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                       PCM Online  December 1994

FEATURES Contents:

   []  XLSCOM: Choose your own command-line color scheme -- 
          without resorting to ANSI.SYS. <PROGRAM: XLSCOM.BAS>
   []  Whammy: A graphical dice game that requires luck -- but also 
          skill and self-control. <PROGRAM: WHAMMY.BAS>
   []  Alternate Operating Systems: Novell DOS 7.0 -- Exploring
          operating-system alternatives to MS-DOS.

Entire contents copyright 1994 by Falsoft, Inc.

PCM -- The Premier Personal Computer Magazine -- is intended for the 
private use and pleasure of its subscribers, and reproduction by any 
means is prohibited.

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XLSCOM
~~~~~~

<<PROGRAM: XLSCOM.BAS> Look for it in the file PCMO9412.ZIP.
Ask your SysOp for the location of this file.>
What you need to run the program: MS-DOS, BASIC or QBASIC

"Choose your own command-line color scheme -- without resorting to 
ANSI.SYS"

                                XLSCOM
                           by Oscar C. Ulman

   Working at the DOS command line is colorless, since the default DOS 
colors are gray text with a black background and border. Written in 
BASIC, XLSCOM is a small, specialized compiler that allows you to create 
.COM files you can use in place of the DOS CLS command. These files set 
the screen and border colors, clear the screen, and place the cursor in 
the "home" position.

   XLSCOM.BAS can be entered into the GW-BASIC interpreter that came 
with your system or the QBASIC interpreter with DOS 5.0 and up. XLSCOM 
can also be compiled, as written, to an .EXE file using the QuickBASIC, 
Turbo BASIC or Power BASIC compilers. If you are new to BASIC, make 
frequent saves as you enter the program. [PCM Online readers: the .BAS 
file is made available to you, so there is no need to type in the 
listing.] Refer to your computer manuals if you have questions. Print 
your listing if possible, and check for errors before you try to run it.

   When running the program, the user selects from a color-coded number 
display for text, background and border colors. The selections and color 
numbers are the same as in BASIC's COLOR command. The screen is then 
cleared to the colors selected. If the user does not like the color 
combination, he can loop back for a new selection. When the selection 
meets with approval, the program asks for a filename (the .COM suffix is 
automatically appended by the program). A .COM program is then written 
to disk with the filename given. The user can now create another 
color/clear screen program or exit to BASIC (in the interpreter only) or 
DOS.

   The programs XLSCOM creates are very small. Those constructed in the 
BASIC interpreter are 58 bytes in size, while the ones created by the 
.EXE from a compiler are 57 bytes. The compilers do not write an EOF 
marker to the .COM file.

   The .COM program thus created can be run by entering the filename at 
the DOS command line. The screen clears to the designated colors and the 
cursor returns to the home position. As an example, if you choose 15,1,1 
for bright white text on a blue background and border and name your 
program BLS, all you need do is type BLS at the command line and press 
ENTER. Issuing the CLS command at any time restores the default gray on 
black. To restore your colorful screen, just enter BLS again. Note that 
the .COM files created do not function properly if ANSI.SYS is loaded. 
Make sure your CONFIG.SYS file does NOT contain the line 
DEVICE=ANSI.SYS.

   For years I have been using ANSI.SYS to set the screen colors. This 
is slow when run from a batch file, and it adds another layer of 
interpretation to every DOS command. Some TSR programs that do the same 
thing are available, but they use precious memory and/or produce 
(sometimes strange) side effects in other programs.

   Every time I wanted another color combination, this assembly program 
had to be rewritten, the color attribute recalculated, and the program 
assembled and linked. There had to be a better way, and XLSCOM.BAS was 
the result. I found the bytes that compose the instructions of BLS.COM 
by disassembling it using DEBUG with the /D switch. This displays the 
file as lines of Hex bytes. Converted into decimal, these form the DATA 
statements for XLSCOM. The places in the code where the text-color 
attribute and border color were placed were left open, to be filled in 
as needed.

   XLSCOM began as a simple assembly program (Listing 2). It was 
assembled and linked, producing a .COM file that works like the BLS.COM 
example above. The procedure section has routines to position and home 
the cursor, clear the screen by scrolling, and set the border color. All 
these routines use functions of the BIOS interrupt (INT 10 Hex).

   The comments in the assembly listing should answer most of your 
questions. The important bit is in the main program, where the first 
instruction moves the color information called the attribute into 
Register BH. Notice that the border color is set to 1 (blue). The BORDER 
procedure uses the BIOS Set Palette function to set the color palette in 
graphics mode. In text mode it sets the color of the overscan area of 
the screen, which most of us refer to as the border.

   The color-attribute byte is the information placed in Register BH 
