COMAND.DOC

Documentation for COMAND.IMG
----------------------------
 
I was never a big user of Dos 5.1.
I never could remember the commands,
and I couldn't use them in programs
anyway, so I just stuck to doing it
the long way.  After about a year of
doing that it became pretty tiresome.
So I started experimenting with ML
programming and command modification.

I started out by writing a DIR command
that replace the LET command in Basic.
I didn't know that someone had already
done that before, and their program is
in the DL-6 database for those who are
interested in how its done.  But I soon
decided that I didn't want to replace
existing commands, I wanted to create
new ones.  Enter Sheldon Leemon.  His
answer to a Sig message I put up pointed
me to his article on command creation
in Compute's Second Book of the 64.
Without his help this program would 
never have come about.

Well, enough of the history.  Here are
the commands that COMAND.IMG adds to
the Commodore 64:
 

DIRECT - Will print the disk directory
         of device 8 to the screen with-
         out messing up any program you
         have loaded.

STATUS - Will print any disk errors to
         the screen.  Same as:
               10 OPEN 15,8,15
               20 INPUT#15,A,B$,C,D
               30 PRINTA,B$,C,D
               40 CLOSE15

SCRATCH - Will delete a file on device 8
          Same as:
               OPEN15,8,15,"S0:Filename"
          Format is:
               SCRATCH"Filename"
 
RENAME  - Will rename a file on device 8
          Same as:
               OPEN15,8,15,"R0:new=old"
          Format is:
               RENAME"new=old"

DISK    - Will format a disk in device 8
          Same as:
               OPEN15,8,15,"N0:name,id"
          Format is:
               DISK"name,id"
 
COLLECT - Will rearrange the disk format

          Same as:
               OPEN15,8,15,"V"
          Format is:
               COLLECT

VIEW    - Will display a file to screen
          Format is:
               VIEW"Filename"

COMAND.IMG replaces EASYDO.IMG that used
to resides in this database.  Commands
used in COMAND.IMG are compatable with
EASYDO.IMG.  Some confusion arose as to
how to load and run the former program,
so I've made this alittle easier.  Just
LOAD "COMAND",8 and RUN.  COMAND.IMG
resides in the low part of Basic Ram.
This means you lose 1K of programming
space, but the ease of loading and use
should be worth it.

If you have a ML subroutine that you 
would like to see in the next version
of COMAND.IMG, please send me the
source code (in CBM MADS format) via
Easyplex.  Or if you have any questions
or comments, feel free to 'plex those
to me too.

                          Denny Jenkins
                           70003,2374