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47 KiB
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1008 lines
47 KiB
Plaintext
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BTN: Birmingham Telecommunications News
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COPYRIGHT 1989
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February 1989 Volume 2, Issue 2
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Table Of Contents
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-----------------
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Article Title Author
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Policy Statement and Disclaimer................Mark Maisel
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Slave Editorial Column.........................Randy Hilliard
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EISA vs. MCA: Interview with Mike Ennis.......Jay Enterkin
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Our Local Bulletin Board Systems...............Mark Maisel
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Profile........................................Chris Mohney
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Batch Files....................................Co-SysOp One, Channel 8250
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From The Kitchen...............................Chez Stephan
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Message Board..................................Barry Bowden
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Known BBS Numbers..............................Mark Maisel
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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Disclaimer and Statement of Policy for BTN
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We at BTN try our best to assure the accuracy of articles and
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information in our publication. We assume no responsibility for damage
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due to errors, omissions, etc. The liability, if any, for BTN, its
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editors, and writers, for damages relating to any errors or omissions,
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etc., shall be limited to the cost of a one year subscription to BTN,
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even if BTN, its editors or writers have been advised of the likelihood
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of such damages occurring.
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With the conclusion of that nasty business, we can get on with our
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policy for publication and reproduction of BTN articles. We publish
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monthly with a deadline of the fifteenth of the month prior to
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publication. If you wish to submit an article, you may do so at any
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time but bear in mind the deadline if you wish for your work to appear
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in a particular issue. It is not our purpose to slander or otherwise
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harm a person or reputation and we accept no responsibility for the
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content of the articles prepared by our writers. Our writers own their
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work and it is protected by copyright. We allow reprinting of articles
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from BTN with only a few restrictions. The author may object to a
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reprint, in which case he will specify this in the content of his
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article.
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Otherwise, please feel free to reproduce any article from BTN as long as
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the source, BTN, is specified, and as long as the author's name and the
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article's original title are retained. If you use one of our articles,
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please forward a copy of your publication to:
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Mark Maisel
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Editor, BTN
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221 Chestnut St.
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Birmingham, AL 35210-3219
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We thank you for taking the time to read our offering and we hope that
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you like it. We also reserve the right to have a good time while doing
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all of this and not get too serious about it.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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Slave Editorial
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By Randy Hilliard
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Well!!! (as my fingers thump an angry tattoo on the desk). Here we are
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again. Evidential, our esteemed Editor-in-Chief, Mark Maisel, didn't
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receive enough complaints on the guest editorial of BTN 10 (that I
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wrote) to justify him taking the reins again (or at least selecting
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another victim).
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So here I am again, (pinched, sarcastic smile), catering to all of you
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kiddies for the BTN 11 issue and I tell you that I am so happy about
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this that I could just ... Oh, never mind.
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You see, when Mark told me that he wanted me to do this editorial again
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I told him "absolutely no way!" He then went on to explain how if he had
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to write the editorial he would sprinkle it liberally with anecdotes
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about my antics at the BTN meeting that my room mate had no idea of (due
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to the large quantities of fermented hops I had consumed, neither had I.
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I seemed to have had a rather good time though at least by Mark's
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version).
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So I decided to take it like a man; I gave in and told him I'd do it.
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So, without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, I proudly (?) present the
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11th edition on the Birmingham Telecommunications Newsletter. It walks,
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it talks, its been know to crawl on it's belly like a reptile. It does
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all of this for the small price of one thin dime (looks at the sheet), I
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mean one thin nickel (whisper from behind the curtain), I mean free,
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ladies and gentlemen, just step right in....
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This issue of the BTN contains an article by Jay Enterkin that should be
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of particular interest to the hardware freaks out there on the EISA vs
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MCA bus standards. We also have our regular article by Mark Maisel on
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one of our local bulletin board systems, Channel 8250. The Profile this
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month is on another local figure we have all heard about: Michele
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Cahoon. The Co-Sysop One of Channel 8250 has written an article on the
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care and feeding of batch files that we hope will be enlightening. Chez
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Stephan has written us another article on how to be a wizard with a
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grill and (this time) a steak. Barry Bowden has March's Message board
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on line which is followed by our Known BBS List by our infamous
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Idiot-in-Chief, Mark Maisel.
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And remember, ladies and gentlemen,
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Anything free is worth only twice what you paid for it!
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Enjoy!
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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COPYRIGHT 1989 Jay Enterkin.
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Because this article may run almost simultaneously in another
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publication this article may not be reproduced without specific
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permission by the author except as part of the BTN 11 issue which may
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be placed on BBS's as a downloadable file.
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EISA vs. MCA
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by Jay Enterkin
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A Meeting & Interview with Mike Ennis, Senior Systems Engineer for
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Compaq at their Orlando Facility
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Ever since IBM introduced its' PS/2 MicroChannel Architecture
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machines in April, 1987, most industry observers and users we've seen
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have fallen into one of four groups:
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1) Those who see the PS/2 MCA line as being a technological
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breakthrough, the certain system of choice to replace the 16-bit
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AT bus now and into the 1990s.
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2) Those who decry the incompatibility of the PS/2 MCA line with
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IBM's past offerings. They see IBM as having been off-target
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with the PS/2 MCA machines, making add-in boards incompatible,
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requiring PS/2 users who need 5-1/4 inch drive capability to put
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cumbersome, unsightly and expensive external drives next to
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those sleek PS/2 CPU boxes, and generally making IBM offerings
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'non-IBM compatible'. Compaq has hammered home the 'IBM is now
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non-IBM-compatible' message, and is seen by a growing number of
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users and businesses as the new industry leader.
