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From: Jerry.Kindall@f10.n226.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Jerry Kindall)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: Usabale blocks on ProDOS data disk
Message-ID: <6631.23F858E1@cmhgate.FIDONET.ORG>
Date: 14 Feb 89 12:51:00 GMT
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> How did Apple get all those files on side 2 of the AppleWorks disk?
 
Basically, what they did is made the directory shorter.  Normally there 
are 4 directory blocks, allowing for a total of 51 files (plus one 
directory header).  The AppleWorks disk has a directory only one block 
long, for a total of 12 files in the main directory (plus the header).
 
It's easy to make a 5.25 disk like that.  Just copy your AppleWorks 
disk onto another 5.25 disk and delete all the files.
 
As to whether it's kosher, I doubt it.  On the other hand, ProDOS' /RAM 
disk (the small one on 128K machines) also has a shortened directory.  
Notice that if you try to READ the directory of the RAM disk or the 
AppleWorks disk, you will get an END OF DATA message before the actual 
end of the directory.  You won't see the footer with block usage 
information when READing the directory from a BASIC program.  This is 
because the shortened directory confuses BASIC.SYSTEM.
 
If you can shorten the volume directory, can you lengthen it?  Sounds 
reasonable, but it might meet up with some problems.
 
/\
  \/  Jerry Kindall

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