CompuServe Messages

Charles, I'm happy to know the information was useful. Because you said at one time you were relatively new to the Amiga, Charles, I would encourage you to thoroughly read the documentation on AmigaDos commands and programs so that you are reasonably familiar with what they can accomplish. Often a seemingly difficult task can be solved by combining available programs into a script. Also keep in mind that AmigaDos commands can redirect input and output so that it's possible to direct something you want into a temp file on the ram disk. I know you were emphatic about not wanting to learn ARexx, but I would encourage you to take some time to learn the language. It is as easy to learn the basics of ARexx as it is to learn Basic. ARexx's ability to interact with the OS and to interface with other programs is a powerful feature which can lead you to do some pretty amazing things. However, there is a learning curve to overcome! If you have ever learned any programming language in the past, you should have little trouble learning ARexx. There are numerous ARexx scripts in the PD which you can download to help learn. These comments are not meant to divert you from the goal you wish to accomplish, but simply to encourage you to learn ARexx! Unfortunately, the Amiga doesn't come with a monitor program, but the PD is rife with several programs for that purpose. I think you may be able to find one or more which will suit your purposes. One thing to keep in mind is the Amiga's ability to run any program from a separate window or CLI. That makes it possible to observe what goes on without surrending the machine to a single task. I have even run across a PD system, the name of which I can't recall, which implemented a full monitoring system. It may have been called somehting like SM??, but I'm not real sure. Good luck and enjoy the Amiga. It's a remarkable machine. I've been using them since 1986 and there is still much more I don't know than what I've learned!! It will keep you occupied for a long time.