Re: [Ql-Users] QLForum is down
It turned out that it was a problem at the hosting company in the end. Cheers, Norm. -- Author of "Arduino Software Internals" and "Arduino Interrupts". On 12 October 2024 20:18:40 BST, Norman Dunbar via Ql-Users wrote: >And it's back! > > >Cheers, >Norm. > > >-- >Author of "Arduino Software Internals" and "Arduino Interrupts". > >On 12 October 2024 15:51:08 BST, Norman Dunbar via Ql-Users > wrote: >>I'm sure some of us have noticed that the QL Forum is not responding. Just to >>let you know, I've given Rob Heaton a heads up on the matter. >> >>The server seems to be up, so I suspect it's the forum software itself which >>is having problems. >> >> >>Cheers, >>Norm. >> >>-- >>Norman Dunbar. >>Author of "Arduino Software Internals" and "Arduino Interrupts". >>___ >>QL-Users Mailing List >___ >QL-Users Mailing List ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] QLForum is down
And it's back! Cheers, Norm. -- Author of "Arduino Software Internals" and "Arduino Interrupts". On 12 October 2024 15:51:08 BST, Norman Dunbar via Ql-Users wrote: >I'm sure some of us have noticed that the QL Forum is not responding. Just to >let you know, I've given Rob Heaton a heads up on the matter. > >The server seems to be up, so I suspect it's the forum software itself which >is having problems. > > >Cheers, >Norm. > >-- >Norman Dunbar. >Author of "Arduino Software Internals" and "Arduino Interrupts". >___ >QL-Users Mailing List ___ QL-Users Mailing List
[Ql-Users] QLForum is down
I'm sure some of us have noticed that the QL Forum is not responding. Just to let you know, I've given Rob Heaton a heads up on the matter. The server seems to be up, so I suspect it's the forum software itself which is having problems. Cheers, Norm. -- Norman Dunbar. Author of "Arduino Software Internals" and "Arduino Interrupts". ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] Q68
Derek is also active on the QL Forum, qlforum.co.uk and regularly gets people asking for new Q68s there. If you don't get a reply here, try there. Cheers, Norm. -- Author of "Arduino Software Internals" and "Arduino Interrupts". On 26 August 2024 21:36:01 BST, Michael Grunditz via Ql-Users wrote: >Hello, > >I tried to send a mail to sa...@q40.de but it bounced back.Derek , if >you read this , I was just asking if the next batch still is about now. > >Kind regards >Michael Grunditz >___ >QL-Users Mailing List ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] SMSQmulator 3.01
On 22/05/2024 16:09, Derek via Ql-Users wrote: Hi Wolfgang, Downloaded the update must of been the browser cache. In case of future problems, when you have the download URL, say "https://whatever.org/downloads/someFile.xxx"; then change the link to read "https://whatever.org/downloads/someFile.xxx?id=123456"; (added "?id=123456" to the URL) and this will cause it to read afresh from the URL and not use the cache. Obviously, if "id=123456" failed, you would need to use a different number on the retry to avoid the cache again. It also doesn't have to be "id" this would also work "https://whatever.org/downloads/someFile.xxx?norman=plonker";! ;-) You just change the parameters after the URL to bypass the cache. I wrote a Javascript utility some years ago at work which generated a random URL in this manner when people complained about getting the rong versions. It worked! Cheers, Norm. -- Norman Dunbar. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] Assembly Language eMagazine - new issue!
Try this link https://github.com/NormanDunbar/QLAssemblyLanguageMagazine/blob/master/Issue_012/Assembly_Language_012.pdf and if that doesn't work, does "wget" fetch it? Failing that, drop me your email address to norman at Dunbar hyphen it dot Co dot UK and I'll email you back the pdf. Cheers, Norm. On 14 April 2024 14:57:23 BST, Jiri Dolezal via Ql-Users wrote: >> I know it's been a while, but Issue 12 of the somewhat irregular Assembly >> Language Programming eMagazine is, finally, available. >> Get it here >> https://github.com/NormanDunbar/QLAssemblyLanguageMagazine/releases/tag/Issue_12. > >Is direct link to the PDF available? >TenFourFox is not able to process the GitHub javascript. > dex >___ >QL-Users Mailing List -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
[Ql-Users] Assembly Language eMagazine - new issue!
I know it's been a while, but Issue 12 of the somewhat irregular Assembly Language Programming eMagazine is, finally, available. Get it here https://github.com/NormanDunbar/QLAssemblyLanguageMagazine/releases/tag/Issue_12. I noticed that it has been two whole years since the previous issue was released into the wild. I hope it was worth waiting for! Those of you who signed up to my mailing list, apologies, there's currently no mailing list. I cancelled my hosting plan! I still have a backup so will hopefully do something with it at some point "soon"! (For certain values of "soon"!) Cheers, Norm. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] George Gwilt's Programs
On 08/04/2024 19:02, Dilwyn Jones via Ql-Users wrote: Thank you for doing this Norman. Just to let you know, I did reply to your email yesterday, but Gmail doesn't like me, and wouldn't accept your or Darren's email addresses as ones I can send to. Cheers, Norm. -- Norman Dunbar. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] George Gwilt's Programs
I have now completed the upload of a huge number of files --- ok, 33 --- which Tobias sent me yesterday. You can find everything at https://github.com/SinclairQL/GeorgeGwilt. I've attempted to document what is in each directory, but I've only got George's minimal documentation to go on myself. ;) Cheers, Norm. -- Norman Dunbar. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] George Gwilt's Programs
Thanks Wolfgang. I think I might have a full set now, thanks to Tobias. Cheers, Norm. On 8 April 2024 20:31:57 BST, Wolfgang Lenerz via Ql-Users wrote: >Hi Norman, > >I have nothing recent, sorry. > >Wolfgang > >> This is a copy of a message I posted on the QL Forum, for anyone interested >> who doesn't use the forum. >> >> >> >> I wanted to check if I had the latest copies of George's assemblers GWASL >> and GWASS and discovered that http://gwiltprogs.info is no longer present, >> other than a blank landing page. >> >> It would be a huge shame if George's programs vanished from the world, in my >> opinion, so I have set them up on the SinclairQL's github at >> https://github.com/SinclairQL/GeorgeGwilt. >> >> I have, from my own downloads folder, uploaded the following: >> >> GWASS Program and source. >> GWASL Program and source, various versions. >> EASYPEASY Program and source, various versions. >> SETW Program and source, various versions. >> Also, George's various development libraries needed to compile the >> other stuff. >> >> I've put a README.md file in each separate application folder to explain, as >> best as I've been able to find out, what each of the files are and which >> versions of the application they apply to. >> >> I don't have the sources or binaries for Turbo, so if you have those, can >> you either add a new folder and upload them, or let me have them and I'll do >> the needful. Thanks. I suspect that they are on Dilwyn's fine web site. >> >> Likewise, George's TurboPE stuff. Which I never got around to using. >> >> >> Cheers, >> Norm. > >___ >QL-Users Mailing List -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
[Ql-Users] George Gwilt's Programs
This is a copy of a message I posted on the QL Forum, for anyone interested who doesn't use the forum. I wanted to check if I had the latest copies of George's assemblers GWASL and GWASS and discovered that http://gwiltprogs.info is no longer present, other than a blank landing page. It would be a huge shame if George's programs vanished from the world, in my opinion, so I have set them up on the SinclairQL's github at https://github.com/SinclairQL/GeorgeGwilt. I have, from my own downloads folder, uploaded the following: GWASS Program and source. GWASL Program and source, various versions. EASYPEASY Program and source, various versions. SETW Program and source, various versions. Also, George's various development libraries needed to compile the other stuff. I've put a README.md file in each separate application folder to explain, as best as I've been able to find out, what each of the files are and which versions of the application they apply to. I don't have the sources or binaries for Turbo, so if you have those, can you either add a new folder and upload them, or let me have them and I'll do the needful. Thanks. I suspect that they are on Dilwyn's fine web site. Likewise, George's TurboPE stuff. Which I never got around to using. Cheers, Norm. -- Norman Dunbar. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] SMSQ/E 3.39
I'm gutted to hear of George's passing away. I had a lot of dealings with George when I was writing Assembler articles for QL Today, there wasn't ever an article that George didn't have a comment on, but mostly he had ideas to improve things. For which I was grateful. My deepest sympathies to his family. He will be missed. Regards, Norman. -- Author of "Arduino Software Internals" and "Arduino Interrupts". ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] bug in String handling
Morning Jan, That matches with Jan Jones. Arrays index from zero, but simple strings from 1. Cheers, Norm. -- Author of "Arduino Software Internals" and "Arduino Interrupts". ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] bug in String handling
On 08/01/2024 18:46, pjw via Ql-Users wrote: > 100 a$ = "1234567890" > 105 b$ = a$(4 to 3): REMark This works > 110 REMark c$ = a$(4 to 2): REMark This fails with an error. > 115 c$ = a$( to 0) : REMark no error returned > 120 c$ = a$(0):: REMark no error returned BUT ERROR IF QLIBERATED > 125 pause:stop Line 105: The construct a$(n to n - 1) represents the empty string (even when n = 1). Since it is replicated in JS, Minerva and SMSQ/E Im assuming it is by design. If it's by design, it it actually documented anywhere? I do not recall it being in the QL Manual, as supplied with new QLs back in the day, and I don't recall Jan Jones mentioning it either. My QL Manual is packed away ready for a house move---which fell through---Just checked with Jan Jones (the QUANTA version), she doesn't mention how this works (or doesn't!) It also makes sense as there would be no other way to represent a string slice of null. I'm wondering though, why you would need to get a "string slice of null"? If I want to obtain a an empty string, just assigne on A$="" for example. To get a slice that is null, I need to determine that this is exactly what I need, and then make sure that my slicing parameters are specified with the end being exactly one less than the start? Too much faffing around, just assign an empty string (as above!) Line 115: I guess a$( to 0) is read as a$(1 to 0) which fits the criteria above. I agree with your observation. Jan Jones states that when slicing a string variable, the zeroth elephant cannot be accessed. (Page 28.) Line 120: a$(0) should be fine also. It represents the string length. Assignment to this location is also acceptable: Jan Jones documents this in her QL SuperBASIC Handbook, page 23. I still think that returning "" for a specific string slice from (a to a-1) is a bug! Bite me!!! ;-) Cheers, Norm. -- Norman Dunbar. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] bug in String handling
On 08/01/2024 16:51, Wolfgang Lenerz via Ql-Users wrote: Line 120 is due to the fast that strings are not 0 based index. So what would a$(0) be? Under SMSQ/E at least, print a$(0) in the above example would give "10" - which is the length of the string... Since this seems to be an unorthodox behaviour, it's no wonder Qlib balks at it. If I remember correctly, all the way back to 1984-85, I'm almost certain that the supplied QL manual, in the large, heavy, A$ folder, mentioned that string lengths are indeed stored in a$(0)---or at least, can be accessed from there. Cheers, Norm. -- Norman Dunbar. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] One Per Desk: Computer One floppy interface. Need the ROM image.
