¢¢¢¢¢ ¢ Documentation for SUPER ARC and SUPER UN-ARC versions 2.4¢ By: Robert Puff 01/31/89¢ ¢ WHAT IS ARC?¢ ¢ Arc is short for Archive. It is a program (actually in this¢ case, two programs) that allows you to "Archive" or compress one or¢ more files into a single .ARC file for later retrieval. Arc is¢ available for many computer types; a file created on one will be able¢ to be unarced on another. The only exception to this that I am aware¢ of is the CP/M version of Arc for the Commodore. Super Arc uses¢ several mathematical compression techniques to reduce the size of the¢ data to be compacted by as much as possible. "Why would you do¢ that", you ask? For number of reasons, but primarily to save time -¢ Time is money. This can be realized when downloading a file from a¢ long-distance BBS, or from a pay service such as CompuServe or GEnie.¢ Super Arc will compact your file(s) as much as it possibly can, which¢ averages around 30%. As a bonus, Super UnArc will uncrunch files¢ created with AlfCrunch (a program similar to Super Arc), so separate¢ programs are not required! Also included in Super UnArc is the code¢ necessary to un-squash files. Squashed files are created by Phil¢ Katz's PKPAK utility for the PC. This makes Super UnArc THE most¢ compatible unarchiver for the 8-bit! You must, however, have more¢ than 64K of memory for this unsquash feature.¢ ¢ Arc is not the same thing as Diskcomm (Disk Communicator, a¢ program I wrote back in '87.). Diskcomm is designed to compact¢ entire floppy disks sector-by-sector, making an exact copy of the¢ disk; while Arc is file-oriented. What this all means is if you have¢ a disk that is self-booting, or looks for data in specific sectors,¢ you should use Diskcomm to turn that disk into a file for easy¢ transfer. If, however, you wish to transfer only a few of the files¢ on the disk, or the files on the disk are not dependent on being¢ specifically located at a certain sector, then Arc is the program to¢ use. Please remember that Disk Operating Systems (DOS) look for¢ specific sectors, so they should NOT be compacted by Arc. Diskcomm,¢ while it does have compaction techniques, is not as sophisticated as¢ Arc; so if you REALLY want to make the smallest file of a boot disk,¢ you could Arc the Diskcommed file. Be sure, however, that the person¢ receiving your file knows he must go through two processes to recover¢ the disk: UnArcing the file, then unDiskcomming the resulting file!¢ ¢ ¢ SETTING UP SUPER ARC & SUPER UN-ARC¢ ¢ Both of the files, ARC.COM and UNARC.COM are binary, command¢ files. This means they should be loaded from your DOS menu by¢ selecting the LOAD BINARY FILE option. If you are using a command¢ processor DOS (such as DOS XL or SpartaDOS), simply type the first¢ part of the filename at the command prompt.¢ ¢ You may wish to set up Super Arc & UnArc on a separate disk¢ with a menu program. There are many public domain menu programs that¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢ will fit the bill; just be sure the loader program is capable of¢ loading Binary files, not (just) BASIC programs. Super Arc & UnArc¢ will automatically disable the internal BASIC on XL/XE machines, so¢ there is no NEED to hold the OPTION key when booting. (SpartaDOS is¢ the only exception to this rule: because of a bug, BASIC will not be¢ turned off.)¢ ¢ ¢ USING SUPER ARC¢ ¢ Once the program has loaded, you will be presented with a¢ number of parameters on the top of the screen, and a menu. (If you¢ are using a command processor DOS, you may specify commands on the¢ command line as an alternative of using the menu. Please see the¢ section below entitled 'USING SUPER ARC WITH CP DOSES'.) First, the¢ parameters will be discussed. To modify them, press [P], then use¢ the arrow keys to move to the desired parameter. Now hit [RETURN] to¢ toggle between YES and NO. Press [ESC] when finished.¢ ¢ Screen Off: If this option is enabled, the screen will narrow¢ to a single status line in the middle of your screen during the¢ compaction process. This will increase processing time by 30%. If¢ there is a need for more user-input, or if any errors occur, the¢ screen will be restored. If this option is set to NO, the screen¢ will remain unchanged.