DEVICES), we then entered the following command to activate the
remote terminal:
NEWSHELL AUX:
We now had a true multi-user system for almost no cost
The following only works on Amiga's running Workbench/KickStart
1.3, Workbench 2.0 added other more powerful methods of
programming debugging. We have one more use for the cable. Change
the command used to load the Workbench to read:
loadwb -debug
After starting the Workbench everything looks normal. Press the right
mouse button and move the pointer around on the menu bar. Suddenly
an untitled menu appears, containing two items: Deb u g and
Flushlibs.
It's now possible to display a debugging message on a second computer
through the ROM-Wack (a kind of diagnosis program), in case a Task
Held or Guru Meditation occurs.
If the computer hangs up and the right mouse button is pressed (press
the right button to canceVdebug), the memory of the Amiga computer
can be examined with a terminal program on another connected
computer. The Debug item enables the ROM-Wack if no interruption
takes place. The Flushlibs item normally doesn't do anything
visible (we couldn't figure out the purpose of this item). Now for an
example:
The Amiga is connected to another computer by an RS-232 null
modem cable. The following lines create a Task Held condition in an
Amiga running Workbench 1.3:
ABACUS 5.7 USING THE SERIAL DEVICE
mount resO:
OIR > resO:
The resO: device is found in the data file MountList of the devs
directory. If this device is integrated into the Amiga and output is sent
to it, the Task Held condition usually appears.
If the right mouse key is pressed, a Guru Meditation appears. Pressing
the right mouse button again causes the following output on the
computer connected as a tenninal:
rom-wack
pc: FE66E8 SR: 0015 USP: 022832 SSP: 07FFF2 XCPT : 0003 TASK: 0221100
DR: OOOOFFFF OOOOFFFF 0001C815 00000001 00000000 00022394 000221FC 00000019
J\R: 00023185 ~ 00023090 00022394 00FF4834 0000504,.. 00004588
SF: 2271 ABAB ABOO 2269 0015 OOFE 66E8 0000 0000 0000 0676 OOFC 07DC OOFC 070E
Assembler experts can analyze this statement and can send command
via ROM-Wack to the interrupted computer. Pressing a question mark
on the computer connected as a tenninal shows a list of the commands
that the ROM-Wack recognizes:
alter boot clear fill find go is limit list regs reset resume set show user
Here are their important commands:
changes the contents of the memory
the interrupted computer is re-booted
memory area is cleared
memory area is filled
memory area searches for a certain hex value
starts program
shows the contents of the register
(behaves like "boot")
Alter
Boot
Clear
Fill
Find
Go
Regs
Reset
Resume If Debug was chosen from the Workbench, the Workbench
is activated again
The address area is changed so that a new address can simply be entered
(without each command).
We dealt with the Task structure that begins at $0221AO in the
example (see register notices under Task). The command simply reads:
"0221aO"
This gave the following message:
0221100 0000 0810 0000 080C ADO,.. 0002 2BB6 0002 .. "H"P ... "H"L"H"J .. "8 + ... "8
With the help of the Abacus Amiga System Programmer's
Guide, we pushed the address where the pointer for the name of the
interrupt task was contained. It is the address "022BB6" from the above
line. Here it reads:
022886 5245 5330 0000 0000 0000 0002 3338 0000 RES 0 . . . ....... . . 3 8 . . .
167
5. AMIGADOS TRICKS AND TIPS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
168
It was really the task Res 0 that caused the Amiga to hang up. It is
nice to know why a program causes a Guru Meditation. In a Task Held
condition, the memory of the Amiga can be examined by a monitor
program that was started from a second eLI process.
The interesting ROM-Wack function clearly shows that the RS-232
connection can function exactly as it is expected. Data transfer at 9600
baud functions flawlessly.
6 .
Script Files
ABACUS
6.
6. ScRIPT FILES
Script Files
All computers that have foons of DOS (Disk Operating Systems) have
some form of script file processing capability. AmigaDOS is no
exception. Script files are similar to batch files on MS-DOS
computers.
This chapter shows you what can be done with this technique and how
it is done on the Amiga. In addition, you'll find a number of practical
uses for script files that you might not have thought of before.
171
6. SCRIPT FILES AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
6.1 Introduction to Script File
Processing
6.1.1
6.1.2
172
The following sections will acquaint you with script flIe processing on
the Amiga. We'll see at the end of this introduction if you understand
more or less about this subject
What are script files ?
Basically, AmigaOOS commands make up their own small
programming language. For example, the ECHO command can be
compared to the AmigaBASIC PRINT statement. The only problem is
that AmigaDOS commands can only be entered in direct mode;
AmigaDOS has no program mode like BASIC. The command executes
after pressing the <Return> key. The most important feature of a
programming language is missing: The commands cannot be stored.
Script files are text flIes that can be created in a word processing
program or text editor. These files consist of a succession of
AmigaDOS commands. It doesn't matter whether you create a script
file using ED, BeckerText, the Notepad or whatever, just as long as the
text is saved in ASCII format. The file can be saved under any name.
What script files look like
The simplest script files consist entirely of AmigaDOS commands,
like the ones that you enter in the Shell. Each line can only contain
one command. Comments are allowed; they must be separated from the
command by a semicolon, and the length is limited to the length of the
respective line.
A very simple script file can look like this:
COPY testt? test program copies all test versions into
DELETE testt? a special drawer and erases
them from the main directory
ABACUS
6.1.3
6.1 INTRODUCTION TO SCRIPT FILE PROCESSING
Besides the "nonnal" AmigaDOS commands allowed in script mes, a
list of special commands exist, whose use in AmigaDOS windows
wouldn't really make sense. They are the commands:
ECHO
FAILAT
QUIT
IF/ELSE/END IF
SKIP/LAB
ASK
WAIT
If the commands IF, ELSE and ENDIF did not exist, a script me
would have to be executed from top to bottom, without any potential
for branching. The additional commands make it possible to change the
program flow. A detailed description of these commands can be found
in Section 2.3.
Calling script files
The EXECUTE command runs the script mes (see Section 2.3 for
details of this command). In the simplest case, you would enter
EXECUTE then the name of the script file you want to run. The
following example runs the Myscript me on drive DFO:, if the me
is available:
EXECUTE DFO:myscript
After Myscript executes AmigaDOS is ready to execute new
commands.
It's very practical to use a background task for running script meso For
this, the script me can be called using the RUN command:
RUN EEXECUTE DFO:Myscript
The operating system separates EXECUTE command sequences so that
while the script me is running, further work can be done in the current
AmigaDOS window. Eventually, output appears in the AmigaDOS
window because a background task that is not interactive does not have
its own output window.
173
6. SCRIPT FILES AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
6.1.4 A simple example
To close this short introduction, we want to go through a simple
example step by step to show how a script file is created and
configured.
In most cases, a script file is built using ED. This program uses the
normal AmigaDOS commands and makes it easy to work on short
texts. This is the perfect tool for script files. It is also possible to work
with TextPro, BeckerText, Notepad or any other word processor that
saves its text as ASCII data.
Assignment: Write a script file that lists many of the typical AmigaOOS script file
commands on the screen. The file should contain the names of the
commands.
Solution:
174
You must open an AmigaOOS window. ED must be called using the
following syntax:
ED Comma nds
After a while the empty input window of ED appears. Because no file
with this name exists, the message Creat i ng new file appears in
the lower left comer of the screen. Now the required commands can be
entered:
; Commands
ECHO " EXECUTE"
ECHO "ECHO"
ECHO "FAI LAT"
ECHO "QUIT"
ECHO " IF/ ELSE/ ENDIF"
ECHO " SKIP/LAB"
ECHO "ASK"
ECHO "WAIT"
Press the <Esc> key then the <x> key to save the file under the given
name in the actual directory and exit ED.
Now you can execute this script file using the EXECUTE command.
Enter the following:
EXECUTE Commands
The result that appears in the CL I window looks like this:
EXECUTE
ECHO
FAILAT
ABACUS
QUIT
IF/ELSE/END IF
SKIP/LAB
ASK
WAIT
6.1 INTRODUCTION TO SCRIPT FILE PROCESSING
See Section 2.4.1 for detailed infonnation about using ED.
175
6. SCRIPT FILES AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
6.2 Modifying the Startup-sequence
176
You now know what a script file is and how to use it. For many who
heard about the concept for the first time in Section 6.1, you may not
have known that your Amiga executes a script file every time you turn
it on.
Before we explain this, we would like you to make a copy of your
original Workbench disk. When the Workbench disk is mentioned in
later sections, you should be using your backup copy, not the original.
Store the original copy in a safe place.
Open an AmigaOOS window and place the Workbench disk in drive
DFO:. Enter the OIR OFO : S command. A file named Startup-
sequence is found in this directory. Before this file is displayed it is
a good idea to make the AmigaOOS window as large as possible. Now
enter:
TYPEOFO:S/Startup-sequence
After the drive runs for a short time, the contents of the file is displayed
on the screen. We recommend that you have your mouse in hand right
after you press the <Return> key. Press and hold the right mouse
button to stop the scrolling of the screen; release the right mouse
button to continue the scrolling. The Workbench Startup-sequence
appears on the screen (an Amiga 500 Startup-sequence is given here;
the Amiga 200 Startup-sequence is longer).
If you take a good look at this file, you may notice that only
AmigaOOS commands are used. The commands of this file
automatically EXECUTE after you start the Amiga.
This file tells the computer what conditions should exist when it starts
(memory configuration, etc.). When you make changes to the Startup-
sequence, remember that they should only be made to the copy of the
Workbench disk. It's important that you have an unmodified
Workbench in reserve, in case you make a typing error.
Your Startup-sequence may vary since the Amiga system is
always expanding and improving.
c:SetPatch >NIL: r ;patch system functions
Addbuffers dfO: 10
cd c:
echo "Amiga Workbench Disk. Release 1.3.2 version 34.32"
Sys:System/FastMemFirst ; COOOOO memory to last in list
BindDrivers
SetClock load ;load system time from real time clock
ABACUS 6.2 MODIFYING THE STARTUP-SEQUENCE
FF >NIL: -0 ;speed up Text
resident eLI L:Shell-Seg SYSTEM pure add; activate Shell
resident c:Execute pure
mount newcon:
fail at 11
run execute s:StartupII ;This lets resident be used for
;rest of script
wait >NIL: 5 mins ;wait for StartupII to complete
; (will signal when done)
SYS:System/SetMap usal ;Activate the ()/* on keypad
path ram: c: sys:utilities sys:system s: sys:prefs add
;set path for Workbench
LoadWB -debug ;wait for inhibit to end before continuing
endcli >NIL:
A line here or there could be removed. We'll discuss each line in
succession, starting with the frrst. This line should not be deleted under
any circumstances because this is where the system is "patched", or
modified a bit. It should be mentioned that the SETPATCH command
should only be entered once. This command should not be entered in
the AmigaDOS Shell.
Now we come to the second line. The value of the ADDBUFFERS
command could be changed from 10 to another value, but don't do it. It
should also be retained.
The next line changes to the AmigaDOS command directory, CD C:.
The ECHO command displays the startup message and lists the current
release and version number. The next command, FASTMEMFIRST,
organizes the memory area and should stay. The BindDrivers
command should be eliminated if you don't have any memory or
hardware expansion in your computer.
Whether or not you keep the SETCLOCK line depends on if you have a
battery-powered realtime clock in your computer.
To obtain faster text output, the FF command must be used. This isn't
absolutely necessary. This means that the command can be removed.
The following RESIDENT command absolutely must be there,
otherwise the new She 11 will not function. You can decide for
yourself whether the EXECUTE command and other commands should
be in the RESIDENT list. The new Shell needs the new Console
handler NEWCON:. Next the NEWCON: is mounted.
The FAILAT command allows the following script file to be executed
even if it encounters errors. The StartupII script file is then
executed. Here is the StartupII script file:
177
6. SCRIPT FILES
Making
changes:
178
AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
resident c:Resident pure
resident c:List pure ;pre-Ioad LIST and CD
resident c:CD pure
resident c:Mount pure ;the next 3 are loaded for speed
during startup
resident c:Assign pure
resident c:Makedir pure
;make IF, ENDIF, ELSE, SKIP, ENDSKIP, and ECHO resident
;if you use scripts much, and can afford the ram.
;also make Failat, WAIT, and ENDCLI resident if you use
;IconX a lot
makedir ram:t
assign T: ram:t ;set up T: directory for scripts
makedir ram:env ; set up ENV: directory
assign ENV: ram:env
makedir ram:clipboards ;set up CLIPS: assign
assign CLIPS: ram:clipboards
mount speak: ;just mounting doesn't take much ram at all
mount aux:
mount pipe:
resident Mount remove ;if you have enough ram, keep these
resident
resident Assign remove ;by removing these lines
resident Makedir remove
break 1 C ;signal to other process its ok to finish
The first few commands make often used AmigaDOS commands
resident for faster processing oflhe script file. Next important system
directories are created and their paths assigned so that the Amiga can
locate these directories. The devices are then mounted into the Amiga
system. Finally commands are removed from the RES IDENT list
The BREAK command signals the Start up-sequence that the
StartupII sequence is finished. The Startup-sequence then
continues from the WAIT command
The next two lines adding the path and setting the correct key map
should not be deleted. The following line loading the Workbench
should be left alone. This line should always be kept. The last line
closes the AmigaShell window. Whatever you want to add is up to
you. Remember that every line you add increases the duration of the
startup sequence.
You don't have to create a new sequence from scratch; just change the
old sequence. The easiest way to change the old one is to use the ED
editor from the Workbench disk.
Place the copy of the Workbench disk in drive DFO:. Enter the
following command sequence from the AmigaShell:
ED DFO:S/Startup-sequence
ABACUS
6.2.1
6.2 MODIFYING THE STARTUP-SEQUENCE
The drive runs for a short time. The editor starts and the original
Startup-sequence appears on the screen. The only thing that you
must do now is position the cursor, with the help of the cursor keys,
so that it stands in a line that isn't needed in your new startup sequence.
It doesn't matter where the cursor is in the line. To erase this line,
simply press <Ctrl><B>. All of the lines that need to be erased can be
disposed of in the same manner. When all of the lines that don't belong
in the new startup sequence are erased, the text must be saved. Press the
<Esc> key, the <x> key and the <Return> key to save the edited text
Now you have a faster Startup-sequence. Read the next section
to see how you can make further modifications to make your own
custom Startup-sequence.
A C u ~ o m Startup-sequence
In the previous section you discovered that it is possible to change the
Startup-sequence. The Startup-sequence can be made
more user-friendly. That means that the Startup-sequence has to
be lengthened by a few lines. In the end you'll have to decide which is
more important speed or user-friendliness.
Because we want to modify the Startup-sequence again, we need
a basic setup. We took the shortened version from Section 6.2 and
edited it. The startup sequence of the Amiga 2000 can be edited in the
same manner.
Before we change the sequence make sure you are familiar with the ASK
command. In case you aren't, you should look back at Section 2.3.6.
Now back to the custom Startup-sequence. Have you ever been
annoyed that you had to click on an icon after startup before you could
have an AmigaDOS window? You can get around this problem by
deleting the line:
EndCLI > NIL:
The problem can be handled more elegantly by adding the ASK
command to the Startup-sequence. We would like to make a
suggestion as to how this would work. Insert the following lines in
your startup sequence before the last line.
ask "Would you like to open an Ami gaDOS window ? (y/n) "
if warn
ask "A large (y) or small (n) AmigaDOS window?"
if warn
newcli "con:O/O/550/200/Startup AmigaDOS "
else
newcli "con:O/O/160/30/Startup AmigaDOS "
179
6. SCRIPT FILES
6.2.2
180
endif
endif
AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
When you have finished adding this to your Startup-sequence,
you can see the results by pressing the <C=> key, right <Amiga> key
and the <Ctrl> key at the same time. Make sure to save the
Startup-sequence before you reset your Amiga.
The Start up-sequence re-EXECUTEs. Before it is completely
done, a question is asked:
Would you like to open an AmigaDOS window ? (YIN)
You need to press the <Y> key or the <N> key, depending on whether
you want a window or not. <N> closes the window and you're back to
the Workbench. <Y> prompts another question: The program asks if
you want a large or small window. Regardless of what you enter, an
AmigaDOS window with the name Startup AmigaDOS opens.
<Y> opens a large window. Pressing <N> opens a very small window.
We only wanted to show that something like that is possible. This
principle of using ASK can be applied to other things as well. For
example, you could ask if the Workbench should be loaded or not.
When you are working with AmigaOOS, the icons aren't needed. This
can be accomplished easily by using the ASK command:
ask "Should the Workbench be loaded? (yIn)"
if warn
loadwb
endif
The LOADWB line in the Startup-sequence must be replaced by
the above four lines.
The two examples above are only a small portion of what can be done
to customize the Startup-sequence. You can arrange the sequence
to fulfill your wishes and needs.
Shell-startup sequence
There are more startup files in the S: directory. One is called the
Shell-Start up file. The Shell-Startup file is EXECUTEd
every time a She 11 window is opened. AmigaDOS 1.3 has both a
CLI-Startup and a Shell-Startup file, Version 2.0 only has
the Shell-startup. In the CLI this is only the command Prompt "%N".
