QLCOMMANDER - testers and help needed

[Andrew]

Plans / ideas for the future:
- make QLCommander use less memory
- make it a full PE program
- Copy and Delete recursive on subdirectories
- allow drives over QL network (this might be too slow .. )
- maybe add tree view

By the way, what cables do I need to create a QL network ? What type of connectors ? How to wire them ?

[martyn_hill]

Hi Andrei!

Looking forward to some of the new features

Meanwhile, the QNET cabling is simplicity itself. Mono (2-wire) or stereo (3-wire) cables with mono/stereo 3.5mm TRS/Jack plugs are all that is needed.

I mention stereo/3-wire, only because they work and are easier to find ready-made, but you only need the mono equivalent.

I used to make-up my own, but then found then available online for pennies, so I don't bother building my own now.

I am able to link two QLs with a 10m cable without apparent signal degradation.

M.

[Dave]

By the way, what cables do I need to create a QL network ? What type of connectors ? How to wire them ?

A standard stereo 3.5mm male to male audio cable. Amazon sells nice ones for almost nothing.

[Jack_Free]

Very good program.
Can I ask for one treatment?
Would it be possible to boot BOOT files?
It would make it easier for me to test the functionality of the individual files I have in my adresses.
I would like to use this program as a start menu for my programs.
I would do a directory in which I would only have boot files for individual programs.

[EmmBee]

Known issue that drives me crazy (Please help with this !)
- Compiled program with QLiberator works on QL, QEmulator and QPC
- Compiled program with Turbo works only on QPC !! On QL and QEmulator it raises error "Not implemented yet"
Can anyone help with this peculiarity ?

I have managed to get this to work with Qemulator. This is how ..
All "GET" and "BGET" commands ( there are about 9 of them ) were converted into their Turbo equivalents.
I then attempted to Turbo Compile within Qemulator. There were 2 reported errors, both for the FMAKE_DIR function.
This function is not available in Qemulator QDOS, as currently there is no support for level 2 device drivers.
If one wants to make a new sub-directory, this has to be done manually in Windows.
To get around this problem, I changed the calls to "our_FMAKE_DIR(subd$)", and wrote one function to cope.
"TURBO_DUMMYF" is used as a substitution, and "DEBUG" is used to avoid the error. Here is my code ..

Code: Select all

DEFine FuNction our_FMAKE_DIR(subd$)
LOCal i, a
  i = BASIC_INDEX%("FMAKE_DIR")
  IF i > 0
    a = BASIC_ADR(i)
    IF a > 0
      IF 1/3 = 0
        POKE_L TURBO_V(TURBO_DUMMYF), a
        RETurn TURBO_DUMMYF(subd$)
      ELSE
        DEBUG 1
          RETurn FMAKE_DIR(subd$)
        DEBUG 0
      END IF
      REMark Above will return 0 if successful
    END IF
  END IF
  PRINT #0,"Sorry - No support for level 2 device drivers "
  RETurn -19 : REMark not implemented
END DEFine our_FMAKE_DIR

Note that the expression 1/3=0 identifies Turbo, since Turbo will use integer arithmetic where possible.
Details about all this can be found in the Turbo manual turbos4 - search for BASIC_ADR and TURBO_V.
The above now compiles successfuly, and will run in both QPC2 and Qemulator.
In Qemulator, it will not be possible to make a new directory, but it will not abort with an error.
If this ability is really needed, then you can LRESPR SMSQ_GOLD or LRESPR SMSQ_QEM.

[Andrew]

I have managed to get this to work with Qemulator. This is how ..

Thank you EmmBee - very interesting solution. I will read the Tubo manual to get a better understanding of Turbo_V
But one thing seems strange - I can create subdirectories in QEmulator (but I use the drive mapped to a QXL.WIN file)

[EmmBee]

I have managed to get this to work with Qemulator. This is how ..

Thank you EmmBee - very interesting solution. I will read the Tubo manual to get a better understanding of Turbo_V
But one thing seems strange - I can create subdirectories in QEmulator (but I use the drive mapped to a QXL.WIN file)

Perhaps I am not quite correct on this, then.
Which toolkit do you get FMAKE_DIR from, please? I do not have that function when I load QemuLator.

[EmmBee]

I found this in turbos3_txt ...

But the presence of the command "TURBO_ref" in a program to be compiled
will cause TURBO to arrange to send all simple string parameters by
reference. Since this will work only if the operating system is SMSQ/E
such compiled programs will halt immediately with the message "not
implemented" unless the first long word of system variables is "SMSQ".

The above is the reason for the "not implemented" message with QemuLator.

To avoid that, there are only a few changes that need to be made ...

DELETE the TURBO_ref

Change ... GET #ch%\head_start+14, file$
... into ... GET #ch%\head_start+14: file$ = GET$(#ch%)

... Should do the trick

[Andrew]

DELETE the TURBO_ref

Change ... GET #ch%\head_start+14, file$
... into ... GET #ch%\head_start+14: file$ = GET$(#ch%)

... Should do the trick

Thank you !
I already modified the program ... now I face other issues.
When compiled with Turbo the program stops with COLOUR_QL ... SCR_XLIM .. not loaded
Ok, I use those functions in the code, but only if the OS is SMSQ/E. Under QDOS they never get executed.

Compiled with QLiberator - it works !

A preview of QLCommander (compiled with QLiberator) running in QPC 800x600 high colour - and on QEmulator :

[genetika]

Hi.
Where I can download the last QL-Commander version ?