CFOG's PIP, September 1986, Volume 4 No. 11, Whole No. 47, page 1
At our September meeting, we had our first 'Modem Extravaganza' -- an event billed as "The place to get a round tuit or whatever else you need to get your computer hooked up to our RCP/M systems". It was quite an ambitious undertaking, and as it turned out, our on-line demonstrations didn't leave us enough time to get everyone's modems and computers talking to each other. We will be scheduling followup sessions in the near future for those of you who still need help getting on-line.
Speaking of RCP/M's (as I usually am these days) we ran into a snag in our plan to boost our two 35 Meg systems to 140 Meg each. The supplier that we contracted to put together the hard drive subsystems apparently experienced some problems in producing them. We finally cancelled the order when, after 7 weeks, they still hadn't located a replacement drive for one that failed during testing. Since hard disk options are fairly limited as long as we continue to use Osborne Executives for the host machines, we've purchased a TeleVideo multi-user system, which we will be developing as a replacement for both of our current systems. We'll try to get the new system on-line sometime early next year.
In general, I'm quite pleased with the progress we're making. We have gained a number of first time new members this year, many of whom are from out of state. PIP is almost completely on schedule again without skipping a single issue (it was 4 months behind schedule when Ben became Editor in April). We have lined up some interesting speakers for the coming months, and have begun the difficult task of revamping our disk copying facilities to include most common disk formats.
Thanks again to all of the volunteers who donate their time to help make CFOG the best user group in Chicago. As always, there's plenty to do, and we couldn't do it without you.
(If you aren't involved, but would like to be, you can call me at home at 235-9602. We welcome all suggestions for new services, and can always use help on the projects we already have going.)
Bill K
CFOG's PIP, September 1986, Volume 4 No. 11, Whole No. 47, page 2
by Gary Addison
Have you ever been chairman of a contest and been expected to perform many functions including the tabulations? If so, you might benefit from seeing something I developed using dBase II. Even though this was a specific application, some of the methods might be useful to someone. Similarly, your feedback could prove useful to me.
Medfair stands for Media Fair. Simply put, a Media Fair is a contest for student produced audiovisual materials open to all Indiana students in grades K through 12. This past year I was chairman of the State Contest in Indiana. Other states have similar contests.
All of the functions implemented are called from a menu. The menu program (MENU.CMD) calls
The Media Fair is organized into eight competition areas, each with four levels based on the student's grade. To the degree possible, most data entry does not require the use of the enter key. Scoring is on a scale of 1 to 7. Some categories on the ballot occasionally do not apply. The tabulation routine accepts 0 (the number) as representing a non-applicable category and is not considered in the total possible. Users must use the same database continuously once entries are closed because the dBase record number is used as the entry number for the contestants.
One significant problem annoyed me as I developed the tabulation routine, when using the following command with dBase Version 2.3 b:
@ SAY r,c number variable picture '#'
It appeared in a different column on the screen than the identical row/column combination used with @ GET. Using dBase Version 2.4 on an IBM PC (MS-DOS) and on a DEC Rainbow (CP/M-86) the @ SAY and @ GET are printed at the same location for the same row/ column combination. For the Osborne version I got around the problem by SAYing the data at a different column than the GET.
I have submitted to the CFOG library a file called Medfair.lbr. The library file contains all the components of the Media Fair package. I have also included the actual 1985 database used (Medfair.dbf). If you want to start fresh or experiment, just delete this file so things will work faster. The program will create it new using Structur.dbf. Not called from the menu is Compile.cmd which allowed me to accumulate the score data from several files identical except for scores into a single DBF file (Using several computers was easy as long as we limited specific categories to specific machines -- the results were still all there).
After removing all the files from the library and unsqueezing, load dBase and "Set default to [b] and then give the command "Do menu". It's really pretty quick with my Drive C:. That's all there is to it. Print Medfair.doc with WordStar for more detail than this brief description. If anyone wants the version of Tally.cmd for Version 2.4, let me know and I'll leave it on the RCPM.
CFOG's PIP, September 1986, Volume 4 No. 11, Whole No. 47, page 3
by Benjamin H. Cohen
If it's in the documentation I can't find it. On a hunch, I tried the following command line:
Nwinstall Nw.com<cr>
Shazam! couldn't have worked more wonders. There I was, almost instantly, at the menu to patch NewWord. You can't use this unless you're willing to have the new version use the same name and overwrite the previous version, i.e., the command line:
Nwinstall Nw.com Newnw.com<cr>
won't get you a file called Newnw.com, but will still result in a file called Nw.com. So, if you want to preserve the old version, copy it to the new name that you want and install the new name version.
