Protext

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Protext is one of the most successful British word processor programs, developed by Peterborough-based Arnor Ltd. between 1985 and 1995. It was sold on tape, disc or as ROM.

Protext has sold over 30,000 copies.

Original written for the Amstrad CPC 464, Protext was subsequently released for the Amstrad PCW8256, the IBM-PC, the Atari ST, Commodore Amiga and the Acorn Archimedes.

When Arnor closed in 1995 it seemed that Protext had become another British casualty of the fast-evolving world of computers.

WACCO continued with the sales.

But a group of Protext users with professional experience from other areas of business, were not prepared to let it go.

They formed a partnership called Protext Software with the copyright owners and original programmers and have relaunched the program in an new version (v6.7) for the PC.

Covers

Tape

Disc

ROM

ROM Commands

Rom Details:

Rom type:	 Background
Version:	 1.22
Rom Name:	 PROTEXT  

Commands:

Command Description
PROTEXT Start Protext, in 80 column mode. If you want to start in 40 column mode use |PROTEXT,1
P Start Protext
PRINTER Select a printer driver
ROMON7 Disable all roms, except ROM 7 (the AMSDOS rom)
CP Start Protext with a colour screen
Hidden Command:0x10,0x0 See Protext ROM Technical Information
Hidden Command:0x10,0x1 See Protext ROM Technical Information
Hidden Command:0x10,0x2 See Protext ROM Technical Information
Hidden Command:0x10,0x3 See Protext ROM Technical Information
Hidden Command:0x10,0x4 See Protext ROM Technical Information
Hidden Command:0x10,0x5 See Protext ROM Technical Information
Hidden Command:0x10,0x6 See Protext ROM Technical Information
Hidden Command:0x10,0x7 See Protext ROM Technical Information
Hidden Command:0x10,0x8 See Protext ROM Technical Information
Hidden Command:0x10,0x9 See Protext ROM Technical Information
Hidden Command:0x10,0xa See Protext ROM Technical Information
Hidden Command:0x10,0xb See Protext ROM Technical Information
Hidden Command:0x10,0xc See Protext ROM Technical Information
Hidden Command:0x10,0xd See Protext ROM Technical Information

ROM Technical Details

A separate technical manual was produced that could be obtained from Arnor. This was later recreated and uploaded to the "Unofficial Amstrad WWW Resource"

This provided the following information:

  1. Calls that can be made to PROTEXT which either return some information or perform some function.
  2. Vectors that may be intercepted to change the operation of some feature of PROTEXT or to add a new feature.
  3. Printer driver format.
  4. PROTEXT key translation table

Review

  • ACU December 1985, pages 134, 135.

Manual

Download

Links