TAPEDUMP: dump tapes to print files

Description

Dumps the contents of tapes to a report. Can read labelled and non-labeled tapes and translate EBCDIC characters to ASCII on the report.

Categories

Conversion System Operation

TAPEDUMP Object file or Assembler source.

User Instructions

Allows sections of a tape to be "dumped" to a printer listing for analysis. The label type and blocking of the tape need not be known beforehand. The listing shows a specified number of tape blocks with hexadecimal characters to the left and their character equivalents to the right. Characters can be interpreted with the ASCII, EBCDIC, or BCD character sets. Version 3.03.00 supports 1600 or 6250 b.p.i. tape densities.

The TAPEIN screen prompts for the volume name and device number. If the tape is not mounted, press PF(05) to mount.

Next the analysis options are entered. These include the file sequence number (see example/[2763]), the starting block and number of blocks, and the codeset. Finally, the EOJ screen shows the name of the listing and offers to run DISPLAY to view it.

The report generated by TAPEDUMP (see example/[2764]) shows 32 bytes of information in hexadecimal and character forms. The character set used on the report is specified on the SEQUENCE screen.

Programmer Instructions

TAPEDUMP is equipped with GETPARMs and can be controlled
completely from a program or procedure.

TAPEIN:     Press (RETURN) to continue, PF(13) for further
            information, or PF(16) to end program.

  VOLUME    (blank)     The volume name of the tape to be
                        examined.

  DEVICE#   (value)     The device number of the tape drive.
                        Defaults to the device number of the
                        first tape drive on the system.

SEQUENCE    Press (RETURN) to continue, PF(01) to restart,
            PF(02) to get a list of file (labelled tapes
            only), PF(13) for further information, or PF(16)
            to exit program.

  FILESEQ#  0001        The file sequence number on the tape
                        (from 1).

  STARTBLK  00000       The starting block in the file
                        specified above.

  NBRBLKS   0001        The number of blocks to be dumped.

  STOP      YES         Option to stop after two consecutive
                        tape marks (the usual end-of-tape
                        marker).  Change to NO to continue
                        the dump past this point.

  CODESET   ASCII       The character set to use.  Other
                        options are EBCDIC and BCD.

  DENSITY   1600        Tape density in b.p.i. (bits per
                        inch).  May also be set to 6250.

EOJ         Press (RETURN) to restart with the same volume,
            PF(01) to restart, PF(14) to display the listing,
            or PF(16) to exit program.

Assembler source is available.

Example of use

Use to determine the contents and format of an unknown tape or to reconstruct information that cannot be extracted through other means.

Comments

A fundamental tool of tape management.