NAME  :  NCAT.SET

DATE  :  07 SEP 82
        
TOPIC :  CHANGING 'NCAT' FILE NAMES BUFFER LENGTH EXTERNALLY
         (Does not work on versions prior to 3.1)


     NCAT is a catalog program for use with your MAST.CAT file.  It
is an updated version of the NEWCAT program written by Lewis Moseley,
Jr.  Basically it combines the three files originally used to catalog
disks that were called FMAP, QCAT and UCAT.  In addition it automatic-
ally sets the buffer length to optimum for your amount of available
memory.  It first checks the length of the 'file names' buffer, which
is very easily adjusted for various types of disk drives.

     Since some drives are mini-floppy size and some are large Win-
chester, some method needed to be added to the program to allow the
user to easily adapt it to his particular system.  There are two ways
you can do this with NCAT.

     a)  Edit the user-optional area of NCAT and reassemble with
            MAC.COM, or:

     b)  Consult the table below and change two convenient Bytes
            using DDT or Sid, etc.


           location    location     file       Bytes
             0103        0104      names     allocated

              C0          01         32          448
              80          03         64          896
              00          07        128         1792
              80          0A        192         2688
              00          0E        256         3584
              00          1C        512         7168
              00          38       1024        14336
              00          70       2048        28672


     Use DDT or SID to call up the NCAT.COM.  Then use the "S" command
to make the appropriate changes.  When finished, use Control-C to get
back to CP/M, then save with an appropriate name:


A>SAVE 26 NCAT.COM


     If the file names buffer is too small, a warning notice is shown,
advising the buffer should be made larger.  If you pass the program to
others, include this NCAT.SET file so they can easily adapt it to their
size disk system.

     When finished using NCAT to update your catalog file (MAST.CAT),
you can use XCAT.COM to make a crossferenced file -- either to disk
or to your printer.  The disk file is called MAST.LST.  It can be ex-
amined for a particular program or programs with the FIND.COM utility.


A>FIND MAST.LST MODEM


           will find any program in the file containing
           the characters MODEM.  You will soon find this
           makes a quite convenient way to locate programs
           very rapidly.


           (For more detailed information, read NCAT.DOC)



=  =  =  =  =  =  =  =  =  =  =  =  =  =  =  =  =  =  =  =  =  =  =  =

                     A  D  D  E  N  D  U  M

=  =  =  =  =  =  =  =  =  =  =  =  =  =  =  =  =  =  =  =  =  =  =  =


        For my own disks, I use the following scheme for getting
     the "volume number" and the "current date":

A>SAVE 0 -.012       (each disk an unique number from 000-999)
A>SAVE 0 -07SEP82    (the date does not print but is nice to have)

        This nicely identifies my disks and works well with NCAT.



                                       Irvin M. Hoff
                                       Los Altos Hills, CA