PROGRAMMERS GUIDE TO VALDOCS (C) 1983 Rising Star Industries A PROGRAMMER'S GUIDE TO VALDOCS Version 1.14 - 1.18 January 1984 Copyright (C) 1984 by Rising Star Industries. All rights reserved. Page Introduction....................................... 1 Chapter 1: The Human Applications Standard Computer Interface.................... 3 Development and Theory........................ 3 Theoretical Background........................ 3 The Challenge Accepted........................ 4 Research Methodology.......................... 4 Case Study: The Automobile.................... 5 Architectural Stabilization................... 6 The Mechanics of Stabilization................ 6 In Search of a Human Interface................ 8 Fundamental Principles........................ 9 The Computer is a Tool........................ 9 Clearly Label the Controls.................... 10 Transportable Knowledge....................... 11 Design Out Technical Choices.................. 12 Predictability................................ 13 Simplicity.................................... 13 Defang the Computer........................... 14 What you See.................................. 16 Consumer Quality.............................. 17 Beyond Theory................................. 17 The Menu...................................... 17 The Choices................................... 18 The System Controls........................... 19 The File Controls............................. 19 The Applications Keys......................... 20 The Typestyle Keys............................ 21 The Third Menu Level.......................... 21 Screen Standardization........................ 21 Rules for Menus............................... 22 The HASCI Keyboard............................ 22 Types of Physical Controls.................... 23 Conclusions................................... 24 Chapter 2: Overview of Valdocs.................... 25 Basic Hardware................................ 25 Software Versions............................. 25 Bank Switching................................ 25 TPM Operating System.......................... 26 Valdocs Support System........................ 27 Valdocs Applications.......................... 27 Rules for Menus............................... 27 Resident Modules.............................. 29 Chapter 3: The TPM Operating System............... 32 QX-10 Memory Organzation...................... 33 TPM Memory Map................................ 33 Zapple Resident Monitor and I/O System........ 34 Command Syntax................................ 35 TPM/CPM Comparison............................ 42 Function Calls................................ 42 BIOS Jump Table Vectors....................... 67 Chapter 4: SYSINIT............................... 69 Chapter 5: The Video Driver Program............. 74 Interfacing to TPM-II........................ 74 Graphics Compatability....................... 74 Bit Definitions.............................. 75 D-OPCODES.................................... 76 Special Character Functions.................. 84 Return Selected Data......................... 85 Return Flags................................. 87 Return Error Return Codes.................... 88 Screen Handling Operations................... 89 Vector Drawing Operations.................... 99 Font and Style Design........................ 105 Chapter 6: The Valdocs Editor.................... 108 Introduction................................. 108 History...................................... 108 File Types................................... 108 Storing a Document........................... 109 Restart File................................. 109 Long File Handler............................ 110 Other Functions.............................. ixo Hard Characters.............................. 110 Soft Characters.............................. 111 Imbedded Sequences........................... 111 Control Characters........................... 111 Chapter 7: The Valdocs Indexer................... 115 Introduction................................. 115 Index Structure.............................. 115 File Structure............................... 115 File Headers................................. 116 Index Operations............................. 116 Operation Commends........................... 117 Chapter 8: Other Valdocs File Controls........... 120 MAIL......................................... 120 MAIL Protocol................................ 120 PRINT........................................ 123 SYSINIT Spooler Operation.................... 123 Spooler Capacity............................. 123 Screen Selections............................ 123 The Address Book............................. 123 The Hash Table............................... 124 The Hash Formula............................. 124 Hash Collisions.............................. 124 Deleting a Name.............................. 125 Address Book/Mailing Label Header Format..... 125 Hash Record.................................. 126 Address Card Format.......................... 126 SENDLDG and RECVLDG Formats.................. 127 Error Messages............................... 127 Modem 7 Program.............................. 128 Chapter 9: Valdocs Applications.................. 132 MENU......................................... 132 CALC......................................... 132 BCD Format................................... 132 ASCII/BCDE................................... 133 GFLOAT....................................... 133 DADP......................................... 133 Arithmetic................................... 134 Comparisons.................................. 134 Useful Words................................. 134 Stack Manipulations.......................... 135 Printing a BCD Number........................ 135 SCHED........................................ 136 File Structures.............................. 136 Header Definitions........................... 136 Loading and Memory........................... 137 HELP and PRINT............................... 137 Timer........................................ 138 Other Functions.............................. 138 Error Massages............................... 138 DRAW......................................... 138 Bar Graph Format............................. 139 Line Graph Format............................ 140 Scientific Graph Format...................... 141 Pie Graph Format............................. 142 Chapter 10: Valdocs System Controls and Utilitias 143 SETUP UTILITY................................ 143 HELP......................................... 143 BYSINIT Operations........................... 143 STOP......................................... 144 SYSINIT Operations........................... 144 COPY DISK.................................... 145 UNDO......................................... 145 Appendices A. CMDS Clock Chip RAM Locations............. 146 B. Video Control and Escape Key Charts....... 150 C. QX-10/QC-10 Comparisan Chart.............. 152 D. Matrix/Hex Keyboard Conversion Chart...... 159 E. HASCI Extensions.......................... 169 F. RS-232c Pin Assignments................... 172