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3) Those who believe that at some point new hardware and software
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(including new operating systems) will be necessary to continue
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the rapid progress of PC technology. What distinguishes this
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group from Group 1 is that they don't seem to think that the
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whole PS2/MCA/OS2 package is the answer to that need, and they
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surely don't want to see the PS/2 MCA emerge as the only path for
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current MS-DOS users to take (assuming they don't want to break
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completely away by migrating to the MAC, NeXT, or other micros
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with CPU lineages outside the 8086/8088/80286/80386/80486
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family).
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4) Those who take a wait-and-see, or even an 'I don't know and I
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don't care I just want to get my work done today' attitude. Let
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the other folks make the hard choices and we'll follow whatever
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proves out, this cautious group concludes.
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In September, 1988, a group of organizations banded together to
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announce another alternative for the PC/MS-DOS world. The EISA Bus (for
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Enhanced Industry Standard Architecture) became the first real contender
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to challenge IBM's PS/2 MCA's position as the next hardware platform.
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Nine PC vendors (Compaq, Epson, NEC, Zenith, Hewlett-Packard, AST
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Research, Tandy, Wyse, and Olivetti) joined five other major players
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(Intel, Microsoft, Digital Communications, Novell and 3Com) in this
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attempt to develop a standardized 32-bit bus that will maintain downward
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compatibility with the current 16-bit AT bus.
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Predictably, Group 1 balked. Comments ranged from 'It's nothing, it
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doesn't exist yet. More vaporware.' to 'Just what we DON'T need. Two
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new standards in place of one.' IBM couldn't resist: 'EISA is just a set
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of flip charts' was one of Big Blue's oft-quoted reactions.
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For those in Group 2, EISA gives them hope and something (finally)
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to cheer about. Many of them felt EISA gave them a future for the
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systems they already have installed, protecting investments in AT-class
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equipment. A lot of companies have spent a small fortune on PC, XT and
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AT machines, and they don't want to write that off and invest in the
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even more expensive MCA line, which is, in their view, completely
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different.
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For Group 3, most welcome both MCA and EISA, and try to remain open
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to giving all technological advances a fair chance to prove themselves
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---or fail --- on their own merits. Quite a few in this group are of
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the opinion that MCA, EISA and OS/2 are all just temporary bridges to
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the next level of technology, and that as such they will never come
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close to having the impact on personal computing that MS-DOS-based PC,
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XT and AT systems have had since their introductions.
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Group 4 are practical, hard-working types who don't fit the labels
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that some members of the other groups have hung on them:
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'narrow-minded', 'overly cautious', 'myopic' and 'stuck in the past'.
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They are usually doing a pretty excellent job with what they have, and
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will happily move on to the next logical step, AFTER their critics have
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coped with the inevitable frustrations of being on the leading edge of a
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new technology, and proven the value, benefits and risks involved in
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making the change.
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Now it's first quarter, 1989. Almost two years have passed since
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the introduction of the MicroChannel Architecture, but only about six
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months since the announcement of the proposed EISA bus standard. More
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questions than answers about these two (MCA and EISA) have surfaced
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during that time: Does MCA have an insurmountable head start on EISA?
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Then why, as recently as November, did less than 20 percent of all
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80386-based PCs sold have the MicroChannel Architecture? (IBM is
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licensing the MCA for use by other vendors, but at a cost as high as 5
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percent of the total purchase price of the other vendors systems.) The
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latest available figures indicate that the installed AT-bus base is
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still at least 5 times larger than the installed MCA-bus base, but
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recent sales figures suggest that MCA machines are making a strong move.
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So there it is. Confusion and indecision are the order of the day
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whenever corporate buyers and end users consider which path to follow in
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what has been aptly termed 'The Bus Wars'. Recently, we had the
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opportunity to talk with some Compaq officials to get the latest inside
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information on EISA. This is what we learned:
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The conference room was packed. Most of those attending were members
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of the IEEE Computer Society, the group which had organized the meeting.
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Compaq's presentation team, consisting of Mike Ennis, Senior Systems
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Engineer at Compaq's Orlando facilities, and Richard Thomas, Scott
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Pierson and Jim Spurgeon, members of Compaq's marketing management team
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based in Atlanta, had flown in to Birmingham to get out Compaq's message
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about EISA on a first-hand basis.
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The Compaq team had strategically placed a non-EISA machine, a model
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SLT286 laptop, on a table right inside the door so that it would be the
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first thing each person saw when they entered the room. It was a very
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impressive sight with an eight-shade VGA gas plasma display running a
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graphics demo (naturally!), and had far and away the sharpest and
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brightest image I have ever seen on a portable machine, the first I have
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seen with color. With 640K RAM, a 20mb hard drive, 1.44mb 3-1/2 inch
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drive, built-in parallel, serial and VGA ports (external VGA monitors
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plug right in!), a detachable keyboard and 80286 CPU all in a package
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that folds up smaller than a standard briefcase, this was a machine for
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anyone's wish list.
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Doug Reinsch opened the meeting by introducing himself, adding "I'm
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the chairman of IEEE, as absurd as that may sound. But that's ok, since
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I'm only a figurehead." I found his self-effacing style amusing and
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refreshing. After a slick Compaq promotional video, Mike Ennis provided
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a detailed look at the new EISA bus standard.
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A key point in Compaq's effort to establish EISA in the marketplace
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is the fact that EISA (Enhanced Industry Standard Architecture,
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pronounced ez-uh) is a natural enhancement and evolution of the current
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machines, which it refers to as ISA (Industry Standard Architecture,
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pronounced as initials like MCA).
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The EISA bus is designed to be software AND hardware compatible with
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the millions of XT-and AT-class machines already in use worldwide,
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whereas the MCA systems are a radical departure.
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Some goals Compaq hopes to achieve with EISA were outlined:
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- to define the future PC architecture standard
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- protect the investment in the current ISA machines
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- an open industry standard with no royalties
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Compaq has found that the bus in current systems utilizes an average
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of only 5 percent of overall processing power, and that the CPU and
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memory accesses take a much larger share. Because of this, EISA is
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designed with a dual bus and a CPU/memory cache to allow optimized
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concurrent processing. According to Ennis, the dual bus approach
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combined with concurrent processing will allow EISA to outperform MCA by
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an average of 30 percent in terms of throughput speed. He also noted
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that EISA is strictly a bus specification, one that allows manufacturers
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greater flexibility with other aspects of EISA machines, as compared to
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MCA, which is a total systems architecture, right down to the CPU level.
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But aren't some of the nine original EISA members going ahead with
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plans to produce MCA machines? "Yes," Ennis replied, "They're not
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stupid. If a product (MCA) has a twenty-percent market share, why
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wouldn't they want to produce it?" But what if MCA's share of the market
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continues to increase? "Units sales are still running 5-to-1, ISA over
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MCA. With EISA machines soon to be available, we feel that the MCA
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market share won't expand beyond a certain point." Some critics have
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complained that the 5-to-1 ISA over MCA unit sales ratio Compaq
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continues to cite is tipped in favor of non-MCA machines because
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Compaq's numbers account only for retail sales through dealers and don't
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include IBM's VAR and direct sales. "We don't get our figures from a
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single source. We look to at least three sources for that data, and it
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does take into account non-dealer sales. Is the 5-to-1 unit sales ratio
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a real number? Yes." Someone else asked him why all the controversy over
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EISA. "Controversy sells newspapers and magazines. And because EISA is
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still evolving. We want to make sure we get it right the first time,
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and to allow developers to have confidence that we won't be changing the
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specs frequently. Those who have signed up as EISA developers are under
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a non-disclosure policy, and that angers some of the computer
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publications and independent testing labs who can't get their hands on
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the specifications." He said that when it is finalized it will be an
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open specification, however, unlike MCA which requires a licensing
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agreement with IBM and royalty fees to IBM based on sales. When will
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EISA machines actually come to the marketplace? "They should be
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available in the third quarter this year, but I don't expect Compaq will
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be the first manufacturer to bring one out. We are committed to selling
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EISA machines only when there are applications and third-party support
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for it. We don't want to do what IBM did with the MCA and put a product
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on the market that doesn't have any immediate benefits to the user."
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Ennis has been with Compaq for less than one year, but he cheerfully
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assured me he had made "the RIGHT choice." His previous employer?
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"AT&T". Based on what we've learned, we don't find it hard to believe
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that EISA may well be the right choice, too.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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Our Local Bulletin Board Systems
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Number Two In A Series
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by Mark Maisel
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Name: Channel 8250
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Sysop: Ed O'Neill
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Software: PC Board 12.1/D
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Been Around: 2 years
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Baud Rates: 300-2400 (9600 soon)
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Bulletins: General System Information
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Conferences: EZNET, Opinions; a general discussion conference,
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Agnostics; theology and philosophy discussions
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Computers Supported: IBM & Assorted Clones
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Files Available: variety of shareware and public domain offerings
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Doors Available: PKXDoor, User Door, ANSI Ads, ProDoor
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Special Information: Author of EZNET, PKXDoor, and User Door
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Q. Why did you start your BBS?
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A. Naivete, I guess.
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Q. What has been your greatest reward from running your BBS?
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A. I have made many new friends and met lots of new people.
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Q. What are your greatest regrets and annoyance associated with running a
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BBS?
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A. Maintaining file libraries is the biggest annoyance in running a BBS.
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It is also frustrating when users use all of their time to download
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files from the board without using or exploring other areas of the
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board.
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Q. What are your future plans for the BBS?
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A. I am supposed to get a 9600 baud modem and I am not sure of what
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else I might do in the near future.
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Q. What is the funniest thing that has happened on your BBS?
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A. The over-reaction by some folks to the first Breezin' Survey that
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appeared in BTN. I was amused and amazed at the people who took the
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survey seriously.
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Q. What is your favorite hobby/pastime outside of your BBS and computers
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in general?
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A. My job, but it is also computer related. I do enjoy working in
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industrial electronics outside of computers.
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Q. What do you think your system offers that might cause someone to
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prefer your board over others?
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A. It has interesting message bases and discussions.
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Q. Why?
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A. Because users who call my board are mainly interested in interactive
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discussion. I offer very little in the way of files. One reason I
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mentioned is one of my annoyances about folks who download constantly.
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Another is that most of the files people could want or need are
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available at the Birmingham Public Library (main branch) in a much
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more
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convenient format. Most other boards in town also have several of the
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same files.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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PRO FILE
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by Chris Mohney
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The Pro File is a short, half-serious biographical sketch given to
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various computer telecommunications personalities around Birmingham.
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Victims are selected randomly from a group of names put into the
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notorious Hat. Anyone who thinks himself brave or witty enough may
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petition for admittance to the Hat by leaving E-Mail to me (Chris
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Mohney, most boards around town) to that effect. Anyone who wishes to
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suggest more questions or sneakily nominate someone without their
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knowledge may take the same route ....
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---------
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Pro File on MICHELE CAHOON
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---------
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Age: 25
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Birthplace: Birmingham,Al.
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Occupation: Professional Student
|
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My hobbies include: Fishing, water skiing, riding horses, and riding
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motors.
