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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!rutgers!cbmvax!hedley
From: hedley@cbmvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.cbm
Subject: Re: Changing sequential files to program files
Message-ID: <1304@cbmvax.cbmvax.cbm.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 28-Jan-87 04:37:15 EST
Article-I.D.: cbmvax.1304
Posted: Wed Jan 28 04:37:15 1987
Date-Received: Thu, 29-Jan-87 06:06:21 EST
Reply-To: hedley@cbmvax.UUCP (Hedley Davis)
Organization: Commodore Technology, West Chester, PA
Lines: 34
Keywords: SEQ -> PRG

In article <592@rayssd.RAY.COM> msf@rayssd.RAY.COM (Michael S. Frank) writes:
>Does anyone out there know how I can convert a sequential file (which is how
>my terminal program downloads) into a program file (so I can load and run it)
>I've tried to look at Track 18/Block 1 etc, but can't seem to get the hang
>of it.

A program file is similar to a sequential type file. The difference is
that the first two bytes in a program file contain the 16 bit load
address of the file. This determines where in memory the file will be
loaded if the ,1 option is used in the LOAD command,        

	LOAD "FILENAME",8,1

Of course, there is also a byte in the directory entry for the file
which indicates the filetype. See the 15xx users manual for details on
directory structure.

The point is that you cannot easily patch the disk because you need to
insert two bytes at the start of the file which will cause the rest of
bytes to shift back. Therefore you might consider using a short basic 
program that goes sort of like this:

	10 OPEN 8,8,8,"NEWPROGFILE,P,W" 
	20 OPEN 9,8,9,"OLDSEQFILE,S,R" 
	30 PRINT#8,CHR$(LOADADDRESSLOW)+CHR$(LOADADDRESSHIGH);
	40 GET#9,A$ : S=ST : PRINT#8,A$; : IF S=0 THEN 40
	50 CLOSE 8 : CLOSE 9

This is untested, and needs some interpretaion to fit your needs.
Just becareful not to forget the semicolons at the end of your print#
statements. You also should add error channel checking after the opens
and closes to verify that the program runs properly.

Hedley