D.P. (Joe) Griffin,
'Clovelly',
Lynwick St.,
Rudgwick,
Horsham,
West Sussex
RH12 3DJ

Tel: Home - 0403-72-2382&
&    Work - 0252-703663 &
Mailbox 019995499 (Prestel)
Courier JOE (Compunet)
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*cn:ry:sk2;29 April 1989*rn
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*sk1:cm addressee info, 6 lines max
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Loren Lovhaug,
Twin Cities 128
P.O. Box 4625,
Saint Paul,
Minnesota,
U.S.A.  55104

Dear Loren,

Thanks for supporting the 128!

I seem to have recently stirred things up a bit by discovering that Commodore have re-introduced bugs into the cost-reduced version of the 128D and 1571.  I have just had an article published in our March/April newsletter and enclose a copy (in Superscript format) on disk for you, in case you want to use it.

Also on the disk are a number of other articles, plus a few utilities including four which have been developed (rather than originated) by me.

The text file 'disk headering' and the program 'disk header' relate to the three different ways to header a disk in the 1571 drive.

'1571 new bug' is the body of the article on the bug and '1571 bug check' is a slightly modified version of the Greg Perry program.

The text file 'two drives' discusses the use of Superscript & Superbase with multiple disk drives, something not very well covered in the manuals.

The article 'amp files' and its attendent program 'make device sets' are the result of inspiration by yourselves and CBUG.

The brief article 'disk log' refers to the program 'disk logger' which is my development of the Jim Butterfield classic.

Similarly, I have hacked about Liz Deal's modification of Jim's 'copy-all', to produce 'copy fast'.  Modifications include cosmetic changes to show block counts and the number of blocks to be copied but the major changes are the ability to insert markers in the directory, as copying proceeds and an option to overwrite or rename duplicate files found during the copy process. 

We then have 'identify disk' a subroutine which checks the drive ROM to establish the type of drive in use.  This features in a lot of my programs, where it is used to set disk parameters, such as position of directory track (39 on 8x50, 40 on 1581 and 18 on the rest).

'Compare' is my development of a program which Cursor produced in the early PET days.  It has been extensively developed to cater for the later machines.  I mormally use a compiled version, but I include the BASIC version for your interest.  One thing that I have not yet done to it, is to fully develop the Commodore printer option. - It was originally set up for PET/IEEE printers and as yet does not fully cover the special characters of the CBM printers (eg double width characters).

While 'compare' concerns itself with program files, the program 'csf' is designed to handle Commodore Assembler source files.  Whereas assemblers like PAL and Buddy use tokenised BASIC (I believe) and hence have embedded line numbers, the CBM system uses a sequential file to store the code and this does not contain line numbers.  Thus an additional line inserted into the CBM source moves all further lines one down and hence out of register.  CSF allows the user to step either file by one line and hence get the two sources back into sync.

'Director' is another of my own efforts, written to allow library disk directories to be tidied up.  In particular it allows markers created by 'copy fast' to be turned into simple directory dividers.  Again the compiled version is the one to use.

Finally, the program 'lister' is a development of Jim Butterfield's program of the same name.  It is in fact a hybrid of 'lister' and 'list-all', having the multi-machine capabilities of 'list-all' tacked on to the framework of the earlier program.  I have added the ability to read Superbase program files and to output to screen, disk or file.

If any of the articles or programs are of use to you, then you are most welcome to use and distribute them.

Finally, I have the compendium, which covers up to Issue 18, and then through your UK distributor (Financial Systems) I have obtained Issues 21 onwards.  To complete the set, I would like to obtain copies of Issues 19 & 20.  I believe that you have these available as back issues.  Do you take credit cards?  If so would lend you a dollar money order.  (Or maybe you may wish to 'pay' me for any of the articles on the disk...)

Once again, thanks for your support of our machine.

With best wishes,


*in18
Yours sincerely,




D.P. Griffin