Difference between revisions of "Cosmos"

Revision as of 14:03, 4 January 2021

There were many serious business applications available for the CPC6128 running under CP/M-80. WordStar and Protext for word processing, Multiplan and SuperCalc 2 for editing spreadsheets, DBase II for making databases, Cashbook Accounts for book-keeping tasks, were such applications to name a few. Furthermore there were many high level languages (Programming software) available for the CPC6128 running under CP/M-80 that were used for research and development.

COSMOS is a personal COSt MOnitoring System developed by KSL for CPC6128 which runs under CP/M-80. It is a personal business application similar to the MSDOS-era PC applications and one of the most recent (2020) projects developed for CP/M-80. Unlike most business applications for CP/M, COSMOS is built upon the mouse based graphics user interface as pioneered by Xerox at Palo Alto and popularized by Apple with the Lisa and Macintosh computers. COSMOS can be used on an everyday basis in order to edit the daily income, plan the monthly expenses and perform trial and error analyses aiming at maximizing the annual profit. COSMOS requires the Dobbertin 63 KB TPA version of CP/M 2.2 and an external disk drive (min 360 KB). Moreover, it supports the 512 KB Dobbertin Memory Expansion, the 20 MB Dobbertin Harddisc, the Amstrad Serial Interface, the Amstrad Parallel Printer Port, the CTM640/CTM644 color monitor for the 16-color screen saver and the AMX Mouse. In addition to its main functions, COSMOS also contains the latest version of ASCII Tools in order to deal with the COSMOS large output files. By executing the setup installation utility (A>SETUP) that is included in the COSMOS original disk, the user can initialize any annual project or start a temporary project in order to become familiar with the COSMOS user interface and functions. As far as the controls are concerned, Cursor keys or Mouse can be used in order to control the pointer. [F0] key simulates the left button of the mouse, whereas [F.] key simulates the right button of the mouse. Left button can be used for (Yes), whereas the right button can be used for (No),(Next) or (On-Board) help. ESC key can be used to quit.

To download the latest version of COSMOS (v.26/Winter 2020) use the link located at the bottom of this page. Boot CP/M using the original COSMOS disk and execute A>SETUP.COM.

Upon installing COSMOS in drive B or HD20 it is suggested to execute COSMOS using all the available extra RAM (no RAM load minimization) and to use a new empty boot disk in drive A as the redundant disk (user level software RAID-1 operation). Notice that a full annual project of COSMOS, including the user attachments, the user block of invoices, the summary files as well as the user agenda notices requires minimum 350 KB of disc space.

History of COSMOS

May 2005
Starting COSMOS coding during Military Service (Limnos Island)

January 2006
COSMOS first release (v.18)!

June 2006
Improved COSMOS documentation
COSMOS OverView added in COSMOS Tools
Transfer function added in OverView module (Overview -> Month processor)
Number of hits added in search (SRC) module
New editor added for user attachments (NotePad-like)
Added support for attachments: *.ATT extension files only
Added the ability to modify text attachments with built in editor (ATT files)
All in-progress ASCII bars converted to real graphic bars
Verification of Cost matrix added in tools module
Improved speed for SUM module
Option added for <End Of Month> Calculations and 2D Graph
Added the ability to install COSMOS in HD-0 (Dobbertin/Vortex/Campursoft ?)
Small graphic icons added at specific procedures and locations
Option for 5 sequential inputs added in month processor (instead of calc.)
Annual agenda module included in COSMOS OverView (view and edit)
Full Agenda Search support added in search module
Individual Annual Agenda module added (this requires a lot of memory...)
Improved Month editor
Alarm signal added in SUM module
Warning Meassages added in case of negative cash availability
Optimized Ram Expansion management for multiple projects
COSMOS second release (v.19)!

July 2007
Improved Verify procedure to check Net annual costs and income
Skip Option added in SUM module providing faster execution time
Save icon added in advanced mode (3.5" disc)
Printer support for TXT review file (instead of using CP/M PIP)
Printer function checked with EPSON Stylus Color 640 printer, Hewlett Packard 410 Laser printer and EPSON 6200L laser printer
Auxiliary logical device support for review file (PUN: and RDR:)
Improved Agenda editor
In-progress bars added while Printing or transferring
Left margin added on printed hard copy in SUM print function
All CRT frames and logos tuned for reasons of uniformity
Calculation of maximum profit added in SUM module
Previous year residual added in TXT review file
VDU bugs fixed in Overview, Annual and Constant module
Help modules homogenized in one executable
All modules renamed for easier backup using wild cards (module.*)
Improved management of temporary files
Free disk space and free RAM space added
Added control of destination disk space in Setup
Each comment variable size reduced by 1 byte
Day and Date added in Agenda in Overview module
Graphic bar added in month module
Sequantial month analysis added for faster processing
Added comments length check
New low level routines added (some provided by Werner Cirsovius :) )
New TAX module added to control TAX
Virtual matrices reduced to allow COSMOS execution in 169 kB disks
Alert function implemented in COSMOS Main, Overview, Agenda and SUM
Code checked for its validity for more than 2 years on a daily basis
Automatic tracking of income or expenses added in Search module
COSMOS third release (v.20)

