[ADUMP.HLP  1 page]           ASCII-DUMP

ADUMP gives an OCTAL and corresponding ASCII (letters) listing of any file.

                        To run ADUMP, type

                            R ADUMP

  It will ask what file you wish to examine (dump) .
  It will then ask where (what file or device) to send the listing; if you
  simply type <RETURN>, the listing will be displayed on your terminal.

Why ADUMP a file?
        A file of text (note the word 'TEXT') is basically made up of
        codes from 000 thru 177 which stand for the letters on the
        keyboard.  Eg: 040 means 'space',  101 means capital 'A'.
        For a full table of these codes, type HELP ASCII.

        ADUMP will list the 'TEXT', with the 'codes' below it. That
        way you can see how the 'TEXT' in the file is made, and especially
        how it is stored, 5 letters per 'word'.  In the computer, a 'word'
        can hold 5 letters, like 'COMPU'.  The next word might hold 'TER I'.
        Together, it reads COMPUTER I.

        Programs sometimes count characters, and characters that do not
        print (like the code 000) are sometimes hidden in text files.
        Your program may have to count those as characters, if it is
        reading by counting 'words'.  Random access programs do that.
        1022 'create' commands do that.

Does ADUMP give the 'word' count?
        The word count is at the left of each line on the listing,
        and counts by 3 (3 words per line ).

Are there other codes besides 000 that dont print?
        On the HELP ASCII chart, the first column has many non-printing
        characters.  These are all the <CTRL> characters.

Pay special attention to any 000-codes after a CR (return) and LF (linefeed).
These indicate that 000-spacers  (nulls) have been added in order to begin
the next 'record' or 'line' on the beginning of a new 'word'. This is the
main usefulness of ADUMP !  To see whether those NULLS are there, or not.

Try it out on your file.  You dont have to let it finish. Type ^C^C anytime.

[End of ADUMP.HLP]


.KJOB
.
