System information

environment between the computer and its peripheral devices. It enables user-written programs to
execute safely. An operating system standardizes the use of computer resources for the programs
running under it.
option: One of many parameters that can be part of a command tall. Use options to specify
additional conditions for a command's execution.
output: Data that is sent to the console, disk, or printer.
page: 256 consecutive bytes in memory beginning on a page boundary, whose base address is a
multiple of 256 (100H) bytes. In hex notation, pages always begin at an address with a least
significant byte of zero.
page relocatable program: See PRL.
page zero: Memory region between 0000H and 0100H used to hold critical system parameters.
Page zero functions primarily as an interface region between user programs and the CP/M BDOS
module. Note that in non-standard systems this region is the base page of the system and
represents the first 256 bytes of memory used by the CP/M system and user programs running
under it.
parameter: Value in the command tail that provides additional information for the command.
Technically, a parameter is a required element of a command.
peripheral devices: Devices external to the CPU. For example, terminals, printers, and disk
drives are common peripheral devices that are not part of the processor but are used in
conjunction with it.
physical: Characteristic of computer components, generally hardware, that actually exist. In
programs, physical components can be represented by logical components.
primary filename: First 8 characters of a filename. The primary filename is a unique name that
helps the user identify the file contents. A primary filename contains one to eight characters and
can include any letter or number and some special characters. The primary filename follows the
optional drive specification and precedes the optional filetype.
PRL: Page relocatable program. A page relocatable program is stored on disk with a PRL
filetype. Page relocatable programs are easily relocated to any page boundary and thus are
suitable for execution in a nonbanked MP/M system.
program: Series of coded Instructions that performs specific tasks when executed by a
computer. A program can be written in a processor-specific language or a high-level language
that can be implemented on a number of different processors.
Appendix H : Glossary CP/M Operating System Manual
H-14