118 lines
5.5 KiB
Plaintext
118 lines
5.5 KiB
Plaintext
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^Extended Command Processor^
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Fact Sheet
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What it is:
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ECP is a ProDOS based combination operating system shell/program
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selector program. It conforms to all ProDOS conventions for System programs
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and Program Selectors.
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Compatibility:
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Apple IIgs, Apple //e, enhanced //e, //c, enhanced //c, and ][+;
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any ProDOS compatible floppy disk drive, Unidisk 3.5, hard disk, or RAM
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disk, any ProDOS compatible printer interface, serial card, or modem.
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Memory Usage:
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The ECP shell program takes up about 16K of RAM when resident. It
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automatically reloads itself into memory upon leaving any standard ProDOS
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System program (such as AppleWorks etc). While the shell is in memory, the
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user has approximately 24K of memory available for his programs. This is
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more than it seems as user programs can take advantage of over 100 documented
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system calls within ECP to shorten user programs. Programs larger than 24K
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will work with the shell as well because the shell is automatically reloaded
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from disk whenever the standard ProDOS QUIT call is made.
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Features:
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1) 50 Built-in keyboard commands - to handle normal filing and communications
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functions.
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2) Transient commands - that are loaded into memory only when needed. The
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user can add any number of external commands to the ECP system by
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following the directions in the documentation. The user can also create
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new commands out of combinations of existing commands through the Batch
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program feature.
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3) Smart Batch or command program facility - Not only can you have BASIC style
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Batch programs with the ECP system, you can also create Batch programs
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with positional parameters and conditional execution. This adds greatly
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to the flexibility of Batch programs. You can have Batch programs that
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accept file name parameters and the like from the keyboard command
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prompt. A typical use of an Batch program might be to check a large ram
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disk such as RamWorks (tm) to see if certain programs have been
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installed and to install them if they haven't. By the same token, you
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can backup ram disk files to a more permanent medium automatically
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before you shut down your system.
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4) Online help feature - user extensible and customizable. You can remove
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this feature at any time if disk space is needed once you become
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familiar with the system.
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5) Privileged CMDS subdirectory - a special subdirectory is set up so any
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programs or transient commands in the CMDS subdirectory have global
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scope. This means that you don't have to remember the whole ProDOS
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pathname to access files in the CMDS subdirectory. If a file isn't
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found in the current directory, the CMDS directory is automatically
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searched regardless of the current prefix setting. An MS-DOS styled
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PATH command allows you to change the location of this directory at any
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time.
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6) Output redirection - allows you to send all screen output from any command
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to a printer, modem, or disk file with a single keystroke or under Batch
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program control.
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7) User defined function keys - Up to 10 ram-based user defined function keys
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are available. The function keys can contain any line of text you can
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type at the keyboard up to 60 characters long. This may consist of one
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or more commands separated by semicolons. This feature allows you to
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run any of several programs or commands with an open apple - number
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sequence (ESC - number for ][+). There are 26 disk-based user defined
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function keys available for a total of 36 function keys. The disk-based
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function keys can invoke any executable file including basic programs or
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exec files.
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8) Terminal program built-in. System shipped configured for the Apple Super
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Serial card or Apple IIgs built-in modem port. User configurable to
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support almost any serial device. You can write smart Exec programs to
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perform tasks such as auto-logons.
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9) Remote operation mode - allows you to access the ECP system via remote
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modem hookup. It is also possible to set up the ECP system as a crude
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RBBS type of system though creative use of Batch programs.
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10) Full technical documentation to allow you to write assembly language or C
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programs that take full advantage of the internal features of the ECP
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system.
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11) Extended machine language interface allows you to write your own
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transient commands that have access to all of the internal features of
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ECP.
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ECP is available from Carolina System Software for $30 which includes a
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program disk (of course it's not copy protected!), user manual, technical
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manual, telephone support, update notices, and my undying gratitude. The ECP
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system disk files almost completely fill two standard Apple 5.25 inch floppy
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disks.
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If you should get a copy of the disk from a friend then go ahead and send in
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your $30 so you can get the latest version of the software and documentation.
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Updates only cost you the cost of postage and a floppy disk.
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To order, send $30 to the address below:
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Carolina System Software
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2916-A Chatsworth Rd
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Columbia, SC 29223
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(803) 788-7360
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Update: Be sure to check out ECP-16 for the Apple IIgs. It runs completely
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under ProDOS 16 and includes the ECP-8 package. ECP-16 is shareware for $40.
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