Knoware.no

Anything QL Software or Programming Related.
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dilwyn
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Re: Knoware.no

Post by dilwyn »

pjw wrote:Thereve been some changes to Knoware.no since the last announced update.

I do react to feedback, although there isnt always a one-to-one correspondence between comments and improvements. Thus FSEL, StuffScrap, VALID%, etc, have had tweaks or makeovers.

Ive done some more playing with sprites and blobs and colours: Added MkSpr and improved BlbCol.

For avid QD users: That old bete noire, PickQD, has been pardoned and refurbished. Now more polite and well-behaved (in theory).

Some experimental ideas have been passed on (LSBYTES, LSBEXE). I couldnt make use of them in the end. Perhaps someone else can?

Renewal time for Knoware is coming up soon. If it aint used by others it is no more than a vanity project, in which case my money would probably be better spent at the hairdressers..
Thanks Per. I for one make extensive use of software from your site in programs written for my own use. It will also be embarrassing to admit how much of your work went into my imminent (well, it's been imminent for most of this year, I just keep adding to it) animation program.


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pjw
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Re: Knoware.no

Post by pjw »

dilwyn wrote:<>
Thanks Per. I for one make extensive use of software from your site in programs written for my own use. It will also be embarrassing to admit how much of your work went into my imminent (well, it's been imminent for most of this year, I just keep adding to it) animation program.
No need to be embarrassed, Dilwyn. Its sort of the whole point!
Without tools we would still be swinging from the treetops. We use tools to make better tools to make better tools and so on. While it can be fun to make your own, it takes time, and detracts from worthier things we could be doing..
Anyway, any feedback on how to improve things is always welcome (if not always strictly followed ;)


Per
dont be happy. worry
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pjw
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Re: Knoware.no

Post by pjw »

Ive been clearing out some nooks and crannies and found a few items I
felt were of a shareable quality. Ie they werent written with sharing
in mind, but have worked for me, in some cases for years, without
issue. Many of you will no doubt have produced your own solutions, but
possibly not everyone, or there may be gaps,.. Well, I wrapped mine
up, added some written description, and present them to those who
might want some shiny new toys for Christmas. Yes, it is a bit like
putting lipstick on a pig, but I hope you enjoy them all the same!

Here is the low-down:
> Updated and expanded Library: Sources now included. Replace old
libraries with this update!
> Updated VLS. Variables Load & Save. Bulk-load assorted array and
scalar variables. Now with source code included.
> Added Minimize, a minimize button for full screen QPC2 and
SMSQmulator.
> Added Bcc, a tool for dyslecix assembler coders(!)
> Added Caps, a Capslock indicator button.
> Added NoTab, a tool for QD to make compressed files temporarily
readable.
> Added LCMP, to compare unsigned long words - and some
eschatological musings on dates and the End of Time..
> Added QLTet, a simple Tetris-like game.
> Added Snowfall, a "screen saver" type program. (A slightly more
rational version to the one already presented here.)

See Changes at Knoware.no!


Per
dont be happy. worry
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NormanDunbar
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Re: Knoware.no

Post by NormanDunbar »

I suspect Bcc is very popular amongst Assembly Language programmers. I can never remember either. :o

Cheers,
Norm.


Why do they put lightning conductors on churches?
Author of Arduino Software Internals
Author of Arduino Interrupts

No longer on Twitter, find me on https://mastodon.scot/@NormanDunbar.
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pjw
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Re: Knoware.no

Post by pjw »

A minor update to Knoware.no.

Anyone using my Q2S_bin "compatibility toolkit" for Qdos should update
as there was a bug in ERT that could cause a program to stop without
explanation. The toolkit implements (in some cases by faking!) the
functional parts of the following commands:

Code: Select all

SUSJB           - Suspend a job
JOBID           - Return my job ID
OUTLN           - Create a "managed" window (If PE present!)
QUIT            - Quit program with optional error code
ERT             - Terminate program if error
SCR_XLIM        - Get screen dimensions
SCR_YLIM
SCR_BASE        - Get screen base address
SCR_LLEN        - Number of bytes between rows on screen
DISP_TYPE       - Display type 0..33 (2 not tested)
FDEL            - Delete file as a function
This allows many programs written for SBASIC to run under SuperBASIC
too - and vice versa.