¢ ¢ Disk Swaps: This option is for single-drive users. If this¢ option is enabled, you may use a different disk as your destination¢ (using the same drive). This is helpful when the source and¢ destination will not all fit on one disk. Make sure that your source¢ and destination disks are formatted in the same density! Also,¢ follow the prompts VERY carefully. If this option is set to NO, or¢ if you specify different source and destination drives, you will not¢ be prompted.¢ ¢ Compact with Query: If this option is set to YES, as Super¢ Arc finds each file, you will be asked if you wish to compact it.¢ This is useful for selecting exactly which files on a disk you want¢ to include in the archive. At the prompt, you may answer [Y]es to¢ compact the file, [N]o to skip it, [P] to change the source¢ drive/mask, [1-9] for disk directories, or [ESC] to finish arcing.¢ If this option is set to NO, all files found will be compacted.¢ ¢ Crunch Only: A brief explanation of the arcing process is in¢ order here. When you compress a file with Super Arc when this option¢ is set to NO (it defaults to NO), the program first analyzes the data¢ in the first pass to determine which of the three types of¢ compression would create the smallest file. The three types are:¢ Storing, where no compaction is done; Packing, where repeated bytes¢ are "packed", and Crunched, where the data is run through a¢ sophisticated compressing routine. It then reads the source a second¢ time, actually compacting the data this time. The "Crunching" method¢ of compaction is usually the method used most often (perhaps 90%).¢ If this option is set to YES, Super Unarc will not analyze the file;¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢ it will only Crunch it. This takes only 1/2 the time, since the¢ compaction process is done only once instead of twice. The¢ disadvantage is that on those files that will not benefit from¢ Crunching, you will not have the smallest possible file.¢ High-resolution picture files usually fall into this category.¢ ¢ Special note for SpartaDOS users: If you set the Crunch Only option¢ to YES, Super Arc will initially crunch the data, but if it¢ determines that Crunching is not the best, it will re-write the file¢ using the best method. This may seem to be the best of both worlds;¢ however, since a file written to the disk cannot become smaller, the¢ file will still be the same length. If you add more files to the¢ archive, this unused space will disappear. What this all means is¢ that if you want the smallest file possible, leave this option set to¢ NO. For most purposes, I recommend using this option (when using¢ SpartaDOS).¢ ¢ Password Encrypt: Setting this option to YES will cause the¢ arced file to be encrypted with a special password you supply. The¢ only way to recover the file created will be if the person unarcing¢ your file enters the exact same password you used. I STRONGLY¢ recommend you not use this feature often, because it is HIGHLY¢ unlikely you will be able to recover the file without it. The¢ password is not hidden anywhere in the file, so you can't look for¢ it. When this option is set to YES, Super Arc will ask for the¢ password after you have entered the destination filename. Pressing¢ [RETURN] will cancel the password, and continue as normal. The¢ password is not case or inverse sensitive, but should not contain any¢ spaces if you wish to use an IBM or ST to unarc the file. Setting¢ this Password Encrypt option to NO (as it is by default) will not use¢ any password data, and will compact as normal.¢ ¢ Those are the parameters that are on the top of the screen.¢ On the main menu, there are more options. You may format a floppy or¢ RAMdisk in either single or double density by typing [F]. Selecting¢ [D] will allow you to delete file(s). You may use these two options¢ to prepare your destination disk for the destination file.