Manual for BootFlag version 2.1 for the Amiga (FreeWare) by John Mosley

	This is a no-frills manual for this program.  It's quite simple, and
should be easy to use.  So what's this thing do?  Well, it uses a small,
4-byte file (sys:s/BootFlags) to store 32 bits of information, namely "flags"
that can be either turned on or off.  The program allows you to set, clear,
toggle, etc. these flags so that you may check for a specific pattern in the
4-byte register.  If your given pattern matches the flags in the register,
BootFlag will set the Amiga's script status to "Warn" (5) to be used by If
statements, or whatever checks the status thingy.  If the program fails, it
will set the return status to 10.  Provided in this archive are example
Startup-Sequences which make use of this program.
	So how do you use it?  All you need is BootFlag in your C: directory.
If you haven't used it yet, you won't have a "BootFlags" file in your S:
directory, so type "BootFlag = 0".  This will create the status register,
setting all the flags to 0 (OFF).  At any time, "=" will erase all the
current flag settings and replace them with the given flag pattern. Below
is the general usage:

BootFlag: Wrong number of arguments
BootFlag version 2.1 for the Amiga (FreeWare) by John Mosley 2-17-1992
USAGE: BootFlag <check|print|set|clear|tog|=> <flags> [-f<file>]
	flags : specifier representing 32 binary flags to manipulate
		Syntax: [+|-][$|&|%]<digits>[<+|->[$|&|%]<digits>]
		+: check if flags are ON, -: check if flags are OFF
		$hexadecimal#, &octal#, %binary#, or (none)decimal#
	check : compare flags, return Warn if the given pattern matches
	print : print out current flag settings
		Use [$|&|%] in place of <flags> for output format.
	The commands below only use the + flag value:
	set   : set given flags to ON state
	clear : set given flags to OFF state
	tog   : toggle given flags
	=     : set entire 32-bit register equal to given flags
	File option(s):
	-f    : use a different register file (<file> required)
	file  : path and filename of the register file to use

To clarify a couple of commands, I'll give examples.  First of all, it was
difficult to explain the full usage without using all the above garbage
and making BootFlag print out three screenfulls of text, so here's how to
decypher it:  Anything within [] is optional; it doesn't have to be typed.
Anything within <> is required; you must give that information.  Things
separated by | means that any ONE (and only one) of the options may be
specified.  Here are the examples:

Let's say you want to "turn on" the third bit, which is %100 in binary.
Note that the register, and any reference to the flag values is just a
regular good-old number which can be represented in decimal, hex, octal,
or binary.  To turn on the third flag, you can use one of the following:
1> BootFlag s %100
1> BootFlag s $4
1> BootFlag s 4
1> BootFlag s &4
It just so happens that "4" is the same in decimal, hex, and octal.

If you'd like to see what the current flag settings are, use the "print"
command.  You may also specify what format (hex, binary, etc.) to print
out the answer (let's say the register has the value of 42):
1> BootFlag p
Boot flags are set at 42.
1> BootFlag p %
Boot flags are set at %101010.
1> BootFlag p $
Boot flags are set at $2A.

If you haven't noticed, each command may be specified by their first
letter, with the exception of "check" which must be completely spelled out.

OK, now the biggie - how do you check the flags?  Use the "check" command.
The word "check" must be completely spelled out, or BootFlag will gripe.
Here's an explanation about the <flags> field of the command-line.  To
check which flags are on or off, the program must know which ones you want
to compare.  Let's say the register has 42 (decimal) in it, and you want
to see if the fifth flag is on (1).  You'd do this in a script file:

BootFlag check %10000
If Warn
  {do something}
EndIf

Now, let's say that you actually DON'T want to perform the operation inside
the If statement if the first flag is on, so you'd use this instead:

BootFlag check %10000-%1

The minus (-) sign indicates "don't return true if %1 is on" or "make sure
flag %1 is off".  You can also reverse the order of the two flag
specifiers like this:

BootFlag check -%1+%10000

It does the same thing.  Note that if you are using two flag specifiers,
you HAVE to separate them with either a plus (+) or a minus (-) sign.
Also, more than one flag can be checked simultaneously.  For instance,
if you wanted to make sure the register is EXACTLY 42, you could do this:

BootFlag check %101010-%11111111111111111111111111010101

This is a bit (haha) tiresome to type out, though, so you can use hex instead:

BootFlag check 42-$FFFFFFD5

The highest number that can be used as a flag's value is $80000000, since
that is a "1" in the 32nd bit (from the end), followed by 31 "0"s.  The
highest number possible to use is $FFFFFFFF (all 32 flags set).

OK, so as if that's not enough for ya, you can also specify your own
register file!  The default register file is sys:s/BootFlags, but you may
specify any valid path and filename with the -f file option.  Let's say
you want a separate register set for your C compiler.  You could tell
BootFlag to look at this register instead of the default one by using:

BootFlag check $2A -fsys:lc/LCflags

Notice that the pathname MUST immediately follow the "-f" as the LAST
argument in the command line.  Also, remember that to "initiate" a new
register file, you must use the "=" operator and give it a value:

BootFlag = 0 -fsome_new_flag_file

Please make note of the example script files that are included.  They are
the following:

Startup-Sequence	Example startup script that makes its decisions
				of what to invoke upon boot
StartupII		An additional script that is used instead of
				Startup-Sequence if lots of memory will
				need to be reserved
BootFlags.log		A text file I always edit which helps me remember
				what flags do what in the startup
Log			A simple script that just types out the log file
IsSet			Script file that, given a standard flag pattern,
				will print out "true" if the pattern 
				matches, or "false" if not

Also with this acrhive is this file (BootFlag.doc), the program (BootFlag),
and the register file used in the examples (BootFlags).

If you find any use for this program, feel free to contact me!  I'd like
to hear any comments or suggestions!

Internet address: jem3@engr.uark.edu
		  (This address is guaranteed at least until May of 1994.)
-Moz