Commodore 1541 - Appendix A: Test Equipment Specifications

The PRINTS command works exactly like a PRINT statement, except that the
data goes to a device other than the screen, in this case to the disk drive. When used
with a data channel, the PRINT# sends information into a buffer in the disk drive,
which LOADS it onto the diskette. When PRJNT# is used with the command channel,
it sends commands to the disk drive.
FORMAT FOR SENDING DISK COMMANDS;
OPEN 15, 8, 15, commands
or
PRINTS 15, commands
NEW
This command is necessary when using a diskette for the first time. The NEW
command erases the entire diskette, it puts timing and block markers on die diskette
and creates the directory and BAM. The NEW command can also be used to dear out
the directory of an already-formatted diskette. This is faster than re-formatting the
whole disk.
FORMAT FOR THE NEW COMMAND TO FORMAT DISK:
PRINT#15> "NEWinamcid"
or abbreviated as
PRINT#15, "N:namcjd"
FORMAT FOR THE NEW COMMAND TO CLEAR DIRECTORY:
PR1NT#I5, llN:name"
The name goes in the directory as the name of the entire disk. This only appears
when the directory is listed, The ID code is any 2 characters, and they are placed nol
only on the directory but on every block throughout the diskette. That way, if you
carelessly replace diskettes while writing data, the drive will know by checking the ID
thai something is wrong.
J5