¢ ¢ Selecting [G] will cause your computer to reboot (act as if it¢ had been turned off, then back on). This is helpful for preserving¢ the contents of RAMdisks when switching programs. For XL/XE users:¢ remember to hold [OPTION] down while pressing [G] if you want to¢ reboot without internal BASIC.¢ ¢ Pressing [H] will return you to your DOS menu, or to the¢ command processor if you are using a command processor DOS.¢ ¢ Disk directories may be done by pressing the drive number¢ (1-9), then entering the subdirectory pathname to view. Simply hit¢ [RETURN] here to view the main directory. Disk directories may be¢ also done at the "Enter Source Filemask" prompt, and the Compact with¢ Query prompts.¢ ¢ ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢ HOW TO ARC A FILE¢ ¢ Change any parameters you wish in the top box, then type [A]¢ to Arc file(s). Super Arc will now ask you for the destination¢ filename. ".ARC" will be added to the filename specified, so you do¢ not need to specify the extender. Type the drive identifier and¢ filename. (Examples: D2:TESTER, D6:FILES>SAMPLE) Drive 1 (D:) will¢ be assumed if no "Dx:" is specified. The program will now open that¢ destination file.¢ ¢ Now you will be prompted for the "Source Filemask". Super Arc¢ is now asking you which file(s) you want to put into this single¢ destination file. If you wanted to arc all files on drive 1, you¢ would enter "D1:*.*" [RETURN]. To arc only the file "TEST.BAS" on¢ drive 2, you would enter "D2:TEST.BAS" [RETURN]. This is basically¢ the same as entering the source when using the copy file feature of¢ your DOS. Subdirectories ARE supported! To arc all files ending¢ with .COM on drive 3 in subdirectory MOD, use "D3:MOD>*.COM"¢ [RETURN].¢ ¢ If you set the Compact with Query option to YES, the program¢ will display each filename it finds, and ask you if you want to arc¢ it.¢ ¢ The compacting process will now begin. If the Crunch Only¢ option is set to YES, the number of bytes saved will be displayed¢ after the file was compacted. Otherwise, the resulting size of each¢ compacting process would occupy will be displayed, along with which¢ of the three types Super Arc chose. If the Screen Off option is set¢ to YES (as it is by default), you will just see the message¢ "Compacting xxx". Your screen will be restored after it is done.¢ ¢ Note for SpartaDOS users: Super Arc will save the time and¢ date of each file automatically. If the source is not in Sparta¢ format, or if using any other DOS, the date of 09/01/88 and time of¢ 12:00 PM will be saved.¢ ¢ After the file(s) have been compacted, you will be prompted¢ for the source filemask again. If you have any more files to add,¢ enter them now. Otherwise, press [RETURN], and your archive will be¢ complete! If you ever get a disk error while arcing, the destination¢ file should be deleted. It will not have meaningful data.¢ ¢ If you have an arced file, but want to add some more files to¢ it, you may use the [B] function from the menu, Add to an Archive.¢ This functions identically to arcing a file from scratch, except the¢ data will be ADDED to the destination file you specify. Be sure your¢ destination disk has as many sectors free as the length of the Arc¢ file to which you are adding, because Super Arc must copy the¢ contents of that file into another temporary file to properly append.¢ The temporary file is then deleted. If there are any problems adding¢ to an arced file (such as if the file you are adding to is not in Arc¢ format), the message "Cannot add to file" will be displayed.