From: rossi@opal.cs.tu-berlin.de (Oliver Rosenkranz)
Subject: Screen Aided Management
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Organization: Techn. University of Berlin, Germany
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Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 16:19:42 GMT

Hi there !

Have you ever heard of a software package named S.A.M. ?

You are thinking of a speech synthesizer ?
Hmm, you're right and you are not right, too.

There is another software package out there. It is called

	SCREEN AIDED MANAGEMENT   (S.A.M.)   .

What is S.A.M. ?
----------------
S.A.M. is a disk-based desktop for the ATARI XL/XE, but it is much more
than this...

* S.A.M. uses windows.

* you can work with 80 columns per row

* you have pull-down menues

* S.A.M. can be controlled by keyboard,joystick AND mouse

* You are able to lock/unlock/delete/rename files

* You can choose your woking disk drive (1-8)

* You can copy/format disks, read/write sectors

* You can show directories and create/edit/show a text of 80x16 bytes
  without reduce the capacity of your DOS 2.5 disk

* You can start some utilities (I will describe them later in this text)

* You are able to start accessories.

* You can exit this program to DOS or boot system.

* This program is documented in a way which makes it easy to program your
  own accessories and programs for S.A.M. (It's an open system).
  This is because all your programs written for S.A.M have the chance to
  use windows,pull-down-menues, 80 columns per row and all the other features
  of S.A.M. .

Utilities :
-----------
There is a number of 6 utilities coming with S.A.M. which make it a
powerful software package for everyone.

a) Character Set Editor mono
b) Character Set Editor color
c) Memobox
d) Memory Monitor
e) S.A.M. Texter
f) painting program S.A.M. Painter

a) CHAREDITOR MONO

   easy way to edit 8x8 fonts for GRAPHICS 0 or 8 (all mono).
   Features:
   LOAD - load a set with DOS fileheader or without
   SAVE - save the edited set without a file header (DOS format)
   OLD  - copies the ATARI char set into the editor
   CLS  - zeroes the character set buffer
   CLM  - zeroes the actual selected character
   COPY - copies a character to another
   EXIT - leave CHAREDITOR and branch to S.A.M.'s main menu (without loading)

   There five sections on the screen :
   1. name of the program and EXIT icon
   2. the 8x8 matrix of the selected character
   3. all characters in order of their code
   4. 4 (maybe 3 or 5 -can't remember) lines where you can combine
      characters and see how the text will lokk (or the graphic made by the
      font)
   5. a menu line where you can choose what you want to do

b) CHAREDITOR COLOR

   nearly the same as (a) with few exceptions.
   You can create four-color fonts (for GRAPHICS 12,13,15...) on a 4x8 matrix.
   There are three fields where you can choose the colors of your font (not
   the backgroud color).
   OLD doesn't produce the ATARI font (useless) but a ready-to-use four-
   color font to the editor.

c) MEMOBOX

   this is a powerful file manager.
   You can manage up to 96 cards/files per disk side, each 32x16(=512)
   bytes large. You have 4 cards in memory at one time. For each disk side
   exists a catalog file where you can specify your files.

   The menu line :

   EDIT        CREATE              SPECIAL         SHOW           EXIT
   --------------------------------------------------------------------
   Edit file#  Create MEMOBOXdisk  SEARCH IN PAGE  SHOW PAGE	  DOS
				   SEARCH IN CAT.  SHOW CATALOG   S.A.M.
				   NEW WORKDISK
				   CHOOSE MASK
				   PRINT ON/OFF
   
   It would be too much to say something to all these features and the
   special key combinations. You can work with input masks and you can copy
   cards and part of files to others and much more...

d) MONITOR

   It's a memory monitor. Here it's features :

   FILL    - choose a part of the memory and fill it with a certain code.
   CHANGE  - direct change of memory (like POKE in BASIC but more comfortable)
   FILE :
   LOAD    - loads a machine language program in DOS foramt
   SAVE    - saves such a program
   DUMP :
   ASC-DUMP- dump memory in hex- and in ascii-code
   SCREEN-DUMP   - shows memory in hex- and in screen-code
   BINARY-DUMP   - shows memory in hex- and in binary code
   EXIT :
   JMP ADDRESS   - goes to a machine language program which mustn't end
		   with an RTS
   JSR ADDRESS   - jumps to a machine language routine which has to end with
		   an RTS command

e) S.A.M. TEXTER

   This is one of the best text processing programs ever made...