CFOG's PIP, September 1986, Volume 4 No. 11, Whole No. 47, page 5
T.R. Morris correctly points out that the article in the March 1986 issue of PIP about taking your C. Itoh ProWriter apart applies equally to the Apple DMP, NEC 8023-A, and DEC LA-50 printers, all of which are essentially the same mechanism. If you have one of these printers you might want to go back and check the article if you ever get labels stuck under the platen -- or don't want to!
CFOG's PIP, September 1986, Volume 4 No. 11, Whole No. 47, page 6
by Jim Holmes, with Rashama Johnson
Although I've used computers virtually every day for nearly three years, I know very little about how they really work. Fact is, I don't need (or care) to know.
Recently I bought a new car stereo. I happen to know that the tiny tapes are "programmed" in four tracks... and that the two outside tracks are used for the "programs" on Side A, while the inner two are used for Side B. Understanding this won't help me play a tape. That's all taken care of by the "hardware".
When I insert a tape, the "operating system" knows what it must do to play the "side that's up", auto-reverse to play the "other side", jump to the next (or previous) selection, etc. according to instructions "from the ROM" and simple "toggles" I can press on the "console". I needn't understand how tape decks "think", what "languages" they use, how any "operational delays" between functions are derived; it's all been "pre-programmed".
A personal computer presents a vastly different problem. If we "pre-program" specific functions, assigning them to "toggles" (as is done for "dedicated word processors") we lose flexibility. In order to handle different types of work, a personal computer should be "set up" by the software for the job at hand. Users of PC/MS-DOS machines can usually buy a package "off the shelf" for use on their systems, expecting to do little or no configuration. In the CP/M world users often must install the software, because systems differ in the way they may perform a task.
Most install routines are frustrating for the non-technical user. S/he is-expected to know a great many details about his/her system. The information is often poorly defined, and the only aid offered in most cases is... "refer to the Technical Section of your system documentation." When the user tries to look it up the terms used in the install routine don't appear in the Index; many tech manuals aren't even indexed.
I'll attempt to shed some light on this subject, with the aid of Rashama Johnson OKOK member and developer of Electric Easel, Ozgammon, etc. (That Software Co., Pasadena, CA). To use a phrase from Mark Twain, "... together we share all knowledge. He knows all that CAN be known, and I know the rest." Throughout our three-part series you may credit Rash for any brilliant insights, all the clear and cogent instructions, etc. The naivete needed to undertake this project (as well as an ability to "nag without ceasing") is mine.
Most install routines actually require only two code entries. They must know the codes for clear screen and cursor positioning, in order to set the program up for your system. Many time you will be asked for more information, however. This is because most programmers use a "generic" install routine.
The first thing you will likely see when you load an install routine is a Menu of Systems already pre-configured. If you find your EXACT system listed (or if you know that it "emulates" one which is), just enter this as directed; that should do it. Some of these "emulations" 100%, however, so be sure and do some tests before committing data, etc. When problems DO arise (or if there's no system on the Menu you recognize as "yours"), you will need to do a custom installation.
Assuming this to be the case, let's look at a model install routine, to see what's expected. The one we've chosen is excerpted from Turbo. Pascal, not to illustrate a "good" or "bad" routine but because it's about as complete as you'll find. Where a full text editor is employed, the install routine is detailed as to the use of cursor / insert / block and misc. edit functions.
One question you might ask yourself when confronted with an enigmatic install routine is "... do they really need to know all this?". For example, a modem program wouldn't require many cursor instructions, but it would need your port addresses, etc.
Assuming that you're to do a custom installation, the first question asked will likely be,
"What is the clear screen sequence for your system?"
Looking in my Executive manual under System Specifications, I find a table (page 449) showing Keyboard Sequence plus Decimal and Hex equivalents... together with the related Action. Let's call this Table A; in part (to keep this simple) it says:
Table A:
Decimal Hex
Keyboard Sequence Sequence
Sequence (BASIC) (Assembly) Action
-----------------------------------------
:
:
CTRL Z 26 1A Clear screen
:
:
ESC =p1,p2 27 61 1B 3D Load cursor
row, column:
p1 = ypos+32
p2 = xpos+32
:
What does all this mean? In the above example, we are meant to see that holding down the [CTRL] key (while at the same time pressing "D") will clear the screen. Further, entering the code (in either Decimal or Hex) as part of a program would have the same result.
If a "Decimal 26" will clear the screen, why not just type in "26" from the keyboard? It's not the same number, that's why.
When I enter "26" from the keyboard, I'm giving the system two ASCII values (for a definition of "ASCII values" see Technical Note, below). The value of an ASCII "2" is to a Decimal [50]; the ASCII "6" is a Decimal [54]. Now that we've told you this, don't worry about it. For the moment, you may safely use the Decimal number from these tables in install routines; later, when you are more familiar with the differences, you may prefer to "switch to Hex" (the base most often used by programmers, it's a "kind of shorthand" for binary or "machine language"). For the present, an Executive owner would enter:
26 <cr>
The next thing the install routine will ask you to enter is the code for cursor position. In Table A this is not so clear especially if you are trying to find it among four pages of entry lines. What it turns out to be called in the Action column is "Load cursor row, column". The clue here is found in the words "row" & "column". If your manual calls this something else, just look for the word "cursor" plus values for "row" and "column" in the description; this is the one you need. Mine turns out to be,
ESC =p1,p2 27 61 1B 3D Load cursor
row, column:
p1 = ypos+32
p2 = xpos+32
Ok, how do you enter this one? And what's the p1,p2 all about?
To answer the latter question first, p1 & p2 are values for "screen" row & column, to which some "offset" must be added, for defining the position of the cursor. Most Televideo-like CP/M systems require adding a value of 32; see your manual to be sure.
This sequence (and some others) are more complicated to enter than the single [26] for CLEAR SCREEN (above). Several questions will probably be asked, in order that you input the information in a way the system understands. We'll therefore "walk you thru" such a series of entries before explaining more. The code entered will be from the Executive Manual, as before. In most install routines, the "cursor sequence" is (typically):
"Does your terminal need a cursor initializer?"
Most do. For the Executive it's the [ESC=], or Decimal [27] [61] (Table A, above). if there is more than one initializer for your system, press <cr> after each entry. Most programs will then ask for a specific character (a period, two <cr>s, etc.) to end the sequence. To illustrate, your responses would look like the following:
27<cr>
61<cr>
. <cr>
Next query:
"Does your ROW come first (y/n)?"
As noted above, this is indicated by the values for p1,p2. An Executive owner would answer:
Y<cr>
"Please enter the offset for your ROW."
Here you'd enter:
32<cr>
Another query:
"Please enter the offset for your COLUMN."
Again you'd enter,
32<cr>
Finally, you may be asked:
"Does your terminal need a terminator after ROW, COLUMN or both?"
If you have an Executive, you'd say:
NO<cr>
Next time we'll talk about other things you might be asked in a detailed install routine, and we'll include the Clear Screen and Cursor Position values for some of the more popular systems.
Technical Note:
You may be asked if your terminal accepts the above information in binary, two-digit ASCII or three-digit ASCII... even variable ASCII code. Binary is the most common format, used on virtually all CP/M systems which require an offset for cursor position. All Osbornes, KayPros, Morrows etc., and many S-100 systems accept code in binary form. You needn't be too concerned about the differences, but if you're interested, I'll illustrate them.
Binary has a single value, expressed in decimal or hexidecimal. A decimal 27 would have a unitary value, neither "2, then 7" nor "seven ones plus two tens". In ASCII the [ESC] key would be equivalent; in Hex you'd enter 1B.
ASCII (2 & 3-digit or variable) values are complex (not single). In 2-digit ASCII, "27" would indeed be "2, then 7". In 3-digit ASCII, three characters must be used; a "27" would be entered as "027". Variable ASCII can mix entries of 2, 3, or more. It's a format used by DEC, among others.
CFOG's PIP, September 1986, Volume 4 No. 11, Whole No. 47, page 8
by Vince Kaczmar
One of the biggest assets of our club is the extensive public domain library. It is available to each and every member. The easiest way to get copies of the library is at a Sunday meeting. This because a few people bring their computers to the meeting and take the time to help copy disks for the other members.
The rule at CFOG is that those who want copies put their disks in the racks on the table. The disk copiers take the disks and copy them. They are then sorted out by name and made available to the owners. None are to sit down with their own computer, go over to the master disks, and take those they want to copy for themselves. This must be a cooperative effort.
To make sure that things go smoothly, please bring your computer on occasion to help out with the disk copying.