¢ ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢ ¢ USING SUPER ARC WITH CP DOSES¢ ¢ You may invoke Super Arc to perform certain functions without¢ having to use the menu when using Command Processor DOSes such as DOS¢ XL and SpartaDOS. Super Arc will return to the CP after it is done,¢ or upon an error. The following is the proper syntax:¢ ¢ [Dn:]ARC [Dn:][path>]filename[.ext] Dn:[path>]source [/ACPQSX]¢ [password]¢ ¢ The first parameter is the destination filename. Remember¢ .ARC will be added to it if you do not specify an extender. The¢ second parameter is the source filemask, and the third optional field¢ is the options desired:¢ A = Add to the existing source archive¢ C = Use Crunch only (with SpartaDOS, this isn't really what it¢ means: re-read the section on Crunch Only for explanation)¢ P = Use the fourth parameter as an encryption password¢ Q = Compact with query¢ S = Have screen remain fully on¢ X = Enable Disk Swaps¢ ¢ The default (without a third parameter field) is: Screen¢ Off-YES, Disk Swaps-NO, Compact with Query-NO, Crunch Only-NO,¢ Password-NO. The fourth parameter is only used if the password [/P]¢ is specified. Here are some examples:¢ ¢ [Dn:]ARC D2:TEST D3:*.BAS /QSC¢ ¢ Will ask you if you want to arc each file on drive 3 ending¢ with .BAS, leaving the screen on, and enabling the Crunch Only¢ option. It will write the result to D2:TEST.ARC.¢ ¢ [Dn:]ARC TEST MYFILE.OBJ /P DATA¢ ¢ Will compact file MYFILE.OBJ on the current drive, and write¢ the destination to the file TEST.ARC on the current drive. It will¢ use the word "DATA" as a password.¢ ¢ [Dn:]ARC D1:TEST2 D3:*.* /AC¢ ¢ Will arc all files on drive 3, and add them to the already¢ existing file TEST2.ARC on drive 1. It will enable the Crunch Only¢ option.¢ ¢ ¢ USING SUPER UN-ARC¢ ¢ Super UnArc operates much like Super Arc, except it is doing¢ the opposite - Taking a single source, and writing out one or more¢ destination files. The following is a list of the parameters in the¢ top box of Super UnArc. To save space, refer back to the parameter¢ section of Super Arc for some of these.¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢ ¢ Screen Off: (same as in Super Arc).¢ ¢ Disk Swaps: (same as in Super Arc).¢ ¢ Over-Write: This is a safety feature. If a file already¢ exists in the directory you have specified with the same name as the¢ file being uncompacted, Super Arc will ask you if you want to¢ overwrite your existing file. Typing [Y] will overwrite it; pressing¢ [N] or [RETURN] will skip the file and proceed to the next entry.¢ Pressing [ESC] will abort the unarcing process. All the above will¢ take place if the Over-Write option is set to NO. Setting it to YES¢ will not prompt you, and will overwrite any files having the same¢ name.¢ ¢ Extract with Query: If this option is set to YES, the program¢ will display each entry in the arced file, and ask you if you wish to¢ uncompact it. This is handy for viewing just the text files in an¢ archive. Setting this option to NO will extract all files. This¢ feature can also be used to extract a very large source, if you do¢ not have enough room on one disk for all the files to be unarced.¢ ¢ Time/Date Stamp: This option is valid only under SpartaDOS.¢ Setting this option to YES will cause the destination files to be¢ written out with the original time and date of the file when it was¢ first Archived. Some arc programs do not save the time and date, so¢ if you get a bogus value, this is why. If this option is set to NO¢ (as it is by default), the current time and date will be used.¢ ¢ Password Encrypt: This option is to be used when the source¢ file has been encrypted with a password. If this option is set to¢ YES, you will be asked for the password after entering the¢ destination pathname. Pressing [RETURN] will disable the password¢ (incase you inadvertently turned it on). The password can be 1-20¢ characters long, and is not inverse or case sensitive. If you use¢ the wrong password, you may or may not get a "File is Corrupted"¢ message depending on the method of compaction, but the destination¢ file WILL be corrupted.¢ ¢ As with Super Arc, the [D]elete, [F]ormat, [G] Reboot, [H]¢ Return to DOS, and [1-9] directories function just as in Super Arc.¢ See the section entitled 'Using Super UnArc with CP DOSes' for¢ information concerning passing parameters to Super UnArc.¢ ¢ You may view the contents of an arced file by typing [V].¢ Enter the source filename. ".A??" is added to the end of the source¢ filename you enter, so if the extender is .ARC or .ALF (for Arc and¢ AlfCrunch, respectively), the file will be read.