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Years telecomputing: 3
|
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Sysop, past/present/future of: Point of NO Return
|
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My oddest habit is: being too curious and nosy.
|
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My greatest unfulfilled ambition is: writing two guide books.
|
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The single accomplishment of which I am most proud is: actually there
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are two which I am most proud of, Michael, my son, and Anna, my daughter.
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My favorite performers are: Van Halen, Guns and Roses, Eddie Rabbitt, and
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Randy Travis
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The last good movie I saw was: They Live
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The last good book I read was: Bill Cosby Forty-Nine
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If they were making a movie of my life, I'd like to see my part played
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by: Bette Midler
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My pet peeves are: dishonesty, and child abuse.
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When nobody's looking, I like to: play with children's toys.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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Batch Files; Making Life Easier
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||
by Co-Sysop One
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Channel 8250
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Birmingham, Al
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205-785-7417 300/1200/2400 N-8-1
|
||
|
||
Batch files are ASCII text files that can be produced with any ASCII
|
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editor and are ran from the DOS level. They are probably the most
|
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universally helpful and most poorly documented of the DOS functions.
|
||
Usually small, they can, depending on the skill of the programmer, become
|
||
quite large and complex.
|
||
|
||
When you first boot your computer up (those of you who have volatile
|
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DOS) it has just enough sense to read sector one of the boot disk. This
|
||
sector of the disk tells it to load the next several sectors of disk
|
||
containing more information about how it is to operate. After loading
|
||
these tidbits of data it graduates from being an idiot to an imbecile;
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an incredibly fast imbecile, mind you, but still an imbecile. It will
|
||
then look on the disk for a file called CONFIG.SYS and will ingest it if
|
||
it is available. After CONFIG.SYS has been read and operating
|
||
parameters altered yet again, it looks to see if AUTOEXEC.BAT is in the
|
||
root directory of the default drive. If it finds an AUTOEXEC.BAT it will
|
||
ingest it also out of curiosity and just to see if it is palatable.
|
||
Hopefully this article will help you to write your AUTOEXEC.BAT (and
|
||
your other BAT files) in such a way that your computer does not get
|
||
indigestion.
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||
|
||
AUTOEXEC.BAT files are no different in creation or execution than
|
||
any other batch file you might write but it is special in the fact that
|
||
the people who wrote DOS thought it would be neat to have their computer
|
||
do certain things automatically when booted up. So they wrote DOS in
|
||
such a way that IF the AUTOEXEC.BAT was there THEN go ahead and run it.
|
||
One oddity to mention at this point: if you are one of these people who
|
||
does not have a clock card in your computer, get annoyed at having it
|
||
ask you for the time when you boot up, and really don't care if your
|
||
computer does think it is 00:00:00 on 01:01:80, then an AUTOEXEC is just
|
||
the thing for you! It will not ask you the date unless you specifically
|
||
tell it to.
|
||
|
||
Think of your computer as your imbecile son and a batch file as a
|
||
note you left on the table telling him what to do until you verbally
|
||
tell him different. A list of things for him to do so to speak.
|
||
|
||
Any valid command or program that can be given at the system (DOS,
|
||
drive, whatever) prompt can be executed from a batch file as long as it
|
||
does not require keyboard input while executing (more about how to get
|
||
around this in a later article...).
|
||
|
||
Note: this is a little known and even less cared for fact; all
|
||
valid 'batch' file commands are in fact DOS commands and can be
|
||
executed from the system prompt. The reason it is even less
|
||
cared for is that most 'batch' file commands are not much good
|
||
outside of a batch file (except maybe CLS [clear screen]).
|
||
|
||
TALKING TO THE IMBECILE
|
||
|
||
|
||
COMMAND: REM
|
||
USAGE: REM
|
||
EXAMPLE: <COMMAND> REM XXXX
|
||
|
||
This is a good place to start. DOS ignores anything printed on a
|
||
line after a REM statement. This statement is used to comment a batch
|
||
file so that later on when you look at it you know what it (or a section
|
||
of it) does.
|
||
|
||
COMMAND: ECHO
|
||
USAGE: ECHO <OFF> <ON> <TEXT>
|
||
EXAMPLE: ECHO OFF
|
||
EXAMPLE: ECHO ON
|
||
EXAMPLE: ECHO XXXX
|
||
|
||
Normally when a batch file runs every command is echoed (typed) to
|
||
the screen as that command executes. The ECHO OFF command stops this
|
||
nonsense which is useful when you are doing something crafty that you
|
||
don't want everyone to see what you are doing in your batch file or if
|
||
you'd just rather see a blank screen while it runs.
|
||
|
||
If you have set ECHO OFF and later want to turn it back on at a
|
||
later time, then use the ECHO ON command.
|
||
|
||
ECHO XXXX (the X's being text of some sort) will type that text to
|
||
the screen even if you have set ECHO OFF.
|
||
|
||
ECHO on a line by itself causes the message 'ECHO is ON (or OFF)'
|
||
to be typed to the screen. Use the ECHO commands (and DOS redirection)
|
||
to control text output to the screen while your batch file is running.
|
||
Do not put anything else on the same line with the ECHO OFF command.
|
||
|
||
COMMAND: GOTO
|
||
USAGE: GOTO <LINE LABEL>
|
||
EXAMPLE: IF <CONDITION> GOTO <LINE LABEL>
|
||
|
||
Tells DOS to branch to a line label. Usually used with a
|
||
conditional statement. If the condition is not true, then continue
|
||
execution with the next line.