[Steps are being taken to try to make MS-DOS public domain and shareware software that CFOG has either on RCPM #2 or otherwise available to it, <a> available in a "library", <b> expanded in scope significantly, and <c> available for copying at the meetings. This should also include making the CP/M library available in formats other than Osborne, also. -- bhc]
CFOG's PIP, September 1986, Volume 4 No. 11, Whole No. 47, page 9
[Messages found on the KAY*FOG RCPM.]
[WordStar users are familiar with the problem that arises when you hit ^Y when you meant to hit ^T. Poof! One suggestion for solving this problem is found in the file WSCRTL-Y.INF, which suggests that you patch WS to require TWO hits on ^Y to delete a line. Here's another suggestion.]
Msg # 14291
posted: 12/29/85 at 6:44 am
by: Melvyn Halbert
To: WordStar Conference
About: Patch WordStar for SafetyAfter reading of using ^Y^Y to avoid the ^Y/^T problem in the review of "Underground WordStar", I thought others might be interested in another method of taking the sting out of the dangerous ^Y command. This simply substitutes a distant key (I use ^\) for ^Y.
I prefer ^\ to the double ^Y^Y since I often delete a number of words in a row by hitting ^T repeatedly. If by mistake I hit ^Y rcpeatedly, the damage could be severe. The damage would, of course, be somewhat reduced if the ^Y^Y patch were installed, but with the patch described in WSCTRL-Y.INF, the damage would be nil.
Msg # 14293
posted: 12/29/85 at 6:51 am
by: Melvyn Halbert
To: WordStar Conference
About: Patch WordStar for SafetyReassigning WordStar's line delete from ^Y to a safer key.
I usually don't look at the keys when typing in WordStar and sometimes hit ^Y (delete line) when I mean to type the adjacent key, ^T (delete word). This can be disastrous when I want to kill several words in a row and kill instead several complete lines.
My remedy was to make ^Y do nothing. For the line-delete function, I chose a distant, rarely-used key combination, namely ^\ (1Ch). In WordStar 3.3, location 054Dh in WS.COM is the one to be changed. I left unchanged the other two occurrences of ^Y (19h) at 0526h and 05AAh which correspond to the commands ^QY and ^KY, respectively.
A person familiar with DDT or a public-domain utility such as DU-77 could probably make this patch quickly with one of these programs. It can also be done easily with the 3.3 version of Winstall. When the program asks for your choice of menus A through E, type a +. This calls up an undocumented patching feature under which the program will ask what location you want to change and then what byte you want to place there.
The locations given above do not apply to other versions of WordStar. One could search for 19h in the keyboard dispatch table of area USER3 in Ws.com. Label VTAB in Winstall marks the start of this table. According to an article by Joseph Katz in the September 1984 Microsystems, this table starts eight bytes lower in version 3.0 and its ordering is different. The table is long (1B6h locations in version 3.3), but in WordStar 3.3 the 19h byte appears only three times and it is the second occurrence that should be changed. If other versions differ in this respect, a trial or two will show which is the correct location to patch.
You have now nullified the dangerous key, but the main menu will still show the obsolete ^Y instruction. You can correct this if you are so inclined by altering Wsmsgs.ovr. In version 3.3 for my pre-84 Kaypro II, the location to change [from Y (59h) to \ (5Ch)] is 08D7h. This change in Wsmsgs.ovr cannot be done with Winstall. I used DU-77.
For some reason that I don't understand, the complete main menu appears twice in Wsmsgs.ovr and paraphrases are also included. Thus the instruction for ^Y also appears at 0A8Bh, 0CFAh, and 0EAEh and ought to be changed to ^\ if those messages are ever displayed. These redundant menus never seem to appear on screen when I use WordStar with my Kaypro II, but perhaps they are used with Kaypros that show menus in inverse video.
CFOG's PIP, September 1986, Volume 4 No. 11, Whole No. 47, page 10
by Benjamin H. Cohen
There are thousands of programs available for CP/M computers. Stop in at ComputerLand or the Softwaire Center, or even C.A.S. Computers <where you can generally find a used Osborne or CP/M Kaypro or two for sale>, however, and you won't find a single program for CP/M in stock. So, a question that is often repeated by new CP/M users is "Where do I get CP/M software?" The first answer that old time CFOG members give is "Right here!" The CFOG library contains a lot of public domain software, sophisticated file management programs like Dims and Pcfile, word processors like Vde, languages like Micromumps, utilities like Nswp207, Ftnote14, and more.
But in some areas the good old public domain is just plain deficient, but there is commercial software that works. If you can't get it in local stores, there are still plenty of ways to get it. The following list isn't intended to be comprehensive, by any means, but will give you a good lead on most of what's available.