before the call to scroll the screen. This information consists of the 
foreground color (0 through 15) and the background color (0 through 7). 
Eight bits of storage, numbered 7 to zero from left to right, are 
available in BH. If all the bits are turned on (11111111), the sum of 
the bits equals 255 (128+64+32+16+8+4+2+1). Bit 7 is reserved for the 
blink attribute so only bits 6 through zero can be used to store the 
colors. If Bit 7 is set to 1 (on), the foreground color blinks. The 
background color must fit into bits 6 to 4. That is why Line 3130 of 
XLSCOM.BAS multiplies the background color by 16. This effectively 
performs a four-bit shift of the background color, moving it up to bits 
6 to 4. Three bits limit the value held to 4+2+1, so the background is 
limited to the values zero to 7 before the shift.

   The foreground color occupies Bits 0 to 3, so four bits make color 
values zero to 15 available. When the attribute byte is complete, the 
call to scroll the screen is made.

   You can add 128 to the foreground color when you choose colors while 
running XLSCOM. Making the foreground color 143 instead of 15, for 
instance, toggles on the blink bit for blinking white text. This isn't 
too practical for a CLS replacement, but you might try it to see how it 
works.

   XLSCOM.BAS consists of less than 100 program lines. Line 30 sets up 
the screen and sets all variables to integers to make the program run 
faster. Line 40 calls a subroutine at Line 1000 that gives the program 
name and some simple instructions for its use. Lines 70 through 200 
contain the main program loop. The code to query the user and get inputs 
for the colors to be set are located here. Each choice has a call to a 
color-display subroutine at Line 2000. This is called with the number of 
colors to be displayed set before the call. The number of colors 
available for that portion of the screen is then displayed. Line 120 
sets the screen to the colors chosen. Line 130 asks if the colors are 
acceptable. If so, the .COM file-building subroutine at Line 3000 is 
called; if not, the program loops back to Line 20 to start again. After 
a .COM file has been created, lines 150 to 190 allow the user to create 
another .COM file or exit the program.

   The subroutine located at lines 3000 through 3270 builds the .COM 
file. It asks for the root name and appends .COM to it. The file is then 
opened for output. A subroutine at lines 3500 to 3600 is then called to 
write the instruction bytes to the new file. This read and write routine 
is called with the number of bytes to be read from each line in the DATA 
statements in lines 4010 to 4060. The routine reads the bytes, writes 
them to the output file, and adds their decimal value. The final value 
on the line is a negative number. When this is added to the sum of the 
other values on the line, the result should equal zero. If it does not, 
you've made a mistake in entering some value on the line. It is also 
possible to have entered the correct values but in the wrong order. 
Checking a printed listing before you run the program for the first time 
can save you some grief.

   Each line is checked to make sure its line sum is zero. If not, the 
line where the error has occurred is listed and the program ends. The 
value for the color-attribute byte is calculated from your choices and 
written to the output file by the code at Line 3130. The border color 
value is inserted at Line 3170. When the output file is completed, it is 
closed at Line 3210 and a message is printed for your information. Line 
3240 calls a subroutine at Line 1900 that functions as a simple wait for 
a keypress before proceeding. The DATA in lines 4010 to 4060 is restored 
at Line 3250. This makes it available for use if you want to create more 
than one colorful CLS program in one session.

   Line 5010 is a single line of instructions to execute a DOS shell. To 
execute it from BASIC, type RUN 5000. This shells you to DOS. Entering 
EXIT at the DOS command line returns you to the BASIC interpreter.

   Do not run the first .COM file you create with XLSCOM before checking 
its size. After saving your program, use the routine at Line 5010 to 
shell to DOS. Enter DIR *.COM and check the size of the .COM file you 
created. If it's greater than 58 bytes, you've probably forgotten one or 
more semicolons in the subroutine that builds the .COM file. The PRINT 
#1 statements in lines 3070 to 3170 must be terminated with semicolons, 
which cause the bytes from the DATA statements to be written to the file 
in sequence. If the semicolons are missing, the PRINT #1 statements will 
write a new line to the file after each byte. The resulting .COM file 
will be larger than the required size and, if run, will probably lock up 
your computer. When you get a .COM file that is the right size, run it. 
If it executes correctly, you can safely create as many .COM files as 
you want.

                                 -=*=-

               A paper-company employee, Oscar Ulman 
               programs in many languages but still enjoys
               "hacking code" in GW-BASIC on his Tandy 1000
               SX. He can be reached at 127 Ohio St., 
               Millinocket, ME 04462; (207) 723-9034.

-=-------------        -=*=-     -=*=-     -=*=-        -------------=-

Whammy!
~~~~~~~

