Home » Archimedes archive » Acorn Computing » 1994 02 subscription disc.adf » 9402s » PD/!ModulInfo/!Help
PD/!ModulInfo/!Help
This website contains an archive of files for the Acorn Electron, BBC Micro, Acorn Archimedes, Commodore 16 and Commodore 64 computers, which Dominic Ford has rescued from his private collection of floppy disks and cassettes.
Some of these files were originally commercial releases in the 1980s and 1990s, but they are now widely available online. I assume that copyright over them is no longer being asserted. If you own the copyright and would like files to be removed, please contact me.
| Tape/disk: | Home » Archimedes archive » Acorn Computing » 1994 02 subscription disc.adf » 9402s |
| Filename: | PD/!ModulInfo/!Help |
| Read OK: | ✔ |
| File size: | 0999 bytes |
| Load address: | 0000 |
| Exec address: | 0000 |
File contents
Help file for !ModulInfo
Introduction
------------
ModulInfo is a program I started writing in december 1990 and is continuously
being improved. In it's current state (1.42), most bugs should be removed.
[ ] Did you ever scan your hard disk in order to locate old versions
of modules, and you didn't find Acorn Computers' !Merge application
very helpful because of some old module that was stamped accidentaly?
In order to do so, did you
a) load the module into a text editor and try to find the version?
b) load the module into the RMA and look up the version using
'Help modules' or similar?
[ ] Did you ever wanted to know what SWI names a module contained?
[ ] Did you ever wanted to know a little more about a module's commands
without loading it?
[ ] Did you ever find a module which you didn't want to load because of
it's size (or some other reason) when you were initerested in what it
contained?
If you ticked one of the items listed above, you will probable be interested
in using ModulInfo. ModulInfo can display useful information concerning a
relocatable module _without_ having to load the thing.
This has a number of advantages:
- Easy look-up of version information
- Listing commands embedded in module
- Listing swi names without having to run some other tool which produces a
sprawling mass of information.
Starting
--------
Double-click on the !ModulInfo icon. After a while it will install itself on
the icon-bar. Now drag a module from a filer window to it and wait. The rest
is self-explanatory.
Limitations
-----------
ModulInfo doesn't provide the information on a module you see with other
programs, for the simple reason that most of the times you don't want to know
it, and it would only result in wasting memory.
Furthermore, ModulInfo expects modules that are legally written, that is,
_not_ modules that contain a lot of garbage in their headers. In fact, these
modules are likely to be rejected by the operating system in the first place.
Epilogue
--------
Don't expect ModuleInfo to do things that it is not designed for (can you?).
It's main use is quick look-up of the most imporant information, so use it
for that purpose.
