It sounds like I'm probably using the wrong BASIC, from the suggestions that
I've received. Thanks, by the way. So my next question would be, is there a
way to find out which version of BASIC I should be using by looking at the
program in a text editor, or something like that? I think that some of these
programs may tell me in the introduction lines but I know that at least some
of them don't.
Also, what would be the reason that someone would distribute their programs
in .ASM form, instead of in .COM form? Is this so that other people can edit
or change them before they use them? That could be good, I guess but it
seems like a lot of extra work for the end user (me.)
These disks were produced by an old CP/M user group, and they are labeled by
disk number (5a, 5b, 28a, 28b for example,) and they are a confusing mess.
Some of the programs have files scattered between numerous disks, mixed in
with bits and pieces of other programs. Sheesh. It's going to take some
time to sort this headache out. I must be out of my mind.
Ernest
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org
[mailto:owner-classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org]On Behalf Of Fred Cisin
(XenoSoft)
Sent: Wednesday, April 26, 2000 10:20 AM
To: classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org
Subject: Re: Opening CP/M files (.asm/.bas)
> In Mbasic try:
> LOAD "B:FILENAME.BAS"
> then you can list/modify it.
> Could also be that the .bas files are written for the other popular CP/M
> basic : CBASIC.
Or for a different version of the same BASIC. MBASIC 4.51 and MBASIC 5.03
had changes in their tokenizing. To convert between, the best way is to
find the version of BASIC that's right for the file, load the file, and
SAVE "B:FILENAME.BAS" ,A
to save in full text rather than tokenized. you can then save again
without the ,A from the new version.
Or, there may any of a variety of other corruptions of the file.
"Direct Statement in File" can come up from almost any line in the file
that BASIC can't parse.
> The .ASM files need to be compiled to run I think. If I recall the
> assembler is called MASM on your system disk.
<Picky>
It's called ASSEMBLED, although the difference between that and COMPILED
would be of interest to few outside this list.
MASM is the "Macro assembler". Look for ASM.COM on the system disk.
</Picky>
--
Grumpy Ol' Fred cisin_at_xenosoft.com
Received on Thu Apr 27 2000 - 09:42:22 BST