<<PROGRAM: WHAMMY.BAS> Look for it in the file PCMO9412.ZIP.
Ask your SysOp for the location of this file.>
What you need to run the program: MS-DOS, CGA Graphics, BASIC or QBASIC

"A graphical dice game that requires luck -- but also skill and self-
control"

                                WHAMMY!
                            by Bill Bernico

   I know what you're wondering: "Did I roll six times or only five?" 
Since this is Whammy!, the most addictive game for your computer, you 
also have to ask yourself one more question: "Do I feel lucky?"

   The object of the game is to be the first person to accumulate a 
predetermined number of points by rolling two dice. You can roll as long 
as you like. This may sound easy -- but keep in mind that if one of your 
dice comes up with a W (there are no 1s), you lose whatever points 
you've accumulated during the round. If you roll two W's, you lose all 
the points you've accumulated up to that point in the game!

   If you've rolled five times without a Whammy! showing up and you have 
50 points so far, I'd say it's a good time to pass the dice to the next 
player. You get to keep those 50 points and start from there on your 
next roll.

   You can play this game by yourself, but it's designed to accept up to 
four players. Each player must enter his name at the prompt, keeping the 
input to 11 characters or less. You can also decide how many points a 
player must accumulate before he's declared the winner.

   From there you're taken to the playing screen, where the players' 
names are displayed at the upper left of the screen. The upper right 
displays the number of points needed to win, how many points you've 
accumulated for this turn, and how many total points you have toward the 
goal. Finally it displays the winner's name and total points earned by 
the winner.

   The middle of the screen is where the game is played. A large arrow 
points to the right where two dice appear. Inside that arrow is the name 
of the person presently rolling the dice. If you roll a Whammy! or a 
Double Whammy!, the information window appears below the arrow and dice.

   At the bottom of the playing screen, you'll see a prompt asking if 
you want to roll again. If you answer yes, your next roll is 
automatically executed. If you answer no, the next player's roll is 
executed.

   I wish I could sit down and play this game with Clint Eastwood. Just 
once I'd like the opportunity to ask him, "Do you feel lucky? Well, do 
ya, punk?"

                                 -=*=-

             A frequent contributor to PCM, Bill Bernico
             enjoys writing and recording his own music. 
             He can be reached at 16721 Lakeshore Road, 
             Cleveland, WI 53015; (414) 693-3289.