In the Shell the following command is used:
ABACUS 6.2 MODIFYING THE STARTUP-SEQUENCE
alias xcopy copy [) clone
alias ends hell endcli
c:Prornpt "%N.%S> "
The Shell-Startup file may contain more ALIAS commands.
What the ALIAS command does and how it can be used is discussed at
the end of this chapter. There are also more examples for using the
ALIAS command. These examples can be integrated into the Shell-
Startup file. The Shell-Startup can be edited with an editor or
a word processor. The CLI-Startup can be edited in the same
manner, but the ALIAS command is not allowed in the AmigaDOS
1.3 CLI only with the Shell.
The S: directory is a good place for storing your custom script files.
181
6. SCRIPT FILES AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
6.3 Practical Script Files
6.3.1
182
Using script flIes can save you a lot of typing and time. We have put
together some script flIes for you to examine. Even if you don't use
these flIes you should look at them for examples of what is possible.
You may want to create your own script flIes.
This book has an companion disk available for it. On this disk there is
a directory named Scripts. All script flIes in this chapter are found
in this directory. The names of each are found in a comment line at the
beginning of each program.
A special printer script file
Have you ever printed a file out on your printer? You may have noticed
that the text always has the same style. This section shows you how to
change this situation. To do this, a little knowledge about printers is
necessary.
Different control characters can be transmitted to the printer. These
control characters control the appearance of the printed text The Amiga
uses printer escape sequences that send commands to the printer. We
can send the printer escape codes with the help of the command:
COpy * TO PRT:
After entering this command and pressing the <Return> key, all
AmigaDOS input goes directly to the printer. You only have to enter
the desired command sequence on the keyboard. Since it's difficult to
place these escape sequences, which are generated from the keyboard,
inside a script file so that they can be sent to the printer, you must send
the data in an indirect way.
We put these printer escape codes in different flIes for that reason. We
would like to show an example of how this is done. In our example
we'll deal with the command sequence for the NLQ (near letter quality)
type style. Enter the following line in the ,.AmigaDOS window:
COpy * TO NLQ
ABACUS 6.3 PRACTICAL SCRIPT FILES
The drive runs a short time after you press the <Return> key. It creates
the file NLQ. All keyboard input that follows is sent directly to this
file. That means that no input is shown on the screen. You will be
typing "blind". When you enter the command sequence for the type
style NLQ, it can't contain any errors or it will not work. Pay special
attention when entering the following characters (Esc refers to the
<Esc> key):
ESC[2 " z
After you press the <Return> key the drive runs for a short time. The
command sequence mentioned above goes to the file.
To return to normal mode, press <Ctrl ><\:>.
The procedure is the same for accessing Bold, Italic and Reset printer
type styles Gust use the filenames Bold, Italics and Reset instead of
NLQ). The following printer escape sequences are translated using the
printer drivers included in the P references editors.
Printer
Escape seQuence M e a n i n ~
<Esc>e Initialize (reset) printer
<Esc># 1 Disable all other modes
<Ese>D Line feed
<Esc>E Line feed + carriage return
<Esc> M One line up
Normal characters
Boldon
Bold off
Italics on
Italics off
Underlining on
Underlining off
<Esc> [Om
<Esc>[lm
<Esc> [22m
<Esc>[3m
<Esc>[23m
<Esc>[4m
<Esc>[24m
<Esc>[xm Colors (x=30 - 39 [foreground] or 40 - 49 [background])
<Esc> [Ow
<Esc>[2w
<Esc>[lw
<Esc>[4w
<Esc>[3w
<Esc>[6w
<Esc>[5w
<Esc>[2"z
<Esc>[l"z
<Esc>[4"z
<Esc>[3"z
<Esc>[6"z
<Esc>[5"z
Normal text size
Elite on
Elite off
Condensed type on
Condensed type off
Enlarged type on
Enlarged type off
NLQon
NLQoff
Double strike on
Double strike off
Shadow type on
Shadow type off
183
6. SCRIPT FILES
184
AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
Printer
Escape segpence
<ESc>[2v
<Esc>[lv Superscript off
<Ese>[4v Subscript on
<Esc>[3v Subscript off
<Esc>[Ov Back to nonnal type
<Esc>[2p
<Esc>[lp
<Ese>[Op
<Esc>[xE
<Esc> [SF
<Esc>[7F
<Esc>[6F
<Esc> [OF
<Esc>[3F
<Esc>[lF
<Esc>[Oz
<ESc>[lz
<Esc>[xt
<ESc>[xq
<ESc>[Oq
<Esc>(B
<Esc>(R
<Esc>(K
<Esc>(A
<Esc>(E
<Esc>(H
<Esc>(y
<Esc>(Z
<Esc>(J
<Esc>(6
<Esc>(C
<Esc>#9
<Esc>#(}
<Esc>#8
<Esc>#2
<Esc>#3
<Esc> [xyr
<Esc> [xys
Proportional type on
Proportional type off
Delete proportional spacing
Proportional spacing = x
Left justify
Right justify
Set block
Set block off
Justify letter width
Center justify
Line dimension 1/8 inch
Line dimension 1/6 inch
Page length set at x lines
Perforation jumps to x lines
Perforation jumping off
American character set
French character set
German character set
English character set
Danish character set (Nr.l)
Swedish character set
Italian character set
Spanish character set
Japanese character set
Norwegian character set
Danish character set (Nr.2)
Set left margin
Set right margin
Set header
Set footer
Delete margins
Header x lines from top; footer y lines from bottom
Set left margin (x) and right margin (y)
ABACUS 6.3 PRACTICAL SCRIPT FILES
Printer
Escape seQuence Meanin K
<Esc>H Set horizontal tab
<Esc>] Set vertical tab
<Esc>[Og Delete horizontal tab
<Esc>[3g Delete all horizontal tabs
<Esc>[lg Delete vertical tab
<Esc>[4g Delete all vertical tabs
<Esc>#4 Delete all tabs
<Esc>#5 Set standard tabs
The type face on the screen may change when you access the printer
type style. For example, when you EXECUI'E the command sequence
for italics, the output on the screen appears in italics. This can be
solved by sending the command sequence for reset (<Esc><c as the
last code you transmit. This resets all styles to normal.
The following script file uses the four script files NLQ, Bold,
Italics and Reset contained on the companion diskette. The files
contain the appropriate printer escape sequences. The optional disk for
this book, named "AmigaDOS Opt Disk" contains these files in a
directory named Printer routines. Copy or create these files and
place the four files in a directory with this name or alter the script file
so it can fmd them.
This is the script file referred to by the title of this section. Enter this
file using an editor and save it under the name Printer. You may
wish to change the disk name and path name to match your system .
key Filename
;Printer
if "<Filename>" eq ""
ECHO "*nYou must enter a filename.*n"
quit
endif
if "<Filename>" eq "? ?"
ECHO "*n*nCall: EXECUTE Printer Filename*n"
ECHO "Don't forget to enter the path.*n"
quit
endif
if exists <Filename>
ask "Print the file in NLQ? (yIn) "
if warn
copy AMIGADOS_OPTDISK:Printer_routines/Nlq to prt:
else
ECHO "Ok, draft mode, then."
endif
ask "Print the file in bold type? (yIn)"
if warn
copy AMIGADOS_OPTDISK:Printer_routines/Bold to prt:
else
ECHO "Ok, no bold text, then."
endif
185
6. SCRIPT FILES
6.3.2
BACKUP
186
AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
ask "Print the file in italics? (yIn)"
if warn
copy AMIGADOS_OPTDISK:Printer_routines/Italic to
prt:
else
ECHO "Ok, no italics, then."
endif
copy <Filename> to prt:
copy AMIGADOS_OPTDISK:Printer_routines/Reset to prt:
ECHO "Ready."
else
ECHO "Sorry ... I can't find the file <Filename>."
endif
To print the Startup-sequence with this script file using the
companion diskette. enter the following on one line:
EXECUTE AMIGADOS OPTDISK:SCRIPT FILES/PRINTER
SYS:S/STARTUP-SEQUENCE -
You may have to alter the above command depending on where you
stored the Printer script file. You can call it using EXECUTE. the
script filename and a filename to print. The questions are asked one
after another. Be sure that your printer is capable of each printer option
before answering each question.
When the questions have been answered. the Startup-sequence
file starts to print out in the selected type style. A different filename
can be substituted instead of the Startup-sequence. The
pathoame must also be given if the file is stored in a subdirectory.
We used only three type styles. You can add more styles to the me if
you desire. Before doing this. the respective escape sequence must be
written to the me as described above.
Creating your own script files
Here are two more examples of creating your own script files. You
could consider these new commands. even though they are accessed
through the EXECUTE command.
The first example copies any file on a diskette to a backup copy. The
newly created file is different from the original in name only (copies
have file extensions of .bak). Enter the following lines in an editor and
save them under the name Backup.
ABACUS
WINDOW
6.3 PRACTICAL SCRIPT FILES
.key Filename
;Backup
if "<Filename>" eq ....
ECHO "*nYou must enter a filename.*n"
quit
endif
if "<Filename>" eq "??"
ECHO "*n*nCall: EXECUTE Backup Filename*n"
ECHO "Don't forget to enter a path. *n"
quit
endif
if exists <Filename>
copy <Filename> to <Filename>.bak
else
ECHO "*nSorry, I cant find the file <Filename>.*n"
endif
You can call it using EXECUTE, the script file and a filename. A
complete command line looks like the following:
EXECUTE BACKUP Filename
This creates a file that has the label Filename. bak.
The second script file lets you open up to six AmigaDOS windows
with one common command line. Enter the following lines in an editor
and save the fIle under the name Window .
. key number
; Window
if "<number>" eq "??"
ECHO "*n*nCall: EXECUTE Window number*n"
ECHO "Number must be between 1 and 6 inclusive.*n"
quit
endif
if "<number>" eq ""
ECHO "*nYou must enter the number of the window. *n"
quit
else
skip <number>
lab 6
newshell "con:O/O/319/59/A_CLI"
lab 5
news hell "con:320/0/319/59/A_CLI"
lab 4
newshell "con:O/60/319/59/A_CLI"
lab 3
newshel l "con:320/60/319/59/A_CLI"
lab 2
newshell "con:O/120/319/59/A_CLI"
lab 1
newshell "con:320/120/319/59/A_CLI"
endif
187
6. SCRIPT FILES
Note:
6.3.3
188
AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
The command can be called by entering the following, with the variable
n representing a number between 1 and 6 (be sure you are in the correct
directory):
EXECUTE WINDOW n
The Amiga may respond with an error message. This can be caused by
insufficient memory, or by the user entering a number outside the
allowable numeric range.
Before we end this section, we want to give you a piece of advice
dealing with the t directory, the directory used for temporary storage. It
stores different files here after an EXECUTE command has been run.
These are used internally by the computer. When a script fIle is called
and the message Disk is write protected appears, don't panic.
The computer can only grab things from the T directory.
When working with a RAM disk, this message does not appear. The
Start up-sequence usually creates a t directory in the RAM disk.
Starting script files with the mouse
Have you noticed that you must do a lot of preparation with a script
file before you can start it? First you must double-click on the disk
icon, then open an AmigaDOS window. A script file can also be started
with a mouse click. AmigaDOS supplies a command that enables you
to avoid some of this work. This command is called IconX and is
found in the C: directory. Here's an example. Enter the following line
in the Shell:
ECHO >r am:Batch "dir dfO: *ncd ram:*ntype Batch"
With D IR RAM: you can check if the script file exists in the RAM
disk. The fIle can be EXECUTEd by entering EXECUTE RAM: Ba tch
in the AmigaDOS Shell. This displays the contents of drive DFO:
on the screen followed by three command lines that display the contents
of the script file. What must be done so that this file can be started
with the mouse? First, we need an icon. This icon must be a project
icon like the AmigaDOS Shell icon. We will use this icon in our
example.
Exit to the Workbench. Open whatever drawers you need to get to the
Shell icon. Click once on the icon. Press and hold the right mouse
button. A menu bar appears in the first line of the screen. Workbench
2.0 users should select the Information item in the Icon menu,
1.3 users select the Info item from the Workbench menu. An
Information window appears. In 2.0 the name of the program is
listed and the type is listed (P ro j ect) , in parentheses. In 1.3 the
ABACUS
6.3.4
6.3 PRACTICAL SCRIPT FILES
word TYPE appears in the upper left hand comer. Right next to it is the
word Project. When the program is of type Project or TOOL,
this icon can be used for our purposes.
Open Shell again. Enter the following to copy the Shell icon
information to the Batch script fIle in the RAM disk:
Copy SYS:Shell.info RAM:Batch.info
When you have entered the command and pressed the <Return> key,
return to the Workbench. Double-click on the RAM disk icon. In the
window that appears you should recognize an icon possessing the name
of the script file. Click once on this icon. Then select the
Information item from the Icon menu (Info from the
Workbench menu in 1.3). This displays the Information
window. Inside of this window is a string gadget containing the
DEFAULT TOOL status. Click on this string gadget. Edit the text so
that it reads SYS : c/ IconX instead of SYS: System/CLI. This text
gives the path where the IconX command is found. After you have
entered the new text, click on the Save gadget The window disappears
from the screen. The Batch icon appears in the RAM disk window.
Double-click on it. This opens an IconX window. The same output
appears in this window as was displayed when the script me was started
with EXECUTE. After all of the output is given in the window, the
window remains open for a short time before it automatically closes.
The time that the window remains open can be increased by adding the
Wait 30 command to the script fIle. The window then remains open
for 30 seconds longer.
That was an example of how a script file can be started from the
Workbench. All script files can be started this way, with a few
exceptions. IconX executable script files can only contain commands
that can be entered directly in AmigaDOS. Commands like Skip,
Lab, If, etc. are not allowed. You can access disk drives other than
the RAM disk. You can edit the icon's appearance if you wish.
The Types script file
Hopefully you saved your work in the S: subdirectory on the
Workbench if you've created script files while working through this
book. That is where the Amiga looks for a script file if it is not found
in the current directory. The following script file displays the contents
of each file in a directory. You should be sure that the mes in the given
directory are script files or text files; programs will print garbage when
they are displayed on the screen.
189
6. SCRIPT FILES
6.3.5
190
.key Directory
; Types
if "<Directory>" eq "??"
AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
ECHO "*n*nCall: EXECUTE Types Directory*n"
ECHO "Don't forget to enter the path name .*n"
quit
endif
if "<Directory>" eq ""
endif
ECHO "*n*nYou must enter a directory. *n"
quit
if exists "<Directory>"
cd "<Directory>"
else
endif
ECHO "I can't find the directory <Directory>.*n"
quit
list >ram:Type.bat t? lformat="type \s"
EXECUTE ram:Type.bat
delete ram:Type.bat
cd sys:
You can start this file with EXECUTE or set the S bit of this file. The
drive and directory must be given. The file is called Types on the
companion disk available for this book, for the companion disk the call
would be the following (your call may differ depending on where you
saved the file):
EXECUTE AMIGADOS_ OPTDISK:Script_files/Types sys:s
The output can be stopped by pressing the right mouse key. The output
can also go to a printer. For this, the 1 forma t option must be
changed to Iformat="type >prt: %s".
Putting everything into the RAM disk
The program in this section should only be used when the user has a
memory expansion. This program copies the entire Workbench disk
onto the RAM disk and directs all access that would normally go to the
Workbench to the RAM disk. You can use the rad: device, the
recoverable RAM disk for this which will give you super fast resets.
You must change the HighCyl parameter in the MountList to
provide enough memory in the RAD disk. Using this file can take up
so much memory that the other tasks may not have enough room. The
ftrst script file uses the normal RAM disk, the second uses the reset-
resistant RAM disk.
ABACUS 6.3 PRACTICAL SCRIPT FILES
;Ramcontrol script file one
ECHO "*nCopying directories .. *n"
copy sys: ram: all
cd ram:
ECHO "*nTurning control over to the RAM disk. *n"
assign sys: ram:
assign c : sys:c
assign 1: sys:l
assign fonts: sys:fonts
assign s: sys:s
assign devs: sys:devs
assign libs: sys:libs
assign t: sys:t
assign utilities: sys:utilities
assign prefs: sys:prefs
assign system: sys:system
assign empty: sys:empty
ECHO "*nDone.*n"
;Radcontrol script file two
;Remember to MOUNT RAD: before executing this file
if exists rad:Flag
skip L1
else
ECHO "*Copying directories .. *n"
copy sys: rad: all
endif
ECHO >rad:Flag "Flag set."
lab L1
cd rad:
ECHO "*Giving control to reset-resistant RAM disk.*n"
assign sys: rad:
assign c: sys:c
assign 1: sys:l
assign fonts: sys:fonts
assign s: sys:s
assign devs: sys:devs
assign libs: sys:libs
assign t: sys:t
assign utilities: sys:utilities
assign prefs: sys:prefs
assign system: sys:system
assign empty: sys:empty
ECHO "*nDone.*n"
The second file is somewhat longer than the first. This is because the
reset-resistant RAM disk is always present and may be remounted using
mount rad: after a warm start. Therefore, the Workbench files don't
need to be copied again. The additional lines take care of this.
191
6. SCRIPT FILES AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
6.4 Using ALIAS
192
The Shell has many advantages over the Amiga's original CLIo One
advantage is that the command lines can be edited and that the entered
command lines can be stored in sequence in a buffer.
