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AA-N603C-TH

May 1984

215 pages

Original

15MB

Document:	Professional Hard Hisk Users Guide Version 2.0 1984
Order Number:	AA-N603C-TH
Revision:	0
Pages:	215
Original Filename:	http://bitsavers.org/pdf/dec/pdp11/pro3xx/POS/AA-N603C-TH_Professional_Hard_Hisk_Users_Guide_Version_2.0_1984.pdf

OCR Text

~amaama

Third Edition
The information in this document is subject to change without notice and should not be
construed as a commitment by Digital Equipment Corporation. Digital Equipment Corporation assumes no responsibility for any errors that may appear in this document.
The software described in this document is furnished under a license and may only be used
or copied in accordance with the terms of such license.
No responsibility is assumed for the use or reliability of software on equipment that is not
supplied by DIGITAL or its affiliated companies.
The specifications and drawings, herein, are the property of Digital Equipment Corporation and shall not be reproduced or copied or used in whole or in part as the basis for the
manufacture or sale of items without written permission.
Copyright © 1983, 1984 by Digital Equipment Corporation
All Rights Reserved
The following are trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation:
CTI BUS
DEC
DECmate
DECnet
DECsystem-IO
DECSYSTEM-20
DECUS
DECwriter
DIBOL

mamaama ™

MASSBUS
PDP
P/OS
PRO/BASIC
PRO/Communications
PRO/DECnet
Professional
PRO/FMS
PRO/RMS
PROSE
PROSE PLUS

Rainbow
RSTS
RSX
Tool Kit
UNIBUS
VAX
VMS
VT
Work Processor

Changes To This Edition
This edition of the Professional 300 Series User's Guide describes Version 2.0
of the P/OS Hard Disk operating system.
If you are new to the Professional, read this book thoroughly.
If you are an experienced Professional user, you need only read the sections of

this book which have changed from Version 1.7. Specifically, you should look at
Chapter 8 to read about the new features of Print Services (especially "Set
Printer Characteristics"), and read Appendix C to learn how to use your Professional with PRO/DECnet.
Appendix D describes the login/logout application which DIGITAL is providing
with Version 2.0 of P/OS.
Version 2.0 of PROSE allows editing of files on remote nodes if you have PRO/
DECnet.

Preface
This book explains how to use a Professional 350 with a hard ("Winchester")
disk. This basic personal computer system consists of a system unit, a monitor,
and a keyboard:

iii

You can also buy, as an option, one of the following printers:

a o o

Before you read this book, you should install your Professional 350 hardware as
described in the Installation Instructions.
Use this book as you learn to use your Professional. You do not need to know
anything about computers to read the book. Once you have learned to use your
Professional, you can use the book as a reference, along with the Reference
Card.
Certain terms in this book are highlighted in italics at their first use and are also
included in the Glossary at the end of the book.

OTHER BOOKS IN THE PROFESSIONAL 300 SERIES

Installation Instructions (AZ-N626B-TH)-Tells you how to set up your
Professional 350 hardware. Special installation instructions come with additional hardware:
Extended Bit Map Module (EJ-25028 83)
Floating Point Adapter (EJ-25027 83)
Floor Stand (EJ-23508 82)
Hard Disk (EJ-25026 83)
Memory Module (EJ-25029 83)
Owner's Manual (AZ-N597C-TH)-A reference book for Professional 350 hardware. It tells you what to do if you have problems with the hardware.
For Beginners: Hard Disk System (AA-N604C-TH)-If you are new to computing, use this book to learn, step by step, how to do useful work on the Professional. Before you can use For Beginners, PIOS and PROSE should be installed
on your disk, as described in Chapters 2 and 3 of the User's Guide.
PRO/BASIC Language Manual (AA-N601C-TH)-A reference guide to the
PRO/BASIC language, an application you can buy for your Professional which
you can use to write your own programs.
PRO/Communications Manual: Hard Disk System (AA-AH55A-TH)-Tells
you how to use PRO/Communications, an application you can buy for your
Professional which enables you to use your Professional in conjunction with
other computers.
Reference Card for Hard Disk System (AV-P389D-TH)-This pocket reference
card includes summary descriptions of the Professional function keys and some
of the P/OS menus.
Beginner's Guide to Repair (EY-1277E-PO)-An illustrated book that can help
you learn to service your Professional.
Command Language User's Guide (AA-Z252B-TH)-A guide to the Digital
Command Language (DCL), which is included on a diskette with your P/OS
software.
EDT Quick Reference Guide (AA-M477A-TK)-A guide to the EDT editor,
which is included on a diskette with your P/OS software.
v

Of the books listed, only the PRO/BASIC Language Manual requires knowledge of computers or programming. If you want to learn more about how
computers work or how to write programs, there are many introductory books
available.
PROFESSIONAL SYSTEM OVERVIEW

The Professional System Overview, which comes on two diskettes (order numbers BL-N596C-BH and BL-N634C-BH) in your Media and Documentation box,
is another way to learn about the Professional. This course presents information
about the Professional on the screen. You type in responses as you read through
the information. You can learn the basics about using your Professional before
you begin using your other applications. The topics covered include:
0

Introduction

Computer Basics

File Services

PROSE

Disk/Diskette Services

Introduction to BASIC

Introduction to Communications

To use the Professional System Overview, you must install it on your disk after
you install P/OS as described in Chapter 2. Chapter 3 explains how to install and
use the Professional System Overview.

Contents
CHAPTER 1

OVERVIEW

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CHAPTER 2

INSTALLING P/OS

Handling Diskettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Inserting a Diskette in a Diskette Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
The Installation Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
CHAPTER 3

GETTING STARTED USING
YOUR PROFESSIONAL

The Main Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Choosing from a Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Recovering from Mistakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Installing Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using the Professional System Overview..............................
Ending a Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CHAPTER 4

25
27
28
28
33
34

MORE MENUS, FORMS, AND FUNCTION KEYS

Menu Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Getting Information on the Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Message Line(s) and/or Beep..................................
Getting Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Message/Status Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

38
39
39
40
43
vii

More Function Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The HOLD SCREEN Key .........................................
The PRINT SCREEN Key....................................... . .
The INTERRUPT Key............................................
The SET-UP Key.................................................
The ADDTNL OPTIONS Key ................................ , . . . . .
The COMPOSE CHARACTER Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Choosing Applications from Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Services and Applications Menus and Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CHAPTER 5

INTRODUCTION TO THE P/OS FILES SYSTEM

General Description of Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
What Is a File? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
File Storage: Volumes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
File Grouping: Directories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
File Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
File Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
File Versions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Working with Directories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Choosing a File from a Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Wildcards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Additional Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Changing Directories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Displaying More Directory Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Protecting Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Backing Up Your Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Preventing Accidental File Deletion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using Write-Protect Tabs on Diskettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Unlocking Locked Files...........................................
The Active Light. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CHAPTER 6

61
61
62
62
64
67
68
69
70
70
72
74
74
76
77
77
78
79
79
80

FILE SERVICES

Back Up Disk File(s).................................................
To Back Up One Disk File: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
To Back Up More Than One Disk File: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
To Back Up an Entire Directory: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Change File(s) Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Clean Up Old File Versions...........................................
Copy File(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
viii

44
44
44
44
44
52
53
54
57

84
84
87
89
92
94
97

Delete File(s). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Display File ......................................................... 101
Rename File/Change File Type ....................................... 103
Restore Disk File(s). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Show Current Directory ............................................. 107
Show Directory ..................................................... 110
Show List of Directories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Specify New Current Directory ....................................... 114
CHAPTER 7

DISK/DISKETTE SERVICES

Copy Diskette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Create Directory .................................................... 119
Delete Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Initialize Diskette ................................................... 121
Install Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Remove Application ................................................. 124
Show Current Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Show Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Show List of Directories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Specify New Current Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Unlock a Locked File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
CHAPTER 8

USING A PRINTER WITH YOUR PROFESSIONAL

Using Print Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Using Print Services with PRO/DECnet ........................... 136
Mini-Exchange ................................................... 136
Alternatives to Print Services ........................................ 136
P/OS ............................................................ 136
The PRINT SCREEN Key ......................................... 136
Digital Command Language (DCL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Printing Picture Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
ReGIS to GIDIS Converter ....................................... 137
Types of Printers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
LA50 ........................................................... 137
LAlOO .......................................................... 138
LQP02 .......................................................... 138
Other ........................................................... 138
Types of Plotters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
LVP16 .......................................................... 138
Hewlett-Packard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
ix

CHAPTER 9

PRINT SERVICES

Abandon Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Continue Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Pause Printing ...................................................... 144
Print File(s). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Restart Printing ..................................................... 147
Set Printer Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
View Status. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
CHAPTER10

PROSE

Elementary Prose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
The PROSE Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Create New File ............................................. 161
Edit an Existing File ......................................... 163
Moving the Cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Deleting Characters with the Delete Key. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Typing Over Existing Text ....................................... 165
Inserting Text with INSERT HERE ................................ 165
Deleting Segments of Text Using REMOVE ........................ 166
Exit Menu ...................................................... 167
Save File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Print File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Leave Session without Saving Changes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Resume Editing Current Document ............................ 170
More Advanced Prose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Locating Text Segments with Fl ND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
PROSE Additional Options Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
PROSE Additional Options Edit Menu ............................. 171
Bottom of File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Relocate Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Top of File ................................................... 174
PROSE Additional Options Personalize Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Columns 80/132 .............................................. 176
Define a Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
List Defined Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Set Tab Stops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Status Line ON /OFF ......................................... 181

PROSE Options Format Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Center Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Fill Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Margin Change/Word Wrap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Page Break . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
APPENDIX A

COMPOSE CHARACTER KEY SEQUENCES

Compose Character Key Sequences .................................... 191
APPENDIX B

KEYBOARDS

Keyboards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
APPENDIX C

USING YOUR PROFESSIONAL WITH PRO/DECNET

PRO/DECnet Accounts Manager ...................................... 203
Add Account ..................................................... 204
Display Account .................................................. 205
Modify Account .................................................. 205
Remove Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Using File and Print Services Across PRO/DECnet. .................... 205
Copying, Deleting, Displaying and Printing File(s) ................... 207
Showing a Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
APPENDIX D

THE LOGIN/LOGOUT APPLICATION

The Login/Logout Application ........................................ 211
GLOSSARY

Glossary ............................................................ 215
FIGURES

Figure 2-1:
Figure 2-2:
Figure 2-3:
Figure 2-4:
Figure 2-5:
Figure 2-6:

Removing a Diskette from Its Envelope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Holding a Diskette.......................................
Professional 350 Screen Before Installing P/OS . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Professional 350 Screen Showing Hardware Problem . . . . . . . .
Installation Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Date and Time Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

10
10
16
17
18
19
xi

Figure 3-1: Example of Main Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Figure 4-1: Menu Organization....................................... 38
Figure 4-2: Example of Main Menu with Some Applications. . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Figure 4-3: P/OS HELP Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Figure 4-4: Example of Message/Status Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Figure 4-5: Set-up Menu A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Figure 4-6: Set-up Menu B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Figure 4-7: Example of Display with Additional Options................ 52
Figure 4-8: Example of an Additional Options Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Figure 4-9: Selecting from the Additional Applications Menu . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Figure 4-10: Selecting from the Additional Applications Group Menu . . . . . 56
Figure 5-1: Comparing Computer Files to Files in a File Cabinet. . . . . . . . 64
Figure 5-2: Example of a File Selection Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Figure 5-3: Example of a Directory Selection Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Figure 5-4: Write-Protect Tab on Diskette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Figure 6-1: Clean Up Old File Versions Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Figure 6-2: Example of Name a File Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Figure 6-3: Example of File Type Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Figure 6-4: Example of a Directory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Figure 6-5: Example of a List of Directories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Figure 9-1: Set Printer Type/Location Menu .......................... 148
Figure 9-2: Set Characteristics-LQP02 .............................. 150
Figure 9-3: Set Characteristics-LASO ................................ 151
Figure 9-4: Set Characteristics-LAlOO ............................... 151
Figure 9-5: Set Characteristics-LVP16 ............................... 152
Figure 9-6: Set Characteristics-Other ............................... 152
Figure 10-1: PROSE Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Figure 10-2: PROSE Exit Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Figure 10-3: Name a File Form-Exiting PROSE ....................... 168

TABLES

Table 2-1: Keyboard and Keyboard Menu Names....................... 21
Table 5-1: Example of Volume Names................................. 63
Table 5-2: Device Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Table 5-3: Example of Directories on Volumes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Table 5-4: Disk and Diskette Sizes.................. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Table 10-1: PROSE Additional Options Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Table A-1: Compose Key Sequences .................................. 192

xii

1
Overview

Chapter 1
Overview
Word processing, accounting, scheduling, equipment monitoring, and programming languages are a few examples of applications you might use on your
Professional. You use the Professional's operating system software, P/OS, to
manage these applications.
You control P/OS by using menus, function keys, and forms.
D

Menus are lists from which you choose the service or functions you
want. You do not need to memorize any commands to use menus.

Function keys are keys on your keyboard that have labels indicating
what they do. As you read this guide, you will learn to use the
function keys.

Forms are requests for information. When a form appears on the
screen, you type in the requested information. P/OS uses forms for
functions that require information you provide. Sometimes, instead of
a form that fills the entire screen, you will see a one-line request
(called a prompt) for information.

If you are ever unsure about how to use the Professional, press the HELP key on
the top row of your keyboard. A message relevant to the work you are doing will
appear on your screen. You can see other information about your Professional on
a Message/Status display. For example, the Message/Status display shows what
diskettes you are currently using. In addition, the Professional frequently displays information about your current work on a message line at the bottom of
your screen. For example, if you make a mistake, a message may appear telling
you what to do.
3

CHAPTER 1 i OVERVIEW

Other features of P/OS are:

File, disk, and diskette services. These services, which you can
choose from the Main Menu, allow you to look at, control, protect,
and organize the information you keep on your Professional. Chapters
6 and 7 describe these services in detail.

Print services. If you've bought a printer, you can print text and, if
the printer allows, graphics. You can even print text while doing other
work on your Professional. Chapters 8 and 9 describe print services in
detail.

Applications that you can use with the Professional are available from DIGITAL
and other companies. Applications come on diskettes (sometimes called floppy
disks or floppies), which are magnetic storage devices. Using P/OS services, you
copy applications to your hard disk for ready use. This is called installing applications. You can also use P/OS services to remove applications.
Six applications come with your Professional 350:

A text editor, called PROSE, that allows you to create and manipulate
text that you store on your Professional. For example, you can create
memos, reports, lists of data, and even programs using PROSE. You
can then change the text by deleting words and sections, moving
sections from one place to another, reformatting margins, and so on.
You can also print out copies of your "prose" if you have a printer.
Chapter 10 explains how to use PROSE.

Professional System Overview. Chapter 3 tells you how to use this
application to learn about your Professional.

Digital Command Language (DCL). This application comes on the
diskette labeled P/OS HARD DISK V2.0 COMMAND LANGUAGE,
and is provided for people who have had previous experience with
DIGITAL computers. To install DCL, use the procedure described for
"Install application" in Chapter 7, choosing "Command Language"
from the Application Installation Menu.

EDT. This is the DIGITAL standard editor, and is contained on the
same diskette as the PROSE text editor. To install EDT, use the
procedure described for "Install application" in Chapter 7, choosing
"EDT" from the Application Installation Menu. The EDT Quick
Reference Guide is included with your P/OS documentation.

OVERVIEW I CHAPTER 1

PRO/DECnet Accounts Manager. This application enables you to set
up accounts for up to 32 users of a DECnet network to which you are
attached. Appendix C explains how to use this application.

Login/Logout. This application, explained in Appendix D, enables
you to limit access to your Professional. Only users who know your
password will be able to log in to your Professional when you install
this application.

Other applications are available through computer stores and DIGITAL sales
offices. These applications include:
o

PRO/BASIC, a programming language that lets you create and use
your own Professional programs.

PRO/Communications, which allows you to use your Professional as a
terminal to another computer and also to transfer information between your Professional and another computer.

The next chapter explains how to install P/OS so that you can begin using diskbased P/OS services.

2
Installing P/OS

CHAPTER 2 I INSTALLING P/OS

The figures below show the correct way to handle a diskette.

Figure 2-1
Removing a Diskette from Its Envelope

WRITE-PROTECT NOTCH

\
DISKETTE SURFACE
(DO NOT TOUCH)

Figure 2-2
Holding a Diskette

Take the following precautions when using your diskettes:

Store diskettes in their envelopes in horizontal stacks of ten or less. To
store vertically, use a diskette storage box.

Write on the diskette label before you place the label on the diskette,
using a felt-tip pen. Use labels made for diskettes; other kinds might
shed paper or glue, which could damage the diskette.

INSTALLING P/OS I CHAPTER 2

Keep diskettes away from sunlight and heat. If a diskette has been
exposed to extreme heat or cold, let it return to room temperature
before using it. Keep matches and cigarettes away from diskettes.

Do not bend or clean a diskette or touch its exposed surfaces.

Do not use paper clips on diskettes.

Keep diskettes away from magnets or tools that may have become
magnetized.

Do not place heavy objects on diskettes.

Keep diskettes away from dirt and liquids.

INSERTING A DISKETTE IN A DISKETTE DRIVE

On the right side of the front of your system unit is the dual diskette drive. The
drive can hold two diskettes. When a diskette is in the drive and the system unit
is turned on, the drive makes the diskette spin inside its cover. The Professional
can then read the information that is on the diskette.
To insert a diskette into a diskette drive slot:
1.

Take the diskette out of its paper envelope.

CHAPTER 2 I INSTALLING P/OS

Push the diskette drive door until it springs open. The illustration
shows how to open the door labeled 1.

Match the orange arrow on the diskette with the orange stripe on
the side of the diskette slot in the drive. (A diskette goes into slot 2
"upside-down" compared to the way it goes into slot 1.)

INSTALLING P/OS I CHAPTER 2

Gently insert the diskette all the way into the drive slot. Do not
force it into the drive.

Press the diskette drive door closed. (Make sure the diskette is
completely in before you close the door.)

CHAPTER 2 I INSTALLING P/OS

(If you put a diskette in with the wrong side up and then switch on

the power, you may see a display like that in Figure 2-4. In this case,
remove the diskette, and put it back in the right way.)
CAUTION: Do not open a diskette drive door or remove a diskette while the
Professional is performing a function. Wait until the Professional is finished
doing whatever you have requested it to do. When the diskette drive is in use,
the appropriate "active light" (shown below) is on (red). Do not remove a
diskette when this light is on.

DISKETTE DRIVE DOORS

In some cases a message appears on the screen informing you that a function is
completed or that you can remove the diskette.

NOTE: Not all diskettes can be used on the Professional. Check with your
Professional dealer for information about buying diskettes for the Professional.
If you attempt to use a different kind of diskette, depending on the type of
diskette, either a message informs you that the Professional cannot use the
diskette or nothing happens at all.

When you install P/OS, the information on the P/OS diskettes is copied onto the
disk in the system unit of the Professional. You may need to write down some
information during the installation. The installation procedure takes from thirty
minutes to an hour. You should stay near your Professional during the installation, but you will not have to watch the screen continuously. You may want to
take advantage of the time to read through more of the User's Guide.

INSTALLING P/OS I CHAPTER 2

To install P/OS, follow this procedure:
1.

Press the power switch on the system unit to "O" (off).

Insert the diskette labeled PRO SYSTEM DSKT V2.0, volume label
PROSYSTEMV2, into diskette drive slot 1 (the top slot in the previous
picture). Press the diskette drive door closed. (See the previous
section for details on inserting diskettes.) Leave this diskette in the
drive until the entire installation procedure is completed.
WARNING: Do not operate your Professional with the system unit cover
removed.

Insert the diskette labeled PRO SETUP DSKT V2.0, volume label
PROSETUPV2, into diskette drive slot 2 (the bottom slot in the
previous picture). This diskette contains information about the
keyboard and the monitor.

CHAPTER 2 J INSTALLING P/OS

Press the power switch to "1" (on). The system unit runs a self test
that takes about 30 seconds. (This happens each time you turn on the
system unit.) Depending on how fast the picture tube in your monitor
warms up, you may see a test pattern briefly on the screen. Then the
DIGITAL logo appears:

OIIIllJ

Figure 2-3
Professional 350 Screen Before Installing P/OS

IF PROBLEM

If the self test detects problems, a diagram of the Professional 350
components appears:

INSTALLING P/OS I CHAPTER 2

Your Prof'essional has hardware proble111s.
Please record the nuDbers on the right side
of the screen, then press RESlJ1E.
((101403 000001)

Figure 2-4
Professional 350 Screen Showing Hardware Problem

The part of your Professional that has a problem is highlighted in the
picture. Write down the numbers you see on the screen and refer to
your Owner's Manual for help. If you see a message saying that a
problem has occurred that will prevent P/OS installation, remove the
diskettes and seek help. If you see a message saying that an error
has occurred that may interfere with the operation of P/OS after
installation, either press the DO key at the top of the keyboard to
continue installing P/OS (and fix the problem later) or remove your
diskettes and seek help.
If this display ever appears after you've installed your P/OS software,

write down the numbers that appear on your screen. These numbers
will help your DIGITAL service person to determine the source of
your problem.
If nothing happens when you turn the power on, refer to the Owner's

Manual for help.

CHAPTER 2 I INSTALLING P/OS

After the DIGITAL logo, the following display appears on your
screen:

P/OS Version 2.0 Installation
0 Copyrigh t 1984 DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORPORATI ON
CAUTION
This i nstallation process erases all information on the hard disk .

If \:IOU have used the hard disk before and want to save any
information that is stored on it , make sure that you cop\:j it to
diskettes BEFORE you start the i nstallation process .
Press

Pres s DD to beg in the i nsta llati on.
EXIT if you do not want to begin the inst allation.

Figure 2-5
Installation Display

Press the DO key at the top of the keyboard to continue the
installation procedure. (Press the EXIT key instead of DO to prevent
the installation.)
IF DISK PREVIOUSLY USED

If P/OS has been previously used on your disk, the following message
appears:
Warning
Information has been found on your disk.
If you are sure you want to erase the information, press 00.
If \:IOU do not want to begin the installation, press EXIT and
take out the installation diskettes.

If you are reinstalling P/OS, you have to reinstall your applications
and any personal files you had on the disk by using your backup
diskettes, because the install procedure erases any information
previously on the disk.
18

INSTALLING P/OS I CHAPTER 2

At this point, press DO to continue the installation procedure or EXIT
to prevent the installation.
7.

Wait for the date and time form to appear:

Set Date and Time
Use the auxiliar~ ke~pad to enter toda~'s date and the correct time.
Use the RETURN ke~ to move to the ne xt entr~.
Press the <x J ke~ to erase mistakes, then t~pe in the correction.
Press CANCEL to start over.
Last two digits of ~ear C82-99):
Month number (1-12): __
Da~ of month C1-31l : __
Hour of da~ C0-23) : __
Minute of hour ((l-59): __

Press the DD ke~ when ~ou have comp l eted all entries.

Figure 2-6
Date and Time Form

The blinking rectangle on the screen is called the cursor. The cursor is
the "active position" on the screen. When applicable, the cursor marks
the spot where the next character you type will appear.
8.

Fill in the form as instructed by typing the appropriate numbers
from the auxiliary keypad at the far right on the keyboard. Press
RETURN to move from one entry to another. Be sure to enter 24-hour
time. For example, if the time is 3:30 p.m., type 15 for the hour.
If you make a mistake and have not yet pressed RETURN ,
press <XI to erase the mistake and then retype. If you want to
change an entry after you have already pressed RETURN, press
CANCEL and start again. If you type an impossible number (such as
13 for the month), the keyboard will beep. Enter a correct number.

When you have entered the date and time, press DO to continue (or
EXIT to stop without installing P/08).
19

Chapter 2
Installing P/OS
Read this chapter when you have assembled the Professional 350 hardware,
including the disk option, as described in the Installation Instructions. This
chapter describes:
D

Handling diskettes

Inserting a diskette into a diskette drive

Installing P/OS on the disk

You will find the P/OS diskettes in the small box that comes with this book in the
Media and Documentation box. The diskettes are labeled PRO SYSTEM, PRO
SETUP, PRO DISPATCH, PRO LIBRARY, and PRO UTILITIES. With the
diskettes is a label strip that you should insert at the top of your keyboard.
After installing P/OS, put your P/OS diskettes back in their box or in some other
container made for storing diskettes. You may need to use these diskettes as
backups if the copy on the disk becomes unusable or if you need to reinstall
P/OS.
HANDLING DISKETTES

Diskettes are magnetic disks that store information the way an audio cassette
tape stores sound. Each diskette is encased in a nonremoveable, protective
plastic cover. When not in use, a diskette is stored in a paper envelope.

CHAPTER 2 I INSTALLING P/OS

10.

