RT-11 Floppy Interchange Program


                           Written by:

                           Dick Murphy
                  Digital Equipment Corporation
                      Santa Clara, CA 95051


                          User's notes
                          User's notes
                          User's notes


    This program is used to manipulate RT-11  floppy  disk  file
structures under OS/8. Both single and double  density  floppies
can be accessed.

    The operations available allow most of the functions of OS/8
PIP to be simulated on the RT-11 disk. These functions include:

    1.   Creating a file on a RT-11 floppy

    2.   Copying a file from an RT-11 floppy to an
         OS/8 device (disk, dectape, TTY:, LPT:, etc.)

    3.   Deleting files from the RT-11 floppy

    4.   Listing the directory of the RT-11 floppy

    5.   ZEROing (INITing) the directory of a floppy
         to an empty state.

    The user interface is similar to the OS/8 command decoder.

    When the program desires file specifications, it  prints  an
asterisk (*) and waits for input. The file specification line is
very similar to OS/8's. A sample input line is detailed below:

    *RTFLOP.PAL<RTFLOP.PA/O$

    The "*" is the prompt printed when the program wants  input.
The name "RTFLOP.PAL" is the name of a file to be created on  an
RT-11 floppy. The "<" character specifies that this is an output
file, and that the input file names  are  to  follow.  The  name
"RTFLOP.PA" is the name of the OS/8 file to be  read  to  create
the RT-11 file. The characters "/O" are an option flag  used  to
specify the operation  to  be  performed.  In  this  case,  they
specify that the RT-11 file is an Output file.


    The general command line is of the form

    *output<input/opt[/opt]....{$} or {return}

    Where "output" is an output file specification  and  "input"
is an input file specification. For an RT-11 file, the spec is a
file name, of up to six characters, a  period,  followed  by  an
extension of up to three characters. If there is  no  extension,
the period following the name can be omitted. The OS/8 file spec
uses the standard name format "device:file.ex" explained in  the
OS/8 Handbook, page 1-45.







    The "<" character is used to separate the output  file  from
the input file. If only an output file is to be specified,  this
"<" character can be omitted.

    The file names are followed by at  least  one  and  possibly
several option flags. These are entered by typing  a  slash  "/"
followed by the desired character, for example "/L".

    The possible options are detailed later.  If  a  "$",  which
could be either a dollar sign, escape, or alt mode character, is
used to end the command line, it tells the program to return  to
the OS/8 monitor when it is done processing this command. If  an
error occurs while executing this command,  however,the  program
will prompt with another "*". If the command line is ended  with
a return, the program will prompt with another "*"  when  it  is
finished executing the command.

    While entering this command line,  all  the  normal  editing
functions of OS/8 can be used. Rubout deletes the last character
entered, and ^U (control-U) deletes the entire line.  Line  feed
causes the line being entered to be retyped.

    If a  character  is  entered  which  the  program  does  not
understand,  the  terminal  bell  rings  and  the  character  is
ignored. The OS/8  wildcard  characters  "*"  and  "?"  are  not
functional and are ignored. (See the OS/8  Handbook,  page  1-55
for a description of wildcards).


                       Functions Available
                       Functions Available
                       Functions Available


    The function desired is entered in a  command  string  as  a
slash option  of  the  form  "/char"  where  "char"  is  a  one-
character option flag. The available options are:

Option        Operation

/O            Write RT-11 file (RT 'O'utput)
/I            Read RT-11 file (RT 'I'nput)
/L            List RT-11 directory
/D            Delete RT-11 file
/Z            ZERO RT-11 directory
/V            Print RTFLOP's version
/0 (zero)     Select drive zero
/1 (one)      Select drive one


    Only one option  at  a  time  can  be  performed;  the  last
operation switch (i.e. "O", "I", "L", "D", or "Z") in the  input
string is the one executed.

(This limitation of one option switch does not include the drive
selection options, /0 and /1. Also, the Version option (/V)  can
be included in any command line.)






/O Option - Write RT-11 File
____________________________

    This option is used to create a  RT-11  file  from  an  OS/8
device. The format of the command is:

    *rtfile.ext<[dev:]osfile.ex/O[/1][/0]

    rtfile =  Name of the RT11 output file
    osfile =  Name of the OS/8 input file

    The items in braces ([]) are optional; if no device is given
for the OS/8 file, DSK:  is  assumed;  if  no  drive  number  is
specified, the same drive as  last  specified  is  used.  RTFLOP
initially assumes drive zero is to be used. After /1 is  entered
to change to drive one, this drive is  used  in  all  subsequent
commands until /0 is entered to change back to drive zero.

    If a file with the same name  as  the  file  to  be  created
exists on the floppy already, it is deleted before the new  file
is written. This means that if the new file  cannot  be  created
due to an I/O error, neither copy  of  the  file  exists.  Sorry
about that.

/I - Read RT-11 file
____________________

    This option is used to copy a file from an RT-11  device  to
an OS/8 device.

    The command string is as follows:

    *[dev:][osname.ex]<rtname.ex/I[/0][/1]

    Again, the braces enclose optional items. If no OS/8  device
is specified, DSK: is assumed. If a non-file  structured  output
device is specified (such as TTY: or LPT:) the file name is  not
needed. If no unit switch (/0 or/1) is  given,  the  last  drive
accessed is assumed.


/L - List directory
___________________

    This option is used to  list  the  directory  of  the  RT-11
floppy. The listing is given in four columns. The first  is  the
name of the file, the second is  it's  size  (in  decimal),  the
third is its starting block number (also decimal) and  the  last
column is the file's creation date.  Also  included  is  summary
information about the number of files and free blocks.