The ALIAS command is very useful. This command makes it possible
to use AmigaOOs commands in a different manner. You may ask why
we discuss it in the scripts chapter. The ALIAS command can function
as a script file, except it only takes up one text line. The line begins
with the command word ALIAS, followed by a character string which
is the label of the new command, followed by a list of commands or
commands that EXECUTE a script file. That sounds difficult, but it
really isn't. Before we give you any examples, a bit of advice. We
created a script file called Alias.bat on the companion disk available
for this book. This is found in the Script files subdirectory.
When you open a Shell window, you must enter the following to use
the Alias .bat file:
EXECUTE AMIGADOS_OPTDISK:Script_files!Alias.bat
Back to our example. Enter the following line in the Shell:
Alias Ramdir Dir Ram:
Now you have access to the new command RAMDIR. Here's what you
did: First the command word (Alias), then the label of the new
command (Ramdir) and then the command's function (Dir Ram:).
The example isn't very useful, but it serves its purpose. Which ALIAS
commands are in use and how they are built can be determined by
entering ALIAS without arguments and pressing the <Return> key.
When a Shell window is opened, the Shell-Startup script file is
EXECUTEd. Placing your ALIAS command in the Shell-Startup
file enables these commands whenever any Shell window is opened.
Or you could write them in a script file that must be called so that you
can use the commands.
The next few pages contain examples of what can be done with the
ALIAS command
ABACUS 6.4 USING A LI A S
1. If you would like to change the disk drive without much typing.
Use the following lines:
alias 0 cd dfO:
alias 1 cd dfl:
alias 2 cd df2:
alias r cd ram:
After entering these lines you can change the drive by entering 0, 1,
2 or r. You can do so with other drives as well (example: DHO:).
You can also change the directory in a given drive. To change the C
directory to drive DF1:, you must enter the command 1 c.
2. Delete the contents of a Shell window.
Alias CLS ECHO "*ec"
Enter the line in the Shell. Then enter CLS. The contents of the
AmigaDOS window are erased and the prompt appears in the top of
the window. This is accomplished with the ECHO command and an
escape sequence. The sequence is inside the quotation marks. The
first two characters tell the computer that an escape sequence
follows. The c erases the screen. You'll find more escape sequences
in Appendix A. The prompt stands in the second line, not the first.
To get it to appear in the first line after the screen is erased we need
to use a little trick. First, we must change the prompt character a
little with the following line:
Prompt "*e[11y*e[33m*e[lm*e[3m%s*e[Om*n*e[t"
After you enter the line and press the <Return> key you can see the
result. The directory is displayed in italics and is in a different color.
In addition, the input takes place in the next line. These appearances
are a result of the different escape sequences in the P ROMP T
command.
Now enter the new CLS command.
Alias CLSC ECHO "*ec*e[2y*e[2t"
When you enter CLSC to clear the screen, the directory description
appears in the top line of the window.
3. Here are some more uses for the escape sequences. The frrst example
doesn't use the ALIAS command but is still rather interesting.
ECHO "*e[lm*e[3mThis is bold and italic.*e[Om"
ECHO "*e[32m*e[43mBlack text on an orange background.*e[Om"
ECHO "*e[7m*e[4mThis is inverted and underlined.*e[Om"
193
6. SCRIPT FILES
194
AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
As you can see the changes affect more than the output. The ALIAS
command can produce many other changes.
Alias Proml Prompt "*e[32m*e[43m%s> "
Alias Prom2 Prompt "*e[42m*e[3lm%s> "
Alias Prom3 Prompt "*e[4lm*e[33m%s> "
Alias Prom4 Prompt "%Enter Task*n%s*n- "
Enter ECHO "*ec" to return to the normal colors.
4. Print a file on the printer. At the same time the computer should
still be available for use. The file should print in the background.
Alias Print run copy to prt: [) clone
The brackets act as placeholders for the parameters entered with
PRINT. The new command must be given the name of the file it
should print out. For example:
Print sys:s/startup-sequence
5. Here is a command that makes a file "invisible" so that it isn't
displayed when a OIR or LIST command is EXECUTEd. The
HIDE command hides the specified file from these commands:
Alias Hide protect [) +h
The PROTECT command sets the h status bit of the file. The
computer must have at least Kickstart 1.3 to use this command.
This h bit is ignored when Kickstart 1.2 is used.
6. As in example 5, the status bit s can be set. The following line
must be entered:
Alias SBit protect [) +s
When the s bit is set you can EXECUTE a script file without
invoking the Execute command.
7. There is already an ALIAS command in your Shell-Startup
file. It is the xCopy command. The same principle can be used for
deleting:
Alias xDelete delete [) all
After entering this line a directory can be deleted. Enter xOelete
and a directory in the Shell.
8. The AmigaOOS commands can be shortened with the ALIAS
command:
ABACUS 6.4 USING ALIAS
Alias c copy
Alias p path
Alias d dir
Alias ex EXECUTE
Alias dl delete
Alias t type
Alias r rename
Alias e ECHO
The individual commands can be used after entering the lines with the
respective abbreviations.
195
7 .
AmigaDOS and
M ul ti tasking
ABACUS
7 .
The blitter
Amiga
software
AmigaDOS
7. AMIGADOS AND MULTITASKING
AmigaDOS and
Multitasking
What fascinated us most about the Amiga was the efficiency of the
hardware and software. While other computer manufacturers delivered
the blitler (the special chip for super fast memory operations) months
after the announced date. the Amiga system was supplied with it from
the start. While many other systems are limited to 64 colors. the
Amiga can display 4096 colors at the same time.
Even more efficient than the Amiga hardware is the software supplied
with the Amiga. Other computers use windows. but are severely
limited in the number of open windows and the number of programs
they can run at once. The Amiga operating system allows true
multitasking (the topic of this chapter). with a few limitations. The
software is not yet capable to take full advantage of the hardware.
AmigaOOS makes it possible to do multitasking on a home computer
without restrictions. This section of the operating system is laid out so
that the hardware can do many different functions and is easily
expanded. The principle of device drivers play an important part in this
flexibility. AmigaOOS supports devices that can be addressed with the
same routines. printing to the screen or the printer can be handled by
the same routine. The direction of input and output for different devices
is an essential condition for multitasking.
AmigaOOS has one drawback. This super operating system that was
delivered with the computer does not fully utilize all of its amazing
possibilities. Multitasking on an Amiga 500 with 512K memory and
one disk drive is like driving a Porsche in heavy traffic-exciting. but
limited. Also. the 68000 processor is very good. but AmigaDOS is
much more efficient with a 68020 processor and lightning fast with a
68030. We can only hope that these possibilities will soon become
standard for all Amiga users.
199
7. AMIGADOS AND MULTITASKING AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
7.1
What is Multitasking?
Some of our readers may quietly laugh at this question and say that is
an old subject. Multitasking is when a computer does many things at
once. The question is not that dumb, however. Many of you work with
AmigaDOS and wait for the disk to finish formatting or for the C
compiler to fmish compiling before going on to other work. You aren't
using the full capabilities of AmigaOOS.
Multitasking Multitasking is something completely natural. Many people rarely use
the computer to do more than one thing at a time. They wait for it to
finish its work before going further. As an example, we will take a
typical human task that points out a few problems of multitasking:
200
Let's make lunch; roast beef with mushrooms and onions, potatoes and
asparagus. It should be on the table at 12 noon. You couldn't get it
done if you did each task one after another. You could prepare the
potatoes and asparagus at 8:00 a.m. then at 11:30 a.m. finish the gravy
and set the table. But by then, the potatoes and asparagus would be
cold. You have to think about which task takes the longest and then
plan your time accordingly. Preheat your oven starting at 9:45 a.m. Put
the roast beef in the oven at 10 o'clock because you know that it takes
two hours to cook. After that, place the water for the potatoes on the
stove and slice the potatoes while that heats up. While the potatoes are
cooking in the water, you have 20 minutes to prepare the asparagus.
Let's get back to the subject of multitasking. This was a very simple
example of everyday multitasking, and many other examples can be
thought of-from lighting a cigarette while driving to reading the
newspaper while watching TV. These examples have the same
problems: While multitasking you can scald your finger in the water
while the roast beef burns, or you can crash into another car after your
cigarette falls in your lap. It is exactly the same for the computer. You
can try to save a file on a disk that needs to be formatted and you could
write text to a me that should first be printed. These are conflicts that
should be avoided, and the following sections show you how to avoid
them.
Computer multitasking is implemented so that many tasks appear to
work at the same time. Or to put it another way, each task operates for
a very short time so that no task has to wait for another task to fini sh.
Fewer problems arise using this method, so it' s better for users.
Luckily, AmigaDOS was written so well that collisions and burnt
fingers never occur while multitasking.
ABACUS
7.2
7.2 MULTITASKING WITH AMIGADOS AND WORKBENCH
Multitasking with AmigaDOS
and Workbench
Maybe you have been shown by enthusiastic friends and acquaintances
how the Amiga can do many things at once. Especially interesting are
the multiple programs that can be started one after another. The
multitasking ability of the Amiga is limited by memory; the more
memory you install, the more you can do. You can hardly show
someone BeckerText, DataRetrieve and AmigaBASIC at the same time
if you have an Amiga 500 with 512K. In spite of this there are many
uses for multitasking, such as using AmigaDOS and Workbench
simultaneously.
Before we show you the many possibilities for multitasking with the
Workbench and AmigaDOS, we must mention that the Workbench
does have "multitasking capabilities." To see this, format a disk with
Format Disk (1.3 In i t i ali z e) and try to do something else while
the disk is being formatted. It works.
It is important to have the correct commands RESIDENT if you are
using an Amiga 500 with one disk drive. When Intuition loads a
program from the disk and AmigaDOS looks for the desired command
from the same disk this process takes a long time. If you have two disk
drives, the system disk with AmigaDOS commands should be in one
drive and the program should be started from the Workbench in the
other drive.
You should make a copy of the original Workbench disk because we
will change the Startup-sequence on it. The normal Workbench
Startup-sequence ends AmigaOOS with:
ENDCLI >NIL:
The AmigaDOS window disappears. Place a copy of the Workbench
disk in drive DFO: and load the Startup-sequence into ED with:
ED DFO:S/Startup-sequence
and erase the last line (ENDCLI >NIL:). Save the file by pressing
<Esc><X> and continue with your work on the Amiga. How can you
work with the Workbench and AmigaDOS at the same time?
201
7. AMIGADOS AND MULTITASKING AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
An example: Suppose that you have some important data in the RAM disk and that
you start a program from the Workbench. This program locks up
during loading because it doesn't have 1 megabyte available. Now you
can't do anything more with the Workbench. Only the wait pointer
appears-you can't open AmigaDOS. You can get out of this by
resetting the computer, but then you lose the data in the RAM disk.
Had you placed an AmigaDOS window behind all of the other
windows, you could simply click on it and copy the important data
from the RAM disk with the command:
202
COPY RAM OFO: ALL
before resetting the computer. AmigaDOS 1.3 doesn't help against the
large red Guru Meditation message. When the requester:
"Task held-finish all disk activities ...... ..
appears, most of the time you are without an AmigaDOS window.
Remember a tiny AmigaDOS window in the background doesn't use
that much memory and can save a lot of frustration. AmigaOOS 2.0
. has all but eliminated the Guru message.
Another use for the combination of the Workbench and AmigaDOS is
the copying process of more data. Say you are working with
BeckerText and a friend comes by and asks you to copy your text onto
his/her disk. You could make the BeckerText window very small
and place all data files to his/her disk using the Workbench. It is
simpler to click on the AmigaDOS window and use the COP Y
command to give your friend a copy of your files. And if his/her disk
isn't formatted, you can save even more time and interruptions when
working with programs started from the Workbench. For example,
enter:
FORMAT OFO:
in AmigaDOS. When the cursor is in the next line you can enter the
next command:
COPY OFl:text/ *? OFO:
You don't have to wait until the disk is done formatting to continue
your work. Your friends disk will be filled with your data while you
show him/her the newest game.
ABACUS
Deleting
files
7.2 MULTITASKING WITH AMIGADOS AND WORKBENCH
This can apply to deleting files also. Using the COpy command you
have placed a backup copy of your text in a special directory named
Securi ty. Now the space on your disk is getting tight and you don't
need the backup copy anymore. You could use the Workbench to open
the desired drawer, mark all the text and then erase it with Delete (1.3
Discard). While the files are being erased you cannot work with the
Workbench. It's much easier and faster to click on the AmigaDOS
window and enter:
DELETE DFO:Security/*?
and erase everything in the directory, and you can continue to work
with the Workbench while this is happening.
The size and position of the AmigaDOS window might get in your
way when you work with the Workbench and AmigaDOS. It must first
be made smaller and pushed aside before you can really work with the
Workbench. Unfortunately, the size can't be changed without using the
mouse. There is an easier way to get the desired AmigaDOS window.
Open a new AmigaOOS window with the desired dimensions and close
the old AmigaOOS window. This section of an improved Start up-
sequence can look like this:
newshell "con:10/10/60/60/MyShell"
endshell >nil:
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7. AMIGADOS AND MULTITASKING AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
7.3
204
Multitasking with NEWSHELL
You don't have to use AmigaDOS for everything. Executing important
tasks through AmigaDOS can save time and make you much more
efficient. We'll take a simple example that has nothing to do with
multitasking: You have written five new letters today and placed them
in directory DFO : Let ters. There are 40 letters there already and you
want to print out the five new ones on the printer. Before printing them
out, you want to take a look at them without loading the word
processor. You know that this can be done simply with:
TYPE DFO:Letters/textname
and printing the text is done with:
COPY DFO:Letters/textname TO PRT:
The first problem now emerges: You don't remember the name of each
letter. So you enter CD DFO: Letters and by using DIR look at the
first text name. Aha! The name was Pet e r 1.1 0.87. Now you can
quickly look at the text with:
TYPE Peterl.lO.87
and then print the file to the printer. The print process is done quickly,
but where are the other filenames. TYPE removed the filenames from
the screen; you must re-enter D IR to get the next name. Now you can
call up the next filename using DIR and repeat the entire process.
There's an easier way. Open a new AmigaDOS window with
NEWSHELL. Position the second AmigaDOS window so that it
occupies the top half of the screen. Enter D I R, so that the text names
are displayed in the window (the output on the screen can be stopped by
pressing any key). You can now read the text names in the first
AmigaDOS window, change to the second AmigaDOS window, look at
the files using TYPE and print them. This method is also valuable for
deleting or copying multiple files. Display the files in one AmigaDOS
window and execute the command in another AmigaDOS window.
When you don't need the other window anymore, you can get rid of it
by entering ENDSHELL.
Let's suppose that the texts are rather long and take a minute to print.
Then in our example you would have to wait a minute before you could
continue work with your text files. In such a case you could open
another AmigaDOS window. In one window you could read the text
names, in the second window you could view the texts with TYPE and
in the third window you could print them. One thing is missing: The
ABACUS 7.3 MULTITASKING WITH NEWSHELL
coffee break that you always took while the computer was busy
working. This coffee break is no longer necessary with AmigaDOS,
unless of course you would like one.
We hope that you have had a small idea of the many possibilities that
exist with AmigaOOS and multitasking. This is only a small
appetizer. We want to show you how to finish your work in the
shortest time. You should always work with a second AmigaDOS
window open. It's the same thing with the Workbench: If the main
AmigaDOS window is being used or is hung up by a program, you can
continue to work with the second AmigaDOS window. If you
innocently enter COPY text TO PRT: when working with one
AmigaOOS window you have to wait until the text file is printed or
else open a second AmigaDOS window through the Workbench. It's
much better to have a second AmigaDOS window open and simply be
able to continue.
AmigaDOS can affect new AmigaDOS windows. Say you have chosen
DFO: Texts/Private as the current directory, then opened another
AmigaDOS window with NEWSHELL. New input is automatically sent
to the directory of the previous AmigaDOS window. In our case, the
current directory of the second AmigaOOS window is
DFO : Texts/Pri vate, you don't need to state the new directory.
It is just as easy to enter the dimensions and position of the new
AmigaDOS window. A small AmigaOOS window can be created in the
upper left hand corner with:
NEWS HELL CON:10/10/60/60/MySHELL
It is best to enter this long line only once using ED and save it on the
disk under the name NS (for NEWSHELL). Then the new AmigaDOS
window can be called by entering:
EXECUTE DFO:NS
Then if you have renamed the EXECUTE command to E and DFO: is
the actual directory, the line that has to be entered for the second
AmigaDOS window to appear is:
E NS
You could also save the NC script file in your S: directory and set the
script file bit with PROTECT NS +S so you could simply enter NS
when you wanted a new AmigaDOS window.
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7. AMIGADOS AND MULTITASKING AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
7.4
206
Multitasking using RON
The possibility of using NEWS HELL to work on many different tasks
at once is certainly a great help and time saver. We did run into a few
problems after opening four windows:
Although the Amiga can manage more screens at once, it's limited
by the size of the monitor because all AmigaDOS commands work
with windows on the Workbench screen. They quickly take over the
entire screen. It isn't acceptable to constantly click windows into the
foreground or background.
Each screen requires a good portion of memory, especially on an
Amiga 500 with 512K of memory, and as more screens are added,
there is hardly any memory left to do useful work.