On 14/12/2023 07:59, Rich Mellor via Ql-Users wrote: ... Unfortunately, having lost all of my emails last year, I cannot even recall who it was that had quite an extensive ICL One Per Desk collection? Does anyone else remember? I wonder if that might have been Dave Walker or C68 fame? He wrote a few OPD->QL utilities, if I remember correctly. Cheers, Norm. Norman Dunbar. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] CONFIG Manual
Hi Dilwyn, Yes, I'll let you know of any differences. Cheers, Norm. -- Author of "Arduino Software Internals" and "Arduino Interrupts". ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] CONFIG Manual
Good morning everyone. Many thanks to Dilwyn, Derek and Wolfgang who have all sent me the Config docs. I am very much appreciative. I think I have enough reading now! Interestingly, while scanning the BasConfig SuperBASIC source, I noticed that I added the ability to use Long data types back in 1994. Well, that didn't make me feel old, much! Cheers, Norm. -- Author of "Arduino Software Internals" and "Arduino Interrupts". On 7 December 2023 20:35:23 GMT, Dilwyn Jones via Ql-Users wrote: >Wonder if Norman was thinking of the QPTR guide/ Info on Config in >there - in the updates "https://dilwyn.qlforum.co.uk/docs/manuals/QPTR >Updates.pdf" > >and (in my printed rather old edition 5 copy) page 151 onward, CONFIG >has its own section >https://dilwyn.qlforum.co.uk/docs/manuals/QPTR%20manual.pdf > >On Thu, 7 Dec 2023 at 19:43, Jan Bredenbeek via Ql-Users > wrote: >> >> 2023-12-07T17:55:41Z Norman Dunbar via Ql-Users : >> >> > Evening all. >> > >> > I was reading through the latest version of Wolfgang's SMSQ/E Reference >> > Manual, looking for some information on Config blocks and usage. It wasn't >> > there! >> > >> > I was sure that a previous manual, possibly the old A5 printed one I >> > bought from Jochen years ago, but no longer. I searched the PDF for any >> > references and eventually found a note that "Config has its own manual" >> > and "You should be able to get it from the same place as this one" (or >> > words to that effect.) >> > >> > I searched Wolfgang's Documentation area, to no avail. I don't see the >> > Config manual anywhere. Does anyone know if there is a manual? and if so, >> > where I can lay my hands on it please? >> > >> > Thanks. >> > >> > >> > Cheers, >> > Norm. >> > >> > -- >> > Norman Dunbar. >> > ___ >> > QL-Users Mailing List >> Hi Norman, >> >> There is a lot of information about Config blocks at >> https://dilwyn.qlforum.co.uk/config/index.html >> >> Best regards, Jan. >> ___ >> QL-Users Mailing List >___ >QL-Users Mailing List ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] CONFIG Manual
Morning Jan. Thanks for the link. I had checked with the QL Home Page but to no avail. I'm trying to write an article for my very late Issue 12 Assembly eMagazine, but as I'm supposed to be moving house, alk my manuals are packed away! Cheers, Norm -- Author of "Arduino Software Internals" and "Arduino Interrupts". On 7 December 2023 19:41:58 GMT, Jan Bredenbeek via Ql-Users wrote: >2023-12-07T17:55:41Z Norman Dunbar via Ql-Users : > >> Evening all. >> >> I was reading through the latest version of Wolfgang's SMSQ/E Reference >> Manual, looking for some information on Config blocks and usage. It wasn't >> there! >> >> I was sure that a previous manual, possibly the old A5 printed one I bought >> from Jochen years ago, but no longer. I searched the PDF for any references >> and eventually found a note that "Config has its own manual" and "You should >> be able to get it from the same place as this one" (or words to that effect.) >> >> I searched Wolfgang's Documentation area, to no avail. I don't see the >> Config manual anywhere. Does anyone know if there is a manual? and if so, >> where I can lay my hands on it please? >> >> Thanks. >> >> >> Cheers, >> Norm. >> >> -- >> Norman Dunbar. >> ___ >> QL-Users Mailing List >Hi Norman, > >There is a lot of information about Config blocks at >https://dilwyn.qlforum.co.uk/config/index.html > >Best regards, Jan. >___ >QL-Users Mailing List ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] CONFIG Manual
Hi Dilwyn, Yes indeed, I meant the QPTR manual, not SMSQ/E. My apologies. Config used to have a section but it has been removed as, quote, it has nothing to do with the Pointer Environment, and now has it's own manual. Cheers, Norm. -- Author of "Arduino Software Internals" and "Arduino Interrupts". On 7 December 2023 20:35:23 GMT, Dilwyn Jones via Ql-Users wrote: >Wonder if Norman was thinking of the QPTR guide/ Info on Config in >there - in the updates "https://dilwyn.qlforum.co.uk/docs/manuals/QPTR >Updates.pdf" > >and (in my printed rather old edition 5 copy) page 151 onward, CONFIG >has its own section >https://dilwyn.qlforum.co.uk/docs/manuals/QPTR%20manual.pdf > >On Thu, 7 Dec 2023 at 19:43, Jan Bredenbeek via Ql-Users > wrote: >> >> 2023-12-07T17:55:41Z Norman Dunbar via Ql-Users : >> >> > Evening all. >> > >> > I was reading through the latest version of Wolfgang's SMSQ/E Reference >> > Manual, looking for some information on Config blocks and usage. It wasn't >> > there! >> > >> > I was sure that a previous manual, possibly the old A5 printed one I >> > bought from Jochen years ago, but no longer. I searched the PDF for any >> > references and eventually found a note that "Config has its own manual" >> > and "You should be able to get it from the same place as this one" (or >> > words to that effect.) >> > >> > I searched Wolfgang's Documentation area, to no avail. I don't see the >> > Config manual anywhere. Does anyone know if there is a manual? and if so, >> > where I can lay my hands on it please? >> > >> > Thanks. >> > >> > >> > Cheers, >> > Norm. >> > >> > -- >> > Norman Dunbar. >> > ___ >> > QL-Users Mailing List >> Hi Norman, >> >> There is a lot of information about Config blocks at >> https://dilwyn.qlforum.co.uk/config/index.html >> >> Best regards, Jan. >> ___ >> QL-Users Mailing List >___ >QL-Users Mailing List ___ QL-Users Mailing List
[Ql-Users] CONFIG Manual
Evening all. I was reading through the latest version of Wolfgang's SMSQ/E Reference Manual, looking for some information on Config blocks and usage. It wasn't there! I was sure that a previous manual, possibly the old A5 printed one I bought from Jochen years ago, but no longer. I searched the PDF for any references and eventually found a note that "Config has its own manual" and "You should be able to get it from the same place as this one" (or words to that effect.) I searched Wolfgang's Documentation area, to no avail. I don't see the Config manual anywhere. Does anyone know if there is a manual? and if so, where I can lay my hands on it please? Thanks. Cheers, Norm. -- Norman Dunbar. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
[Ql-Users] Assembly eComic - Issue 11 now available.
Only 4 months from the last issue and we already have another! In this issue of the somewhat irregular eMagazine, we have: Beginners' Corner: where we discuss simply screen and file handling. Experienced readers should skip over the excruciating detail that I go into to help beginners. Sudoku Solver: yes indeed, a Sudoku solver for 9 by 9 grids. I say "solver" but it's really a brute force algorithm using recursion and backtracking to guess which numbers will eventually provide a solution. (Or not!) There's a demonstration puzzle and a few examples to load and solve. You can make your own puzzles up and load them too -- the code will let you know if a puzzle cannot be solved. Multiplication: a small but perfectly formed chunk of assembly code to multiply two 32 bit unsigned values to give a 64 bit product. Did you notice unsigned there? Yes, me too. I convinced myself to add in a bit of extra code and make it multiply signed numbers as well. We also have more News and Quickies again in this issue. As ever, you do not need the source code, that's GitHub's processing of a release, just grab the PDF from the asset list at the link below. Click the arrow to open the list if it's not already open. https://github.com/NormanDunbar/QLAssemblyLanguageMagazine/releases/tag/Issue_11 Cheers, Norm. -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: 27a Lidget Hill Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7LG Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] Stuart Honeyball
> One > night in the local pub he redrew the > entire Spectrum Issue 1 PCB from > memory on a napkin, while quite drunk. > I was stupidly impressed by that. I'd have been seriously impressed by that! Cheers, Norm. -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
[Ql-Users] Assembly Programming Issue 10 now on release!