-=-------------        -=*=-     -=*=-     -=*=-        -------------=-

Alternative Operating Systems
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Exploring operating-system alternatives to MS-DOS"

                           NOVELL DOS 7.0
                          by Emmett Dulaney
                         Contributing Editor

   The most intriguing thing about Novell DOS 7.0 is that software 
reviewers have been writing about it since the days when Wheel of 
Fortune used to stop the puzzles after every round and make the 
contestants enter a "prize room" wherein they had to spend all their 
winnings before the show could continue (you could also put the money 
into a certificate, Pat). Add to this the fact that the software was 
unavailable for purchase until the end of February, and you get a 
troublesome condition.

   Many reviewers not only wrote of it but sang its praises to the high 
heavens. How could they do this on a product that couldn't even be 
purchased yet? They wrote their reviews and articles on press releases 
and beta versions. The dangers inherent in this practice are multifold. 
Press releases are issued to stir interest in a product -- not to 
provide technical specifications. Often they constitute nothing more 
than wish lists of what the vendor would like to put into the program in 
the absence of gravity and other laws of physics.

   My fellow compu-nerd Jason (the job of running this company is 
everybody's business) Shoults and I have had an ongoing battle for the 
last few months to see who could be the first to get a final release of 
Novell DOS. I am sad to report that he beat me by a couple of days -- 
and happy to report that he did much of the original research. With that 
said, let the review begin.


>>[ History ]<<

   Digital Research established a name for itself by releasing a PC 
operating system that competed with Microsoft's DOS. DR DOS was always 
one step ahead of Microsoft in offering utilities and features its 
counterpart did not have. DR DOS was the first to have disk compression, 
standard undelete utilities and so on.

   A few years back, Novell went on a buying spree and purchased Digital 
Research when its version of DOS was up to 6.0. Novell sat on the 
product for a while (bundling it with NetWare Lite and so on), allowing 
Microsoft and IBM to catch up in terms of features. Release 7.0 is the 
first offering from Novell, and it incorporates directly into the 
operating system the features of NetWare Lite, now often referred to as 
Personal NetWare.


>>[ Strengths ]<<

   Novell DOS 7.0 is the only DOS version available that incorporates 
networking directly into the operating system. With network cards 
installed in the PC and appropriate cables connected, a peer-to-peer 
network can be up and running in no time. With such a network multiple 
users can share a common database of information or have access to a 
printer or other device connected to only one of the PCs.

   With a 286 computer task swapping is available. This allows you to 
open several "windows" or application sessions -- such as DOS, a word 
processor and a spreadsheet -- and you can easily switch from one to 
another without closing either. When you do so, the session you leave 
stops processing at the moment you leave it and waits until you come 
back before continuing.

   With a 386 or better, task swapping is replaced by multitasking. The 
same concept holds true of allowing you to open multiple sessions. The 
difference is that when you switch from one window to another, the 
window you are leaving continues processing whatever requests have been 
made. This slows down the operation on which you are working, but by a 
very small amount not even noticeable to most users.

   The disk compression that came with DR DOS 6.0 was provided by 
Addstor's SuperStor utility. With Novell DOS 7.0 this has been replaced 
by Stac Electronics' Stacker. Stacker presently is the best compression 
utility on the market, and the inclusion of it with the operating system 
amounts to a definite benefit. If you install Novell DOS on a system 
presently running SuperStor or compressed with Microsoft's DBLSPACE, you 
can continue to use those compression routines as you normally would. 
Personally, however, I would highly recommend switching to Stacker. A 
nice utility that ties in is PREVIEW.EXE, which computes the savings 
that would occur if a hard or floppy disk is compressed.

   Password utilities are included, allowing you to assign a user name 
and password to individual files, subdirectories or the entire drive.

   Disk caching and performance optimization are possible through two 
utilities --  NWCACHE.EXE and DISKOPT.EXE, respectively. Combined, these 
two utilities allow you to reduce the amount of access time required for 
information on your drive.