The RUN command was created to execute many tasks at once without
needing a window for each task. With this command an AmigaDOS
window is executed without its own window. Let's see how this works.
Place the Workbench disk with AmigaDOS commands in DFO. Then
enter the following two lines:
RUN COPY DFO:C/DISKDOCTOR RAM:
DIR DFO:
Immediately after you press the <Return> key a new line appears:
[CLI 21
and then the lSYS: > (when more AmigaDOS processes have been
started, this is a higher number). Then you entered the second line
(hopefully quick enough that the drive was still working) and
AmigaOOS displayed the contents of the directory. This example
doesn't make too much sense, but it shows the basic use for the RUN
command: all tasks that may possibly have a long duration and don't
place output on the screen are allowed to be called with RUN.
While the fIrst restriction is relatively evident-the process lasted only
a second so you can hardly type the next line fast enough-the second
restriction is not so obvious. Now a small example of two tasks that
are running at the same time, one is started with RUN. Enter the
following two lines one after another:
RUN DIR DFO:
TYPE DFO:S/Startup-sequence
At fIrst glance everything appears to be running normally, but suddenly
the directory of DFO: appears in the list of Startup-sequence
ABACUS 7.4 MULTITASKING USING RUN
commands. That is because an AmigaOOS command started with RUN
doesn't have a window to use for its output It puts all of its output in
AmigaOOS window.
In spite of this restriction, there are many uses for multitasking using
RUN. These include all of AmigaOOS commands that don't generate
any screen output and require relatively little time. So, for example, a
text can be printed using:
RUN COPY Text PRT:
and then further work can be done. Amiga users that have a disk drive
should be aware that while text is printing, the disk that the text is
being read from cannot be removed from the drive. The text should be
copied into the RAM disk if you want to work with another disk while
it is printing.
The RUN command has a very important job when you want to start a
program from AmigaOOS and would like to continue to work during
the time required for the program to load. One option would be to start
a new AmigaOOS window with NEWS HELL and call the program from
the second AmigaOOS window with:
Program
Then you have a useless window that not only takes up space but also
memory. It is easier to start the desired program from the first
AmigaDOS window with:
RUN Program
A typical example uses the editor. For example, you have written a C
program and have to enter corrections in the program. If you are using
only one AmigaDOS window, you must leave the editor, call the
compiler and then start the editor again. Starting the editor from a new
AmigaDOS window requires more screen space and memory. Call the
editor simply with:
RUN ED Program.c
After saving with <Esc>+<SA> you can call the editor again and after
the first error message, you can edit the line in the editor once more.
This saves a lot of time.
There is another restriction to RUN that can have unpleasant results.
Remember, a program that is started with RUN is missing its own
input and output windows. The output can go to already existing
windows, but where can the input be entered? You've probably noticed
that input is done in windows. Every program that needs input from the
keyboard needs a window. Input for two independent programs through
one window isn't possible. How would the Amiga know which
program the input belongs to?
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7. AMIGADOS AND MULTITASKING AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
208
Maybe we should say "That AmigaDOS commands don't need any
more input". But that is not completely true. The AmigaOOS
commands allow <Ctrl><C> or another <Ctrl> function to be input.
When a program or AmigaOOS command is started with RUN,
<Ctrl><C> doesn't go to the command, but instead to AmigaDOS. To
put it another way, you have 30K text you want to display it with:
RUN TYPE text
The output can be paused by pressing a key, but stopping the output
by pressing <Ctrl><C> doesn't work. The inventors of AmigaDOS
saw this problem and built in a solution. This solution is the BREAK
command. Using BREAK, a <Ctrl><C> can be sent to commands that
were started with RUN. Start the text output from the frrst AmigaDOS
window with:
RUN TYPE text
you can enter:
BREAK 2
to stop the text output from the second AmigaDOS window, eLI 2.
The complete command is discussed in Chapter 3. It's enough for us to
show how to stop commands started with RUN.
ABACUS
7.5
7.s USING AMIGAD 0 S
Using AmigaDOS
You probably got an impression of how much time and work could be
saved by using the full range of AmigaDOS options in the AmigaDOS
Tricks and Tips chapter. It is important that you know the different
options and their effects. You begin to learn these by working with the
Workbench. By doing this you can comfortably resolve many tasks,
but you must use AmigaDOS to avoid long pauses when copying and
formatting disks. In addition, AmigaDOS, used in combination with
the Workbench, can make many things possible that aren't possible
from the Workbench. Not only can you see all the data files with
AmigaDOS, but you can also look in drawers without icons. That is
important when you have a disk that doesn't show anything on the
Workbench.
As you work more with AmigaDOS, you should plan your use of
AmigaDOS processes. You shouldn't use the RUN command when
using commands that produce output to a window. It is extremely
important to have a second AmigaDOS window in the background at
all times for security.
An effective way to use multitasking with AmigaDOS is to correctly
plan the devices. That can cause drastic results if you only own one
disk drive and have only 512K. Then you must live with a few
limitations. Here you should decide which AmigaDOS commands are
most frequently used and make these RES IDENT.
It isn't possible to print text from two different disks. You must plan
ahead and have the text saved on one disk or use the RAM disk.
Users of the 1 megabyte Amiga computers have it easier. They can put
important programs in RAM and a generous amount of commands as
RES IDENT, and they can also copy important files into RAM. Adding
an additional disk drive to an Amiga is very advantageous. Then the
Workbench disk can remain in DFO: and the data can be in DFl:.
That way a large amount of memory can be saved for programs.
It is not possible to print two data files on the printer at the same time
and make it readable. While this may be possible on the screen (start
one TYPE with RUN and a second TYPE from the original AmigaDOS
window) AmigaDOS prevents the output of more than one task or
process through a port (printer, RS-232).
Most good word processors can print text to a file. When a text file,
which contains all of the printer command codes. is printed. it can be
sent to the printer from AmigaDOS. Meanwhile, the word processor
prints the next text to a another file.
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7. AMIGADOS AND MULTITASKING AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
210
Long directories with many files take a long time to be displayed using
DIR. The output can be directed to a file and this file displayed on the
screen using TYPE. This is much quicker than waiting for the result.
Simply enter:
RUN DrR >RAM:Contents DFO:c
and later, using:
TYPE RAM: Content s
you can display the contents of the large C: directory very quickly.
RUN is very important if we don't want to wait for the D IR command.
A very efficient use of multitasking can be achieved by skilled use of
script files. Workbench 1.3 has a very long Startup-sequence
that sets up the Amiga. The Startup-sequence we use lasts two
minutes. Why should we wait this long? Simply insert this line at the
beginning of your Start up-sequence:
NEWSHELL
and you will have an AmigaDOS window in which to work. You can
begin work before the complete Startup-sequence is finished.
ABACUS
7.6
7.6 CHANGETASKPRI
CHANGETASKPRI
In the last section we learned about the different ways to complete tasks
at the same time. A lot of waiting time can be spared that way. Still, a
few problems arise that prevent the full multitasking capacity from
being used. Take an example:
The ED edltor is not very fast. When you want to do work with many
tasks, you are better off using ED. Everything is done in brief time
intervals, one task after another. For important tasks, this can be very
disturbing. The Amiga operating system can order each task according
to a priority. Tasks with high priority are handled first, tasks with
lower priority are handled last
Suppose you entered text with ED and want to print it and continue to
edit it at the same time. In this case it is certainly not that important if
the text is printed after one or two minutes. It's more important that
you don't have to wait to continue editing until the editor finally comes
up with the next line. To make sure it's done in the right order,
different priorities are assigned. The CHANGETASKPRI command
changes the priority of AmigaOOS processes. This command sets the
priority for AmigaOOS tasks at a number between -128 and +127. You
can see this with:
STATUS FULL
and the actual information about AmigaDOS processes appears. The
display for an AmigaOOS window looks like the following:
task 1: stk 4000, gv 150, pri loaded as command: stat us
The pri 0 is important to us. That is the priority of our process and
also the standard value at which all AmigaDOS windows are
automatically started. Now we'll change this value to a 3:
CHANGETASKPRI 3
When we display the information about the process again, we get the
following notice:
task 1: stk 4000, gv 150, pri 3 loaded as command: status
We see that something has changed, the pri 3. Our AmigaOOS
window has a priority of 3. Now you may think that you will wait
forever to access AmigaOOS. This isn't the case. This is because the
Amiga has a multitasking operating system and does not wait for one
task to finish before moving on to the next. Now a task with a lower
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7. AMIGADOS AND MULTITASKING AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
212
priority comes along and also a task with a higher priority. We can
investigate this quicldy with an example. Create a second AmigaOOS
window with NEWSHELL and arrange the windows so that the first
window occupies the bottom half of the screen and the second window
takes the top half. Now we want to observe the difference in processing
when they have different priorities.
Enter CHANGETASKPRI -127 in the bottom window and
CHANGETASKPRI 127 in the top window. Now it comes down to
exact stopping and starting of the execution. Write the following
command line in both windows (don't press the <Return> key):
LIST DFO:c
Now you must enter both commands as quicldy as possible. Click the
mouse in the lower window, put the mouse in the top window, press
the <Return> key, click above and press the <Return> key again.
You can follow the different speeds that the contents of DFO : C are
displayed. Notice that the speed difference is not much. That is not
possible because of the way the operating system is programmed. As
soon as a task requires an action from the operating system and the task
waits for that action, it is placed in a waiting list and doesn't require
anymore computing time. Then the tasks with a much lower priority
have the chance to get in line. This is the case, for example, when a
task reads a track on a disk. It stays in the waiting list until the track is
completely read.
Despite this apparently small difference, for which we have the
programmers of the Amiga operating system to thank, the difference
can be put to good use. Enter CHANGETASKPRI 0 in AmigaDOS
window 1 and create a second process with:
RUN ED RAM:difference
Press the <Return> key 20 times in the empty window of the editor so
that the cursor is inside the ED window. Then move the AmigaDOS
. window so that you can input next to the editor. Display the directory
of DFO : C in this window with:
OIR DFO:C
and try to produce the cursor inside the ED window simultaneously.
You'll notice that this is difficult and it always stops. Now we want
the work in the editor to be more important so we must change the
priorities accordingly. Leave the editor using <Esc><X> and change the
priority of AmigaDOS to 99 (CHANGETASKPRI 99). Restart the
editor (RUN ED RAM:Difference) and set its priority to -99. Look
at the distribution of the priorities with STATUS FULL. It will look
something like this in AmigaOOS 1.2:
ABACUS 7.6 CHANGETASKPRI
t ask 1: stk 1600, gv 150, pri 157 loaded as command: s t at us
task 2: stk 3200, gv 150, pr i 99 loaded as command: ed
There is a bug in the AmigaDOS 1.2 Status command. This was
corrected in Workbench 1.3. The pri 157 should really be -99. The
AmigaDOS 1.2 status command can only show numbers from 0-255
and the priorities have numbers from -128 to +127. So a -99 is shown
as +157. Now we want to go through the same test with the changed
values. Start the output of the long directory in AmigaDOS and try to
produce the cursor in the editor.
You'll soon determine that the work with ED is no longer hindered.
The output of the filenames is stopped completely when a key is
pressed in the ED window. ED doesn't wait for pauses in the directory,
but CLI 1 waits for pauses in ED.
Now let's put this information together:
To work with many tasks without problems, a correct distribution
of priorities is necessary. When the less important tasks require less
time, the more important tasks are not hindered.
The priority can be changed with CHANGETASKPRI. Values
between -128 to +127 can be used. Although we used values from
+99 to -99 in our example, normally values should be set from +5
to -5. We'll show you exactly why in the next section. In our
example the large numbers were not a problem.
The use of CHANGETASKPRI should be done correctly. Only the
priority of AmigaDOS processes, that were called from the
command, can be changed. This AmigaDOS process gives its
priority to all "daughter processes" (like standard input and output
and current directories). The priorities of processes started with RUN
can also be set to the desired value.
The priorities can be examined using STATUS FULL. Negative
values are displayed incorrectly in Workbench 1.2. The correct value
can be obtained by subtracting 256 from the number displayed on
the screen. If 255 is displayed, the difference is -I, the correct value.
This was corrected in Workbench 1.3.
Only AmigaDOS processes can be influenced with
CHANGETASKPRI. It's not possible to change the priority of a
program started from the Workbench.
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7. AMIGADOS AND MULTITASKING AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
7.7
214
Multitasking dangers
We mentioned at the beginning of this chapter that multitasking not
only has important advantages but also needs to be used correctly. In
this section we want to point out a few limitations and dangers. We
want to show, with an example, where problems are possible. Enter:
CD DFO:
RUN DIR
RUN LIST
A surprising result occurs, especially when you have an Amiga 500, if
you enter these last two lines quickly and press the <Return> key. It
behaves like the Amiga is tearing the disk in half, and each command
can only use one half of -the disk. The problem lies in the fact that each
process can read a little portion of the disk. Because the regions that
have been read are far from each other, the read head of the disk drive
must travel large distances. In the most extreme case it must go from
track 79 for one process and then go back to track 0 for the other
process. This not only wears out the machinery and your ears, but it
also wastes time. Many times the processing of two commands can
take much longer than it would take to execute them one after another.
Our example is not useful if the output occurs in one window. It
should only make the basic phenomena clearer. This problem
constantly comes up when a process is reading information from a disk
and must load the next AmigaOOS command from the same disk. That
happens in the following example:
RUN COPY DFO:text TO PRT:
DIR DFO:
While Copy is reading from the disk to print the Text, AmigaDOS
must read the next command (DIR) from the disk. In this case the
movement of the drive head does not last very long. The use of a
second drive or the RESIDENT command are helpful. An external drive
or RAM disk will do the trick. It is important that different processes
do not access the same drive. In our case we need AmigaDOS
commands in DFO: and the text in DF1:.
Another problem occurs when multiple processes must access one me
at the same time. Reading a file at the same time is not a problem.
This can be seen by opening a second AmigaDOS window and
displaying the data file in both windows. AmigaDOS refuses to let
another process access a fIle if a program or process has opened that file
for writing. That is important because otherwise invalid data could be
read. We'll examine this in the following example:
ABACUS 7.7 MULTITASKING DANGERS
COPY DFO:s/Startup-sequence RAM:Datafile
CD RAM:
COPY Datafile Datafilel
Now try to create a new file, Datafilel, and at the same time read
Datafilel. Simply enter:
RUN TYPE > Datafilel Datafile
TYPE Datafilel
After a short time the message Can't 0 pen D a t a f i 1 e 1 is
displayed. When WHY is used to ask the reason for the error,
AmigaDOS replies:
Last command failed because object in use
While the fIrst TYPE command writes in Datafilel, the second
TYPE command cannot read from iL An error message also appears if a
process reads a file and then another process tries to open that file for
writing. This causes the error message, CLI error: Unable to
open redirection file, when the output is directed to
Datafilel while another AmigaDOS window reads from it:
TYPE > Datafilel Datafile
This problem doesn't occur very frequently, but it has a special
meaning for those that write their own programs and commands. For
example, you write a BASIC program that opens an already existing
file for reading, and then interrupt the program without closing this
file. Then no other process can access this file. Luckily, AmigaBASIC
closes all open data files when you are done working with it. A self-
written C program should not end under any circumstances without
closing all open data files.
Now we come to the last and most important point about working with
multiple processes. When you change priorities, if possible, you
should not choose a value less than -5 or greater than +4. A value
greater than +5 has a higher priority than the trackdisk.device
which is used for controlling disk access. Programs that are not written
well, in regard to priorities, can interrupt the entire system. A program
in a multitasking system waiting list cannot be reached through loops
or commands. There are operating system routines for this that make
such waiting lists possible. Other processes occur through these
routines.
215
8.
Creating
AmigaDOS
Commands
ABACUS
8.
The c:
directory
8. CREATING AMIGADOS COMMANDS
Creating AmigaDOS
Commands
The Amiga operating system has so many possibilities that it's
impossible to mention all of them. New libraries can be created and by
adding additional devices, new hardware can be added. Instead of being
integrated into the operating system, AmigaDOS commands are small
programs on the Workbench disk. So you can easily add new
commands. As an AmigaOOS expert, you have to look in the C :
directory on the Workbench disk for the AmigaOOS commands.
AmigaDOS searches for commands in the current directory and, as a
last resort, it looks in the C: directory. When the computer is turned
on, this directory is assigned to drawer C: of the Workbench disk. Each
AmigaDOS command can be found this way.
The number of commands is not limited or set. You can copy your
favorite AmigaDOS command under as many different names as you
want until the disk full requester appears. A somewhat limited use for
this capability is to store frequently used commands under a different,
shorter name. Example: x for EXECUTE, FC for FILECOPY, etc. It's
also possible to put user-defined commands into the C: drawer. Since a
command is basically nothing more than a short program, the clock can
be copied here. When the output from the LIS T command is viewed
for the C: directory, the clock program stands out because of its high
memory requirements. The most frequently used AmigaDOS commands
have one thing in common: They are relatively short and can be loaded
into memory rather quickly. Such compact code, like that of a true
AmigaDOS command, can usually only be created by using an
assembler. The language, in which the commands were written in
AmigaDOS 1.3, is BCPL, which most people don't have for their
Amiga. The C language is an alternative. AmigaDOS 2.0 commands
were completely rewritten in C, which greatly reduced their size yet
increased their execution speed. When creating new commands you
should stick to a particular programming style. You should at least pay
attention to the following items:
1. Most AmigaDOS commands are "non-interactive". This means
that they don't require information from the user once they are
started. The command must be called with all of the correct
parameters in a list after the command.
2. The commands normally output their information in the same
AmigaDOS window from which they were called. A command
should not open its own window for output.
219
8. CREATING AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
220
3. True AmigaDOS commands contain an argument template that can
be actjvateci by entering the command, a space and a question mark.
Should the user enter a false parameter, it responds with a proper
argument template. Example:
a) Argument template
Input: DATE?
Output: TIME, DATE, TO-VER/K:
b) Bad arguments
Input: DATE birthday
Output:
*** Bad args
use DD-MMM-YY or <daynarne> or yesterday
etc. to set date
HH :MM': SS or HH:MM to set time
ABACUS
8.1
8.1 AMIGADOS COMMANDS IN C
AmigaDOS Commands in C
If the programming is done correctly, a command written in C and an
AmigaOOS command cannot be differentiated. It's also possible to pass
the parameters directly in the C programming language. The greater-
than character allows redirection of the outpuL
The input line should be read over to make sure that the user entered the
correct parameters. When a user enters just any parameters, this shows
his/her unfamiliarity with the purpose of the command. In this case the
Bad args message should appear.
The input line evaluation is programmed in C as follows:
The ftrst rna in function receives the input data in the form of two
parameters: The fast parameter, which is called ArgC (from Argument
Counter), is of type In t and contains the number of assigned
arguments. The name of the program becomes one of these arguments.
The second parameter usually has the name ArgV (for Argument
Vector). It must be declared as a fteld of type Char. The elements of
this fteld contain pointers for the character strings of the input line,
which is ended with a null.
This task is not completed from AmigaDOS Shell as you might think.
The fast line of the main function might look like this:
main (argc, argv)
int argc;
char *argv[];
(
Because ArgC and ArgV were assigned outside the main function,
you must declare them as parameters of the desired type before the
function brackeL
A brief example should familiarize yourself with this programming
technique. We compiled all C programs with an Aztec C compiler.
Using other compilers should not present a problem, if you pay
attention to the instruction in the compiler manual.
/* Program: Evaluation */
main (argc, argv)
int argc;
char *argv [];
{
int i;
8. CREATING AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
222
printf (" Quantity: %d \n",i, argc);
for ( i = 0; i < argc; i++)
{
printf (" Nr.: %d, Argument: %5 \n",i , argv[i);
)
This program is called from AmigaDOS using:
Evaluation one and another parameter
The following output is received:
Quantity: 5
Nr. : 0 , Argument: Evaluation
Nr. : 1 , Argument: one
Nr. : 2 , Argument: and
Nr. : 3 , Argument: another
Nr. : 4 , Argument: Parameter
A space in the input is interpreted as a separator. How can you assign
parameters to a C program from AmigaDOS if the text contains
spaces? The simplest method is used very often: The text must be in
quotation marks to obtain the desired result. Call our example program
with the following:
EVALUATION "one and another parameter"
Which has the result
Quantity: 2
Nr.: 0 , Argument: EVALUATION
Nr.: 1 , Argument: one and another parameter
Until now that's all that the parameter assignment had to do with eLI
commands. Now you could ask the question, are the > and < characters
interpreted as completely normal characters in our program, or couldn't
the input or output be directed to any device? A test:
Enter the command:
EVALUATION >DFO:Datafile parameter
the output is written (directed) to the desired fIle (Datafile). The file
contains:
Quantity: 2
Nr.: 0 , Argument: EVALUATION
Nr.: 1 , Argument: parameter
ABACUS 8.1 AMIGADOS COMMANDS IN C
Trying to redirect the output using the < character fails. The computer
doesn't pay attention to which input device is active, but reads the line
from the keyboard. In spite of this it's still possible to receive data
from other devices. The following example program shows how to do
this:
/* Redirectinput.c test program */
finclude <stdio.h>
FILE * Input(); /* Declaration of an external function */
main (argc, argv)
int argc;
char *argv[];
{
int i;
char Reader;
FILE *Infile; /* Pointer for Structure-Type FILE */
char buffer[lOO];
long Length;
printf (" Number of Parameters: 'lid \n", argc);
for ( i = 0; i < argc; i++)
printf (" Argument: 'lis \n", argv[i]);
Infile = Input();
Reader = Read (Infile, &buffer[O], 30L);
buffer [Length] = 0;
printf (" Read: %s\n", &buffer[O]);
A small input data me can be created using:
echo >datafile "one two three"
and the above program named redirect input is started by using:
Redirectinput: <datafile hello there
will OUtput:
Number of Parameters: 3
Argument: redirect input
Argument: hello
Argument: there
Read: one two three
The function from ArgC to ArgV remains unchanged. The <datafIle is
completely ignored and that's why ArgC confmns the presence of only
three arguments.
After the output of the normal parameters, the Input () function,
which is found in the DOS library, prepares the standard input devices
of the called program (also those of AmigaooS) for our program. The
tasks of the variables are:
223
8. CREATING AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
224
Infile: Pointer for standard input
Buffer: Contains the characters that are read
Length: Actual number of characters read
Using the < command in AmigaDOS command line switches the
standard input device to the given device.
ABACUS
8.2
Note:
8.2 REPLACE
REPLACE
You probably would like a command that could replace characters or
strings in a file. Every good word processor has such a function. There
is AmigaOOS Search command that searches for characters strings in
files, but you can't replace anything with this command. We have
created a new AmigaOOS command to do this called REPLACE.
A big advantage of this command is that the result is placed in a new
file. Should an error occur, the original file is unchanged. This
command also allows any characters to be searched for and replaced by
any characters. For example, you could replace a carriage return with a
space or every space with 100 periods. To allow any characters to be
entered, they must be entered in ASCII form. A space is a 32 and a
carriage return is a 13. Because it is unusual to enter characters as
numbers, you can also enter the character strings. REPLACE examines
the fIrst character of the input It takes all of the following characters as
ASCII values if the fIrst character is a numeral. Otherwise it takes them
as character strings.
Now we come to the call of the new command. It reads:
Filenameold Filenamenew String
F i 1 e n a me old is the name of the file that should be read. The
complete path can be entered.
F ilenamenew is the name of the new file that should be written.
REPLACE does not check if the file exists and also overwrites existing
files like all other AmigaDOS commands.
String is the string that is searched for and should be replaced. Search
and replace strings are separated by a colon and cannot contain spaces.
An example of a call could be:
Replace Oldfile Newfile Meier:Mayer
In the file Newf ile all Meiers would be replaced with Mayers. In
this case character strings would be entered. REP LACE recognizes that
neither Meier nor Mayer starts with a numeral (0-9). Now lets take
another example that involves ASCII values. The call:
REPLACE Oldfile Newfile 13:32
replaces every CR (13) with a space (32). Combining both input
possibilities is allowed. The following:
225
8. CREATING AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
226
REPLACE Oldfile Newfile 32:
replaces every space (32) with 5 periods. To replace a string of ASCII
values, sepaIate the individual numbers with commas. So
REPLACE Oldfile Newfile 32,32,32:32
replaces three spaces (32,32,32) with one (32).
The length of the search strings is limited to 127 characters, which is
enough for normal use. You can create a test file by doing the
following:
First build a file with the same characters using:
ECHO >RAM:TEST "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa"
Now replace each a with many new a's using:
Replace RAM:TEST RAM:TEST1 a:aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
When you want to remove a character string out of the me, you must
not enter anything after the colon. For example:
Replace Oldfile Newfile 32:
removes all spaces from the me.
The flrst character differentiates between numeral and character input
So Replace would not accept the following input:
Replace Oldfile Newfile 3Days:4Hours
In this case we should explain the exact operation of the program
because this has nothing to do with AmigaDOS. It is structured and
documented for all programmers. Our program uses a circular buffer for
characters it has read, but not yet analyzed. They are stored in this
circular buffer until it can be determined whether the string has been
found. Such a string can be utilized in C using the Modulo command.
We use a more complicated yet faster method. The sub-function for
reading new characters checks to see if the end of the buffer is reached
and places the valid input at the beginning of the buffer.
/* Replace.c This program replaces strings in files */
/* For 100 K on the RAMDisk it took 27 Seconds */
/* --- ---------------------------------------------- */
/* *************** Copyright Manfred Tornsdorf ***** */
/* ------------------------------------------------- */
finclude <stdio.h>
fdefine FALSE a
fdefine TRUE 1
fdefine byte unsigned char
/* Constants, make reading */
/* the program easier */
ABACUS 8.1 REPLACE
fdefine Maxbuffer 512 /* Size of the Read buffer */
void Shift();
char SearchString[127]; /* Search string */
char ReplaceString[127]; /* replacement string */
char Bufferin[Maxbuffer]; /* read buffer */
int Pwrite; /* Place in buffer for writing */
int Pread; /* Place in buffer for reading */
unsigned long Num; /* Num for characters */
unsigned int Fromlen;
unsigned int Tolen;
unsigned int NumRepl; /* Num for how often replaced */
FILE *Rin, *Rout;
/* -------------------- Get Parameters --------------- */
void GetPara(Para, First, Next)
char *Para;
char *First;
char *Next;
(
int Number;
int Length; /* Number for length, 0 not counted */
*First = 0;
*Next = 0;
Length 0; /* Length set to 0 */
Number atoi(Para);
if (Number != 0)
/* check String or ASCII value */
/* ASCII-value for String1 */
{
while *Para != O)&&(*Para != ':'
/* still more Stringl */
Number = atoi(Para);
if (Number > 255) /* number not allowed */
{
printf("Number is not ASCII-value\n");
exit () ;
*(First++) = (char) Number; /* take char */
Length++;
while *Para != O)&&(*Para != ',')&&(*Para != ':'
Para++; /* separate search */
if (*Para == ',') Para++; /* skip, */
/* End While */
*First = 0; /* end Stringl with 0 */
Fromlen = Length; /* save length of Stri ng1 */
) /* End if( ASCII) */
else
{
for (Length
{
/* String1 is a String */
0; (*Para!=O)&&(*Para!=':'); Para++)
227
8. CREATING AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
* (First++)
Length++;
*Para;
*First = 0;
Fromlen = Length;
1* End else *1
1* end search string with 0 *1
1* save length of string *1
if (Fromlen == 0)
(
printf("Search string must be given!\n");
exit () ;
if (*Para!= ':')
(
printf("Colon missing!\n");
exit () ;
Para++; 1* Set Para after colon *1
Length = 0; 1* Length set to 0 *1
Number = atoi(Para); 1* Check if String or ASCII-value *1
if (Number != 0) 1* ASCII-value for String2 *1
{
while (*Para != 0)
(
1* Parameters for String2 *1
Number = atoi(Para);
if (Number > 255)
(
1* number not allowed *1
printf("Number is not ASCII-value\n");
exit () ;
* (Next++) = (char) Number; 1* take characters *1
Length++; 1* increase length *1
while *Para != O)&&(*Para!= '. ,')&&(*Para != ':'
Para++; 1* separate search * I
if (*Para == ',') Para++; 1* skip *1
1* End While *1
*Next = 0; 1* end String2 with 0 *1
Tolen = Length; 1* save length of String2 *1
1* End if (ASCII)
else 1* String2 is a String *1
for (Length 0; (*Para!=O); Para++)
(
* (Next++) = *Para;
Length++;
*Next = 0;
Tolen = Length;
1* End else */
int Reader (Amount)
1* end replace string with 0 */
1* save length of string *1
ABACUS 8.l REPLACE
int Amount;
(
register char Charsin;
register int numread;
numread - 0;
for(numread - 0; numread < Amount; numread++)
(
Chars in = fgetc(Rin);
if (Chars in == EOF)
return(numread); 1* no more chars in file *1
Num++; 1* increase num chars *1
Bufferin[Pread++] - Charsin;
if (Pread >- Maxbuffer) 1* Buffer at end, overflow *1
Shift(); 1* shift to beginning *1
return(numread);
}
void Shift() 1* contents in buffer shifted *1
)
register int
register int i;
howmany = Pread - Pwrite;
for (i = 0; i< howmany; i++)
Bufferin[i] Bufferin[Pwrite+i];
Pwrite = 0; /* set new Indices *1
Pread = i;
int Checkbuffer() 1* compare search string with buffer *1
{
register char *string;
register int i;
i = Pwrite;
for (string = &SearchString[O]; *string != 0; string++)
{
if (*string != Bufferin[i])
return(FALSE);
i++;
return{TRUE);
)
void Writecharacter() 1* Write Char in buffer to file *1
(
register char Charsin;
Charsin = Bufferin[Pwrite];
fputc(Charsin, Rout);
Pwrite++; 1* reset write pointer *1
229
8. CREATING AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
230
void Replace() /* write replace string, off buffer */
{
int i;
char *string;
register char Charsin;
i = 1;
for (string = &ReplaceString[O]; *string != 0; string++)
Charsin = *string;
fputc(Charsin, Rout);
i++;
Pwrite Pread; /* write=read pointer -> clear buffer */
void Writerest() /* no more char in file, write buffer */
(
register char Charsin;
int i;
i = 0;
forti = Pwrite; i < Pread; i++)
(
)
)
Charsin = Bufferin[i];
putc(Charsin, Rout);
main (Amount, Argument)
int Amount;
char *Argument[];
int Numtoread;
int Totalread;
int Error;
if (Amount != 4)
(
printf("This program replaces char strings \n");
printf("Copyright Manfred Tornsdorf\n");
printf("Call: Filenameold Filenamenew String\n");
/* next line should be entered on one line in Amiga*/
printf("either :String =
Number, Number, Number .. : Number, Number, Number . \n") ;
printf("or :String = string:string\n\n");
/* next line should be entered on one line in Amiga */
printf("Example :Replace t.txt tt.txt
Mytext:32,33,32\n");
printf ("gives :<Mytext> -> < >\n");
printf("No replace string, so it is deleted\n");
exit () ;
)
GetPara(Argument[3], &SearchString, &ReplaceString );
ABACUS 8.l REPLACE
/* build search and replace string */
Fromlen = strlen(SearchString);
Tolen strlen(ReplaceString);
Rin = fopen(Argument[ll, "r");
Rout = fopen (Argument (2), "w");
if (Rin == 0)
(
puts ("Input file not found! ");
exit ();
if (Rout == 0)
{
puts ("Cannot open the output file!");
exit ();
)
Num = 0;
Pwrite = 0;
Pread = 0;
Numtoread
NumRepl = 0;
/* Write pointer to start of buffer */
/* read pointer to start of buffer */
Fromlen; /* Search string chars to read */
/* Default: not found */
Totalread = 1;
while (Totalread
{
/* Default, the TC to count */
!= 0)
Totalread = Reader (Numtoread);
/* read amount for file */
Error = Checkbuffer();
if(Error == FALSE) /* not found */
{
Writecharacter(); /* 1. write chars */
Numtoread 1; /* read one char */
else /* found */
Replace(); /* write replace string, off buffer */
NumRepl++; /* increase number replaced */
Numtoread = Fromlen;
/* End while(), File empty */
Writerest(); /* Write last char from buffer */
printf("\nString replaced %d times!\n", NumRepl);
fclose(Rin);
fclose(Rout);
exit () ;
231
8. CREATING AMIGADOS COMMANDS AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
8.3
232
Public Domain
AmigaDOS Commands
If the programming is done correctly, a command written in C and an
AmigaDOS command cannot be differentiated. The advantage in this is
that a good programmer can add his own commands, and the Amiga
community has many excellent programmers. Many of these
programmers have written replacement commands for many
AmigaDOS commands. Like a new DIR command that displays
multiple columns, a command that displays the calendar on the screen
and more. Many of these programmers have placed their creations in the
public domain so other Amiga users can enhance their AmigaDOS
system.
Check with your dealer, local user group or public domain software
vendor for more information on Amiga Public Domain software. An
excellent source is the public domain library of the Champaign-Urbana
Commodore Users Group, Inc., P.O. Box 716, Champaign, IL 61824-
0716.
The following programs are among the favorites of the Abacus editing
staff. Many of these commands can be found on the companion diskette
available for this book in the PO directory.
Command Description
CAL Displays calendar of specified month and year.
CHECK Scan a diskette for errors.
COMMANDMENU Include menus in script files.
C-SHOW IFF files viewer for script files.
DD Multiple column directory display.
DUMP Dumps ASCII files.
EXP Identifies system expansion hardware.
FIND Fast file fmder.
FLUSH Flushes and defragments memory.
ABACUS
Command
IFFICON
IFFPAC
INFORM
LS
MYMENU
PATHASSIGN
PRFONT
PRINT
SOUNDC
SETREQTEXT
SUB
ZIPPY
8.3 PUBLIC DOMAIN AMIGADOS COMMANDS
Description
Converts IFFs to icons and icons to IFF
format
Compacts IFF graphic files.
Expanded INFO command.
Excellent LIST replacement.
Add custom menus to your Workbench.
Assign logical drives to multiple paths.
Prints out and displays all the fonts in your
FONTS: directory.
Excellent file printer.
Convert MAC sound files to Amiga.