¢ ¢ ** PLEASE NOTE!!! IF THE SOURCE FILE HAS NO EXTENDER, ADD A [.]¢ PERIOD AFTER THE SOURCE FILENAME! **¢ ¢ This means if you have a file on drive 3 named TEST (no extender),¢ you should enter "D3:TEST." (note the period after the filename). If¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢ the file was named TEST.ARC, then you would only have to enter¢ "D3:TEST". When viewing a file, each filename, compaction method,¢ and expanded sector size (in single-density sectors) will be shown.¢ The total number of single or enhanced density free sectors needed to¢ uncompact all the files will be displayed at the end. When using¢ double-density, divide the counts by 2 (approximately).¢ ¢ ¢ HOW TO UNARC A FILE¢ ¢ To un-arc or un-alfcrunch a file, first change any parameters¢ you wish in the top box; then type [A]. Enter the source filename¢ (and extender if it is not .ARC or .ALF - see the paragraph on¢ [V]iewing files for information on the source filename). If the file¢ is not found, an "Error 170" will result. You may then use the¢ directory functions to locate the correct name, and try again.¢ Again, remember: IF YOUR SOURCE FILE HAS NO EXTENDER, ADD A PERIOD¢ AFTER THE NAME!¢ ¢ You will now be prompted for "The destination pathname or¢ drive # (& mask)". Entering data at this prompt will do two things:¢ it will tell Super UnArc where to put the destination file(s), and it¢ will also tell which files you wish to recover. If you wanted to¢ extract all files and place them on drive 2, you would simply press¢ [2] and [RETURN]. If you wanted to place them in a subdirectory¢ called "SUBDIR" on drive 3, you would use "D3:SUBDIR>". You may also¢ use "E:" to make the output go to the screen (for viewing text files:¢ use Control 1 to start and stop), or P: to route the output to your¢ printer. Using "N:" will extract each file, but throw away the data¢ (N for Null device). The use for this feature is to test the¢ integrity of the source file (to see if there might be some bad bytes¢ in it).¢ ¢ Also with this prompt, you may select which files to extract¢ from the archive file. For example, if you viewed a sample arc file¢ and found two .DOC files, you could print them out by unarcing to¢ "P:*.DOC". The same thing applies to disk files; to extract all¢ files ending with .BAS in an archive to drive 1, use "D1:*.BAS".¢ (Just "D1:" by itself will extract all files.) Wild cards are not¢ necessary; if you wanted to extract a single file, you could just¢ type in that filename after the destination drive identifier. So¢ there are two ways to extract certain files: enable the Extract with¢ Query option, and/or specify the filespec when entering the¢ destination filemask.¢ ¢ The uncompressing process will now begin. Each filename,¢ compression type, uncompacted length in single-density sectors, and¢ the number of bytes saved by the compaction will be displayed. If¢ you specified a subdirectory for the destination and it is not found,¢ Super UnArc will ask you if you wish to create the directory.¢ Subdirectories are supported for MYDOS and SpartaDOS. If a file¢ exists on your destination with the same name as the one you are¢ about to uncompact, the program will ask you if you wish to overwrite¢ the file ONLY IF the Over-write option is set to NO.¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢ ¢ If you have turned on the "Extract with Query" option, the¢ program will prompt you if you wish to extract the file displayed.¢ Pressing [Y] will extract it, [N] will skip and go to the next entry,¢ [P] will allow you to change the destination drive number/path/mask,¢ [1-9] will allow you disk directories, and [ESC] will terminate the¢ un-arcing process.¢ ¢ If Super UnArc has a problem opening up the destination file,¢ you will be given an error recovery menu. This will allow you to¢ change the destination drive number/path/mask, and do directories.¢ If you gave the wrong drive number, or your destination was¢ write-protected, you can fix it here, then press [RETURN] to¢ continue. If you wish to bail out, press [ESC].