I am sure you will find it useful to you. If you wan't to see some new
features or improvements, you can always try to contact me via comp.sys.acorn
or at erikp@stack.urc.tue.nl
Erik van de Pol
00000000 48 65 6c 70 20 66 69 6c 65 20 66 6f 72 20 21 4d |Help file for !M| 00000010 6f 64 75 6c 49 6e 66 6f 0a 0a 49 6e 74 72 6f 64 |odulInfo..Introd| 00000020 75 63 74 69 6f 6e 0a 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d |uction.---------| 00000030 2d 2d 2d 0a 0a 4d 6f 64 75 6c 49 6e 66 6f 20 69 |---..ModulInfo i| 00000040 73 20 61 20 70 72 6f 67 72 61 6d 20 49 20 73 74 |s a program I st| 00000050 61 72 74 65 64 20 77 72 69 74 69 6e 67 20 69 6e |arted writing in| 00000060 20 64 65 63 65 6d 62 65 72 20 31 39 39 30 20 61 | december 1990 a| 00000070 6e 64 20 69 73 20 63 6f 6e 74 69 6e 75 6f 75 73 |nd is continuous| 00000080 6c 79 0a 62 65 69 6e 67 20 69 6d 70 72 6f 76 65 |ly.being improve| 00000090 64 2e 20 49 6e 20 69 74 27 73 20 63 75 72 72 65 |d. In it's curre| 000000a0 6e 74 20 73 74 61 74 65 20 28 31 2e 34 32 29 2c |nt state (1.42),| 000000b0 20 6d 6f 73 74 20 62 75 67 73 20 73 68 6f 75 6c | most bugs shoul| 000000c0 64 20 62 65 20 72 65 6d 6f 76 65 64 2e 0a 0a 20 |d be removed... | 000000d0 20 5b 20 5d 20 44 69 64 20 79 6f 75 20 65 76 65 | [ ] Did you eve| 000000e0 72 20 73 63 61 6e 20 79 6f 75 72 20 68 61 72 64 |r scan your hard| 000000f0 20 64 69 73 6b 20 69 6e 20 6f 72 64 65 72 20 74 | disk in order t| 00000100 6f 20 6c 6f 63 61 74 65 20 6f 6c 64 20 76 65 72 |o locate old ver| 00000110 73 69 6f 6e 73 0a 20 20 20 20 20 20 6f 66 20 6d |sions. of m| 00000120 6f 64 75 6c 65 73 2c 20 61 6e 64 20 79 6f 75 20 |odules, and you | 00000130 64 69 64 6e 27 74 20 66 69 6e 64 20 41 63 6f 72 |didn't find Acor| 00000140 6e 20 43 6f 6d 70 75 74 65 72 73 27 20 21 4d 65 |n Computers' !Me| 00000150 72 67 65 20 61 70 70 6c 69 63 61 74 69 6f 6e 0a |rge application.| 00000160 20 20 20 20 20 20 76 65 72 79 20 68 65 6c 70 66 | very helpf| 00000170 75 6c 20 62 65 63 61 75 73 65 20 6f 66 20 73 6f |ul because of so| 00000180 6d 65 20 6f 6c 64 20 6d 6f 64 75 6c 65 20 74 68 |me old module th| 00000190 61 74 20 77 61 73 20 73 74 61 6d 70 65 64 20 61 |at was stamped a| 000001a0 63 63 69 64 65 6e 74 61 6c 79 3f 0a 20 20 20 20 |ccidentaly?. | 000001b0 20 20 49 6e 20 6f 72 64 65 72 20 74 6f 20 64 6f | In order to do| 000001c0 20 73 6f 2c 20 64 69 64 20 79 6f 75 0a 20 20 20 | so, did you. | 000001d0 20 20 20 61 29 20 6c 6f 61 64 20 74 68 65 20 6d | a) load the m| 000001e0 6f 64 75 6c 65 20 69 6e 74 6f 20 61 20 74 65 78 |odule into a tex| 000001f0 74 20 65 64 69 74 6f 72 20 61 6e 64 20 74 72 79 |t editor and try| 00000200 20 74 6f 20 66 69 6e 64 20 74 68 65 20 76 65 72 | to find the ver| 00000210 73 69 6f 6e 3f 0a 20 20 20 20 20 20 62 29 20 6c |sion?. b) l| 00000220 6f 61 64 20 74 68 65 20 6d 6f 64 75 6c 65 20 69 |oad the module i| 00000230 6e 74 6f 20 74 68 65 20 52 4d 41 20 61 6e 64 20 |nto the RMA and | 00000240 6c 6f 6f 6b 20 75 70 20 74 68 65 20 76 65 72 73 |look up the vers| 