home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
-
- CONVERT.COM
- Command
-
- Michael Mefford
- July, 1989 (Utilities)
-
-
- Purpose: Simultaneously displays ASCII codes or whole numbers between 0
- and 65,535 in their hexadecimal, decimal, octal, and binary equivalents;
- especially useful in translating printer, modem, or EGA monitor Escape sequences
- and set-up strings from one number base to another.
-
- Format: CONVERT number[-number][base] | "character(s)"
-
- Remarks: Either a single number or a number-number range may be input to
- CONVERT for multiple number base display. Decimal input is assumed unless
- otherwise indicated by adding b (binary), o (octal), or h (hexadecimal) to the
- number(s). An ASCII code to be converted must be placed within double quotes.
- Control codes (e.g. Ctrl-A) may be entered normally at the keyboard (within
- double quotes) with the exception of the Escape character. To display the
- equivalents (including the ASCII left-arrow graphic) of the Escape character,
- enter CONVERT 27.
-
- When large numbers are converted, the 2-byte sequence displayed within
- quotes in the right-hand column as the ASCII "equivalent" should not be used in
- translating set-up strings. It represents the individual byte values, not the
- value of the combination. Note, too, that in this display, decimal 0 (null), 32
- (space), and 255 (blank) all appear as blanks.
-
- The output from CONVERT may be redirected to a printer or to file, so
- that a multi-line table of values may be created. When redirection is used,
- however, the ASCII equivalent normally shown in the right-hand column is
- dropped.
-
- Available for downloading from PC MagNet (see the CONVERT by Modem
- sidebar in the main article), CONVERT.COM is already compiled and ready to run.
- As an alternative, CONVERT.COM can be created from either of two program files
- that are printed in the article and are also available for downloading from PC
- MagNet. CONVERT.BAS will automatically create CONVERT.COM when run once in
- BASIC. To create CONVERT.COM from the CONVERT.ASM source code requires use of a
- macro assembler (IBM or Microsoft, Version 2 or later) and the following
- commands:
-
- MASM CONVERT;
- LINK CONVERT;
- EXE2BIN CONVERT CONVERT.COM;
-
- «MDNM»