Transmat

From CPCWiki - THE Amstrad CPC encyclopedia!
Jump to: navigation, search

Transmat is a tape to disc transfer program from Pride Utilities.

Coverdisc

  • Transmat

  • Coverdisc

Disc

  • Transmat

  • side B

  • side A

Instructions from the online help

TRANSMAT is a sophisticated tape to disc transfer program for your disc drivesystem. It also contains some disc file manipulating programs to help youconstruct a working disc. TRANSMAT will faithfully transfer tape based programson to disc but some alteration to the programs may be necessary for them to runsatisfactory.

COMMANDS

When you see {A}- or {B}- and then a black cursor this means you are in commandlevel. The following commands are available:-

TRANS n AUTO

This will transfer n programs from tape onto disc. The n(number) must be within the range 0 - 255. If the number is not known then enter0 and press ESC when the copying is complete to return to command level. Thismode should only be used if you know that the program will run when transfered.

TRANS n

This is similar to the above except that it will wait for youto enter your own filename to prevent the problem of creating BAK files ofprograms with same names. If you press CLR then that program will not betransferred. In this mode you also have the facility to add a small relocatorprogram to the main program to prevent corruption of the area of memory reservedþfor the disc drive on subsequent loading if necessary.

INFO

This will print out all the relevant information on all programsand files on disc.

DISCA

Work with disc drive A.

DISCB

Work with disc drive B.

CPM

Enter CPM.

BASIC

Return to BASIC. You can re-enter TRANSMAT by typing |TMAT.

REN newname=oldname

Rename a file.

ERA filename

Erase a file.

DIR

Directory.

USR n

Change to user number n.

INS

These instructions

Notes

Note that you can use ambiguous file references (*,?) with DIR and ERA. Seeyour disc drive handbook for more information on commands 8-11.

As you probably are aware, you cannot always use the same filename that youwould when SAVEing on cassette when using the disc drive.

TRANSMAT will, in the AUTO mode, try to make a legal disc filename out of the original cassette filename (It will also do this in the non-AUTO mode if you just press ENTER when it allows you to enter your own filename).

This will mean that if, in the majority of times, there is a BASIC loader program which draws a logo and then LOADS the next program you will manually have to alter the appropriate LOAD command to cater for the new name. This is also true if it tries to LOAD anunnamed program (LOAD" or RUN").

TRANSMAT will have already removed any protection on the BASIC program so that you can list it. If the first program is a binary file then some knowledge of machine code is necessary. However if you use INFO you may find that the second program has an Execution address (Exc).

If this is true then you may be able to RUN" it directly without the first program.If there are more than two programs then make sure that you LOAD them in the correct order, note the names down as they are transfered or use the printer option.

Another problem which you may come across, is the fact that when the disc driveis attached HIMEM is lowered by 1284 bytes and if the original program is located too high in memory then LOADing from disc will corrupt itself and crash the computer. Again TRANSMAT will try to help you out on this in the non-AUTO mode. If it sees that you are likely to have this problem then it will print out the Location (Loc.), Length (Len.) and if present the Execution address (Exc.)of the problem program.

It will then ask you if you wish to add a relocator to the program, pressing N will transfer program as per the original. Pressing Ywill move the program to the highest point in memory and add a 14 byte relocatorprogram to the beginning. It will then print out the new Len, Loc and Exc. Exc.will normally be the same as Loc and it refers to where you execute the relocator when you next LOAD the program.

If the original program had an Exc. then CALLing or RUN"ing the relocator will put the program back to its original place and then execute it. If it did not have an Exc. then CALLing (DO NOT USE RUN") it will relocate the program and then RETurn to BASIC. Once the program has been relocated disc operations will not function correctly.

Sometimes user defined graphics are LOADed from tape. These should not be relocated but just LOADed 1284 bytes lower in memory. The same applies to BASIC programs which POKE the DATA into place.

Manual

Publications

Download

Links

Retrieved from "https://gryzor.info/index.php?title=Transmat&oldid=69771"