CALEEDAR
20, 1988. General meeting. File transfer between
devices on Sinciair computers, This is a catch-all title that will include some interesting work with the TS2068.
Wednesday, January 7:00 pm. Subject:
storage
Saturday, January 16, 1988. 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. QL sub-group
meats at John Mitchell's home in Westwood, Visitors welcome, but call John for directions to let
him know you are coming and bring some food. 3£6-5420.
Puture event: Telecommunications
with Sinclair computers. Demon— strations of BBSes and various terminal programs for going on-line with your Sinclair. This
event will be scheduled when we can find a location with a4 telephone jack to meet. Call Peter Hale 723-8545 if you know a place. Schedule for the third Wadnesday of a month.
PHOEBE DIRECTORY
General Questions John Kemeny
263-3347 Machine Language John Kemeny 263-3347 Hardware Library Lee Ball 492-8662 Software Library 22? ‘5 Editor (pro tem) Peter Hale 723-8545 QL-sub group Peter Hale 723-8545 Fiexi-BBS 648-7651 Sysop: Bob Cutter 646-4425 TIMEWARP 481-0555 Sysop: Jim Rodlin 481-2155 Will Stackman 547-0655
SINCLAIR/TIMEX WEWSLETTER EDITORIAL
1988 will be the year Sir Clive turns the lap top computer market upside down with his new 288 based on the Z80 microprocessor. - Available for under $400.00.
1988 will also be a year of renewal for the Sinclair Timex Newsletter. In the past year the
QL sub-group has grown from 5 to e2 out of the 168 BCS menbers checking off Sinclair/Timex.
(More than Victor's 106, than Heath/Zentth's 212, long way from IBM's 14785.)
less and a
The renewed newsletter grows out of QL sub-group activities, so there is focus on QL-ablia. That is etrictly a result of current active interest, but we support
all Sinclair computers. Ve solicit material from everyone.
Note our own Calendar elsewhere for anexample of the range of activities we will be having.
Of particular interest we are
pleased to announce that there are two Sinclair BBS's in the Boston area. Both will soon be operating at 1200 baud, as well as 300 baud.
I will be editor tem, a role fron my stint as ‘editor’ for the
QL sub-group newsletter.
Please don't hesitate to contact ma at (617) 723-8545 with your ideas. Send contributions to me at Box 8763, Boston, MA 02114.
Peter Hale
Sinclair/Timex Newsletter January 1988 page 1
T/S_1000 CORNER
1 wrote thie program one day while trying to figure out how to read the TS1000 display file.
10 REM MINES by Jim Rodiin
20 LET x=15
30 LET y=10
40 LET sc=PEEK 16396 + 256% PEEK 16397
50 PRINT AT 21,RND*31;CHRS 4; AT 21, RND*31;CHRS 4; AT 21,31;" "
60 LET yryt cl AND INKEYS = '6") + (-1 AND INKEYS = "7")
70 LET x=x+(1 AND INKEYS = 5") + (-1 AND INKEYS = "8")
80 IF PEBK (SC+33%Cy)+x+1) = 4 THEN GOTO 120
90 PRINT AT y,x;"+"
100 SCROLL
110 GOTO 50
120 FOR Z = 1 7T08
130 PRIET AT y,x;"%"; AT y,X} “C INVERSE ASTERISK)"
140 NEXT z
140 PRINT AT y,x;CHRS 8
Notes: Line 130: Use SHIFT-9 "x" SHIFT-9 for inverse asterisk.
The point of this program is to figure out what's on the ecreen at a particular print position.
It's a game of driving a jeep through a minefield. Use arrow keys to avoid the mines. If you
hit amine, the jeep blows up and the game stops.
Most computers (including the 2068) etore display filee as 24 rowa each with an even number of characters. It is more conpli- cated (Simpler? Ed.] in the T/S 1000 and ZX-81. To conserve memory, the engineers at Sinc- lair Research developed an ingenious method of storing the display file: a blank screen consists of 25 ENTERS. What a T/S 2068 takes over 6 kilobytes to do is done on a T/S 1000 with only 25 bytes! The first byte in the display file is an ENTER and
each row of the TS1000's display consists of the characters in that row, plue ENTER.