Wait for P/OS to format and initialize the disk. This procedure,
which takes about ten minutes, sets up the disk so that P/OS can put
information on it. Throughout the rest of the installation procedure,
messages on your screen let you know what is going on or what to
do next.
IF PROBLEM

If P/OS has a problem installing at any time during the rest of the
installation procedure, a series of numbers appears on the screen.
Write these numbers down. These numbers are an error message.
They indicate that there is a problem, and that P/OS cannot be
installed until the problem is corrected. After you write the numbers
down:
a. Remove all diskettes from the drives and repeat the entire
installation procedure, beginning at step 1.
b. If you still get an error message, consult your Professional
dealer or service representative.

11.

When the formatting and initialization completes, a message asks
you to press DO to change your keyboard setting or RESUME to
continue without changing your keyboard setting. There are 15 possible
keyboards, illustrated in Appendix B. A message on your screen tells
you what your current keyboard setting is. If you have a different
keyboard, you need to change your keyboard setting, so press DO.
Otherwise, press RESUME to go on to step 12.
IF YOU NEED TO CHANGE KEYBOARD SETTING

If you press DO, a menu of available keyboards appears. The order
of the list depends on the country in which you purchased your P/OS.
The names of the keyboards are listed in the language of each country.
The following table shows the menu names with the corresponding
keyboard names:

INSTALLING P/OS I CHAPTER 2

Table 2~1
Keyboard and Keyboard Menu Names

Keyboard Menu Name

Keyboard Name

Belgie (Vlaams)
Canada (Fran9ais)
Dan mark
Deutschland/Osterreich
Espana
France/Belgique
Italia
Nederland
Norge
Schweiz
Suisse
Suomi
Sverige
United Kingdom
United States/Canada

Belgium (Flemish)
Canada (French)
Denmark
Germany/Austria
Spain
France/Belgium
Italy
Holland
Norway
Switzerland (German)
Switzerland (French)
Finland
Sweden
U.K.
U.S./Canada

Press the I and t keys until the arrow on the screen points to your
keyboard. If your keyboard name does not appear, press NEXT
SCREEN.

When the arrow points to the keyboard name you want, press DO.
12.

Wait about 5 to 10 minutes while P/OS copies the information from the
PROSETUPV2 diskette to the disk.

13.

When the diskette is copied, a message tells you to remove the
PROSETUPV2 diskette from slot 2 and which P/OS diskette to insert
next. (Make sure you leave the PROSYSTEMV2 diskette in slot 1 the
entire time.) When you have inserted the new diskette, close the
diskette slot door and press RESUME to continue.
If you do not insert the diskette correctly, the message telling you
which diskette to insert reappears, and you can try again.

14.

Wait about 5 to 10 minutes while P/OS copies the information from the
next P/OS diskette to the disk.

15.

When the diskette is copied, a message tells you to remove that
diskette and insert the next diskette. When you have inserted the next
diskette, press RESUME.

CHAPTER 2 J INSTALLING P/OS

16.

Continue copying P/OS diskettes until a message tells you the
installation is complete.

17.

Remove and store the P/OS diskettes. These are your backup
diskettes. If anything should happen to the P/OS on the disk,
you will need to use these diskettes again.

18.

Turn the power switch off and then back on. The Professional runs the
self test. Then the Main Menu appears, and you can use P/OS. Chapter
3 describes the Main Menu. If there are problems, messages indicate
what to do.

Getting Started Using
Your Professional

Chapter 3
Getting Started Using Your Professional
Read this chapter the first time you use PiOS on your Professionai. Foiiow the
steps described here as your first Professional session. This chapter describes:
D

The Main Menu

Choosing from a menu

Recovering from mistakes

Installing applications

Using the Professional System Overview

Ending a session

THE MAIN MENU

The Main Menu is the top-level selection list. Once P/OS is installed, the Main
Menu appears on your screen after you turn the power on. From the Main
Menu, you choose the service or application you want. Services and applications can have submenus. In general, when looking at a submenu, press
MAIN SCREEN to display the Main Menu. With some applications, pressing MAIN SCREEN may display the top-level application menu. In this case,
press MAIN SCREEN again to display the Main Menu.

CHAPTER 3 I GETTING STARTED USING YOUR PROFESSIONAL

When you first install P/OS, the Main Menu looks like this:

MAIN MENU - Pt OS vz. o ~----~-~-Cop~ri9ht D 1984 Oi9ital Equipment Corporation
For information on using the Professional , press HELP .

Disk/diskette services
File services
Print services
Additional applications

View Message/Status

Make a choice and press DO:
There are 0 new messages on the message board.

Figure 3-1
Example of Main Menu

The center of the screen shows the list of choices. Right above the list is the
pointer.

A prompt near the bottom of the screen asks you to make a choice and press DO.
The blinking cursor under the prompt marks the spot where the next character
you type will appear. A line at the bottom of the Main Menu tells you how many
messages you have on your Message/Status display (explained in Chapter 4).
This guide describes all the services listed on the Main Menu as well as PROSE.

GETTING STARTED USING YOUR PROFESSIONAL I CHAPTER 3

CHOOSING FROM A MENU

Choose an item from a menu in one of the following ways:
I.

Move the pointer to your choice in the menu list by pressing the t or
l keys (called up and down arrow keys).
Press the DO key. An arrow appears next to the pointer to show you
which item you've chosen.

OR
2.

Type (in upper- or lowercase) the highlighted (boldface) letters of
the item you want to choose. These highlighted characters are called
keywords. You only need to type enough letters of the keyword to
make a unique choice among the keywords in the menu. If you type
more than the keyword, your terminal beeps just to let you know that
you do not need to type in any more.
Press the DO key. An arrow appears next to the pointer to show you
which item you've chosen.

Experience will show that sometimes one way of choosing is faster, sometimes
the other. The menu disappears after you make your choice. If there is a
submenu, it appears; ifthere is no submenu, the application, service, or function
you have chosen begins.
Some menus allow you to make, when appropriate, more than one choice; these
menus do not have keywords. Messages on the lower right screen indicate how
many choices you have and how many you have already made. To select from this
type of menu, use one of the following methods:
I.

Use the up and down arrow keys to move the pointer to your first
choice. Press SELECT. An arrow appears to the left of the pointer
to show you that the item has been selected. Move the pointer to the
second choice, if a second choice is allowed. Press SELECT. Another
arrow appears to the left of the pointer. When all the items you want
are marked with arrows, press DO. If you are making only one choice,
you do not have to press SELECT; just press DO.

CHAPTER 3 I GETTING STARTED USING YOUR PROFESSIONAL

Type (in upper- or lowercase) enough letter(s) of the item you want to
choose to make a unique selection. (For example, to indicate that your
choice is INVENTORY rather than INTEREST, type the letters
INV.) If the unique selection of characters consists of more than one
word, type one space between words, no matter how many spaces
appear between the words in the menu. Press SELECT. An arrow
appears to the left of the pointer to show you that the item has been
selected. Continue selecting, if allowed, until all choices have been
selected. Press DO.

When there are more than twelve items in a menu list, the word "(more)"
appears at the bottom of the menu list. If you then press NEXT SCREEN to see
more items, the word "(more)" appears at the top of the menu list. Press PREV
SCREEN to display the previous items. If you are already looking at the first
twelve items, pressing PREV SCREEN causes the keyboard to beep.
You select from the Set-up menus, which you use to set special keyboard and
monitor characteristics, a little differently than from all the other menus.
Chapter 4 describes in detail how to use these menus.
RECOVERING FROM MISTAKES

While using the menus, you can correct a mistake-such as choosing an unwanted function-only if you haven't pressed the DO key. You can recover from
a mistake by canceling your selection or by changing something you have typed.
To cancel all you have done on a menu or form, press the CANCEL key. This
erases anything you typed and lets you start again. To cancel a selection made
using the SELECT key, press SELECT a second time while the pointer is at the
item to be canceled.
To change something you have typed, use the delete key, labeled <:ZJ, which
deletes the character to the left of the cursor; then retype.
INSTALLING APPLICATIONS

Before you can use your applications, you have to install them on your Professional. This section explains the installation procedure for an application contained on a single diskette, using PROSE as an example. Chapter 7 contains
additional information about installing applications.

GETTING STARTED USING YOUR PROFESSIONAL I CHAPTER 3

To install an application,
1.

If you have not already done so, turn the power on by pressing the
power switch to "I."

Wait for the Main Menu to appear.

Insert your application diskette into a diskette drive slot. (Chapter 2
explains how to insert diskettes.)

Type the letter D or press the f key to move the pointer to "Disk/
diskette services":

r----------...., ;'11'.>I/'f t'IENU - P I OS V2 . (> ..--~----------,
Co p ~ r l 9ht

9 1984 D1 9ita l Equ ipment

~ CrF or atian

F°or 1nformat1on on usi ng th e Pro f essiona l , pres=· HEL.P.

Disk/diskette services
File services
Print serv ices
Additional appl i c ations
View Message / Status

Make a choice and press DO:
There are 0 new messages on the message board.

CHAPTER 3 I GETTING STARTED USING YOUR PROFESSIONAL

Press the DO key. The Disk/Diskette Services Menu appears:

- - - - - - - - - - Disk/Diskette Services Menut::..!!!.========:::::1
Which service do !jOU want to use?

Cop!j diskette
Create director\j
Delet.e director\j
Initialize diskette
Install application
Remove application
Show current director\j
Show director\j
~how list of directories
Speclf!j new current director\j
lkllock a locked file

Make a choice and press DO:

Type INS (for Install) or press the l key to move the pointer to
"Install application."

GETTING STARTED USING YOUR PROFESSIONAL I CHAPTER 3

Press DO. The Application Installation Menu appears. For example:

r.:=======::::::1

Application Ins ta 11at10n Menu

c::=======::::i

Which application do ~ou want to install on volume BIGVOLUME?

PROSE

Make a choice and press 00:
Select up to
(
0

1 items
chosen )

This menu lists the name(s) of the application(s) on any inserted
diskettes. BIGVOLUME is the name P/08 uses for the disk.

CHAPTER 3 I GETTING STARTED USING YOUR PROFESSIONAL

Move the pointer to the name of the application you want to install.

Press DO. The Application Group Menu appears. This menu lists the
names of the menus on which you can install applications:

r=========:::J

~ppl 1 cation Groi.Jp Menu

c::========:;i

In which 9roup do ~ou want to install the application?

"-'in Henu Applications

A Grotip
B Group

C Group
D Group

E Group
F Group
G Group
H Group
I Group
J Group
K Group

Make a choice and press UU:

10.

Press the down arrow key or type the menu name to move the pointer
to the menu (group) where you want to install the application. (You can
put up to five applications on the Main Menu and up to 12 applications
on each Additional Applications group menu. See Chapter 7, Install
Application, for more details on group menus.) For this example, choose
the Main Menu by typing the letter M or by pressing l to move
the pointer to "Main Menu Applications."

11.

Press DO. The Application/Group Name Change Form appears, telling
you the name of the application and its group. If you chose "Main
Menu Applications," the group name is blank, because you cannot
change that name.

12.

If you want to change the application name or the group name, delete
it with the <:zJ key, and type in the new name (40 characters or less,
including spaces). Use RETURN to move from one entry to the other.
You can change Additional Application group names but not the name
of the Main Menu, which was chosen in this example.

GETTING STARTED USING YOUR PROFESSIONAL I CHAPTER 3

13.

When you have the names you want, press DO. P/OS begins installing
your application. This takes from two to ten minutes for an application
contained on a single diskette.

14.

When the installation is completed, the Disk/Diskette Services Menu
reappears. If you want to install another application, start again from
step 6. Otherwise, press MAIN SCREEN to display the Main Menu. If
you followed this example, you will see PROSE at the top of the Main
Menu list. You can now use PROSE by selecting it from the Main
Menu. Chapter 10 explains how to use this text editor.

15.

When you have installed your applications, remove and store the
diskette(s). DO NOT throw the application diskette away or use
them for some other purpose. They are your backups in case the
copies on your disk are lost or destroyed.

When installing applications, leave room on the disk for your work. It is recommended that you read Chapters 4 and 5 before you install a lot of applications.
You can remove an application at any time. Read the section on Remove Application in Chapter 7 for instructions.
USING THE PROFESSIONAL SYSTEM OVERVIEW

The Professional System Overview is a course you can take that gives you
information on the screen about the Professional (see Preface). You type in
responses as you read through the information. If you want to use the Professional System Overview:
1.

Install the Professional System Overview from the diskette labeled
PRO INSTRUCTION V2.0 following the procedure described in the
previous section.

Insert the diskette labeled PRO SYSTEM OVERVIEW V2.0 into
.diskette drive slot 1.

Select "Computer-Based Instruction" (or whatever you named
the application) from the Main Menu or appropriate Additional
Applications menu.

Displays on your screen will then tell you what to do.

CHAPTER 3 I GETTING STARTED USING YOUR PROFESSIONAL

ENDING A SESSION

To prolong the life of the disk and monitor, turn the power switch to "O" (the off
position) when you are not using the Professional, unless you plan to use it again
within an hour.
Whenever you finish a work session with your Professional, make sure the
Main Menu is displayed. If you leave the power on, after 30 minutes of
inactivity, the screen display will disappear. Press the SHIFT key to redisplay
the Main Menu when you are ready for the next session.
CAUTION: It is important to leave your session with the Main Menu displayed.
If you leave a session with an application in progress, pressing some of the
keyboard keys or turning the power off could destroy your current work.

When you finish the last session of the day:

Make sure you have backed up any files you created or changed.
Chapter 5 explains more about this. If you are following the steps
in this chapter for your first session, you do not yet have any files
requiring backup.

Display the Main Menu.

Make sure that no work, such as printing, is in progress.

Press the power switch to "O" (off).

Remove and store the diskettes you have been using.

Lock up diskettes containing confidential information.

4
More Menus, Forms, and
Function Keys

Chapter 4
More Menus, Forms, and Function Keys
This chapter describes:
D

Menu organization

Getting information on your screen
Message line(s) and beep
HELP
Message/Status display

Using the following function keys:
Hold Screen
Print Screen
Interrupt
Set-up
Addtnl Options
Compose Character

More on using service and application menus

You control your Professional by using function keys and by choosing functions
and services from menus and forms. Since many keys operate differently for
different situations, each section in this guide explains the functions of any
special keys.

CHAPTER 4 I MORE MENUS, FORMS, AND FUNCTION KEYS

MENU ORGANIZATION

The menus are organized in a hierarchy with the Main Menu at the top and
submenus and forms below:

Main Menu

There may be up to
five applications on
the Main Menu.

Disk/Diskette
Services
Menu

File
Services
Menu

Print
Services
Menu

Additional
Applications
Menu

Message/
Status
Display

There may be
up to 132
additional applications.

l
Submenus
and
Forms

Submenus
and
Forms

Sub menus
and
Forms

Additional
Applications

Figure 4-1
Menu Organization

The Main Menu lists services and applications. Services, such as file services or
print services, are groups of related functions. Most of the submenus list specific functions such as delete a file or print a file. Here is an example of a Main
Menu after some applications have been installed:

MORE MENUS, FORMS, AND FUNCTION KEYS I CHAPTER 4

r.:========::::J

MMN

MENU - P / OS VZ . 0

c::=========::i

~ 1'384 Di9i ta! E9uipment Corpor3t_ :m
1nformat 1on on us ing the Prof'~s s io na l . pr-:ss ME!_i= .

~ O P 'd r1 9 ht

For

PROSE
C~ Language
Disk/diskette services
File services
Print services
Additional applications
View Message / Status

Make a choice and press DO:
There are O new messages on the message board.

Figure 4-2
Example of Main Menu with Some Applications

GETTING INFORMATION ON THE SCREEN

Three features provide information on the screen about what you and the
Professional are doing:

The Message Line(s) and/or Beep

o
o

The HELP Key
The Message/Status Display

The Message Line(s) and/or Beep

If you make a mistake while using the menus or any of the P/OS services, a short
message may appear on one or two li;nes at the bottom of the screen. The
message identifies a problem. Sometimes, instead of seeing a message, you may
hear the keyboard bell, which has a beeping sound. For example, if you press an
inappropriate function key, the keyboard may beep. Other times, a mistake may
result in a beep and a message.

CHAPTER 4 I MORE MENUS, FORMS, AND FUNCTION KEYS

Other messages may appear to let you know that a function is completed, that
the computer is working, and so on. For example,
Your file has been copied.

Some messages take up the entire screen. If you see a number with an error
message, write down the number and the message; you may have to consult
your Professional dealer or service representative for help.
Getting Help

When you are not sure what to do, press HELP. Information, if available, will
appear to aid you. Press RESUME to return to your original work.
The type of help you get depends on what you are doing at the time. If you are
looking at a menu, the help you get depends on the menu and on where the
pointer is on the menu. If you press HELP while using PROSE, you will either
see the PROSE HELP Menu or information about what you are doing.
By pressing HELP twice while the Main Menu is displayed, you can display a
HELP menu from which you can get general information about using P/OS:

HELP MENU
HELP is a va i lable on the topics listed below. To find out about other
wa\js of getting HELP , choose "Over vi ew of HELP . "
If \JOU wan t t o 90
back to the Ma i n Menu, press RESUME.

Additional applicat i ons
Additional options
Disk ser v ices

File services
F1S1Ction ke\js
Install application
Message/ status d i spla\j
Multi-choice menus
Overview of HELP
Print s er v ices

Re1110ve appli c ation
SET- UP

Make a cho i c e and press 00 :

Figure 4-3
P/OS HELP Menu

MORE MENUS, FORMS , AND FUNCTION KEYS I CHAPTER 4

You cannot access HELP for a particular application unless you are using that
application. Some applications may not have HELP information.
HELP information appears either on a portion of your screen or on the entire
screen. You can use NEXT SCREEN or PREV SCREEN to move forward and
backward through multiple screens of HELP information, if multiple screens of
HELP are available on that topic.
The following is an example of displaying HELP:
1.

The screen displays a menu or your current activity:

Disk/Diskette Services Menu i_;__
Which service do ~ou want to use?

diskette
Create director~
Delete director~
Initialize diskette
Install application
Rl!llOVe application
Show Clrrellt director~
Show direc~
Show list of directories
Speci~~ new current director~
lkllock a locked file
Cop~

I
J

J
Hake a choice and press DD:
Application has been installed.

CHAPTER 4 I MORE MENUS, FORMS, AND FUNCTION KEYS

Press HELP. HELP information takes the place of what was on the
lower half of the screen:

;.,. Disk/Diskette Services Menu
Which service do \;IOU want to use?

Cop\j diskette
Create director\;!
Delete director\;!
Initjalize diskette
I~tall application
HELP for Disk Services L......

----,

You can use the Professional's Disk Services to maintain the files \;IOU
have on the disk and diskettes, and to install and remove applications.
For help on each menu item, move the pointer to the item and press HELP.
Dr'· press NEXT SCREEN from here to pa9e throu9h the HELP frames.
To return to the Disk Services Menu, press RESUME.

When you press RESUME, the HELP frame disappears and the
activity you were doing continues.

MORE MENUS, FORMS, AND FUNCTION KEYS I CHAPTER 4

Message/Status Display

The Message/Status display, available from the Main Menu, shows useful Professional information and messages. The following figure shows a Message/
Status display:

STATUS

23-AUG-83 21:51:45

Current director~ is USERFILES on volume BIGVOLUME.
Disk/diskette

Volume

BIGDISK
DISl(ETTE1
DISKETTE2

BIG VOLUME
SLIDESHDW

Blocks Free
411'3
73

Blocks Used
5608
727

-empt~-

MESSAGES

There are no more messages.

To return to the Main Menu, press EXIT.

Figure 4-4
Example of Message/Status Display

The top part of the display gives status information, such as the current time
and date, the names of your currently inserted diskettes, and the amount of free
space on the disk and currently inserted diskettes. (Chapter 5 explains more
about this status information.)
The bottom part of the display shows one-line messages sent by print services or
an application. If there are more messages than will fit in one display, press
NEXT SCREEN to see more of them. Pressing NEXT SCREEN erases any
currently-displayed messages. Press EXIT to return to the Main Menu.

CHAPTER 4 I MORE MENUS, FORMS, AND FUNCTION KEYS

MORE FUNCTION KEYS

As you use your Professional more, you may need to use the following function
keys:
Hold Screen
Print Screen
Interrupt

Set-up
Addtnl Options
Compose Character

The HOLD SCREEN Key

Press HOLD SCREEN to keep a screen display from changing so that you can
read what is on it. Press HOLD SCREEN again to release the hold. While the
HOLD SCREEN key is in operation, the Hold Screen light at the top of the
keyboard is on.
The PRINT SCREEN Key

Press PRINT SCREEN to print a copy of whatever is on your screen. You must
have a printer connected to your system unit. After using PRINT SCREEN,
reset the paper in your printer so that the print head is at the first line of a page.
Use the form feed control on your printer to do this. The LAlOO must be set offline before form-feeding; set the printer on-line again before you begin printing.
The PRINT SCREEN key only works with the LA50 and LAlOO printers.
The INTERRUPT Key

Press INTERRUPT and then DO to immediately stop whatever you are doing. If
you type any key other than DO, the interrupt does not occur, and you can
continue your activity. For some applications, pressing INTERRUPT DO has no
effect.
CAUTION: Pressing INTERRUPT DO can destroy your current work.

The SET-UP Key

Use the SET-UP key:
D

To display Set-up menus in order to set certain Professional
characteristics, for example, the way the cursor looks, the number
of characters displayed on a screen line, or the time on the
Professional's clock.

MORE MENUS, FORMS, AND FUNCTION KEYS I CHAPTER 4

To "unlock" the keyboard. If you notice that nothing happens when
you type on the keyboard, check to see if the Wait light at the top
of the keyboard is on (red). If the Wait light stays on for more than
a couple of minutes, you may need to unlock the keyboard by
pressing the SET-UP key once. An application may intentionally lock
the keyboard for brief periods, therefore you should wait. Pressing
SET-UP while an application is in progress may also affect the
application.

You access the Set-up menus by pressing the SET-UP key when the Main Menu
is displayed. There are two Set-up menus, A and B. Figure 4-5 shows Set-up
Menu A; Figure 4-6, Set-up Menu B. The current settings are highlighted in
boldface. In this example, the current settings are the default settings in effect
when you first turn the power on after installing P/OS. A default setting
remains set until you change it using a Set-up Menu.

r.::======~==~~-' SET-UP MENU A

Current settings are balded. Use arrow ke~s to move painter ta
cho1ce(s ) . Press SELECT to make cho1ce , SET-UP to display Set-up
Menu 8, and RESUME to return to ~lain Menu.

- > Autorepeat on

Keyclick on
Keye lick off

Scro 11 jl.JIRf'
Scroll smooth

Bell off

Lock caps
Lock shift

Set TABs

Change directory
Change keyboard

l'lonitor monochra.e
Monitor color

Video nDMOal
V1deo reverse

Office mode
DP mode

Col1i11ns 80
Columns 132

Set-up reset
Set-up save

Autor epeat off
Bell on

Figure 4-5
Set-up Menu A

CHAPTER 4 I MORE MENUS, FORMS, AND FUNCTION KEYS

r.:===========;:;::;i

SET- UP MENU B

Current settings are balded. Use arrow ke\js to move pointer to
choice(s). Press SELECT to 01.:.ke choice , SET-UP to displa\j Set-up
Menu A, and RESUME to ,-eturn t o Main Menu.

- > Co.rsor block

Set date and time

Cursor under l i ne

Marg i n bell on
1'1ar9in bell off

Set-up reset
Set-up save

Figure 4-6
Set-up Menu B

To select from a Set-up Menu, press the l, t, - , or - keys to move the
pointer. Press SELECT each time the pointer is at an item you want to select.
Then choose "Set-up save" to save all your choices as defaults.
If you do not select "Set-up save," the characteristics you select last only until
you turn the power off or change them again using the Set-up menus. These are
called current settings. You can change your current settings without changing
your default settings. You can then return to your default settings without
powering off by selecting "Set-up reset."

While looking at a Set-up Menu, press SET-UP to display the other Set-up
Menu, and press RESUME to go back to the Main Menu. Press EXIT instead of
DO to return from a Set-up submenu to the appropriate Set-up menu without
doing anything.
Set-up changes take effect when you return to the Main Menu, except keyboard
language, keyboard mode, directory, and time, which take effect immediately.

MORE MENUS, FORMS, AND FUNCTION KEYS I CHAPTER 4

Some applications may "override" or temporarily not use certain defaults that
you set. For example, PROSE uses 80 columns and autorepeat, no matter what
your current Set-up settings are. When you exit PROSE, you go back to your
settings.
The Set-up functions follow:
Autorepeat (on, off)

The initial default setting is on. When autorepeat is on, holding down any of the
character keys, arrow keys, or auxiliary keypad keys on the keyboard causes the
character to repeat. For example, holding down the underscore (_) causes a
repeated underscore, such as"-----."
When autorepeat is off, the only way to repeat a character is to repeatedly press
the key.
Bell (on, off)

There is a "bell" inside the keyboard that makes a sound-like a beep-if, for
example, you type something that your application recognizes as a mistake. The
initial default setting is on. It is recommended that you keep the bell on, since
some errors are signaled only by a beep and no message.
Change directory

Your current directory is a particular group of files that you create or access.
Chapter 5 discusses directories, files, and how to change directories.
When you select "Change directory" from Set-up Menu A, a list appears of all
directories on the disk and on any currently inserted diskettes. Use the pointer
to select the directory you want for your current directory. Press DO. The
directory you selected becomes your current directory, and Set-up Menu A then
reappears. If you then select "Set-up save," the directory you selected becomes
your default directory as well.

