[ql-users] Sampled Sound System
I know that I can play sound files on the Q40, but has anyone tried making original music. Is the SSS set up for turning the Q40 into, say, an organ? Or would this be fairly difficult? Thanks, Tim Swenson
Re: [ql-users] Quanta
Yea, yea, Yea. American have guns, Europeans don't. No need to start a long thread about the merits of either. I can always start the thread that our royality are not on the taxpayers' dollar. :-) I read the bit about Quanta and shows with some disinterest. Given that I have to fly 2,000 miles for my nearest QL show, I find it ammusing about all the discussion about where, what QL shows are and such. Heck I even have to travel 500 miles to get to the nearest other country. So, be happy that you all are close to other QLers and pity the rest of us that are not.j Tim Swenson ___ Internet Access, Shared Dedicated Web Hosting. Colocation and Domain Name Registration at http://www.SharedPoint.com
Re: [ql-users] QLiberator
At 08:14 PM 2/10/2004 -0500, you wrote: (But why would anyone want to get Q-Liberator when Turbo is free, twice as fast, plus now it can incorporate extensions in the executable. We should know as Q-Word is done this way thanks to George Gwilt). Turbo IMHO was always a superior product and with TurboPTR you can build all the Pointer programs that your heart desires. With all honesty, I find Qlib to be an easier compiler to use. Now, both have their problem compared to a real compiler like C68. Both require you to LOAD the program into SBASIC. When I use Structured SuperBasic (which allows me to program with no line numbers). Qlib does the linking in of Config blocks using a few preprocessor commands. Turbo requires the use of T_CONFIG program and Turbo with TurboPTR requires the use of line numbers and data statements. Now, I have not used Qlib in a while and will alter my programming style to use Turbo, but it's kind of like changing from a QWERTY keyboard to a Dvorak keyboard. I now favor Turbo because it is 100% freeware and pretty much open source. Tim Swenson
Re: [ql-users] wman
A while back Per wrote an e-mail to the group asking for someone to create a PD Sprite collection, esp. sprites that can be used with the new WMAN. This sounds like an interesting task, not one that I could do myself. I think it would be possible if the PE programmers out there donated the different sprites that they have created. I would be willing to organize them by mode (4, 8, 16, 33, etc). I'd also keep track of who donated what so that the end user would know who did the work. It would also make it easier to take Mode 4 sprites and use them as a model for higher resolution sprites. I think this project would be good for the QL community as it would help new PE programmers save the time in designing sprites. The more the same sprites were used, the more PE programs would start looking more standard. As someone new to working with sprites, I'm willing to take some feedback on what size the sprites should be or if they should be of multiple size. Tim Swenson
Re: [ql-users] Birthday QL 2004
At 10:38 AM 1/17/2004 +0100, you wrote: Is the writing on the wall? Are we going to give up after 20 years? Or is this some kind of general apathy? Anyway, I for one will very much welcome some kind of QL 2004 event. Well, I'm flying 2,400 miles to attend the US QL Show. I think that shows that I'm still committed to the QL. Tim Swenson
Re: [ql-users] SINCLAIR QL's 20th birthday today! Congratulations...
But it took a little longer to be launched on the US shores, with a whole lot less fanfare. I think I might have heard about the QL when I walked in to Sunset Electronics in SF, to buy other Sinclair things. My anniv. is either March or April of 1986, when they dropped the price of the QL from $500 to $300. Somewhere I still have my original receipt. Tim Swenson ___ Internet Access, Shared Dedicated Web Hosting. Colocation and Domain Name Registration at http://www.SharedPoint.com
Re: [ql-users] US QL Show 2004 - Web Site is on line!
Ok, I just booked my Airline and the hotel. I'll be arriving on Friday at about 5:00 and leaving Monday at about 6:00 (there are airplane times). I plan to just catch a shuttle or taxi from the Airport to the hotel. 9 miles should not be that expensive. I've got a rood with two double beds. I'm willing to share my room with someone else (and split the cost). Feel free to announce on the web page that I'm attending. Tim (now to just get the time off from work...)
Re: [ql-users] US QL Show 2004 - Web Site is on line!
I guess I'm sort of thinking about going. I did a quick search on Yahoo and found flights from San Jose to Orlando starting at $244 round trip. Oakland and SFO were more expensive. What kind of prices where you finding? BTW, I was looking at departing on Friday and returning Monday. Departing Sunday evening was more expensive. I'm also looking at taking a vacation up the Coast around May, so I don't know if I want to do both trips. Since I'm now doing On-Call and getting On-Call pay, I can save that up for traveling. So what are your plans? Are you staying to visit the parks with Jochen? Tim Swenson
Re: [ql-users] US QL Show 2004 - Web Site is on line!