A new year, a new issue. Issue 10 of the somewhat irregular eMagazine on Assembly Programming is now available. https://github.com/NormanDunbar/QLAssemblyLanguageMagazine/releases/latest Enjoy! Cheers, Norm. -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: 27a Lidget Hill Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7LG Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List
[Ql-Users] Assembly eComic - Issue 9, Now available
Well, I managed to get two issues into 2021! This is the latest and probably the final one for this year. What can we find in Issue 9? Well: QL2WIN - a utility to convert from QL line ends to Windows line ends when transferring text files between systems. This is one I wrote for myself, but these days, many Windows editors are happy to load and save in Linux format -- similar to what the QL uses. WIN2QL - a utility to go the other way! Circular Buffers - a fairly long chapter explaining how circular buffers work and some code to enable them to be used on the QL. Are they useful? You tell me! As ever, if you only want to read the issue, grab the PDF and the code file if necessary. If you want to checkout the LaTeX and LyX source code used to build each issue, then grab the zip or bz2 file. The PDF and Code.zip files will be included so you don;t have to download them separately. This is the link to the release: https://github.com/NormanDunbar/QLAssemblyLanguageMagazine/releases/tag/Issue_9 Cheers, Norm. -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: 27a Lidget Hill Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7LG Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List
[Ql-Users] Free Pascal (Cross) Compiler for the QL
In case anyone is not following the thread at QL Forum, you might, possibly, maybe, perhaps be interested to know that there is some work ongoing to bring the Free Pascal Compiler to the QL. This was started as a sort of joke project back in QLVember (I hate those made up "month" names!) but Marcel, myself and a few others have been doing some work with "Chain-Q", the instigator, and we are slowly bringing an up to date Pascal compiler to the QL. Well, it's a cross compiler actually, but the executables it generates can indeed be executed on the QL/QPC/etc. Dare I mention, we get Object Oriented programming now? (Don't tell Tony Tebby!) If you wish to follow along, the thread is at https://qlforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3057 and I have created a document for Linux users in order to show the processes and software required to build the cross compiler, and brief notes on how to use it. The document is at https://github.com/NormanDunbar/FPC-CrossCompiler-QL/releases/latest and this link will always take you to the latest version. The document is written from a Linux point of view as that is what I'm using. If anyone wants to pick it up and run with it on Windows, I'd be grateful for any nots etc that you may have on the matter so that I can bring it up to date for Windows users too. Anyone using MacOS? That might also be helpful. The compiler is in an early state at the moment, but we do have simple programs working. I'm currently writing/building/testing (and repeat!) the SysUtils unit to get that working. Cheers, Norm. -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: 27a Lidget Hill Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7LG Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] Richard Alexander (CGH Services) and the QL Wiki
Sorted, thanks Darren -- contact has been made! Cheers, norm. -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] Richard Alexander (CGH Services) and the QL Wiki
On 16/01/2021 15:35, Juraj Lutter via Ql-Users wrote: Hi Otis, that's great. Thanks very much. Cheers, Norm. FWIW, # host -t mx blackchip.plus.com <http://blackchip.plus.com/> blackchip.plus.com <http://blackchip.plus.com/> mail is handled by 10 mx.avasin.plus.net <http://mx.avasin.plus.net/>. the mail is being handled by a valid host, it seems. Frankly, otis ___ QL-Users Mailing List -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: 27a Lidget Hill Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7LG Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] Richard Alexander (CGH Services) and the QL Wiki
On 16/01/2021 15:18, Darren Branagh via Ql-Users wrote: Hi Darren, much obliged to you Sir, thanks. I shall do the admin bit and give Richard write access. The only problem is, his email probably won't work as the domain isn't (or doesn't appear) registered: norman@Hubble:~$ whois blackchip.plus.com No match for "BLACKCHIP.PLUS.COM". >>> Last update of whois database: 2021-01-16T15:26:25Z <<< So he won't be getting emails telling him of his passwords etc. Are you able to give him a prod please? You can give him my email address (this one) as long as it's not put on Facebook, thanks. (I get enough crud as it is!) Thanks again. Cheers, Norm. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
[Ql-Users] Richard Alexander (CGH Services) and the QL Wiki
I've had a request from someone claiming to be Richard Alexander of CGH Services fame, to join the Ql Wiki. Since I have had a number of spamming users to deal with recently, I tend to try and do as much background checking as I can before I assign write privileges. However, I've come up against a slight problem, and maybe someone here (or on the QL Forum) can help. The request came from an IP address in Carmarthenshire in Wales on the 9th January at 00:57 (I'm assuming GMT/UTC here but I might be wrong). The email address used to register is in the blackchip.plus.com domain and this is where my problem begins. I've checked for the domain "blackchip.plus.com" and come up with nothing. Does anyone know Richard? Do you know if he is indeed "blackchip.plus.com"? And why is the email address wonky? I hate the idea that I'm holding up a genuine QL fan, but I also had to deal with a few uncircumcised gentlemen (complete pricks) recently, signing up and spamming pages with garbage and adverts and scams. Someone, me, had to remove those pages and reinstate the unadulterated ones. Any information gratefully received and if you *are* the real Richard Alexander, my apologies! Cheers, Norm. -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: 27a Lidget Hill Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7LG Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List
[Ql-Users] Assembly eMagazine - Issue 8 now available
Greetings everyone. After a delay of a year and a bit, Issue 8 of the irregular eMagazine on QL Assembly Language is now available for download. This (exciting?) edition covers: * Some more UTF8 stuff -- Wolfgang Lenerz has suggested some improvements to the code in Issue 7, and this has been implemented. * Reversing the bits in a register. * Finding the next power of two. * Some stuff on randomisation and generating random integers. The download is at https://github.com/NormanDunbar/QLAssemblyLanguageMagazine/releases/tag/Issue_8. Enjoy. Cheers, Norm. -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: 27a Lidget Hill Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7LG Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List
[Ql-Users] Norm's Assembly Language Book - Updated again
Afternoon All, my eBook created from the articles in QL Today over the years has recently been converted to a paper copy by "Tinyfpga" (on the Ql Forum). You can read details on this posting: https://qlforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=3294&start=40#p35207 This published issue was created with my blessing and "Tinyfpga" is responsible for the quality etc of the finished article - I think it's very good. if you would like a copy, there are details on how to get hold of one. No money will come to me, which is fine, and I don't think "Tinyfpga" gets any either. Another reader of the printed book, "AJB" on QL Forum, has started a thread on Ql Forum about errors and problems that he has found in the book. That thread is at https://qlforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=3375 if you are interested in following along. I have now fixed most of the problems encountered by "AJB" and uploaded a new PDF. There are a couple of things still to be done, but those require additional sections to be added to the source - when time allows. In the meantime, the August 2020 version can be found at https://github.com/NormanDunbar/QLAssemblyLanguageBook/releases/latest if you want to update your PDF copy. Only the PDF is required, you can ignore the source code stuff - that refers to the book's source code (LaTeX files) as opposed to any example programs in the book. I suspect that there will be more changes coming soon - for certain values of "soon"! Cheers, Norm. -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: 27a Lidget Hill Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7LG Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List
[Ql-Users] Assembly Language eComic - Issue 5 Correction.
BUG FIX!
Morning All,
while investigating bit fields - for a different project altogether - I
found a bug in Issue 5 of the eComic. On Page 28, section 4.2.1 I
mention that a two bit wide bit field, in bits 5 and 6 of a register
would be specified as {26:2}. That was correct if I was looking at a two
bit wide bit field in bits 5 and 4. I should have specified it as {25:2}.
I've corrected the PDF in the releases area at
https://github.com/NormanDunbar/QLAssemblyLanguageMagazine/releases/tag/Issue_5
if you need a corrected version. I'll upload the code at some point shortly.
Cheers,
Norm.
PS. Issue 8 is well under way. For certain values of "well"!
--
Norman Dunbar
Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd
Registered address:
27a Lidget Hill
Pudsey
West Yorkshire
United Kingdom
LS28 7LG
Company Number: 05132767
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Re: [Ql-Users] Select on
I have a vague recollection that Simon N Goodwin did something similar, maybe, in the DIY Toolkit. I think it was passed a variable and a list of strings, and returned the position of the variable in the list. Something like that. Maybe useful? Cheers, Norm. -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] QL Today Assembly Language Book.
Nothing worse! On 20 June 2020 13:02:21 BST, Dave Park via Ql-Users wrote: >Norman, > >At your age you want to watch it. You might show your MSB, and the >nurse >might think it's your LSB. > >Dave > >On Sat, Jun 20, 2020 at 4:16 AM Norman Dunbar via Ql-Users < >ql-users@lists.q-v-d.com> wrote: > >> :-) >> >> I'll have the nurses check! >> >> Cheers, >> Norm. >> -- >> Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. >> >> On 20 June 2020 10:05:33 BST, Dilwyn Jones via Ql-Users < >> ql-users@lists.q-v-d.com> wrote: >> >> format of data in registers as having the most significant bit at >the >> >right end >> >I do certainly hope your MSB is at the correct end, Norman :-D >(ooer >> >missus...!) >> > >> >Dilwyn >> >___ >> >QL-Users Mailing List >> ___ >> QL-Users Mailing List >> > > >-- >Dave Park >d...@sinclairql.com >___ >QL-Users Mailing List -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] QL Today Assembly Language Book.
:-) I'll have the nurses check! Cheers, Norm. -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. On 20 June 2020 10:05:33 BST, Dilwyn Jones via Ql-Users wrote: >> format of data in registers as having the most significant bit at the >right end >I do certainly hope your MSB is at the correct end, Norman :-D (ooer >missus...!) > >Dilwyn >___ >QL-Users Mailing List ___ QL-Users Mailing List
[Ql-Users] QL Today Assembly Language Book.