CHAPTER 4 I MORE MENUS, FORMS, AND FUNCTION KEYS

Change keyboard

Keyboards vary according to the country where you bought your Professional.
The 15 types of Professional keyboards are shown in Appendix B.
When you select "Change keyboard" from Set-up Menu A, a list of available
keyboards appears. The order of keyboard names depends on the country where
you bought your P/OS. The names are:
United States/Canada
Belgie (Vlaams)
Canada (Fran9ais)
Dan mark
Deutschland/Osterreich
Espana
France/Belgique
Italia
Nederland
Norge
Schweiz
Suisse
Suomi
Sverige
United Kingdom

Table 2-1 in Chapter 2 lists the English keyboard names that match the keyboard
Menu names. Choose the country whose language you want for your keyboard.
Normally, you should choose the setting that matches your keyboard. However,
you can choose a different setting, in which case the screen will display the
characters for the keyboard you selected, even though your actual keyboard is
different.
When you change your keyboard setting, the keyboard mode changes to the
default for the new keyboard (see Office mode/DP mode).
Columns (80, 132)

The screen is organized for displaying text in lines and columns. There are
always 24 horizontal lines and either 80 or 132 vertical columns for displaying
text. The initial default is 80 columns. Using Set-up Menu A, you can change to
132 columns; the characters are smaller than with 80 columns. 132 columns is
best for displaying wide tables.

MORE MENUS, FORMS, AND FUNCTION KEYS I CHAPTER 4

Cursor (block, underline)

The initial default cursor is a small rectangle (block). You can use Set-up Menu B
to change the shape of the cursor to an underscore (underline).
Keyclick (off, on)

With the initial default setting, the keyboard keys click (squeak) when you press
them. If you do not want this click, set keyclick to off.
Lock (caps, shift)

The LOCK key on the keyboard works in conjunction with two options on Set-up
Menu A: shift-lock and caps-lock. The initial default is caps-lock.
With caps-lock, if you press the LOCK key:

The Lock light at the top of the keyboard goes on. (The LOCK key
itself does not stay down.)

The keyboard generates an uppercase alphabetic character whenever
you press a key with a single letter on it. For example, pressing B
displays B rather than b.

The keyboard generates the "lower" character on keys with more than
one character on the key legend. For example, pressing
displays
[.To display{, press SHIFT and[] .
[

To go back to using lowercase, press LOCK. The Lock light will go off.

With shift-lock, if you press the LOCK key:
o

The Lock light at the top of the keyboard goes on. (The LOCK key
itself does not stay down.)

Whenever you type a key, the keyboard generates either an uppercase character or the top character on the key. For example, pressing
[ ] displays {.Pressing B displays B rather than b.

To go back to using lowercase, press SHIFT. The Lock light will go off.

Margin bell (on, off)

The initial default setting for the margin bell is "off." If you change it to "on,"
the keyboard bell beeps when the cursor moves to or tabs beyond the eighth
column from the right edge of the screen display.

CHAPTER 4 J MORE MENUS, FORMS, AND FUNCTION KEYS

Monitor (monochrome, color)

The initial default monitor type is monochrome. Monochrome means the screen
displays one color, for example, white. If you bought the Extended Bit Map
module with a color monitor, choose the color setting on Set-up Menu A so that
P/OS can properly handle information going to the monitor. With a monochrome
monitor and the Extended Bit Map module, use the monochrome setting.
Office mode/DP mode

"Office mode/DP mode" affects keys that can display two different characters
depending on the mode you set. DP (data processing) mode applies to any key
that shows two separate characters next to each other. The character to the
right can be displayed if DP mode is enabled; the character to the left is the
office mode character. Appendix B shows the keys and keyboards that allow the
two modes. The U.S./Canada keyboard has no DP mode keys. For other keyboards, the initial default is office mode.
Scroll (jump, smooth)

Scrolling is the upward or downward movement of lines on the screen to make
room for new lines at the bottom or top of the screen. The initial default on your
Professional is jump-scroll.
With jump-scroll, new lines appear on the screen rapidly. Although lines appear
more quickly this way, it may take longer to focus your eyes on the words you
are looking for. With smooth-scroll, new lines appear on the screen one after the
other; the screen is easier to read.
The Set-up "Scroll" function applies only to the scrolling of the entire screen
display. Applications may override your default setting when scrolling only a
part of the screen display.

MORE MENUS, FORMS, AND FUNCTION KEYS I CHAPTER 4

Set date and time

Use "Set date and time" if the date or time displayed on your Message/Status
display is not correct. For example,
D

If you move the Professional to a time zone requiring a date and/or
time change.

If the battery that runs the time and date clock has lost its charge.
This situation would occur if the power to the Professional was left off
for a long period of time. (The Professional keeps track of the date and
time even when the power is off.)

When you select "Set date and time," a form appears requesting the new date
and time. Follow the directions on the form. When entering the hour, use
24-hour time. For example, if it is 3:45 p.m., type 15 for the hour.
When you press DO, the Professional time and date clock is reset to the date and
time you entered.
Set tabs

With the initial default setting, there is a tab stop at every 8 columns, starting at
column 9. For example, if the cursor is in a column from 1 to 8, when you press
the TAB key, the cursor jumps to column 9. You can change these tab stops by
using Set-up Menu A. When you select "Set tabs," a ruler appears on your
screen. Using the ... and ... keys, move the tab selector (V) across the ruler to
where you want a tab; then press SELECT. A "T" appears to show where the
tab stop is. To clear a tab stop, move the V to the stop you want to clear and
press SELECT. When you have selected all the desired tab stops, press DO. Setup Menu A reappears, and you can continue making your Set-up selections.
To reset all tab stops to the default settings, press CANCEL before pressing
DO.

Tab settings affect only the screen display. They do not necessarily affect
printer output.
Set-up (save, reset)

By selecting "Set-up save," you save as defaults Set-up menu items highlighted
on the screen at the time. If you turn the power off, the next time you power on,
these defaults will be in effect.

CHAPTER 4 I MORE MENUS, FORMS, AND FUNCTION KEYS

By selecting "Set-up reset," you reset Set-up values to the previously saved
values (the same as when you turn the power off and back on).
Video (normal, reverse)

The initial default screen display, called normal video, is light characters on a
dark background. If you prefer dark characters on a light background, select
reverse video.
The ADDTNL OPTIONS Key

Some menus, forms, and displays provide additional options. These are options
you can choose along with your menu choice. Additional options are usually
functions that may not be used often. A note on a menu indicates if that menu
has additional options. For example,

Currgnt

Oiroctor~

...

SAMPL£ on Volumo BICVOLUM£

File

File
Name

Fi le
T\jpe

MEMD1
TAXES
POEM
CHECK'S
L"'.""'."R HEAD
C!:ANGES

Document
BASIC program
Document
BASIC program
Document

1
1

Documen t

2
3

Version
Number

Size

Date
Mod ifi ed

Ma~ be
Dele ted

18-NDV-1982
17-NDV-1982
18-NDV- 1982
17-NDV-1 982
17-NDV- 1982
17- NDV-1982

Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

Addit i ona l

Op :.~o ns

File
Lock ed

availabl e

There are no more files.

Press EXIT to return to the menu.

Figure 4-7
Example of a Display with Additional Options

If you want an additional option, press ADDTNL OPTIONS before doing anything else on the menu or form. Pressing ADDTNL OPTIONS erases anything
you may have typed so far.

MORE MENUS, FORMS, AND FUNCTION KEYS I CHAPTER 4

Select an additional option in the same way you select from any other singlechoice menu. When you have made your choice, press DO. Press EXIT instead of
DO if you want to return to the previous display without making a choice.
The following figure shows an example of an additional options menu:

r.=========;;;; Add i t ional Dpt ions Menu

c:::=====:;;;;;;;:;;:::=:;i

Wh ich op ti ons do sou want to choose7
If !jOU do not want t o cr1oose an opt 1on.

pr· es~

E-:>G7 .

Print d1 rec to1·~
Store di rec tor~ as a f il e

Make a choice and press DO:

Figure 4-8
Example of an Additional Options Menu

Pressing the ADDTNL OPTIONS key has different results in different applications. Refer to the documentation on each application for details.
The COMPOSE CHARACTER Key

By using the COMPOSE CHARACTER key combined with certain other keys,
you can create special characters that are not on your keyboard. This is useful if
you are working in an international situation. For example, you can type a letter
in French on a Professional with a U.S./Canada keyboard, even though some of
the French characters are not on the U.S./Canada keys.

CHAPTER 4 I MORE MENUS, FORMS, AND FUNCTION KEYS

To "compose" a character, press COMPOSE CHARACTER. Then type the two
characters that together form the character you want. The cursor will not move
after you type the first of the two characters. For example, to compose an acute
e (e):
1.

Press COMPOSE CHARACTER.

Type the letter e.

Type an apostrophe('). Your screen displays e.

If you make a mistake using the COMPOSE CHARACTER key, the keyboard
beeps, if the keyboard bell is set to on. In this case, start again. If you press
COMPOSE CHARACTER accidentally, press <XJ, and continue what you
were doing.

Appendix A lists the compose sequences you can use and describes the possible
errors in detail and how to recover from them.
You can print the composed characters using print services.
While composing a character, the Compose light at the top of the keyboard is on.
Some keyboards also allow you to compose certain characters without first
pressing the COMPOSE CHARACTER key. These "two-stroke" compose sequences are discussed in Appendix B. (The U.S./Canada keyboard has no twostroke compose sequences.)
Another alternative for typing documents in languages other than the one for
your keyboard is to use the Set-up "Change keyboard" function. This function
causes P/OS to work as if your keyboard were that of the language you want. It
is best in this case to purchase a different keyboard for each language you want
and to plug each one in when you need it. However, you can look at the diagram
of a keyboard while typing and, with practice, produce the same effect.
CHOOSING APPLICATIONS FROM MENUS

You can select up to five applications directly from the Main Menu. You select
any other applications from the Additional Applications Menu.

MORE MENUS, FORMS, AND FUNCTION KEYS I CHAPTER 4

You select an application from the Additional Applications Menu in one of two
ways:
1.

If there are 12 or fewer additional applications, all installed on the

"A Group" menu, you choose an additional application directly from
the Additional Applications Menu. (Chapter 7 explains in detail
how to install applications on the group menus.) Figure 4-9 shows
how to choose from the Additional Applications Menu when all the
additional applications are installed on the "A Group" menu:
1. Choose "Additional applications."

Main Menu

2. Choose your application
from the Additional
Applications Menu.

PROSE
PRO/BASIC
PRO/COMMUNICATIONS
COMMAND LANGUAGE
DECNETACCOUNTSMANAGER
Disk/diskette services
File services
Print services
Additional applications
View message/status

There may be up to
five applications on
the Main Menu.

Additional Applications Menu
~ PRO/DATATRIEVE

SUPERCOMP-TWENTY
NPL
TK!SOLVER
FINGRAPH
MAPS/PRO GRAPHICS
ATHENA/GRAPH
RS/1
PRO STARTER KIT
PROTOCOL 1000
PRISM
LOGIN/LOGOUT

There may be
up to 12
applications
in this menu.
(These are
just examples.)

3. Your selected application begins.

Figure 4-9
Selecting an Application from Additional Applications Menu

CHAPTER 4 I MORE MENUS, FORMS, AND FUNCTION KEYS

If the applications are installed on more than one group menu, you
first select the group from the Additional Applications Menu, and then
the application from that group. Only the application groups with
installed applications are displayed on this menu. Figure 4-10 shows
this procedure.

1. SELECT "Additional
Applications."

Main Menu
PROSE
PRO/BASIC
PRO/COMMUNICATIONS
COMMAND LANGUAGE
DECNET ACCOUNTS MANAGER
Disk/diskette services
File services
Print services
-7 Additional applications
View message/status

2. Select your choice
of group.

Additional Applications Menu
There may be up to
11 groups
in this menu.
} (These are
just examples.)

-7 Graphics
PRO/DECnet
Languages
Games

3. Select your choice
of application.

Graphics

-7 FINGRAPH
MAPS/PRO GRAPHICS
ATHENA/GRAPH

4. Your selected application begins.

Figure 4-10
Selecting an Application Using the Additional Applications Group Menu

}

There may be
up to 12
applications
in this menu.
(These are
just examples.)

MORE MENUS, FORMS, AND FUNCTION KEYS I CHAPTER 4

From the Additional Applications Group Menu, press MAIN SCREEN to return
to the Main Menu. If the application you selected does not work, consult your
application sales agreement, Professional dealer, or service representative.
SERVICES AND APPLICATIONS MENUS AND FORMS

The number of disk-based P/OS applications available to you depends on what is
installed on your Professional. There are sometimes additional lower-level
menus or forms listing more functions related to a service or application. You
display these by choosing a service or function from a menu.
You perform some functions, such as "Copy file(s)" or "Install application," by
using a series of menus and forms. During the process, if you don't want to
continue, you have opportunities to press the EXIT key to cancel what you have
done and return to a previous menu or form, as long as you have not pressed
the final DO that makes the function happen. Other times, for example with
"Display file," pressing EXIT returns you to a previous menu or form without
canceling any work. In this book, the descriptions of each function tell you
specifically when you can use the EXIT key. Some applications, for example,
PROSE, use the EXIT key for other purposes as well.
Some applications may display menus in an abbreviated display, leaving the rest
of the screen to display your current work. PROSE can display a one-line
prompt for a menu item, so that you can look at your text while you make your
menu choice. Refer to the descriptions of each application for information about
specific menus.
Some applications do not have menus. For example, when you choose BASIC,
the READY prompt appears at the top of the screen and you then use the
standard BASIC commands.

- _·. -_. J -.

_. ·....

_,
I -

_._

~·

•

..J .... '

•

~~-:~ ·-,~ :-'. :_.

5
Introduction to the
P/OS Files System

Chapter 5
Introduction to the P/OS Files System
This chapter describes concepts you need to understand before you start using
your Professional extensively.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF FILES

This section contains general information about files on the Professional.
What Is a File?

A file is a collection of related information stored on a disk or diskette. A file can
be:
D

A program such as a P/OS service or application program or a BASIC
program that you write. (A program can include more than one file,
and a file can be included in more than one program.)

A collection of data that a program uses-employee data for a payroll
application, check numbers and amounts for a BASIC checkbook
program, or part numbers for an inventory application.

A memo, report, or other text that you create and edit with PROSE.

A form you fill out when using an application. For example, an order
processing application might have order forms, invoicing forms, back
order forms, and so on. Each set of forms is a file. Each application
defines its own set(s) of forms. (The data that you enter into the forms
is stored in some other file or files.)

CHAPTER 5 I INTRODUCTION TO THE P/OS FILES SYSTEM

Creating Files

You create files by using the following kinds of services or applications:
o

PROSE (Chapter 10)

File services (Chapter 6)

PRO/BASIC (Refer to the PRO/BASIC Language Manual.)

Communications (Refer to the PRO/Communications Manual.)

Other applications

All files have names. Whenever you create a file, you give it a name, so that
P/OS can keep track of it for you. This file name must be one to nine characters
long (letters A-Z and/or numbers 0-9 only).
File Storage: Volumes

Files take up space on your Professional. P/OS stores a file by placing magnetic
signals on the disk or on a diskette in somewhat the same way as sounds are put
on a cassette tape. The Professional reads the signals and translates them to
characters you can understand.
P/OS ca11s the disk and each diskette a volume. Each diskette has a volume
name, assigned by those who first place files on that diskette (for example, the
people who made the applications or you). The volume name for the disk is
already assigned by P/OS as BIGVOLUME.
Before you create a file, decide what volume you want P/OS to store it on.
Experience will teach you how much space you need for a file and how to
organize your files. Later in this chapter, there is a more detailed discussion of
file size.
When you first use a diskette, it must be initialized and, at the same time, given
a volume name. Initializing is a process by which P/OS makes the diskette ready
for you to use. Sometimes P/OS can initialize a diskette automatically, but in
many cases you need to initialize your diskette using the "Initialize diskette" on
the Disk/Diskette Services Menu. Initialize your personal diskettes as soon as
you know what kind of files you want to put on them.
The diskette volume name must be one to twelve characters. Each volume
should have a different name.

INTRODUCTION TO THE P/OS FILES SYSTEM I CHAPTER 5

Note that there are several names that are reserved for P/OS and P/OS applications. Do NOT use the following names for your personal diskettes:
BIG DISK
BIGVOLUME
DISKETTE1
DISKETTE2
DW1
DZ1
DZ2
LB
LP

SY
SYSDISK
Tl
TT
TT1
TT2
USERDISK
XK
XT

If you insert two diskettes with the same volume name at the same time, P/OS

will not be able to access the second one.
The following table illustrates volumes. The names in lowercase are just examples: you name your own diskettes.
Table 5-1
Example of Volume Names
Volumes

Name

disk

BIGVOLUME

diskette a

myvolume

diskette b

reports

diskette n

memos

Application diskettes are named by those who created the application.
In addition to volume names, the disk and diskettes are named by the hardware
drive (device) that contains them. These device names are:
Table 5-2
Device Names
Device Name

Refers to

BIG DISK

The disk in the system unit

DISKETTE1

The diskette slot labeled 1

DISKETTE2

The diskette slot labeled 2

CHAPTER 5 I INTRODUCTION TO THE P/OS FILES SYSTEM

Your Message/Status display, for instance, refers to the disk and diskettes by
device name.
File Grouping: Directories

P/OS files are grouped in sets, called directories. To give you a more graphic
idea of files, volumes, and directories, the following figure compares computer
files with those in a file cabinet:
VOLUME = ACCOUNTS
DIRECTORY
FILENAME
PAYROLL

FILE TYPE

EMPLOYEES
PENSIONS

DATA
DATA

VOLUME
FILE
stored in a
DIRECTORY

FILE
stored in a
DRAWER

COMPUTER

OFFICE

VOLUME
DIRECTORY
FILE

CABINET
DRAWER
FILE
(including folder)

Figure 5-1
Comparing Computer Files to Files in a File Cabinet

~
~

INTRODUCTION TO THE P/OS FILES SYSTEM I CHAPTER 5

The disk initially has the following directories:
USERFILES

This is the directory initially set up as your
default directory. When you first install P/OS, this
directory is empty. If you create files using PROSE,
PRO/BASIC, or any service, the files are stored in
this directory unless you create more directories.

EXAMPLE

This is a directory to use when reading For
Beginners.

ZZxxxxxxx

A number of directories contain P/OS "system" and
application files. Most of these directories begin
with the letters ZZ. There are also three other
P/OS system directories: 000000, 001001, and 001002.
Applications are stored in directories beginning
with the letters ZZAP. You should not create or
change files in any of these directories. If you
do, you could destroy P/OS or your applications.

You can create other directories on your disk by using "Create directory"
on the Disk/Diskette Services Menu. You can also d~lete USERFILES and
EXAMPLE if you wish, but you should not delete "ZZ" directories, except
by removing applications or reinstalling P/OS.
Before you begin using your Professional extensively, think about the types of
files you will create, and set up directories for groups of related files. For
example, if you plan to do payroll periodically, keep all your payroll files in a
directory called PAYROLL. If you plan to write memos, keep them in a directory called MEMOS. It is a good idea to keep the number of files in each
directory to less than 50 and to keep files you create using different applications
in different directories.
Directory names have one to nine characters (letters A-Z and/or numbers 0-9
only). Each directory on a volume must have a unique name. If you give a
directory a name that begins with the letters ZZ or that is a six to nine digit
number where none of the digits is greater than seven, P/OS considers it to be a
system directory. For example, directories named ZZZ, ZZOD, 012345, 7654321
are considered system directories. Directories named ZODIAC, PIZZA, 1984,
147910 are considered user directories. You should not create system directories
under normal circumstances.

CHAPTER 5 I INTRODUCTION TO THE P/OS FILES SYSTEM

Your disk, located inside your Professional system unit, contains files that you
can access without inserting a diskette. P/OS and all P/OS applications that you
want to use must be installed on the disk. During the installation procedure,
P/OS creates disk directories for P/OS and P/OS application files. Create your
own directories on the disk for personal files you expect to use regularly or put
them in USERFILES. These files might include documents you refer to often,
recent memos, PRO/BASIC data files and programs, and so forth. Since space
on the disk is limited, the disk will eventually fill up. Then you can copy the lessused files to directories on separate diskettes.
When you buy a diskette for your own personal files, you initialize it before you
use it, following "Initialize diskette" described in Chapter 7. Doing this creates
an empty directory called USERFILES and a volume name that you choose. As
with the disk, you can either put your files in the USERFILES directory or
create your own directories.
Do not delete the USERFILES directory on any diskette that you plan to use
with PROSE or PRO/BASIC.
You should keep several extra personal diskettes on hand, putting only files
that are related on each one. For example, you might have a diskette for data for
a program you have written. You might even want to put the program on this
diskette if there is room. Another diskette might contain memos relating to a
particular department or person. And so on. Only you can determine how best
to organize your work.
Diskettes you buy with programs or applications on them also have directories
that were created by the people who prepared the diskettes. These diskettes
have already been initialized. If you initialize them again, the programs or
applications will be erased.
The following table shows the relationship of directories to volumes. The names
in lower case are just examples: you name these yourself.

INTRODUCTION TO THE P/OS FILES SYSTEM I CHAPTER 5

Table 5-3
Example of Directories on Volumes
disk

diskette a

diskette b

diskette n

Volume

BIGVOLUME

inventory

reports

checks

Directories

USERFILES
decmemos
janmemos
febmemos
andy
robin
payroll
misc

store1
store2
warehouse

fy1981
fy1982
fy1983

checks'
USERFILES

You can use the same name for directory and volume if you want. Don't, however, use the same name for two
volumes or for two directories in a volume.

If you are sharing your Professional with others, each user can set up separate
directories. Since all users of your Professional can access all files on the disk,
keep private files on diskettes.
File Types

Besides grouping files in directories, P/OS also identifies files by the following
types:
BASIC program
Data
Document
Text
Other

Files have types based on their use. The PRO/BASIC application runs BASIC
program files. Data files contain data for your programs. You create document
files with the editor, PROSE. BASIC program, data, document, and text files
are all types you can create, edit, delete, and so on.
"Other" refers to any file type other than BASIC program, data, text or document. These types all have the format XXX, where XXX can be one to three
numbers (0-9) and/or letters (A-Z).

CHAPTER 5 \ INTRODUCTION TO THE P/OS FILES SYSTEM

Sometimes a service or application assumes a default file type. For example,
PROSE identifies your files as "Document" unless you specifically change the
type. If you create a BASIC program using PROSE, you have to explicitly
change the file type to be BASIC program either when you exit the editor or by
using the "Rename file/change file type" on the File Services Menu.
P/OS uses files with types such as .SYS (system), .TSK (program), and .FLB
(forms). Many of these files are installed on your disk during the P/OS installation procedure. Others are installed with applications. You should not create or
change these kinds of files, but you can see them listed in directories. You install
system files when you install P/OS. Programs are files consisting of instructions
to the Professional. Forms files contain groups of forms to be used for an
application or service. Applications consist mostly of program, forms, and data
files. You can install and remove application files, but you should not change
them.
If you have the PRO/Communications installed, you can transfer files from

other computers to your Professional and vice versa. These files may have
different types from those described here. Files from PDP-11 or VAX computers
will have types of the format .XXX (other). Transferred files may not look the
same on one computer as on another. For information about transferred files,
refer to the PRO/Communications Manual.
File Size

Files vary in size and are measured in blocks. A block is the amount of space
needed to store 512 characters-more specifically, 512 bytes. A byte is a storage
space big enough for one character. For example, if you write a 600-character
memo, each of those characters is stored in a byte. Additional bytes are needed
to indicate blank spaces, paragraph breaks, and other information P/OS keeps
on that file. The total space used for your memo might be about 660 or more
bytes-or somewhat over one block. P/OS does not use fractions of blocks, so the
file size for your 600-character memo is actually two blocks. For every file, then,
extra, unused space can be assigned to the file. This extra space averages a half
block per file.
A diskette has room for about 800 blocks, but some of that space is used up at
initialization for P/OS information. About 750 blocks are left for your use. A
diskette file can take up as much space as there is available on its diskette-or
up to about 750 blocks. If you run out of space for a file on a diskette, you can
copy the file to the disk and make it larger there.

