File Modes In SpeedCalc And SpeedScript

Your response to Stephen Forstein in the May 1986 installment of "Readers' Feedback" includes a program to convert a 64 SpeedCalc program file to a sequential (SEQ) file for use with the Sideways program. There is a much easier way to print sequential files to disk: Simply add ,S to the end of the filename. Although it's rarely mentioned, you can use the same trick to save a BASIC program as a sequential file. For instance, save a short BASIC program by entering this command in direct mode:

SAVE "0 : TEST,S",8

The program appears on the directory as a SEQ file, but contains exactly the same data as if you'd saved it in the normal way. To load the file back into memory, enter this command:

LOAD "0 : TEST, S", 8

You can just as easily save the program as a mock USR file by replacing the S in the special SAVE command with a U (SAVE "0:TEST,U",8). To print a SpeedCalc file to disk as a sequential file, press SHIFT-CTRL-P. When you are prompted for a device, select D for disk. When you are prompted for a filename, add ,S to the end of the filename that you choose. SpeedCalc prints the spreadsheet to disk as a sequential file. I have used this method with Sideways and it works every time.

Daniel H. Sealy

Thanks for the advice. Since many telecommunications programs expect sequential files, this method can also be useful if you're transferring SpeedCalc files from one computer to another over telephone lines or a null modem cable. Note that SpeedScript, COMPUTE!'s popular word processor, ordinarily creates program (PRG) files when saving a file to disk, and sequential (SEQ) files when printing to disk. By adding ,S or ,P after the filename as needed, you can select either file type at will.

For instance, to print the file "TEST" as a PRG file, press SHIFT-CTRL-P and enter TEST,P when SpeedScript prompts you for a filename. This operation stores "TEST" as an ASCII file in PRG format, which, again, might be handy for telecommunications or other special purposes.

To save the file "TEST" as a SEQ file, press SHIFT-f7 and enter TEST,S when SpeedScript prompts you for a filename. You can reload such a file by including ,S at the appropriate filename prompt.