¢ ¢ If you have the "Screen Off" set to yes (as it is by default),¢ you will only see each filename as it uncompacts. If you have the¢ "Disk Swaps" set to yes, the screen will remain on, so that you can¢ see when to insert the proper disk. If the screen is "off" and you¢ wish to turn it on, Press [SPACE]. When Super UnArc extracts the¢ next file, the screen will be restored.¢ ¢ The uncompressing process will continue until completion or a¢ major error. If you get the message "File fails CRC check", that¢ file is corrupted and should probably be discarded. The version 1.2¢ of Arc program written by Ralph Walden had a bug that caused this to¢ occur quite often, sometimes because it DID put bad bytes in the¢ file, other times not. If you see a file that was "Squeezed" with a¢ CRC error, it was probably caused by this 1.2 Arc program - Use the¢ file at your own risk. If you get CRC errors on any other type of¢ compacted file, the file DOES have bad bytes is it. If the CRC error¢ is followed by the messages "Not an ARC or ALFCRUNCH file" or "File¢ is corrupted", the source file is DEFINITELY corrupted. You may¢ occasionally get the message "Not an ARC or ALFCRUNCH file" at the¢ end of uncompacting an AlfCrunch file. This is due to extra bytes at¢ the end of the file caused by improper X-modem routines; but all the¢ file(s) will be intact.¢ ¢ Super UnArc supports un-squashing, a method do compaction¢ recently introduced by IBM, ST, and Commodore computers. This new¢ method of compaction requires 16K of additional memory; memory that¢ is really not available on the standard 8-bit Atari. However, if you¢ have a 130XE, upgraded 800XL, or an Axlon-compatible upgraded 800,¢ the last bank of extra memory in these machines will be used.¢ Un-squashing is totally automatic - it is used just like the other¢ methods. If you do not have any extra memory, and you try to unarc a¢ file that was squashed, the program will give you the message "You¢ need >=128K to unsquash", and will end.¢ ¢ When viewing or uncompressing a file, Super UnArc verifies¢ that the file was indeed created by Arc or AlfCrunch. If it is not,¢ it checks to see if the source file was compacted with Diskcomm, or¢ is a binary file. It will report what it finds, or "Not an Arc or¢ AlfCrunch file" is it cannot determine. If there are any garbage¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢ bytes at the beginning of the file (caused by older terminal¢ programs), the program will search ahead to find the true start.¢ ¢ ¢ USING SUPER UN-ARC WITH CP DOSES¢ ¢ As in Super Arc, the program supports parameter passing with¢ command processor DOSes such as DOS XL and SpartaDOS. If there are¢ no parameters specified, or if they are in an improper syntax, the¢ program will ignore them, and display the menu. This is the proper¢ syntax for Super Unarc:¢ ¢ [Dn:]UNARC [Dn:][path>]filename[.ext] Dn:[path>][mask] [/OPQSTX]¢ [password]¢ ¢ The first parameter is the source file (remember ".A??" will¢ be added to the name, so specify the extender if it does not begin¢ with .A), the second is the destination drive number, or path (and¢ mask), and the third optional parameter is the options desired:¢ O = Over-Write set to YES, will overwrite any file with the¢ same name as the destination¢ P = Use a encryption password (the fourth parameter, which is¢ only used with this option)¢ Q = Extract files with Query set to YES¢ S = Have screen remain full during uncompaction¢ T = Use time/date stamp from source file when writing¢ destination files¢ X = Disk Swaps set to YES, for single drive users¢ ¢ You may specify none, any, or all (in any order). The default¢ without any options is: Screen Off:YES, Disk Swaps:NO, Over-Write:NO,¢ Extract with Query:NO, Time/Date stamp:NO, Password encrypt:NO. The¢ fourth parameter is only used if the password [/P] is enabled. Here¢ are some examples:¢ ¢ [Dn:]UNARC D2:TEST 3 /QS¢ ¢ Will uncompact the file D2:TEST.A?? to drive 3, extract with¢ query, and have the screen remain on.