Apologies if this is duplication Roy, the Tesco Webmail beastie timed out on me while I was trying to send the first copy and I don't think it got through.
> >I've been given so much advice that my head is spinning. In one email I > >was advised to by QPAC2, but was then told that its the same as the > >pointer environment I already have. But I thought that it comes bundled > >with SMSQ/E, so if I were to buy that I wouldn't need QPAC2 as well, > >surely? > Ok some of the advice was maybe not quite worded concisely. The Pointer > Environment is the three files PTR_GEN, WMAN, and HOT_REXT. These form > the basis of the extended system and are, as you said, bundled into > SMSQ/E in an extended form. QPC2 is a collection of system handling > routines including file management and job management. The Pointer > environment files are now freely distributable and are backwardly > compatible. Roy, I don't think this type of query can be answered too often. Could you perhaps do something for your beginners series along these lines: 1. QPAC2 is not the same as pointer environment. 2. QPAC2 is not a new version of QPAC1. They are both completely different products. 3. Pointer Environment is bundled as part of the QPAC1 and QPAC2 packages. 4. PE is basically ptr_gen. Extended Environment is all three (ptr_gen, wman + hot_rext). The equivalent is built into SMSQ/E (but not QXL SMSQ). 5. Although QPAC2 is desceneded from QRAM, QRAM is now probably so out of date that only older software fromt he 1980s (QRAM's era) would run on QRAM's version of PE). 6. What PE actually does (extended console driver, on screen pointer, save and restore windows etc) as distinct from what QPAC2 does (menus, things, buttons etc). You can probably write that up much clearly than I did. And this is something I could probably add to the little list of short articles I keep promising to write for Quanta). Dilwyn Jones > > I know my memory isn't as complete as it was, but I'm pretty sure that > >I bought Qram, which just happened to have the pointer environment > >bundled with it. QPAC2 also included the pointer environment, but they > >were different products; but I don't remember what differentiated > >them. (we are talking 1987 here after all). > QRam was a precursor to most of this. > > -- > Roy Wood > Q Branch. 20 Locks Hill, Portslade, Sussex.BN41 2LB > Tel: +44 (0) 1273 386030 fax: +44 (0) 1273 430501 skype : royqbranch > web : www.qbranch.demon.co.uk > > _______________________________________________ > QL-Users Mailing List > http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm > _______________________________________________ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm