Chapter
2:
Operating the
VIC
20
51
will always initialize itself automatically when you change diskettes.
If
you
have two diskettes
that
have the same
ID
number, you should manually
initialize the disk drive by using the following command:
OPEN
l~e
..
le
..
"le"
Remember, you need to initialize only when you change diskettes, and
then only
if
the
ID
and
name
of
the current diskette are the same as
that
of
the new diskette.
Note
that
once a program has been loaded into memory, whether from
tape, from diskette,
or
by hand, the computer will treat it in the same manner
so the procedures for running, listing, and making changes to the program
remain the same.
FormaHing
a
Diskette
Before you
can
record
any
data
on
a new diskette, you must first
prepare it using a process called formatting. The computer stores and
retrieves
data
from the diskette by accessing special locations, called sectors,
on
the diskette. These locations are laid
out
on
the diskette before any data
can be stored on it. Each sector
is
a small
part
of
the tracks
on
the diskette.
Tracks are similar to the grooves in a phonograph record, but are arranged
in concentric circles rather
than
as a spiral. Figure
2-1
shows what the tracks
on
a diskette might look like
if
you could see them. Each track
is
divided into
smaller pieces, called sectors, each
of
which may contain up to 256 bytes
of
data. When you buy a new diskette, it
is
not
divided into these sectors
and
will
not
accept anything you try
to
record
on
it. Diskettes are
not
formatted
when you buy them because each disk drive manufacturer uses a slightly
different format
on
its diskettes. The VIC diskette must be formatted
on
a
VIC disk drive.
Here are two methods
of
formatting a diskette.
Method
1:
OPEN
1,8,15
PRINT#l,"Ndrive no.:disk name,ID no."
Example:
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