¢ ¢ [Dn:]UNARC TEST.JNK P:*.DOC /P DATA¢ ¢ Will uncompact all .DOC files to the printer from the file¢ TEST.JNK on the current drive. It will use the word "DATA" as the¢ password to unencrypt the archive.¢ ¢ [Dn:]UNARC D7:MOD>MYFILE N:¢ ¢ Will verify the integrity of the file MYFILE.A?? in the¢ subdirectory MOD of drive 7.¢ ¢ ¢ CLOSING COMMENTS¢ ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢ I had originally desired to put both Arc and Unarc programs¢ into one, but due to memory constrictions, this was not possible.¢ Both programs require tables over 16K in length, which leaves little¢ for the program itself. In fact, if you use Super Arc or UnArc with¢ a cartridge installed, you will have VERY small I/O buffers.¢ ¢ I would like to take the time to thank all the people who have¢ helped by debugging, giving hints, etc, but this file would be 10K¢ longer! :-) However, a special thanks goes out to all GEnie users,¢ who helped beta-test these two programs, and to Frank Walters, for¢ his intensive de-bugging efforts! Also a special thanks to Glenn¢ Garman, who makes sure everyone can understand my documentation!¢ ¢ A good deal of time has been spent on these programs - much¢ longer than I intended. The public domain, however, needed a good¢ Arc and Unarc program. So I have released this program as Shareware.¢ What this means is that you may use it as you like, and give it to¢ your friends, clubs, etc, without cost. However, I would ask that¢ you consider the time and effort involved in creating a program such¢ as this. Making it compatible with all DOSes was no small feat! If¢ you enjoy the program, consider sending a token of your appreciation.¢ This will provide incentives for me to keep updating and writing¢ other quality utilities for the Atari 8-bit. If you have any¢ suggestions, donations, comments, etc, please send them to:¢ ¢ Robert Puff¢ Suite 222¢ 2117 Buffalo Rd¢ Rochester, N.Y. 14624¢ ¢ I may also be reached on GEnie (mail address is BOB.PUFF),¢ CompuServe (72377,2045), and on these local BBS's:¢ ¢ The Moose BBS (716) 381-5139¢ The Lakeside Manor (716) 338-2453¢ ¢ ¢ TECHNICAL NOTES¢ ¢ Super Arc & UnArc both use the vectors provided at HATABS for¢ screen and keyboard I/O, so re-direction should present no problems.¢ Both programs load in at $6F00, then relocate to LOMEM. If there is¢ not enough room between LOMEM and HIMEM, the programs will display an¢ out-of-memory message, end exit. The remainder of memory from the¢ end of the program to HIMEM is used by input/output buffers; the¢ bigger the buffer the faster the program will run. (Super Arc will¢ just fit when a cartridge is present.) Built-in BASIC will be¢ disabled automatically, unless SpartaDOS is detected. The programs¢ detect Sparta by looking for a "S" in location $0700.¢ ¢ A graphics 0 call is made when the program exits, to maintain¢ compatibility with programs that play with the display list such as¢ TDLINE. Screen memory is saved, so the data on the screen is¢ preserved. If you wish to include Super Arc & UnArc in specific¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢ application software (such as a graphical Operating System), please¢ get ins ouch with me, as small modifications to the program could be¢ easily done.¢ ¢ If you are using MYDOS version 4.0 thru 4.3C, you may wish to¢ upgrade to version 4.5. Super Arc & UnArc will work correctly with¢ the older versions, but certain functions will be much slower. The¢ new version 4.5 of the DOS is in the Public domain, and may be¢ downloaded from the online services. Note: I have not tested Super¢ Arc with the new DOS XE. If you do have any problems, I suggest¢ downloading MYDOS 4.5. It will handle any type of system¢ configuration, and is COMPATIBLE.¢ ¢ Both Super Arc & UnArc support three delimiters for separating¢ subdirectory names: The colon [:], the greater-than sign [>], and the¢ backslash [\].¢ ¢ Bob Puff 01/31/89¢ ¢ P.S. This version 2.4 corrected all known bugs that have been¢ reported to me. Please delete any old versions of either Super Arc¢ or UnArc.¢ ¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢¢
