 


FUNCTION KEY PROGRAMMER


-----------------------


     This   program  allows  users  to 


program   up  to  eight  (F0  TO   F7) 


function  keys from DOS.  All 16  keys 


(F8  to  F16 being shifted)  could  be 


programmed  but for various very  good 


reasons I have used only eight.





40 COLUMNS


----------


     If you have forty columns,  put a 


key  strip  under  the  clear  plastic 


cover just above the keyboard.





80 COLUMNS


----------


     If  you  have an 80  column  card 


fitted  to your Einstein you will  see 


the  key numbers in inverse video  and 


the  key  functions displayed  at  the 


bottom of the screen.  This display is 


unaffected  by  a full  and  scrolling 


screen. The only way to clear the line 


is  to perform a  form-feed,  this  is 


done  by either printing CHR$(&0C)  or 


typing  <CTRL>+<L> <E> where <E> means 


press  the enter key.  You  will  find 


that  a CLS (clear screen) from  BASIC 


also  clears the line.  To avoid  this 


write a small routine as follows:-


     


            PRINT CHR$(&1E)


            PRINT CHR$(&16)       


            RETURN





When  called  by means of a  GOSUB  or 


PROC  this  will clear the screen  but 


leave the line intact.  The two  codes 


mean.  CURSOR HOME and CLEAR TO END OF 


SCREEN.   Some  programs  do  a  clear 


screen  as soon as they run  e.g.  the 


new 80 column basic from Xtal,  others 


like   BBCBASIC(Z80),   MBASIC,   ZEN, 


DEBUG, KFORTH, HPEIN and loads more do 


not, so the line will stay intact.





DEFAULT KEYS


------------


     The program has a list of default 


settings programmed into it, these are 


as follows:- DIR,  LOAD, DIR 1:, SAVE, 


MOS,  DISP,  GO and REN.  To use these 


key  settings simply choose option 'D' 


from the menu.





REDEFINE KEYS


-------------


     If  you want to redefine the keys 


choose  option  'R'  You  will  see  a 


message telling you to enter up to six 


characters only,  this is to keep  the 


80  column display tidy.  So therefore 


any files with longer names need to be 


renamed e.g. our BBCBASIC.COM could be 


made BBC.COM If you want to run a .COM 


file do not enter the file  descriptor 


that  is the .COM bit of the filename. 


After   each  filename  you  will   be 


prompted 'Auto carriage return Y/N' If 


you  answer Y your filename  will  act 


just as if you had entered it from the 


keyboard  and  pressed the enter  key. 


So, to run, say, the auto boot utility 


you  would  type AUTO <E> and  at  the 


next prompt, Y . When all the keys are 


defined you will again see the opening 


menu.  Your key entries are now in the 


part  of  memory  used  to  hold   the 


default settings,  so if you now press 


'D'  you will program the keys to your 


own  specification.  If you  find  you 


need  more  than six characters it  is 


possible  to combine two or more  keys 


e.g. say you want to DIR all the files 


with  the descriptor ".COM"  from  DOS 


you  would enter DIR *.COM <E> this as 


you   can   see  is  more   than   six 


characters long but can be represented 


by  programming one key with  DIR  (no 


auto  CR)  and another key with  *.COM 


(plus  auto CR).  Pressing  both  keys 


will    now   perform   the   required 


function..





KEEPING REDEFINED KEYS ON DISC                


------------------------------


     Follow the steps above and return 


to DOS either by pressing 'D' or  'E'. 


Once in DOS enter the following:-"SAVE 


5  KEY1.COM"  <E>  this will  put  the 


program on disc with your key settings 


as  the default  settings.  Now  enter 


KEY1  <E> and try the default  option. 


You  could,  of course,  have  several 


different sets of key functions on one 


disc,  all  with  different  filenames 


e.g. KEYBBC.COM KEYXBAS.COM etc.





NOTE


----


     BBCBASIC(Z80) "star" commands are 


accepted.   As  an  example  *.*.*  is 


allowed.  This will produce a complete 


directory of the logged disc.  Another 


example, *DR.1: will change the logged 


drive to drive 1 if fitted.