|
||
|
||
COMMAND: :LABEL
|
||
USAGE: :LABEL
|
||
EXAMPLE: :AGAIN
|
||
|
||
Ignored by DOS until told to GOTO LABEL. The LABEL is not a
|
||
command; it is a destination. Except as a destination it has no effect
|
||
on program execution. Note that the GOTO statement did not use the ':'
|
||
before the LABEL name but that the LABEL statement does.
|
||
|
||
COMMAND: IF
|
||
USAGE: IF <CONDITION> <COMMAND>
|
||
EXAMPLE: IF {NOT} EXIST <PATH>FILENAME.EXT DEL <PATH>FILENAME.EXT
|
||
|
||
If this filename can be found at this location, then perform this
|
||
command (any legal DOS (or BATCH) command).
|
||
|
||
EXAMPLE: IF {NOT} X==Y ECHO TEXT
|
||
|
||
If X does not equal Y, then type some text to the screen.
|
||
|
||
EXAMPLE: IF {NOT} ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO BAILOUT
|
||
|
||
If ERRORLEVEL is equal to one, then GOTO the line label BAILOUT.
|
||
|
||
This command is extensively used with the EXIST == (equals), and IF
|
||
ERRORLEVEL commands to allow the batch file to make decisions while
|
||
running and act accordingly. The use of the NOT command is used to
|
||
reverse the logic of the statement. This command is extensively used
|
||
with replaceable parameters which are discussed later.
|
||
|
||
COMMAND: CLS
|
||
USAGE: CLS
|
||
EXAMPLE: IF ERRORLEVEL 1 CLS
|
||
|
||
Clears the screen and places the cursor at the upper left corner of
|
||
the screen.
|
||
|
||
COMMAND: PAUSE
|
||
USAGE: PAUSE
|
||
EXAMPLE: IF ERRORLEVEL 1 ECHO UH OH!
|
||
PAUSE
|
||
|
||
Stops execution of the batch file and displays the message "Strike a
|
||
key when ready..." at the bottom of the screen. Batch file execution
|
||
will continue whenever a key is pressed. This command is useful when
|
||
you are displaying more than one screen full of data on the screen and
|
||
want to keep it from scrolling off the screen or if you want to give an
|
||
opportunity to bail out of the batch file at a given point of execution.
|
||
|
||
COMMAND: IF ERRORLEVEL
|
||
USAGE: IF ERRORLEVEL X <COMMAND>
|
||
EXAMPLE: IF ERRORLEVEL 0 GOTO AGAIN
|
||
|
||
Most well mannered programs will set the ERRORLEVEL equal to 0 if
|
||
they ran successfully and 1 if they did not. If you wrote a batch file
|
||
that copied files from one disk to another, then deleted the original,
|
||
you would want to use the IF ERRORLEVEL command to test for success of
|
||
the copy operation before deleting the original file.
|
||
|
||
**********************************************************************
|
||
|
||
BREAK and CONTROL-C
|
||
|
||
CONTROL-C is used to abnormally terminate the operation of a
|
||
program. DOS checks the keyboard buffer whenever it is printing, typing
|
||
to the screen, or waiting for input from the user. This is because the
|
||
default value for BREAK is OFF.
|
||
|
||
The BREAK command is used to tell DOS how often you want it to check
|
||
for a CONTROL-C and can be set ON (or OFF) from the keyboard, from
|
||
within CONFIG.SYS, or from within a batch file. If BREAK is set to ON,
|
||
then DOS checks for a CONTROL-C before every operation. Because DOS
|
||
will spend more time looking for CONTROL-C when BREAK is ON then your
|
||
system will appear to run a little slower but your ability to bail out
|
||
of an executing program or batch file will be greatly enhanced. If you
|
||
set ECHO to OFF in your batch file (and leave it off) and your batch is
|
||
not printing to the screen or looking for keyboard input, then you will
|
||
not be able to bail out of it unless you issue the BREAK ON command in
|
||
the beginning of your batch file (you can always set it back off at the
|
||
end of the batch).
|
||
|
||
*********************************************************************
|
||
|
||
LOGIC WITH BATCH FILES
|
||
|
||
This is a simple batch file that is just to illustrate simple batch
|
||
file logic. The text following the REM statements explain what each line
|
||
does.
|
||
|
||
:BEGIN REM Line label.
|
||
CLS REM Clears the screen.
|
||
ECHO OFF
|
||
ECHO . REM See note following example.
|
||
ECHO Here we go... REM Echoes text to screen.
|
||
ECHO . REM * See note following example.
|
||
IF EXIST COMMAND.COM GOTO GOTCHA REM Looks for COMMAND.COM in the
|
||
REM default drive. If it finds the
|
||
REM program execution jumps to the
|
||
REM line label :GOTCHA.
|
||
ECHO This is not a bootable disk REM Since it didn't find COMMAND.COM
|
||
REM it ECHOed text to the screen.
|
||
GOTO AGAIN REM Jumps to the :AGAIN line label.
|
||
:GOTCHA REM Line label. A destination
|
||
REM for a GOTO command.
|
||
ECHO This is a bootable disk REM Echoes text to the screen.
|
||
:AGAIN REM Line label
|
||
ECHO . REM * See note following example.
|
||
ECHO Do you want to REM Sends text to the screen.
|
||
ECHO check another disk? REM Sends text to the screen.
|
||
ECHO . REM See note following the example.
|
||
ECHO Hit any key to continue REM Text telling us to take an
|
||
ECHO or CONTROL-C to abort. REM action. CONTROL-C aborts the
|
||
REM program.
|
||
REM if we don't want to check another
|
||
|
||
REM disk.
|
||
PAUSE REM Execution waits here for a key
|
||
REM press.
