

            FORMAT (1.3, 2.x, 3.x in SYS:System)

	NAME
            Format- Initializes a disk as being blank.

	SYNOPSIS
            FORMAT [DRIVE] [drivename] [NAME] [string] 
                   [NOICONS] [QUICK] [FFS] [OFS] 
                   [INT=international]
                   [NOINT=nointernational]
                   [DIRCACHE] [NODIRCACHE] 
 
	DESCRIPTION
            FORMAT takes a disk and initialises it to make it 
        empty. You can also specify a name for it, but it you 
        don't it will name it 'empty.

            WARNING: All information on the disk will be erased 
        while using this command.

            After typing FORMAT, you are prompted to insert a 
        disk and hit the RETURN key. After you hit RETURN you 
        cannot turn back. It can be interrupted by hitting the 
        CTRL-C and then RETURN. But, some data will be lost.

            As the format occurs, the status of the format is 
        displayed.  Each cylinder number (0-79 for a double 
        density floppy) clicks by on the screen until every 
        cylinder is initialized then verified. After this entire 
        process the volume name is assigned.

            If you are copying one disk to another DISKCOPY is a 
        much faster command. This is because you must first 
        FORMAT, then INSTALL, then COPY ALL the from between the 
        disks. If you are using DISKCOPY all these steps are 
        performed by the DISKCOPY command. 

            The only time the FORMAT-COPY ALL routine is better 
        than the DISKCOPY is when the information on the source 
        disk have been deleted and rewritten so many times that 
        the contents of the disk have become scattered. By 
        formating the disk then copying all the files over, you 
        are consolidating them. By consolidating them you will 
        greatly speed up your disk accessing time. The only time 
        DISKCOPY will be better on a scattered disk is if you 
        optimize the disk first using one of the many optimizing 
        programs available.

    KEYWORDS

		DRIVE drivename
            The drive which contains the disk to be formatted. 
        The valid entries are df0: df1: df2: and df3:. 

            FORMAT can be used on any logical device. These 
        devices include harddrives, recoverable ram drives, or 
        even removable media which is readable/writeable.

            WARNING: Make sure you are typing the write device 
        name.  By typing DH0: instead of DF0: my cause you lose 
        the entire contents of your harddrive when you just 
        wanted to format a floppy disk. 


		NAME string
            This is the name you are giving to the disk you are 
        formatting.  The NAME keyword is absolutly mandatory. The 
        NAME can be up to 31 characters long and if it contains 
        spaces must be contained in quotes.

		NOICONS
            With this keyword prevents the Trashcan from getting 
        created during the format process.

		QUICK
            This keyword makes FORMAT initialize only write over 
        the root-block, the boot block, and the bitmap block, 
        without formating the rest of the disk. This is good to 
        do whenever you are formatting a disk that already has 
        been formated before because it is many times faster. 
        But, this keyword will not work if the disk has never 
        been formatted before.

		FFS
            This keyword forces the disk to be formatted with the 
        Fast File System (FFS). FFS lets you keept much more 
        information on the disk than the OFS (Old File System).  
        WB 1.3 cannot boot from FFS and may have trouble reading 
        them. 2.x/3.x use this by default.

        OFS
            This keyword forces the disk to be formatted with the 
        Original File System (OFS). OFS does not hold as much 
        information as FFS.

        INTL=INTERNATIONAL
            This keyword corrects a case-sensitivity problem 
        associated with international characters.  For instance, 
        some languages have letters that other languages don't. 
        INTL ensures that the proper characters are displayed and 
        stored. I don't recommend using this because people using 
        pre-2.0 Amigas will not be able to read the disk.

        NOINTL=NONINTERNATIONAL
            This keyword will keep the international mode from 
        being formatted onto the floppy.  For information on the 
        International mode see the INTL keyword description. 
        NOINTL is Format's default.

        DIRCACHE
            This speeds up the opening of drawers, file 
        requestors, and listing on that disk. It is OFF by 
        default. A disk formatted with the DIRCACHE on cannot be 
        read by pre-3.0 Amigas. So, only AGA machines can read 
        disks formatted with DIRCACHE on.

        NODIRCACHE
            This keyword will keep the DIRCACH mode turned off. 
        For more information on DIRCACHE see the DIRCACHE 
        keyword. NODIRCACHE is the system default.


		EXAMPLES

            1. To format a disk in Df1: and naming it My_Disk:

		FORMAT DRIVE df1: NAME My_Disk:
