Dragon User


Disk-Kit

Categories: Review: Software
Author: Brian Cadge
Publisher: Pamcomms
Machine: Dragon 32

 
Published in Dragon User #037

Fixer

This package is actually in two parts, Disk-Fix, and Disk-Aid. The first, Disk-Fix, is concerned with recovering damaged disks and includes an extensive sector editing facility. An option I found particularly useful was to search for the next Basic program header on disk and move to the particular track and sector. Space can also be reserved, via the Create command, for recreating files.

The Disk-Aid program is likely to be of more use in day to day use. This allows extended versions of many DragonDOS commands, like RENAME and COPY. Full wildcards are supported using a '#' to replace any character, and '*' to replace any number of characters. This is the same syntax as used by most disc systems, in particular CP/M.

The manual goes into great detail on the disc format used by DragonDOS, and is obviously written from extensive experience. Advice is given on how to recover from most types of disk and file errors. The layout of program headers on disks and directory entries are also explained in detail, covering several sides of the manual.

Having said this, it is still down to the actual user to recover any damaged files - the system is not as automatic as some other dedicated disk doctor programs. However, what you do get is a sophisticated disk editor, and some very useful disk utilities.

The software performed faultlessly through the review and is a good example of well written Basic blended with a little machine code where necessary.

Brian Cadge

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