|
||
GOTO BEGIN REM This line executes if we just
|
||
REM press a key.
|
||
|
||
|
||
NOTE: Had line 17 read ECHO without the trailing '.' the DOS would have
|
||
printed on the screen "ECHO is OFF". Using the period following
|
||
the ECHO command gave us an almost blank line for ascetic
|
||
purposes.
|
||
|
||
This simple little batch will continue to check disk as long as you
|
||
keep pressing any key but CONTROL-C. Note also that even though BREAK
|
||
was at its default value of OFF we were able to abort execution because
|
||
DOS was waiting for keyboard input (we were also doing a lot of screen
|
||
display with this one).
|
||
|
||
***********************************************************************
|
||
|
||
REPLACEABLE PARAMETERS WITH BATCH FILES
|
||
|
||
Batch files recognize and use a special set of symbols in their
|
||
execution. These symbols are %0 to %9 and are called replaceable
|
||
parameters. Replaceable parameters make your batch files more flexible
|
||
when used correctly.
|
||
|
||
The easiest way to demonstrate this is by example. This example
|
||
will be called TEST.BAT.
|
||
|
||
ECHO OFF
|
||
DIR *.%1
|
||
|
||
If you were to type TEST EXE at the DOS prompt, you would see a
|
||
listing of all of the EXE files on your default disk drive. When you
|
||
typed 'TEST EXE', DOS accepted the first whole word (TEST) as the file to
|
||
run and assigned the second whole word (EXE) to the replaceable
|
||
parameter %1. Had you typed in 'TEST EXE COM ARC' etc, DOS would have
|
||
continued assigning the next whole word to the next available
|
||
replaceable parameter (EXE would be %1, COM would be %2, ARC would be
|
||
%3, and so on). If we change TEST.BAT a little, we can take advantage of
|
||
a few more of these parameters.
|
||
|
||
ECHO OFF
|
||
DIR *.%1
|
||
PAUSE
|
||
DIR *.%2
|
||
PAUSE
|
||
DIR *.%3
|
||
|
||
Now if we type in TEST EXE COM BAT, we will see a listing of our EXE
|
||
files first. After we hit a key we will see a listing of our COM
|
||
files; another key press, then our BAT files. If we had entered TEST
|
||
EXE COM, then at the DIR *.%3 line DOS would have given us a "file not
|
||
found" reply (this is because in this case %3 would have equaled
|
||
nothing).
|
||
|
||
DOS automatically assigns the name of the calling batch file (in
|
||
this case TEST) to the parameter %0. This leaves us with nine
|
||
parameters to work with which is more than enough for most applications
|
||
(but there is a way around this also! Read on).
|
||
|
||
************************************************************************
|
||
MORE BATCH FILE COMMANDS
|
||
|
||
COMMAND: FOR
|
||
USAGE: FOR %%f in (X Y Z) DO <command>
|
||
EXAMPLE: FOR %%f in (*.BAT *.DOC *.TXT) DO TYPE %%f
|
||
|
||
The above example would type to the screen all of the BAT files in
|
||
the default drive followed by the DOC files then the TXT files. It
|
||
manages this by replacing %%f with the first item in the list (the list
|
||
is everything between the braces) and then executing the command
|
||
following the DO command. In this case it also replaced the second %%f
|
||
with the same thing in the first %%F and typed it onto the screen. The
|
||
TYPE command could be replaced by any legal DOS command (such as COPY,
|
||
REN, etc). Once it finishes with the first item in the list it moves on
|
||
to the second item and so on. This is a very powerful command and
|
||
should bear very careful study until you understand it completely
|
||
because it closely couples with the next command to form a very powerful
|
||
tool in writing batch files. The items in the list can be separated by
|
||
spaces, commas, or semicolons and can be just about anything including
|
||
file names, paths, letters, words, etc. An oddity worth mentioning is
|
||
that the parameter %%f (or %%x, %%y, %%z, etc) when used from the DOS
|
||
level uses only one % sign (I.E. %f).
|
||
|
||
COMMAND: SHIFT
|
||
USAGE: SHIFT
|
||
EXAMPLE: DIR *.%1
|
||
SHIFT
|
||
|
||
In the example, after the DIR of %1 had finished, DOS would have
|
||
SHIFTED (shuffled) the value of %1 to %0, the value of %2 to %1, the
|
||
value of %3 to %2, and so on. The value that is contained in %0 is lost
|
||
when the SHIFT occurs. So if we had entered TEST EXE COM, we would have
|
||
been given a DIR of our EXE files followed by our COM files.
|
||
A neat trick to couple with this command is:
|
||
|
||
(1) IF NOT X==%1X GOTO AGAIN
|
||
(2) ECHO YOU MUST SUPPLY SOME PARAMETERS!
|
||
(3) GOTO END
|
||
(4) :AGAIN
|
||
(5) IF NOT EXIST *.%1 ECHO NONE HERE BOSS!
|
||
(6) FOR %%F IN (*.%1) DO ECHO %%F
|
||
(7) SHIFT
|
||
(8) IF X==%1X GOTO END
|
||
(9 GOTO AGAIN
|
||
(10) :END
|
||
|
||
The neat trick is contained in line 1. If DOS sees a blank on both
|
||
sides of the equals sign (==), it kind of wigs out. Using the X and %1X
|
||
gets us around this because if %1 has a value other than nothing
|
||
(blank), then the execution jumps to line 4. If %1 does not have a
|
||
value, then X==X and execution continues with line 3 (please note that
|
||
the IF NOT part of line 1 reversed the logic of the statement!).
