Date   : Mon, 23 Dec 1985 23:06:00 MST
From   : Keith Petersen <W8SDZ@SIMTEL20.ARPA>
Subject: Resident screen copier wanted

    I am looking for a program that will stay resident and copy
    everything that other programs send to the console to a disk
    file.

Just such a program was recently uploaded to SIMTEL20:

Filename                       Type     Bytes   CRC

Directory PD:<CPM.SYSUTL>
PHOTO.LBR.1                    BINARY    6016  473BH

PHOTO.COM makes a copy (takes a picture) of all screen displays and
keyboard entries; and write these characters to a disk file.  This
is useful for getting all of the screen prompts from a given program
that does not have a companion .DOC file that will tell you what to
expect.  To use PHOTO.COM for I/O capture, use the command line:

A>PHOTO D:filename.typ D:program <PARAMETERS>

     Where:
     D: is the disk drive
     D:filename.typ  -- is the file to be created by PHOTO.COM
     D:program is the program (PROGRAM.COM) whose screen prompts
        you want to copy
     <PARAMETERS> are the normal parameters you would enter after
        the program name (WS B:filename)

Photo will continue to write all screen displays and keyboard entries to
FILENAME.TYP until <CTRL>C is entered from the keyboard.

                    EXCEPTIONS

Unfortunately, if PROGRAM.COM contains certain hard device calls or
screen controls these program elements may either defeat PHOTO.COM, or
enter characters in FILENAME.TYP that will prevent the file from being
edited by programs like WordStar.

For Example, you want a file copy of the log on-messages in WordStar.
The proper command line is:

     A>PHOTO D:WORDSTAR.MSG D:WS <RETURN>

WORDSTAR.MSG will contain all of the WordStar signon messages, however,
it will also contain screen control characters that will prevent WordStar
from editing the file.  If the file does not show you the expected text
when you open it under WordStar, exit WordStar and try viewing it with:

     A>TYPE filename.ext

If TYPE displays the text as you expect to see it, you must edit out the
screen control characters with DDT, SID, DUU or some other ASCII file
editor.

If you are unable to access SIMTEL-20 because of network restrictions
please remember that MOST of the new files announced to Info-Cpm are
also available on my RCP/M Royal Oak (MI) which may be accessed at
300 bps (Bell 103a), 1200 bps (Bell 212a), or 2400 bps (V.22 bis).
The telephone number is (313) 759-6569.  They are also available from
the CPM RoundTable on General Electric Information Services' GEnie.

--Keith Petersen
Arpa:   W8SDZ@SIMTEL20.ARPA
GEmail: W8SDZ
uucp:   {ihnp4,allegra,cmcl2,dual,decvax,mcnc,mcvax,vax135}!seismo!w8sdz