   The menu line :

   STANDARDS		OPTIONS		FILE	    PRINT	    EXIT
   --------------------------------------------------------------------------
   left margin		Clear		directory   preview	    DOS
   right margin		blank text	save	    print	    S.A.M.
   colours		insert		load	     -font
   keyboard (german)	delete		format	     -parameter
   keyboard (internat.) swap text
   wordwrap		move text
			copy text
			centre
			grouped style
			ungroupe
			format text
			(undo)

   There are are lot of features not mentioned here (interrupt printings,set
   marks,write modi etc.).
   Text will not be deleted if you exit to DOS or to S.A.M. .

f) S.A.M. PAINTER
   
   128 color painting program, works like KoalaPad (but with joystick/mouse)

   Icons :
   -Draw	-Line		-Lines		-Rays		-Box
   -Frame	-Disk		-Circle		-Fill		-Zoom
   -Cut		-Paste		-Flip		-Flap		-Modify
   -Text	-Undo		-Clear		-Setcol		-Graphics
   -Choose Brushes  -Choose Colours

   menu line :
   SAVE		LOAD	PRINT	MENU	S.A.M.		Choose Pattern

   function keys :

   OPTION - loads the four colors of the selected row into the PATTERN line
   START  - saves picture to security memory
   SELECT - changes color of the arrow
   HELP	  - switches arrow between menu line and picture
   RESET  - return to ICON menu and UNDO
   cursor keys - move arrow with tabulator steps

   Most of the features are really great to handle.
   You can produce pictures with overall 128 colors (4 in each line)
   and there is a way to load those pictures to your own programs.
   You also can load/save micropainter pictures (62 sector format).


Accessories :
-------------
The most amazing feature of S.A.M. (for me) is that you can load (and
write them for yourself) accessories from the main menu...
There are several ready-to-use accessories for S.A.M. :

g) multifile copier
h) S.A.M. text converter
i) tabular calculating program BUDGET (don't know if this is correct English)
j) S.A.M. Painter upgrader
k) Fireball (game)
l) S.A.M. Designer
m) S.A.M. Patcher V 1.0

g) MULTIFILE COPY

   WYSIWYG. It works with icons for each file of the disk (like ATARI ST).
   It knows three kind of icons :
   - source codes (.SCR,.ASM,.BAS,.TUR)
   - object files (.OBJ,.SYS,.COM)
   - data files (all other endings)

   It supports up to 4 disks and up to for RAMdisks (partitions).
   24 icons are shown at once, you can scroll the window.
   To copy a file just click it.
   The program knows when you put a disk into a drive automatically.

   A great utility (graphic-based one).
   Get it!

h) S.A.M. TEXT CONVERTER

   S.A.M. Texter uses it's own format to save files on disk.
   This program converts this format to others an other formats to
   the S.A.M. Texter format, so you can use YOUR texts with other programs
   too.
   SAM > ASCII
   ASCII > SAM
   ATARI Writer > SAM
   Startexter > SAM
   Austro.Text > SAM

   (Startexter & Austro.Text are European (German and Austrian) products
    with a high quality standard)

i) BUDGET

   do calculation and tabular workings of all kinds...

   You work with a worksheet of 16x64 fields (9x17 fields on the screen every-
   time). Only move the arrow in the direction you want to scroll the screen.
   You can work with number- operation- and text fields.

   The menu line :
   FILE		  EDIT		CALC		PRINT			EXIT
   ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
   save worksheet goto position	calculate	print all		S.A.M.
   load worksheet erase pos.	clear results	print columns a - h	boot
   save area	  clear all	down column	print columns i - p
   load area	  clear row	across row	show printer info
   format drive	  clear column	left aligned
   current drive  move row	right aligned
		  move column	integer
		  copy row	2 dec. places
		  copy column
		  insert row
		  delete row
		  kill block

  You work with a fileselector box (Greetings to ATARI ST).
  To edit a field, just move the arrow on it and push mouse/joystick trigger.
  You can work with operators (+ - * /) and functions.
  SQ - square root
  LO - ld(x)
  LN - ln(x)
  EX - exponential function (???)
  AB - |x|
  SU - adds fields
  AV - average of fields
  MI - minimum
  MA - maximum

  There is a keyboard buffer installed (whether or not your DOS uses one).

j) S.A.M. PAINTER UPGRADE ACCESSORY

   features :

