Re: Applesoft & ProDOS Basic

[dempson@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

Stephen Shaw <xstephenx@apple2.org.za> wrote:

> On Sun, 4 Nov 2001 15:44:49 +1300, David Empson wrote:
> 
> > Allen Bong <sfbong@tm.net.my> wrote:
> >
> >> What are the differences between Applesoft and the ProDOS BASIC V1.5 &
> >> V.1.4.1?
> >
> > Apple published a technical note which described the differences between
> > various versions of BASIC.SYSTEM.  I don't have the list handy so I
> > can't look up the number or details (it was in the TN.PDOS series).
> >
> >> I used to format a 5.25 disk using Applesoft under DOS 3.3.  How
> >> do I "init" a disk under ProDOS BASIC?
> >
> > In general, you don't.  The ProDOS-8 operating system does not contain
> > any code to support initializing disks, so in order to do this you need
> > to run a utility program of some kind (e.g. Apple II System Utilities,
> > Copy II+, Prosel, ShrinkIt, Filer, etc.).
> 
> Not true! Most ProDOS _SYSTEM_ disks had a menu at startup that offered
> you the option of formatting a disk.

Yes, but that _is_ a utility program.  To be precise, it is the Apple II
System Utilities program I mentioned above (or Filer, if you have an
older system disk).

I was referred to the operating system itself, i.e. the kernel (which
resides in memory at all times after booting).  The kernel does not
include any support code for formatting disks, and neither does
BASIC.SYSTEM, so there is no built-in way to format disks directly from
Applesoft BASIC under the ProDOS operating system.