TXTALIAS is a true ZCPR3 tool that "compiles" standalone aliases 
from standard ASCII "source" files.  TXTALIAS is conceptually 
similar to ACREATE and BA24, but it supports assembler-style 
comments and multiple newlines in the source file, has Joe 
Wright's latest ALIAS0 built-in rather than using a separate 
"alias template" file, allows VALIAS-style "recursive" aliases, 
and has Program Error Flag support for automation of alias 
"development."


                         Examples of Use

TXTALIAS TEST.123

Produces alias TEST.COM from source file TEST.123, both in 
current directory.

TXTALIAS BASE:TEST.123

Produces alias TEST.COM in current directory from source file 
TEST.123 in the named directory "BASE."

TXTALIAS TEST.123 BASE:NEWALIAS

Produces alias NEWALIAS.COM in the named directory "BASE" from 
source file TEST.123 in the current directory.

TXTALIAS M0:TEST.123 BASE: R

Produces recursive alias TEST.COM in the named directory "BASE" 
from the source file TEST.123 on drive M, user area 0.

TXTALIAS M0:TEST.123 BASE: /R

Same result as in previous example.

Etc., etc., etc.

If you really want to try, you can confuse TXTALIAS by naming the 
alias "R" or "/R" -- this will not only force recursive mode, but
the destination filename will be ignored and the alias will be
named according to the source file.  Getting around this "flaw"
is a simple matter of preceding the destination filename with a
colon (":R" or ":/R") under current versions of Z-System or the
current drive letter and a colon ("A:R" or "A:/R") for both
current and older Z3-compatible systems.  Use of the current
named directory ("dir:") spec will also also work, even on old
ZCPR3 systems that have the "DUOK" function disabled.  To make
the alias recursive, use the "opposite" form of the recursion 
option -- ":R /R" or ":/R R"....

                      Comments and Newlines

TXTALIAS supports source file comments in the familiar standard 
Intel/Zilog assembly language style.

Full line comments must begin with a semicolon:

;This is a full line comment and
; so is this.

Inline comments must be preceded by one or more horizontal fixed 
tab (09h) characters AND a semi-colon:

dir	;"dir" is a command, this is a comment.

Multiple consecutive newlines are also handled sensibly.  The 
following source file:
---------------------------------------------|
cls                                          |
                                             |
;this is a comment                           |
;this is a comment                           |
echo this is a test	; This is a comment  |
                                             |
h                                            |
---------------------------------------------|

Would "compile" into the following alias command line:
---------------------------------------------|
cls;echo this is a test;h                    |
---------------------------------------------|


                           Limitations

Aside from the mild alias naming constraints mentioned earlier, 
TXTALIAS has no significant use limitations.  Command lines 
longer than the ZCPR3 Command Line Buffer will cause a warning 
prompt, but processing can optionally continue until the physical 
capacity of the ALIAS0 module itself is exceeded.  Source file 
size is limited to available memory minus TXTALIAS itself.  If no 
RSX is present, TXTALIAS protects the CCP with a full page to 
spare.  Like ALIAS and SALIAS, TXTALIAS requires "wheel" 
privileges.

                 ZCPR3 Program Error Flag Values

Condition                                         Decimal Value
---------                                         -------------
No errors detected                                0

Source file not found                             255

Source file probably empty                        2

Disk write error                                  1, 3, or 4

Command Line Overflow                             89

ALIAS0 overflow                                   99

Source file error (no terminating newline)        100

Not enough memory                                 63 (ASCII "?")

Help query only                                   No change from 
                                                  previous value