   The tutorial program supplied with the package is exceptional. It 
breaks every category into multiple categories and explains them in 
precise detail. If every vendor's tutorial were as good as this one, the 
learning curve for users to get up to speed on new products would be 
greatly reduced.

   In addition to all these strengths, the operating system is fully 
compatible with Windows, and it offers most of the utilities users have 
come to expect. These include virus scanning, undelete utilities, 
command history and an online manual.


>>[ Weaknesses ]<<

   While Novell places a great deal of emphasis on compatibility, slight 
differences exist in the ways Novell and Microsoft handle some of the 
more basic commands. For example, Microsoft offers the following 
parameters with the DIR command:

   /A -- show files by attributes: A (archive), D (directories), H
            (hidden), R (read only), or S (system);
   /B -- bare format;
   /C -- file-compression ratio;
   /L -- lowercase;
   /O -- list in order: C (compression ration), D (date and time), 
            E (extension), N (name), and S (size);
   /P -- pause after each screen;
   /S -- include subdirectories; and
   /W -- use wide format.

Novell on the other hand has mixed and matched, offering these 
parameters:

   /A -- show all files;
   /C or /R -- make other switches the default next time;
   /D -- show files without the system attribute;
   /L -- give a long (standard) listing;
   /2 -- show the long listing in two columns;
   /N -- return to default paging switch;
   /P -- pause after each screen;
   /S -- show files with the system attribute set; and
   /W -- use wide format.

   There are no parameters for listing hidden files, showing compression 
ratios, or altering the list to appear in a sorted order. Most of these 
operations can be done with an external utility, XDIR.EXE; doing so 
requires summoning the PATH statement, however, when the operation could 
be more efficiently handled internally. It is these little discrepancies 
that become annoying if you are accustomed to using all the features DOS 
offers.

   Lacking as well is any sort of programming language. Microsoft offers 
QBASIC to allow you to create routines that cannot be supported with 
simple batch files. Novell offers no such routine.

   The memory manager, EMM386, must be running before task-switching and 
multitasking can take place. In fact, it must be running before many of 
the advanced functions supported by the operating system can be used. 
Unfortunately, EMM386 is a throw-back to the memory management first 
included with MS-DOS 5.0 and is very cumbersome and difficult to use, to 
put it mildly. It requires a great deal of fine-tuning to get working 
properly (and even an occasional call to Novell). Difficulties abound if 
you are loading a lot of drivers -- primarily because they can load in 
only one order, and there are no clues to this. Further, if EMM386 isn't 
properly installed, Windows may not run in Enhanced mode -- if at all. 
Once operating properly, Novell's EMM386 works almost as well as any 
other manager available, but be forewarned that the initial setup does 
take some time.


>>[ Favorite Feature ]<<

   The batch language has been enhanced over competitors' products, with 
many of its enhancements coming from Novell's own NetWare (and they will 
look very familiar to system administrators). For years this has been an 
underused feature of the operating system. Batch processing allows you 
to automate steps by combining commands, and I have always been under 
the impression that extending the language would allow more automation 
to take place.

   Following are the environment variables now understood by Novell DOS 
batch files:

   APPEND -- the APPEND search path;
   COMSPEC -- location of the current COMMAND.COM file;
   NWDOSCFG -- location of the current configuration files;
   OS -- the current operating system name;
   PATH -- the executable-file search path;
   PEXEC -- the variable executed by the PROMPT command;
   PROMPT -- the current user prompt;
   TEMP -- subdirectory where temporary files go; and
   VER -- the version of the current operating system.

