                               AUTODATE
                               ========

This week: the author answers your questions.

Q: Okay Stevie, just what does this amazing new program do?

A: It sets the date automatically.  And don't call me Stevie.

Q: Sorry.  How does it work?

A: It reads the date from two bytes in the bootsector and sets the system
   date to be the day after.  Then it writes the new date back into the
   bootsector for next time.

Q: Ingenious.  But how does the date get into the bootsector in the first
   place?

A: You set the date with the control panel or whatever you normally use.
   Then you run autodate.prg, holding down the RIGHT shift key as you
   double-click, and keep it pressed until the program has run.  If some
   bogus date is printed on the screen, you obviously weren't doing it
   right.  Duh.  Start again at "You set the date".

Q: I presume I should put autodate.prg in the AUTO folder of my favourite
   boot disk - this being the one whose bootsector I have just written the
   date in - and not hold down any keys when it's running in future.

A: My sources say yes.

Q: This does seem to suggest I boot from that disk no more or less than
   once every day.

A: Sheesh, everyone's a critic.  If you boot from the disk more than once
   during a day, hold down LEFT shift for the second and subsequent boots,
   from after you switch on until the date appears.  Then the system date
   gets set to the value it found in the bootsector, and it doesn't write
   out anything at all to disk.  And if you miss a few days, just keep
   running autodate.prg from the desktop, until it prints the correct date
   on the screen.

Q: And I have to leave my favourite boot disk write-enabled.

A: Them's the breaks, kiddo.  You could always keep a separate disk with
   autodate on it and run it from the desktop, but it's an awful lot of
   trouble to go to.

Q: Exactly where in the bootsector does it write the date?

A: Into the word at offset 6 bytes.  It's the unused part of the serial
   number.  MS-DOS uses this part of the serial number, so you might have
   problems if you use your favourite boot disk with a PC.  A somewhat
   unlikely scenario.

Q: Some misguided people put the month first when they write the date.
   What have you done to pander to their illogical needs?

A: I'm glad you asked.  If the system is in NTSC mode (60Hz), the day and
   month are reversed on-screen.  At least, it works for me when I switch
   to 60Hz.

Q: A very convenient solution.  Does it work with hard drives/5.25" disk
   drives/CDI/punch cards?

A: No idea.  I doubt it.  Don't come crying to me if it trashes any of
   your valuable GIFs.  Er, I mean files.

Q: I take it leap years are catered for.

A: Of course.

Q: What about centuries?

A: I am led to believe 2000 will be a leap year because it can be divided
   by 400.  However, autodate will incorrectly treat the year 2100 as a
   leap year.  I hardly think you'll be in a position to care.

Q: What does it do about the system time?

A: Zilch.  What would you suggest?  Anyway, if you're anything like me,
   midnight usually isn't too far out.

Q: I am very proud of my collection of rare and dangerous viruses.  Virii.
   Will they be affected by autodate.prg?

A: No.  It only writes once, to the disk in drive A.  And even then, it
   leaves normal executable bootsectors the way it found them.  Don't try
   setting the date on autobooting games like Super Hang-On and Virus.
   They may well stop working.  Apart from that, there's not much point.

Q: I reckon this amazing 100% assembly language program has saved me from
   having to fork out for one of those ever-so-slightly-overpriced battery
   clock doobries.  How can I ever repay you?

A: Send a postcard to:
              Stephen K Mulrine
              132 Kingswood Drive
              King's Park
              Glasgow G44 4RB
              SCOTLAND.
   I'd like to know how far this program spreads!  Feel free to add any
   (reasonable) comments.  You can currently send email to
              au215@cleveland.freenet.edu
   but I'd still like the postcard.
   
Autodate is an Inedible Software production.
Inedible Software are:
Stephen K Mulrine
Graeme Mullin
Dame Judi Dench