INTRODUCTION TO THE P/OS FILES SYSTEM I CHAPTER 5

A file created on the disk can take up as much space as there is available on the
disk. The following table shows the approximate number of blocks available for
your use and for P/OS use on the 5-megabyte and IO-megabyte hard disks 1
available for the Professional and on each diskette.
Table 5-4
Disk and Diskette Sizes
Volume Sizes in Blocks

10 MB Disk

5 MB Disk

Diskette

Used by P/OS

4,000

50-200

Free for your files and applications

16,000

6,000

600-750

TOTAL BLOCKS

20,000

10,000

800

Disk sizes are also described in megabytes (MB). A megabyte is roughly a million bytes (actually 1024
squared). Therefore, the hard disk is a 5-megabyte or 10-megabyte disk.

Diskette sizes are also described in kilobytes (KB). A kilobyte is roughly a thousand bytes (actually 1024) or
two blocks. A Professional diskette holds 400 kilobytes.

It is important to be aware of the amount of free space you have on your disk and
on any diskettes you are actively using. While you are editing a file, PROSE
keeps two copies of it on the disk, so check your Message/Status display periodically to make sure there is lots of free space on the disk. When free space is low,
it helps to section very large documents into several small files.
Set up your Professional to fit your needs best: if you plan to create a lot of files
that you want to remain on the disk, then plan ahead to allow room there for
your files.
File Versions

When you edit a file with the editor or change a BASIC program or any other
file, the previous version of that file is saved. By default, your directories show
only the latest version of each file. Using ADDTNL OPTIONS, however, you can
see a directory showing all the versions of the files in it. You can change a file
many times-thousands of times, if you want to. Your previous versions are
saved unless you specifically delete them. "Clean up old file versions," available
from the File Services Menu, is useful for deleting all but the latest version of
a file.
It is important to frequently delete old versions of files, especially large
files (10 or more blocks). Otherwise, you may run low on free space. At the
end of each session, go through your directories, deleting the files or versions of
files you no longer need.
69

CHAPTER 5 I INTRODUCTION TO THE P/OS FILES SYSTEM

WORKING WITH DIRECTORIES

For many P/OS functions, you have to select files from a directory. This section
explains:

How to choose a file from a directory

How to change directories so that you can choose a file from a
different directory

How to display detailed directory information

Choosing a File from a Directory

All your files are listed in directories. When you need to select a file, a menu of
the most recent versions of the files in your current directory appears on the
screen. The following is an example of a file selection menu:

File Selection Menu
Which file(s) do ~ou want to cop~?
Current director~ is CLEAVER on Volume MAYFIELD
Name
T~pe
Version

JUNE
WARD
ELDRIDGE

Document
Document
Document

1
1
1

Additional Options available
Select up to
(
0

Figure 5-2
Example of a File Selection Menu

3 items
chosen )

INTRODUCTION TO THE P/OS FILES SYSTEM I CHAPTER 5

Once you display your selection menu, you can select a file in one of the following
ways:
1.

Using the t and the I keys, move the pointer to the name of the
file you want. Press DO. If you are allowed to choose more than one
file, a message on the screen will tell you. In this case, press SELECT
after each choice and DO when all selections have been made. You can
cancel a selection before pressing DO by pressing SELECT again while
the pointer is at the item to be canceled.
OR

Type (in upper- or lowercase), starting at the beginning, enough
character(s) of your choice to make a unique selection. For example,
to indicate your choice is ZULU rather than ZUNI, type ZUL.
Whatever the amount of space between two words, type one space
between them. For example, to indicate that your choice is
MEMOI Document 2 rather than MEMOl Document 3, type
MEMOl DOCUMENT 2.
OR

If you are used to using PDP-11 RSX-llM/M-PLUS or VAX/VMS
systems, you may want to type out the extended file name (RMS file
specification format). In this case, press the ADDTNL OPTIONS key.
Choose "Use extended file name." A prompt then requests the file
specification. The format is as follows:
device:< directory> filename. type;version

The device name can be one of the following:
BIG DISK
BIGVOLUME
DISKETTE1
DISKETTE2
the volume name of a currently inserted diskette

You can use square brackets ([ J) instead of angle brackets ( < >)
and a period (.) instead of a semi-colon (;). (Refer to documentation
describing VAX/VMS or RSX-UM systems for more information on
the RMS file specification format.) With this method of specifying a
file, the operation on the file takes place as soon as you press DO. The
syntax of the file specification will not be checked before the operation
on the file takes place.
You can also use the "Use extended file name" additional option with
some PRO/DECnet operations. These are explained in Appendix C.
71

CHAPTER 5 I INTRODUCTION TO THE P/OS FILES SYSTEM

Wildcards

Wildcards are a useful tool you can use when choosing a number of files for a
multi-file service. You can select a group of files that have some element(s) in
common by typing in a single file specification that includes one or more wildcards. You can choose, for example, all files with the same filename or type. You
can also use wildcards in conjunction with some PRO/DECnet operations. These
are explained in Appendix C.
The wildcard character is an asterisk (*). You can use this character in the place
of one or more parts of a file specification.
To understand the use of wildcards, you must first become familiar with the
RMS file specification format, which is the way you refer to your files when you
choose "Use extended file name,, from an additional options menu. A few
minutes taken to learn this now will save you a considerable amount of time in
the future. The format is as follows:
device:< directory> filename.type;version

For example, if you used the PROSE text editor to create a document file that
you named "JUNE," its RMS file specification would be, by default:
BIGDISK: < USERFILES > JUNE.DOC;1

BIGDISK means that the file is on the hard disk inside your Professional.
USERFILES is the name of the directory containing the file. JUNE is the
name that you've given the file. DOC means that the file type is DOCUMENT.
The number 'l' means that this is the first version of the file.
If you again edit this file, saving the new version, it will be:
BIGDISK: < USERFILES >JUNE.DOC;2

If you copy this file to the directory "CLEAVER" on a diskette you've named
"MAYFIELD," the copy will be:
MAYFIELD:< CLEAVER >JUNE.DOC;1

If this is the first version of JUNE.DOC in the new directory, then its version
number will be '1: even though an identical file in the original directory has
version number '2~

Now suppose you want to do something with both versions of JUNE.DOC in
directory USERFILES. From the file selection menu you would press ADDTNL
OPTIONS, choose "Use extended file name," and type:
BIG DISK:< USERFILES >JUNE.DOC;*

INTRODUCTION TO THE P/OS FILES SYSTEM [ CHAPTER 5

The asterisk in place of the version number indicates that all version numbers
are to be chosen. If your current directory happens to be USERFILES on
volume BIGDISK, you would only have to type:
JUNE.DOC;*

Similarly, if you wanted to select every file with the type .DOC, you could type:
*.DOC;*

And if you wanted to select every file in your current directory, you could type:
* *·*

The device name, directory name, and volume number are optional. If not
specified, P/OS uses as defaults the latest version of the file in the current
directory.
You cannot use a wildcard in place of the device name. The device name can be
one of the following:
BIG DISK
BIGVOLUME
DISKETTE1
DISKETTE2
the volume name of a currently inserted diskette (in this example: MAYFIELD)

You can use square brackets ([ J) instead of angle brackets ( < >) and a period (.)
instead of a semi-colon (;).
You can also use wildcards when you want to specify all files with some characters in common in one of the elements of the file specification, for example:
J*.DOC;*

would specify all files of type .DOC in the current directory which have names
beginning with the letter 'J.' If you had a document file for each month of the
year, this specification would have indicated that you wanted to work on these
files:
JANUARY.DOC;1

JULY.DOC;1

JUNE.DOC;1

The file type must be three letters (A-Z) and/or numbers (0-9). Some file types
commonly used with P/OS are .BAS (BASIC program), .DAT (data), .DOC
(document), and .TXT (text).
The following file services allow the use of wildcards: Back up disk file(s),
Change file(s) protection, Clean up old file versions, Copy file(s), Delete file(s),
and Restore disk file(s).
73

CHAPTER 5 I INTRODUCTION TO THE P/OS FILES SYSTEM

Additional Options

Pressing ADDTNL OPTIONS while a file selection menu is displayed erases any
information you may have typed in so far and lists the following options:
Choose a different directory/volume
Display next group of files
Use extended file name
Show all versions
Show only latest versions

"Choose a different directory/volume" displays a menu of user directories on
your disk and currently inserted diskettes (Figure 5-3). Choose the directory
you want and press DO. (You cannot choose an empty directory.) To choose a
system directory, press ADDTNL OPTIONS while displaying this menu.
"Display next group of files" is only applicable when you see the message "To
see more groups of files, press ADDTNL OPTIONS." This means that there are
more than a certain maximum number of files in your menu list. (For P/OS
services, the maximum number that will fit in one group is 60; some applications
may have a maximum that is lower than 60.) To display more of the first 60 file
names, press NEXT SCREEN. Then choose "Display next group of files" to see
the next group of names.
"Use extended file name" results in a prompt for the RMS file specification
described in the third method of selecting files.
"Show all versions" displays a file selection menu with all versions of all files in
the current directory.
"Show only latest versions" displays a file selection menu with only the most
recent versions of the files in the current directory.
If you make a mistake while selecting files, a message appears to help you.
If there are more than 12 file names in a directory list, the word "(more)"
appears at the end of the file list. Press NEXT SCREEN to see more files. Once
you have pressed NEXT SCREEN, you can press PREV SCREEN to look at
previous files in the list.
Changing Directories

You can access a file from a directory other than your current directory. You can
also change your current directory or both current and default directories.
74

INTRODUCTION TO THE PIOS FILES SYSTEM I CHAPTER 5

To access a file from a directory that is not your current directory, you
must be using a service or application that is in the process of displaying a file selection menu. As described in the previous section, you
press ADDTNL OPTIONS to temporarily change your directory so
that you can select a file from another directory. (This will not change
your current directory.) When you press ADDTNL OPTIONS, the following menu appears:
Choose a different directory/volume
Display next group of files
Use extended file name
Show all versions
Show only latest versions

Select the first item. Your directories on volumes currently on your
Professional will be listed. For example:

Di rector~

Se l ect i on Menu

Which director~ do ~ ou want to choose?
Current d i rector~ >S SAMPLE on volume BIGVOLUME
Director~
Volume
Dev i ce

USER FILES
EXAMPLE
SAMPLE
MAILING
BILLING
CHRISTMAS
Q2MEMOS
Q1MEMOS
Q3MEMOS
Q4MEMOS

BIG VOLUME
BIG VOLUME
BIG VOLUME
LI STS
LISTS
LISTS
FYB3MEMOS
FYB3MEMOS
FY83MEMOS
FY83MEMOS

BIGDISK
BI GD IS~;
BIGDISK
DISKETTE1
OISKETTE1
DISKETT E1
DISKETTE2
DISKETTEZ
DISKETTE2
DIS" ETTE2

Additional Options available

Select up to
(
0

1 items
chosen >

Figure 5-3
Example of a Directory Selection Menu

Select the directory you want to display by moving the pointer to it,
and pressing DO . (Press EXIT instead of DO to return to the previous
menu without doing anything.) By pressing ADDTNL OPTIONS, you
can select the following additional options:
Choose a system directory
Display next group of directories

CHAPTER 5 I INTRODUCTION TO THE P/OS FILES SYSTEM

"Choose a system directory" displays directories of P/OS and
application files.
CAUTION: DO NOT alter files in system directories. This option is for
maintenance purposes only.

"Display next group of directories" displays more of a directory
selection menu that contains the names of more than a certain number
of directories. When using P/OS services, the number is 60. Choose
this option only if pressing NEXT SCREEN does not display more
directories.
When you have finished with whatever function you were performing
(for example, deleting a file), P/OS returns you to your current
directory.
2.

To change your current directory (valid until you turn the power off or
until changed again), choose "Specify new current directory" from the
File Services Menu or the Disk/Diskette Services Menu. A directory
selection menu appears. Select the directory you want.
Another way to change your current directory is to select "Change
directory" from Set-up Menu A without selecting "Set-up save."

To change both your current and default directory, select "Change
directory" from Set-up Menu A. Select the directory. Then select
"Set-up save." Each time you turn the power on, the Set-up default
directory is your current directory. See Chapter 4, The Set-up Key, for
more details.

Displaying More Directory Information

You can display information about the files in any directory by using the "Show
current directory" or "Show directory." If you do not know what directory a file
is in, you can first list your directories with "Show list of directories." These
functions merely display; you cannot select a directory or file from them. Chapter 6 (Show Current Directory and Show List of Directories) shows examples of
a directory and a directory list.

INTRODUCTION TO THE P/OS FILES SYSTEM

CHAPTER 5

PROTECTING FILES

This section describes ways of maintaining the integrity of files:
D

Backing up files

Preventing accidental file deletion

Using write-protect tabs on diskettes

Unlocking locked files

Watching the active light

Backing Up Your Files

To back up a file is to make an extra copy on a diskette that is then stored away.
To back up a disk file, use the "Back up disk file(s)" on the File Services Menu.
To back up a diskette file, use "Copy file(s)"; to back up all files on a diskette,
use "Copy diskette."
Backup is important for the following reasons:

You can accidentally delete files or parts of files. For example, you
can sometimes damage files by pulling diskettes out at the wrong
time, by choosing the wrong function, or by turning off the power at
the wrong time.

A power failure or accidentally pulling out the power plug can damage
your files.

Diskettes wear out. An average diskette can, if used continuously for 8
hours a day, 5 days a week, run for about 5 months before developing
problems caused by wear. (That is, a diskette can run quite safely
for about 830 hours if it is performing reads and writes 30% of the
time.) If you use a diskette longer than this time, it begins to develop
"bad blocks," or regions that cannot be used to store information.
Bad blocks cause errors in reading and writing information. (If you
reinitialize these diskettes, P/OS will check for bad blocks, and will
not store any information in those blocks. This is a way of extending
the life of a diskette. However, the reinitializing procedure erases all
files on the diskette; moreover, when there are many bad blocks, P/OS
will take longer to read and write information.)

Diskettes can become damaged. A damaged diskette can lose some
or all of its information.

CHAPTER 5 I INTRODUCTION TO THE P/OS FILES SYSTEM

The disk, although highly reliable, can be damaged also. If this should
happen, you can replace the disk; however, if your files are not
backed up, they will be lost.

The P/OS diskettes you bought with your Professional are your backup for the
P/OS system files. Each time you buy an application, save the diskette it came
on as your backup.
Whenever you create or edit a file on your disk, back it up by choosing "Back up
disk file(s)" from the File Services Menu. Keep your backup copies on a separate
labeled set of diskettes. Write on the labels before you stick the labels on the
diskette covers. Since you generally need only the most recent copies of a file as
backup, you can rotate your backup diskettes, reinitializing old sets of backup
diskettes (containing obsolete files) for new backups.
If you try to back up a disk file to a backup diskette without enough room for the
file, a message tells you what to do. You back up a very large disk file to a series
of backup diskettes.
If you discover that a file has been damaged, insert its most recent backup

diskette and restore the file by choosing "Restore disk file(s)" from the File
Services Menu. You can only restore disk files that have been backed up. If the
damage was done before the most recent backup was made, you may find that
you have to go back a version or two to get a good backup copy.
Preventing Accidental File Deletion

You can protect your data, document, and BASIC program files from being
accidentally deleted by using "Change file(s) protection," explained in detail in
Chapter 6. When you protect a file against deletion, no one can delete that file
without first changing its protection.
File protection is especially useful for data files that you do not want disturbed.
File protection is only to safeguard you against accidental deletions. Anyone
with access to your system can change the protection of any file. Anyone with a
Professional can insert your diskettes into any other Professional and access
your personal files.
To protect your files completely, you need to prevent other people from accessing your system and lock up your diskettes.

INTRODUCTION TO THE P/OS FILES SYSTEM I CHAPTER 5

Using Write-Protect Tabs on Diskettes

Special adhesive tabs called write-protect tabs are available for diskettes. If you
stick these tabs on the write-protect notch on a diskette (see Figure 5-4), the
Professional hardware will not allow you to create, change, or delete any file on
that diskette. These tabs are removable.
Do not use write-protect tabs on PRO SYSTEM DSKT V2.0, volume label
PROSYSTEMV2, or PRO SYSTEM OVERVIEW V2.0. These diskettes, which
are provided with your Professional, will not work if they are write-protected.
WRITE-PROTECT NOTCH

il/

0°

.0. ~

NOT WRITE-PROTECTED

WRITE-PROTECT TAB

0°
~ .-.

WRITE-PROTECTED

Figure 5-4
Write-Protect Tab on Diskette

Unlocking Locked Files

A locked file is one that you cannot access because P/OS has taken it out of your
control. Files can become locked if an application or program you are running
stops suddenly, leaving any files it was using "open." For example, files can
become locked:

If you press INTERRUPT and then DO while an application is
operating.

If an application terminates abnormally.

(In normal operation, the application or program "closes" files and then stores

them.) Suspect a locked file if, when you try to use a file, a message appears,
indicating that the file is locked or unavailable. To verify whether the file is
locked, choose "Show current directory" from the File or Disk/Diskette Services Menus. Any locked files will be noted there.

CHAPTER 5 I INTRODUCTION TO THE P/OS FILES SYSTEM

To unlock a locked file, choose "Unlock a locked file" from the Disk/Diskette
Services Menu. Sometimes, even after a file is unlocked, it is unusable. In this
case, you have to use your backup files.
The Active Light

When P/OS is accessing a diskette, a small light goes on next to the diskette
drive slot containing the diskette. Do not remove the diskette while this light is
on; wait until the function in process has completed. When you are backing up or
restoring files to more than one diskette, wait until a message tells you to
remove a diskette.

6
File Services

Chapter 6
File Services
The File Services Menu lists the following:
Back up disk file(s)
Change file(s) protection
Clean up old file versions
Copy file(s)
Delete file(s)
Display file
Rename file/Change file type
Restore disk file
1
Show current directory
, Show directory
1
Show list of directories
1
Specify new current directory

Also available from the Disk/Diskette Services Menu

CHAPTER 6 J FILE SERVICES

BACK UP DISK FILE(S)
Use "Back up disk file(s)" to copy disk files onto diskettes in case the originals
on the disk are accidentally destroyed. Back up your files as you change them,
unless you have no interest in saving them. If you have not backed up a disk file,
you cannot restore it.
To Back Up One Disk File:
1.

Get a blank (new or newly initialized) diskette or a diskette that
already has other backup files on it. If you are backing up a file over
624 blocks long, you need more than one diskette. Each diskette holds
from 624 to 780 blocks of the file. (Since some diskettes may have "bad
blocks," or space that is unusable, the amount of available space can
vary.)

Insert your backup diskette into a diskette drive slot. If you are
backing up a long file to a series of diskettes, insert a blank diskette,
which will become the first backup diskette for the file.

Choose "Back up disk file(s)" from the File Services Menu. A menu
with two options appears.

Choose "Back up selected file(s)." A menu showing the latest versions
of the files in your current directory appears.
Additional Options

Pressing ADDTNL OPTIONS erases any information you may
have typed in so far and displays a menu of the following
additional options:
Choose a different directory/volume
Display next group of files
Use extended file name
Show all versions
Show only latest versions

FILE SERVICES I CHAPTER 6

"Display next group of files" displays more of a file selection
menu that contains the names of more than 60 files. This
option is only applicable if the message "To see more groups of
files, press ADDTNL OPTIONS" is displayed. Choose this
option if pressing NEXT SCREEN does not display more of the
files in the list.
"Use extended file name" results in a prompt for the RMS file
specification.
"Show all versions" displays a file selection menu with all
versions of all files in the current directory.
"Show only latest versions" displays a file selection menu
with only the most recent versions of the files in the current
directory.
5.

Choose the file you want to back up. Press DO.

A menu appears listing the diskette device names. Choose
DISKETTE! if your backup diskette is in slot 1. Choose DISKETTE2
if your backup diskette is in slot 2. Press DO.

A menu appears asking you whether or not you want to initialize the
volume.1 The initialization procedure takes up to two minutes and
erases any information already on the diskette. When you have
selected your answer to the question, press DO. If you chose not to
initialize the volume, go on to step 8. If you want to initialize the
volume:
a. A form appears asking for the volume name you want the newly
initialized volume to have. Type in a name of up to 12 letters (A-Z)
and/or numbers (0-9).
b. Press DO.
c. If there are any files already on the diskette, a warning message
appears. If you still want to initialize, press DO for the initialization
to take place. If you decide not to initialize, press CANCEL, replace
the diskette with another one, then press RESUME; or press EXIT
to return to the File Services Menu without backing up the file.

Note that the initialization for backup is not exactly the same as that performed with "Initialize diskette" on
the Disk/Diskette Services Menu. If you are using a newly initialized diskette, you will need to initialize it
again at this point for backup files.

CHAPTER 6 I FILE SERVICES

P/OS now checks to see if the file will fit on the diskette you have
chosen.
a. If the file fits, the backup takes place. Depending on the size of the
file, the back up procedure can take from a few seconds to about
five minutes.
b. If the file does not fit, but will fit on another diskette that has more
empty space, a message appears telling you to either initialize your
diskette or insert a different diskette. You can, if you want, insert a
new diskette at this point. When you are ready to continue, press
RESUME. Then the Device Selection Menu reappears as in step 6.
When you press DO, the Initialize Diskette Menu appears as in step
7. Messages tell you what to do.
c. If the file will not fit on one diskette at all, a message appears
telling you how many blocks long the file is and approximately how
many diskettes you need to copy it. Make sure you have the
necessary number of diskettes. You cannot back up to a diskette
that has another backup file already on it (unless you first
reinitialize and thus erase that diskette).
When you are ready to perform the backup, press RESUME.
(Otherwise, press EXIT to return to the File Services Menu without
doing anything or MAIN SCREEN to return to the Main Menu.)
Messages will tell you what to do. DO NOT remove your first
backup diskette until the backup is completed. When a message
tells you to insert the second backup diskette, put it in the other
diskette slot, close the slot door, and press RESUME. Wait for
another message. If a third backup diskette is required, remove the
second backup diskette when the appropriate message appears,
insert the third diskette, and press RESUME. Continue in this
fashion until the backup is completed.

When the backup is completed, remove, label, and store the backup
diskette(s). Be sure to write on the labels before sticking them on the
diskette covers. If part of a file is on the diskette, indicate on the label
which part. This is important: if you have to restore the file, you must
start with the first part and proceed sequentially to the last part.
Keep your backup diskettes in a separate location from your other
diskettes.

To restore a damaged disk file, use "Restore disk file(s)."

FILE SERVICES I CHAPTER 6

To Back Up More Than One Disk File:
1.

Get a blank (new or newly initialized) diskette. If you are backing up
files which total over 624 blocks in length, you need more than one
diskette. Each diskette holds from 624 to 780 blocks of data. (Since
some diskettes may have "bad blocks," or space that is unusable, the
amount of available space can vary.)

Insert your backup diskette into a diskette drive slot. If you will be
backing up to a series of diskettes, insert a blank diskette, which will
become the first backup diskette for the files.

Choose "Back up disk file(s)" from the File Services Menu. A menu
with two options appears.

Choose "Back up selected file(s)." A menu showing the latest versions
of the files in your current directory appears.
Additional Options

Pressing ADDTNL OPTIONS erases any information you
may have typed in so far and displays a menu of the following
additional options:
Choose a different directory/volume
Display next group of files
Use extended file name
Show all versions
Show only latest versions

CHAPTER 6 I FILE SERVICES

Choose the files you want to back up. Press DO.

A menu appears listing the diskette device names. Choose
DISKETTE! if your backup diskette is in slot 1. Choose DISKETTE2
if your backup diskette is in slot 2. Press DO.

A menu appears asking you whether or not you want to initialize the
volume. The initialization procedure takes up to two minutes and
erases any information already on the diskette. Answer "yes," then
press DO.

A form appears asking for the volume name you want the newly
initialized volume to have. Type in a name of up to 12 letters (A-Z)
and/or numbers (0-9).

Press DO.

10.

If there are any files already on the diskette, a warning message
appears. If you still want to initialize, press DO for the initialization to
take place. If you decide not to initialize, press CANCEL, replace the
diskette with another one, then press RESUME; or press EXIT to
return to the File Services Menu without backing up the files.

11.

P/OS now backs up your files to the inserted diskette.
a. If the files fit on the inserted diskette, the backup takes place.
Depending on the size of the files, the backup procedure can take
from a few seconds to about five minutes per file.
b. If some, but not all of the selected files will fit on the inserted
diskette, P/OS backs up as many of the files as will fit on the
inserted diskette. A message will appear telling you which files
were backed up to the inserted diskette, and will tell you to insert
another backup diskette when necessary.

FILE SERVICES I CHAPTER 6

c. In the case of individual files which will not fit on one diskette
at all, a message appears telling you the size of the file(s) and
approximately how many diskettes you need. Make sure you have
the necessary number of diskettes. You cannot back up a file of this
size to a diskette that has another backup file already on it (unless
you first reinitialize and thus erase that diskette).
When you are ready to perform the backup, press RESUME.
(Otherwise, press EXIT to return to the File Services Menu without
doing anything or MAIN SCREEN to return to the Main Menu.)
Messages will tell you what to do. DO NOT remove your first
backup diskette until the backup is completed. When a message
tells you to insert the second backup diskette, put it in the other
diskette slot, close the slot door, and press RESUME. Wait for
another message. If a third backup diskette is required, remove the
second backup diskette when the appropriate message appears,
insert the third diskette, and press RESUME. Continue in this
fashion until the backup is completed.
12.