Sinclair/Timex Newsletter January 1988
(This data storage method is only used when there is less than about 3 1/4 K of free RAM.
With expanded memory, the screen
i@ stored conventionally, with 32 bytes + ENTER for each line.)
However, this creates a nightmare for the programmer who wante to read the display but does not know what is on the screen! Since the contents of the computer's memory are constantly changing, the display file moves around a lot. This is because the display file is etored above a etored program in menory. When program lines are added or deleted, the display file is shifted up or down in RAM to fill in the gape. (This ie why the screen clears each time you enter a command).
A ayeten variable called "*D_FILE"” keeps track of the display file's location. The formula PBBK 16396 + 256% PEEK 16397 returns the start of the display file. In line 40, “SC” holds thie value.
Line %O prints a espace at the right edge of the screen every time. In an unexpanded machine
thie is needed to ensure that
each line hae 32 characters.
Line 40 finde the beginning of D_FILB. Each line has 32 bytes plus ENTER, so for each row down the screen add 33. To look at the Nth colunn of that row, look forward FE bytes plus one (the first byte of D_FILE is always ENTER). PEEK that location to get the character code for the character FRINTed there. The character at 12,14 will be: CHRS (PEEK D_FILE+33*124+14+1)
The magic formula is in line 80 of the program. When it finde a mine printed in this location, it means you've run over it and the game ends. Have funl
- Jim Rodlin page 2
SUPPLIER WOTES
Henry April, familiar to all as the owner of EZ-Key, has retired from nattonal retailing. HOWEVER,
Henry's contacts are as good as ever to help new customers and old with hardware and software
for various Sinclair computers.
Henry has in stock some items for all Sinclair computers. Bits of software and various books, and items of hardware. Henry's number ts 773-9520 in Wollaston.
Don't forget that Curry Computer Box 5607, Glendale, AZ 85312-5607 (602) 978-2902 is a well stocked supplier to all Sinclair computer lines as well as a wide range of software and hardware for the QL.
For all who have been waiting for the price of a QL to come
down, BE IT KHOWN that you can now get a complete QL for only $99.00. A+ Computer Response,
P.O. 220, Centre St., Sullivan, WH 03445. Phone: (603) 847-9561 ia closest and worth the driva to meet the folks.
Bob Dyl, who many of you remenber as the owner of English Micro-Connections ts back in business providing supplies and accessories to computer users. Bob trades as Disks 'N' Things, 135 Kilburn Ct, Newport, RI 02840. Phone: (403) 849-3805.
.Although freight from Newport may make some prices uncompet-— {tive with your favorite local supplier on the heavier items, Bob has very good prices on high quality discs and can supply low cost replacement ribbons for virtually any printer made. You can also choose colors for only a dollar a ribbon more. Write for a catalogue.
Telecomainucations and the Timex/Sinclair Computer
It is often difficult for be- ginners to find help with Tele- communicationa with Timex/Sin- clair computers. This column may ease the situation a bit.
Besides a computer, you need a
modem and the software called a terminal program. The terminal progran turns your emart
computer into a ‘dumb’ terminal. The moden allows communication over telephone lines to a enart computer running at the other end. You tranefer computing power to the other computer.
The T/S 2068, T/S 1000, and Z2X-81 use the same modem. Made by Westridge Communications, the 20850 modem runs at 300 baud (about 30 chars per second) and costa @ 840.00. It plugs in the back of the computer and a cable connects to your telephone jack.
Two terminal programs are available. One, called NTERK, costs about $15.00 and is very easy to use. [t is available for the T/S 1000 or the T/S 2068. A more versatile (but more expen-
eive) one (for tha T/S 2068 or Spectrum only) its Specterm-64. It has 64 column dieplay,
eupports Xmodem file transfere and is generally a better buy.
Two dealers that carry the 2050 modems and software are:
RAG Enterprises
1419 '/, Seventh St.
Oregon City, OR 97045 _ 03) 635-7484
BBS (503) 656-8072
G & C Computer Products
P.Q. Box 2186
Inglewood, CA 90305 (213) 7859-7406
BBS (213) 329-3922
Sinclair/Timex Newsletter January 1988 ‘page 3
The Sinclair QL can use any ‘standard’ Hayes compatible 300/ 1200 baud modem @ $90.00 and up. A device called a 'Modaptor' is needed to run at 300 baud (many BBSes can only run at the slower 300 baud rate). (See MIKE_TERM
for the QL, elsewhere in this newsletter. Ed.) There are several terminal programs out
for the QL, the latest of which is Q-Link. {Reviews of this and others, please. Ed.] These and other QL products are carried by:
SHARP'S Inc. Route 10, BOX 459 Mechanicaville, VA 23111 (804) 746-1664 (9am 4pm) (804) 730-9607 (6pm-10pm EST)
For a long time there was no one source of information for the T/S telecommunications user. Then Pete Fiecher and Steve Ishii came up with The Guide to
nelai Telecommunica- tions. This 100 page booklet is the single most comprehensive source of information for the T/S modem ueer (ZX-81 to QL). $7.50 ppd from Pete Fischer, P.O. BOX 2002, Tempe, AZ 85281.
The most common use of the moden is to call the numerous free Bulletin Board Systems, or BBSes, that are scattered across the country. In most cases, 4 BBS ie someone's personal compu- ter with special software hooked up to a modes so people can call it and leave messages for each other. Some BBSee have software that let you download to your computer while you're online. Boards provide a place for T/S and QL enthusiasts from all over the country to meet and exchange ideas, news, and software = for their favorite computers.
For local support, there are two: T/S BBSes in Maseachusetts. Both are running on T/S 2068 computers 24 hours a day. The
first is called Pilexi-BBS at (617) 648-7651. The other is TIMBWARP at (617) 481-0558. Give them both a call!
The next article will go more deeply into the how-to’s of teleconnunications, with some more details about available
hardware and software.
- Jim Rodlin
{Jim Rodlin ite a recent convert to Sinclair computing. Mostly he use the 2068 but is exploring
the QL. Jim is Sysop of TIMEQRP, a BBS running on a T/S 2068 at (617) 481-0555. Jim is also responsible for several articles in this newsletter. Ed.)
SOFTWARE LIBRARY
Commencing with the BCS fiscal year beginning April 1, 1988, the S/TUG will offer public domain software at a price of $5.00 per microcartridge, disk or cassette.
Watch for a catalogue of introductory software in the upcoming March issue of this newsletter.
We need members to contribute interesting utilities as well as more extensive programs. Existing copies of public domain software may also be included.
See the article elsewhere on TELECOMMUNICATIONS.
Sinclair/Timex Newsletter January 1988 page 4
2068 WINDOWS
hardware techno- logy progressed, software im- proved as well, although at a slower pace. Program front—ends
As computer
(the program's display) have become more sophisticated, evol- ving from simple prompts and menus, to pull-down menus, icons, and now split screens and windows. Today, it is not uncom mon to see computer displays with multiple, independant, scrolling windows running dif-
ferent programs in each. While the unexpanded T/S 2068 has insufficient memory to support the complicated windowing and graphics you see on the newest computers, it is capable of some very impressive displays.
Did you know that the 2068 is capable of 80 column displays? Or dual screen mode? These are advanced video modes of the T/S 2068 which we will explore in future articles.
The 2068 ia quite manipulating windows,
capable of too.
Windows may be implemented in several ways but there is one
requirement for any windowing system: A window must preserve any underlying text when it
opens. The simplest way is to
ready to be closed, you can copy the stored data back to the display file and restore the screen. This is the method that the progran below uses. In fact, the key to the whole progran is in the M/C routine DATA state- ment in line 5. The disassembly of the routine is in Figure 1.