Customize Amiga System requestors.
Subliminal messages on your Amiga.
Fast little directory program.
Shareware commands
This type of program is slightly different than the public domain
program. These programs are sold on a "try it, then buy it" basis. You
can still legally obtain a copy from a friend or make copies for others.
However, if you end up using the program regularly you should register
it with the program developer by paying a small fee.
Command
MAKEARC
PROTECTA
SPY
TS
Description
Renames file for ARCing and creates an
EXEClITE.ME file.
Graphic PROTECT command.
Spy on Amiga tasks.
TEXTSEARCH, a super-fast text searching.
233
or
. ,'i. ...
9.
Quick Reference
ABACUS
9.
9. QUICK REFERENCE
Quick Reference
This chapter contains all the information you have seen so far about
AmigaOOS commands, as well as commands for controlling ED and
Edi t. The three sections of this chapter show these commands in
abbreviated form to help you find them easily.
Sections 9.1 and 9.2 present an overview of the key combinations and
their effects in the ED and Edi t editors. These are listed in table form.
Section 9.3 lists the AmigaOOS Shell commands in a similar form.
Hopefully this clear format will help you find commands much faster.
237
9. QmcK REFERENCE AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
9.1
9.1.1
The ED Program
ED 1.14
The ED editor uses two types of commands. One type executes
immediately after the corresponding key combination is pressed; the
second type requires entry of the first command in command mode.
First we will present the direct commands that always consist of two
key combinations. These key combinations always begin with the
<Ctrl> (control) key. You press another key to implement the
command.
The command mode commands will be presented next. You enter
command mode by pressing the <Esc> (Escape) key. You can tell if
you are in the command mode by a small star (asterisk) in the lower
left corner of the editor screen. You only need to enter the command and
press the <Return> key to start the command.
There are commands in both sections that have the same effect, so you
must decide which type of command works better for you.
Direct commands (without <Ctrl
Tab Moves the cursor to the next tab mark.
Del Erases the character under the cursor.
Backspace Erases the character to the left of the cursor.
Return Text between the cursor position and the end of the line are
Moved to the next line.
Direct commands (with <Ctrl
238
<Ctrl><I> Moves the cursor to the next tab mark.
<Ctrl><U> Moves the cursor up 12 lines.
<Ctrl><D> Moves the cursor down 12 lines.
<Ctrl><R> Moves the cursor to the end of the word to its left.
<Ctrl><T> Moves the cursor to the start of the next line.
<Ctrl><.J> Moves the cursor to the start or end of the line.
<Ctrl><E> Moves the cursor to the start or end of the window.
<Ctrl><H> Erases the character to the left of the cursor.
<Ctrl><O> Erases a word or all spaces up until the next word.
<Ctrl><Y> Erases everything from the cursor position to end of line.
<Ctrl><B> Erases the entire line.
<Ctrl><M> Text between the cursor and end of line is moved to next
line.
<Ctrl><A> Inserts a line.
ABACUS 9.1 THE ED PROGRAM
<Ctrl><G> The last command mode command is repeated.
<Ctrl><[> Enter command mode same as pressing <Esc>.
<Ctrl><F> Toggles between upper/lowercase.
Command mode commands (with <Esc
Mn
CL
CR
CS
CE
P
N
T
B
BS
BE
SB
WB "data"
IB
DB
DC
D
S
J
I '"Text"
A '"Text"
IF Data
E "Textl'"Texa"
EQ "Textl'"Texa"
F "Text"
BF"Text"
LC
UC
X
Q
SA
RP
SH
U
SLn
SR n
EX
Moves the cursor to the nth line.
Moves the cursor one position to the left.
Moves the cursor one position to the right.
Moves the cursor to the start of the line.
Moves the cursor to the end of the line.
Moves the cursor to the start of the previous line.
Moves the cursor to the start of the next line.
Moves the cursor to the start of the text.
Moves the cursor to the end of the text.
Marks the cursor position as the start of a block.
Marks the cursor position as the end of a block.
Shows the marked block in a window.
Saves marked block to "data".
Inserts marked block at the cursor position.
Deletes marked block.
Deletes character at cursor.
Deletes entire line.
Moves text between cursor position and end of line
to next line.
Combines current line with next line.
Inserts "Text" before current line.
Inserts"Text" after current line.
Inserts Data at cursor position.
Exchanges '"Textl" for "Texa".
Exchanges "Textl" for '"Texa" after prompt.
Begins search for "Text" at cursor position.
Searches for "Text" up to the cursor position.
Enables case sensitivity during a text search .
Disables case sensitivity during a text search.
Exits ED and saves text.
Exits ED without saving text.
Saves text.
Repeats command until an error occurs.
Displays current editor settings.
Changes to the current line are canceled.
Sets left margin to n.
Sets right margin to n.
Ignores right margin on current cursor line.
239
9. QUICK REFERENCE AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
9.1.2
240
ED 2.00
ED has been updated by John Toebes III, and the improved version is
excellent. The new 2.0 operating system allows programmers to add
customizable menus to their programs. The customizable menus for the
latest version of ED are contained in the ED-Startup script flle in
the S: directory. They allow you to use the mouse when using ED to
access often used commands. The normal ED commands are still
available. The new version includes menus and the new standard Amiga
flle selector. All command may still be accessed using the keyboard
commands. Here are the new standard ED 2.0 menus (no ED-
Startup flle).
Project
New
Open ...
Insert file
Write Block ...
Save
Save As .
Save and Exit
About
Quit
Search
Find ..
Find Next
Reverse Find ...
Reverse Find Next
Replace ...
Global Replace ...
Query Replace
Global Q-Replace
Edit
Undo Line
Start Block
End Block
Show Block
Insert Block
Delete Block
Delete Line
Settinqa
Set KN key
Show FN key .
Reset Keys
Right Margin . . .
Left Margin .
Ignore Case
Case Sensitive
Movement
Top
Bottom
Goto Line . .
Next Page
Previous Page
Commanda
Extended
Commands
Repeat Last
Run File . ..
AREXX Command . . .
Redisplay
ABACUS
9.2
9.2 THE EDIT PROGRAM
The Edit Program
Besides the ED editor, described in the previous section, there is another
editor on the Workbench disk. It's the Edit editor. The following list
of Edi t commands is intended as a reference only, not as detailed
instructions. More detailed information about the operation of the editor
can be found in Section 2.4.2.
Partial arguments are passed together with the command words. The
slash / serves as a separator between strings. Arguments that have
alternate input possibilities are placed in parentheses O. SO that the
command text doesn't become too long we use the following
abbreviations:
a,b = line number (or . or *)
bg = command group
m,n = numbers
q = qualifier
sk = search c riteria
sw = change value (+ or -)
zl,z2 = string
and now to the commands:
<
>
#
$
%
PA(q)/zll
PB(q)/zll
PR
Mn
M+
M-
N
P
Rewind
F((q)/skJ)
BF((q)/skJ)
Moves the character pointer one character to the left.
Moves the character pointer one character to the right.
Deletes the character at the character pointer position.
Changes the character at the character pointer position.
Changes the character at the character pointer position
to uppercase.
Moves the character pointer to the position after the
specified string zl.
Moves the character pointer to the position before the
specified string zl.
Moves the character pointer to the start of the line.
Moves the character pointer to line n.
Moves the character pointer to the last line of source
data.
Moves the character pointer to the first available line in
the buffer.
Moves the character pointer to the next line.
Moves the character pointer to the previous line.
"Rewinds" the source fIle.
Searches line that contains the string sk (forward
search).
Searches line that contains the string sk (reverse
search).
241
9. QUICK REFERENCE
242
DF((q)lsk/)
?
T
Tn
TLn
TN
TP
v sw
A (q)lzl/z21
AP(q)lzl/z21
B( q )Izl Iz21
BP( q)zl 1z21
CL(lzll)
D
DFA(q)lzl/
DFB(q)lzll
DTA(q)lzl/
DTB(q)/zl/
E(q)/zl/z21
EP
I(a)
I zl
R(a(b))
(a(b))zl
SA(q)lzl/
SB(q)lzll
GA(q)/zl/z2/
GB( q)lzl Iz21
GE( q)/zllz21
CG(n)
DG(n)
EG(n)
SHG
From
AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
Searches line containing the string sIc (forward search)
deletes all skipped lines.
Verifies the current line.
Verifies the current line with all non-printable
characters.
Displays the source fIle up to the end of the fIle.
Displays the next n lines of the source fIle.
Displays the next n lines of the source file with line
numbers.
Displays as many lines as will fit in the text buffer.
Displays all lines of the text buffer and sets the pointer
to the beginning of the text buffer.
Enables (+) or disables (-) verification.
Inserts string z2 after string z 1.
Inserts string z2 after string z I, then sets the character
pointer behind zl.
Inserts string z2 before string z I.
Inserts string z2 before string zl, then sets the character
pointer behind zl.
Combines the current line, zl and the next line.
Deletes the current line.
Deletes the current line after string zl.
Deletes the current line from the beginning of string zl.
Deletes the current line from the beginning of the line
to the end of string z 1.
Deletes the current line up to but not including string
zl.
Replaces string zl with string z2.
Replaces string zl with string z2, then positions the
character pointer following z2.
Inserts text in front of the current line or before a line
from the keyboard until z is entered.
Inserts entire contents of the file z I before the current
line.
Deletes lines a through b and allows text entry from the
keyboard.
Deletes lines a through b and inserts the text contained
in file zl.
Separates the current line after string zl when it occurs.
Separates the current line before string zl when it
occurs.
Inserts string z2 after string z I in the current line.
Inserts string z2 before string z I in the current line.
Replaces string zl with string z2 in all current lines.
Disables global operation n or all global operations.
Temporarily disables global operation n or all global
operations.
Enables global operation n or all global operations.
Displays information about all global operations that
have been active until now.
Makes original From fIle the current source file.
ABACUS
From .zl
To
To .zl
CF .z/.
=n
C .zl.
Hn
Q
SHD
Stop
TR sw
W
Z zl
9.1 THE EDIT PROGRAM
Makes fIle z 1 the current source fIle.
Makes original To fIle the current destination file.
Makes fIle zl the current destination fIle.
Closes fIle zl.
Assigns the current line number n.
Reads additional Edi t commands from fIle z 1.
Sets the next breakpoint to line n. (n=* erases all break-
points).
Exits command mode; if you exit the highest command
level, the rest of the source fIle is transferred.
Displays saved command infonnation.
Exits Edit.
Enables (+) or disables (-) sensitivity to leading spaces.
Carries the rest of the source fIle to the destination fIle.
Changes the end character for the insert command z 1.
243
9 . QUICK REFERENCE AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
9.3 The AmigaDOS Commands
This section briefly covers the AmigaDOS commands. First the correct
1.3 syntax of the command appears, then a short description of the
command, followed by a description of the arguments. If the command
supports additional arguments in Version 2.0 they are described. The
AmigaooS commands added to Version 1.3 are marked with the
identifier (AmiqaDOS 1.3). Version 2.0 improvements are also
marked. All AmigaDOS 2.0 commands have been rewritten in C,
which has greatly reduced their size and enhanced their execution speed.
Many of the commands were made internal AmigaDOS commands in
Version 2.0.
The following qualifiers are used in the command descriptions:
I A (Argument) This qualifier always requires a certain argument. If you omit the
argument, the command cannot execute.
IK (Key)
I S (Switch)
The qualifier' s name must appear as input (e.g., OPT in the D I R
example above), and a keyword must appear as well. The parameters
allowed and the functions executed depend on the respective She 11
command (see Chapter Two for more details).
This qualifier needs no arguments. It acts as a switch (toggle) for a
command. Switches in commands do just what a wall switch does-
turn a command on or off, or switch the command to another mode.
Possible qualifiers that can appear in an argument template only in
AmigaOOS 2.0:
IN (Numeric) This qualifier indicates that a numeric argument is expected (DOS 2.0
only).
1M' (Multiple) Multiple arguments can be included. In 1.3 commas were used to
signify multiple arguments. Multiple arguments must be separated by
spaces. This has been updated in DOS 2.0, also the number of
arguments is unlimited in DOS 2.0 (DOS 2.0 only).
IF (Final) The argument is the final argument. This allows using strings without
enclosing them in quotation marks (DOS 2.0 only).
, (comma) The command takes no arguments (DOS 2.0 only).
24'4
ABACUS 9.3 THE AMIGADOS COMMANDS
ADDBUrrERS DRIVE/A, BUrrBRS/S
Reserves a buffer on a drive with a certain amount of memory.
DRIVE
BUFFERS
The drive assigned the buffer.
The size of the buffer to be allocated.
ALIAS NAME STRING/r (Shell only)
This command can only be used in conjunction with the Shell. The
command assigns a string to a word (See Chapter 6).
NAME
STRING
1be new command word.
Contains the command that is called with NAME.
V 1 . 3 Command available in AmigaOOS 1.3 Shell.
V 2 . 0 Command made an AmigaOOS internal command and correct argument
template added.
Ask PROMPT / A
Asks a question answered with only (Y)es or (N)o: y returns an error
code of 5 and n returns no error code.
PROMPT Contains text displayed on the screen, usually in the
form of a question.
V2 . 0 Command made an AmigaDOS internal command.
ASSIGN NAME,DIR,LIST/S,BXISTS/S,REMOVE/S
Assigns a logical device to a directory.
NAME
DIR
LIST
EXISTS
REMOVE
The logical device.
The directory assigned the logical device.
Lists the assignments of the logical devices.
Searches for NAME in the ASSIGN list. The error code
5 is returned if NAME is not present.
Removes Name from the ASSIGN list, used for
development only.
245
9. QUICK REFERENCE AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
V2.0 TARGET/N,DISKOUNT/S,DEFER/S,PATH/S,ADD/S,
VOL/S,DIRS/S,DEVICES/S
TARGET The TARGET/M argument allows you to make
. m\1ltiple assignments to a single device.
DISMOUNT The 0 I SMOUNT / S argument allows devices and
directories to be removed from the assignment list.
DEFER The DEFER/ s argument creates a late-binding
assignment This assignment only takes effect when the
assigned object is accessed.
PATH The PAT H / S argument creates a non-binding
assignment. It does not take effect until it is referenced
and only remains in effect while it is needed.
ADD Adds assignment
VOL The VOL/S argument will only display information on
the current volume assignments.
DIRS The DIRS / S argument will only display information
on the current directory assignments.
DEVICES The DE v ICE S / S argument will only display
information on the current device assignments.
AVAIL (AmiqaDOS 1.3)
Displays an overview of the present available memory configuration.
CHIP
FAST
TOTAL
V2.0 FLUSH/S
FLUSH
Optional, displays total chip memory.
Optional, displays total fast memory.
Optional, displays total available memory.
Rushes memory areas.
BINDDRIVERS
Binds additional device drivers to the system.
BREAK PROCESS/A,ALL/S,C/S,D/S,K/S,r/S:
246
Stops a task in process.
PROCESS
All
C.D.E,F
v2.0 PROCESS
Process to be broken off.
Sets the break level at C, D, E and F.
Sets break level.
PROCESS/AIN Specified as numeric.
ABACUS 9.3 THE AMIGADOS COMMANDS
CD DIR:
Changes the directory or displays the current directory.
DIR: The drive or the directory which should be accessed.
V 2 . 0 Command made an AmigaDOS internal command.
CHANGETASKPRI PRI/A,PROCESS/K
Changes the priority of a process started from the CLI.
PRJ Priority, shown by Status command. Contains the
new priority (-128 to 127).
PROCESS The new priority is assigned to PROCESS number. See
the Status command.
V2 . 0 PRI=PRIORITY /A/N, PROCESS/KIN
PRIORITY
PROCESS
Specified as numeric and same as PRI.
Specified as numeric.
COpy FROM,TO/A,ALL/S,QUIET/S, BUF=BUFFER/K,
CLONE/S,DATES/S,NOPRO/S,COM/S:
Creates a copy of mes or a directory.
FROM
TO
ALL
QUIET
BUF-BUFFER
CLONE
DATES
NOPRO
COM
The source me.
The target me.
Copies the entire directory.
Displays no output to the screen.
Uses BUF S12K buffers for copying.
Date, Status bits and comments are also copied.
Date is also copied.
The Status bits are reset when copied.
The comments are also copied.
V2.0 COpy FROM/A/M,TO/A,ALL/S,QUIET/S,
BUF=BUFFER/K/N, CLONE/S,DATES/S,
NOPRO/S,COM/S,NOREQ/S:
Multiple files may be copied.
Specified as numeric.
FROM
BUF
NOREQ No requesters will be displayed if an error is
encountered.
247
9. QUICK REFERENCE AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
DATE DATE,TIME,TO=VER/K
Input or output of date and/or time.
DATE
TIME
To = VER
V2.0 DAY
The date to be input
The time to be input.
The name of the fIle into which the date or the time is
written.
DAY Advances date to next day input. Version 2.0 also allow
numeric input into the month field.
DELETE""" "" All/S, Q=QUIET/S:
V2.0
Erases files and/or directories.
" """ ",
ALL
Q=QUIET
Ten fIles or directory names to be deleted.
The entire directory is deleted.
There is no message output to the screen.
FILE/M/A,ALL/S,QUIET/S,FORCE/S:
FILE
FORCE
Multiple files or directory names to be deleted.
Forces deletion, even if fIle is in use.
DIR DIR,OPT/K,ALL/S,DIRS/S,FILES/S,INTER/S:
248
Displays the directory of a disk.
DIR
OPT
ALL
DIRS
FILES
INTER
Note:
Name of the disk drive or the directory (pathname).
Allows input of abbreviations, A=ALL, D=DIRS,

Shows all files in the directory including its
subdirectories and their contents.
Displays only directories.
Displays only fIles.
The contents are interactively output. After each file or
directory the following inputs can be made.
? Displays the possible commands.
B Back up the directory (directory only).
E Enter the displayed directory (directory only).
T Type the file (files only).
Del The fIle is deleted.
Q Quit the D i r command.
When using these arguments (ALL, DIRS, FILES,
INTER) do not include the OPT argument
ABACUS 9.3 THE AMIGADOS COMMANDS
DISKCHANGE DEVICE/A
Tells AmigaDOS that a disk has been changed.
DEVICE Which drive has experienced a disk change.
DISKCOPY [FROM] <disk> TO <disk> [NOVERIFY] [MULTI]
[NAME <name>]
Creates a copy of a disk.
FROM <disk>
TO <disk>
NO VERIFY
MULTI
The source drive.
The destination drive.
No verification performed during the copy.
Multiple copies on a single master may be made.
NAME Name Names the copy Name.
DISKDOCTOR DRIVE/A
Repairs errors on a disk. Damaged fIles mayor may not be removed.
DRIVE The drive the program will attempt to recover.
ECHO ,NOLINE/S,FIRST/K,LEN/K:
V2.0
ED/EDIT
ELSE
V2.0
Sends a text to the current output path, usually the screen.
Text that is output to the current output path.
NoLines Mter the output of the given strings, the output doesn't
jump to a new line.
First n
Len n
The starting position of the text to be output
The length of the text to be output
Command made an AmigaDOS internal command and FIRST and LEN
were specified as numeric.
Used to edit text fIles. See Section 2.4 for details and Sections 9.1 and
9.2 for the ED and EDIT quick reference sections.
Allows alternative conditions in script files (see IF).
Command made an AmigaDOS internal command.
249
9. QUICK REFERENCE AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
ENDCLI/ENDSBELL
V2.0
ENDIF
V2.0
ENDSIUP
V2.0
Exits eLI or Shell window.
Command made an AmigaDOS internal command.
Ends an IF /ENDIF construct in a script me (see IF).
Command made an AmigaDOS internal command.
Script file resumes execution at line following this command during a
Skip.
Command made an AmigaDOS internal command.
EVAL VALUE1/A,OP,VALUE2,TO,LFORMAT/K:
Evaluates simple expressions.
Value}
OP
Value2
TO
LFORMAT
Decimal, hex or octal value
math operator: +, -, ,1, mod, &, I, -,, ,xor,eqv
Decimal, hex or octal value
Optional
Specifies output format:
%Xn hex (n is number of digits)
%011 octal (n is number of digits)
%N decimal
%C cllanK:ter
EXECUTE NAME TEXT
Executes a script me.
NAME
TEXT
The name of the script me to execute.
The arguments passed to the me.
FAILAT RCKLIM/N
V2.0
250
Sets the return error code limit or returns the current return error code
limit.
RCLIM Contains the size of the new Return error Code LIMit.
Command made an AmigaDOS internal command.
ABACUS 9.3 THE AMIGADOS COMMANDS
FAULT /N,/N,/N,/N,/N,/N,/N,/N,/N,/N: (bigaDOS 2 .0)
V2.0
FF-O, -N
V2.0
Prints infonnation about a specific error.
N The valid error number.
Command made an AmigaDOS internal command.
(bigaDOS 1.3)
This command accelerates the text output on the screen. FF was written
by C. Heath, used by pennission of Microsmiths, Inc .
.()
-N
FastFont text output is turned on.
Fa s t F 0 n t text output is turned off (Note: you
should enter -N, not a number for N).
Implemented internally in AmigaDOS 2.0.
FILENOTE FILE/A COMMENT/A
V2 . 0
Inserts a comment into a file.
FILE Which file will receive the comment.
COMMENT The comment of the file.
ALL/S,QUIET/S:.
ALL
QUIET
All files will receive the comment.
No text is displayed during command operation.
Format DRIVE <disk> NAME <Name> [FFS][NOICONS] [QUICK]
Fonnats a disk and gives it a name.
DRIVE
<disk>
NAME
<name>
FFS
NOICONS
QUICK
Required to specify drive.
Location of the drive containing the disk to fonnat.
Required to specify Name.
The fonnatted disk receives the name "Name."
The FastFileSystern is used to fonnat.
Optional (the disk will not have an icon if this option
is used).
Only fonnats root and boot blocks.
GET/GETENV NAME (AmigaDOS 1 . 3)
This command reads the contents of an environment variable.
NAME The label of the variable whose contents should be read.
V2 . 0 Command made an AmigaDOS internal command.
251
9. QUICK REFERENCE AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
ICONX (AmiqaDOS 1.3)
Assigns icon and data to a script me. This lets you access the script me
from the Workbench using the mouse (see Chapter 6).
IF NOT/S,WARN/S,ERROR/S,FAIL/S,EQ/K,GT/K,GE/K,
VAL/S,EXISTS/K:
V2 . 0
INFO DEVICE
This allows choices to be made in script mes, based upon conditions.
NOT
WARN
ERROR
FAIL
Logical reversal of a condition.
Condition is fulfilled when error code is larger than or
equal to 5.
Condition is fulfilled when error code is larger than or
equal to 10.
Condition is fulfilled when error code is larger than or
equal to 20.
Text1 EQ Text2
GT/GTVal
Condition fulmled when Textl equals Text2.
Greater than and greater than or equal to. Val used for
numeric calculations.
Exists Name Condition fulfilled when me Name is accessible.
Command made an AmigaDOS internal command.
Displays information on the screen about connected disk drives.
Device Specifies a device.
INSTALL DRIVE/A,NOBOOT/S,CHECK/S
V2.0
Converts a blank formatted disk into a boot disk.
DRIVE
NOBOOT
CHECK
FFS/S
The drive which contains the disk to be installed.
Makes the disk a non-bootable OOS disk.
Checks to see if the disk is bootable and if the standard
Amiga boot code is present
FFS Use the FastFileSystem.
JOIN """""AS=TO/K
252
Joins two or more files together.
First of the two files to be joined together.
Second of the two files to be joined together.
A S The me to which the joined files are written.
ABACUS 9.3 THE AMIGADOS COMMANDS
V2.0 I'ILES/M
FILES Multiple files may be specified.
LAB Text
Defines a string as the branch label for a script flIe.
Text The string to be dermed as a label.
V2.0 Command made an AmigaOOS internal command.
LIST DIR,P=PAT/K,KEYS/S,DATES/S,NODATES/S,
TO/K,SUB/K,SINCE/K,UPTO/K,QUICK/S,
BLOCK/S,NOHEAD/S,I'ILES/S,DIRS/S,
LI'ORMAT/K:
V2.0
Lists data about files.
DIR
P=PAT
KEYS
DATES
NODATES
TO
SUB
Displays only information about the file in D IR.
Displays only the files specified in Pattern.
Displays the number of header blocks of the file or
directory.
Displays the date.
Suppresses the date.
Sends the output to the file Name.
Displays information about file whose name is
contained in Text.
SINCE Displays only the flIes created since Date.
UPTO Displays only the files created before Date.
QUICK Displays the filename only.
BLOCK The flIe size is given in blocks.
NOHEAD The information is suppressed.
FILES Lists only the files.
DIRS Lists only the directories.
LFORMATt= "Text"
ALL/S
All
The option causes the text in Text to be displayed.
Entering % s serves as a place holder for the actual flIe
name. Entering a second % s causes the filename to be
displayed a second time. Entering three % s causes the
first one to display the path description of the current
file. The next two contain the filename. Entering four
% s produces the path description for the first and third
ones and the flIename for the second and fourth.
Lists ALL files.
253
9. QUICK REFERENCE AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
LoadWB -Debug
V2.0
Loads the Workbench from the eLI or the Shell.
-Debug
Delay
DELAY
AmigaOOS 1.3 adds a hidden menu with the debugging
commands Debug and FlushLibs.
The DELA Y option waits three seconds before
continuing.
-Debug was removed as an option.
LOCK DRIVE/A,ON/S,OFF/S,PASSKEY:
Prevents or allows access to a hard drive partition.
DRIVE
ON
OFF
PASSKEY
Contains the protected hard disk partition.
Prevents access to the hard drive partition. Access is
restored after entering the password (max. 4 characters).
Removes an existing password. This command
functions only with Kickstart 1.3.
Four character password required for access.
MAKEDIR DIR/A
Creates a new directory with the name Name.
DIR The name of the new directory.
V2.0 DIR/M
DIR Multiple directories can be created.
MAKELINKFROM/A,TO/A,HARD/S: (AmigaDOS 2 . 0)
Creates a me that points to another me. When the ftrst me is specifted.
the linked me is called.
FROM
TO
HARD
The name of the original ftle.
The name of the linked ftle.
Files will not be linked across volumes.
MOUNT DEVICE/A, FROM/K
254
Mounts a device.
Device
From Name
A new device name.
Removes parameters from the file Name instead of the
Devs/Mount-list file.
ABACUS 9.3 THE AMIGADOS COMMANDS
NEweLl WINDOW FROM:
NEWSHELL WINDOW FROM:
PATH
V2.0
Opens a new CLI.
WINDOW
x
y
Width
Height
Text
FROM Name
(Con:x!y/Width/Height(jText))
The X-position of the upper left comer of the new
window.
The Y -position of the upper left comer of the new
window.
Window width in pixels.
Window height in pixels.
Title of the new window.
Accesses the script file Name after the new SHELL
window opens; if no filename is given the default file is
S: Shell-startup.
Command made an AmigaDOS internal command.
"""""ADD/S,SHOW/S,RESET/S,QUlTE/S
V2.0
Displays or changes the path name.
ADD
SHOW
RESET
QUIET
Adds a path to the directory Name.
Shows the current path.
Deletes all paths up to the C: directory and the path
Name.
Suppresses output from the current output channel.
PATH/M, REMOVE/S
PATH
REMOVE
Multiple paths may now be added.
Individual paths may be removed.
Command made an AmigaDOS internal command.
PROMPT PROMPT:
V2.0
Changes the Shell prompt string. The Shell in V1.3 can use %s to
display the current directory.
PROMPT Formats the prompt's appearance; %n displays the
process number.
Command made an AmigaDOS internal command.
255
9. QUICK REFERENCE AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
PROTECT FILE/A,FLAGS,ADD/S,SUB/S
V2.0
QUIT RC
V2.0
Detennines the protection bits a file should have.
FILE
FLAGS
+.ADD
-. SUB
The name of the file to protect.
Sets the protection status.
R The file can be read
W The me can be written to.
D The file is deletable.
E The file is executable.
In V1.3 the Hidden (H), Script (S), Pure (P) and
Archive (A) bits can be set or reset
H Hidden flIe.
S The file can be started without execute
(script mes only).
P The me can be placed in the Resident list
A The me is archived.
The H and A bits function only with Kickstart 1.3.
Sets the status of the given s tat u s bit.
Removes the status of the status bit.
ALL/S,QUITE/S
ALL
QUIET
Multiple mes may now be protected.
No messages are displayed.
Stops execution of a script me and returns an error code.
RC Return error Code.
Command made an AmigaOOS internal command and RC specified as
numeric.
RELABEL DRIVE/A, NAME/A
REMRAD
256
Changes the name of a disk.
DRIVE
NAME
The drive containing the disk to be renamed.
The new name of the disk.
(AmigaDOS 1.3)
This command erases all mes from the reset-resistant RAM disk. The
ramdri ve. device is also removed after the next boot
ABACUS 9.3 THE AMIGADOS COMMANDS
RENAME FROM/A,TO=AS/A
V2.0
Renames files.
FROM Name of the data which is to be renamed.
TO=AS The new name.
FROM/A/M,QUITE/S
FROM
QUIET
Multiple files may now be protected.
No messages are displayed.
RESIDENT NAME,FILE,REMOVE/S,ADD/S,REPLACE/S,
V2.0
RUN COMMAND
PURE/S,SYSTEM/S: (AmigaDOS 1 . 3)
This command erases, replaces or includes a new command in the list
of resident commands.
NAME
FILE
REMOVE
ADD
REPLACE
PURE
SYSTEM
The resident name.
Contains the command that should be activated in the
Resident list.
Deletes the command from the list
The command is included in the list.
Replaces an existing command of the same name in the
list with the new version of the command.
Checks Pure bit of the command to see if it is set
Files added to the system portion of the resident list
cannot be removed.
Command made an AmigaDOS internal command and FORCE can be
used instead of PURE.
Runs a program as a background process.
COMMAND
An AmigaDOS command to run as a background process.
V 2 . 0 Command made an AmigaDOS internal command.
SEARCH FROM/A, SEARCH,ALL/S, NONUM/S, QUIET/S,
QUICK/S,FILE/S:
Searches data for a string.
FROM The file to be searched.
SEARCH Text
ALL
NONUM
QUIET
The string to be searched for.
Searches all directories and subdirectories.
Displays no line numbers if string is found.
No output is displayed.
257
9. QUICK REFERENCE AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
V2.0
QUICK
FILE
The output format is more compact.
Searches for the specified me then the character string.
FILE/A/M,QUITE/S
FILE
QUIET
Multiple mes may now be searched.
No messages are displayed.
SETCLOCK LOAD/S,SAVE/S,RESET/S
Transfer the system date and time to and from the clock.
Load Loads date and time from the internal clock.
Save Saves system date and time to the internal clock.
V2.0 RESET/S
RESET Resets clock completely.
SETDATE FILE/A,DATE/A,TIME:
Inserts a date or time into data.
FILE File into which the date and time are inserted.
DATE The date assigned to the me.
TIME The time assigned to the file.
V2.0 ALL/S
ALL Multiple files can have their dates set.
SET/SETENV NAME, STRING/F: (AmiqaDOS 1.3)
Assigns a string to an environment variable.
NAME
STRING
The label of the variable.
The character string to be assigned to the variable.
V2.0 SET
SET Command also accessed by SET.
Command made an AmigaDOS internal command.
SETPATCH
Patches ROM in Kickstart, enhancing system software.
258
ABACUS 9.3 THE AMIGADOS COMMANDS
SKIP LABEL,BACK/S :
V2 . 0
Jumps within a script file to a defined label.
LABEL
BACK
Contains the string defined as a label.
Jumps to the start of the script file before searching for
the label.
Command made an AmigaDOS internal command.
SORT FROM/A, TO/A,COLSTART/K:
v2.0
STACK SIZE:
V2 . 0
Alphabetically sorts a file and saves it to another file.
FROM The source filename.
TO The new file the sorted data is written to.
COLSTART The line after which the text is sorted.
CASE/S,NUMERIC/S
CAS
NUMERIC
The sort is case sensitive, uppercase first
The sort is numeric sensitive, letters first.
Changes the stack size or returns the current size.
SIZE The stack size in bytes.
Command made an AmigaDOS internal command and SIZE parameter
specified as numeric.
STATUS PROCESS,FULL/S, TCB/S,CLI=ALL/S, COM=COMMAND/K:
Outputs information about CLI processes.
PROCESS Selects the task number which should be displayed.
FULL Combines the TCB and CLI options.
TCB Displays priority, stack size and global vector size.
CU=AlL Displays the status of the current command process.
Com=COMAND
Searches for the CLI command COMMAND.
259
9. QUICK REFERENCE AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
V2.0 Command made an AmigaDOS internal command and PROCESS
parameter specified as nwneric.
TYPE FROM/A,TO/S,OPT/K,HEX/S,NUMBER/S:
V2 . 0
Displays the contents of a fIle.
FROM
TO
OPT
NUMBER
HEX
The source fIle.
The destination file to which N arne 1 is copied. If a
name isn't given the fIle appears on the screen.
Allows using H an N abbreviation for Hex and
Number.
The lines are displayed with line nwnbers.
The characters are displayed in hex and ASCII
characters.
Multiple fIles may be input.
UNALIAS NAME (AmiqaDOS 2 . 0)
Removes an alias from the alias list.
NAME The name of the alias to remove.
V2.0 AmigaDOS 2.0 internal command.
UNSET/UNSETENV NAME: (AmiqaDOS 2 . 0)
Unsets an environmental variable.
NAME The name of the variable to remove.
V2.0 AmigaOOS 2.0 internal command.
VERSION NAME, VERSION, REVISION, UNIT:
Displays the version and revision number of a device, library or
Workbench diskette.
NAME
VERSION
REVISION
UNIT
Library name.
Set condition flag based on version number.
Set condition flag based on revision number.
Specify unit, for multi-unit devices.
WAIT /N,SEC=SECS/S,MIN=MINS/S,UNTIL/K:
260
Shifts the system to a pause mode.
N
SEC = SECS
MIN=MINS
UNTIL
Waiting time in n units.
Specifies the unit as seconds.
Specifies the unit as minutes.
Waits until the input time.
ABACUS 9.3 THE AMIGADOS COMMANDS
WHICH FILE/A,NORES/S,RES/S: (AmigaDOS 1.3)
WHY
This command searches for and displays the path of a command (helps
locate the command's location on disk).
FILE
NORES
RES
Name of the command to search for.
Suppress search in resident list.
Limits the search to the resident list
V2.0 ALLIs
ALL You can look for multiple fUes.
Returns information about the last error that occurred.
V2.0 Command made an AmigaOOS internal command.
261
Appendix
ABACUS ApPENDIX
Appendix
Command and editor sequences in the Shell
Escape
sequences
Control
sequences
Using the <Ctr!> and <Esc> keys, sequences can be entered directly in
the eLI/Shell or by using the Echo command inside a batch file
that can effect the output. When the E c h 0 command is used, the
<Esc> key can be set using the character combination *e.
<Esc>c
<Esc>[Om
<Esc>[1m
<Esc>[2m
<Esc>[3m
<Esc>[30m
<Esc>[31m
<Esc>[32m
<Esc>[33m
<Esc>[4m
<Esc> [40m
<Esc>[41m
<Esc> [42m
<Esc>[43m
<Esc>[7m
<Esc>[8m
<Esc>[nu
<Esc>[nt
<Esc>[nx
<Esc>[ny
The contents of the eLI/Shell window are erased and
all other modes are turned off.
All other modes are turned off.
Bold text is turned on.
Color number 2 becomes the text color (black).
Italic text is turned on.
Color number 0 becomes the text color (blue).
Color number 1 becomes the text color (white).
Color number 2 becomes the text color (black).
Color number 3 becomes the text color (orange).
The text is underlined.
Color number 0 becomes the background color (blue).
Color number 1 becomes the background color (white).
Color number 2 becomes the background color (black).
Color number 3 becomes the background color (orange).
The text becomes inverted.
The text becomes invisible (blue).
The eLI/Shell window becomes n characters wide.
Number of lines in the eLI/Shell window is set to n .
The left border is set at n pixels.
The distance from the top is set at n pixels.
When entering control sequences you must press the <Ctr!> key and
the corresponding letter key.
<Ctrl><h>
<Ctrl><i>
<Ctrl><j>
<Ctrl><k>
<Ctrl><l>
<Ctrl><m>
<Ctrl><n>
<Ctrl><o>
<Ctrl><x>
<Ctrl><'->
Deletes last character entered.
Moves cursor one tab position to the right.
Linefeed.
Moves cursor up one line.
Clears eLI/Shell window.
Same as <Return>.
Enables Alt character set.
Enables normal character set
Deletes current line.
Marks the end of a file.
265
ApPENDIX AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
Printer Escape Sequences
266
The following printer escape sequences are translated using the printer
drivers included in the Preferences editors.
Printer
Escape seQuence Meanini
<Esc>c Initialize (reset) printer
<Esc># 1 Disable all other modes
<Esc> D Line feed
<Esc>E Line feed + carriage return
<Esc>M One line up
<Esc> [Om
<Esc>[lm
<Esc>[22m
<Esc>[3m
<Esc>[23m
<Esc>[4m
<Esc>[24m
<Esc>[xm
<Esc>[Ow
<Esc>[2w
<Esc>[lw
<Esc>[4w
<Esc>[3w
<Esc>[6w
<Esc>[5w
<Esc>[2"z
<Esc>[l"z
<Esc> [4"z
<Ese>[3"z
<Ese> [6"z
<Esc>[5"z
<Ese>[2v
<Esc>[lv
<Esc>[4v
<Esc>[3v
<Esc>[Ov
<Ese>[2p
<Esc>[1p
<Esc>[Op
<Esc>[xE
Nonnal characters
Boldon
Bold off
Italics on
Italics off
Underlining on
Underlining off
Colors (x=30 - 39 [foreground] or 40 - 49 [background])
Nonnal text size
Elite on
Elite off
Condensed type on
Condensed type off
Enlarged type on
EnlaIged type off
NLQon
NLQoff
Double strike on
Double strike off
Shadow type on
Shadow type off
Superscript on
Superscript off
Subscript on
Subscript off
Back to nonnal type
Proportional type on
Proportional type off
Delete proportional spacing
Proportional spacing = x
ABACUS ApPENDIX
Printer
Escape seguence Meanim:
<Esc>[5F Left justify
<Esc>[7F Right justify
<Esc>[6F Set block
<Esc> [OF Set block off
<Esc>[3F Justify letter width
<Esc>[IF Center justify
<Esc>[0z
<Esc>[lz
<Esc>[xt
<Esc>[xq
<Esc>[Oq
<Esc>(B
<Esc>(R
<Esc>(K
<Esc>(A
<Esc>(E
<Esc>(H
<Esc>(Y
<Esc>(Z
<Esc>(J
<Esc>(6
<Esc>(C
<Esc>#9
<Esc>#O
<Esc>#8
<Esc>#2
<Esc>#3
<Esc>[xyr
<Esc> [xys
<Ese>H
<Esc>J
<Esc>[Og
<Esc>[3g
<Esc>[lg
<Esc>[4g
<Esc>#4
<Esc>#5
Line dimension 1/8 inch
Line dimension 1/6 inch
Page length set at x lines
Perforation jumps to x lines
Perforation jumping off
American character set
French character set
German character set
English character set
Danish character set (Nr.1)
Swedish character set
Italian character set
Spanish character set
Japanese character set
Norwegian character set
Danish character set (Nr.2)
Set left margin
Set right margin
Set header
Set footer
Delete margins
Header x lines from top; footer y lines from bottom
Set left margin (x) and right margin (y)
Set horizontal tab
Set vertical tab
Delete horizontal tab
Delete all horizontal tabs
Delete vertical tab
Delete all vertical tabs
Delete all tabs
Set standard tabs
267
ABACUS INDEX
Index
AddBuffers 115, 130, 245 Else 249
Alias 245 EndCLI 67,249
ALL 27 EndIf 250
AmigaDOS 4, 199 Ending the Shell 18
Argument 16, 244 EndShell 67, 249
Argument Counter(ArgC) 221 EndSkip 250
Argument Vector(ArgV) 221 Escape sequences 265
Ask 97,245 Eval 250
Assign 75,245 Execute 89,250
Aux device (aux) 128
Avail 135,246
Failat 93,250
FastFileSystem 129
Backspace<Backspace> key 10 Fault 80,250
BindDrivers 85,246 FF 24,251
blitter 199 Filenote 57, 251
Boot blocks 24 Files 27
Break 246 Format 23, 116,251
Breaking 155
Get/Getenv 145,251
C 221,232
CD 247
Help function 15
ChangeTaskPri 71,211,247
Command Macros 109
IconX 252
Console Device (con) 121,162
If 252
Control sequences 265
If/Else/EndIf 95
control characters 182
Info 42,252
Copy 33, 158,203,247
Initialize 22
cylinder 23
input line 221
InputO 223
Data files 12
Install 46,116,252
Date 80,248
Delete 32,248
Join 50,252
Dir 11,25,28,247
directory 28
Keyboard! ASCn conversion 163
DIRS 27
disk capacity 23
IAB 253
disk drive specifer 14
List 36,253
DiskChange 63,249
Lock 137,254
DiskCopy 43,116,249
main directory 29
DiskDoctor 59, 249
DOS 4
MakeDir 31,254
DOS prompt 9
MAKELINK 147,254
drawer name 42
Mount 85, 254
Drive specifier 14
multitasking 199,200
Echo 92, 249
Names 36
ED 103,211,237,238,249
NewCLI 64,255
Edit 105,237,241,249
NewCon device (newcon) 123
269
INDEX
NewShell
NOFFS
NOICONS
non-interactive
operating system
parameter
Path
Pipe device (Pipe)
Preferences
Printer Device (prt)
printer script file
Prompt
Protect
Protection bits
Quit
RAD device (00)
RAM disk
Raw Device (raw)
ReLabel
Remrad
Rename
Replace
Resident
137,204
24
23
219
199,219
16
14,73,255
87, 126
159
120
182
82,255
54,142,256
36
94,256
87. 124
209
122
44. 116,256
140,256
41.257
225
141,257
142
24
68.206,257
Resident system segments
Root block
Run
Script fIle processing
Script fIles
Search
Sectors
Serial Device (ser)
SetClock
SetDate
Setenv
SetPatch
Shell
Skip
Skip/Lab
Sort
Speak device (speak)
Stack
Startup Sequence
Status
Subdirectories
Switch
text fIles
270
172
171. 172, 186
51.55.256
23
118
81,258
58.258
145, 258
145,258
6
259
98
53. 259
87. 127
84.259
176
69.211.259
12.25
16,244
162
AMIGADOS INSIDE AND OUT
Type 49,260
Unalias 147,260
Unset 148,260
Unsetenv 148,260
version 100,260
Wait 99, 163, 2fJ)
Which 261
Why 79,261
WilOCards 32
Companion Diskette
AMIGA
AmlgaDOS
Inside and Out
Companion diskette
For your convenience, the program listings contained in this book are
available on an Amiga formatted floppy disk. You should order the diskette if
you want to use the programs, but don't want to type them in from the
listings in the book.
All programs on the diskette have been fully tested. You can change the
programs for your particular needs. The diskette is available for $14.95 plus
$2.00 ($5.00 foreign) for postage and handling.
When ordering, please give your name and shipping address. Enclose a
check, money order or credit card information. Mail your order to:
Abacus Software
5370 52nd Street SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49512
For fast service, call 616/698-0330.
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Amiga for Beginners Vol.#1
A perfect introductory book if you're a new or prospective Amiga owner. Amiga for Beginners introduces
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Topics include:
Unpacking and connecting the Amiga components
Starting up your Amiga
Customizing the Workbench
Exploring the Extras disk
Taking your first step in AmigaBASIC programming language
AmigaOOS functions
Using the CLI to perform "housekeeping" chores
First Aid, Keyword, Technical appendixes
Glossary
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Amiga BASIC: Inside and Out Vol.#2
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Windows
Pull down menus
Mouse commands
Statistics
Sequential and relative files
Speech and sound synthesis
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Amiga 3D Graphic Programming in BASIC Vol.#3
Amiga 3D Graphic Programming in BASIC- shows you how to use the powerful graphics capabilities
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Basics of ray tracing
Using an object editor to enter three-dimensional objects
Material editor for creating parameters of color, shading
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Automatic computation in different resolutions
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Mathematical basics for the non-mathematician
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Amiga Machine Language Vol.#4
Amiga Machine Language introduces you to 68000 machine language programming presented in clear,
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68000 address modes and instructi on set
Accessing RAM, operating system and multitasking capabilities
Details the powerful Amiga libraries for access to AmigaDOS
Simple number base conversions
Text input and output - Checking for special keys
Opening CON: RAW: SER: and PRT: devices
Menu programming explained
Speech uti lity for remarkable human voice synthesis
Complete Intuition demonstration program including
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Amiga System Programmer's Guide Vol.#6
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Topics include:
EXEC Structure
Multitasking functions
1/0 management through devices and 1/0 request
Interrupts and resource management
RESET and its operation
DOS libraries
Disk management
Detailed information about the CLI and its commands
Much more-over 600 pages worth
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Advanced System Programmer's Guide Vol.#7
Advanced System Programmer's Guide for the Amiga - The second volume to our 'system
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Some of the topics include:
Interfaces- audio, video RGB, Centronics, serial,
disk access, expansion port, and keyboard
Programming hardware- memory organization, interrupts,
the Copper, blitter and disk controller
EXEC structures- Node, List, Libraries and Tasks
Multitasking- Task switching, intertask communication,
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1/0- device handling and requests
DOS Libraries- functions, parameters and error messages
CLI- detailed internal design descriptions
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Amiga C for Beginners Va 1.#1 0
Amiga C for Beginners is an introduction to learning the popular C language. Explains the language ele-
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Topics include:
Beginner's overview of C
Particulars of C
Writing your first program
The scope of the language (loops, conditions, functions,
structures)
Special features of the C language
Input/Output using C
Tricks and Tips for finding errors
Introduction to direct programming of the operating system
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Using the LATTICE and AZTEC C compilers
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Amiga C for Advanced Programmers Vol.#11
Amiga C for Advanced Programmers contains a wealth of information from the C programming pros:
how compilers, assemblers and linkers work, designing and programming user friendly interfaces utilizing
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Topics include:
Using INCLUDE, DEFINE and CAST
Debugging and optimizing assembler sources
All about programming Intuition including windows, screens,
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A professional editor's view of problems with developing
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Debugging C programs with different utilities
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Amiga Graphics: Inside & Out
Vol.#13
Amiga Graphics: Inside & Out will show you the super graphic features and functions of the Amiga in
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Topics include:
Accessing fonts and type styles in AmigaBASIC
Loading and saving IFF graphics
CAD on a 1024 x 1024 super bitmap, using graphic library
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Access libraries and chips from BASIC- 4096 colors at once,
color patterns, screen and window dumps to printer
Amiga animation explained including sprites, bobs and Ani-
mObs, Copper and blitter programming
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Amiga Desktop Video Guide Vol.#14
Amiga desktop Video Guide is the most complete and useful guide to desktop video on the Amiga.
Amiga Desktop Video Guide covers all the basics- defining video terms, selecting genlocks, digitizers,
scanners, VCRs, camera and connecting them to the Amiga.
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The basics of video
Genlocks
Digitizers and scanners
Frame Grabbers/ Frame Buffers
How to connect VCRs, VTRs, and cameras to the Amiga
Animation
Video Titling
Music and videos
Home videos
Advanced techniques
Using the Amiga to add or incorporate Special Effects to a video
Paint, Ray Tracing, and 3D rendering in commercial applications
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Companion Diskette not available for this book.
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Amiga Printers: Inside & Out Vol.#15
Your printer is probably the most used peripheral on your Amiga system and probably the most confusing.
Today's printers come equipped with many built-in features that are rarely used because of this confusion.
This book shows you quickly and easily how to harness your printer's built-in functions and special
features.
Topics include:
How printers work, and why they do what they do
Basic printer configuration using the DIP switches
AmigaDOS commands for simple printer control
Printing tricks and tips from the experts
Recognizing and fixing errors
WORKBENCH Printer drivers explained in detail
Amiga fonts as printer fonts and much more!
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every program listed in the book- complete, error free and ready
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Making Music on the Amiga Vol.#16
The Amiga has an orchestrs deep within it, just waiting for you to give the downbeat. Making Music on
the Amiga takes you through all the aspects of music development on this great computer. Whether you
need the fundamentals of music notation, the elements of sound synthesis or special circuitry to interface
your Amiga to external musical instruments, you'll find it in this book.
Topics include:
Basics of sound generation
Music programming in AmigaBASIC
Hardware programming in GFA BASIC
IFF formats (8SVX and SMUS)
MIDI fundamentals: Concept, function, parameters,
schematics and applications
Digitization: Capture and edit sound, schematics, applications
Applications: Using Perfect Sound, Aegis Son ix, Deluxe
Music Construction Set, Deluxe Sound Digitizer, Audio
Master and Dynamic Drums
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and assembly language.
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AmigaOOS Quick Reference
AmigaDOS Quick Reference is an easy-to-use reference tool for beginners and advanced programmers
alike. You can quickly find commands for your Amiga by using the three handy indexes designed with the
user in mind. All commands are in alphabetical order for easy reference. The most useful information you
need fast can be found including:
All AmigaDOS commands described with examples including
Workbench 1 .3
Command syntax and arguments described with examples
CLI shortcuts
CTRL sequences
ESCape sequences
Amiga ASCII table
Guru Meditation Codes
Error messages with their corresponding numbers
Three indexes for instant information at your fingertips! The
AmigaDOS Quick Reference is an indispensable tool you'll want
to keep close to your Amiga.
ISBN 1-55755-049-2. Suggested retail price: $9.95
Companion Diskette not available for this book.
Abacus Amiga Book Summary
Vol. 1 Amiga for Beginners 1-55755-021-2
Vol.2 AmigaBASIC: Inside and Out 0-916439-87-9
Vol.3 Amiga 3D Graphic Programming in BASIC 1-55755-044-1
Vol.4 Amiga Machine Language 1-55755-025-5
Vol.6 Amiga System Programmers Guide 1-55755-034-4
Vol.7 Advanced System Programmers Guide 1-55755-047-6
Vol.8 AmigaDOS: Inside and Out 1-55755-041-7
Vol.9 Amiga Disk Drives: Inside and Out 1-55755-042-5
Vol.10 'C' for Beginners 1-55755-045-X
Vol.11 'C' for Advanced Programmers 1-55755-046-8
Vol.13 Amiga Graphics: Inside & Out 1-55755-052-2
Vol.14 Amiga Desktop Video Guide 1-55755-057 -3
Vol.15 Amiga Printers: Inside & Out wi disk 1-55755-087 -5
Vol.16 Making Music on the Amiga wl disk 1-55755-094-8
Vol.17 Best Amiga Tricks & Tips wi disk 1-55755-1 07 -3
AmigaDOS Quick Reference 1-55755-049-2
$16.95
$24.95
$19.95
$19.95
$34.95
$34.95
$19.95
$29.95
$19.95
$24.95
$34.95
$19.95
$34.95
$34.95
$29.95
$9.95
See your local dealer or order TOLL FREE 1-800-451-4319 in US & Canada I