    The format of the command string is:

    *[dev:][name.ex]</L[/0][/1]

    If no device is specified, TTY: is assumed. If only  a  file
name is entered, TTY: is  still  assumed.  This  means  that  an
explicit device name must be entered to cause a  listing  to  be
written to a mass storage device, including DSK:.

    For example:

    *LPT:/L        List on line printer
    *DIR.DI/L      Lists on TTY:!
    *DSK:DIR.DI/L  Creates listing file on DSK:










/D - Delete RT-11 file
______________________

    This option is used to delete a file from  a  RT-11  floppy.
This can be used to try to gain space to copy  another  file  to
the floppy. The command string is:

    *file.ext/D[/0][/1]


/Z - Zero the floppy
____________________

    This option writes a new directory on the  floppy  with  one
empty file. This is necessary if yours is a new floppy or if  it
has an OS/8 directory. The command string is:

    */Z[/0][/1]

    To be sure that this is what you want, the program asks:

    Zero - are you sure?

    Respond with "Y" if you want a new directory.


                       General Information
                       General Information
                       General Information


                      Assembly Instructions
                      Assembly Instructions
                      Assembly Instructions


    Type the following:

    .PAL RTFLOP/L
    .SAVE dev RTFLOP=2401


    This program requires 8K  of  memory  to  run.  The  program
itself resides in field zero, field one  is  used  for  buffers,
message storage, and the like. RTFLOP V3 will run on either RX01
or RX02 floppy drives, and allows access  of  either  single  or
double density RT-11 floppies on an RX02 drive.  Double  density
RT-11 floppies are an excellent archival medium as they  utilize
8 bit mode to access the floppy disk, whigh provides  about  25%
more file storage area than the OS/8 12-bit packing scheme.


    This program will run under BATCH. The  commands  should  be
entered into the batch stream as one normally does.

    This program does  not  recognize  wildcards.  Therefore,  a
command such as :

    *ABC???.PAL<*.PA/O

is  illegal.  However,  There  are  two  OS/8   BASIC   programs
distributed with this program which  allow  one  to  approximate
this function.

    The first program copies a series of OS/8 files to  a  RT-11
floppy. The second copies a series of files from a RT-11  floppy
to an OS/8 device.






              RTOUT.BA - Writing files to a floppy


    This program reads a file with a  list  of  file  names  and
creates a BATCH stream to write  the  files  to  a  floppy.  The
format of the entries in this file is:

namexx.ex
nameyy.ex
namezz.ex
    .
    .
    .


    Where each "name" is padded with blanks,  if  necessary,  to
six characters.


    The DIRECT command can be used  to  create  this  file.  For
example,

    .DIR FILE<SYS:*.BN=1

creates  a  file  called  FILE.DI  with  the  desired  directory
listing. The "=1" is necessary to insure a  one-column  listing.
Giving this file to  RTOUT  will  copy  all  files  with  a  .BN
extension to a floppy.

    To execute RTOUT, enter a EXECUTE command:

    .EXECUTE RTOUT.BA

RTOUT will ask you for the name of the file  that  contains  the
OS/8 directory, the extension to give the RT-11 files,  and  the
name of the OS/8 device that has the files to be copied.

    To copy all the .PA files on RKB0: to  a  floppy,  type  the
commands:

    .DIR PALFIL<RKB0:*.PA=1
    .EXEC RTOUT

    For RTOUT to function, BATCH.SV must reside on SYS:.

    Another  BASIC  program  is  provided  which  provides   the
converse function to RTOUT. This program  copies  files  from  a
floppy to an  OS/8  device.  This  program,  RTIN.BA,  is  quite
similar to RTOUT.

    To copy all the files from a floppy to an OS/8 device:

    .R RTFLOP
    *SYS:FLOP.DI/L$ (generate a directory listing)
    .EXEC RTIN.BA

    You then answer the questions, specifying  the  output  OS/8
device, the extension to be given to the files, and the name  of
the directory file. You  can  edit  the  directory  file  before
running RTIN in order to select files to be copied.












                      RTFLOP Error Messages
                      RTFLOP Error Messages
                      RTFLOP Error Messages


                        Bad slash option

    The character following a "/" was not one of the  following:
V, I, O, L, Z, D, 1, 0.

                         No option flag

    No file copy ("I" or "O") or directory listing ("L")  option
was  specified.  Re-enter   the   command   with   a   operation
specification.

                          Bad directory

    The directory  on  the  floppy  has  an  invalid  structure.
(Possibly an OS/8 directory)

                          No Input file

    Both input and  output  files  were  required,  but  no  "<"
separator character was found.

                      Handler fetch failed

    An attempt to fetch the OS/8 handler specified failed.  This
usually means that a non-existant device was specified.

                         OS/8 I/O Error

    An I/O error ocurred reading or writing the OS/8 file.

                   Cannot specify RT-11 device

    A device specification (e.g. RXA0:) was found in  the  RT-11
name. This is illegal. Use /0 and /1 to specify drives.

                         Need file name

    A file structured OS/8 device was  specified  for  input  or
output without giving a file name.

                          Out dev full

    The OS/8 output device did not have sufficient  empty  space
for the directory listing.

                       OS/8 File overflow

    The empty space on the OS/8 device was too small to hold the
output file. SQUISH or try another device.

                         File not found

    The input file specified could not be found.

                  Segment full (SQUEEZE floppy)

    The last open segment of the RT-11 directory is full. RTFLOP
cannot create a new file on this floppy. A SQUEEZE  under  RT-11
may fix this.







                        No room on floppy

    There was not enough room on the floppy for the output file.
SQUEEZE or delete files to create room.

                        Floppy I/O error

    An input or output error ocurred on the floppy. Read  errors
are retried eight times before this message. Write  errors  fail
immediately.