A bug was recently found in section 1.2.1 where I described the format of data in registers as having the most significant bit at the right end. Duh! That has been corrected. If you need a corrected copy, it's the June 2020 release at https://github.com/NormanDunbar/QLAssemblyLanguageBook/releases/latest although that URL always gets the very latest version. If anyone needs a printed version, "Tinyfpga" on QL Forum has sorted out a print on demand setup, with my blessing, where it is at a cost or around £10.00. Cheers, Norm. -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] Maximum size of a file
Regarding the internals of a QXL.WIN disk, I documented that at http://qdosmsq.dunbar-it.co.uk/doku.php?id=qdosmsq:fs:qlwa there's a table at the end with host file sizes and the resulting internal block size. On 23/04/2020 14:29, Giorgio Garabello via Ql-Users wrote: Sorry for my english, i badly explained myself ... I wanted to understand if there are limits to creating files within a .win file The directory entry contains a file_length field, it is a 32 bit longword. This allows for files to be up to 2^^32 -1 bytes in size, in theory. It all depends if the internals of SMSQ etc deal in signed or unsigned numbers. 2^^32 - is big! 4,096 Mb or 4 Gb. HTH Cheers, Norm. -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: 27a Lidget Hill Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7LG Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] 16th Italian Sinclair QL meeting (virtual) - Report
On 14/04/2020 00:00, Davide Santachiara via Ql-Users wrote: 16° Meeting Sinclair QL Italiano – 5th of April 2020 The 16° Sinclair QL should have been held in Modena as it has been the case since 2008. Unfortunately, due to the restriction enforced following the Covid-spread 19 we had to meet on the virtual teleconferencing platform Jitsi. Twenty people have attended the teleconference including Marcel Kilgus, Dilwyn Jones and Urs Keonig as welcome international guests. Sounds incredible, and I flipping well missed it, work! Pah! Cheers, Norm. -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: 27a Lidget Hill Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7LG Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] SMSQ/E 3.35
Try the download again, but change the URL to something like: https://your_file_path.zip?garbage=1 That should get you around the caching. Change the numbers if you have to try again. HTH Cheers, Norm. -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] E-mail etiquette: New subject, new message
Hi Marcus, +1. I raised this some time ago too. It made no difference sadly, however, your point about some web mail browsers using the subject to group messages makes sense. I hadn't thoughtbabout that. I use Thunderbird and it uses the message id, and the problem you mention drives me nuts! But I'm quite easily annoyed ;-) Hopefully, it will stop. Sadly, I doubt it will. People at work do it too - then get upset because they replied to messages our team are deleting with a rule. Oops! Here's hopeing Cheers, Norm. -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
[Ql-Users] Free circuit analysis software
Slightly off topic but there are electronics gurus on here who might be interested. Spectrum Soft (no relation) are giving away Micro-Cap 12 software. Free, no source, no support, just the previous release CD. And it's all legal. A quick check of prices seems to indicate that this used to cost about $4,000 plus, per seat. It looks to be for Windows but I have tested it on Linux under Wine and both the 32 and 64 bit versions work fine - at least as much as I have tried. https://www.spectrum-soft.com/download/download.shtm If anyone is interested. Cheers, Norm. -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] QL-VGA
Pedantic? Or correct! I'm a pedant's baddest nightmare. ;-) Cheers, Norm. -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. On 9 January 2020 22:47:27 GMT, John Alexander via Ql-Users wrote: >Indeed, one might say it's more of a mark up decription of what you >would like to see the hardware been rather than a S/W program to run on >the H/W. >Sounds so pedantic doesn't it ;-)JA > >On Thursday, 9 January 2020, 22:11:31 GMT, Norman Dunbar via Ql-Users > wrote: > > See! I said I knew nothing! ;-) > >On 9 January 2020 16:29:50 GMT, Peter Graf via Ql-Users > wrote: >>Norman Dunbar via Ql-Users wrote: >>> I get that it's a software description of some hardware. >> >>Not software. It is simply a hardware description, and the result is >>pure hardware, i.e. flipflops, gates, wires. You can as well describe >>he >>same hardware in a schematic rather than text. >> >>It is important to understand that no emulation is involved and there >>is >>no difference to other logic chips, except that an FPGA can be >>re-configured. Like GALs, just more complex. >> >>From the same hardware description, is is also possible to manufacture >>customized chips, called ASICs, which have a fixed logic. >>___ >>QL-Users Mailing List > >-- >Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. >___ >QL-Users Mailing List > >___ >QL-Users Mailing List ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] QL-VGA
See! I said I knew nothing! ;-) On 9 January 2020 16:29:50 GMT, Peter Graf via Ql-Users wrote: >Norman Dunbar via Ql-Users wrote: >> I get that it's a software description of some hardware. > >Not software. It is simply a hardware description, and the result is >pure hardware, i.e. flipflops, gates, wires. You can as well describe >he >same hardware in a schematic rather than text. > >It is important to understand that no emulation is involved and there >is >no difference to other logic chips, except that an FPGA can be >re-configured. Like GALs, just more complex. > >From the same hardware description, is is also possible to manufacture >customized chips, called ASICs, which have a fixed logic. >___ >QL-Users Mailing List -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] QL-VGA
Thanks John. I get that it's a software description of some hardware. This is the first time I've come across it. I might spend some time looking into it - if/when MrsD allows - just to satisfy my own curiosity. Not that I'll be doing any hardware design though. Cheers, Norm. -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] QL-VGA
Hi Marcel, On 09/01/2020 10:50, Marcel Kilgus via Ql-Users wrote: Well, it's a bit like programming, the difference is just that basically all lines execute at the same time! If you want something to execute sequentially you have to implement a state machine. > ... Thanks. I had a look at the link. Interesting. I don't understand most of it, but I recognise some words! -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: 27a Lidget Hill Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7LG Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] QL-VGA
I'm still here Marcel. ;-) I'll never have a facebook account. But I do use the Forum. I've read your article. It looks interesting. I'm not clued up on FPGAs - although I know what the initials stand for - so, I would be interested in knowing a bit more about how you did the converter. If you have time and inclination of course. Cheers, Norm. On 8 January 2020 21:58:23 GMT, Marcel Kilgus via Ql-Users wrote: >In case anybody is still lurking here and has not jumped ship to >Facebook or the forum, I made a new post about my QL-VGA hardware. You >can read about it here: > >https://www.kilgus.net/2020/01/08/ql-vga-the-second/ > >All the best, Marcel > >___ >QL-Users Mailing List -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] Assembly language eComic, issue 7, out now!
Hi Dave, On 03/10/2019 00:58, Dave Park wrote: I think we have to remember that people didn't communicate as easily or freely then as we do today, so specifications were far more localized than we'd suspect. If sites had 8 hole punched tape readers, it would be a sensible use. When modems came along, and a parity bit was part of the modem's protocol, it freed up that 8th bit. Lots of people hacking it to their own purposes. Someone with the luxury of a CRT going, "h, I can generate extra characters, graphical elements, all sorts!" and before you know it, ASCII evolves by who communicates the best ;) Fun times! You mean, standards! :o) I had a look over at Wikipedia yesterday (yes, I know) and you've basically summarised the whole tale of ASCII and how it got from a fledgling 6 bit to 7 where it lives now, with it's extra bit hanging on "just because". Fun times indeed. Apparently, I am a pedant's baddest nightmare. :o) Cheers, Norm -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: 27a Lidget Hill Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7LG Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] Assembly language eComic, issue 7, out now!
Hi Dave, strangely enough, I read that the 8th bit allowed parity as, the then, top notch paper tapes could cope with an extra (8th) bit and it was put to good use for a parity bit. I haven't read the various standards though, so willing to be corrected. (Again!) Cheers, Norm. -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] Assembly language eComic, issue 7, out now!
Hi Marcel,
yes, I agree ASCII is indeed 7 bit. I have to confess that since the
early eighties - at least where I've been working or at college - it has
been considered 8 bit with all those extra characters above $7F. But I
sit corrected. (I like pedantry!)
Do you mind if I use your feedback in the next issue please? Thanks (in
advance) if so.
Cheers,
Norm.
On 02/10/2019 10:49, Marcel Kilgus via Ql-Users wrote:
Norman Dunbar via Ql-Users wrote:
In this issue there is an article by Tobias on the Q68, plus
exciting stuff about the UTF8 character set encoding and how it can
be used on the QL - or at least, how I can use it! Two world class
(ahem!) utilities are supplied to enable conversion from the QL to
UTF8 and back again. There's even, wait for it, a table of contents! ;)
As a pedantic ass I have to object so sentences like these:
"• The UK Pound symbol is character 96 ($60) on the QL, but in ASCII
it is character 163 ($A3)" (etc.)"
ASCII is, by definition, 7-bit, so it cannot contain a character with
the number 163. The tale of characters 128-255 is one fought in many
battles. Linux tended to be "ISO 8859-1" and later "ISO 8859-15"
before they adopted UTF-8, on Windows you will mostly find the
"Windows-1252" encoding. These are very similar, but differ when it
comes to the Euro sign for example (ISO 8859-1 is too old to have a
Euro sign and the others have adopted it in different places).
But, and that is the important thing, Unicode was made to unify them
all. And UTF-8 is a pretty darn cool invention, unfortunately it came
too late for Windows, which was a very early adopter of Unicode at a
time when everybody thought "65536 characters ought to be enough for
everyone!". So Windows started to used 16-bits for every character
("UCS-2" encoding), which makes coding somewhat weird, and then they
found out that 65536 characters are not enough after all, so now
Windows uses UTF-16, which is UTF-8's big brother, with sometimes 2
bytes per character and sometimes 4. What a mess. But when it comes to
data storage UTF-8 is the way to go these days, always!
For QPC I already implemented these translations 20 years ago when
copying text to/from the clipboard. But well done for bringing UTF-8
to the QL :-)
Cheers, Marcel
_______
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--
Norman Dunbar
Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd
Registered address:
27a Lidget Hill
Pudsey
West Yorkshire
United Kingdom
LS28 7LG
Company Number: 05132767
___
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Re: [Ql-Users] Assembly language eComic, issue 7, out now!
Hi Wolf. Thanks. I use eComic, eMagazine, ePeriodical etc interchangeably. My wife calls all magazines comics, so it sort of stuck. Cheers, Norm. -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. On 1 October 2019 06:46:03 BST, Wolf via Ql-Users wrote: >Hi Norman, > >as always an enjoyable read. > > >Wolfgang >Nb Why e"Comic"? >___ >QL-Users Mailing List ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] Assembly language eComic, issue 7, out now!