To restore a damaged disk file, use "Restore disk file(s)."
To Back Up an Entire Directory:
1.

Insert your backup diskette into a diskette drive slot. If you will be
backing up to a series of diskettes, insert a blank diskette, which will
become the first backup diskette for the file(s).

Choose "Back up disk file(s)" from the File Services Menu. A menu
with two options appears.

Choose "Back up selected directory." A directory selection menu
appears on your screen.
89

CHAPTER 6 I FILE SERVICES

Additional Options

Pressing ADDTNL OPTIONS erases any information you
may have typed in so far and displays a menu of the following
additional options:
Choose system directory
Display next group of directories

"Choose system directory" displays a menu of P/OS system
and application directories. Choose the directory you want.
"Display next group of directories" displays more of a menu
that contains more than 60 directory names. Use this option if
pressing NEXT SCREEN does not display more names in the
list.

Choose the directory you want to back up. Press DO.

A menu appears listing the diskette device names. Choose
DISKETTE! if your backup diskette is in slot 1. Choose DISKETTE2
if your backup diskette is in slot 2. Press DO.

A form appears asking for the volume name you want the newly
initialized volume to have. Type in a name of up to 12 letters (A-Z)
and/or numbers (0-9).

Press DO.

10.

If there are any files already on the diskette, a warning message
appears. If you still want to initialize, press DO for .the initialization
to take place. If you decide not to initialize, press CANCEL, replace
the diskette with another one, then press RESUME; or press EXIT
to return to the File Services Menu without backing up the files.

FILE SERVICES I CHAPTER 6

11.

P/OS now checks to see if the files in the selected directory will fit on
the diskette you have chosen.
a. If the files in the selected directory fit, the backup takes place.
b. If some, but not all of the files in your selected directory will fit on
the inserted diskette, P/OS backs up as many of the files as will fit
on the inserted diskette. A message will appear telling you which
files were backed up to the inserted diskette, and will tell you to
insert another backup diskette when necessary.
c. In the case of individual files which will not fit on one diskette
at all, a message appears telling you the size of the file(s) and
approximately how many diskettes you need. Make sure you have
the necessary number of diskettes. You cannot back up a file of this
size to a diskette that has another backup file already on it (unless
you first reinitialize and thus erase that diskette).
When you are ready to perform the backup, press RESUME.
(Otherwise, press EXIT to return to the File Services Menu without
doing anything or MAIN SCREEN to return to the Main Menu.)
Messages will tell you what to do. DO NOT remove your first
backup diskette until the backup is completed. When a message
tells you to insert the second backup diskette, put it in the other
diskette slot, close the slot door, and press RESUME. Wait for
another message. If a third backup diskette is required, remove the
second backup diskette when the appropriate message appears,
insert the third diskette, and press RESUME. Continue in this
fashion until the backup is completed.

12.

To restore a damaged disk file, use "Restore disk file(s)."

CHAPTER 6 I FILE SERVICES

CHANGE FILE(S) PROTECTION
Use "Change file(s) protection" to prevent files from being accidentally deleted
or to cancel protection for your files. You should protect any file containing vital
data. P/OS system files are already protected, but a newly created file is always
unprotected.
Files on diskettes with write-protect tabs are also protected from change and
deletion by the Professional hardware.
When you choose "Change file(s) protection," a file selection menu with the
latest versions of the files in your current directory appears on the screen.
Additional Options

Pressing ADDTNL OPTIONS erases any information you
may have typed in so far and displays a menu of the following
additional options:
Choose a different directory/volume
Display next group of files
Use extended file name
Show all versions
Show only latest versions

"Choose a different directory/volume" displays your directory
selection menu. Choose the directory you want. When you
press DO, a file selection menu appears, listing the files in the
selected directory.
"Display next group of files" displays more of a file selection
menu that contains the names of more than 60 files. This
option is only applicable if the message "To see more groups of
files, press ADDTNL OPrIONS" is displayed. Choose this
option if pressing NEXT SCREEN does not display more of the
files in the list.
"Use extended file name" results in a prompt for the RMS file
specification. Wildcards can be used with this option; see
Chapter 5 for information on their use.
"Show all versions" displays a file selection menu with all
versions of all files in the current directory.

FILE SERVICES I CHAPTER 6

"Show only latest versions" displays a file selection menu with
only the most recent versions of the files in the current
directory.
Choose the file(s) you want to protect. Chapter 3 explains how to choose from a
multiple-choice menu. Press DO. The Change Protection Menu appears on the
screen, offering the following options:
No protection
Protection against delete

Choose the option you want. When you press DO, the option you chose goes into
effect. (Pressing EXIT instead of DO returns you to the File Services Menu
without changing the protection.) If you select "Show current directory" from
the File Services Menu or the Disk/Diskette Services Menu, you will see the
protection of the file(s) listed as "yes" or "no" under the heading "May be
deleted."
When changing the protection for more than one file, all files selected will end
up with the same protection. Therefore, if a protected file is selected along with
several unprotected ones and "Protection against delete" is chosen from the
Change Protection Menu, the protection on that file will be unchanged.

CHAPTER 6 I FILE SERVICES

CLEAN UP OLD FILE VERSIONS
Use "Clean up old file versions" to delete unwanted versions of a file. You can
delete all but the most recent version of a file, or all versions older than a
specified version. Before using "Clean up old file versions,'' be certain that you
do not want to save any of the old versions of a file. Once a file is deleted with
"Clean up old file versions," it is lost permanently (unless it has been backed up).
You should clean up your directories frequently to avoid running out of disk
space.
When you choose "Clean up old file versions," the following menu appears:

Clean Up Volume,

Director~

or File

For which files do ~ou want to delete old versions?

All files in current directory
All files in another directory
All files in all user directories on a vol~
Specific file<s> in current directory

Select the cate9ory of files that you want to clean up and press DD.

Figure 6-1
Clean Up Old File Versions Menu

If you choose "All files in current directory," only the latest version of each file
will be saved.
If you choose "All files in another directory," a directory selection menu will

appear. Choose the directory for which you want to clean up old file versions.

FILE SERVICES I CHAPTER 6

Additional Options

Pressing ADDTNL OPTIONS erases any information you
may have typed in so far and displays a menu of the following
additional options:
Choose system directory
Display next group of directories

"Choose system directory" displays a menu of P/OS system
and application directories. Choose the directory you want.
CAUTION: Do not delete files in system and application directories. Doing so
may destroy P/OS or P/OS applications. This option is available for maintenance
purposes only.

"Display next group of directories" displays more of a menu
that contains more than 60 directory names. Use this option if
pressing NEXT SCREEN does not display more names in the
list.
If you choose "All files in all user directories on a volume," all files but the latest
versions of each file will be deleted on the specified volume.
If you choose "Specific file(s) in current directory," a file selection menu will
appear; by default, the latest version of each file will be listed. Choose the file(s)
for which you want to clean up the old versions. Using ADDTNL OPTIONS, you
can choose a version other than the latest version of a file, and delete all versions
older than it.

CHAPTER 6 I FILE SERVICES

Additional Options

Pressing ADDTNL OPTIONS erases any information you
may have typed in so far and displays a menu of the following
additional options:
Choose a different directory/volume
Display next group of files
Use extended file name
Show all versions
Show only latest versions

"Choose a different directory/volume" displays your directory
selection menu. Choose the directory you want. When you
press DO, a file selection menu appears, listing the files in the
selected directory.
"Display next group of files" displays more of a file selection
menu that contains the names of more than 60 files. This
option is only applicable if the message "To see more groups of
files, press ADDTNL OPTIONS" is displayed. Choose the
option when pressing NEXT SCREEN does not display more of
the files in the list.
"Use extended file name" results in a prompt for the RMS
file specification. You can, if you want, use wildcards with this
option. Chapter 5 explains their use.
"Show all versions" displays a file selection menu with all
versions of all files in the current directory.
"Show only latest versions" displays a file selection menu with
only the most recent versions of the files in the current
directory.
When the cleanup is finished, a message will tell you how many files were
deleted.

FILE SERVICES I CHAPTER 6

COPY FILE(S)
Use "Copy file(s)" to duplicate files. The copies can be in a different volume or
directory, or in the same directory with a different version number. You can also
use "Copy file(s)" in conjunction with PRO/DECnet. This is explained in Appendix C. You might use "Copy file(s)" to:
D

Back up a diskette file.

Make a copy on a diskette of a memo or a BASIC program for another
person in your department.

Make a copy of a memo so that you can then use the editor to change
the copied memo for a different addressee.

Create a second copy of a form letter or memo head in order to
preserve the original while "filling in the blanks" on the duplicate.

When you choose "Copy file(s)," a file selection menu of the files in your current
directory appears on the screen.
Additional Options

Pressing ADDTNL OPTIONS erases any information you
may have typed in so far and displays a menu of the following
additional options:
Choose a different directory/volume
Display next group of files
Use extended file name
Show all versions
Show only latest versions

CHAPTER 6 I FILE SERVICES

"Use extended file name" results in a prompt for the RMS file
specification. You can use wildcards with this option. Chapter 5
explains their use.
"Show all versions" displays a file selection menu with all
versions of all files in the current directory.
"Show only latest versions" displays a file selection menu with
only the most recent versions of the files in the current
directory.
Select the file(s) you want to copy and press DO. (Or, press EXIT to return to the
File Services Menu without doing anything.)
A list of the directories on currently inserted volumes appears. Choose the
directory to which you want to copy the selected file(s).
Press DO and the file(s) is copied. (Pressing EXIT instead of DO returns you to
the File Services Menu without copying the remaining selected file(s).) The
original file(s) remains as it was before the copy occurred. If there is not enough
room to copy your file(s), a message to that effect appears on your screen.
Use "Rename file/change file type" to change the type or name of your newly
copied file(s).

FILE SERVICES I CHAPTER 6

DELETE FILE(S)
Use "Delete file(s)" to permanently erase files. Since you may have more than
one version of each file, each listed separately in your directory, you can choose
which version(s) to delete. Look through your directories frequently, deleting
files you no longer want and old versions of files; doing this gives you the
maximum amount of free space for your current work. If you want to delete all
versions of a file except for the latest, use "Clean up old file versions," which is
also available from the File Services Menu. You can also use "Delete file(s)" in
conjunction with PRO/DECnet. This is explained in Appendix C.
"Delete file(s)" does not work on files protected against deletion or on writeprotected diskettes.
When you choose "Delete file(s)," a file selection menu of the files in your
current directory appears on the screen.
Additional Options

Pressing ADDTNL OPTIONS erases any information you
may have typed in so far and displays a menu of the following
additional options:
Choose a different directory/volume
Display next group of files
Use extended file name
Show all versions
Show only latest versions

"Choose a different directory/volume" displays your directory
selection menu. Choose the directory you want. When you
press DO, a file selection menu appears, listing the files in the
selected directory.
"Display next grnup of files" displays more of a file selection
menu that contains the names of more than 60 files. This
option is only applicable if the message "To see more groups of
files, press ADDTNL OPI'IONS" is displayed. Choose this
option when pressing NEXT SCREEN does not display more of
the files in the list.
''Use extended file name" results in a prompt for the RMS
file specification. If you do not specify the version number,
P/OS will delete the version with the highest version number.
99

CHAPTER 6 [ FILE SERVICES

"Show all versions" displays a file selection menu with all
versions of all files in the current directory.
"Show only latest versions" displays a file selection menu
with only the most recent versions of the files in the current
directory.
Choose the file(s) you want to delete. Press DO. The delete occurs. (Press EXIT
instead of DO to return to the File Services Menu without deleting the selected
file(s).)

100

FILE SERVICES I CHAPTER 6

DISPLAY FILE
Use "Display file" to display on your screen the contents of a file. You may want
to do this, for example, to verify that this is the file you want to delete or copy.
You can also use "Display file" in conjunction with PRO/DECnet. This is explained in Appendix C.
When you choose "Display file," a file selection menu of the files in your current
directory appears.
Additional Options

Pressing ADDTNL OPTIONS erases any information you
may have typed in so far and displays a menu of the following
additional options:
Choose a different directory/volume
Display next group of files
Use extended file name
Show all versions
Show only latest versions

"Choose a different directory/volume" displays your directory
selection menu. Choose the directory you want. When you
press DO, a file selection menu appears, listing the files in the
selected directory.
"Display next group of files" displays more of a file selection
menu that contains the names of more than 60 files. This
option is only applicable if the message "To see more groups of
files, press ADDTNL OPTIONS" is displayed. Choose this
option when pressing NEXT SCREEN does not display more of
the files in the list.
"Use extended file name" results in a prompt for the RMS file
specification.
"Show all versions" displays a file selection menu with all
versions of all files in the current directory.
"Show only latest versions" displays a file selection menu with
only the most recent versions of the files in the current
directory.

101

CHAPTER 6 I FILE SERVICES

Choose the file you want to display. When you press DO, the first screen of your
file appears. At this point, you can press EXIT to return to the File Services
Menu. To see more of your file, press NEXT SCREEN. The file scrolls up the
screen to the end.
To hold the screen display still in order to look at the file more carefully, press
HOLD SCREEN. To release the hold, press HOLD SCREEN again.
To display the File Services Menu after the file has been displayed, press EXIT.
Do not try to display system and application files. If you do, strange characters
may appear on your screen; press INTERRUPT DO to exit immediately.

102

FILE SERVICES I CHAPTER 6

RENAME FILE/CHANGE FILE TYPE
Use "Rename file/Change file type" to change the name and/or type of a file.
For example, you may want to change the name or type of a file transferred
from another computer. Or you may have to rename a particular version of a file
if you have two different files with the same name. You can also change the
directory of the file, but not the volume.
When you choose "Rename file/Change file type," a file selection menu of the
files in your current directory appears on the screen.
Additional Options

Pressing ADDTNL OPTIONS erases any information you
may have typed in so far and displays a menu of the following
additional options:
Choose a different directory/volume
Display next group of files
Use extended file name
Show all versions
Show only latest versions

"Choose a different directory/volume" displays your directory
selection menu. Choose the directory you want. When you
press DO, a file selection menu appears, listing the files in the
selected directory.
"Display next group of files" displays more of a file section
menu that contains the names of more than 60 files. This
option is only applicable if the message "To see more groups of
files, press ADDTNL OPTIONS" is displayed. Choose this
option when pressing NEXT SCREEN does not display more of
the files in the list.
"Use extended file name" results in a prompt for the RMS file
specification.
"Show all versions" displays a file selection menu with all
versions of all files in the current directory.
"Show only latest versions" displays a file selection menu with
only the most recent versions of the files in the current
directory.

103

CHAPTER 6 I FILE SERVICES

Choose the file you want to rename and press DO. The Name a File Form
appears on your screen, showing the current volume, directory, and file type as
well as a prompt for the new name. If you want to rename the file, type in the
new file name.

r::=========:::::11 Name a File Form c::===============::;i
Enter a new file name and press DO.
What do ~ou want to name the copied file ?
Current director~ is Q2MEMDS on Volume FYB3MEMOS
File name:
File t~pe: Document

Additional Options available

Figure 6-2
Example of Name a File Form

Additional Options

Pressing ADDTNL OPTIONS erases any information you
may have typed on the Name a File Form and displays the
following additional options:
Choose a different directory/volume
Specify or change file type
Use extended file name

"Choose a different directory/volume" displays a directory
selection menu of the directories on your disk and currently
inserted diskettes. The directory you choose must be on the
same volume as the file you have selected. Press DO. The
Name a File Form reappears with the directory you chose
on it.
104

FILE SERVICES I CHAPTER 6

"Specify or change file type" displays the file type menu. For
example,

r.:======::==:::::::::::11 F lie T\jpe Menu c::=========:i
Which fi le t~pe do \JOU want?
If the f ile t\jpe \:JOU want is not one of t he c hoices , c hoos e "Other " .

BASIC p1·09ram
Data
Document
Text
Other

Make a cho i ce and press 00:

Figure 6-3
Example of File Type Menu

Make your selection. If you select "Other," a form appears for
you to enter in the type you want. Enter a type consisting of
one to three letters and numbers, for example, MAC. When
you press DO, the Name a File Form reappears with the type
you chose on it. Retype the file name at this point.
"Use extended file name" results in a prompt for the RMS file ~
specification.
·
When you have finished selecting or entering the new name and/or type, press
DO for the change to take effect. (Press EXIT instead of DO to return to the File
Services Menu without changing the name or type of the file.)

105

CHAPTER 6

FILE SERVICES

RESTORE DISK FILE(S)
Use "Restore disk file(s)":

If you accidentally delete a disk file that you have previously
backed up.

If you destroy all or part of a previously backed up disk file by
pressing INTERRUPT DO.

If all or part of a previously backed up disk file is destroyed due to a
power out or some other accident.

If your disk is damaged for some reason, and you cannot use the files
on it. Disks are delicate and can be damaged by a fall or a hard push.
In this case, you may have to replace the disk first.

"Restore disk file(s)" copies files backed up to one or more diskettes onto the
disk. If the backup file(s) are on more than one diskette, be sure to insert the
first backup diskette first.
To restore file(s):
1.

Insert the diskette containing the backup file(s) or the first part of the
backup file(s) into a diskette drive slot.

Choose "Restore disk file(s)" from the File Services Menu. Your
backup diskette directory appears on the screen.

Choose the file(s) you want to restore. When you press DO, a message
tells you the name of the directory the file(s) will be restored to and
the names of the volume(s) you need to restore from.

Press RESUME to begin the restore. (Press EXIT instead of RESUME
to return to the File Services Menu without restoring the file.)
If the file is contained on more than one volume, messages tell you:
D

How many volumes (diskettes) you need and their names.

When to remove a volume or insert a new volume.

If you have inserted the wrong volume.

Wait for the File Services Menu to appear with a message saying the
file has been restored.

Remove and store the backup diskette(s).

106

FILE SERVICES I CHAPTER 6

SHOW CURRENT DIRECTORY
Use "Show current directory" to display your current directory on your screen.
You can also display a directory other than the current one without changing the
current directory by using "Show directory."
Additional Options

Pressing ADDTNL OPTIONS erases anything you may have
typed so far and displays a menu of the following additional
options:
Choose a system directory
Display next group of directories

"Choose a system directory" displays a menu of P/OS system
and application directories.
"Display next group of directories" displays more of a menu
that contains more than 60 directory names. Use this option if
pressing NEXT SCREEN does not display more names in the
list. The following figure shows an example of such a directory.

107

CHAPTER 6 I FILE SERVICES

Director\j being displa\jed is USERFILES on VolLDTie BIGVDLUME
File
Name

Fi le
T\jpe

COMPOSE
DA NSK
FIX
VERBS
FIXl
WORDS
VERBS1
ROSCO
YARD
ARCH
VERBS
CATAPULT
VOCAB
BIRDS

BASIC program
BASIC program
BASIC program
Data
BASIC program
Data
BASIC program
BASIC program
BASIC program
BASIC program
BASIC program
BASIC program
BASIC program
Data

Version
Number

File
Size

1
1
1

1
3
1
14
1
16

1
l
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1

Date
Modified

Ma\j be
Deleted

File
Locked

22-AUG-1983
No
22-AUG-1983
No
22-AUG-1983
Yes
22-AUG-1983
No
22-AUG-1983
Yes
22-AUG-1983
No
5
22-AUG-1983
Yes
22-AUG-19B3
Yes
1
22-AUG-1983
Yes
11
22-AUG-1983
5
Yes
l
22-AUG-1983
Yes
22-AUG-19B3
Yes
1
3
22-AUG-1983
Yes
Yes
2E.
22-AUG-1983
Additional Options available

To see more files, press NEXT SCREEN.
To return to the menu, press EXIT.

Figure 6-4
Example of a Directory

Each directory contains the following information:
Volume-the name of the disk or diskette containing the directory
Directory-the name of the directory
File name-the names of the files in the directory
File type-the types of the files in the directory
Version number-the version numbers of the files in the directory
File size-the file sizes in blocks
Date modified-the dates the files were created or most recently

changed
May be deleted-whether or not protection has been set for the files

Locked-indicates if the file is locked
In directories, files are ordered somewhat by order of creation. Because of the
way the file system works, files do not necessarily keep that order as old files
are deleted and new ones created.

108

FILE SERVICES I CHAPTER 6

If the file names in a directory cannot all fit on one screen, a message tells you to
press NEXT SCREEN to see more files. When you press NEXT SCREEN, the
list will scroll through to the end. Press HOLD SCREEN to hold the display still
so you can read what is on it. Press HOLD SCREEN again to release the hold.
Additional Options

By pressing ADDTNL OPTIONS while looking at your
directory, you can select one of the following additional
options:
Print directory
Store directory as a file

"Print directory" prints out your directory on your printer. If
the printer is already in use, a message to that effect appears
on your screen and you can wait until later.
"Store directory as a file" creates in your current directory
a file you naine that contains the directory you have selected.
This option is useful if your printer is busy and you want to
print the file later. Later on, you should delete this file so as
not to clutter up your disk with unnecessary files.
Press EXIT to return to the File Services Menu.

109

CHAPTER 6 I FILE SERVICES

SHOW DIRECTORY
Use "Show directory" to display a directory on your screen. When you choose
"Show directory," a directory selection menu appears from which you select the
directory you want to display. "Show current directory" in this chapter gives an
example of such a display. You can also use "Show directory" in conjunction
with PRO/DECnet. This is explained in Appendix C.
Additional Options

Pressing ADDTNL OPTIONS erases anything you may have
typed so far and displays a menu of the following additional
options:
Choose a system directory
Display next group of directories

"Choose a system directory" displays a menu of P/OS system
and application directories.
"Display next group of directories" displays more of a menu
that contains more than 60 directory names. Use this option if
pressing NEXT SCREEN does not display more names in the
list.
Choose the directory you want to display and press DO.
Additional Options

By pressing ADDTNL OPTIONS while looking at your directory, you can select one of the following additional options:
Print directory
Store directory as a file

"Print directory" prints out your directory on your printer. If
the printer is already in use, a message to that effect appears
on your screen and you can wait until later.
"Store directory as a file" creates in your current directory
a file you name that contains the directory you have selected.
This option is useful if your printer is busy and you want to
print the file later. Later on, you should delete this file so as
not to clutter up your disk with unnecessary files.
110

FILE SERVICES ICHAPTER 6

Press NEXT SCREEN to display more files in the directory and EXIT to return
to the File Services Menu.

111

CHAPTER 6 IFILE SERVICES

SHOW LIST OF DIRECTORIES
Use "Show list of directories" to display the directory, volume, and device
names of all the directories on your disk and on any currently inserted diskettes.
The following is an example of a directories list:

List of Di r ectories

D1 r ector!:j

'Jo l ume

USERFILES
SAMPLE
PAUL
HOF FY
DAVE
BRUCE
MI KE
CHRIS

BIG VOLUME
BIGVOLUME
DEVO
DEVO
DEVD
OEVO
DEVO

OEVO

Dr ive

Bl GO I SK
BI GO I SK
OISKETTE1
DISKETTE1
OISKETTE1
OISKETTE1
OISKETTE1
DISKETTE1

Additional Opt i ons ava i lable

There are no more directories.
Press EXIT to return to the menu.

Figure 6-5
Example of a List of Directories

112

FILE SERVICES ICHAPTER 6

Additional Options

By pressing ADDTNL OPTIONS, you can select one of the
following additional options:
Print directories list
Show system directories also
Show system directories only
Store directories list as a file

"Print directories list" prints the list if the printer is
available.
"Show system directories also" displays the P/OS system and
application directories along with your other directories.
"Show system directories only" displays only the P/OS system
and application directories.
"Store directories list as a file" stores the list you displayed as
a file that you name.
Press NEXT SCREEN to see more directories in a list and EXIT to return to the
File Services Menu.

113

CHAPTER 6 IFILE SERVICES

SPECIFY NEW CURRENT DIRECTORY
Use "Specify new current directory" to change your current directory.
When you choose "Specify new current directory," a menu of your directories
appears on the screen.
Additional Options

Pressing ADDTNL OPTIONS erases any information you
may have typed so far and displays a menu of the following
additional options:
Choose system directory
Display next group of directories

"Choose system directory" displays a menu of P/OS system
and application directories. Choose the directory you want.
CAUTION: Do not alter files in system and application directories. Doing so
may destroy P/OS or P/OS applications. This option is available for maintenance
purposes only.

"Display next group of directories" displays more of a menu
that contains more than 60 directory names. Use this option if
pressing NEXT SCREEN does not display more names in the
list.
When you have selected the directory you want for your current directory,
press DO. This change remains in effect until you turn the power off, use the
"Change directory" function on Set-up Menu A, or specify new current directory again. (Press EXIT instead of DO to return to the File Services Menu
without changing your current directory.)

