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-
- STEP13
-
- by
-
- Mike Parker
- 2374 Meadowpark Court
- Maryland Heights, MO 63043
-
-
- CIS 70270,161
-
- 11/19/87
- Version 1.0
-
- ============================================================
- Program Description
- ============================================================
-
- STEP13 is a Terminate and Stay Resident program that intercepts BIOS
- interrupt 13H. Each time an INT 13H is called, a 'pop-up window' is
- displayed with a description of what the BIOS call is about to do
- along with a display of the input parameters (drive #, track, sector, etc.).
-
- STEP13 detects whether a CGA or Monochrome adapter is installed and will
- determine which video page is currently active each time it puts up the
- information window.
-
- ============================================================
- Program Execution
- ============================================================
-
- To load STEP13 type:
- STEP13
- followed by pressing the return key.
-
- The program will install itself, display a message such as:
- STEP13 Version x.x Installed
- and return to the DOS prompt.
-
- STEP13 will be in memory intercepting INT 13h calls but will not display
- the status window until it is 'armed'. This way STEP13 can be loaded at
- any time without immediately stopping program execution.
-
- To 'arm' STEP13 hold BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT "SHIFT" KEYS DOWN SIMULTANEOUSLY
- then release them. These keys are usually located to the left and right
- of the SPACE BAR and one row above it.
-
- To invoke the STEP13 display some disk activity must be generated so put a
- floppy disk in drive 'A' and type:
- DIR A:
- followed by the return key.
-
- Just before the disk is accessed a window will pop up showing something like:
-
- +------------------------------------+
- | Int 13H - Function 02H |
- | |
- | Read 01 Disk Sector(s) |
- | |
- | Drive: 00H |
- | Head: 00 |
- | Track: 000 | |
- | Sector: 02 |
- | Buffer Address = XXXX:XXXXH |
- | |
- | Skip Current Func Return Code |
- | ESC - Non Stop xxxx - Move Window |
- +------------------------------------+
-
- Press any key except 'S', 'R', the ARROW keys or 'ESCAPE' to execute the
- BIOS function.
-
-
- ============================================================
- Program Options
- ============================================================
-
-
- Skip Current Function
- ---------------------
- To keep you from having to press a key each time to execute a long sequence
- of one type of function (read, write, etc.) you can use the 'Skip Current
- Func' option. This tells STEP13 to run nonstop as long as the current
- function (in this case 02h, or READ) is being repeated by the calling program.
- When a function code other than 02h is executed, STEP13 will resume display.
-
-
- Return Code
- -----------
- When the STEP13 window is displayed, press the 'R' key and you will see:
-
- +------------------------------------+
- | Int 13H - Function 02H |
- | |
- | |
- | |
- | Return Code = 0000H |
- | Carry Flag = 0 |
- | Zero Flag = 0 | |
- | |
- | |
- | |
- | Press Any Key |
- | To Continue |
- +------------------------------------+
-
- This is the result immediately after the INT 13h code is executed.
- The 'Return Code' is what was returned in the 'AX' register.
-
-
- ESC - NON STOP
- --------------
- Pressing the ESCAPE key while the window is displayed will prevent STEP13
- from stopping on subsequent BIOS calls, in effect "dis-arming" itself.
- STEP13 will not be removed from memory and it will still intercept the
- INT 13h vector but after testing a flag it will restore the user's
- registers and continue on with the BIOS function.
-
- To "re-arm' STEP13 hold BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT "SHIFT" KEYS DOWN
- simultaneously then release them. When the next INT 13h call is made
- STEP13 will resume display of its window.
-
-
- ARROW KEYS - MOVE WINDOW
- ------------------------
- If the window is covering up a part of the screen you would like to see,
- press one of the cursor positioning keys on the numeric keypad and the
- window will move.
- The four arrow keys will move the window one position.
- The HOME, PGUP, END and PGDN keys will move the window to the corners of
- the screen.
-
-
- ============================================================
- Program Removal
- ============================================================
-
- To completely remove STEP13 from memory hold down the following three keys:
- CONTROL LEFT-SHIFT RIGHT-SHIFT
-
- Hold them all down simultaneously then release them.
-
- STEP13 will not be removed immediately. Rather, when DOS is in its idle
- loop waiting for a key to be pressed at the command line prompt, INT 28h
- will be intercepted. If the above sequence of three keys has been pressed,
- all of the memory allocated for STEP13 will be released and all intercepted
- vectors will be restored.