Oh hum. The URL got butchered. Try this one: https://github.com/NormanDunbar/QLAssemblyLanguageMagazine/releases/tag/Issue_7 and hopefully, that will work better. Sorry. Cherrs, Norm. On 30 September 2019 20:48:41 BST, Norman Dunbar via Ql-Users wrote: >Hello to all (both?) my faithful readers. The latest edition of the >somewhat irregular eComic about QL Assembly Language Programming is out >now. Get it from: > >https://github.com/NormanDunbar/QLAssem ... ag/Issue_7 > >You only need the PDF (to read) and the Code.zip file, to save you >typing. Enjoy. > >In this issue there is an article by Tobias on the Q68, plus exciting >stuff about the UTF8 character set encoding and how it can be used on >the QL - or at least, how I can use it! Two world class (ahem!) >utilities are supplied to enable conversion from the QL to UTF8 and >back again. There's even, wait for it, a table of contents! ;) > >Help yourselves and enjoy. > >Cheers, >Norm. >-- >Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. >___ >QL-Users Mailing List -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
[Ql-Users] Assembly language eComic, issue 7, out now!
Hello to all (both?) my faithful readers. The latest edition of the somewhat irregular eComic about QL Assembly Language Programming is out now. Get it from: https://github.com/NormanDunbar/QLAssem ... ag/Issue_7 You only need the PDF (to read) and the Code.zip file, to save you typing. Enjoy. In this issue there is an article by Tobias on the Q68, plus exciting stuff about the UTF8 character set encoding and how it can be used on the QL - or at least, how I can use it! Two world class (ahem!) utilities are supplied to enable conversion from the QL to UTF8 and back again. There's even, wait for it, a table of contents! ;) Help yourselves and enjoy. Cheers, Norm. -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] The Editor
Hi Paul, On 04/07/2019 17:59, paul via Ql-Users wrote: > ... Was or is there a PC equivalent? I also recall thinking about this way back in the past but don't recall ever chasing an answer. Do you mean, a PC equivalent to the Editor? or, silly question I admit, a PC program to read PC Floppies? (I doubt it's this!) I use for editing Notepad++ for Windows (at work) from https://notepad-plus-plus.org/ or, at work and home, VSCodium, which is Visual Studio Code without the "ET Phone Home" stuff that Microsoft have embedded into the editor. Available from https://vscodium.com/ for Mac, Windows and Linux - many flavours thereof. HTH Cheers, Norm. -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: 27a Lidget Hill Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7LG Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] QLTools - 2.15.5 available
Hi Wolf, On 05/02/2019 14:01, Wolfgang Lenerz via Ql-Users wrote: int nbrOfSectorsInMap=firstSector.getShort(WinDrive.QWA_SCTM)&0x; // that many sectors are supposed to be in the fat int temp=nbrOfSectorsInMap/(firstSector.getShort(WinDrive.QWA_SCTG)&0x); if (nbrOfSectorsInMap % (firstSector.getShort(WinDrive.QWA_SCTG)&0x) !=0) temp++; // these are the number of clusters needed to hold the map if (temp!=this.fatClusterChain.size()) (...) // if they both agree, all is ok, I have a valid drive map That's very useful indeed, thanks. With a bit of luck, I might be able to get proper qxl.win files created soon. :) Cheers, Norm. -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: 27a Lidget Hill Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7LG Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] QLTools - 2.15.5 available
On 05/02/2019 10:07, pgraf--- via Ql-Users wrote: Hi Peter, Can you give me an example of how to reproduce the problem(s) you are seeing? I've just created a 20 MB qxl.win with no problems. (So far!) Unfortunately not right now, and my memory is vague. I think that all issues were gone with 16 MB and less. My next image size step was probably 32 MB, not just 20 MB. It could be, that just recompiling the latest qxltool source with an up-to-date compiler and library makes the issues disappear. I've created a couple of qxl.win files (at coffee time - I'm working) and checked them with my own QXLWin program. The headers looks strange to me: On the 4 MB I see these dubious fields: * Sectors per map = 21 * Number of maps = 100 * Root directory length = 58 On the 20 MB I see these dubious fields: * Sectors per map = $A1 (161) * Number of maps = 100 * Root directory length = 58 I've had a quick look at the definition of a QLWA header in the code and it appears slightly broken. Some of the fields I would think essential are not being used - sectors per block for example. That changes as the files grow bigger and might be related to your problems. I'll see what I can do - there are still quite a few compilation warnings I need to get rid of first. Cheers, Norm. -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: 27a Lidget Hill Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7LG Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] QLTools - 2.15.5 available
On 04/02/2019 17:25, Peter Graf wrote: Sounds good. I could compile qxltools, but that was long ago. My concern are image sizes over 16 MB and some strange characters in the commandline output. What problems do you have with 16MB files? I presume you mean that the qxl.win file is over 16Mb, and it's not a problem of writing something that big into a qxl.win? I don't see any weirdness on the command line output though. I'm mainly on Linux which might be helping. Can you give me an example of how to reproduce the problem(s) you are seeing? I've just created a 20 MB qxl.win with no problems. (So far!) Cheers, Norm. -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: 27a Lidget Hill Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7LG Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] QLTools - 2.15.5 available
Hi Peter. One of the reasons I did some work was a recent almost total loss of over 300 floppies going back many years. They had all seized in the cases and refused to rotate. I have "ripped" the ones that still work onto my Linux laptop for posterity. Qltools comes in handy as I cannot get QPC 4.0.5 to read a floppy image. I get not found errors. But I'm running under Wine, which might be contributing. I have qxltools on my laptop but haven't looked at it for ages, I think I had problems compiling it - but I can't remember. It might well be in line for some tittivation! Cheers, Norm. On 2 February 2019 08:28:53 GMT+00:00, Peter Graf via Ql-Users wrote: >Norman Dunbar via Ql-Users wrote: >> Revision 2.15.5 >> >> [...] >> >> If you enjoy using this half as much as I've enjoyed amending it, >then >> I've had twice as much fun as you! :o) > >That's great work! But like many, I went from floppy images to harddisk >images to be honest. Most native machines now support SD cards as >removable media. > >So what I have to use for the commandline is "qxltool" rather than >"qltools". Is there any chance that "qxltool" also receives some >maintainance? > >All the best >Peter >___ >QL-Users Mailing List -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
[Ql-Users] QLTools - 2.15.5 available
Revision 2.15.5 1) Now compiles under Windows with Gcc. I used CodeBlocks with the built in 32bit gcc to do the builds. There's also a makefile for shell usage. 2) Fixed 32bit bug in formatting an ed image file. It would segfault on Windows 64bit when compiled as 32bit, but not as a 64 bit build. Turned out to be a bug in my 'ed' formatting code. 3) If the image file doesn't exist, it will now be created when formatting an image. 4) Files were being corrupted when extracted from an image with the '-n' option. This was because the 'DOS_LIKE' define was not being done on modern C compilers/operating systems. It is now! The corruption was to add a CR in front of every LF in the file. 5) When changing the dataspace of a file with '-x' the dataspace size was allowed to be an odd size. I'm sure this causes trouble on a QL, so it now gets rounded up if it is odd. 6) The '-M' option to create a level 2 directory wasn't working. This was because it was opening the image file in read only mode. I may have been responsible for breaking this - but don't quote me. It's fixed now. 7) Dumping an ED cluster with the '-u' option (ASCII dump) was only dumping 32 lines of 16 bytes - 512 bytes in total. The number of lines was hard coded. It has been changed to calculate the number of lines from the sector size. This option now works for ED drives as well. 8) Windows uses the '/' character for command line options, unlike Linux which uses '-' and while there was some code that allowed the '/' when 'DOS_LIKE' was defined, it wasn't in all the places it needed to be. Now it is. Windows users have the choice of whichever flag symbol they like. (Well, '-' or '/' is all the choice actually!) 9) Slightly weird. If the '-w' option was used to write a file into an image, and that that file was already there, it didn't prompt to overwrite. I spent ages tracking it down and it turned out that running in a Windows command session does prompt, only running in a bash shell, on Windows, does it not prompt. As most users won't be in my development bash shell, I'm not fixing this. 10) Source Code is available from https://github.com/NormanDunbar/qltools. 11) Compiled binaries for 32/64 bit Windows and Linux are also available from https://github.com/NormanDunbar/qltools/releases - along with a new user guide. If you enjoy using this half as much as I've enjoyed amending it, then I've had twice as much fun as you! :o) Cheers, Norm. -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: 27a Lidget Hill Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7LG Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] SMSQ/E and SBASIC manual v1.06
Hi Derek, On 28/01/2019 20:18, Derek via Ql-Users wrote: Hi Dilwyn, I received your Blog update email, can you remove the adverts from the email. Regards Derek I suspect, given that Dilwyn's blog is at wordpress.com, that he is using a free blog setup there. In that case, the adverts are beyond Dilwyn's control I'm afraid. You know the old saying, "you get nothing for nothing these days"? Free blogs are advert supported. I agree that ads are seriously irritating, I never watch them on TV as I always record programs on the commercial stations, and fast forward, but if ads are a requirement of getting something for "nothing" then c'est la vie (as they sometimes say in Cardiff and other parts of Wales!) The Superbasic online manual, at https://superbasic-manual.readthedocs.io/en/latest/, has a single advert at the bottom of the contents list on the left of the screen - that advert pays for us to have the documentation hosted for "free" - it's not too intrusive. HTH Cheers, Norm. -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: 27a Lidget Hill Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7LG Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] QXL.WIN corrupted
On 02/01/2019 23:43, Dilwyn Jones via Ql-Users wrote: The hard disk map can be corrupted by a variety of software: the main culprits are probably the GST Linker (old version, not the one supplied by Quanta) and any software which draws arcs or uses ATAN, ASIN or ACOS (QDOS only, not SMSQ/E!). Strange. Does anyone know why the above could result in a corrupted MAP for a hard disc? Cheers, Norm. -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: 27a Lidget Hill Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7LG Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] QXL.WIN corrupted
Evening Renato. Are there any errors displayed? Cheers, Norm. -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] QLFoum is down.
It appears to be back. Please ignore my previous email. On 17/12/2018 20:25, Norman Dunbar via Ql-Users wrote: I'm attempting to get into the QL Forum and I'm getting an error 508 that states: Resource Limit Is Reached Cheers, Norm. -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: 27a Lidget Hill Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7LG Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List
[Ql-Users] QStripper version 1.16 is available.