114

7
Disk/Diskette Services

Chapter 7
r"\. ! - I . Ir'\.! - I . -

.1..l. -

r'\ -

·-· .! -

Ul!':>K/Ul!':>Ke11e ~erv1Ge!':i

The Disk/Diskette Services Menu lists the following:
Copy diskette
Create directory
Delete directory
Initialize diskette
Install application
Remove application
1
Show current directory
1
Show directory
1
Show list of directories
1
Specify new current directory
Unlock a locked file

Also available from the File Services Menu

117

CHAPTER 7 [ DISK/DISKETTE SERVICES

COPY DISKETTE
"Copy diskette" allows you to copy the entire contents of one diskette on to
another diskette. Use this procedure to make backup copies of your important
diskettes.
To use "Copy diskette":

118

Using the arrow keys, move the pointer on the Disk/Diskette Services
Menu until it points to "Copy diskette."

Press DO.

Insert a blank diskette (or one that you are willing to erase) in
diskette drive 2. This will be your destination diskette.

Press RESUME. If the diskette you have inserted has been used
before, a message on the screen will tell you that information has been
found on the diskette. If you do not want to erase this diskette, press
CANCEL (you can then remove the inserted diskette and start again
with a different destination diskette). Or, press EXIT to leave "Copy
diskette" and return to the Disk/Diskette Services Menu. If you are
willing to lose the information on the diskette and want to go ahead
with the copy, press DO.

A form appears requesting a name for the destination diskette. Type
in a name of one to twelve letters (A-Z) and/or numbers (0-9).

Press DO.

When the display on the screen tells you to, insert the diskette to be
copied (source diskette) in diskette drive 1. Press RESUME.

A display on your screen will show you the names of your source and
destination diskettes. Press DO to proceed; or, press CANCEL if you
have inserted the wrong source diskette and want to insert another.
You can press EXIT if you have changed your mind and want to return
to the Disk/Diskette Services Menu without copying the diskette.

A message will appear on your screen when the copy begins. You are
now returned to the Disk/Diskette Services Menu, and can begin
doing other work on your Professional. The Message/Status display
will tell you that the copy was completed or will explain if there was a
problem. Remove both diskettes and store them carefully.

DISK/DISKETTE SERVICES I CHAPTER 7

CREATE DIRECTORY
Use "Create directory" to add a directory on the disk or on a diskette. It is a
good idea to organize your files so that different categories of files are in
different directories and to keep less than 50 files in each directory. Organize
your work in a way that works best for you.
When you choose "Create directory," a form appears requesting the directory
name.
Additional Options

Pressing ADDTNL OPTIONS erases any information you may
have typed so far and displays a menu with the following
additional option:
Create a directory on a different volume

"Create a directory on a different volume" displays a menu of
currently accessible volumes. Choose the volume you want and
press DO. A form appears requesting the directory name.
Type in the name of the directory you want on the directory name form in one to
nine letters (A-Z) and/or numbers (0-9). Press DO; the directory is created, and
the Disk/Diskette Services Menu reappears. (If you decide not to create a
directory, press EXIT instead of DO to display the Disk/Diskette Services
Menu.)
If there is already a directory with the name you chose on the volume, a message
to that effect appears at the bottom of the screen. In this case, use <::X1 or
CANCEL to delete your entry, and type in a different name.

119

CHAPTER 7 I DISK/DISKETTE SERVICES

DELETE DIRECTORY
Use "Delete directory" to delete an entire directory. Before using "Delete
directory," delete (or copy and then delete) any files still in the directory. "Delete directory" only works on empty directories.
When you choose "Delete directory" and press DO, a menu appears showing
your directories on the disk and currently inserted diskettes.
Additional Options

Pressing ADDTNL OPTIONS erases anything you may have
typed so far and displays a menu of the following additional
options:
Choose a system directory
Display next group of directories

"Choose a system directory" displays a menu of P/OS system
and application directories.
CAUTION: Deleting system directories can destroy your P/OS system. This
option is here for maintenance purposes only.

"Display next group of directories" displays more of a menu
that contains more than 60 directory names. Use this option if
pressing NEXT SCREEN does not display more names in the
list.
Choose the directory to be deleted and press DO. The delete occurs if the
directory is empty, and the Disk/Diskette Services Menu reappears. (Press
EXIT instead of DO to display the Disk/Diskette Services Menu without deleting
the directory.)

120

DISK/DISKETTE SERVICES I CHAPTER 7

INITIALIZE DISKETTE
Use "Initialize diskette" to prepare and name a new diskette or to erase and
rename a used diskette. "Initialize diskette" erases any information on the
diskette and creates an empty directory named USERFILES. Do not use "Initialize diskette" on a used diskette without first copying files you want to keep
to the disk or to another diskette. The initialization procedure includes a check
for bad blocks. If found, those blocks will not be used by P/OS for storing
information. (See Chapter 5, Backing Up Your Files, for more information about
bad blocks.)
When you choose "Initialize diskette":
1.

A menu appears, listing the diskette drive device names, DISKETTE!
and DISKETTE2. Choose the device containing the diskette you want
to initialize and name.

Press DO. (Press EXIT instead of DO to stop the initialization
procedure.)

A form appears, requesting a name for the volume. Type in a name of
one to twelve letters (A-Z) and/or numbers (0-9).

Press DO. If there is any information on the diskette, a message
appears, telling you to press CANCEL to try another diskette, EXIT
to return to the Disk/Diskette Services Menu without changing
anything, or DO to continue. When you press DO, P/OS initializes
and checks the diskette.

When the initialization procedure is completed, the Disk/Diskette
Services Menu reappears.

Now you can remove the initialized diskette if you want. Do not
remove the diskette before the end of the procedure.

If you have two volumes with the same name, you cannot use them both at the
same time. If you want to change a volume name, copy all the files from one of
the volumes to another volume with a different name, since it is not possible to
change volume names without reinitializing the diskette.

121

CHAPTER 7 I DISK/DISKETTE SERVICES

INSTALL APPLICATION
Use "Install application" to place each new application onto your disk. Since this
is one of the first things you have to do when you get your Professional, the
general install application procedure is described in Chapter 3. Details about
the Additional Application Group Menu are described in this section.
To install one or more applications on your Professional:
1.

Insert one or two application diskettes into one or two diskette drive
slots. If you are installing an application contained on more than one
diskette, insert the first application diskette in a diskette drive slot
and leave the other slot empty.

Choose "Install application" from the Disk/Diskette Services Menu.

Press DO.

Choose the application you want to install from the Application
Installation Menu.

Press DO. (Or, press EXIT instead of DO to return to the
Disk/Diskette Services Menu without installing an application.)

Choose the menu on which you wish to install the application from the
Application Group Menu.
There are five positions for applications on the Main Menu, and 132
possible positions for applications on the Additional Applications
Menus. Install the five applications that you think you will be using
the most on the Main Menu.
Place the rest of your applications under Additional Applications.
Initially, there are eleven items on the Additional Applications Menu,
listed alphabetically as "A Group" through "K Group."
If you have seventeen or fewer applications, you should put
the names of these on the Main Menu (up to 5 applications) and the
Additional Applications "A Group" Menu (up to 12 applications). To
do this, choose either "Main Menu" or "A Group," then go to step 7.
If you have more than 17 applications, or if you anticipate having
more than 17 applications, use the Additional Applications Menu as an
application group menu. The applications themselves would then be
listed on a third level of menus.

122

DISK/DISKETTE SERVICES I CHAPTER 7

In this case, decide how many groups of applications you want (you
can have up to eleven) and what you want to name them. For example,
you might have a group for games, a group for monthly applications, a
group for end-of-year applications, and so forth. There are 12 positions
for applications in each group.
7.

Press DO. (Or, press EXIT instead of DO to return to the
Disk/Diskette Services Menu without installing the application.) The
Application/Group Name Change Form appears containing the name
of the application and of the application group. If you installed your
application on the Main Menu, the group name will be blank, since
you cannot change the name of the Main Menu.

If you want to change the application name or group name, delete the
name on the screen by pressing <:z1. Then type in the name you
want (40 characters, including spaces). Use RETURN to move from
one entry to the other. (Otherwise, go on to the next step.)

When the names you want appear on the form, press DO. Wait for
P/OS to install your application. This takes from 2 to 10 minutes per
application diskette, depending on the size of the application. If you are
installing an application contained on more than one diskette, you will
be prompted to remove the inserted diskette and replace it with the
next diskette needed for the installation. When the installation is
complete, the Disk/Diskette Services Menu appears.

10.

To install another application, repeat the procedure from step 2. To
display the Main Menu, press MAIN SCREEN.

11.

When you have finished installing your application(s), remove and
store the application diskette(s).

Remember to keep the diskettes that applications originally came on. These will
be your backups in case something happens to the files on your disk. Store these
diskettes in a safe place, and do not erase or reuse them.
NOTE: Before attempting to use an application, make sure that you have the
required hardware (for example, a printer). P/OS will install applications for
which you don't have all the hardware, but you will have trouble using them.

123

CHAPTER 7 DISK/DISKETTE SERVICES
J

REMOVE APPLICATION
Use "Remove application" to erase an application from the disk. If you want to
use the application again, store your original application diskette in a safe place.
"Remove application" removes the files you initially installed with the application. Data files you created using the application are not necessarily removed.
To remove these files from the disk, you must search through your directories
for the files, and then delete them or copy them to a diskette.
When you choose "Remove application":
1.

A menu appears, listing the application groups: Main Menu, "A
Group," "B Group," etc. If you have changed a group name, the menu
will list the new group name. Move the pointer to the name of the
group from which you want to remove the application.
To return to the Disk/Diskette Services Menu without removing an
application, press EXIT.

Press DO.

A menu appears, listing the applications, if any, in the group you
selected. Move the pointer to the name of the application you want
to remove.
To return to the Disk/Diskette Services Menu without removing the
application, press EXIT.

124

Press DO. P/OS removes your chosen application. This can take up to
a minute or so.

The Disk/Diskette Services Menu reappears. A message will tell
you if any files remain in the application directory. To remove another
application, repeat the entire procedure.

DISK/DISKETTE SERVICES I CHAPTER 7

SHOW CURRENT DIRECTORY
Use "Show current directory" to display your current directory on the screen.
You can also display a directory other than the current directory without changing the current directory by using "Show directory." Chapter 6 (Show Current
Directory) shows an example of a directory display.
Additional Options

Pressing ADDTNL OPTIONS erases anything you may have
typed so far and displays a menu of the following additional
options:
Choose a system directory
Display next group of directories

Additional Options

Pressing ADDTNL OPTIONS while looking at your directory
displays the following additional options:
Print directory
Store directory as a file

"Print directory" prints out your directory on your printer. If
the printer is already in use, a message to that effect appears
on your screen, and you can wait until later.
"Store directory as a file" creates a file that you name in
your current directory, containing the directory or directories
you have selected. This is useful if your printer is busy and
you want to print the file later.
Press NEXT SCREEN to display more files in the directory and EXIT to return
to the Disk/Diskette Services Menu.

125

CHAPTER 7 I DISK/DISKETTE SERVICES

SHOW DIRECTORY
Use "Show directory" to display a directory on your screen. Chapter 6 (Show
Current Directory) shows an example of a directory display. You can also use
"Show directory" in conjunction with PRO/DECnet. This is explained in Appendix C.
When you choose "Show directory," a directory selection menu appears on your
screen.
Additional Options

Pressing ADDTNL OPTIONS erases anything you may have
typed so far and displays a menu of the following additional
options:
Choose a system directory
Display next group of directories

126

DISK/DISKETTE SERVICES I CHAPTER 7

Choose the directory you want to display and press DO.
Additional Options

By pressing ADDTNL OPTIONS while looking at your
directory, you can select one of the following additional
options:
Print directory
Store directory as a file

"Print directory" prints out your directory on your printer. If
the printer is already in use, a message to that effect appears
on your screen and you can wait until later.
"Store directory as a file" creates in your current directory
a file you name that contains the directory you have selected.
This option is useful if your printer is busy and you want to
print the file later.
Later on, you should delete this file so as not to clutter up
your disk with unnecessary files.
Press NEXT SCREEN to display more files in the directory and EXIT to return
to the Disk/Diskette Services Menu.

127

CHAPTER 7 I DISK/DISKETTE SERVICES

SHOW LIST OF DIRECTORIES
Use "Show list of directories" to display the directory and volume names of all
the directories on your disk and on any currently inserted diskettes.
When you choose "Show list of directories," a list appears on your screen.
Chapter 6 (Show List of Directories) shows an example of a list of directories.
Additional Options

Pressing ADDTNL OPTIONS while looking at your directories
list displays the following additional options:
Print directories list
Show system directories also
Show system directories only
Store directories list as a file

"Print directories list" prints the list if the printer is available.
"Show system directories also" displays the P/OS system and
application directories along with your other directories.
"Show system directories only" displays the P/OS system and
application directories.
"Store directories list as a file" stores the list you displayed as
a file that you name.
Press NEXT SCREEN to display more directories in a list and EXIT to return to
the Disk/Diskette Services Menu.

128

DISK/DISKETTE SERVICES I CHAPTER 7

Pressing ADDTNL OPTIONS erases anything you may have
typed so far and displays a menu of the following additional
options:
Choose a system directory
Display next group of directories

"Choose a system directory" displays a menu of P/OS system
and application directories. Choose the directory you want.
CAUTION: Do not alter files in system and application directories. Doing so
may destroy P/OS or P/OS applications. This option is for maintenance purposes
only.

"Display next group of directories" displays more of a menu
that contains more than 60 directory names. Use this option if
pressing NEXT SCREEN does not display more names in the
list.
When you have selected the directory you want for your current directory,
press DO. This change remains in effect until you turn the power off or specify
new current directory again, using either Set-up Menu A or the File Services
Menu.

129

CHAPTER 7 I DISK/DISKETTE SERVICES

UNLOCK A LOCKED FILE
A file or group of files can become locked:

If you press the INTERRUPT key followed by the DO key while using
an application.

If an application has a defect that causes a file to lock.

If there is a power failure while an application is in progress.

If you get a message saying that a file is locked, not available, or not usable,
check the file's directory with "Show current directory." If the file is locked, use

"Unlock a locked file."
When you choose "Unlock a locked file," a menu of the locked files in your
current directory appears on the screen.
Additional Options

Pressing ADDTNL OPTIONS erases any information you
may have typed in so far and displays a menu of the following
additional options:
Choose a different directory/volume
Display next group of files
Use extended file name

"Choose a different directory/volume" displays your directory
selection menu. Choose the directory you want. When you
press DO, a file selection menu appears, listing any locked files
in the selected directory.
"Display next group of files" displays more of a file selection
menu that contains the names of more than 60 files. This
option is only applicable if the message "To see more groups of
files, press ADDTNL OPTIONS" is displayed. Choose this
option when pressing NEXT SCREEN does not display more of
the files in the list.
"Use extended file name" results in a prompt for the RMS file
specification.

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DISK/DISKETTE SERVICES I CHAPTER 7

Select the file to unlock and press DO. The unlocking occurs.
An unlocked file is not necessarily usable, since important information about the
file may have been destroyed when the file became locked. In this case, delete
the file. If you have not deleted the previous version from your disk, use that. If
you have deleted the previous version and have a backup of that file, then use
"Restore disk file(s)" to recover the most recent backup copy.

131

8
Using a Printer with Your
Professional

Chapter 8
Using a Printer with Your Professional
This chapter explains how to print files on a printer or plotter connected directly to your Professional, or to which you have access via Mini-Exchange.
USING PRINT SERVICES

P/OS print services allow you to print files (including those to which you
have access via PRO/DECnet) on a variety of devices. You can print up to nine
files at a time. Once printing has begun, you can use another P/OS service or
application.
Before you begin printing files for the first time, use "Set printer characteristics" to set your printer type and location, as well as the proper characteristics
for your printer and paper. Refer to Set Printer Characteristics in the next
chapter. When using an LA50, LAlOO, or LQP02 printer or an LVP16 plotter,
make sure the device is set to 4800 baud; with other types of printers and
plotters, use "Set printer characteristics" to set the appropriate baud rate.
Also, make sure the printer is turned on, that you have connected the correct
cable (part number BCC05 if the device is connected directly to your Professional), and that the paper is in place with the print head positioned to the first
line of a page.
Do not print system files (type .SYS), task image files (type .TSK), or forms files
(type .FLB). These files contain binary format data that may cause strange
numbers and characters to be printed. If you print one by accident, select
"Abandon printing" from the Print Services Menu. Certain files transferred to
your Professional from other computers may not be printable either.
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CHAPTER 8 I USING A PRINTER WITH YOUR PROFESSIONAL

Using Print Services with PRO/DECnet

Print services let you print files to which you have access via PRO/DECnet.
This is explained in Appendix C.
Mini-Exchange

If your Professional is one of several personal computers using a Mini-Exchange

to share a printer or plotter, you must first use the Set Printer Type/Location
Menu to specify "Remote" as the location and to specify the Mini-Exchange port
number of the printer you are using. The Set Printer Type/Location Menu is
displayed when you choose "Set printer characteristics" from the Print Services Menu.
ALTERNATIVES TO PRINT SERVICES
P/OS

It's possible to print directories, lists of directories, and PROSE files without
using print services. You can print a directory with the additional options available from "Show current directory" or "Show directory" on the File Services
and Disk/Diskette Services Menus. You can print a list of directories by using
the additional options available from "Show list of directories" on the File
Services and Disk/Diskette Services Menus. You can print a PROSE file by
choosing "Print file" from the PROSE Exit Menu.
The PRINT SCREEN Key

Pressing the PRINT SCREEN key prints an image of what is on your screen. Do
this when no file is printing. After using PRINT SCREEN, reset the paper in
your printer so that the print head is at the first line of a page. Use the form
feed control on your printer to do this. The LAlOO must be set off-line before
form-feeding; set the printer on-line again before you begin printing. The PRINT
SCREEN key works only with the LASO and LAlOO printers.
Digital Command Language (DCL)

If you are part of a PRO/DECnet network, certain DCL commands, including

PRINT/REMOTE, COPY /PRINT, and CREATE/PRINT are available for your
use. Refer to the Command Language User's Guide for information on these
commands.

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USING A PRINTER WITH YOUR PROFESSIONAL I CHAPTER 8

PRINTING PICTURE FILES

Some applications allow you to create picture files which can be printed by using
"Print file(s)" from the Print Services Menu. Only dot-matrix printers (for
example, LA50 and LAlOO) or plotters (for example, LVP16) will print these
files. Picture files will have the file type .GID. Some text files, which are not of
type .GID, will include or refer to .GID files. These files can usually be printed
with print services.
When you print a picture file, the picture will be rotated (and its size adjusted)
to best fit within your chosen margins.
ReGIS to GIDIS Converter

If you have the PRO Tool Kit, you can also get a ReGIS picture file printed. To
do this, you convert the ReGIS file to a .GID file using the ReGIS to GIDIS
converter (RTOG), and then use Print Services to print the .GID file. To perform
a conversion, enter the PRO/Tool Kit, then type:
RUN APPL$DIR:RTOG

Enter the name of a ReGIS file-for example: GRAPH.PIC. RTOG will create
GRAPH.GID within the default directory; this file can be printed by P/OS print
services.
TYPES OF PRINTERS
LA50

The LA50 is a compact dot-matrix printer that can print on paper up to 9 inches
wide (with a print field 8 inches wide).
If you are using an LA50 printer, you will achieve best results by changing the
graphics aspect ratio from the factory setting. This is especially important if you
are printing graphic images. Circles, for instance, are printed as ovals unless
you change the setting. Set switch 5 of SWI to the closed position to change the
graphics aspect ratio, as described in Installing and Using the LASO Printer
(part of the LA50 documentation).

The LA50 has two modes for printing text: draft quality, which prints at 100
characters per second, and letter quality, which prints at 50 characters per
second.

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CHAPTER 8 I USING A PRINTER WITH YOUR PROFESSIONAL

LA100

The LAlOO is a dot-matrix printer that can print on paper up to 13.2 inches wide.
The LAlOO has two modes for printing text: draft quality, which prints at 240
characters per second, and letter quality, which prints at 30 or 80 characters per
second depending on the character ROM installed in the printer.
LQP02

The LQP02 is a full-character, daisy wheel printer that can print on paper up to
13.2 inches wide. It operates in a single letter quality mode at 32 characters per
second. It has an optional cut sheet feeder and an optional tractor feed.
Other

If you have a printer that is not of a type explicitly supported by the Professional, it may still be possible to use it with your Professional. Choose "Other"
from the Set Printer Type/Location Menu, then press ADDTNL OPTIONS for
the Set Characteristics Menu if you want to change any of the default settings
for the printer.

You should disable parity, and set eight bits per character on your printer if you
choose "Other" for your printer type.
TYPES OF PLOTTERS
LVP16

The LVP16 is a 6 pen plotter useful for creating colorful charts and graphs. Files
to be plotted on the LVP16 should be of file type .GID (see "Printing Picture
Files" above), or should use HP-GL protocol. If you try to plot other types of
files, you may get unpredictable results.
Hewlett-Packard

HP 7470 and 7475 plotters (and any others that use the HP-GL protocol) can be
connected to your Professional. Choose the "LVP16" setting for these plotters.

138

9
Print Services

Chapter 9
Print Services
The Print Services Menu lists the following:
Abandon printing
Continue printing
Pause printing
Print file(s)
Restart printing
Set printer characteristics
View status

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CHAPTER 9 I PRINT SERVICES

ABANDON PRINTING
Use "Abandon printing" to stop your current print job. When you press DO, the
printer will stop printing within 15-20 seconds. You can then, if you want, start
another print job.

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PRINT SERVICES I CHAPTER 9

CONTINUE PRINTING
Use "Continue printing" to continue a print job you have suspended with
"Pause printing," or to continue a print job that became suspended because the
printer went off-line for some reason (for example, it ran out of paper). When
you press DO, the print job continues.

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CHAPTER 9 I PRINT SERVICES

PAUSE PRINTING
Use "Pause printing" to temporarily suspend your current print job. When you
press DO, the printer will stop printing (within 15-20 seconds) until you continue, restart, or abandon the print job. The Print Services Menu remains on the
screen.
"Pause printing" is useful if you want to adjust the printer, put in more paper,
and so on. While the "Pause printing" function is in effect, the printer is not
available for other applications and the PRINT SCREEN key does not work.

144

PRINT SERVICES I CHAPTER 9

PRINT FILE(S)
Use "Print file(s)" to print up to nine files (from one directory) at a time. You can
also use "Print file(s)" in conjunction with PRO/DECnet. This is explained in
Appendix C. When you choose "Print file(s)," a file selection menu of the files in
your current directory appears on the screen.
Additional Options

"Choose a different directory/volume" displays your directory
selection menu. Choose the directory you want. When you
press DO, a file selection menu appears, listing the files in the
selected directory.
"Display next group of files" displays more of a file selection
menu that contains the names of more than 60 files. This
option is only applicable if the message "To see more groups of
files, press ADDTNL OPTIONS" is displayed. Choose this
option when pressing NEXT SCREEN does not display more of
the files in the list.
"Use extended file name" results in a prompt for the RMS file
specification (described in Chapter 5, Choosing a File from a
Directory).
"Show all versions" displays a file selection menu with all
versions of all files in the current directory.
"Show only latest versions" displays a file selection menu
with only the most recent versions of the files in the current
directory.

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CHAPTER 9 I PRINT SERVICES

Select the file(s) you want to print. If you are selecting more than one file, use
the SELECT key to mark each file you want to print. (If you change your mind,
press CANCEL to cancel all selections or use SELECT a second time to cancel an
individual selection.)
When you press DO, the printer starts. Press EXIT instead of DO if you decide
to return to the Print Services Menu without printing any files.
A message on your View Status display tells you if the printer is not ready.

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PRINT SERVICES I CHAPTER 9

RESTART PRINTING
Use "Restart printing" when a job is ruined by running out of paper, jamming,
or some other problem with the printer. First, use "Pause printing" to temporarily stop printing. Next correct the printer problem. Then choose "Restart
printing" and press DO. The print job restarts at the beginning of the file that
was being printed at the time the printing was paused.

