ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN LIMA NEWSLETTER APRIL 1992
 
 
      GRAM USER MENU SYSTEM (GUMS)  
     reviewed by Charles W. Good 
     Lima Ohio User Group 
      
     Offered as fairware by RAG software (requested donation
$10), GUMS is for use with any GRAM device (Gram Kracker,
PGRAM, etc.).  It provides the user on powerup (immediately
after the TI or CorComp title screen) with multiple useful
menu selections comparable to, and perhaps better than the
menu selections available with O.P.A's SOP operating system.
Some special features are available if GUMS shares GRAM
memory with TI Extended Basic.  
      
     GUMS loads into small portions of the normally unused
GRAM memory space in GRAMs 3-6 with the loader that comes
with the GRAM device after a cartridge has been loaded, and
can be used successfully with any saved cartridge.  Once
loaded, the cartridge/GUMS combination can be saved back to
disk as a single set of cartridge files.  Previous user
modifications and enhancements to cartridges, such as the
Gram Kracker's additional extended basic CALLs (XB CALLS),
usually still work ok after GUMS is loaded.  Combined GRAM
cartridge files such as XB/EA also work properly.  However,
EA5 software packed into GRAM memory with GramPacker may not
work properly after GUMS is loaded into the pack because
GramPacker uses all available GRAM memory to store its
packs.  There is no "unused" memory on each gram when using
GramPacker. 
      
     When you turn on your 99/4A and advance past the title
screen GUMS gives you this menu, which like all GUMS menus
is in 40 columns. 
     A- PROGRAM LIBRARY 
     B- UTILITY LIBRARY 
     C- FILE MAINTENANCE 
     D- DISK MAINTENANCE 
     E- TI BASIC 
     F-P Cartridge and GramPacker files loaded into the GRAM
device.  For most users, selection "F" will be TI EXTENDED
BASIC.  Those with the PGRAM+ will have all cartridges in
all memory banks displayed simultaneously on this powerup
menu without the need to use the console's Review Module
Library feature to page to banks of GRAM. 
      
     A- PROGRAM LIBRARY and B- UTILITY LIBRARY allow you to
boot a large number of programs from disk, ramdisk, or hard
drive.  Each of the two LIBRARY menus gives you a user
configurable menu of up to 13 programs which can be booted
with the press of a single key.  Thats 26 selections!  These
items can be any combination of EA5 PROGRAM files, extended
basic PROGRAMs, or direct access to a specific GRAM address
to start an internal GPL program.  As distributed, the first
two items in GUMS' PROGRAM LIBRARY are preconfigured with
RAG software's 40 column TI Writer editor and formatter (TIW
v5.0).  The first UTILITY LIBRARY item takes you to the
loader/memory editor of the Gram Kracker or the PGRAM,
whichever device you are using.  These preconfigured items
and the unconfigured items in each menu can be altered by
the user.  Configuring these items is done either with the
GRAM device's memory editor, a sector editor to change GRAM
cartridge files that have been saved to disk, or a
configuration utility that comes with the GUMS package.  You
can also from the PROGRAM and UTILITY LIBRARY menus run any
EA5 or extended basic software not listed as a menu item.
Just type the drive and file name and press <enter>. 
      
     C- FILE MAINTENANCE from the powerup menu gives you
these options when it is selected: 
     A- SHOW DIRECTORY (with option to print to a printer) 
     B- COPY FILE 
     C- RENAME FILE 
     D- DELETE FILE 
     E- PROTECT FILE 
     F- UNPROTECT FILE 
     G- SELECTIVE COPY 
     H- SELECTIVE DELETE 
     I- PRINT FILE (must be DV80 or DF80 file) 
     J- VIEW FILE (this also must be a DV80 or DF80 file). 
     K- PRINTER SETUP 
     COPY FILE (item B) can be used with a single drive
system with disk switching prompts.  You can also copy a
file back onto the master disk using a different file name. 
     If you select items G or H each file in the directory
is presented one at a time.  The user can either perform the
action or move on to the next file. 
     Item I- PRINT FILE is very powerful! Before printing
begins you can specify the left margin, the number of text
lines per printed page, and whether or not to include line
numbers in the printout.  The printer name is, of course,
configurable. 
     PRINTER SETUP (item K of the FILE MAINTENANCE menu) is
very comprehensive and as distrubuted is set up for STAR
NX1000 and other Epson compatible printers.  Each of the
items listed below in PRINTER SETUP is user configurable. 
     A- Elite 
     B- Pica 
     C- Compressed 
     D- Compressed Off 
     E- Expanded 
     F- Expanded Off 
     G- Emphasize 
     H- Emphasize Off 
     I- Double Strike 
     J- Double Strike Off 
     K- 8 lines/inch 
     L- 6 lines/inch 
     M- Skip Over Perf 
     N- Eject 
      
     D- DISK MAINTENANCE uses the built routines in the disk
controller's ROM and should thus be compatible with all disk
controllers.  These options are available: 
     A- SHOW DIRECTORY (same as in FILE MAINTENANCE SD) 
     B- BACKUP DISK (file by file copying) 
     C- CHANGE DISK NAME 
     D- FORMAT DISK 
     E- BOX FORMAT 
     F- SECTOR COPY 
     G- PROTECT DISK 
     H- UNPROTECT DISK 
     I- PRINT DIRECTORY 
     I really like and frequently use BOX FORMAT.  It is
faster than any other 99/4A disk manager's "box format" and
lets you rapidly format lots of blank disks on a multiple
drive system.  You put disks to be formatted into drives 1
and 2, type the number of sides, the density, and the first
drive to be formatted.  If you type D, S, and 1 (no need to
press <enter>) the computer begins formatting the disk in
drive 1 DSSD with the name "DSSD01".  When formatting is
complete the cursor flashes on the drive number.  Press 2,
and the computer begins formatting the disk in drive 2 DSSD
with the name "DSSD02".  While this is happening you have
time to replace the formatted disk in drive 1 with another
blank disk.  When formatting in drive 2 is finished, just
press "1" for the drive number of the next format and you
are formatting again.  There is no wasted time switching
disks between formats! 
      
     CONCLUSION- Without reservation I recommend use of this
software by all owners of GRAM devices.  GUMS will make your
life a little bit easier almost every time your turn on your
computer.   Members of the Lima Ohio User Group can obtain
GUMS from disk XXXA of the group's software library.  Others
can obtain GUMS directly from the author by sending a $10
fairware donation AND a postage paid return mailer to: 
     R.A. Green 
     1032 Chantenay Dr. 
     Gloucester, Ontario 
     K1C 2K9 
     CANADA 
     .PL 1