CompuServe Messages

Bill: Plotdriver: did not exist until you created it with the 'assign' command. Plotdriver must use legal characters in its name. You should be very careful about reassigning one of the 'built in' names. I believe that 'con:' and 'ram:' are unique in the system in that they do not have distinct replaceable drivers. Contrast with 'ser:', 'par:' 'prt:'. The system has several 'built in' logical devices as you mentioned. The 'assign' command allows you to add to the list. When you type 'assign' without arguments you will get a list of the current assignments that the system recognizes. The term 'logical device' may not be official CBM, I call them that because many other computer companies have called them 'logical devices' for years (most notably DEC). These 'logical devices' or if you prefer 'logical assignments' can be extreamly useful. If you caught MSS's reply to another thread, they were able to let you set up Scribble! in just about any manner that you might desire by making logical assignment for 'DICT:' and 'UDICT:' which are the devices that scribble will use to try to find the dictionaries. When routinely working with a file it is often handy to make an assignment like 'assign work: myfile'. That way 'myfile' can be a fully descriptive name and yet while working on it you only have to type 'work:'. Command files that execute complex operations can be made much more versatile (which usually means you don't need as many) if they use assigned devices (you can just change the assignment and the file will work on something else). Please do! A plotter is one of the 'toys' that I hope to pickup sometime this year. 73s, bill