The inetruction "LDIR" does the actual copying. The BC regi- eter holds the number of bytes to move (1800 hex = 6144, which ie the number of bytes in D_FILE, the area of RAM where the acreen is kept). DE holds the destination addrese (#8757 hex = 59223, the first byte after the end of the codef This ie where we copy the screen to), and HL points to the start of D_FILE. So LDIR copies BC bytes from HL to ODE. RET sends us back to basic.
The second part, beginning at 59211, does the same thing - but in reverse order. The data that we saved to £757 the first time is now copied back into the
diaplay file (You may have noticed that the addresses in DE and HL were switched).
If you don’t understand any of thie, don’t worry. Tt is not
copy the entire display file to necessary to know how the a place in memory before it is routine works in order to use opened. After the window is it! All you need to know tis
Address HEX Addr Bytes Mnemonics Notes
59199 E73F ,910018 LD BC, 1800 How many bytes to copy
59202 E742 .1157E7 LD DE, £757 E757 = destination
59205 R745 210040 LD HL, 4000 4000 = start of D_FILE
59208 28748 EDBO LDIR Copy from HL to DE
59210 B74A co RET RETurn to basic
59211 E74B 010018 LD BC, 1800 # Bytes to copy
59214 E74E 110040 LD DE, 4000 Destination = screen
59217 E751 215727 LD HL, E757 Where scr is stored
59220 E754 EDBO LDIR Move bytes back again
59222 E756 cg RET RETurn to basic
-Note: All numbere are hexadecimal except first colunn-
Pigure 1
Sinclair/Timex Newsletter January 1988 page 5
1 REM 2068 WIRDOWS by Paul Bingham 2 REM From SYNCWARE NEWS 4:2 4 REM The program shows three examples of windows. The key
routine is the GOSUB 9000. E.G. line 120 gives the width, depth, row and column of the window. Any text we want in the window can be done in BASIC as usual as in lines 140, 180 and 220.
5 CLEAR 59198: DIM w$(3,11): LET aS="WINDOW': LET bS="press": LET store#59199: LET renew=59211: LET lower=#23659: FOR testore TO 89222: READ f: POKE t,f: BEXT t 6 DATA 1,0,24,17, 87,231, 33, 0, 64,237, 176,201,1,0,24,17,0,64,33, 87,231,237,176,201: REM (sets up LDIR code) 10 FOR t=65368 TO 65431: READ a: POKE t,a: NEXT t 11 DATA 15,8,8,8, 232, 232, 232, 232, 255,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,253,1,1,1,1, 1,1,1, 232, 232, 232, 232, 232, 232, 232, 232,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1, 232, 232, 232, 239, 224, 253, 255, 255, 0,0,0, 255, 0, 255,258, 255,1,1,1, 255,0,224, 224, 224 100 POKB lower,0: FOR f=1 TO 76: PRINT "1234567890";: NEXT f: PRINT "12345678": POKE lower,2 110 LET xk=USR estore 120 LET n=1: LET w8(n)#"11,12,02,03": GO SUB 9000 140 PRINT AT 4,6;a$;AT 6,8;"°#1";AT 11,5; bS;"2” 150 IF INKEY$<>"2" THER GO TO 150 160 LET k=#USR renew 170 LET n=2: LET w8(n)#"13,20,02,17": GO SUB 9000 180 PRIET AT 5,21: a8;AT 7,23;"42"; AT 19,20; b8;°3" 190 IP INKBY$<>"3" THEN GO TO 190 200 LET k=USR renew 210 LET n=3: LET w8(n)="10,08,16,04": GO SUB 9000 220 POKE lower,0: PRINT AT 17,6;a8;AT 19,8;"#3";AT 22,6; bS;"E": POKE lower,2 230 IF INKBY$<>"E" THEN GO TO 230 240 CLS: PRINT AT 8,6;"";: FOR t=1 TO 20: RBAD a: PRINT CHRS a;: WEXT t 245 DATA 77,111,118, 101, 32,111,118, 101,114, 32, 77, 65,67, 105, 110, 116,111,115, 104,33 250 GO TO 9999 9000 LET w=VAL w8(n, TO 2): LET d=VAL w8(n, 4 TO 5): LET r=VAL w8(n, 7 TO 8): LET c#VAL w8(n, 10 TO 11) 9010 IF r+d>24 OR ct+w>32 THEN PRINT AT 21,10; "Window's too big!": STOP 9020 IF r+d>22 THEN LET low=0: let r3=24-r-d: GO TO 9040 9030 LET low=2: LET r3=#2 9040 LET rd=r+d-2: LET cwectw-3 9050 POKE lower, low: PRINT AT r,c;CHRS 144;: FOR t=*c TO cw: PRINT CHRS 145;: NEXT t: PRINT CHRS 146 9060 FOR t=er+i TO rd: PRINT AT t,c;CHRS 147; 9070 FOR f=c TO cw: PRINT " ";: MBXT f: PRINT CHRS 148;: NEXT t 9080 IF r3=0 THEN OVER 1: FOR t=1 to 32-w: PRINT " "3: REXT ¢t: OVER 0: PRINT CHRS 149;: FOR tc TO cw: PRINT CHRS 1503:
NEXT t: PRINT CHRS 151: POKE lower,2: RBETURS 9090 PRINT AT rd+i,c;CHRS 149;: FOR t=c TO cw: PRINT CHRS 150;:
REXT t: PRINT CHRS$ 151: POKE lower,é: RETURN
Listing 1
(cn¥)
Sinclair/Timex Newsletter January 1988 page 6
that RANDOMIZE USR 59199 will eave the current screen, and RANDOMIZE USR 59211 will copy it back. Try this: LIST, RANDOMIZE USR 59199, CLS, then RAEDOMIZE USR 59211.
In the listing, STORE is the addrese of the first routine, REWEW is the second, and LOWER ia a eysten variable that controls the lower part of the screen (the 2068's edit line). Line 10 redefines some UDG characters for the window borders.
‘
WS holds the window width, depth, row, and column position for a window. GOSUB 9000 checks that your window will fit on the screen, blanks out that part of the screen, prints a nice looking border around the window, and returns. At this point, your program can print what it wante to in the window; however, it is up to the programmer to keep the text within the borders of the window by printing at the right locations!
When you are through with a window, RANDOMIZE USR renew will recall the original screen.
In the next iseue, we will take a look at what is required to implement a more sophisticated windowing utility that can handle wraparound, ecrolling within a window, and multiple windows.
~Jim Rodlin
Conments? Queetions?
Write to me! My addrese is 66 Chandler Street Marlboro, MA 01752.
TELECOMMUBICATIONS on the QL
The
QL, for all its power and
versatility, is limited in tele- communicating at 300 baud without
a.
hardware link between the
serial port and the moden.
Mike Mitchell submitted the following. It will get you’ on
line
at 300 (cor even 1200) baud
with a Hayes compatible moden.
1 REMark 300/1200 baud terminal
2 REMark MIKE_TERM
3 REMark developed by
4 REMark MICHAEL MITCHELL
5 REMark attribution requested
6 REMark Sinclair/Timex User Group
7 REMark Boston Computer Society
100 WINDOW 465,204,6,0
108 BORDER 1,0,7: LB=127
110 CLS: POKE 163976,255: CLS#0
120 PRIBT#O,,"Choose Baud: H=1200, L=300"
130 IF INKEY$(-1)=='h’ THEN BAUD 1200: ELSE BAUD 300
140 CLS#0 : OPEN #5,ser2i
150 PRIST#O, ,"FSequit", "ALT*C="C", Ld T=BEL"
160 REPeat tern
170 terminal: PRINT#O,,’ Exit? (y/n)'
180 =IF INKEY$(-1)2='y' THEN EXIT term
190 END REPeat term
200 CLOSE#S
205 PRINT#O,,"Re-run/Quit? (r/q>"
210 IF INKEY$(-1)5="r" THEN RUA:
ELSE STOP
220 DEFine PROCedure terminal
230 REPeat key_loop
240 a=CODE (CINKEYS (#5, 0))&&LB
250 IF a=13 THER PRINT
200 IF a=7 THEN BEEP 2000, 15
270 IF a>31 THEN PRINT CHRS8(a);
280 b=CODE CINKEYS) .