00000250 69 6f 6e 20 75 73 69 6e 67 0a 20 20 20 20 20 20 |ion using. | 00000260 20 20 20 27 48 65 6c 70 20 6d 6f 64 75 6c 65 73 | 'Help modules| 00000270 27 20 6f 72 20 73 69 6d 69 6c 61 72 3f 0a 0a 20 |' or similar?.. | 00000280 20 5b 20 5d 20 44 69 64 20 79 6f 75 20 65 76 65 | [ ] Did you eve| 00000290 72 20 77 61 6e 74 65 64 20 74 6f 20 6b 6e 6f 77 |r wanted to know| 000002a0 20 77 68 61 74 20 53 57 49 20 6e 61 6d 65 73 20 | what SWI names | 000002b0 61 20 6d 6f 64 75 6c 65 20 63 6f 6e 74 61 69 6e |a module contain| 000002c0 65 64 3f 0a 0a 20 20 5b 20 5d 20 44 69 64 20 79 |ed?.. [ ] Did y| 000002d0 6f 75 20 65 76 65 72 20 77 61 6e 74 65 64 20 74 |ou ever wanted t| 000002e0 6f 20 6b 6e 6f 77 20 61 20 6c 69 74 74 6c 65 20 |o know a little | 000002f0 6d 6f 72 65 20 61 62 6f 75 74 20 61 20 6d 6f 64 |more about a mod| 00000300 75 6c 65 27 73 20 63 6f 6d 6d 61 6e 64 73 0a 20 |ule's commands. | 00000310 20 20 20 20 20 77 69 74 68 6f 75 74 20 6c 6f 61 | without loa| 00000320 64 69 6e 67 20 69 74 3f 0a 0a 20 20 5b 20 5d 20 |ding it?.. [ ] | 00000330 44 69 64 20 79 6f 75 20 65 76 65 72 20 66 69 6e |Did you ever fin| 00000340 64 20 61 20 6d 6f 64 75 6c 65 20 77 68 69 63 68 |d a module which| 00000350 20 79 6f 75 20 64 69 64 6e 27 74 20 77 61 6e 74 | you didn't want| 00000360 20 74 6f 20 6c 6f 61 64 20 62 65 63 61 75 73 65 | to load because| 00000370 20 6f 66 0a 20 20 20 20 20 20 69 74 27 73 20 73 | of. it's s| 00000380 69 7a 65 20 28 6f 72 20 73 6f 6d 65 20 6f 74 68 |ize (or some oth| 00000390 65 72 20 72 65 61 73 6f 6e 29 20 77 68 65 6e 20 |er reason) when | 000003a0 79 6f 75 20 77 65 72 65 20 69 6e 69 74 65 72 65 |you were initere| 000003b0 73 74 65 64 20 69 6e 20 77 68 61 74 20 69 74 0a |sted in what it.| 000003c0 20 20 20 20 20 20 63 6f 6e 74 61 69 6e 65 64 3f | contained?| 000003d0 0a 0a 49 66 20 79 6f 75 20 74 69 63 6b 65 64 20 |..If you ticked | 000003e0 6f 6e 65 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 69 74 65 6d 73 |one of the items| 000003f0 20 6c 69 73 74 65 64 20 61 62 6f 76 65 2c 20 79 | listed above, y| 00000400 6f 75 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 70 72 6f 62 61 62 6c 65 |ou will probable| 00000410 20 62 65 20 69 6e 74 65 72 65 73 74 65 64 0a 69 | be interested.i| 00000420 6e 20 75 73 69 6e 67 20 4d 6f 64 75 6c 49 6e 66 |n using ModulInf| 00000430 6f 2e 20 4d 6f 64 75 6c 49 6e 66 6f 20 63 61 6e |o. ModulInfo can| 00000440 20 64 69 73 70 6c 61 79 20 75 73 65 66 75 6c 20 | display useful | 00000450 69 6e 66 6f 72 6d 61 74 69 6f 6e 20 63 6f 6e 63 |information conc| 00000460 65 72 6e 69 6e 67 20 61 0a 72 65 6c 6f 63 61 74 |erning a.relocat| 00000470 61 62 6c 65 20 6d 6f 64 75 6c 65 20 5f 77 69 74 |able module _wit| 00000480 68 6f 75 74 5f 20 68 61 76 69 6e 67 20 74 6f 20 |hout_ having to | 00000490 6c 6f 61 64 20 74 68 65 20 74 68 69 6e 67 2e 0a |load the thing..