Whoops, That was supposed to be a reply just to Jim (who also lives in the Bay Area). My Bad. Tim Swenson
Re: [ql-users] I'm back in the running
At 01:17 PM 12/13/2003 +0100, you wrote: For the backup of data there are different way to achieve the goal : - use a second HD, I have a 2nd HD of 40 GB that i use for both Linux and SMSQ/e, it is mounted on a removable bay, so I can move it from the Q60 to the Q40 With the limitation of 2 IDE devices on one IDE cable and 1 cable per IDE controller, I have the main HD and the CDROM. Having a second HD would mean a second controller. Something to think about. Floppy Speed: with the new releases of smsq/e from 2.99x on, this problem does not exist anymore I've at SMSQ/E 3.04 and it still feels slow to me. I'm comparing to copy to the speed that my PC copies at. Anybody have the details on why it was slow in the first place. This might help in figuring out why my copies feel slow. Tim Swenson
[ql-users] I'm back in the running
Two years ago my Q40 case blew it's power supply. After 2 years of distractions and procrastination (plus a coworker giving me a used AT case), I'm back up and running. I've sort of kept of with developments, but not too closely, so I've got a few questions to ask the QL community. Backups: After a recent HD crash on my PC, I've learned a valuable lesson on doing frequent backups. With the Q40, the problem is how to do it. About the only option is backup to floppy. It is slow and takes a whole lot of floppies. I have a Syquest EZ disk drive, but I've had no luck getting it to work on the Q40. I think the disks might be bad as I keep getting bad or changed medium errors when formatting. I guess I could get a CompactFlash adapter and go that route, but those cards are not that cheap. I've thought about putting in an Ethernet card and backing up across an X-over cable to my PC. I'm pretty sure no one has written any drivers for CD-R's for SMSQ/E. So, what options do you all use? Floppy Speed: Floppy access on the Q40 has always been slow and I've wonder if anyone has address this issue. Is it possible to speed the access time, or is it a hardware issue? Thanks, Tim Swenson
Re: [ql-users] (Announce) SuperBasic syntax highlighter for free...
At 04:51 PM 7/31/2003 +0100, you wrote: I wish I knew how to get it working though. Malcolm MicroEmacs is fairly easy to get started. If I remember correctly, you just need to have the .rc file set aside at a certain location and then have an environment variable tell MicroEmacs where to find it. I have all my environment variables set via my boot script. The MicroEmacs documentation is pretty good, esp. the docs that Thierry wrote on just the QL port. I do find that as MicroEmacs adds more features (like syntax highlighting), it's bogging down on my Gold Card QL. But on the Q40, I never noticed any delays. A lot of the neat features of MicroEmacs on the QL are only specific to the QL version and have been added on my Thierry. Adding Menu support, Syntax Highlighting, spell checking, etc. really make the QL version the best version out there. Tim Swenson
Re: [ql-users] Dynamic arrays?