Periodicals <other than user group newsletters> that consistently carry a number of advertisements of CP/M software at this point seem to be limited to one: Profiles, published by Kaypro Corporation, is a monthly slick publication of about 76 pages, $25 for one year from Circulation Department, Box 2889, Del Mar, CA 92014. Since Kaypro now sells MS-DOS computers as well as CP/M this magazine now has coverage and advertising for both systems.
Other magazines that carry some advertising for CP/M users include Micro/Systems Journal, $21.97 a year, Box 2930, Boulder, CO 80321, a generally highly technical publication, and Micro Cornucopia <sample issue $3>, Box 223, Bend, OR 97709, 503-382-5060, also technically oriented. Both were more CP/M oriented than they are currently, but still carry occasional articles and advertisements of interest.
The two user group newsletters that seem to carry the most advertising for CP/M users are the Foghorn, from FOG, Box 3474, Daly City, CA 94015 <dues $24>, and Morrow Owners Review, from MOR, Box 5487, Berkeley, CA 94705 <6 issues, 1 year,$18>.
There are also some mail order sellers that specialize in CP/M software. Primary among these are:
Spite Software, 4875 SW 19th Drive, Portland, OR 97201, 1-503-224-0137, publishes a catalog with ads from several software sellers, not the least of them Spite Software itself. The latest one I have arrived in August and was 44 pages.
Central Computer, 800-533-8049 <800-624-5628 in CA>, recently published a 64 page catalog aimed at CP/M users. It, too, has lots of software advertised.
Sudden Products!, 3421 M St., NW, Washington, DC 20007, 202-338-9256, also has a catalog and many fine software products for CP/M users.
PeopleTalk Associates, Inc., Box 863652, Piano, TX 75086, 800-782-6657, offers software, books, and accessories.
Advent Products, Inc., 3154-F LaPalma Ave., Anaheim, CA 92806, 714-630-0446, specializes in Kaypro add-ons, but offers software from many sources as well.
PDSC <Public Domain Software Co.> offers not only public domain software disks in a multitude of formats for various operating systems and computers, but also recently acquired a good deal of Osborne software, recently advertised at bargain prices.
A number of software houses do still sell some CP/M software directly. Some advertise in the Spite Software catalog, or have their software offered by Central, Sudden, or PeopleTalk. A number of others are notable:
Anderson Techno-Products, Inc., 947 Richmond Road, Ottawa, ONT K2B 6R1, Canada, 613-722-0690, offers the Poor Man's Network, for only $69.00.
For those who have extensive indexing needs, Macrex is available from Bayside Indexing Service, 265 Arlington Avenue, Kensington, CA 94707, 415-524-4195.
Borland International, 4585 Scotts Valley Drive, Scotts Valley, CA 95066, sells Turbo Pascal.
Civil Computing Corporation, 2111 Research Drive, Suite 1, Livermore, CA 94550, offers PropStar, a proportional spacing program for daisy wheel printers.
Computer EdiType Systems, 509 Cathedral Parkway, Suite 10A, New York, NY 10025, 800-251-2223, offers the Magic Series, proportional spacing printing for both daisy wheel printers and the Hewlett Packard LaserJet, footnoting, sheet feeder control, columns, file merging <said to be more sophisticated that MailMerge>, auto-numbering, indexing, tables of contents, and LaserJet graphics support.
CompuView Products, Inc., 1955 Pauline Blvd., Suite 200, Ann Arbor, MI 48103, 313-996-1299, offers V-Spell, a spelling checker, Vedit, a word processor with 10 scratchpad buffers, word wrap, undo key, macros, multiple file handling, special functions for programmers in various languages, and the ability to change disks while editing.
Control C Software, Inc., 6441 SW Canyon Ct., Portland, OR 97221, 503-292-8842, offers StarJet, a printer driver for the Hewlett Packard LaserJet that produces justified proportionally spaced text and graphics. <PIP is printed with StarJet.>
C.P.I. Business Systems, 15 Regency Hills Dr., Greenville, SC 29607, 803-268-3911, offers accounting software.
Flashlite Software, Box 2179, Daly City, CA 94017, 415-994-8282, offers FlashPrint, a printing utility of great versatility, used to send needed printer codes to just about any printer.
James River Group, Inc., 125 N. First St., Minneapolis, MN 55401, 612-339-2521, offers accounting and Tman,a file management program.