290 IF b=248 THEN EXIT key_loop
300 IF b=255 THEW b=0
310 IF b=0 THEN FEXT key_loop
320 IF b=10 THEN b=13
330 IF b=208 THEN b=7
340 PRINT #5, CHRS(b);
350 END REPeat key_loop
360 RETurn
370 END DEFine terminal
Save as MIKE _TERM_bas
Sitnclair/Timex Newsletter January 1988 page 7
This is not bare-bones progran. t has a bell (but no whistles).
Also, it gets around a problem or QL's communicating with many ‘tnclair BBS's that call for CTRL , to end a message.
The QL's operating system traps STRL C. MIKE_TERM uses ALT CTRL C :o send a CTRL C. See line 300.
After toad and run attached to sera. -ate and then go on-line. Now get the modem's attention by starting any command with AT.
keying in the progran, it with the modes Choose a baud
Send any improvements and/or
facilities for up- loading or jown-loading files to the Editor.
MIXE_TERM works even better when compiled.
Try it out on Bob Cutter'’s Plexi BBS at 648-7651, Arlington, or on Jim Rodlin's TIME_WARP at 481-0555 in Marlboro.
PSION PRODUCTIVITY TIPS
This colunn will carry tips on making your life easier with the Psion programs that come with a QL computer. After all product- ivity is supposed to be what a computer is all about.
Tom BENT, CATS, suggests not printing letters one by one when typing a series of letters. Instead, ‘print’ the letter to file. (F3, P, <ENTER>, <ENTER>> followed by the name of the letter, instead of the default
offered by Quill. All printer control codes are now in the file.
At session's end, in SuperBASIC, use a TOOLKIT I1 extension. Vith the printer_dat in drive 1, type either SFL mdvé_xyz_lis (‘a series of which can be easily chained) or WCOPY mdv2_,serl. Either way can set the QL to print a series of files while you get on about (the rest of) your life.
Peter Hale, BCS, suggests making custom labels, from return addresses to:
WARNING MAGNETIC DATA MEDIA DO NOT X_RAY OR MAGNHETISE
are useful. Five hundred 13/16” labels cost under a 1/2¢ each.
In a Quill document set the design to Bottom 0, Upper 0, Page O and set the Footer to none. Create a six line label (blank lines included) and copy it ten times (11 in all) for a 66 line document. Frint as many sets as needed in the short term and save as a doc file for future use.
For a quick and dirty address book use ABACUS. Reserve a column for each category (first_ name, last_name, phone, Christmas card, etc.?).
Enter information without regard for alpha order, one row to a listing. Now use the command F3, O(rder) on the column with the last name. Print it out.
To revise a listing, press F5, last.jones to go directly to the row with your friend John Jones.
Are you conetantly turning off your printer to form-feed the last page of your Quill document? Is your printer_dat file set to have FF as the postamble cade?
Sinclair/Timex Newsletter January 1988 page 8
BOOK REVIEW
Taking the Quantum Leap by Mike
de Sosa. Published by Time Designs Magazine Co. $26.00 ppd.
Mike is a regular contributor on subjects QL to magazines. He has a love affair with this computer.
That love affair does not extend to the QL User Guide, which falls short of what enthustasts have expected from Sinclair manuals.
Taking the Quantum Leap is a
professional trainer's rewrite of
the User Guide the way it should have been done the first time,
Where TtQL succeeds it suceeds admirably. It ie well written and shows the professionalisn of an experienced trainer. The writing style ts easier to follow and program examples are ai lot more versatile and instructive than many in the QLUG.
The book cross-references the QLUG AND has an index, a feature sadly lacking in the QLUG.
