ThinkTank Manual
PASCAL file names can be up to 15 characters (letters, numbers, or other symbols) in length. Since PASCAL systems differ in allowing special characters (like punctuation marks) in. file names, it is usually best to use only letters, num— bers, and periods. Select names that describe the contents of your files so you can tell what they are at a glance. A name like TASKPLAN is more expressive than FILEI4.
Most PASCAL file names have a suffix that describes their type. As a ThinkTank user you will be concerned with two types of files. ThinkTank outlines are generally stored in outline files which have the suffix .DB (for data base), as in TASKPLAN.DB. However, outline files cannot be read by most other programs or incorporated directly in another ThinkTank outline. For these purposes you can store outline material in
a text file which has the suffix .TEXT, as in TASKPLAN.TEXT.
ThinkTank generally knows what type of file you’re referring to, so you rarely need to enter the suffix. But since the suffix is part of a file name, your file names are effectively limited to fewer than 15 characters. To leave room for the suffix, limit your outline file manes to 12 characters,
text file names to 10.
Depending on your computer system, files may be arranged on your disk in directories which have a separate name. If so, you may have to precede the name of the file by the name of its directory when you refer to it.
DISKS AND DEVICES
Files are stored on disks which may be floppy (flexible plastic disks encased in paper covers) or hard (rigid rings contained inside your computer or enclosed in a separate case). PASCAL distinguishes disks by their volume manes, like PROJECT:, which always end in a colon (“:“). When you refer to a particular file on a particular disk, you precede the file name with the volume name, as in PROJECT:TASKPLAN.
Before you use a disk with ThinkTank you must format it for the PASCAL operating system. Essentially, this means drawing a map on the disk so that it can accurately record and find each piece of information. You will find instructions