September 2008
Improving software processing speed:
Improved speed for End of Month calculations (+ 700 %)
Improved speed for project Verification (+ 700 %)
Improved speed for Constant module (+ 700 %)
Adding available cash in month module
Improving management of memory resources:
Improved memory management for AmsDOS/X-DDOS/ParaDOS ROM machines
Improved TPA memory resources
Adding the ability to compress (ZIP) projet, releasing disk space
Adding the ability to Retrieve project from ZIP file
ZIP effect:Up to 16 projects for X-DDOS/ParaDOS users on the same disk!
Compressed Tools source code to gain 5 kB of RAM
Improving Graphics User Interface:
Added 2D graph support for very large profits (larger than MaxInt)
Improving software performance:
System bug fixed for drive B: free disk space in Tools
Added user defined delay parameter in SUM module and option for page mode
Escape function implemented using ESC key for on board help
Improved robustness of SETUP installation utility
Included Currency support (Euro, USD, GBP, or other) for all modules
Added the ability to edit any ASCII char (127-255) in Attachments
Printer support:
Adding drivers for Windows dot matrix printers (EPSON LX-300)
Added the ability to directly print attachments
Added the ability to directly print each month data
Added the ability to directly print constant income / expenses
Added the ability to directly print End of Month Cash
Introducing CNTRL key functions in Tools Module for drive contents
Added on board calculator in Tools Module
Move function added in Month Module
Forward/Backward move added in Month Module
Improved GUI in OverView module
Added new Screen Saver (the graphics example included in Turbo Pascal v.3.00 MSDOS disk, modified to 16 colors to run on CPC)
Added full suport for small-RAM extension machines (64-256 kB)
Mixed running mode implemented (part of project in RAM extension)
Implementing Amstrad CPC - Windows XP HyperTerminal communication
COSMOS v.21 released!

March 2013
Improving all modules and algorithms to make software run faster on real CPC systems
Improving Screen Saver
Improving Tax module
Fixing I/O errors
Adding drive/RAM disk access warnings in all modules
Improving Alert function for continuous monitoring of the alert day
Added warning for improper installation target media
Added ASCII Code of extended range charachters in Attachment editor
Making application look like an Amtrad PC 1512/1640 MS-DOS application
January 2014..January 2015
Testing the software using WinCPC emulator
COSMOS final release

May 2017

COSMOS Calculator User Interface (UI) bug fixed
COSMOS Annual UI bug fixed
COSMOS Constant UI bug fixed
COSMOS Agenda UI bug fixed
CP/M version check added at initialization of Setup.com and Cosmos.com
COSMOS TAX modified according to general taxation laws
Alternative printer driver UI bug fixed
Screen Saver added in COSMOS Agenda
Keys and Mouse operation explaination added in SETUP.COM
COSMOS Month and COSMOS Agenda linked
Transformation function Y=Ax+B option added in COSMOS Tools
Export function added in COSMOS Agenda
Export function added in COSMOS TAX
Alert symbol in COSMOS main improved
Demo version option added in installation
UI bug fixed in COSMOS Month
ASCII code error in COSMOS Tools/Att corrected
Block.Att attachment included (template of block of receipts or invoices)
Printer connection warning added in COSMOS Prn
RS232 Serial Interface connection warning added in COSMOS Srl
Improved support added for 2D Graph in case of higher cash than MaxInt
New graph added depicting the available cash per day (366 days)
Seargent - major graphics removed and replaced with a bar chart
On board help revised
File name included in attachment editor
October 2017 - version 23 released.

Agenda soft copy option added
Enter hit inputs considered as zero inputs in all modules
All COSMOS modules renamed for uniformity of directory especially in 800 KB
Disks and Dobbertin Hard disk HD20
Added a second screen saver (randomly plotted triangles)
Added Cmp (Comparison) module in COSMOS Tools in order to compare up to 15 projects on the basis of the 15 different Summary annual reports.
ASCII Tools (previously released as ASCII Tools v3) adapted accordingly and added in COSMOS Tools in order to provide support for the COSMOS output text files.
I/O error check added for all ASCII Tools (source file)
DEMO.TXT included to depict ASCII Tools output
Screen saver added in ASCII Tools
December 2017 - Version 24 released.

May 2020 (Covid-19 era) - Preparing v.25
SETUP utility imporved and modified in order to prepare the adaptation of its source code to other CP/M-80 systems (future project, CP/M plus version)
Demo project improved - 15 annual demo projects added for Cmp module
Message for the benefits of CP/M-80 systems added in SETUP utility
Input and output of all modules improved and optimized
Efficiency of the main and most useful modules (Cst, Month, Annual) strongly improved.
COSMOS Annual module redesigned for optimal performance and efficiency
Flags of the selected operation mode added in all modules (FD/HD, RS232C, MIN/MAX Ram expansion)
Redundant mode operation implemented (similar to user level software RAID-1) in order to provide option for real-time back-up of the current project
Added further support of the Dobbertin 20 MB hard disk - option to work as the redundant drive and ability to show drive contents (CNTRL-D..G in Tools)
All COSMOS Tools sub-modules improved
July 2020 - Version 25 released.

August 2020 - Preparing version 26.
Spelling mistakes corrected in COSMOS Help
Instructions in COSMOS Help improved regarding CPC - PC communication via the serial RS232 interface
Real-time communication of COSMOS with external devices added using the Serial or the Parallel port
Function tested using CPC and WinXP/Win7
December 2020 - Version 26 released during the second Lock-Down (Covid-19).

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