First time with TURBO

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Giorgio Garabello
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First time with TURBO

Post by Giorgio Garabello »

Hello everyone, I would like to start using the compiler Turbo but I am having some problems.
First question: Which version should I use, I suppose the PTR version so you can fill in any program .. but then why is also supported version "no pointer"
Second question: what are the extensions I have to charge for the compiler functions, not specified in the manual, and I did not find any instance of boot

thanks


Derek_Stewart
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Re: First time with TURBO

Post by Derek_Stewart »

Hi,

You need to install Turbo Toolkit and have the Turbo Compiler in your Prog_Use path.

I would advise you to read the Turbo Documentation, it is a nice read, even for experienced users.

For more support, George Gwilt, who updates Turbo, reads the QL-Users Mailing List.

With regards to Pointer programmes, Turbo never really supported QPTR (pointer programmes), George produced Turbo Pointer (TPTR) which will work with Turbo and Turbo Toolkit.


Regards,

Derek
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Re: First time with TURBO

Post by RWAP »

I just think it needs a little clarification...

Turbo is the actual SuperBASIC compiler.
You then have the Turbo Toolkit which adds lots of very useful toolkit functions which are useful for programming.

These were the original parts of the Turbo package. This ran on QLs at the time, but had no support for programmers who wanted to use the QPTR pointer toolkit (because of the way the machine code procedures work)

You could compile a program by using LRESPR flp1_turbo_tk_code (to load in the turbo toolkit), then loading your SuperBASIC program, and simply entering the command CHARGE (from the turbo toolkit).

Since Turbo was made available as public domain software some years ago, George Gwilt has gone on to enhance both Turbo and the Turbo Toolkit. George then wrote TPTR which is the turbo pointer environment toolkit, to allow people to write programs which use the pointer environment, so TPTR is not another version of Turbo, but yet another toolkit you can load into the QL and use in your compiled programs.

So far as I know the keyword CHARGE should work, but for some reason on some later QL operating systems, it does not work properly, and so for many years I have used the commands:

EXEC_W flp1_parser_task
(then when this completes)
EXEC flp1_codegen_task

to compile the program as an alternative to CHARGE.


Derek_Stewart
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Re: First time with TURBO

Post by Derek_Stewart »

Hi Rich,

Which systems does Charge not work?

I used to change the PROGD$ to point to the Turbo directory, so that the Charge command can find, PARSER_TASK and CODEGEN_TASK.

But when Phil Borman wrote PTH (Path Search command extensions), I just did:

LRESPR PTH_REXT
PTH_ADD "WIN1_"
PTH_ADD "WIN1_TURBO_"

Then set the DATAD$ and PROGD$ to PTH1_ by:

PROG_USE PTH1_
DATA_USE PTH1_

this allows a search for programmes and data files with this order:
WIN1_
WIN1_TURBO_

You can do the same with SMSQ/E DEV commands. But if you want to use other QL Operating systems like Minerva then PTH is the way to go.

As for information for new and experienced users, I would recommend reading the Turbo Documentation that George has very nicely written, starting with:

TURBOTOC
TURBOS1
TURBO2
TURBO3
TURBO4
TUBOTK

I converted the test files on my Kindle and use the information as a reference guide, I found this very enlightening and a good read.

I am just looking at Turbo Pointer, as I would like some new applications.

QPTR which needs Qliberator to work correctly, both have not been updated in many years. THough George did do some work to make QPTR programmes compile in Turbo.


Regards,

Derek
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