   As well as the inclusion of new environment variables, these system 
variables are not available elsewhere:

   AM_PM -- whichever is appropriate for the time;
   DAY -- the numerical day of the month (01 to 31).
   DAY_OF_WEEK -- name of the day (Sunday, Monday, etc.)
   ERRORLEVEL -- the existing error-code level
   GREETING_TIME -- Morning, Afternoon or Evening
   HOUR -- nonmilitary time representation (1 to 12)
   HOUR24 -- military representation (00 to 23)
   LOGIN_NAME -- the user's login name (with network enabled)
   MINUTE -- numerical (:00 to :59)
   MONTH -- numerical (1 to 12)
   MONTH_NAME -- full name (May, June, etc.)
   NDAY_OF_WEEK -- numerical day (1=Sunday, 7=Saturday)
   OS -- the operating system (NWDOS is returned)
   OS_VERSION -- the operating system version number (7)
   P_STATION -- the physical station number (network required)
   SECOND -- numerical (:00 to :59)
   SHORT_YEAR -- last two digits (94)
   STATION -- the network station number (network required)
   YEAR -- four-digit (1994)

   In addition to the expansion of available variables, included are 
five key commands (some new, some from DR DOS) that no other operating 
system offers in quite the same fashion:

   ? -- A question mark preceding a line causes the operating system to 
prompt the user to answer a question by pressing Y or N. If the answer 
is Y, the command following the prompt takes place; otherwise it does 
not. To delete all backup files, for example, the file command is ? 
"Delete the old batch files" DEL *.BAK. The prompt appears as Delete the 
old batch files (Y/N) ? Pressing Y carries out the next action -- the 
actual deletion.
   CHOICE -- This command, originating with DR DOS, lets the user make a 
selection from a list. This concept has carried over to MS-DOS, but the 
operation is still slightly different. With Novell DOS the syntax for a 
sample operation is:

               :begin
               echo A.  Q&A 3.0
               echo B.  Q&A 4.0
               echo C.  Q&A 4.0 for Windows
               CHOICE /C:abc Please make a selection
               if errorlevel 3 goto 4_Windows
               if errorlevel 2 goto Four
               if errorlevel 1 goto Three
               :4_Windows
               WIN QA
               goto begin
               :Four
               cd\QA4
               QA
               goto begin
               :Three
               cd\qa3
               QA
               goto begin

The prompt following the CHOICE command becomes the new prompt. The only 
valid entries that can be given are those following /C. The first choice 
returns an error level of 1, the second an error level of 2, and so on. 
By default, the only entries CHOICE accepts if the /C parameter is not 
used are Y and N. A /T option can also be used, causing the question to 
time out after a specified number of seconds and take one of the choices 
as a default.

   GOSUB and RETURN -- These statements, popular in BASIC language 
programming, are supported in Novell DOS. They allow execution of the 
file to jump to a specific set of commands, execute them, and then 
return to the leaving point. This differs from GOTO (also supported), in 
which processing jumps to a subroutine and never returns.
   DIREXIST -- This command is used to check for the existence of a 
directory path. If it exists, an error level of 0 is returned; otherwise 
the error level is 1.
   SWITCH -- This command allows processing to switch between 
subroutines, depending upon parameters given when the batch file was 
executed. This temporary switch  addresses only the first nine 
parameters and differs from SHIFT, wherein the parameters permanently 
switch positions.


>>[ Internal Commands ]<<

   The internal commands in MS-DOS and Novell DOS are the same with only 
a few exceptions, the following three commands built into the Novell 
version and not Microsoft's:

   The DELQ command performs the same action as DEL /P in both operating 
systems -- asking you whether or not specified files should be deleted. 
This same command can be specified as ERAQ -- erase files with query.
   The ERASE command itself can be shortened to ERA.
   The IDLE command checks idle time -- primarily of use with laptop 
computers and the need to save the battery as long as possible.


>>[ External Commands ]<<

   A majority of the commands included with MS-DOS 6.x are also in 
Novell DOS 7.0. There are a few differences in utility names as they 
relate to compression (DBLSPACE versus Stacker) and so on, but primarily 
the same function is performed in each case. A handful of exceptions to 
this are utilities in Novell DOS that are not in MS-DOS or vice versa. 
The only ones worthy of note in MS-DOS that aren't present in Novell DOS 
are QBASIC.EXE (the BASIC language interpreter), MSD.EXE (the Microsoft 
System Diagnostic utility), and POWER.EXE (the utility that allows power 
savings on laptops).

