Hello Bob,
I just noticed this post.
The "DO" programs are described in the manuals which are provided as pdf's in the downloads page. I can't understand why they aren't automatically provided upon purchase of the program.
Anyway, here's verbatim what's in the Silver pdf:
... Silver Edition Reference Guide
... For the True BASIC Language System
... pp. xvii - xix (pdf pp. 19-20):
... "DO
... The DO command is used to invoke a DO program. DO programs are actually subroutines written according to
... the guidelines specified in Appendix F. Several DO programs have been supplied with your True BASIC
... Language System, and it is easy to write your own. Any program contained in the directory TBDO at the start
... of a True BASIC session will show in the Run menu.
... Do programs supplied with True BASIC, and included in the Run menu, include;
... Do Format Formats the text in the current source window (builtin.)
... Do Upper Changes to uppercase selected text in the current window (builtin.)
... Do Lower Changes to lowercase selected text in the current window (builtin.)
... DoNumber Adds line numbers to the text in the current source window.
... DoReNum Renumbers the text in the current source window.
... DoSort Sorts (ASCII) the text in the current source window.
... DoUnNum Removes line numbers from the text in the current source window.
... DoXRef Produces a cross-referenced listing of the current file
... You can call any preprocessor by entering the DO command followed by the name of the DO utility as follows:
... do format
... Some DO utilities allow or require options to be entered when they are invoked. To do so, list the options after
... the preprocessor’s name and a comma. For example:
... do DoNumber, 1000
... This example would add line numbers starting with 1000 to the text in the current source window.
... If you invoke a DO program from the Run menu, a dialog box will ask for the options."
My opinion is that they are not really all that useful; I always format my code as I go along, quite easy to do if using an external editor (don't know about the v.6 editor)
DO UPPER and LOWER: these just change everything in your code from one case to the other. Not useful that I can see.
Same with the NUMBER/RENUMBER - To me line numbers are more of a pain in the neck than useful, so I quit using them when that first became an option.
DOXREF does a good job of listing all the variables and stuff in the code, but it produces so much info that I never found it useful, especially if the program is long. I wrote my own thing that lists the line numbers where all the IF's, ELSE's, END IF's, CALL's, DO LOOP's are; which is usually what I find most helpful when those "END doesn't match beginning", etc., type errors pop up. It's not a "DO" program per se, it's just another program that opens a program file and produces a report.
Hope this helps.
Regards
mike C.