QStripper has moved house. It's now on GitHub at https://github.com/NormanDunbar/QStripper. There's a new release out today, version 1.16, which is an enhancement requested by Derek Stewart over version 1.15. It now allows you to use your own background image rather than the one I installed at version 1.13, a NASA image of Jupiter. Windows users, I've noticed that 1.15 onwards requires a new set of Windows Support Files. Sorry about that, circumstances beyond my control I'm afraid. :-( The release area is https://github.com/NormanDunbar/QStripper/releases - help yourself. Cheers, Norm. -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: 27a Lidget Hill Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7LG Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List
[Ql-Users] QLFoum is down.
I'm attempting to get into the QL Forum and I'm getting an error 508 that states: Resource Limit Is Reached The website is temporarily unable to service your request as it exceeded resource limit. Please try again later. Hopefully there's a mod listening in here .. because I can't send a private message via the Forum. Same problem for the qlwiki sub-domain - in case anyone is trying that as well. Cheers, Norm. -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: 27a Lidget Hill Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7LG Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List
[Ql-Users] QL Assembly eComic - Issue 6 Out Now.
Issue 6 of the QL Assembly eMagazine is now, finally, available for download. Just in time for Christmas too! :-) Things are a little different now. I'm hosting all the code in the eMagazine, as well as the source (LaTeX) for the eMagazine itself on GitHUb. Each issue is available as a "release". Don't worry, if you happen to go to the old download location, you'll see a message telling you where to go to get the latest issue. All the releases are here: https://github.com/NormanDunbar/QLAssem ... e/releases while the latest edition, Issue 6, is at https://github.com/NormanDunbar/QLAssem ... ag/Issue_6. You will most likely be wanting the pdf and the "CODE.zip" links, unless you want to see how the eMagazine is put together, in which case, feel free to help yourself to one or other of the "SourceCode" links. And as there is only a few more days to go, may I take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas (or alternative Winter festival as appropriate) and a very happy and prosperous 2019. Cheers, Norm -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] Proposal about the file system
Hi Giorgio, On 11/10/18 05:49, Giorgio Garabello via Ql-Users wrote: But i never keep in my mind to use a "public" fieds to store applicative dependant info. Hmm. The backup date is applicable to the file on the hard disc. It holds information about the file on disc and not about the application. On various other file systems out in the wild, a similar thing exists - even on MSDOS there's an "archive" bit to tell some backup program that the file needs backing up. (If I remember that correctly!) There'a big difference between an intentional write ( i want to use YOUR DB,) and a casual overwrite (oh sorry, we are using the same field) don't think as DBA, thinks as a user that install a lot of sw on his system without know how these works. True, but that same user could decide to delete the database/file/whatever that holds details of the backups. Using the file's own backup date keeps the data (meta data) as close as possible to the file it applies to. That is the ideal situation. To my mind anyway. Any backup program is interesting in two pieces of data about a file, the last time it was modified and the last time it was backed up. Once you have those, you have the ability to determine if the file needs to be backed up. Without those data, the only valid backup is to completely backup everything on the hard disc. If any other backup application decides to write it's date to the backup date, then no harm done. I agree that any other application could overwrite my backup date, for example, but it could equally overwrite the file type - preventing me from EXEC'ing the file, or change the data space value resulting in the file failing to EXEC or worse, random stack based failures. So, any of the fields in the file header can be overwritten by anyone, it's the nature of the beast from 1985 I'm afraid. Of course this is only philosophy :-) :o) sorry for my bad english Never apologise for bad English, your English is perfectly understandable. My Italian is limited to please, thank you, have a good day/evening, happy birthday/Christmas, "two lemon ice creams please" and "two large glasses of white wine please". And my (late) step father was from San Remo too! Cheers, Norm. -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: 27a Lidget Hill Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7LG Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] Proposal about the file system
Hi Giorgio, but the applications can change any part of the header, especially if the user has DJToolkit, Turbo Toolkit, TK2 etc. So should we stop using file lengths, data space, file types etc? Not once has my own backup system been compimised by any application writing to the header, nor have any of my users, since 1989/1990, ever reported a problem. I think it should be safe. And speaking as a Database Administrator, what makes you think that a separate database is any safer - anyone could change it. Cheers, Norm. -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] QD 2018
On 15/08/18 17:06, Jochen Merz via Ql-Users wrote: 1988 + 20 = ??? ;-) Many thanks Jochen. Hope you are well. Cheers, Norm. -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: 27a Lidget Hill Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7LG Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] return values QPC2 <>SMSQMULATOR
On 03/08/18 12:01, François Van Emelen via Ql-Users wrote: Hi all, (if there is still someone listening, of course.) I'm listening, but unfortunately, I don't know the answer. Sorry. :( Cheers, Norm. -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: 27a Lidget Hill Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7LG Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] QL-SD progress
Looking good Marcel. Cheers, Norm. -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] QL wikis and information
Qdosmsq is mine, and is nostly software as I am most definitely not a hardware guru, nor do I play one on tv. I helped convert and set up qlwiki.qlforum.co.uk too. We could create a hardware namespace, separate from the existing qlwiki namespace for these things? Comments? Cheers, Norm. On 16 April 2018 20:14:37 BST, pjwitte via Ql-Users wrote: >On 16/04/2018 18:14, Dave Park via Ql-Users, Re: Graphic objects and >padding, wrote: >> It's almost like we need some kind of public "infobase" or >"programmer's >> wiki" to make these nuggets easily searchable and reference-able. >> >> Where might we find something like that? >> >> PS: I offer free web hosting to anyone willing to run it. >> >> On Mon, Apr 16, 2018 at 9:47 AM, pjwitte via Ql-Users < >> ql-users@lists.q-v-d.com> wrote: >At present there is >http://qdosmsq.dunbar-it.co.uk/doku.php?id=qdosmsq:start, which is a >technical wiki. There is also >http://qlwiki.qlforum.co.uk/doku.php?id=qlwiki:sinclair_ql_home_computer, > >which is more "historical". There is of course lots more info out >there, but it is widely spread around. > >I had rather hoped the relevant people would pipe up here and trumpet >their wares! The above request seems like a timely reminder. > >A lot of this passes people by (and as we get older, some of us may >need regular refreshers ;-) So it would be great if those of you >sitting on valuable information could (re)introduce yourselves and >briefly (or not) tell us about the essential hardware and software >information you have in custody. >___ >QL-Users Mailing List -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
[Ql-Users] Fancy editing the QLWiki? Here's a helpful manual for beginners
I've created a manual for beginners at editing the new QL Wiki, and for people like me, who occasionally have trouble remembering stuff! You can read about it on the wiki itself at http://qlwiki.qlforum.co.uk/doku.php#editing_manual. Cheers, Norm. -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: 27a Lidget Hill Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7LG Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List
[Ql-Users] Shock! Horror! Assembly Language eComic, Issue 5, Yes 5, Available now!
Well then, here's a surprise. The newest edition of the somewhat irregular periodical eMagazine is now available from http://qdosmsq.dunbar-it.co.uk/downloads/AssemblyLanguage/Issue_005/. I sent my wife away to Costa Rica, on a sloth hunting expedition, for a couple of weeks, so I had time to get this issue done a lot quicker than the last one. Please point your browser there and download the current issue (pdf format only) and also, look in the Code folder for this issue's code listings. There are two this time around: Langtons_ant.asm - assembles with GWASL and with a few minor changes, with QMAC. Langtons_ant2.asm - assembles with GWASS. Needs a 68020 to assemble and run this version. QPC owners, rejoice! Enjoy. The next issue is already underway, but may not appear quite so quickly I'm afraid. Also, the code and LaTeX source for this and all previous issues, except issue 1, are now on GitHub at: https://github.com/NormanDunbar/QLAssemblyLanguageMagazine. See the latest issue for details. Cheers, Norm. -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: 27a Lidget Hill Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7LG Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] Source code availability for Minerva v1.92 or v1.89?
What Martin says about Qmon! If/when you come to sell it, I'll have a copy please. I'm using QPC's 68020 and Gwass these days for the somrwhat irregular assembly eMagazine and Qmon2, standard, doesn't cope well with 68020 instructions. Obviously, that's exactly what I'm debugging now! Cheers, Norm. -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] A polite request
Evening Per, On 15/02/18 17:42, pjwitte via Ql-Users wrote: For my part, I believe Ive apologised very handsomely for the error of my ways (although any forgiveness still seems to be working its way though my accuser's brain) so I have no more to give on this and require no further instruction. Look back up the thread, you were forgiven. Not that you needed forgiving, other people do it too. It's a minor irritation and certainly not something to lose sleep over. Nor will I take kindly to any further reprimand on the topic. There is plenty one could moan about on this list if one were thus inclined. Nuff said. Oh, I would tend to disagree there. Respectfully disagree of course. I think this is one of the better lists I enjoy reading - even when the subject has little or no interest for me - and responding to as and when appropriate. We are a pretty friendly bunch on here, in my opinion. Cheers, Norm. -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: 27a Lidget Hill Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7LG Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] A polite request
On 14/02/18 20:22, Dave Park via Ql-Users wrote: Also, have you guys been following my new hardware releases on the forums recently? I see what you did there Dave! ;-) And, yes, I have been following. Cheers, Norm. -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: 27a Lidget Hill Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7LG Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] A polite request
Hi Per, On 14/02/18 20:21, pjwitte via Ql-Users wrote: If Ive sinned, Norm, please forgive. Are you refering to anything I did? I ax cause I havent noticed the problem, so perhaps I missed something? Anyway, enjoy your wine, although I would have thought a hot toddy would bring more cheer after your wet waddle to Waitrose.. Per on this occasion, you just happened to be the victim, yes. Other culprits have done it before, not just to me though. So worry ye not! I also get this on some Oracle lists that I follow for work, it's a right pain, and even when the mods tell people off, they still do it. I'm currently scoffing a hot, decaf latte, one wine a night midweek is enough, I need to be up early tomorrow and at work by 7AM. Cheers, Norm. -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: 27a Lidget Hill Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7LG Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List
[Ql-Users] A polite request
Good Evening All, my wife is currently in Central America, chasing sloths, and I've been lambasted because she didn't get her Valentine's card. Go figure, it's waiting here for he but that's not good enough - I should have hidden in in her suitcase! That's just so you know what kind of night I'm having, plus, is pi55ing down and I'm soaked having just (stupidly) decided to walk to the supermarket. And back, with the shopping! Right, the request... Please, please, please do not "hijack" a thread. Don't reply to a thread and change the subject to something completely unrelated. Thanks. It's a complete pain in the backside (see, I'm being polite!) when I miss out on some interesting topics because someone has replied to another thread that I'm not following. It's especially painful when someone replied to my threads - I don't tend to read my own stuff after the topic has come to a graceful conclusion, so the new topic thread remain hidden within my ramblings. I just noticed a new topic thread hidden in my recent "Assembly language ePeriodical Issue 4" thread. I use Thunderbird, I have it configured to list emails in threads, and in reverse date order with most recent first. If you start a new thread by replying to another, and change the subject, your threaded topic ends up hidden within the original topic thread and I miss out on stuff! Anyway, I just wanted to get that off my chest! Cheers, Norm. PS. Yes, I have had a large glass of crisp white wine tonight! ;-) -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: 27a Lidget Hill Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7LG Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] Assembly Language ePeriodical Issue 4 - Available Now!
Email problem resolved, and emails are working again now. It seems that my MX records were mysteriously changed to point at a non-existing mail server. Hmmm. I shall be having words with 1 and 1 as this happened with my 'A' record a wee while back too. Cheers, Norm. -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: 27a Lidget Hill Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7LG Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] Assembly Language ePeriodical Issue 4 - Available Now!
Oh hum! It seems that the email address for feedback on the eComic, assem...@qdosmsq.dunbar-it.co.uk, is down. It can send emails out, but any attempt to reply, or send an email to it gets 'mailbox doesn't exist' errors. I need to look into this. Just in case anyone has read the ePeriodical and wants to send feedback, try: assembly (at) dunbar-it (dot) co (dot) uk and I'll get it. Cheers, Norm. -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: 27a Lidget Hill Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7LG Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] Assembly Language ePeriodical Issue 4 - Available Now!
It seems that I managed to upload a PDF file with lots of spelling errors and a couple of bugs in the listings. Sigh! I've taken the liberty of fixing the copyright date as well - thanks Dave. ;) I have uploaded a fixed PDF, so the same URL as before applies: http://qdosmsq.dunbar-it.co.uk/downloads/AssemblyLanguage/Issue_004/Assembly_Language_004.pdf I have also uploaded the source code for the ASMReformat utility - which might save you a lot of typing. You can get that at: http://qdosmsq.dunbar-it.co.uk/downloads/AssemblyLanguage/Issue_004/ASMReformat.asm Or on github, if you prefer: https://github.com/NormanDunbar/ASMReformat. If you downloaded that code yesterday, there are two bugs in it that I only noticed yesterday - they don't seem to affect the working of the code, funnily enough, but I'm almost certain that George would have spotted them and give me, rightfully, a hard time! ;) Have fun. Cheers, Norm. -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: 27a Lidget Hill Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7LG Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List
[Ql-Users] Assembly Language ePeriodical Issue 4 - Available Now!
After promising, sort of, to get this issue out a lot quicker than the previous one, I seem to have failed miserably. This is due to the usual excuses, plus, some family illnesses etc which I may have mentioned previously. Anyway, after yet many more months of the odd hour grabbed here and there, between work, driving, home life and so forth - did I mention Christmas, New Year and a holiday or two to boot - the latest somewhat exciting issue of the Assembly Language eMagazine is now available for download. Point your browsers at http://qdosmsq.dunbar-it.co.uk/downloads/AssemblyLanguage/Issue_004/Assembly_Language_004.pdf (or wget http://qdosmsq.dunbar-it.co.uk/downloads/AssemblyLanguage/Issue_004/Assembly_Language_004.pdf) and all will be revealed. There are 49 pages of articles on a wide range of subjects relating to Assembly Language on your QL (or derivative) including an article on the many new addressing modes available on the MC68020 processor. Oh, and the cover and chapter heading pages have been 'tarted up' a little too. Happy reading and hopefully, the next issue will be out much quicker than this one! Cheers, Norm. -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: 27a Lidget Hill Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7LG Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] Ql-Users Digest, Vol 167, Issue 2
Hi Paolo, as far as I remember, the code letters for the various QL ROMs have been named after: * Taxi Drivers used by Sinclair staff; * Engineers at Sinclair; * Women in the Sinclair offices. There may bo other "uses", but the letters in JM and JS etc are the initials of certain people from the above list. I have not seen a full list of the various names actually used though, so I can't tell you who JM and JS were. Sorry. HTH Cheers, Norm. On 04/01/18 18:30, Paolo Del Bene via Ql-Users wrote: Today's Topics: 1. Re: about JM and JS roms (Paolo Del Bene) 34 years are passed, and I haven't anymore a QL Sinclair from 27 years when my father before bought it for me and then he sold without to say nothing to me. I am here only to ask for what stand the name JM and JS in the roms. I haven't found any information about, if you can help me I'll be happy Happy GNU Year 2018 Paolo Del Bene iw0fzw -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: 27a Lidget Hill Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7LG Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] Merry Christmas with SMSQ/E
Afternoon Jan. Happy New Year to you, here's hoping that 2018 is a good one. DISA would possibly be a good one - if the original author is ok with his code being publically available on Github, which I hope he is. Mind you, we need to finish Multimon first. ;-) I'll be getting back to that very soon, I hope. Cheers, Norm. On 2 January 2018 09:13:51 GMT+00:00, Jan Bredenbeek via Ql-Users wrote: >Hi Norman, > >On 31 December 2017 at 19:43, Norman Dunbar via Ql-Users < >ql-users@lists.q-v-d.com> wrote: > >> Happy New Year one and all. >> >> I started pcb design a while back too. I use Fritzing and/or Kicad >for >> mine. Manually routing a pcb can seriously use up a good few hours of >your >> life! But it's [still] fun. >> >> I will probably live to regret this but, let me know how/where to get >the >> DISA source and I will take a look and try to understand it. I must >say in >> advance that time, as ever, is probably limited as my wife and I are >in the >> middle of dealing with a severe case of dementia affecting my mother >in >> law. This, as you can imagine, is a bit of a time killer, and the >worst of >> it is, she'll never get better. >> > >I'm sorry to read this. Well we've come a long way already commenting >MultiMon so DISA would be a nice GitHub project to do next ;) > >Best wishes for 2018, > >Jan. > >-- >*Jan Bredenbeek* | Hilversum, NL | j...@bredenbeek.net >___ >QL-Users Mailing List -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] Merry Christmas with SMSQ/E
Happy New Year one and all. I started pcb design a while back too. I use Fritzing and/or Kicad for mine. Manually routing a pcb can seriously use up a good few hours of your life! But it's [still] fun. I will probably live to regret this but, let me know how/where to get the DISA source and I will take a look and try to understand it. I must say in advance that time, as ever, is probably limited as my wife and I are in the middle of dealing with a severe case of dementia affecting my mother in law. This, as you can imagine, is a bit of a time killer, and the worst of it is, she'll never get better. I lost my own mother 2 years ago to the same horror, and my dad was recently diagnosed with it too. Still, look on the bright side, it's not hereditory! As mentioned above, all the best for 2018, and thanks for all the help, and fun this past year. Cheers, Norm. -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] EXT_PROC
Already done by me. Dilwyn has the documents and should be uploading soon. Cheers, Norm. On 10 November 2017 01:27:04 GMT+00:00, Per Witte via Ql-Users wrote: >Thanks Dilwyn. It seems Jon S is already on the case of appending it. > >Per > >On 9 November 2017 at 20:19, Dilwyn Jones via Ql-Users < >ql-users@lists.q-v-d.com> wrote: > >> I've OCRed Chapter 15 from my copy of the manual and placed it as PDF >and >> Word DOC file at http://www.dilwyn.me.uk/qlib/index.html >> >> Would be delighted if it could be added to the manual already on that >page. >> >> Note that it was done in a hurry and I've only hurriedly gone through >the >> OCRed file so there are probably dozens of misstakkes in it. >> >> Dilwyn >> >> -Original Message- From: SMSQE >> Sent: Thursday, November 09, 2017 1:28 PM >> To: ql-us...@q-v-d.com >> Cc: 'Dilwyn Jones' >> Subject: RE: [Ql-Users] EXT_PROC >> >> >> My version of QLIB didn't come with such a supplement for some >reason, so >> it >> won't be in the manual I created. If I can get the supplement, I'll >update >> the manual. >> >> Jon >> >> -Original Message- >> From: Ql-Users [mailto:ql-users-boun...@lists.q-v-d.com] On Behalf Of >> Dilwyn >> Jones via Ql-Users >> Sent: 09 November 2017 01:01 >> To: ql-us...@q-v-d.com >> Cc: Dilwyn Jones >> Subject: Re: [Ql-Users] EXT_PROC >> >> Chapter 15!? >>> >> An 8 page supplement entitled "Release 3.3 Enhancements" >> >> Headings (to give you an idea what it covers): >> >> Introduction >> Notes For Minerva Users >> SuperBASIC Changes With Minerva >> WHEN Handling >> WHEN ERROR >> Entering WHEN ERROR >> Exiting WHEN ERROR >> Turning Off WHEN ERROR >> WHEN ERROR and Q_ERR >> WHEN ERROR in compiled programs >> WHEN ERROR and Externals >> WHEN variable >> Stopping WHEN Processing >> WHEN variable in compiled programs >> Trace Options >> Error Console >> Free Running Procedures >> QLIB_SYS >> New Error Messages >> >> If anyone has time to OCR this I'll gladly post it on my QLib page - >I'm >> afraid I don't know if the information has been integrated into the >v3.36 >> manual on my site or not. >> >> Dilwyn >> >> ___ >> QL-Users Mailing List >> >> >> --- >> This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. >> http://www.avg.com >> ___ >> QL-Users Mailing List >> >> >> >___ >QL-Users Mailing List -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] CPORT
Hi Michael, I have both CPORT and CFIX. I find that CFIX doesn't work correctly in QPC2, Something for me to find out later then I suspect! so to get around that problem, I use Q-emulator for that one. That would work for me too. I wonder what the difference is? CPORT does work well in QPC2, provided that memory is limited to 16M. Hmmm. I use 48M. But I can reduce it if necessary. There's also some other related files. I'll dig them out. How can I get them to you? There's no need - thank you. One I'm not sure of the legal status, even though it is a Chas Dillon program, he didn't put the source code etc out there when he "opened" his other stuff, and two, I have the DP collection and CPORT_zip is on disc 03. So I have it already. Thanks again though for your offer. Cheers, Norm. -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: 27a Lidget Hill Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7LG Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List
[Ql-Users] CPORT???
