Scor­pio News

Improving the CCP – CCPZ/ZCPR2

A number of very useful improvements can be made to the CCP. The standard CCP provides six built in commands (DIR, ERA, REN, SAVE, USER and TYPE). There is no screen paging support, no ‘PATH’, and precious little else.

There are two alternative software replacements for the CCP. The simplest approach to system improvement is to replace the standard CCP with CCPZ or earlier versions of ZCPR. These programs are virtually the same and are based on ZCPR in the SIG/M or CP/M User Group Library. ZCPR literally means Z(80) CCP Replacement. Since Z80 code is usually more compact than 8080 code, it is possible to include more in the available 2k. The resulting new CCP is compatible with the standard CCP, and provides all of the standard facilities. It also provides the following extra features which are more fully described in the .DOC files provided from the Library.

1. Displays the names of ALL files removed by an ERA command.
   This can save potentially fatal errors.
2. Provides improved Directory display and SYS/DIR File options.
   A)ll and S)ys options for DIR+SYS or SYS file display. Better directory formats may be selected for assembly.
3. Optionally displays the current USER number in CP/M prompt.
   This is an assembly option.
4. Optionally provides screen paging support for screen output.
   May be assembled to default to on or off. ‘P’arameter will toggle this option. (Normally off on this system as BIOS will provide better paging.)
5. Allows default USER area to be altered, by DFU command.   eg: DFU 3
   This would mean that the ‘path’ would search USER 3 and not 0. The USER number may be given in Decimal or Hex.   eg: DFU FH.
6. Provides a GET command to load a file to memory.
   Eg: GET 8000 MYFILE.COM would load MYFILE.COM in memory at 8000H.
7. Provides JUMP and GO commands to operate a TPA resident program.
   JUMP will ‘call’ a subroutine.   eg: JUMP E000H.
   Go will call the subroutine at 100H.   eg. Restart MBASIC etc. GO Is the same as JUMP 100H
8. The SAVE command allows HEX of DECIMAL, PAGES or SECTORS.
   eg: SAVE 18 TEST.COM or SAVE 12H TEST.COM to save 16 pages. You may also give number of sectors with ‘S’ parameter.   eg: – SAVE 10H ANOTHER.ONE 5 or SAVE 16 ANOTHER.ONE S for 8 Pages. N.B. 256 byte ‘page’ or 128 byte ‘sector’.
9. More flexible handling of SUBMITS and CCP buffer default Cold Boot Commands.
10. Provides a LIST command to send a file to the printer.
    eg: LIST THISFILE.TXT. The CBIOS will page the printer.
11. Provides a search path for required .COM files.
    This is so useful that it merits a fuller description.

With a normal CCP if you issue a command like ‘STAT’ then CP/M will look for STAT.COM on the current drive and USER area. If the file is not found, CP/M will give up with a query ‘STAT?’.

With CCPZ/ZCPR a three level search is performed. The CCP will look in the current user area of the default drive. If the file is not found, user area 0 of the default disk is searched. If this fails, USER 0 of drive A: is searched. If the file is still not found, CP/M will give up with the usual query. This