87 lines
4.7 KiB
Plaintext
87 lines
4.7 KiB
Plaintext
Documentation for EXECUTIONER
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by Glen E. Bredon
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The EXECUTIONER will take a ProDOS file of any type and convert it to an
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EXEC file for uploading. The file parameters (such as file type) will be
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correctly put in the EXECed file.
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Directions:
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0. An ESC at any (Y/N) prompt quits the program. At other places it
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usually sends you to the start of the program. Hitting RETURN on
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an empty filename also aborts the program as will Control-open apple-
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RESET.
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1. You are asked if you want packed mode. A packed file is still a text
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file but is compressed relative to standard dumps and an interpreter
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routine is written into the file so that the file can still be EXECed.
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Packed files are much shorter than unpacked ones and are recommended
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for large files. The packed mode includes a checksum and the EXEC
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will produce an error message if the checksum is not ok. (The file
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will still be saved but its parameters will not have been fixed.)
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2. If you chose packed mode then you are asked if you want 4 bit or 6 bit
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packing. The 4-bit mode just removes space between hex bytes. The
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6-bit mode is a denser packing in which lower case characters are
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significant. It is possible that some people will have trouble with
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the EXEC of such files. Time will tell. For sizable files, the
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4-bit compression is slightly more than twice the original file size,
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while 6-bit mode produces a file about 45% larger than the original.
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3. You are shown the current prefix and you can type over it to change it.
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Just hit return to accept it as shown. Hit ESC to go to the start of
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the program. You MUST set the prefix to the directory containing the
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file you want converted.
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4. The directory specified by the prefix is read and the last file in
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that directory is displayed after a prompt for the file to be converted.
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You can use the up/down arrow keys to see other files in that directory.
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(The last one is displayed first because it is expected that that will
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be the usual selection.) You could also backspace to the beginning and
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just type the name of the file you want to convert.
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5. You will be shown some of the file characteristics of the file you have
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selected and asked if it is correct. If NO then you go back to the
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start of the program. If YES then the file is loaded for processing.
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6. You are asked for the name of the destination EXEC text file. This can
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be a full pathname if you want it in another directory. If you hit
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return on the first character, the program is aborted, if you hit ESC
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then you return to the start of the program.
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7. If the text file exists, you will be asked if you want it deleted.
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(A locked file is never deleted, that would defeat the purpose of locking
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it in the first place.) If not, or if you answer YES then the program
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proceeds to create the EXEC file.
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8. When the file is made, you are asked if you want to do another. If YES
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then you return to the start of the program. If NO, it exits. The
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EXECUTIONER is a SYS (stand alone) program, so it exits through the
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"quit" routine.
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9. Note that the created EXEC file always has a "header" placed at $E00, then
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the hex code of the converted file, placed at $1000, then a BSAVE command
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then a E00G or E05G as the last line. Do not modify this last line;
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it is essential. Also, do not modify the file name it is saved under,
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which is always the original name of the file. This name is also in
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the "header" and if it is changed in the BSAVE line, the EXEC will not
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work correctly. In the packed modes there is an empty line before the
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BSAVE line. This is essential as it is the signal for the decompressor
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that the data is finished.
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10. If the original file is a BAS file then, after step 6, you are asked
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if you want a BASIC listing EXEC file. This is just a listing with
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spaces removed and "PRINT" changed to "?". (There is no check on too
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long lines.) If you chose this option then previous answers to the
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packing questions are ignored. This is just a conveniece feature so
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that separate means of making such files are unnecessary.
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11. You can use the "startup" position in the EXECUTIONER file, or the
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startup in PROSEL or other program selectors to specify the destination
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file directory (or the entire pathname if you want). For example, if
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the startup is "/HARD1/MODEM/" then in step 6 above, this text will
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be placed after the prompt the cursor following it. You can modify
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it just as if you had typed it.
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