Afternoon All, I used to have CPORT on my hard drive for QPC2 but for some reason I seem to have deleted it, plus, my original disc - floppy - is no more having been one of hundreds that no longer worked. Luckily I have working copies of the DP Collection, so I'm able to get it back from there! Phew. I've checked the web site for the Chas Dillon sources of Turbo etc, but CPORT isn't there, sadly, and the QL Wiki lists the source code as missing in action, so I'm wondering if anyone out there actually knows Chas, or, if you know where Chas hides the source code and if there is the slightest chance that it will be made available? I suspect the odds are slim, but you never know if you don't ask. Cheers, Norm -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: 27a Lidget Hill Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7LG Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] Possible bug in smsqmulator.
Ok, thanks Wolf. Cheers, Norm. On 12 October 2017 04:41:36 BST, Wolf via Ql-Users wrote: >Hi, > >thanks for your warning but no bug. The comment mentions what the >SMSQ/E >format routine gets, not the java side. > >Cheers > >Wolfgang > >On 11/10/2017 23:24, Norman Dunbar via Ql-Users wrote: >> Evening All, >> >> I was nosing around in the latest source for Smsqmulator and I might >have found a bug in the floppy driver code. Mind you, it's Java, so all >bets are off! >> >> In formatDrive() it has a comment that d0 is the format type, 0=sd, >1=dd, 2=hd or 3=ed etc. However the code looks to be getting the format >type from register d2 and not d0. As in: >> >> Int type = (this.cpu.data_regs[2]&0x)-1; >> >> I might be wrong of course, it does happen, but it looks odd given >the comments. >> >> >> Cheers, >> Norm. >> >___ >QL-Users Mailing List -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
[Ql-Users] Possible bug in smsqmulator.
Evening All, I was nosing around in the latest source for Smsqmulator and I might have found a bug in the floppy driver code. Mind you, it's Java, so all bets are off! In formatDrive() it has a comment that d0 is the format type, 0=sd, 1=dd, 2=hd or 3=ed etc. However the code looks to be getting the format type from register d2 and not d0. As in: Int type = (this.cpu.data_regs[2]&0x)-1; I might be wrong of course, it does happen, but it looks odd given the comments. Cheers, Norm. -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
[Ql-Users] QL Wiki - How to subscribe to page change alerts.
The new wiki allows you to subscribe to a page, or pages, and receive an email either every time that the page changes, or, one email, every day that the page changes, with details of all the changes made that day. So, for example, you want to know when changes happen to the C68 page: * Open the C68 page. * Click the "spanner/wrench" button at the top, then select "Manage Subscriptions". * Ensure that the page "qlwiki:C68" is selected, but you can subscribe to every change in the "qlwiki" name space by selecting that option instead. * Choose your email desires - an email for every change, or, a daily email digest when the page(s) change. I would suggest the latter. * Click the "Subscribe" button. If you are subscribed to some pages already, they will show up at the top of the page. You will see your chosen email options for each page subscribed to, and an "unsubscribe" link. Now instead of checking the page every 5 minutes looking for changes, you just need to watch your inbox. Cheers, Norm. -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] EasyPtr and rescalable windows.
This might be handy too then, it's the official 68000 programmers manual, covering all the cpus: http://www.nxp.com/docs/en/reference-manual/M68000PRM.pdf Have fun. Cheers, Norm. -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] EasyPtr and rescalable windows.
Evening Daniel, Re assembly language and writing extensions, my eBook has a few chapters on that. Help yourself to http://qdosmsq.dunbar-it.co.uk/downloads/QLToday/QL_Assembly.pdf. If you need to return two values, or four, then take a look at the DJTOOLKIT sources at https://github.com/SinclairQL/DJToolkit, you will be interested in the MAX_CON function which is passed a channel I'd and 4 integers, and returns an error code as the result, plus updates the 4 integers with the channel's window or console sizes and positions: ** * error = MAX_CON #channel, x%, y%, xo%, yo% => returns an error and *updates the 4 (non-channel) parameters to be the *maximum sizes & positions that a CON channel is. ** You could write something similar quite easily, I'm sure. HTH Cheers, Norm. -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] Returning to the QL
Evening Daniel, Welcome back to the QL. I replied to Dilwyn earlier on this. I realise my mistake, as usual, only when my post went public. Sigh! No worries! Cheers, Norm. On 28 August 2017 09:32:38 BST, Daniel Baum via Ql-Users wrote: >Hi Norman, > >I (apparently) wrote this about 20 years ago. This has reminded me that >the >idea was to write some kind of debugger for superbasic, but I really >don't >remember how it worked. > >You're right of course about local variables. Perhaps my experience >with >programming since I wrote this will enable me to overcome the problems >that >I was obviously having then. > >Rgds, > >Daniel > > >On Mon, Aug 28, 2017 at 10:34 AM, Norman Dunbar via Ql-Users < >ql-users@lists.q-v-d.com> wrote: > >> Dilwyn asked: "...has huge problems with local variables, which seem >> to lose their names when out of scope. If anyone knows how to >reconnect >> local variables to their names when they are out of scope, please let >me >> know. " >> >> >> Could you explain, for the old and infirm (me), how you mean "goes >out of >> scope", please? >> >> I'm obviously not understanding what you wrote because a variable >that >> goes out of scope, in any language, will become undefined, or >completely >> missing, surely? Do any value it had, will be 'lost'. >> >> Sorry if I'm being particularly thick this morning! >> >> >> Cheers, >> Norm. >> -- >> Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. >> ___ >> QL-Users Mailing List >> >___ >QL-Users Mailing List -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] Returning to the QL
Indeed Dilwyn, apologies, I was wondering about you having said it! However, the problem is simply my own apparent inability to read properly! Cheers, Norm. On 28 August 2017 09:40:20 BST, Dilwyn Jones via Ql-Users wrote: >Err, except it wasn't me wot wrote that, Norman!!! > >Dilwyn > > >Dilwyn asked: "...has huge problems with local variables, which seem >to lose their names when out of scope. If anyone knows how to reconnect >local variables to their names when they are out of scope, please let >me >know. " > > >Could you explain, for the old and infirm (me), how you mean "goes out >of >scope", please? > >I'm obviously not understanding what you wrote because a variable that >goes >out of scope, in any language, will become undefined, or completely >missing, >surely? Do any value it had, will be 'lost'. > >Sorry if I'm being particularly thick this morning! > > >Cheers, >Norm. >-- >Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. >___ >QL-Users Mailing List > >--- >This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. >http://www.avg.com > >___ >QL-Users Mailing List -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] Returning to the QL
Dilwyn asked: "...has huge problems with local variables, which seem to lose their names when out of scope. If anyone knows how to reconnect local variables to their names when they are out of scope, please let me know. " Could you explain, for the old and infirm (me), how you mean "goes out of scope", please? I'm obviously not understanding what you wrote because a variable that goes out of scope, in any language, will become undefined, or completely missing, surely? Do any value it had, will be 'lost'. Sorry if I'm being particularly thick this morning! Cheers, Norm. -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] PCB Design v7.52
Thanks Dave. I have tried the Web based EasyEDA tool and I liked it. Unfortunately it barfs for me, regardless of my browser, chrome, Firefox, opera, so I haven't got anything done with it yet. I'll try again as it has been a while. Time permitting of course. I will give their board manufacturing a try too. Cheers, Norm. -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] PCB Design v7.52
Interesting, indeed. My boards were fine, so far, but I'll keep an eye out in future. If I ever get time to finish my design! (I can't do it at work in my lunch break!) Who does your boards now? Cheers, Norm. -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
Re: [Ql-Users] PCB Design v7.52
I'm not an electronics expert, and I font play one on TV, but I never got on with Eagle very well. I had the two layer limited board sized free version. I use Fritzing these days and Kicad. It depends. For something quick and dirty, I tend to drop into the former. For my ongoing attempt at a DIY "Arduino" it's Kicad. Osh Park (no relation Dave?) do my boards for me. Good quality, free postage too. Cheers, Norm. On 26 July 2017 21:00:41 BST, Dave Park via Ql-Users wrote: >This amuses me as I just quit using Eagle this year because I could not >stand it any more. > >And my educational license expired and they wanted HOW MUCH?!?!?! > >*cough* > >On Wed, Jul 26, 2017 at 2:49 PM, Marcel Kilgus via Ql-Users < >ql-users@lists.q-v-d.com> wrote: > >> Dilwyn Jones via Ql-Users wrote: >> > Malcolm Lear has made available an updated v7.52 of his PCB Design >> program. >> > Download from http://www.dilwyn.me.uk/graphics/index.html >> >> I will not quit using Eagle anytime soon, but I tried PCB Design >> nonetheless and I must say the examples look pretty amazing. Good >job. >> >> Cheers, Marcel >> >> ___ >> QL-Users Mailing List >> > > > >-- >Dave Park >d...@sinclairql.com >___ >QL-Users Mailing List -- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. ___ QL-Users Mailing List
