Simtel MSDOS 1992 September/Simtel20_Sept92.cdr/msdos/kermit/nm100.arc/NM.DOC

Text File | 1990-04-18 | 11KB | 226 lines

                         Num Lock Redefinition Utility
                         =============================



                                      by



                               Geoffrey Furnish
                               Physical Dynamics
                                 P.O. Box 8556
                               Austin, TX   78713






FUNCTION
     NM is a program which causes the Num Lock key on IBM PC, AT and extended
AT keyboards to act as if it was another F1 key.  However, the combination
Shift Num Lock is unaffected, and will still change the Num Lock state.



OPERATION
     To initiate the NM program, just place it somewhere that can be accessed
from your DOS path, and type NM (followed by return/enter).  You will be
greeted by a short salutation, and from that point forward, your Num Lock key
will function as an additional F1 key.  To recover the previous keyboard
behavior, it is necessary to reboot the machine.



SHAREWARE
     Please understand that this program is SHAREWARE.  You may share this
software with your friends (or anyone else), you may upload it to buletin
boards (please do), and you may of course use it as much as you like.
     However, if you do use this program, then please contribute to my efforts
financially.  I suggest a contribution of $5 for those who intend to only
use the executable version of this program.  Of course, I will certainly accept
any remuneration, be it more or less than $5.  Individuals who would like the
source code may have it for $10.  Please include a specific statement of your
desire for the source, so that I may distinguish the generous from those who
would like the source, and please also indicate the size disk you would like
to receive.  Mail to:
           Physical Dynamics / P.O. Box 8556 / Austin, TX   78713



MOTIVATION AND USES
     This program was motivated by my frustration at not being able to use
the Num Lock key for any useful purpose inside application programs.  In
particular, I use the excellent public domain program Kermit quite frequently
for online connection to VAX computers.  This program provides the ability
to emulate the operation of VT 100 and VT 300 series terminals.  On these
terminals, the key which is in the same position as the PC AT extended
keyboard's Num Lock, is  a very important key (the PF1 key, or the Gold key).
However, Kermit is not able to actually use the Num Lock key, so it is
necessary to use some other key to serve the purpose.  Many users use
the F1 key.  Also, many other terminal emulation programs which emulate
the VT 100 series terminals have the same problem.
     This program overcomes this difficulty and causes the Num Lock key to
behave as if it were the F1 key (the F1 key is unaffected and functions
normally).  Consequently, application programs which respond to the F1 key
will now respond to the Num Lock key as well.



USE WITH MS-KERMIT
     To use the Num Lock key in MS-KERMIT version 3.x and 2.32  (it may work
with earlier versions too, but I'm not sure) you need to do two things.
     1)  Load the NM program by typing NM from the DOS prompt.  It
         will not be necessary to keep NM in your current directory,
         as long as it is accessible from the DOS path.
     2)  Issue an appropriate set key command(s) in Kermit.  This
         is perhaps most easily accomplished from your MSKERMIT.INI
         file.  Here is an excerpt from my kermit initialization file
         which shows how I set up my PC AT extended keyboard:

;
;   Setup the key definitions the way I like them.
;
set key \315 \Kgold    ; F1    (using NM, Num Lock also serves as GOLD key)
set key \316 \Kholdscrn    ; F2
set key \317 \Kdos    ; F3
set key \318 \Kexit    ; F4
;
set key \4399 \Kpf2    ; grey /
set key \311 \Kpf3    ; grey *
set key \330 \Kpf4    ; grey -
;
set key \327 \Kkp7    ; PC keypad 7
set key \328 \Kkp8    ; PC keypad 8
set key \329 \Kkp9    ; PC keypad 9
set key \334 \Kkpminus    ; Big grey +
;
set key \331 \Kkp4    ; PC keypad 4
set key \332 \Kkp5    ; PC keypad 5
set key \333 \Kkp6    ; PC keypad 6
set key \2382 \Kkpcoma    ; ALT Big grey +
;
set key \335 \Kkp1    ; PC keypad 1
set key \336 \Kkp2    ; PC keypad 2
set key \337 \Kkp3    ; PC keypad 3
;
set key \338 \Kkp0    ; PC keypad 0
set key \339 \Kkpdot    ; PC keypad .
set key \4365 \Kkpenter    ; Big grey ENTER
;
set key \322 \26    ; F8 = ^Z
;
; Now setup the dedicated cursor pad on the PC AT extended keyboard.
; Comment out this section if you don't have the extended keyboard.
;
; First of all, the labels on the keys from the two heyboards are:
;
;          Dec VT 200/300 series           PC AT extended keyboard
;    +----------+----------+----------+   +----------+----------+----------+
;    |   Find   |  Insert  |  Remove  |   | Insert   |  Home    |  Page    |
;    |          |   Here   |          |   |        |       |   Up     |
;    +----------+----------+----------+   +----------+----------+----------+
;    |  Select  | Previous |   Next   |   | Delete   |   End       |  Page    |
;    |          | Screen   |  Screen  |   |        |       |  Down    |
;    +----------+----------+----------+   +----------+----------+----------+
;
; I prefer to ignore the labels on my PC keytops, and use the exact layout
; of the Dec keyboards, but you may easily rearrange the following definitions
; to keep the functions assigned to the keys with similar names.  Suit yourself.
;
set key \4434 \kdecfind        ; PC cursor keypad insert -> Dec Find
set key \4423 \kdecinsert    ; PC cursor keypad home   -> Dec Insert Here
set key \4425 \kdecremove    ; PC cursor keypad pg up  -> Dec Remove
set key \4435 \kdecselect    ; PC cursor keypad delete -> Dec Select
set key \4431 \kdecprev        ; PC cursor keypad end    -> Dec Prev Screen
set key \4433 \kdecnext        ; PC cursor keypad pg dn  -> Dec Next Screen
;
; Now define some keys for rolling around screen memory.
set key \5522 \kupone    ; PC cursor keypad ctl insert
set key \5495 \khomscn    ; PC cursor keypad ctl home
set key \5508 \kupscn    ; PC cursor keypad ctl pg up
set key \5523 \kdnone    ; PC cursor keypad ctl delete
set key \5493 \kendscn    ; PC cursor keypad ctl end
set key \5494 \kdnscn    ; PC cursor keypad ctl pg dn
;