|
||
|
||
Had we entered TEST ARC EXE COM, then %1 equals ARC, %2 equals EXE,
|
||
and %3 equals COM. %4 through %9 do not have a value. Execution is as
|
||
follows:
|
||
|
||
(1) IF NOT X==ARCX GOTO AGAIN (They don't equal so jump to line 4)
|
||
(4) AGAIN
|
||
(5) IF NOT EXIST *.ARC ECHO NONE HERE BOSS! (If there are not any
|
||
files with an ARC extension found then the ECHO
|
||
'NONE HERE BOSS!' shows on the screen. Program
|
||
execution continues with line 6 in either case.)
|
||
(6) FOR *.ARC IN (*.ARC) DO ECHO *.ARC (Any filenames with an ARC
|
||
extension are sent to the screen.)
|
||
(7) SHIFT (Here is where %1 becomes %0, %2 becomes %1, etc.)
|
||
(8) IF X==EXEX GOTO END (Check to see if the last SHIFT shuffled a null
|
||
value into %1. This time it did not since
|
||
%1 equals EXE.)
|
||
(9) GOTO AGAIN (We start over with line 4 and will continue
|
||
to do so until %1 has a null value.)
|
||
|
||
************************************************************************
|
||
IN CONCLUSION
|
||
|
||
This is enough to get most beginners started making their batch
|
||
files more palatable to their systems. Most of the examples were
|
||
fairly simple to keep from clouding the issue. Just because I made
|
||
extensive use of the DIR function don't make the mistake of thinking
|
||
that is all batch files are good for. Substitute standard DOS commands
|
||
in your batch files and let your mind roam free with the possibilities.
|
||
You can copy, delete, rename, move, list, display, run, arc, and un-arc
|
||
files. Call your favorite programs, control your screen colors, and
|
||
run boring repetitive task with batch files.
|
||
|
||
I hope this has helped at least some of you with your use of batch
|
||
files. Any and all comments (positive or negative) or requests for
|
||
clarification will reach me at the Channel 8250 or on EZNET.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
From The Kitchen
|
||
by Chez Stephan
|
||
|
||
Let's get the grill out one more time.
|
||
|
||
First, lets talk about grills and cooking methods. You've either
|
||
got a charcoal or gas grill. I'm sure you've decided which you prefer
|
||
to use. Either is fine; it's all up to you. If using a charcoal grill,
|
||
you should light the charcoal and let it burn until a slight ash coat
|
||
is on the charcoal. If you are using wood chips, they should be soaked
|
||
in water for at least one hour before using. It is actually best to
|
||
let them soak over night because we want them to smoke not burn.
|
||
To tell about fire temperature place your hand slightly above the
|
||
grill surface. (PLEASE BE CAREFUL. WE WANT TO COOK THE FOOD. NOT YOU.)
|
||
Count the number of seconds you can leave your hand there without it
|
||
burning too badly. If you counted up to 5, you have a hot fire; if you
|
||
counted up to 14 or 15, you have a medium fire. Anything over that and
|
||
you're looking at a cool fire. Heat can be controlled by the amount of
|
||
charcoal used as well as by grill height over the fire.
|
||
If marinating meats and the meat will be cooking for extended
|
||
periods, then I suggest doubling marinating times. Make use of what
|
||
you have in the kitchen. You will be surprised as to what flavor can
|
||
be added by things you normally would not consider using when grilling.
|
||
|
||
Let's Do LONDON!
|
||
|
||
London Broil Teriyaki:
|
||
1 1/2 to 2 lb. London Broil
|
||
3/4 cup olive oil
|
||
1/4 cup soy sauce
|
||
2 tbsp. vinegar
|
||
1/4 cup honey
|
||
2 tsp. fresh ground ginger
|
||
2 tsp. fresh crushed garlic
|
||
2 green onions chopped
|
||
|
||
Combine all ingredients except meat in a small sauce pan and warm
|
||
over medium heat. Set aside and let cool. Place meat in a Pyrex dish
|
||
and pool cooled marinade over it. Cover with wrap and marinate
|
||
overnight in the refrigerator. Turn a couple of times during the night
|
||
when you get up to munch or get a drink. Grill 4 to 7 minutes on each
|
||
side over a medium/hot fire. DO NOT OVER COOK.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Crusty Steak and Rye:
|
||
1 - 3 in. thick boneless Sirloin steak (4 or 5 lbs)
|
||
1/3 cup oil
|
||
1/3 cup prepared mustard
|
||
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
|
||
1 cup coarse salt (Sea salt is great for this)
|
||
4 tbsp. cracked black peppercorns
|
||
|
||
Cut into fatty edge of steak to keep it from curling. Combine oil,
|
||
mustard, and Worcestershire sauce and spread half of mixture thickly
|
||
over one side of meat. Combine salt and peppercorns and press half of
|
||
this onto the steak, forming a layer over the mustard mixture. Turn
|
||
steak on wax paper and repeat the process on the other side of steak.
|
||
Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Place steak over low fire
|
||
and cook 20 minutes each side for rare and 25 minutes each side for
|
||
medium. Before serving, break crust of steak and slice in diagonal
|
||
slices across the grain. Serve over toasted French bread if desired.
|
||
|
||
Until next time and I hope you enjoy it!
|
||
Ciao
|
||
Chez Stephan
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
MESSAGE BOARD
|
||
by Barry Bowden
|
||
|
||
|
||
M A R C H
|
||
|
||
1 9 8 9
|
||
|
||
|
||
S M T W T F S
|
||
+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+---------+
|
||
! ! ! !1 !2 !3 !4 !