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CHAPTER 9 I PRINT SERVICES

SET PRINTER CHARACTERISTICS
Use "Set printer characteristics" to specify your printer type and location, and
to format your printed output.
If you want your LAIOO or LQP02 printer to form feed between pages automati-

cally, be sure that the page length, bottom margin, and top margin are set
properly. The LASO printer will only page automatically if you insert page
breaks (form feeds) in your file (see Chapter 10, Page Break).
When you choose "Set printer characteristics," the Set Printer Type/Location
Menu appears:

- - - - - - - - - . set Printer T\jpe / Location Menu i=======:::::i

Press MAIN SCREEN to return to Main Menu.
Press EXIT to return to previous menu.
Press ADDTNL OPTIONS to set your printer ' s characteristics.
Printer Locaticri:
Printer Type:

Local
LA50

Additional Options available
Make a choice and press DO:

Figure 9-1
Set Printer Type/Location Menu

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PRINT SERVICES I CHAPTER 9

The current settings for printer type and location are shown on this menu. If
you need to change one of these, move the pointer to the desired option and
press DO.
For printer location, you can choose:
Local
Remote via Mini-Exchange

Choose "Local" (the default setting) if the printer you will be using is connected
directly to the back of your Professional.
Choose "Remote via Mini-Exchange" if the printer you will be using is connected to your Professional through a Mini-Exchange. In this case, when the Set
Printer Type/Location Menu reappears it will have a third item listed: "Port
Number." This setting indicates the Mini-Exchange port to which your chosen
printer is connected. You can change the port number by moving the pointer to
that item and pressing DO.
Changing printer location may automatically change the printer type if the
location you choose has already had a type selected for it.
For printer type, you can choose:
LASO
LA100
LQP02
LVP16

Other

Choose the printer type that you will be using. If you are using an LVP16 or
compatible plotter (for example, an HP 7470 or 7475) choose "LVP16." If your
printer is of a type that isn't shown, choose "Other." In any case, you should
check the settings on the appropriate Set Characteristics Menu before you
attempt to print files.

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CHAPTER 9 I PRINT SERVICES

SET CHARACTERISTICS MENUS

To use the Set Characteristics Menu for your printer, press ADDTNL OPTIONS
while the Set Printer Type/Location Menu is displayed. One of the following
menus will appear:

Se t Charac t er istics - LQP02 ~~~~~~~~~--.
Choose the characteristic ~ou want to chan9e and press DD. Enter the
new value and press DD asain. Repeat this for each characterist i c.
When ~ou have finished , press EXIT.

Pase 111n9th:
Page width:
Top margin width:
Bottom mar9in width:
Left margin width:
Right margin width :
Line spacln9:
Horizontal pitch:
Proportional spacin9:

Make a choice and pr-ess DD:·

Figure 9-2
Set Characteristics-LQP02

150

11.00 inches
08.00 inches
00 .00 inches
00 . 00 inches
00 . 00 inches
00 .00 i nches
6 lines per inch
10 Characters per inch

OFF

PRINT SERVICES I CHAPTER 9

Set Characteristics - LA50
Choose the characteristic \IOU want to change and press DD. Enter the
new value and press DO again. Repeat this for each characteristic.
When \IOU have finished, press EXIT.

Page length:
Pase width:
Line spacing:

11.00 inches
08.00 inches
G lines per inch
10 characters per inch
OR AFT

Horizontal pitch:
Print qualit\I:

Make a choice and press DO:

Figure 9-3
Set Characteristics-LASO

r;;::=:=:=:=:-~-::..:;:.;;:.,..:::::;~__. Set

Characteristics - LA100 -~:=:=:=:=:=:=:::::=:=:;.,

Choose the characteristic \IOU want to change and press DO. Enter the
new value and press DO again. Repeat this for each characteristic.
When \IOU have finished, press EXIT.

Page length:
Page width:

Top margin width:

Botto. margin width:
Left margin width:
Right margin width:
Line spacing:
Horizontal pitch:
Print qualit\j:

11.00 inches
13.20 inches
00.00 inches
00.00 inches
00.00 inches
00.00 inches
G lines per inch
10 characters per inch
DRAFT

Make a choice and press DO:

Figure 9-4
Set Characteristics-LA100

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CHAPTER 9 I PRINT SERVICES

r;::::::::::::::::::::::::J Set Characteristics - LVP16 C:::::::::::::::::::::::::i
Choose the characteristic ~ou want to change and press DD. Enter the
new value and press DO again. Repeat this for each characteristic.
When ~ou have finished, press EXIT.

Page length:
Page width:
Top margin width:
Bottom margin width:
Left margin width:
Right margin width:
Baud Rate:

08.50 inches
11.00 inches
00.00 inches
00.00 inches
00.00 inches
00.00 inches
4800 b~ud

Make a choice and press DD:

Figure 9-5
Set Characteristics-LVP16

..-~~~~~~~~~~~ s et

Characteri s tics - Dther c::::=:=:=:=:=:=:::::::;i

Choose the characteristic ~ou want to change and press DD. Enter the
new value and press DO again. Repeat this for each characteristic.
When ~ou have finished, press EXIT.

Baud Rate:

Make a choice and press DO:

Figure 9-6
Set Characteristics-Other

152

4800 baud

PRINT SERVICES I CHAPTER 9

Current characteristics are shown on the menu. (In the figures above, the
default characteristics are shown.) To change a characteristic, move the pointer
to that menu choice and press DO. Press EXIT if you decide not to change the
setting. To change the setting, type in the new value and press DO. The settings
you choose will be saved even after you turn your Professional off; to change
them, you must again use "Set printer characteristics."
You use the menu selections as follows:
Page length

Use "Page length" to indicate the length, in inches,
of your pages (not the length of the text on the
pages).

Page width

Use "Page width" to indicate the width, in inches,
of your pages (not the width of the text on the
pages).

Top margin width

Use "Top margin width" to set the amount of space,
in inches, between the top of each page and the
place where you want printing to begin.

Bottom margin width

Use "Bottom margin width" to set the amount of
space, in inches, between the bottom of each page
and the place where printing ends.

Left margin width

Use "Left margin width" to set the amount of
space, in inches, between the left edge of each page
and the place where printing begins.

Right margin width

Use "Right margin width" to set the amount of
space, in inches, between the right edge of your
pages and the last column to be printed.

Line spacing

Use "Line spacing" to set the number of lines of
text per inch you want on your printed output. Six
lines per inch (the default setting) corresponds to
typewriter single-spacing; three lines per inch to
double-spacing.

Horizontal pitch

Use "Horizontal pitch" to set the number of
characters per inch to be printed. This changes
character size; for example, 10 characters per inch
corresponds to pica type size, and 12 characters per
inch corresponds to elite type size.

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CHAPTER 9 I PRINT SERVICES

Print quality

Use "Print quality" to choose either draft quality
printing or letter quality printing. Letter quality
printing looks better, but draft quality can be
printed more quickly.

Proportional spacing

With "Proportional spacing" on, the space between
characters is varied slightly to adjust to the
different widths of the characters; this gives your
output a more professional, "typeset" appearance.
Make sure you have a print wheel that allows
proportional spacing. The Courier 10 print wheel,
supplied with the LQP02, does not allow
proportional spacing. The following print wheels do
allow proportional spacing:
WPS Boldface (LQP02-MW)
WPS Title (LQP02-MX)
WPS Thesis (LQP02-MY)
WPS Boldface Italic (LQP02-N A)
Note that proportional spacing must be specified if
you are using one of the above print wheels. They
will not work if you turn proportional spacing off.

Baud rate

Use "Baud rate" to set the number of bits per
second to be sent to your printer from your
Professional. Refer to the documentation that came
with your printer or plotter to find the correct baud
rate.

It is a good idea to read the documentation that comes with the printer you have
for further information.

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PRINT SERVICES I CHAPTER 9

VIEW STATUS
When you choose "View status," one of the following messages appears at the
bottom of your screen:
D

Printer is busy

o
o

Printer is paused
Printer is not busy

Printer is not connected

Printer is not connected; print job is paused

Unable to determine printer status

Mini-Exchange not connected

Previous Mini-Exchange connection not broken

155

-- --- -. ·-:

'10
PROSE

Chapter 10

PROSE
Using PROSE, you can prepare memos, reports, programs, and other kinds of
text. You can create, edit, move, replace, and format text. You use PROSE by
choosing from menus and by using some of the function keys on your keyboard.
With PROSE, the text you prepare appears on the screen in the same format it
has when printed on a printer. In addition, the screen display shows where
pages end for printing, if you have put in your own page breaks. This part of the
screen display does not print out.
This chapter is divided into two sections:
D
D

Elementary PROSE-All you need to know to get an editing job done.
More advanced PROSE-Additional functions that make editing easier

and allow you to change your text format.
ELEMENTARY PROSE

PROSE must be installed on your Professional 350 disk before you can use it.
Chapter 3 describes this one-time procedure.
To use PROSE, first choose it from the Main Menu 1 by moving the pointer to
"PROSE" with the I key. Then press DO and the PROSE Menu appears.
Chapter 3 explains in detail how to select from menus.

1If

PROSE was installed on an additional applications menu, then choose from that. Also, since application
names can be changed at install time, your PROSE may have a different name.

159

CHAPTER10 J PROSE

The main reason for removing these settings is to allow you to use PRO/Communications to transfer the file to a computer that does not use PROSE. Or, if you
want to use an application that does not interpret the internal setting indications in the same way as PROSE, you would want to remove the settings.
After you answer the word wrap/margin question, a form appears requesting a
file name. For example:

r::=========== Name a Fi le Form c::=======:::::=:;:=:::::=:::;i
Ente r a new f il e name and press DO.

Current

director~

i s USER FI LES on Volume BIGVOLUME

Fi le name:
Fi le t~pe: Document

Additional Options available

Figure 10-3
Name a File Form-Exiting PROSE

Type in the name (one to nine letters and/or numbers) you want to
give this text. If this is a previously created file, the existing name
appears on the form. In this case you can either leave it as is, or
change it by deleting the name and typing in a new name.1

Press DO. The file is saved with the name you chose, and the PROSE
Menu reappears.

This is useful for form letters or letterheads. For example, create one file as a letterhead. Then, in another
editing session, add the letter contents for the particular person you are writing to, giving the new file a
different name. You still have the letterhead for future use.

168

PROSE I CHAPTER 10

The default type is document. You only need to change the type if you are
creating a BASIC program or some other special kind of file. To change the file
type or directory, press ADDTNL OPTIONS before typing in the file name and
selecting the appropriate additional option.
If you are working on a previously created file, choosing "Save file" creates a
new version of your file. P/OS saves the previous version as well. You should
delete old versions you no longer need so that you have more free space. You can
use "Clean up old file versions" from the File Services Menu to delete all the old
versions of a file.
Print File

Choose "Print file" to print your text on the printer. (You can only print your
text in this way if you have a printer connected to your system unit.) Wait until
the printer is not busy to use "Print file." When printing begins, the Exit Menu
reappears. At this point, your file is still available for further editing or for
saving. If you want to both print and save, choose "Save file" after you choose
"Print file."
"Print file" is useful for printing the current draft of a document. If you choose
"Resume editing current file" after "Print file," you can look at your printout as
you continue preparing your text.
If you want to print your file at a later time, use the P/OS print services. If you
have communication services, you can also transfer files to another computer to
print on printers attached to the other computer.
Leave Session without Saving Changes

When you choose "Leave session without saving changes," you lose the results
of the work you did during that session. If this was the first session on that text,
you lose everything you entered. If you were working on an existing file, you
lose only the changes and additions made during that session.
This is useful:
D

If you are experimenting with PROSE to see how it works and do not
want to save what you typed.

If you want to print a document without saving it.

If you made a lot of mistakes in your text and want to start again.

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CHAPTER10 I PROSE

When you choose "Leave session without saving changes," the following question appears:
Do you really want to discard edits tram this session?

Type YES (using either upper- or lowercase) and press DO to leave this session
without saving changes and return to the PROSE Menu.
Type NO and press DO (or just press DO) to return to the Exit Menu without
losing your changes.
Resume Editing Current Document

Choose "Resume editing current document" to go back to your current editing
session. This is useful if you change your mind about exiting, or if you are using
the Exit Menu for printing what you have done so far. When you press DO, the
file you were working on reappears.
MORE ADVANCED PROSE

After you have used PROSE for a while, you may want to use its full potential.
For example, you may want to move text around without retyping. Or, you may
want to search for a particular word without moving the cursor with the arrow
keys. You may want to tell PROSE exactly where to end each printed page in
your document. PROSE can do all these things.
Locating Text Segments with FIND

Use the FIND key to place the cursor on the first character of a specific text
segment. The FIND key is useful when you know what text segment you want to
change, but not where it is in the document. You can also look for repeated
instances of the same segment.
Since PROSE moves forward through the text to the next instance of the text
you typed, you may want to place the cursor at the beginning of the file beforehand by using the PREV SCREEN key.
When you press the FIND key, the following prompt appears:
Enter the text to find and press DD:

Type in the word or group of characters you want to find and press DO. If
PROSE cannot find the text, the following message appears:
Unable to locate text

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PROSE / CHAPTER 10

PROSE can only look for a text segment that occurs on one line. If, for example,
the first word of a two-word segment is at the end of a line, PROSE will display
the message "Unable to locate text." Press RESUME to continue after a message appears.
To search for the next instance of the same segment, press DO each time the
"Enter the text to find ... " prompt appears. You can keep doing this until you
get to the end of the file.
PROSE Additional Options Menus

In addition to the PROSE functions performed with the special function keys,
there are several PROSE editing capabilities available from the three PROSE
Additional Options menus. When entering or editing text with PROSE, press
F12, F13, or ADDTNL OPTIONS to display the menu that lists the additional
option you want to use. The menu will appear at the top or the bottom of your
screen, depending on the position of the cursor at the time that you press the
key for that menu. This enables you to see your work while you choose from the
menu. The following table shows the three menus.
Table 10-1
PROSE Additional Options Menus

Edit

Personalize

Format

Bottom of file

Columns 80/132

Center line

Relocate text

Define a key

Fill text

Top of file

List defined keys

Margin change/word wrap

Set tab stops

Page break

Status line ON/OFF

If you decide not to use any additional options, press EXIT to return to your text
display.
PROSE Additional Options Edit Menu

You display this menu by pressing F12 while in PROSE. The options on the Edit
Menu enable you to move the cursor and text segments from place to place in
your file. The options are:
Bottom of file
Relocate text
Top of file

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CHAPTER10 I PROSE

BOTTOM OF FILE
Use "Bottom of file" to move the cursor to the last line of your file.

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PROSE J CHAPTER 10

RELOCATE TEXT
Sometimes you may want to move a text segment to another part of your file, or
you may want to copy the same text to several places in your file. "Relocate
text" allows you to do these things. To relocate a text segment:
1.

Using the arrow, PREV SCREEN, NEXT SCREEN, or FIND keys,
move the cursor to one end of the text you want to relocate. For
example,
[ his is some text to cop\j.
cop\j this.

This is some more text, but I do not want to

Press REMOVE.

Using the arrow, PREV SCREEN, or NEXT SCREEN keys, move the
cursor to the other end of the text you want to relocate. The text
segment becomes highlighted in reverse video. For example,
i!J.mirulhi s is some more te><:t, but I do not want to

(If you change your mind, press CANCEL to cancel your selection and

return to the text display.)
4.

Press DO. The highlighted text disappears.

Using the arrow, PREV SCREEN, or NEXT SCREEN keys, move the
cursor to where you want to relocate the segment. For example,
This is some more te><:t, but I do not want to cop\j this· I

(If you want to put the text back in the original place in addition to

relocating the text, leave the cursor positioned where you removed the
text.)
6.

Press F12.

Choose "Relocate text" and press DO. PROSE moves the text to the
new location. For example,
This is some more text, but I do not want to cop\j this.
te><:t to cop\j ·II

This is some

If the text is not filled properly, use "Fill text."

You can relocate the text as many times as you wish (until you press
the REMOVE key again) by moving the cursor to the next place where
you want the text relocated, choosing "Relocate text" from the Edit
Menu, and pressing DO .

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CHAPTER10 I PROSE

TOP OF FILE
Use "Top of file" to move the cursor to the top line of the file you are editing.

174

PROSE I CHAPTER 10

PROSE Additional Options Personalize Menu

You display this menu by pressing F13 while in PROSE. The options on the
Personalize Menu enable you to set defaults which are saved until changed
again. The options are:
Columns 80/132
Define a key
List defined keys
Set tab stops
Status line ON/OFF

175

CHAPTER10 I PROSE

COLUMNS 80/132
When you select "Columns 80/132" and press DO, the number of columns on the
screen display changes. If the display was set to 80 columns, it changes to 132
columns. If the display was set to 132 columns, it changes to 80 columns.

176

PROSE I CHAPTER10

DEFINE A KEY
With "Define a key," you can perform up to 250 keystrokes with the pressing of
a single key. Eight keys (F17, F18, F19, F20, PFI, PF2, PF3, and PF4) are userdefinable. The keystrokes specified can include characters, RETURN, and function keys.
To define a key,
1.

Move the cursor to the point where you want to begin typing what you
will assign to a user-definable key.

Press F13.

Using the arrow keys, move the pointer to "Define a key."

Press DO.

Type the key sequence that you want assigned to one of the definable
keys. For example, if you want to define a key to type your name
and address at the top of a letter, you would type:
Clarence Rutherford
14E. Main Street
An'::jtown, U.S.A.

Use the arrow keys, not the RETURN key, to move from line to line.
You can use the RETURN key in a defined sequence, but remember
that it will always move the next line to the left margin, regardless of
the cursor's location on the screen. Use the <::X1 key to delete any
errors you may make in typing this sequence. Your Professional will
beep at you if you try to enter more than 250 keystrokes into a key
definition.
6.

Press DO when you have finished typing the key sequence. Or, press
EXIT if you do not want the sequence you've just typed assigned to
a user-definable key. Any text you've typed will remain on the screen.

At the prompt, type in a name for the sequence. This name can be up
to 60 characters long, and can include letters, numbers, spaces, and
punctuation.

Press the key to which you want the sequence assigned; F17, F18, F19,
F20, PFI, PF2, PF3, and PF4 are available for this purpose. A list on
the screen shows which keys are already defined. You can re-define a
key if you want.

177

CHAPTER10 I PROSE

Now, any time that you are in PROSE and you press the function key you've
just defined, you will see your name and address.
Note that when you press a defined key it will begin typing any text at the
current cursor location. If the text extends beyond the right margin, you may
get unexpected results.
The best method for learning the many ways that user-definable keys can work
for you is to spend some time experimenting with them. Here are some
possibilities:

178

Using the REMOVE and DO keys, define a key to delete the current
line.

Using the INSERT HERE and RETURN keys, define a key to open up
a blank line.

Using the underscore and vertical line characters, define a key to
draw a box. Or use slashes and backslashes to create triangles and
diamonds.

Replace one word that appears many times in a document with
another word (for example, replace "January" with "February"). Once
you've defined a key to do this, an otherwise tedious chore becomes a
simple, fast, and precise operation. Use the FIND, REMOVE, INSERT
HERE, and DO keys.

Define a key to choose an additional option from the Edit, Personalize,
or Format Menu. Or define a key to choose several additional options
at one time.

PROSE I CHAPTER10

LIST DEFINED KEYS
"List defined keys" displays a list of user-defined keys that have been created
with "Define a key." Only keys that have been defined are shown on this menu.

179

CHAPTER10 I PROSE

SET TAB STOPS
Use "Set tab stops" to establish the columns where the cursor will stop each
time the TAB key is pressed. The tab stops you set in PROSE will not affect
other P/OS services. With the initial default setting, there is a tab stop at every
8 columns, starting at column 9. For example, if the cursor is in a column from 1
to 8, when you press the TAB key, the cursor jumps to column 9. When you select
"Set tab stops," a ruler appears on your screen. Small diamonds above the ruler
show the current tab stops. Using the ... and .. keys, move the cursor across
the ruler to where you want a tab; then press SELECT.
To remove a tab stop, move the cursor to the diamond which represents the tab
stop you want to remove and press SELECT.
When you have selected all the desired tab stops, press DO.
Additional Options

Pressing ADDTNL OPTIONS displays a menu of the following
options:
Clear all tabs
Reset tab stops
Tab stop every 8 columns

"Clear all tabs" removes all tab stops.
"Reset tab stops" resets the tab stops to the settings that
were in effect when you chose "Set tab stops."
"Tab stop every 8 columns" sets the tab stops to every 8
columns, beginning with column 9.

180

PROSE I CHAPTER 10

STATUS LINE ON/OFF
By initial default, 22 lines of your text are displayed on the screen. Lines 23 and
24 are reserved for the status line. If you want to display 24 lines of your text
and no status line:
1.

Press F13.

Choose "Status line ON/OFF."

When you want to display the status line again, repeat this procedure.

181

CHAPTER10 I PROSE

PROSE Options Format Menu

You display this menu by pressing ADDTNL OPTIONS while in PROSE. The
options on the Format Menu enable you to specify the appearance of text in your
file. The options are:
Center line
Fill text
Margin change/word wrap
Page break

182

PROSE I CHAPTER10

CENTER LINE
To use "Center line," first move the cursor to the line you want to center. Then
choose "Center line" from the Format Menu. When you press DO, PROSE
centers the line within the margins set for that paragraph.

183

CHAPTER10 I PROSE

FILL TEXT
Use "Fill text" to wrap paragraphs that allow word wrap. To fill text:
1.

Using the arrow, PREV SCREEN, NEXT SCREEN, or FIND keys,
move the cursor to the beginning of the paragraph you want to fill.
For example,
Thls is a sample of text to be filled.
When I typed this
text in,
I put in a lot of
spaces and carriage returns
that
I do
not want now.

Press ADDTNL OPTIONS.

Choose "Fill text."

Press DO. The paragraph fills. For example,
This is a sample of text ta be filled. When I typed this text in, I put
in a lot of spaces and carriage returns that I do not want now.

Note that the cursor is at the end of the filled text.
"Fill text" will not operate on text set to "no wrap," which is the default setting.
Use "Margin change/word wrap" to set word wrap on for a paragraph. To get
rid of spaces in paragraphs that are not wrapped, use REMOVE.

184

PROSE I CHAPTER 10

MARGIN CHANGE/WORD WRAP
When you begin creating text with PROSE, the left margin is set to column 1
and the right margin to column 72. Word wrap is off for each paragraph you
enter. These are the default settings. (A blank line-two carriage returnsmarks a separation between paragraphs.)
Word wrap is a very useful PROSE feature that automatically drops any word
extending beyond the right margin to the beginning of the next line. You do not
have to press the RETURN key when you get to the right margin. You should
leave word wrap off for entering tables, columns of text, or programs.
To change margins or the word wrap setting for a paragraph, use "Margin
change/word wrap." PROSE uses the new setting(s) for the paragraph you
selected and for subsequent paragraphs (moving forward through the text) until
you make a change or until there is a change saved from a previous editing
session.
When you exit the session, PROSE asks you whether you want to save these
word wrap and margin settings. See the section in this chapter on "Save file" for
more details.
To set margins or word wrap:
1.

Using the arrow, PREV SCREEN, NEXT SCREEN, or FIND keys,
move the cursor to the first line of the paragraph or text for which you
want to change margins and/or word wrap.
If you have not yet typed in the paragraph, before changing the
setting, press RETURN twice to indicate a new paragraph.
If you move the cursor to a line within a paragraph, PROSE creates
the new margin setting starting where the cursor is, but does not
insert a blank line.

Press ADDTNL OPTIONS.

Choose "Margin change/word wrap."

Press DO. A ruler appears in your text display. For example,
This is the last line of a paragraph.
v

........ · 1 · ...... - . 2- - ..• - ... 3- .. - .... - 4· .. - •.... 5· ...•.. - . 6· ... •... - 7· ...•....

This is a new paragraph. I want to turn word wrap off for this
paragraph. I also want to change the margins.

185

CHAPTER10 I PROSE

Each dot or number on the ruler represents a column. The "V"
symbols mark the location of the left and right margins.
5.

To set a new left margin, move the cursor to the column you want and
press SELECT. (Press EXIT to cancel your choice and return to the
text display.)

The cursor is moved to the "V" marking the location of the right
margin. Move the cursor to the column you want and press SELECT.
You can use SELECT to toggle back and forth between margins until
you're satisfied with the settings you've made.

If you want to change the word wrap setting, press ADDTNL
OPTIONS. A menu appears showing the possible word wrap settings;

the current word wrap setting is indicated with a diamond. Move the
pointer to the choice you want and press DO. You are returned to the
margin ruler.
8.

Press DO when you are ready to leave "Margin change/word wrap."
If you change the margins on a wrapped paragraph, PROSE rewraps
the paragraph so that it fits within the new margins.

To find out the word wrap and margin settings for any paragraph, move the
cursor to it and look at the status line.
For formatting numbered lists, move the left margin to the right, and then put
the numbers to the left of the left margin. For example, set your left margin to
column 5, then use the .. key to move the cursor to the left of this margin. Type
in your list numbers at column 1. Start the text of your list at your left margin.
Subsequent lines of text will align at column 5.

186

PROSE I CHAPTER 10

PAGE BREAK
A page break marks where you want your text to begin printing on the next
page. With an LQP02 or LAlOO printer, print services can print out a set
number of lines for each page (see Set Printer Characteristics, Chapter 9). If
you want to insert special page breaks using "Page break" and are using an
LQP02 or LAIOO printer, set your printer's top margin, bottom margin, and
page length to the values you want before printing your file. If you are using an
LA50 printer, you should insert page breaks for every page.
To insert a page break,
1.

