A Few Comments on Desk Master


1.	This program is a transcription of one orignally ap-
	pearing in Popular Computing (as per the sign-on in
	INIT-DM.BAS).  Copyright resides in the author, who
	has placed it in public domain with all the usual pro-
	visoes.

2.	The complex of programs consists of a calendar, memo-
	writer, card-file database and calculator; it runs un-
	der MBASIC and apparently just as well under BASICA.

	The files are:

		INIT-DM.BAS -- a sign-on, which also loads
		the main program.

		DESK-DM.BAS -- the main program, with cal-
		endar, memowriter and card-file functions

		DDISK-DM.BAS -- this program is called to
		initiate the data disk for indices of the
		various functions; it creates the indices
		APTINDEX, CDXINDEX and MEMINDEX, and modi-
		fies the IDENT-DM file, as indicated below.

		CALC-DM.BAS -- this is the full-function
		programmable calculator

		IDENT-DM -- this file contains one word,
		either PROGRAM or DATA.  If one runs a two-
		disk Desk Master, the program disk is thus
		identified and differentiated from the data
		disk.

3.	These programs were transcribed by Dave Mintie (as I re-
	call -- apologies if my memory serves me badly) and put
	up on the Connecticut Morrow Decision Users' Group BBS
	in Groton, CT.

4.	As originally supplied, Desk Master was arranged to use
	two disks in one drive.  That is, one disk held MBASIC 
	and the Desk Master programs; the other disk, to be ini-
	tiated using DDISK-DM.BAS (called from the Desk Master
	main menu), created an indexed data disk, which Desk 
	Master instructed the user to swap into drive A: when
	accessing any of the applications.  This was silly, since
	most of us have more than enough space on a disk to 
	store both the programs and MBASIC and a substantial
	number of appointments, short memos, and a couple of
	card-files.  So, I have made a couple of changes in the
	code (notably to lines 800 and 2160 in DESK-DM.BAS);
	the modification is a very inelegant one, from DE$ =
	"PROGRAM" to DE$ = "DATA".  This should allow the user
	to "initiate" the same disk on which he has the Desk
	Master programs, then reset the system, reload Desk
	Master and never have to swap.  Desk Master still in-
	sists on being in drive A: (user 0).

5.	A number of elegances suggest themselves: (1) the re-
	writing of the code in a nicer language, (2) compiling
	the damn thing, (3) making a version that is not de-
	pendent on everything being in drive A0:.  A truly per-
	fect version for a larger system would load and sit,
	SIDEKICK fashion (Borland's nifty new product) at the
	top of memory -- or maybe just load the menu part of
	DESK-DM into the top of memory, calling the other parts
	as needed, and using the disk-drives for virtual memory,
	in a top-end CP/M80 system.  I have neither the skill or
	time to do this, but would be delighted if someone else
	came up with the mods....

6.	As it is, it is a nice program.  I have put in a little
	"compliments of" message, and give it as a gift to friends
	and occasional clients (there was all that space at the top
	of the box going to waste...).  I keep my phone book on the
	card index, and find it as convenient to load Desk Master
	and find a number as it is to look the same number up in
	a conventional card-file or loose-leaf phonebook.  The
	appointment calendar is nice, will print out a month with
	the day's schedule -- hard-copy for reference.

In short, I like this program.  I hope you'll like it too.

					Donald Jenner
					Washington Market
					Logical Systems