|
||
! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
|
||
! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
|
||
! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
|
||
! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
|
||
! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
|
||
! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
|
||
+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+---------+
|
||
!5 !6 !7 !8 !9 !10 !11 !
|
||
! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
|
||
!BAC ! ! ! ! ! ! !
|
||
! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
|
||
! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
|
||
! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
|
||
! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
|
||
+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+---------+
|
||
!12 !13 !14 !15 !16 !17 !18 !
|
||
! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
|
||
!BCCC ! !CCS ! ! !BEPCUG ! !
|
||
! ! ! (C64/128)! ! ! ! !
|
||
! ! ! ! ! !St. ! !
|
||
! ! ! ! ! ! Patrick's! !
|
||
! ! ! ! ! ! Day ! !
|
||
+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+---------+
|
||
!19 !20 !21 !22 !23 !24 !25 !
|
||
! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
|
||
!Palm !Spring !CCS ! ! !Good ! !
|
||
! Sunday ! Begins ! (Amiga) ! ! ! Friday ! !
|
||
! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
|
||
! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
|
||
! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
|
||
+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+---------+
|
||
!26 !27 !28 !29 !30 !31 ! !
|
||
! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
|
||
!BCCC ! !CCS ! ! ! ! !
|
||
! ! ! (C64/128)! ! ! ! !
|
||
!Easter ! ! ! ! ! ! !
|
||
! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
|
||
! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
|
||
+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+---------+
|
||
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
BEPCUG CCS
|
||
Birmingham East PC Users Group Commodore Club South
|
||
Jefferson State Jr. College Springville Road Library
|
||
RUBY Carson Bldg. 1st Floor-Computer Lab Huffman, Alabama
|
||
3rd Friday of Every Month 2nd and 4th Tuesday
|
||
(C64/C128)
|
||
5:30PM to 9:00PM 3rd Monday (Amiga)
|
||
Paula Ballard 853-1200,ext 1463 (Days) 7:30 PM to 10:00 PM
|
||
Maurice Lovelady 684-6843
|
||
|
||
|
||
BCCC BAC
|
||
Birmingham Commodore Computer Club Birmingham Apple Corps
|
||
P. O. Box 59564 POB 5542
|
||
Birmingham, Alabama 35259 Birmingham, Alabama 32555
|
||
UAB School of Ed. Bldg. Room 153 Regular meetings - 1st Sunday
|
||
|
||
2nd and 4th Sundays UAB Building #2, Rm 115 at
|
||
2PM
|
||
Starts at 2:00 PM Informal get-every Saturday
|
||
Emmett Ferretti 823-3987 morning at 8:30AM at the
|
||
Rusty Hargett 854-5172 Kopper Kettle in the
|
||
Brookwood
|
||
annex next to AC3
|
||
|
||
BACE
|
||
Birmingham Atari Computer Enthusiasts
|
||
3rd Friday
|
||
7:00 PM Vestavia Hills Library
|
||
|
||
|
||
If you belong to or know of a user group that is not listed, please let
|
||
us know by sending E-Mail to me, Barry Bowden, on EZNET. Please leave
|
||
the following information :
|
||
|
||
User Group Name
|
||
Meeting Place
|
||
Meeting Time(Day/date,Time)
|
||
Contact Person
|
||
Any Other Important Information
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Known BBS Numbers For The Birmingham Area
|
||
|
||
NAME NUMBER BAUD RATES SUPPORTED
|
||
|
||
68FREE 933-7518 300, 1200
|
||
America Online Nodes 1-3 324-0193 300, 1200, 2400
|
||
America Online Node 4 251-2344 300, 1200, 2400
|
||
American BBS 674-1851 300, 1200, 2400
|
||
Bus System BBS 595-1627 300, 1200, 2400
|
||
Channel 8250 785-7417 300, 1200, 2400
|
||
Club Phoenix 942-0252 300, 1200, 2400
|
||
Crunchy Frog 956-1755 300, 1200, 2400
|
||
D3 Systems BBS 663-2759 300, 1200, 2400
|
||
Duck Pond BBS 822-0956 300, 1200, 2400
|
||
Fortress BBS 664-9040 300, 1200
|
||
Joker's Castle 744-6120 300, 1200, 2400
|
||
LZ Birmingham 870-7770 300, 1200, 2400
|
||
Magnolia BBS 854-6407 300, 1200, 2400, 9600
|
||
Pinson Valley Node 1 854-9661 300, 1200, 2400
|
||
Pinson Valley Node 2 854-9662 300, 1200, 2400, 9600
|
||
Primary One 853-1175 300, 1200
|
||
ProSoft Systems BBS 853-8718 300, 1200, 2400
|
||
Role Player's Paradise 631-7654 300, 1200, 2400
|
||
Smitty's BBS 849-7349 300, 1200
|
||
Sperry BBS 853-6144 300, 1200, 2400, 9600
|
||
ST BBS 836-9311 300, 1200, 2400
|
||
The Connection Node 1 854-9074 1200, 2400
|
||
The Connection Node 2 854-2308 1200, 2400
|
||
The Outer Limits 969-3262 300, 1200, 2400
|
||
The Professional's Board 856-0679 300, 1200, 2400
|
||
The Realm Of Tarot BBS 870-7776 300, 1200
|
||
Trade Mart BBS 787-5512 300, 1200, 2400
|
||
Twilight Zone 856-3783 300, 1200
|
||
Willie's DYM Node 1 979-1629 300, 1200, 2400
|
||
Willie's DYM Node 2 979-7739 300, 1200, 2400
|
||
Willie's RBBS 979-7743 300, 1200, 2400
|
||
Ziggy Unaxess 991-5696 300, 1200
|
||
|
||
|