Kamasoft, 2525 SW 224th Avenue, Aloha, OR 97007, 503-649-3765, orfers two outline processers, KAMAS, a complex version with a built-in programming language, and OutThink, a scaled down version for those who want the power of outline processing without the complexity of the KAMAS programming language.
NightOwl Software, Rt. 1 Box 7, Ft. Atkinson, WI, 53538, 800-648-3695 <414-563-4013 in WI>, offers commercial versions of the public domain MEX communications program that offer even more features, including terminal emulation and remote operations, allowing you to use your computer while you are away from your home base.
Commercial disk cataloging programs are available from R&L Micro Computing Services, Box 15955, Station F, Ottawa, ONT, K2C 3S8, Canada, 613-225-7904 <Bobcat> and Mendocino Software Co., Box 1564, Willits, CA 65490, 707-459-9130 <Eureka!>.
Software Toolworks, 14475 Glorietta Dr., Sherman Oaks, CA 91423, 800-223-8665 <800-228-8665 in CA> has a catalog with a large number of offerings from the classic $49.95 Spell to games, compilers, etc.
Bruce Tonkin's T.N.T. Software, 34069 Hainesville Rd., Round Lake, IL 60073, offers a number of CP/M items, some of which are software placed in the public domain by Bruce, but for which the manuals need to be purchased from Bruce <all at modest prices>.
Workman & Associates, 1925 E. Mountain St., Pasadena, CA 91104, 818-791-7979, offers Jerry Pournelle's favorite word processor, the Writer's Really Incredible Text Editor <WRITE>, with proportional spacing and LaserJet support, for $99.95, and FTL Modula-II compiler with split-screen editor.
Last -- but hardly least -- NewStar Software Corp., 3351 Vincent Road, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523, 800-932-2526 <415-932-2278 in CA>, offers NewWord, a Wordstar "clone". The last price I have is $125, bundled with The Word Plus spelling checker. NewWord is what WordStar ought to be, lots of features that WordStar doesn't have <and probably never will>, including support for many newer printers, the Hewlett Packard LaserJet among them, including LaserJet proportional spacing, but not justified proportional spacing. If you don't have WordStar, get NewWord. If you have WordStar 2.26 and want column block movements, get NewWord. If you simply want to be able to undelete that last block that you sent to word proccssing heaven by mistake, get NewWord. <See the "Newest Word on NewWord", elsewhere in this issue of PIP, for an update on NewWord.>
I've deliberately omitted some important CP/M software sources, Spectre Technologies <Presto!, Media Master, Twist and Shout>, Xpert Software <XtraKey, Side2>, CDE Software <Checks & Balances>, Software Research Technologies <SmartKey, SmartPrint>, Echelon <Z-System>, Techware <foreign language word processing with WordStar>, Edu-Kids <educational software>, Somogyi Software <Push 'n' Pull outline processor>, and Poor Person Software <Write-Hand-Man desk accessories>, because they advertise in the Spite catalog or their products are offered there or by Central Computer or Sudden Products! There are others mentioned in the magazines and newsletters mentioned in this article.
Be sure to check back issues of PIP, too, as some software items have been mentioned from time to time that aren't mentioned here.
If you need a program to perform a specific task, check with other CFOG members to see what they recommend -- a question on the RCPM, at a meeting, or by mail to PIP's Editor, Box 1674, Chicago 60690, may yield not only the name of a source, but also a recommendation on which of several alternatives to pick.
At one time Spite Software offered to attempt to find software for those who couldn't locate what they wanted in the catalog. You might try calling them to see if they are still providing that service.
After this article was composed, I received in the mail a letter from Software Dynamics, 217 East 85th Street, New York 10028, 212-988-2146. They offer about 100 CP/M programs in over 80 different formats. They list accounting, database, engineering, financial and business, graphics, games, languages, programming tools, spreadsheets and statists, system tools, telecommunications, and word processing and editing software, including WordStar and MailMerge. They offer 'full technical support' and to find software for specific applications not listed. A catalog <not seen by me> with 'in depth comprehensive descriptions' of the 100+ programs is $7.50.
If all else fails, Encyclopedia Publishing Corp., 950 Hampshire Rd #108, Westlake Village, CA 91361, 805-497-8002, at one time offered The Encyclopedia of CP/M-80 Software, said to be comprehensive, at $129 for four quarterly issues. Check out your local public library.
Suggestions for a supplement to this article are solicited and will be accumulated and published in the near future. We'll also add this to the new member disk.