Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!n8emr!lwv
From: lwv@n8emr.UUCP (Larry W. Virden)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: ECP explained
Message-ID: <1065@n8emr.UUCP>
Date: 5 May 89 09:55:42 GMT
Reply-To: lwv@n8emr.UUCP (Larry W. Virden)
Organization: Ham BBS, 614-457-4227 (1200/2400/19.2 telebit,8N1)
Lines: 35


A couple of notes.  I have been asked to explain ECP so that folks can decide
whether they want it or not. I am sorry - I assumed that everyone knew about
this pgm.

1. ECP is written by Don Elton - anything that I say is my own opinions.  Don,
if you want to rephrase or correct things just jump right in there!

2. ECP stands for Extended Command Processor.  It is  a 'shell' command 
processor - a program which enables one to have access to most of the operating
system's capabilities such as creating directories, copying files,
deleting files, etc. as well as the ability to put said access into 'exec'
like files and thus create your own commands.

3. ECP8 is the Prodos 8 version.  It will run on about any machine that can
run Prodos 8 - though I dont know any Mac owners with that II emulator that
have tried it.

4. Think of it as a command line program launcher.

5. It can also be thought of as working like the Applesoft BASIC system program
called BASIC.SYSTEM.  This program provides the user with the same sort of
interface to the operating system, but for BASIC programming.  ECP8 gives
you an interface to the operating system for the user who is invoking various
programs.

6. There is, for the IIgs owner, an alternative called ECP16 which uses 
GS/OS or ProDOS 16.  It does all that ECP8 does and more from what I understand.
I have it, but have a ram disk setup program which I use which boots up
into prodos 8, so I use ecp8.
-- 
Larry W. Virden	 674 Falls Place, Reynoldsburg, OH 43068 (614) 864-8817
75046,606 (CIS) ; LVirden (ALPE) ; osu-cis!n8emr!lwv (UUCP) 
osu-cis!n8emr!lwv@TUT.CIS.OHIO-STATE.EDU (INTERNET)
The world's not inherited from our parents, but borrowed from our children.