Using the arrow, PREV SCREEN, NEXT SCREEN, or FIND keys,
move the cursor to any spot on the first line to be printed on the next
page. For example,
This is some text. I have written several pages of text -- this is only
part of what I have written -- and I want ta insert a page break so that
the printer will print my text as I request. For example. I need to use
page breaks ta make sure that a table gets printed all on one page.

Press ADDTNL OPTIONS.

Choose "Page break." (Press EXIT to cancel the procedure and return
to the text display.)

Press DO. A double line appears, showing where the page will break.
For example,
This is same text. I have written several pages of text -- this is only
part of what I have written -- and I want to insert a page break so that
the printer will print my te><:t as I request. Far example, I need to use
page breaks to make sure that a table gets printed all on one page.

Set page breaks in your text after all edits have been made, because a change in
the text can affect your page breaks.
When printing files, P/OS causes the printer to jump (form feed) to the next
page on encountering a page break. The double line that appears in your screen
display is not printed on the paper copy. PROSE considers a page break the
start of a new paragraph.
To delete an existing page break, move the cursor to the page break and press
the <Z] key.

187

Appendix A

Appendix A
Compose Character Key Sequences
All the Professional keyboards allow the use of the COMPOSE CHARACTER
key with the keystroke sequences shown in the following table. Column 1 represents the "composed" character. Columns 2 and 3 show the two keys that
compose the character. Except for those sequences noted with an asterisk(*) in
the table, you can type the two keys in either order.
To "compose" a character, press the COMPOSE CHARACTER key. This turns
on the Compose light at the top of the keyboard. Next, type the two characters
that together form the character you want. Neither character typed will be
displayed; only the resulting composed character will appear on the screen. The
Compose light will go off.
If you type the wrong character after pressing COMPOSE CHARACTER, press
COMPOSE CHARACTER again to start again.
If you inadvertently press COMPOSE CHARACTER, press <XI to cancel it.
If you type a sequence of characters that do not "compose," the keyboard will
beep (if the bell is set to on). Then you can try again. Nothing will be displayed if
you make a mistake.
If you type a function key instead of a character that composes, the keyboard
will beep (if the bell is set to on), the "compose" will not take place, and the
function key will take effect, if operable at the time. For example, if you type
COMPOSE CHARACTER, then A, then TAB, the cursor will tab over, but there
will be no display on the screen.

191

APPENDIX A [ COMPOSE KEY SEQUENCES

Table A-1
Compose Key Sequences

"
"

e ·n

'
'

,
A
,
a

A
A

'
a'

'
'

1
1

A
a a A

.a
a

'e
y

·,·

,
I

'
'
c I

*
*

,
E
,

A
A

I
A

A
I

'I
'I

'
i
'

I
i

'
'

N -

"
0
0

,
0
,
0

0 "
"
n

0
0

'
A.

'
'

,
,

[

(

'
u '

{

(

)

]

}

'
u

u '

f1J

I
I
x

"
u
"

« <<
» > >

y
¥

"
" I

" 1

" 2
" 3

\
µ

I I
I u

1/4

For these sequences, the character in column 2 must be typed first, then that in column 3.

2 The letters in these sequences can

quence have the same case.

192

be either upper- or lowercase as long as both characters in the se-

Appendix B

Appendix B
Keyboards
The following pages in this appendix illustrate the keys on each of the 15 Professional keyboards.
All the keyboards except the U.S./Canada keyboard have one or more keys that
display different characters, depending on whether the keyboard is in office
mode or data processing (DP) mode. Use the Set-up Menu to switch from one
mode to the other. In the illustrations that follow, keys that differ depending on
the mode are shown in red. The character(s) on the right side of the key are
displayed in DP mode.
All the keyboards except the U.S./Canada keyboard allow some "two-stroke"
compose sequences: you can compose a character by pressing a "dead key" and
then pressing a key that, together with the dead key, displays a legitimate
character. For example, to display e on a Danish keyboard, press ' followed by e.
Dead keys in the following illustrations are shown in gray.
If you make a mistake using the dead keys, your keyboard will beep (if the

keyboard bell is set to on).

195

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AppendixC

Appendix C
Using Your Professional with PRO I DECnet
Read this appendix if you are using PRO/DECnet to enable your Professional to
communicate with other computers. You should also refer to the PRO/DECnet
User's Guide for more information.
PRO/DECNET ACCOUNTS MANAGER

When your Professional is part of a PRO/DECnet system, people at other
computers will be able to access files on your hard disk and inserted diskettes.
Likewise, you will be able to take advantage of information on volumes that are
not part of your Professional. Users can only use PRO/DECnet to access data
stored on your Professional if you've established an account for them with the
PRO/DECnet Accounts Manager. When you establish an account for a user, you
establish an account name (usually the person's last name) and a password for
that person to use each time he wants to access data on your Professional. You
also establish the type of privilege that user will have.
If you do not want to establish separate accounts for each user who may want
information from your volumes, you can merely create two accounts-one privileged and one non-privileged. You are then free to give the appropriate
password to each user, depending on the privilege you wish them to have.

Your Professional must be turned on for it to be an active part of a PRO/
DECnet network.
If no accounts are defined, all users on your PRO/DECnet network have nonprivileged accounts by default.

203

APPENDIX C I USING YOUR PROFESSIONAL WITH PRO/DECNET

The PRO/DECnet Accounts Manager is contained on the PROSE application
diskette. Install the PRO/DECnet Accounts Manager as you would any application. Chapter 7 explains this procedure. It is recommended that you establish an
additional applications group for PRO/DECnet related applications.
When you choose the PRO/DECnet Accounts Manager from the menu on which
it is installed, a menu appears listing the following:
Add account
Display account
Modify account
Remove account
Add account

When you use the PRO/DECnet Accounts Manager for the first time, you will
be adding accounts. You can also add new accounts later, to a maximum of 32
accounts. To do this, move the pointer to "Add account" and press DO. Enter
the information requested on the Add Account Form.

204

"Account name" identifies the account you are adding, and will
usually be the user's last name. If you have two users with the same
last name, you will have to distinguish their accounts in some way. A
popular convention is to add the user's first initial to their last name.
You can, however, choose your own method for assigning account
names. You can use up to 14 characters for each name. In addition to
alphanumeric characters, the following are allowed: apostrophe (' ),
dollar sign($), exclamation point(!), hyphen(-), underscore(_), and
period(.).

"First name" is provided only for your information in managing
accounts. It will be shown every time you display an account. The first
name can be 12 characters long.

"Password" allows you to provide a word known only by yourself and
the person to whom you are assigning it. That person must use their
password every time they are accessing data on your Professional.
The password is only displayed when you first assign it. After that, it
never appears on the screen. Passwords can be up to 6 characters
long.

USING YOUR PROFESSIONAL WITH PRO/DECNET I APPENDIX C

"Privilege" specifies the kind of access an account will have to your
data. If you choose "N," for "Non-privileged," that account will only
be able to display, copy, and print your files as well as display your
directories. If you choose "P," for "Privileged," that account will also
be able to delete your files and copy files to your account.

Display account

Choose "Display account" when you want to see information about the accounts
on your system. Passwords will not be displayed.
Modify account

Choose "Modify account" to change the first name, password, or privilege for an
account. You cannot change the account name. (To change the account name, you
must remove the old account, then add a new one with the new name.) If you do
not want to change an item, press RETURN to move to the next item, leaving
the first one unchanged. The password, though not displayed, can be left unchanged if you do not type in a new one.
Remove account

Choose "Remove account" to delete accounts from your system.
USING FILE AND PRINT SERVICES ACROSS PRO/DECNET

Using P/OS file and print services, you can perform actions on files to which you
have access via PRO/DECnet and allow specified users to perform these actions
on your files. The following file services work across PRO/DECnet:
Copy file(s)
Delete file(s)
Display file
Show directory 1

The following print service works across PRO/DECnet:
Print file(s)

Also available from the Disk/Diskette Services Menu

205

APPENDIX C I USING YOUR PROFESSIONAL WITH PRO/DECNET

You operate on files across PRO/DECnet in very much the same way that you
operate on files stored on your own volumes. In all cases, you will be using
extended file names (RMS file specification format) to indicate the files with
which you want to work, so if you are not familiar with this format you should
review Chapter 5 in this book before attempting to use P/OS services across
PRO/DECnet. The sections "Choosing a File from a Directory" and "Wildcards" will be especially useful.
When operating on files across PRO/DECnet, you need to specify the node on
which the files reside. A node is a computer that is part of a network. If you are
part of a PRO/DECnet network, your Professional is a node on that network
(the name of your node is displayed on your message/status display). You must
be connected to a node via PRO/DECnet before you can use information stored
on its volumes. You can use the RMS file specification to indicate the node you
want by making the node name the first element of the extended file name, and
separating that from the device name by two colons. Therefore, the extended
file name format you will use with PRO/DECnet is:
node::device: <directory> filename.type;version

The punctuation marks and brackets are required to separate the fields of the
file specification.
If a file is located on a node that requires security information (such as another

Professional), you have to add an access string (user identification and
password) to access the file. The format is:
node" user id password": :device:< directory> filename. type;version

Node is the name of a remote node which participates in the operation; userid
and password (user identification and password, separated by a space), provide
security information for access to the remote node.
On a Professional, the security information is the account name and password
assigned with the P/OS Accounts Manager application. On a VMS or RSX node,
the security information is the login userid and password.
Since PRO/DECnet allows your Professional to exchange information with
many different types of computers and operating systems, the file specification
that you enter for a PRO/DECnet operation will vary depending on the operating system with which you are communicating. Refer to the other operating
system's documentation, or ask your network coordinator if you have a question
about the required file specification format. Chapter 2 of the Command Language User's Guide gives examples of file specifications for different operating
systems.
206

USING YOUR PROFESSIONAL WITH PRO/DECNET I APPENDIX C

Copying, Deleting, Displaying, and Printing File(s)

To copy, delete, display, or print a file(s) from a remote node, choose "Copy
file(s)," "Delete file(s)," or "Display file(s)" from the File Services Menu or
"Print file(s)" from the Print Services Menu. When the file selection menu is
displayed, press ADDTNL OPTIONS, then choose "Use extended file name."
Enter the extended file name as described above (including node and-if required-access string), then press DO.
Due to limited space on the Extended File Name Form, you may need to define
an alias for the node name and access string. This will reduce the number of
characters you must enter on the Extended File Name Form. Refer to the P ROI
DECnet User's Guide for information on defining an alias.
Before you can reach a node for a remote operation, the node must have a
defined node address. Node addresses are assigned by the network coordinator,
and are described in Appendix A of the PRO/DECnet User's Guide.
If you are copying a file(s) to a remote node (from your own node or another
remote node), use "Copy File(s)" to choose the file(s) you want to copy, then
press ADDTNL OPTIONS when the Directory Selection Menu is displayed.
Choose "Extended file name for specifying remote directory," then enter the
extended file name for the directory to which you are copying the file(s). If you
are copying only one file, you can enter a new filename at this point, thereby
changing the name of the copied file. Do not enter a new filename, type, or
version number if you do not want to change the name of the file(s) you are
copying.
Showing a Directory

To show a directory on a remote node, choose "Show directory" from the File
Services Menu or the Disk/Diskette Services Menu. When the directory selection menu is displayed, press ADDTNL OPTIONS, then choose "Specify remote
directory." Enter the extended file name (including node and-if requiredaccess string) for the directory you want to see. If you do not enter a filename,
type, or version number, then the display will show all files in the specified
directory. You can, however, indicate more precisely the files you want to see in
the directory display by including the filename, type, and/or version number
(wildcards are acceptable) as part of the extended file name.

207

Appendix D

Appendix D
The Login/Logout Application
You can use the Login/Logout application to prevent unauthorized people from
using your Professional. If you decide to use this application, a login form will be
displayed every time your Professional is turned on. Before the Main Menu will
appear, a user must enter a valid username and password on this form.
To again display the login form, turn off the Professional or choose "Login/
Logout" from the appropriate menu. The login form will be displayed when the
computer is again turned on; or, if you chose "Login/Logout" from a menu, the
login form will be displayed until a valid username and password are entered.
The Login/Logout application is on the same diskette as PROSE and the PRO/
DECnet Accounts Manager. Install it using "Install application" from the Disk/
Diskette Services Menu. You must also install the PRO/DECnet Accounts
Manager (even if you are not using PRO/DECnet) to use the Login/Logout
application.

211

You assign usernames and passwords with the PRO/DECnet Accounts Manager
(described in Appendix C). If you will be the only user on your system, assign
only one account. Anyone to whom you've assigned an account with the PRO/
DECnet Accounts Manager can log in to your system.
Additional Options

Pressing the ADDTNL OPTIONS key while the login form is
displayed allows you to choose one of the following additional
options:
Save an account on a diskette
Use a diskette to log in

"Save an account on a diskette" lets you store a username and
a password on a diskette that you can use if you forget your
password. Be sure to store the diskette in a safe place,
because anyone can log in to your system with this diskette.
You must already have created accounts with the PRO/
DECnet Accounts Manager to use this option.
"Use a diskette to log in" lets you use a diskette that you've
created with "Save an account on a diskette" to log in to your
Professional.

212

Glossary

Glossary
access string
Information that you supply in an extended file name for a network
operation. The access string indicates the kind of privilege you have for
the account with which you are working.
application (or application program)
A computer program that meets some specific user need. For example,
an application program can control an inventory or monitor a manufacturing process. Applications for the Professional are available from
DIGITAL and other companies.
auxiliary keypad
The set of keys on the far right of the Professional keyboard. When you
install P/OS, you use this keypad to type in the time and date. Some
applications interpret these keys as special function keys; with other
applications these keys do nothing. Application documentation tells you
how the keys on this keypad function with specific applications.
back up
To copy one or more files on a diskette for safekeeping, in case the
original volume (disk or diskette) gets damaged or lost. It is good practice to back up all new or newly revised files.

BASIC
Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code: a widely used, simple programming language capable of handling industry and business
applications. PRO/BASIC is a form of this language.

215

Index

GLOSSARY

file
A collection of information treated as a unit. A file may contain a memo,
a program, or other information. Its fundamental purpose is analogous
to that of a conventional office file.
A file is the means by which information is stored on disk or diskette so
it is efficiently usable by both P/OS and a user. A file occupies one or
more blocks on a volume and has a file name.

form
A request for information that is displayed on the Professional screen
when P/OS requires information that you provide.

function key
A type of key on the Professional keyboard that, when pressed, instructs P/OS or a P/OS application to do something specific. The HELP,
DO, INTERRUPT, HOLD SCREEN, PRINT SCREEN, and arrow keys
perform the same function all the time. Other function keys, such as
PREV SCREEN, RESUME, CANCEL, EXIT, F5, F17, and so on, have
functions that depend on the application currently in use.
hardware
The physical equipment that makes up a computer system.
host (or host computer)
A computer whose resources can be shared by several individual users
at other computers that are connected to the host by communications
lines and hardware. With PRO/Communications, a Professional user can
connect to a host computer. Once connected, the user can transfer files
to and from the host and use the Professional as if it were a terminal
attached to the host.
initialize
To set up (format) a volume so that P/OS can store and retrieve files on
that volume. When initializing a volume, P/OS erases any information
already on the volume. In addition, the initialization process creates a
name (supplied by the person who initializes) for the volume and an
empty directory called USERFILES.
install
(1) To copy the P/OS software from the P/OS system diskette(s) onto the
disk.
(2) To copy a P/OS application from an application diskette onto the disk,
integrating that application into the menu system.

218

GLOSSARY

keyboard
The component that enables you to communicate with the Professional.
It contains the main keyboard (similar to a typewriter keyboard), a row
of function keys at the top, the editing keypad, and the auxiliary keypad.
kilobyte (KB)
Roughly a thousand bytes (actually 1024 or two blocks). A Professional
diskette holds 400 kilobytes of information.
megabyte (MB)
Approximately a million bytes (actually 1024 squared). The Professional
disk holds 5 megabytes of information.
menu
A list of available P/OS services or functions appearing on the Professional screen. You tell P/OS what to do by making a selection from a
menu.
Message/Status display
A screen display that shows status information about P/OS and one-line
messages from applications to the user.
Mini-Exchange
A device which allows personal computers to share resources. The MiniExchange has eight ports; each one can be connected to a personal
computer or printer. It is also possible to connect one of the ports to a
modem (a device which enables data transmission via telephone lines).
monitor
The part of the Professional that contains the video display screen.
node
A computer with the hardware and software necessary to send data and
receive data from other computers. An entity on the network.
overtype mode
The way PROSE handles what you type in a file unless you use the
INSERT HERE key. In overtype mode, PROSE deletes existing text if
you type over it.
password
A secret word (or character string) that you assign to each user for
whom you are allowing access to your files via DECnet. Users must
enter their passwords each time they desire access to your files. The
DECnet Accounts Manager application is used to assign passwords.

219

1.:iLU::>::>AHY

P/OS
The Professional's operating system. The operating system manages the
computer.

PRO/BASIC
The BASIC programming language designed specifically for the
Professional.
PRO I Communications
A P /OS application that enables you to use your Professional to communicate with DIGITAL PDP-11 and VAX host computers. With the PRO/
Communications, you can transfer files to and from the host and use
your Professional as if it were a terminal on the host computer. See also
host.
PRO/DECnet
See DECnet.
program
A sequence of instructions used by a computer to perform specific operations. A programmer writes a program in PRO/BASIC or some other
programming language by first creating a program source file at the
keyboard.
prompt
A request displayed on the screen for you to type in certain information.
On menus, a prompt appears on a line below the menu list.

PROSE
The editor supplied with P/OS. See editor.
protection
The preventing of accidental deletion of your Professional 350 files. You
can protect files with "Change file(s) protection" with write-protect
tabs on your diskettes, with "Back up disk file(s)" and "Copy file(s);'
and by keeping diskettes and the Professional 350 in a safe place.
RMS
Record Management Services. A DIGITAL file system used on many
DIGITAL computers, including VAX, PDP-11, and the Professional.

scrolling
The movement of lines of text up or down the monitor screen.

220

GLOSSARY

software
The collection of programs and information associated with a computer.
Software is to a computer as your thoughts are to your body: software is
intangible (consisting of electrical signals when in operation), but it
makes the computer work.
System Maintenance Diskettes
Diskettes provided with the Professional that diagnose hardware problems. The Owner's Manual describes these diskettes.
system unit
The part of your Professional that contains the diskette drive, disk,
option modules, power supply, and the computer itself. The system unit
is the main component of the Professional.
volume
A generic nams for a magnetic, file-storage medium, such as a disk or
diskette.
wild card
A character used in a file specification to indicate that all files with a
certain element in common are being specified. The wildcard character
is an asterisk.
word processing
·The manipulation of words and text with a computer.
word wrap
With PROSE, the automatic dropping to the next line of any word you
type in that extends past the right margin of your text. You can set word
wrap off or on.
write-protect tab
An adhesive tab that, when applied to the write-protect notch on a
diskette, prevents you from changing or deleting any file on that diskette. It is necessary to remove the tab to create, change, or delete any
files on the diskette.

221

Index
<ZJ key
how to use, 28
Abandon printing, 135, 142
Active light, 80
Additional options, 52
changing directories, 75
example of menu with, 52
file selection menu, 74
menu
example of, 53
PROSE, 171
ADDTNL OPI'IONS key, 52
Application Group Menu, 32
Applications
groups,56
installing, 28, 122
removing, 124
selecting, 54
Arrow keys, 27
Autorepeat, 47
Back up diskette, 77, 118
Back up disk file(s), 77, 84
Bad blocks, 77, 121
Beep,39,47
Bell, 47
BIGDISK, 63, 71
BIGVOLUME, 62, 63, 71
Blinking characters, 163
Block, 68
Byte, 68

CANCEL key, 28
Caps lock
enabling, 49
Center line
with PROSE, 183
Change directory
Set-up selection, 47
Change file(s) protection, 92
Change file type, 103
Change keyboard
Set-up selection, 49
to use another language, 54
Changing directories, 74
Changing something you have typed, 28
Characters
deleting, 19, 164
Color monitor, 50
Columns
changing, 49
Columns 80/132
with PROSE, 176
Command Language, 39
See also Digital Command Language
Compose
key sequences, 191
two-stroke, 195
using COMPOSE CHARACTER key,
53, 191
Computer-Based Instruction, 33
Continue printing, 143
Control characters, 163
Copy diskette, 118
Copy file(s), 97
Create directory, 119
Create new file, 160

225

INDEX

Main Menu, 25, 39
MAIN SCREEN key, 25
Margin change
with PROSE, 185
Menus
canceling a selection, 28
choosing from, 27
definition, 3
main, 25, 39
multiple-choice, 26
canceling a selection, 28
organization of, 38
recovering from mistakes, 28
selecting from, 27, 70
single-choice, 31
Message/Status display, 3, 40, 43, 118
Messages,39
Mini-Exchange, 136, 149
Monitor
Set-up selection, 50
Monochrome monitor, 50
Multiple selections from menus, 26
Name a File Form, 104, 168
NEXT SCREEN key
with "Display file," 101
with "Show current directory," 107
with "Show list of directories," 112
with HELP, 41
with multi-choice menus, 28
with PROSE, 164
Normal video, 52
Office mode
Set-up selection, 50
Overtype mode, 163
Plotter type, 138
P/OS
installing, 9, 14, 15
reinstalling, 18
P/OS HELP Menu, 40
P/OS messages, 39
Page break, 187
Pause printing, 144
Pointer, 26
PREV SCREEN key
with HELP, 41
with multi-choice menus, 28
with PROSE, 164
Print file(s), 145, 169
PRINT SCREEN key, 44, 136
Print services, 135
Printer characteristics setting, 148

228

Printer type
Set-up selection, 135, 137
Printing files, 145, 169
abandoning, 142
continuing, 143
pausing, 144
restarting, 147
setting printer characteristics, 148
viewing status, 155
Printing picture files, 137
PRO/BASIC, 5
PRO/Communications, 5
transferring files, 68
PRO/DECnet, 136
Professional 300 series
books on, v
Professional System Overview
description of, 4
how to use, 33
Prompt, 3, 26
PROSE, 3, 159
Additional Options Menus, 171
Edit Menu, 171
Format Menu, 182
Personalized Menu, 175
advanced, 170
bottom of file, 172
center line, 183
changing file type or directory, 169
columns 80/132, 176
control characters, 163
create new file, 160
define a key, 177
definition, 4
deleting characters, 164
editing an existing file, 163
elementary, 159
Exit Menu, 167
fill text, 184
FIND key, 170
INSERT HERE key, 165
leave session, 169
list defined keys, 179
margin change/word wrap, 185
page break, 187
print file, 169
relocate text, 173
REMOVE key, 166
resume editing current document, 170
set tab stops, 180
status line, 163
status line on/off, 181
TAB key, 162, 180
top of file, 174
Protecting files, 77, 92

INDEX

ReGIS to GIDIS converter, 137
Relocate text
with PROSE, 173
Remove application, 124
REMOVE key, 166, 173
Removing text segments with PROSE, 166
Rename file/change file type, 103
Reserved device/volume names, 63
Reset, 46, 51
Restart printing, 147
Restore disk file(s), 106
Reverse video, 52
RMS file specification, 65
Screen
before installing P/OS, 16
showing hardware problem, 16
Scroll
setting jump/smooth, 50
stopping with HOLD SCREEN key, 44
Security
private files, 77
protecting files, 77
using write-protect tabs, 78
SELECT key
with multi-choice menus, 27
with PROSE "Set tab stops," 180
with Set-up "Set tabs," 51
Select light, 14
Selecting an application, 54
Selecting an application group, 56
Selecting menu items, 27, 70
Self test of Professional hardware, 15
Set date
during P/OS installation, 19
Set-up selection, 51
Set printer characteristics, 148
Set tab stops, 51
with PROSE, 180
Set time, 51
Set-up
Menu A, 45
Menu B, 46
reset, 46, 51
save current settings, 46, 51
SET-UP key, 44
SHIFT key, 49
redisplaying screen, 33
Shift lock
enabling, 49
Short-form menus, 57
Show current directory, 74, 108, 125
Show directory, 112, 128
Show list of directories, ll2, 128
Smooth scroll, 50

Specify new current directory, 76, 114, 129
Status line on/off
with PROSE, 181
Status line
with PROSE, 163
Storing files, 62
SYSDISK, 62
System directories, 63
defined,63
TAB key, 51
with PROSE, 162, 180
Tabs
setting, 51
Time
changing, 51
Top of fiie
with PROSE, 174
Unlock a locked file, 79, 130
Unlocking the keyboard, 49
User directories
defined,65
USERFILES, 65
Video
Set-up selection, 52
View Message/Status, 39
See also message/status display
View status, 155
Volumes
BIGVOLUMES, 62
definition, 62
relationship to directories, 65
volume name, 62
Wait light, 45
Wildcards, 72
Word wrap
setting on/off with PROSE, 185
Write-protect tabs, 79
ZZ directories, 65

229

Printed in U.S.A.
AA-N603C-TH