   The following are found in Novell DOS but not in MS-DOS:

   ASSIGN.COM, an old command no longer supported by MS-DOS, lets you 
redirect disk requests to another drive.
   While the antiquated BACKUP.COM is still offered as a command-line 
backup, a far superior graphical-menu utility -- Fastback Express -- has 
been licensed from Symantec.
   COMP.COM, another old command MS-DOS no longer supports, allows you 
to compare files. Both MS-DOS and Novell DOS also include FC.COM, which 
does a far superior job.
   CURSOR.EXE allows you to change the size of the cursor and change the 
flash interval. This is particularly useful on laptops, where the LCD 
display can be hard to find.
   DPMI.EXE and DPMS.EXE let you run the DOS Protected Mode Interface 
and Protected Mode Service, respectively. Both pertain to the extended-
memory manager (and are as difficult to understand as nuclear medicine).
   FILELINK.EXE replaces MS-DOS's INTERLNK and is far superior. It 
allows two computers to connect together for downloading of files (such 
as from a laptop to a desktop PC). It is remarkably easier to use than 
INTERLNK and much needed in these days of laptop-carrying travelers.
   JOIN.EXE, another old MS-DOS command, allows two drives to appear to 
be joined as one.
   LOCK.EXE lets you lock the terminal with a password before walking 
away. You must give that password when you return to begin working 
again. If someone attempts to reboot the PC, he still must give the 
password before being allowed to continue. Needless to say, remembering 
the password you've assigned is crucial.
   NETWARS.EXE is a computer game that can be played individually or 
across a network if so connected. The object is to destroy alien ships 
on a 3-D battleground. If your computer is a stand-alone PC, you play 
against the enemies. If you are connected to a network, other players 
share your plane and attempt to destroy you as well.
   PASSWORD.EXE allows you to assign a password to a file, subdirectory 
or drive. You can choose when the password is to be required on the 
object -- i.e., to read, write or delete the file, or any combination of 
the three.
   SCRIPT.EXE offers PostScript printing directly from DOS. Novell DOS 
is the only operating system to include such support directly. For 
laser-printer users this is a big benefit.
   TASKMGR.EXE, the task manager, lets you switch between sessions while 
leaving other applications open.
   TOUCH.EXE, a carryover from the UNIX operating system, changes the 
date and time associated with files. "Touching" a file is useful in 
changing dates prior to backups of files modified within a certain time 
period.
   XDEL.EXE allows you to delete multiple files and/or subdirectories. 
It accepts filenames from the command line, or you can specify the name 
of a file that contains a listing of other files on which to perform a 
specific operation. This is redirection at its finest.
   XDIR.EXE performs the same operations as the DIR command but provides 
parameter support the internal DIR does not -- such as looking for 
hidden files and sorting in a given order.


>>[ Summation ]<<

   Novell DOS 7.0 is a very viable alternative to MS-DOS 6.x. It offers 
numerous features not available from Microsoft and should be placed high 
on the consideration list by users who are interested in networking 
their computers or who need security features. By purchasing the 
operating system, a user also obtains (among other things) a full copy 
of the Stacker disk-compression utility, NetWare Lite and Fastback 
Express -- all at a price cheaper than purchasing any of the three 
separately.

Novell DOS 7.0 requires 640K of RAM (4MB for multitasking) and 6MB disk 
space (12MB for full installation). It works with a 286, but a 386 or 
better is highly recommended. Novell, Inc., 122 East 1700 South, Provo, 
UT 84606; (800) 453-1267; $99.

                                 -=*=-

                 Emmett Dulaney, who writes PCM's 
                 Business as Usual column, can be 
                 reached on the Internet as 
                 edulaney@aol.com or via America Online,
                 username EDULANEY.

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