New mdv discovery - QL Expert (an expert system shell)

[RWAP]

I also appear to have a PDF of the manual

[pjw]

Hi,

I loaded the qlexpr2_mdv file into QPC2 WIN1 QWA container.

Loaded MDI, which was v1.07 (need to up date)

entered:

CONVERT2_MDI "win1_exper2_mdv" to "mdi1_QLEXPERT_MDI"

MOUNT_MDI 1,"win1_QLEXPERT_MDI"
MDI_USE MDV
LRUN mdv1_boot

started up the QL Expert system in QPC2 in High Colour mode...

Good for you, Derek. Either there was no CONVERT2_MDI in the MDI driver
version I had initially, or it didnt work. Cant remember. I should have reread
the manual when I upgraded, but there were other frustrations at play at
the time. I guess this is the price one pays for the benefits of continuously
evolving/improving software!

Im glad to see that the conversion routines are built into the driver toolkit.
That addresses one of the points I was making. Sorry I missed it!

[Martin_Head]

CONVERT2_MDI "win1_exper2_mdv" to "mdi1_QLEXPERT_MDI"

I take it you meant "win1_QLEXPERT_MDI", Otherwise it looks like your trying to create a MDI file inside an MDI file.

pjw,
The MDIConvert2_bas program is probably way out of date now. It's best to use the built in conversion commands. And just to wind you up a bit more, there are 2 versions of the Qemulator Mdump image files. Qemulator's not bothered by which version it gets, But to convert between image file formats it has to be taken into account. I have not checked, But I don't expect that the MDIConvert2_bas program takes into account the Mdump2 images.

[Derek_Stewart]

CONVERT2_MDI "win1_exper2_mdv" to "mdi1_QLEXPERT_MDI"

I take it you meant "win1_QLEXPERT_MDI", Otherwise it looks like your trying to create a MDI file inside an MDI file.

pjw,
The MDIConvert2_bas program is probably way out of date now. It's best to use the built in conversion commands. And just to wind you up a bit more, there are 2 versions of the Qemulator Mdump image files. Qemulator's not bothered by which version it gets, But to convert between image file formats it has to be taken into account. I have not checked, But I don't expect that the MDIConvert2_bas program takes into account the Mdump2 images.

Yes, I meant:

CONVERT2_MDI "win1_exper2_mdv" to "win1_QLEXPERT_MDI"

Sorry for the typo...

I updated MDI to v1.10 and the converted MDV file to MDI with v1.07 MDI driver works great.

Thank you Martin, for a excellent and compatible piece of code.

I always read the manual...

[Martin_Head]

Here's a document I made detailing the Microdrive image file formats. I can't remember if I've uploaded this in the past.

[martyn_hill]

Thank you Martin!

That is really good info

[pjw]

Here's a document I made detailing the Microdrive image file formats. I can't remember if I've uploaded this in the past.

Super, Martin. Thanks!

[xelalex]

Here's a document I made detailing the Microdrive image file formats. I can't remember if I've uploaded this in the past.

Thanks a lot! This is great input. With this spec I can finally add support for the additional formats to OqtaDrive, which currently only supports Qlay formatted MDVs. I did Qdump yesterday, and it works, MDI to follow. This will then be in the next release.

[xelalex]

I did Qdump yesterday, and it works, MDI to follow. This will then be in the next release.

Everything implemented, and a release candidate is available now for trying this out. You can install it from the config tab in the web UI. Just make sure to select "release candidates" in the "Source" drop down. If you want to revert, just run the upgrade again, but choose "official releases".

[RWAP]

After the usual faffing with an original mdv cartridge I have managed to obtain a working dump of 'QL - Expert' by Compware. This title was not on the wiki, so I added it to the Compware list page for now. From the name alone I thought it was some kind of interactive program teaching you how to be a QL expert, but fortunately I also have the printed manual and it's nothing of the kind. It is in fact an environment for programming, debugging and operation of rule based expert systems.

The printed manual is actually scanned and already online, here: https://sinclairql.speccy.org/archivo/d ... Expert.pdf

The author is Francesco Balena, I assume the same chap who went on to have some success with 'Programming Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0' in 1999. I contacted him just now asking if he'd mind me sharing it.

Just a thought - does Francesco remember who ran Compware - it might be worth trying to track them down so that other Compware titles could be re-released.