The real solution to this problem is a linked list. But, SuperBasic (and Basic in general) does not support a linked list. I believe by definition DIMed arrays are not able to change after allocation. One could ask for some memory (ALLOC or something like that) and handle the memory any way you want (you have to write the array routines). To expand you'd have to ask for more memory and have the linked list jump/link between the two areas. This is possible, but not so easy. But is someone writes the routine, we all could use it. Timothy Swenson ___ Internet Access, Shared Dedicated Web Hosting. Colocation and Domain Name Registration at http://www.SharedPoint.com
Re: [ql-users] 2 questions
At 11:49 AM 6/26/2003 +0100, you wrote: 1. What is an RFC? Norman is correct in his explanation of a Request For Comments. RFC's came about for implementation for the Internet. Various Internet standards were introduced as an RFC. The RFC's are used as a yardstick to determine compliance. Internet mail is based on a number of RFC's (I think 812 is one of them). Same goes for things like FTP, POP, PPP, etc. I don't know if there was an organization that sort of controlled them. They go back to the mid-80's at least. 2. What exactly is an _rc file (presumably like qascade_rc, the runtime control file or something like that?) Resource Control is correct. It's pretty much from Unix. Most shells have an rc file. Since I used to use the C shell, I has a .cshrc. csh is the shell name and rc is for resource control. The file was pronounced see-shark. I believe Emacs and other applications use rc files. Since Jonathan Hudson has a Unix background, he used this convention for Qascade. BTW, I'm still around. Between work and entering my second year as President of a local non-profit Museum, I'm been too busy for QL things. Still follow the list though. Tim Swenson
Re: [ql-users] Directory Devices
At 01:33 PM 2/26/2003 +0100, you wrote: Timothy Swenson wrote: I use the HISTORY device all the time. I learn about shell history using Unix. The QL History device is more like a DOS version of history (using arrow keys instead of a bang (!) ). I find it useful for repetitive commands that can easily be edited. Tell me, how do you do that using the SMSQ/E device named HISTORY? Don't you mix that up with the history extension that somebody else developed independently of SMSQ/E (and has not one line in common with the one Wolfgang is talking about)? Marcel I was talking about the independent HISTORY, not the one is SMSQ/E. The original question was just on the HISTORY device and did not specify which one. Tim
Re: [ql-users] Directory Devices
At 12:15 PM 2/25/2003 +0100, you wrote: On 25 Feb 2003 at 10:40, François Van Emelen wrote: What about 'HISTORY'? I'd be interested to know whether anybody uses that device at all. Wolfgang I use the HISTORY device all the time. I learn about shell history using Unix. The QL History device is more like a DOS version of history (using arrow keys instead of a bang (!) ). I find it useful for repetitive commands that can easily be edited. I would hate to get buy without it. Tim Swenson
Re: [ql-users] Sbasic and macro substitutions
At 05:55 PM 2/19/2003 +0100, you wrote: Hi Tim, Thank you for your reply, but my example has mislead you somewhat,I'm afraid. Macro substitution is something completely different from 'IF DEF's' or '#INCLUDE'( if I do understand your explanation correctly). I gather from TT's reply that I was not getting what you had expressed. I was thinking more of a macro in C terms than the 'eval' that you were expressing. Since I'm replying to this thread, Phoebus is right in that FoxPro is not based on anything by M$. Fox's first product was a code accelerator for dBase II. I believe FoxPro is based on the dBase II/III language (which I used to program in many moons ago). Tim Swenson
Re: [ql-users] Sbasic and macro substitutions
I don't believe there is a way of performing macro substitution in S*BASIC programming. Now, it can probably be implemented in one form or another. The most obvious is a pre-processor that takes a macro and expands it before the program is actually sent to a compiler or parser. C has a pre-processor that does exactly this. Another way to do it is to create a macro in a text editor that does the substitution for you. Either as a form of pre-processor, or as a keyboard shortcut. I don't think it is possible inside S*BASIC, as this would require a change in the S*BASIC code. Structured SuperBasic (SSB) is a form of pre-processor that does things like conditional compilation (IF DEF's), combining S*BASIC modules into one program (#INCLUDE statement), and so on. Some form of substitution could be implemented. If you feel adventure some, the SSB source code comes in the package and you can take it as a start and go from there. Tim Swenson
Re: [ql-users] Progress bar
At 08:47 PM 2/7/2003 +, you wrote: Hi, Has anyone written a progress bar in SuperBASIC ? With SSB, I wrote a bar the progressed a single character for every 10 lines of code processed. Since the program had no idea of how large the file being processed is, I could not guess a percent. With some work, it could be done. A line showing that work is being done is better than the software just sitting there looking like it has frozen. Sun used a spinner to show work being done. Basically it's a dash (-) then a slahs (\) then anther dash, and then the other slash (/). When printed at the same location, it looks like it's spinning. Tim Swenson
[ql-users] Vintage Computer Festival