         Note that these definitions are intended to be used on a
         PC AT extended keyboard which has the separate dedicated
         cursor keypad.  If you don't have such a keyboard, the last
         few lines (for redefining the dedicated cursor keypad keys)
         may not be of use to you.

         Note also, that the only thing here which specifically relates
         to the NM program, is the use of the F1 key as the GOLD key
         (first line of my example ini file).  All of the other mappings
         will work whether you use NM or not.  But if you do use NM
         then whenever you strike the Num Lock key, Kermit will transmit
         the GOLD (PF1) key to the host.  This provides extremely close
         compatibility with the Dec VT 100 and VT 300 series terminals.
         The only remaining incompatibility is the oversized grey + key
         on the PC.  I use ALT GREY + to be the Dec keypad comma key.



USE WITH OTHER PROGRAMS
     I have tested NM with some other keyboard redefinition / keystroke macro
utilities, but not very many.  I have encountered no dificulties so far.  The
only type of programs which I anticipate there may be difficulties with, are
those which seek to enlarge the keybaord buffer from the paltry 16 character
buffer that IBM graced us all with, to something larger.  With such programs
there is a possibility that the order of loading may affect whether NM will
function correctly or not.  I have not been able to test this to date.  If you
have experiences either good or bad with using NM with such programs, I would
be interested in the details.
     Other programs, which do not enlarge the keystroke buffer, should function
with no trouble.  In particular, you should be able to use NM with other
VT 100/200/300 series terminal emulation software to map Num Lock to F1 and
thus to PF1.  If you have problems with a specific piece of software, I will
of course try to help out.



ABOUT PHYSICAL DYNAMICS
     Physical Dynamics is a company which I have formed for the sole purpose
of generating income for myself and my family while I am in graduate school.
Those of you who are or have been in graduate school, will appreciate the
need for extra money.  Those who are considering going to graduate school
should be advised that the economics of putting yourself through grad school
are very demanding indeed.
     In any event, it is my intention to develop various programs which
demonstrate the action (dynamics) of various interesting physical systems.
As of this writing (April 90) I have a program which demonstrates the action
of the logistic map, almost ready to post.  Specifically, this program
introduces the user to iterated function systems, the idea of a nonlinear
paramater, and some of the first principles of "Chaos Science".  This program
will be of interested to highly motivated high school students in physics and
math, or to college age science students who would like a hands on introduction
to the much talked about field of nonlinear dynamics (NLD), more commonly
referred to as Chaos.  If you are interested in this program, please write.
     Future plans for additional Physical Dynamics products are still very
much up in the air.  If you have an idea for a physical system which can be
modelled numerically by computer, and which has educational value, and which
would be of interest to a reasonable number of people (by which I mean that
it would be profitable!) then please let me know.  If a substantial number
of requests are made for similar sounding items, that would probably influence
my development efforts.
     One thing I am considering is a solar system / generalized gravitational
many body simulator.  Another idea I am considering is a simple introduction
to motions of charged particles in E and B fields, maybe even going as far
as simple plasma simulations.  There are several books on these topics, but
most of them are addressed at the PhD physicist, and not at a level more
accessible to upper secondary / beginning college students.  I am of the
oppinion that the physics education in our high schools could be greatly
improved by taking time to introduce students to interesting and complicated
problems, (perhaps with certain simplifying assumptions), and letting them
do "computer experiments".  Many high schools have PC type hardware, and I
believe, many of our high school students are capable of this type of learning.
     If you have comments or suggestions on these or other matters, then
please write.  If you would like to support endeavors such as these, then
please consider supporting Physical Dynamics financially.