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Apple ProDOS Conversions
I have an Apple IIe and would like to use the "Renumber" program on the DOS 3.3 System Master disk. However, I like ProDOS better for programming, and most of my files are on ProDOS disks. I can copy the program to ProDOS, but it won't run properly. How can I make this program work in ProDOS?
Bruce Bohm
The general rule for transporting programs between DOS 3.3 and ProDOS is that BASIC programs usually work and machine language (ML) programs usually don't. Since the "Renumber" program you mention is stored as an Applesoft BASIC file, you would expect it to work with ProDOS. The reason it doesn't is that Renumber is a hybrid program: In addition to BASIC instructions, it contains a substantial machine language routine. When you run Renumber, the BASIC portion prints instructions for using the program, then calls the ML routine to do the real work. Though the BASIC part would probably work with ProDOS, the ML section is incompatible.
In short, there's no way to make Renumber work in ProDOS without rewriting its machine language section. But you do have an alternative. On the example disk included with "BASIC Programming with ProDOS" (available from Apple dealers) is a program called "Applesoft Programmer's Assistant." One of its features is a renumber command that's very similar to the DOS 3.3 Renumber program. The instruction manual for this package is very helpful by itself-especially if you learned Applesoft BASIC with DOS 3.3 and want to learn what's different about ProDOS-and the programs on the example disk are quite useful as well.