Instant Access for Amstrad CPCs The problem with having a disc containing 170K of data and running a database on an Amstrad, which normally supports only sequential access, is that all the information on a disc has to be loaded in, before being manipulated and then saved back again. Naturally the size of the data which can be treated in this way is limited by the computer's available Ram. What is needed then is a set of random access filing commands to incorporate into your own programs such as the ones provided by Instant Access from Minerva. This package offers 36 extra commands
in the format of RX (system extension) calls which include random access, general, sector editing. Basic enhancements and error handling commands. The usefulness of some of the commands is doubtful and some give the impression of being there merely to make up the numbers. :GVer for example, simply return the Basic version number Other commands are much more use. RDsec reads a specified sector into the sector buffer and Spoke changes a byte in the sector buffer when it gets there. Basically, the commands are a mixed bag.
Exactly how valuable Instant Access is depends on how you personally organise your data filing needs. If you, like most people I suspect, use a commercial database, then this package won't be of much use. However, if you are one of those who writes their own data manipulation software then it could be of great value, even if it is rather overpriced Duncan Evans, Popular Computing Weekly | 