   LOAD SECTORS    - loads 62 sectors of a disk (not a file)
		     after this you can load others or leave this feature
   LOAD FILE	   - loads a picture in micro painter format
   WRITE SECTORS   - saves 62 sectors on a disk
   INIT DISK	   - formats disk in medium density (I guess)
   DIRECTORY	   - shows directory, if you move the arrow on a file name
		     and push the trigger the file will be loaded
   VERIFY ON/OFF   - guess what this means
   I/O SOUND ON/OFF- like POKE 65,0 or POKE 65,255
   DRIVE 1/2	   - you can choose your working drive between drive 1 and 2
   MICROPAINTER	   - chooses the micro painter format (4 colors will be saved)
   SAM-PAINTER	   - guess what this means
   ENTER S.A.M.    - go to main menu
   ENTER DOS	   - go to DOS menu
   COLDSTART	   - boot system

k) FIREBALL

   you are working with S.A.M. desktop for hours and hours and now want to
   relax a bit and play something to get new energy for coming tasks ?
   But you don't want to leave S.A.M. at all and reboot it after playing a
   while ?
   Okay, here is a nice game for you using some S.A.M. features and using
   the S.A.M. desktop.

   Fireball is a breakout-like game with four different levels.
   You can choose in the difficulty box between Beginner,Novice, Expert and
   Special.
   Special is like Expert level plus all the stones of the wall are invisible.

l) S.A.M. DESIGNER

   High-Resolution-Drawing program (CAD)

   it is one of the diamonds in this package...

   only some of its features :

   - all draw functions are gum band functions

   - very fast FILL and UNFILL routines

   - textfunctions with using different types of fonts, cursive and propor-
     tional writing ...

   - text created with S.A.M. texter can be loaded and placed on the screen
     (with all their text attributes)

   - Icon libraries (electronic elements, circuit database)

   - CUT & PASTE

   - as many printer driver as you want

   - easy self producing of own printer driver

   - all the 'normal' functions every good quality program for the XL/XE has

   - and more...

   - fast and easy to control

m) S.A.M. PATCHER V 1.0

   a simple to use patch compiler for S.A.M.
   write with S.A.M. texter your own patch listing and the compiler changes
   S.A.M. like you want to...

   - Memobox compatible to your printer

   - texter compatible with other printers as the epson-compatible's
     (like ATARI 1029 or ALL the pseudy epsons)

   - make multifile copier compatible to floppy drive XF551
    
   - patch the color combination of S.A.M.s main menu

   ...


Still there  ?
You're missing a program for your special problem ?
If you (or someone you know) know assembly language and have time to
solve the problem you can easily program your own accessories for S.A.M.
(and maybe give them to the community of S.A.M. users)

And here is how it goes :

ATARI 800 XL memory (when S.A.M. is installed)

$0000-----------------------------------------------
	OS variables and vectors
$0600-----------------------------------------------
	S.A.M. variables
$0700-----------------------------------------------
	DOS
$1F00-----------------------------------------------
	free memory
$2400-----------------------------------------------
	S.A.M.
$2600-----------------------------------------------
	free memory (but is temporary used by S.A.M.)
$3000-----------------------------------------------
	font
$3400-----------------------------------------------
	player graphics
$3800-----------------------------------------------
	S.A.M. vector list
$3900-----------------------------------------------
	S.A.M.
$6010-----------------------------------------------
	Screen
$8000-----------------------------------------------
	S.A.M. utility
$xxxx----(depends on length of utility)-------------
	free memory
$C000-----------------------------------------------
.
.
.

The utility which loads the accessories and controls them uses
the memory from $8000 to $83FF.So, S.A.M. accessories are machine
language programs executable at address $8400.
There are three kinds of accessories :
1) 'free' accessories; they don't use any S.A.M. routines/variables
   and they don't return to S.A.M. Those accessories may allocate the
   whole memory of the XL.

2) 'semi-free' accessories; they don't use any of S.A.M.'s routines/
   vaiables and return to S.A.M. . Those accessories must not touch the
   memory which S.A.M. needs.

3) S.A.M. accessories; they use S.A.M.'s routines/variables and return to
   S.A.M. . See 2).

The menu screen of S.A.M. is still active when the accessory starts.

There is a list of S.A.M. system variables and routines (quite nice and
quite a lot of stuff).
Please gimme a hint if you want further details.
If no one answers, I take your disinterest for granted.

--==rossi==--
rossi@cs.tu-berlin.de
Oliver Rosenkranz


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