Time for a little Sinclair news from the West Coast. I attended the 5th Vintage Computer Festival, held at Moffet Field, CA (in the heart of Silicon Valley). I exhibited my Sinclair collection (ZX80, ZX81, T/S 1000, T/S 1500, T/S 2068, Spectrum, Sprectrum+, QL, and Z88). I had a display board that covered the history of Sinclair Research Ltd and the various systems. In front of each system I had a card that described the hardware of each system (CPU, Memory, I/O, etc). The attendees (regular, exhibitor, and vendors) all voted for their favorite exhibit. You'll be happy to know that my display won third place. Second place went to a gentleman with a whole bunch of Mac's and Mac portables. First place went to a gentleman displaying Xerox 8065 workstations. I did get a lot of complements from folks. Some were interested because they had used a ZX81 or T/S 1000 years ago. Others were interested in seeing systems like the QL that they had not seen before. Most were puzzled over the Microdrive cartridges. One guy even said that the size reminded him of those new IBM hard drives, called .. Microdrives. There was an attendee from the UK who brought over a number of UK systems (Acorn, Dragon, Sinclair). One UK QL went for $75. A 48K Spectrum went for $40. One of the organizers is from the former East Germany and organizes VCF Europe in Germany. The next VCF Europe should be this Spring. He even asked me about getting some Sinclair folks (like the Q60 developers) to come to the show. At the VCF shows, the more odd and unusual the computer is, the more interest people have. At the show I met Peter Jenning, who wrote the first Chess program microcomputers (on a Kim-1). His company went on to become Visacorp, who ruled the market with Visicalc, the first spreadsheet program. He said that for 5 years his company was bigger than Microsoft and that the two companies almost merged. I also met Mr. and Mrs. Jolitz, who did the first work on porting BSD Unix to the 386 chip (and published in Dr. Dobb's Journal). There also was a guy who helped develop the Amiga and had the design breadboards for some of the customer Amiga chips. Now I have to figure out what to do next year to win first place. :-) Tim Swenson
Re: [ql-users] Keyboard membranes
At 06:44 AM 10/13/2002 -0700, you wrote: Zane - Not just living on the the other side of the Pond, but on the other side of the Continent Do you mean West Coast of the US? If so, that would bring the West Coast tally up to 4. Tim Swenson
Re: [ql-users] This is the LICENCE
At 05:09 PM 6/11/2002 +0100, you wrote: On Tue, 11 Jun 2002, Richard Zidlicky wrote: Richard wrote: I will NEVER agree to GPL. Under GPL, as soon as you use the tiniest little bit of something GPL'd, you HAVE to make your code GPL, too. Hmmm? My understanding, as an open source fan, is that the GPL is infectious - any software that includes GPL'd code is also GPL'd. You cannot use GPL'd code in non-GPL releases. It is OK to use GPL code for your own purposes, but if you provide the whole package to somebody else, you either have to remove the GPL'd code, or release the whole thing as GPL. I see this feature of GPL as a good thing. This prevents somebody from stealing somebody else's code and making it commercial or whatever. If you find the GPL too restrictive in this respect, then don't steal the code and write it yourself. The C libraries and gcc are GPL'd. The GCC libraries are not GPL'd. They fall under a GNU Library License, which allows GCC compiled code to be sold commercially, even including the binary libraries (but not the source libraries). GNU has Licenses for Software, Libraries and Documentation as three separate licenses, because each have unique issues. Tim Swenson
Re: [ql-users] Plight of a Software House
I kind of jumped in the middle of this thread before I really read any of the messages, so I'm sort of guessing a bit about the on going conversation. I'm assuming that part of the discussion is about the lack of new programs coming out for the QL, esp. commercial ones. One thing that I find that I like about the QL is that the software that I've been using for almost 15 years is still useable. I still find Quill to be a useful word processor, esp. since the Xchange version is freeware and the command set is now engrained into my fingers. Software in the QL community has a much longer life than the Windows world, where using a program 2 years out-of-date is considered a sin. Tim Swenson
Re: [ql-users] SMSQ/E proposals
At 09:39 AM 5/31/2002 +0100, you wrote: Surely 'Porsche 911' 'Boeing 747' are copyright? The terms Porsche 911, Boeing 747 can not be copyrighted, but they can be trademarked. Trade marking just a number is difficult, so Intel went to the Pentium, a term that is trade markable. Plus, trade marks only apply to a certain field of business. There is an antacid called Tempo and a car called Tempo. No confusion between the two products. In the US, trademark can also be regional. When Burger King moved into the midwest, there was already a burger joint called Burger King. They sued the larger Burger King and won. The settlement was that the bigger Burger King could not open any stores within so many miles of the older Burger King. Tim Swenson
Re: [ql-users] Re: New list, new topic!
At 06:21 AM 5/24/2002 -0400, you wrote: In a message dated 23/05/02 08:45:35 GMT Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Can anyone tell me how to read the total screen size from either assembly or 'C'? Thanks, Jim You really ought to get hold of the SMS/QDOS Reference Manual from Jochen - that explains how to do it. Jim, I've got a copy of both the QPTR and SMSQ/E Reference Guide if you wish to borrow (since we don't live all that far apart). Tim Swenson