The Keywords utility, to list S*BASIC keywords embedded in many
different kinds of binary file, is a work in progress. It too has had
a minor makeover. Nothing to get too excited about though.

Finally, out of desperation to solve a particular problem, I wrote a
command, OWNJOB, for one job to take ownership of another job.
Clearly, such a thing was never intended, otherwise it would already
have existed, Im sure. It is a hack! It did solve my problem. But then
my problem got solved in a more legitimate, general, way at the OS
level (as should become clear real soon now(R) ..)

However, it has its uses, so Im throwing it out there since I went to
the trouble.. It protects the users from most forms of self-abuse - but
not from the calamity of circular ownership which would cause your
system to hang!


Per
dont be happy. worry
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QLvsJAGUAR
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Re: Knoware.no

Post by QLvsJAGUAR »

pjw wrote:A minor update to Knoware.no.
I like to see updates! Updates, Users and Explorers are what make the QL thing to continue! :D
pjw wrote: Anyone using my Q2S_bin "compatibility toolkit" for Qdos should update
as there was a bug in ERT that could cause a program to stop without
explanation.
QL/E makes use of Q2S, hence QL/E is forced to get updated again some time. See, updates are a driver. :D

Beside the bug-fix, I see room for more changes in Q2S:

1. Challange of uQLx and sQLux which already have working SCR_XLIM and SCR_YLIM integrated.
2. Please add a dummy ALPHA_BLEND.

Thanks a lot for the great contributions and keeping the gems up to date.


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XorA
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Re: Knoware.no

Post by XorA »

1. Challange of uQLx and sQLux which already have working SCR_XLIM and SCR_YLIM integrated.
and SCR_BASE/SCR_LLEN in sQLux!


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pjw
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Re: Knoware.no

Post by pjw »

Hi Urs,

As Im on a metered internet connection, I do my heavy downloading with
whats left at the end of the month. So I havent had much time to look
at QL/E since yesterday, but it looks like a "labour of love", so good
on you!

Im glad you found a use for Q2S. Its a difficult balance to know what
to include in such a toolkit as there are so many possible
permutations of systems and toolkits around.

Id be happy to hear suggestions for suitable combinations for one or
more "compatibility toolkits".

Most of the toolkits I produce are modular in the sense that anyone
with a linker can put together virtually any combination of commands
they like! No knowledge of assembler needed. All this is described in
mind-numbing detail in my piece on my pick'n'mix toolkit at
Toolkits. A less elegant, but simpler way to
string together a bunch of individual commands would be to use Qlib's
RPM utility, found on the latest Qlib V3.45 distribution disk and
elsewhere.

I never considered the need for something like ALPHA_BLEND, as where
the underlying ability is not present it doesnt seem worthwhile
running the program using it. But there is no accounting for the weird
and wonderful ways QLers use their systems!

If all you want is a dummy then something like this should work:

Code: Select all

        lea.l key,a1
        move.w $110,a2
        jmp (a2)
*
key
        dc.w 2
        dc.w alphablend-*
        dc.b 11,'ALPHA_BLEND'
        dc.w 0,0,0

alphablend
        moveq #0,d0     all ok (ignore)
;       moveq #-19,d0   not implemented
        rts
As you can see, there are two ways to handle this: 1) Ignore and
continue or 2) report Not Implemented and stop. I dont know what you
had in mind..

To generate the binary from BASIC without an assembler use this:

Code: Select all

100 RESTORE
110 fnm$ = 'ram1_ALPHA_bin'
120 fl  = 36
130 :
140 dad = ALCHP(fl)
150 FOR ad = dad TO dad + fl - 2 STEP 2
160  READ wrd%: POKE_W ad, wrd%
170 END FOR ad
180 SBYTES_O fnm$, dad, fl
190 RECHP dad
200 :
210 DATA 17402, 8, 13432, 272
220 DATA 20178, 2, 20, 2881
230 DATA 19536, 18497, 24386, 19525
240 DATA 20036, 0, 0, 0
250 DATA 28672, 20085:      REMark All OK
260 REMark data 28909, 20085:  rem Not Implemented
270 :
280 BEEP 2000, 2
REMark out the option you dont want and keep the other.