| 000004a0 0a 54 68 69 73 20 68 61 73 20 61 20 6e 75 6d 62 |.This has a numb| 000004b0 65 72 20 6f 66 20 61 64 76 61 6e 74 61 67 65 73 |er of advantages| 000004c0 3a 0a 20 20 2d 20 45 61 73 79 20 6c 6f 6f 6b 2d |:. - Easy look-| 000004d0 75 70 20 6f 66 20 76 65 72 73 69 6f 6e 20 69 6e |up of version in| 000004e0 66 6f 72 6d 61 74 69 6f 6e 0a 20 20 2d 20 4c 69 |formation. - Li| 000004f0 73 74 69 6e 67 20 63 6f 6d 6d 61 6e 64 73 20 65 |sting commands e| 00000500 6d 62 65 64 64 65 64 20 69 6e 20 6d 6f 64 75 6c |mbedded in modul| 00000510 65 0a 20 20 2d 20 4c 69 73 74 69 6e 67 20 73 77 |e. - Listing sw| 00000520 69 20 6e 61 6d 65 73 20 77 69 74 68 6f 75 74 20 |i names without | 00000530 68 61 76 69 6e 67 20 74 6f 20 72 75 6e 20 73 6f |having to run so| 00000540 6d 65 20 6f 74 68 65 72 20 74 6f 6f 6c 20 77 68 |me other tool wh| 00000550 69 63 68 20 70 72 6f 64 75 63 65 73 20 61 0a 20 |ich produces a. | 00000560 20 20 20 73 70 72 61 77 6c 69 6e 67 20 6d 61 73 | sprawling mas| 00000570 73 20 6f 66 20 69 6e 66 6f 72 6d 61 74 69 6f 6e |s of information| 00000580 2e 0a 0a 0a 53 74 61 72 74 69 6e 67 0a 2d 2d 2d |....Starting.---| 00000590 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 0a 0a 44 6f 75 62 6c 65 2d 63 6c |-----..Double-cl| 000005a0 69 63 6b 20 6f 6e 20 74 68 65 20 21 4d 6f 64 75 |ick on the !Modu| 000005b0 6c 49 6e 66 6f 20 69 63 6f 6e 2e 20 41 66 74 65 |lInfo icon. Afte| 000005c0 72 20 61 20 77 68 69 6c 65 20 69 74 20 77 69 6c |r a while it wil| 000005d0 6c 20 69 6e 73 74 61 6c 6c 20 69 74 73 65 6c 66 |l install itself| 000005e0 20 6f 6e 0a 74 68 65 20 69 63 6f 6e 2d 62 61 72 | on.the icon-bar| 000005f0 2e 20 4e 6f 77 20 64 72 61 67 20 61 20 6d 6f 64 |. Now drag a mod| 00000600 75 6c 65 20 66 72 6f 6d 20 61 20 66 69 6c 65 72 |ule from a filer| 00000610 20 77 69 6e 64 6f 77 20 74 6f 20 69 74 20 61 6e | window to it an| 00000620 64 20 77 61 69 74 2e 20 54 68 65 20 72 65 73 74 |d wait. The rest| 00000630 0a 69 73 20 73 65 6c 66 2d 65 78 70 6c 61 6e 61 |.is self-explana| 00000640 74 6f 72 79 2e 0a 0a 0a 4c 69 6d 69 74 61 74 69 |tory....Limitati| 00000650 6f 6e 73 0a 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 0a |ons.-----------.| 00000660 0a 4d 6f 64 75 6c 49 6e 66 6f 20 64 6f 65 73 6e |.ModulInfo doesn| 00000670 27 74 20 70 72 6f 76 69 64 65 20 74 68 65 20 69 |'t provide the i| 00000680 6e 66 6f 72 6d 61 74 69 6f 6e 20 6f 6e 20 61 20 |nformation on a | 00000690 6d 6f 64 75 6c 65 20 79 6f 75 20 73 65 65 20 77 |module you see w| 000006a0 69 74 68 20 6f 74 68 65 72 0a 70 72 6f 67 72 61 |ith other.progra| 000006b0 6d 73 2c 20 66 6f 72 20 74 68 65 20 73 69 6d 70 |ms, for the simp| 000006c0 6c 65 20 72 65 61 73 6f 6e 20 74 68 61 74 20 6d |le reason that m| 000006d0 6f 73 74 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 74 69 6d 65 73 |ost of the times| 000006e0 20 79 6f 75 20 64 6f 6e 27 74 20 77 61 6e 74 20 | you don't want | 000006f0 74 6f 20 6b 6e 6f 77 0a 69 74 2c 20 61 6e 64 20 |to know.it, and | 00000700 69 74 20 77 6f 75 6c 64 20 6f 6e 6c 79 20 72 65 |it would only re| 00000710 73 75 6c 74 20 69 6e 20 77 61 73 74 69 6e 67 20 |sult in wasting | 00000720 6d 65 6d 6f 72 79 2e 0a 0a 46 75 72 74 68 65 72 |memory...Further| 00000730 6d 6f 72 65 2c 20 4d 6f 64 75 6c 49 6e 66 6f 20 |more, ModulInfo | 00000740 65 78 70 65 63 74 73 20 6d 6f 64 75 6c 65 73 20 |expects modules | 00000750 74 68 61 74 20 61 72 65 20 6c 65 67 61 6c 6c 79 |that are legally| 00000760 20 77 72 69 74 74 65 6e 2c 20 74 68 61 74 20 69 | written, that i| 00000770 73 2c 0a 5f 6e 6f 74 5f 20 6d 6f 64 75 6c 65 73 |s,._not_ modules| 00000780 20 74 68 61 74 20 63 6f 6e 74 61 69 6e 20 61 20 | that contain a | 00000790 6c 6f 74 20 6f 66 20 67 61 72 62 61 67 65 20 69 |lot of garbage i| 000007a0 6e 20 74 68 65 69 72 20 68 65 61 64 65 72 73 2e |n their headers.| 000007b0 20 49 6e 20 66 61 63 74 2c 20 74 68 65 73 65 0a | In fact, these.| 000007c0 6d 6f 64 75 6c 65 73 20 61 72 65 20 6c 69 6b 65 |modules are like| 000007d0 6c 79 20 74 6f 20 62 65 20 72 65 6a 65 63 74 65 |ly to be rejecte| 000007e0 64 20 62 79 20 74 68 65 20 6f 70 65 72 61 74 69 |d by the operati| 000007f0 6e 67 20 73 79 73 74 65 6d 20 69 6e 20 74 68 65 |ng system in the| 00000800 20 66 69 72 73 74 20 70 6c 61 63 65 2e 0a 0a 0a | first place....| 00000810 45 70 69 6c 6f 67 75 65 0a 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d |Epilogue.-------| 00000820 2d 0a 0a 44 6f 6e 27 74 20 65 78 70 65 63 74 20 |-..Don't expect | 00000830 4d 6f 64 75 6c 65 49 6e 66 6f 20 74 6f 20 64 6f |ModuleInfo to do| 00000840 20 74 68 69 6e 67 73 20 74 68 61 74 20 69 74 20 | things that it | 00000850 69 73 20 6e 6f 74 20 64 65 73 69 67 6e 65 64 20 |is not designed | 00000860 66 6f 72 20 28 63 61 6e 20 79 6f 75 3f 29 2e 0a |for (can you?)..| 00000870 49 74 27 73 20 6d 61 69 6e 20 75 73 65 20 69 73 |It's main use is| 00000880 20 71 75 69 63 6b 20 6c 6f 6f 6b 2d 75 70 20 6f | quick look-up o| 00000890 66 20 74 68 65 20 6d 6f 73 74 20 69 6d 70 6f 72 |f the most impor| 000008a0 61 6e 74 20 69 6e 66 6f 72 6d 61 74 69 6f 6e 2c |ant information,| 000008b0 20 73 6f 20 75 73 65 20 69 74 0a 66 6f 72 20 74 | so use it.for t| 000008c0 68 61 74 20 70 75 72 70 6f 73 65 2e 0a 0a 49 20 |hat purpose...I | 000008d0 61 6d 20 73 75 72 65 20 79 6f 75 20 77 69 6c 6c |am sure you will| 000008e0 20 66 69 6e 64 20 69 74 20 75 73 65 66 75 6c 20 | find it useful | 000008f0 74 6f 20 79 6f 75 2e 20 49 66 20 79 6f 75 20 77 |to you. If you w| 00000900 61 6e 27 74 20 74 6f 20 73 65 65 20 73 6f 6d 65 |an't to see some| 00000910 20 6e 65 77 0a 66 65 61 74 75 72 65 73 20 6f 72 | new.features or| 00000920 20 69 6d 70 72 6f 76 65 6d 65 6e 74 73 2c 20 79 | improvements, y| 00000930 6f 75 20 63 61 6e 20 61 6c 77 61 79 73 20 74 72 |ou can always tr| 00000940 79 20 74 6f 20 63 6f 6e 74 61 63 74 20 6d 65 20 |y to contact me | 00000950 76 69 61 20 63 6f 6d 70 2e 73 79 73 2e 61 63 6f |via comp.sys.aco| 00000960 72 6e 0a 6f 72 20 61 74 20 65 72 69 6b 70 40 73 |rn.or at erikp@s| 00000970 74 61 63 6b 2e 75 72 63 2e 74 75 65 2e 6e 6c 0a |tack.urc.tue.nl.| 00000980 0a 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 45 72 69 6b 20 76 61 |. Erik va| 00000990 6e 20 64 65 20 50 6f 6c 0a |n de Pol.| 00000999
.