Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!n8emr!lwv From: lwv@n8emr.UUCP (Larry W. Virden) Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple Subject: Re: Davex Message-ID: <714@n8emr.UUCP> Date: 1 Dec 88 11:29:34 GMT References: <8811241440.aa17069@VGR.BRL.MIL> Reply-To: lwv@n8emr.UUCP (Larry W. Virden) Organization: Ham BBS, 614-457-4227 (1200/2400/19.2 telebit,8N1) Lines: 50 A little background. The Apple II series primary operating system (as sold by Apple) are the Prodos 8 and GS/OS pair. These operating systems have no user interface to them built in; like Unix and MS-DOS (as well as some others) the user interface is user-provided. The two Apple user interfaces are known as Basic.System and Finder. These allow you to see Disk catalogs, launch programs , rename files, etc. In the past few years a number of alternate user interfaces have appeared. The primary ones that I have tried are: ProSel - highly touted around the US by its users. This is a menu based program launcher which also comes with dozens of other programs to do disk editing, cataloging, renaming, etc. Note that there is no text editor in this package - it surprizes me that the one remaining item that one would need in using a computer is not in this package! Updates can be downloaded from CIS , Genie and perhaps elsewhere for 'free' by authorized users, or purchased for $5 a disk from the author. If you buy this package from the author you get this type of support - if you get the software elsewhere you get no support from the author, Glen Bredon of NJ. ECP - Actually, this is a 2 pronged program - ECP8 is the Prodos 8 interface and ECP16 is the GS/OS interface. This one is by D. Elton (of TIC fame) and is a great interface. It is my primary one due to having seen it first . It is a command line oriented interface, and has a minimal scripting capability (some variables, logic, function key support, etc.) ECP16 also has command history and a number of other good features. Look for some interesting developments in ECP in the upcoming months if the rumors that I hear are true! Davex - Dave Lyons has written this comand line interpreter. It is available as shareware (as is ECP currently). It has output and input redirection, command aliasing, supports a number of hardware configurations, etc. Quite a nice package. There is also something called Command.Com which is another command interpreter which I have only heard about. There are also numerous other program launcher type programs such as jumpstart, etc. If you are a 'programming type' and like to run commands with arguments, change directories, etc. I reccommend using a command line interpreter like ECP or Davex. See the Apple2-L archives for at least Davex and perhaps even ECP! -- Larry W. Virden 75046,606 (CIS) 674 Falls Place, Reynoldsburg, OH 43068 (614) 864-8817 osu-cis!n8emr!lwv (UUCP) osu-cis!n8emr!lwv@TUT.CIS.OHIO-STATE.EDU (INTERNET) We haven't inherited the world from our parents, but borrowed it from our children.