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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!eagle!allegra!alice!rabbit!sdh
From: sdh@rabbit.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.micro.apple
Subject: Re: Apple Pascal: What I think
Message-ID: <2194@rabbit.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 11-Nov-83 12:37:05 EST
Article-I.D.: rabbit.2194
Posted: Fri Nov 11 12:37:05 1983
Date-Received: Sun, 13-Nov-83 05:24:41 EST
References: <3656@umcp-cs.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill
Lines: 46

In response to Mr. Feldman's article, I have the following remarks:

DOS is not supposed to be a screen oriented editing system. Take a good
look at the meaning of the acronym: Disk Operating System.

The reason it is slow, is a problem with timing in the loop that loads files.
Since files can be spread out all over a disk instead of in predefined blocks,
The disk is much more space efficient.
Using the RWTS subroutine, a VERY simple assembly language proigram can be
written to load files in a time that makes most people cringe. I still don't
know why thos pholks at Apple never bothered with shaving off the cycles in
their loaders, because a few cycles can make a world of difference in access
time.

I think the AP assembler is a dinosaur. And that's being kind. Anyone who
has used the SC 4.0 assembler or the SC macro assembler will understand why.
Speed: The SC can assemble very large programs while printing out the
listing, in a fraction of the time the AP assembler with no screen output.
Convenience:The SC has some very nice built in features including, a good
line editor, assembly to either disk or memory. target address functions,
and an include file feature just to name a few.
As a bonus, the macro assembler can exist either as a program in RAM or as
a language if a language card is available. 

I'm biased. I know it. Once I entered the realms ofassembly language,
I decided that all other languages were for nerds.
and for those of you who enjoy noise, I leave you with the following program:


         300: DEC $00
         302: BNE $309
         304: BIT $C030
         307: DEC $00
         309: DEC $01
         30B: BNE $314
         30D: BIT $C030
         310: LDA #$FE
         312: STA $01
         314: LDA #$02
         316: JSR $FCA8
         319: JMP $300

P.S. don't try this from PASCAL since you will not have access to the wonderfull
subroutines that already exist in ROM.
It only a program stuck way up in RAM to move the disk head around, load, save,