Re: WANTED: Apple /// system disk, + a little help

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

In article <vilkata.808472452@pvoper.cc.iastate.edu>,
Dan Black <vilkata@iastate.edu> wrote:
> As some of you may remember from a few months ago...
> 
> I'm hooking up an old Apple /// with an Imagewriter II for a simple
> "message board" in our house.
> 
> Unfortunately, I heard a lot of people say how much like the Apple //e
> it was and thought I could just hit [RESET] to write BASIC programs.

No way.  The only code that the /// has in ROM is a bootstrap loader
and a VERY simple monitor (it doesn't even do as much as the Apple II
monitor).

To enter a BASIC program, you'll have to boot SOS and get into Apple
III Business BASIC.

> Which brings up another little question: when I get to the BASIC
> programming mode, will the old PR#1 and PR#0 and other Apple ][ commands
> work as they did on the actual Apple ]['s?

I doubt it.  The Apple /// does character device I/O through drivers
with names starting with a dot.  I'm not familiar with Business BASIC,
but I have used GS BASIC, which was derived from it.  You probably
have to use file I/O commands to open the relevant port driver and
then output text to the file.

The following is only educated guesswork, but it might work (possibly
after minor modifications):

10 OPEN#1, ".PRINTER"
20 PRINT#1;"This is a test"
30 CLOSE#1

You could also use the OUTPUT# command, which changes the standard
output file for the PRINT command and other output.  You still have to
open a file first.

10 OPEN#1, ".PRINTER"
20 OUTPUT#1
30 PRINT "This is a test"
40 CLOSE#1

Note: .PRINTER is the device driver for the serial port when using a
printer.  There is also a .RS232 driver which appears to support more
features.

You can also use OUTPUT#0 to return output to the console.  I assume
this happens automatically if the output file is closed.

Ah: my Apple /// "Standard Device Drivers Manual" has an example of
output to a printer from a Business BASIC program.  The syntax of the
OPEN command is slightly different from what I thought, so I've
modified the above examples to match the manual.

> And last, but not least, I would like to get a simple system disk from
> somebody so I can save the program on it, preferably as the "Hello"
> program, or whatever the Apple /// uses.

That's what you'll need first, not last.  You can't do anything on an
Apple /// if you don't have a system disk.

I am not familiar enough with the /// to tell you what would be needed
to boot into a BASIC program.  You would need SOS.KERNEL, SOS.DRIVER
(containing device drivers) and SOS.INTERP (Business BASIC) at the
very least.  Business BASIC probably supports a "STARTUP" file, but I
don't know what filename it will look for.
-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand