PIP8 FILE TRANSFER PROGRAM
---- ---- -------- -------


by John Yardley

National Physical Laboratory
Teddington, Middx, England

Version PIP8 Y08B

by H.P.Stoehrel
Institut fuer Modellstatik
University of Stuttgart

PIP8 can now handle RX02-type Floppy drives.The OS/8-Floppy,however,
must be in single density.


INTRODUCTION TO PIP8.  
---------------------  

    PIP8 is a file transfer and file maintenance utility program 
    for  both OS/8 and RT/11 (ASCII) files.  It runs under the RT/11
    operating system and enables you to transfer files in the same
    format or from one format to another.  You can obtain directories
    of discs, rename or delete files in either format.



NOTES
-----

1. "PIP8.SAV" WILL ONLY RUN PROPERLY ON AN LSI-11 WITH EIS.  TO
   USE ON ANY OTHER CONFIGURATION YOU MUST RE-COMPILE PROGRAM
   AND LINK MODULES ON COMPILER FOR TARGET MACHINE.  THIS MAY BE 
   ACCOMPLISHED BY LOADING DISTRIBUTION DISKETTE ONTO RX01/RX02 UNIT 1,
   AND EXECUTING INDIRECT COMMAND FILE "PIP8.COM".

2. NPL ACCEPTS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE USE OF "PIP8".



CALLING AND USING PIP8.
-----------------------

    To call PIP8 from the system device respond to the dot (.) printed
    by the monitor by typing:

    R PIP8

    PIP8 responds by first typing the current version number.  The Command
    String Interpreter then prints an asterisk in the left margin and
    waits for you to enter a command string.  If you respond by entering
    only a carriage return, PIP8 prints its current version number and
    prompts you again for a command string.

    When PIP8 is waiting for input from the console terminal you can type 
    CRTL/C to abort PIP8 and return control to the monitor.  However you 
    must type two CRTL/Cs to abort PIP8 at any other time.  This is not
    recommended when transfering, renaming or deleting OS/8 files as
    directories are being updated and may be corrupted.

    In the current version no wildcards are allowed.

    Since PIP8 performs file transfers on all types of ASCII files (.MAC,
    .FOR,.LST etc), it does not assume file extensions for either input or
    output files.  You must explicitly specify all file extensions, where 
    applicable.

    If no devices are specified PIP8 assumes the default device "DK:".

    OS/8 files may only be stored on the RX01/RX02 floppy disc medium.

FILE TRANSFERS.
---------------

    When copying files the command form is as follows:

	OUTPUTFILE-SPEC[/8]<INPUTFILE-SPEC[/8]

    It is possible to copy files in the following formats

	RT/11 TO RT/11.
	OS/8  TO OS/8.
	RT/11 TO OS/8.
	OS/8  TO RT/11.

PIP8 OPTIONS.
-------------

OS/8 OPTION (/8).
-----------------

     The /8 option is used in conjunction with all the other options
     to specify that a file is in OS/8 format.  All files are assumed 
     to be in RT/11 format unless the /8 option is used on that file.

  Example: 
     To copy an OS/8 file TEST.PA from DX0: to DX1: the correct 
     command would be:
  
           DX1:TEST.PA/8<DX0:TEST.PA/8
  
     The output file would be in OS/8 format since the /8 option was
     used on the output file as well.

RENAME OPTION (/R).
-------------------

     The /R option enables files in either format to be renamed, however,
     the files must both be in the same format and on the same device.

   COMMAND FORM.
   -------------

             NEWFILE-SPEC[/8]<OLDFILE-SPEC[/8]/R

   Example:
     To Rename the file 1:PROG.MAC To 1:NPL2.MAC you would type the
     following command:

             1:NPL2.MAC<1:PROG.MAC/R

     Note both files are in RT/11 format.

DELETE OPTION (/D).
-------------------

     The /D option enables the user to delete files from a directory.

   COMMAND FORM.
   -------------

            FILE-SPEC[/8]/D

   Example:
     To delete the OS/8 file WRONG.MAC from DX1: the correct command
     would be as follows:

            DX1:WRONG.MAC/8/D
DIRECTORY LISTINGS:
-------------------

       The directory listings obtained from PIP8 give all the file 
       names on the specified device, the length of each file in decimal
       and the date associated with each file.  It is possible to obtain 
       a directory listing on the console terminal or the line printer.

LINE PRINTER OPTION (/P).
-------------------------

       The /P option is used to obtain a directory as described above
       on the line printer.

   COMMAND FORM.
   -------------

             DEV:[OPTIONS]/P

   Example:
       To obtain a directory on the line printer of the OS/8 floppy
       disc in DX1: the correct command would be:

             DX1:/P/8

CONSOLE TERMINAL OPTION (/L).
-----------------------------

       The /L option is used to obtain a directory as described above
       on the console terminal.

   COMMAND FORM.
   -------------

             DEV:[OPTIONS]/L

   Example:
       To obtain a directory of the DL: disk on the terminal you would
       type the following:

             DL:/L

FULL DIRECTORY OPTION (/F).
---------------------------

       The /F option is used in conjunction with the options /L and /P
       in order to obtain a full directory of the device which includes

       a)empty blocks on the device,
       b)starting blocks of each file on the device in octal.

       Tentative files are treated as empty blocks with a length of zero.

   COMMAND FORM.
   -------------

             DEV:[OPTIONS]/F

   Example:
       To obtain a full directory of the OS/8 floppy in DX0: on the line
       printer you would type the following command:

             DX0:/P/8/F


							January, 1979.




PIP8 was conceived by John Yardley, written by Martyn Armstrong
during his one year industrial training period at the National Physical
Laboratory (July 78 - July 79), and performed by an LSI-11.  Any inquiries
should be addressed to:

John Yardley
Division of Numerical Analysis and Computer Science
National Physical Laboratory
Teddington
Middlesex
England
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