Per
dont be happy. worry
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pjw
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Re: Knoware.no

Post by pjw »

I saw a paragraph about Wordle in some blog a couple of weeks ago. It gave
a brief description of the game and a photo of a completed grid. I
immediately thought that it might be fun to code something like that for
the "QL", so I set about it the same evening, making up the rules as I went
along. After a few hours I had a working copy (sort of) - WQRDLI
(pronounced wordli). WQRDLI is, in other words, NOT a Wordle clone! Ive
never seen, let alone played, Wordle. I dont know its rules, although I get
the general idea. So WQRDLI may or may not play by the same rules.

WQRDLI V0.01 is out now at Knoware.no. Its not a highly polished product as
finishing it off would take at least as much effort as has gone into it so
far. But I have other things to get on with, so Ive decided to park it out
there for now.

I wanted to make it BBQL-compatible if at all possible, but I struggle to
work with a real QL these days. So I have to say: Its Qdos-compatible, but
it doesnt really run on a 512x256 QL! I hope to make it so one day. Perhaps
those of you who still regularly use your QLs may find it acceptable. Id
recommend at least a GoldCard for speed!

Apart from that it should run on most systems and in any colour mode,
provided you have an up-to-date PE and a few other necessary bits and bobs.

In theory, it should be perfectly within a QL's capabilities to carry off
such a simple game, so theres still a challenge to produce a comfortable,
QL-compatible word puzzle game like WQRDLI or Wordle for anyone whod like
to give it a go!

As beta testers are rather thin on the ground for games like this, these
days, youre all beta testers now! So Id like to hear back from you; how you
get along and whether you found any problems or things youd like to see
improved! (Although I make no promises that Ill do any repairs or
improvements.) Also, Id like to make available a few more quality word
lists in other languages. Word lists of 3000-5000 5- and 6- letter words in
French, German, Italian, Klingorn, Spanish, and yes, even perhaps, Welsh
;oP might be nice! Also the joiner's handful of translated program texts in
those languages would be welcome. So if you produce any such lists please
share!

So, get ready to test your word skills (while you still have 'em!) Ive made
it easy to brag about your successes online, if you choose: Press F4 for a
screen shot at the end of a game. (Of course if you do you might get
unfriended by Britain's top spymaster and MI6 chief, Richard Moore, AKA C
(see this ). Dont think he hasnt noticed you hang out
here!
Not so much a brag as an illustration!
Not so much a brag as an illustration!
SHANKS.jpg (23.45 KiB) Viewed 1951 times


Per
dont be happy. worry
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pjw
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Re: Knoware.no

Post by pjw »

While the paleoQLtologists are busily re-creating the disappointments of
their youth I have been producing a modern QL game. As a game, it may not
be to everyone's taste; it doesnt do "pop, fizzle, BANG", or anything
clever like that. (Spectrums, Ataris and Amigas are far better for that
sort of thing!) With WQRDLI I try, in a small way, to realise, and utilise,
the very latest in the QL's, now sadly arrested, development.

I have no idea how many people have downloaded it, but judging by the
feedback to date, Id have to estimate it at, roughly, 0.00. This seems to
me, above all, to indicate a curious lack of curiosity. I normally try out
virtually everything of new software mentioned here, and even follow much
of the hardware developments discussed. The lack of comment seems almost -
pointed, considering the praise heaped on what, to my mind, appear to be
rather feeble - or worse: misguided - efforts. My early potty training
compels me to offer a remark, or a thanks, to anyone who volunteered
their time and skills here, particularly if no one else has. So thanks for
nothing dudes and dolls!

Despite that, I found it imperative to upgrade the dictionaries that I
include with my game. If after all anyone did download my offering, there
is no need to do it again! The word lists can be had separately. To be clear:
The game has not been updated, only the word lists.

There is also a small SuperBASIC utility for those fortunate enough to have
legal possession of QJump's QTYP, to produce simple, WQRDLI-compatible, word
lists for themselves in French, German and English. Bon appetit!


Per
dont be happy. worry
- ?
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