Each PSIOR application progran 1s covered as is SuperBASIC. The keywords in SuperBasic have their own Appendix and wisely have sim
{lar keywords grouped together. The book would have been even better if the pattern had deen
consistently followed.
_ ItQu 1s not without its fatlings. Reviews elsewhere have spoken glowingly of this book, but unfortunately it has many of
the same failings as the QLUG, primarily in its lack of thoroughness, but also with tts share of typos and errors.
There are good tips, but some are plain wrong. Fage 51 implies that you can save a Quill or
Abacus file with an underscore in ‘the middle of the name. It just doesn't work.
One helpful tip with Archive is to export files to QLWP by using ‘text’ instead of ‘quill’, a point not covered in the QLUG.
Where [TtQL really shines is its tables that lay out commands and
functions in a readily viewed form and in examples and tips for getting immediate productivity gains from your Fston programs.
Setting up your printer p160-162 has really helpful tips, but the section on using translate codes to access type face options seers like it left out a page of explanation.
Taking the Quantum Leap should have a second edition with about 530 more pages. The chapter on New Developments should either be more expansive on its software reviews and descriptions or do away with many of them. There is a sense that some descriptions were written from advertisements.
An Appendix of useful Pokes would be helpful, and alone worth the price of the book. More
examples itn the SuperBASIC key- words Appendix wouldn't hurt.
Aa a supplement to QLUG, ItQL is terrific. But it is not a replacement nor does it try to be. Keep that in mind and you won't be disappointed. And if
the clear writing style helps you understand only a few new aspects of your computer, you will, as I did, cheer Mike's book and give thanks in your nightly prayers for his hard work.
Sinclair/Timex Newsletter January 1988 page 9
CLOUDS OF A QL
Al Boehm uses his QL at the Air Force Geophysics Laboratory and takes it on trips to demonstrate the results of his work. He submitted this delightful Super- BASIC program to display mean cloud contours.
It is a good demonstration of how SuperBASIC passes parameters and how to use SCALE coordinates. Il was taken with Al's use of variables to set WINDOV's.
1 REMark test of contour using a math function.
é REMark 20 Dec 1987
3 REMark by A. Boehm
100 nnx=6:nny=6:DIM z(nnx, nny)
110 FOR i=0 TO nnx
120 FOR j=0O TO nny
130 2(4,J>=10KSIN(1/10K24P1+
J/OX2EPI)+ 14472
135 REMark also try 2(1,))=10%RND
140 WEXT j
150 NEXT i
160 contour Z,nnx, nny
170 STOP
180 DEFine PROC contour (z, nx, ny?
188 REMark Printa banded contours of the values in z. Use MODE 8
for best results. A contour interval of 1 is assuned. For other contour intervals, let
z(i,jo=z(i,j>?/contour_interval before calling contour. 190 across*511: down=255: left#0: top=0 200 WINDOW across, down, laft, top 210 PAPER 0:CLS 220 SCALE ny,0,0 225 dxzacrossk. 628/downkny/nx 230 yline=ny/down 240 FOR j=0 TO ny-1 250 x1=0:x2=dx 260 FOR 1=0 TO nx-1 270 con_a_block z(i,j),z141,J), z(t, jt1),z¢441,541),9 280 x1=x2: x2"x2+dx 290 NEXT i 300 NEXT J 310 RETurn 320 END DEFine contour 330 DEFine FROCedure con_a_block (a,b,c,d, ystart) 340 LOCal dz,fx,x,1,J
For more
Companion. published by Sunshine Press.
350 aa=a: bb=b
360 davylinex*(c-a)
370 db=ylinex (d-b)
380 FOR y=ystart TO ystart+1 STEP
yline
390 POINT xl,y
400 1=INTCaad: J2INT Cob)
410 INK i MOD 8
420 IF i=j THEN LINE TO x2,y: GO TO 530
430 dz=ABS (bb-aa): n=ABS(j-1)
440 fxena-1i:1F 1<j THEN fx=1-fx
450 IF n=1 THEN LINE_R TO fx*dx/dz,0: GO TO 520
460 fy=b-j:1F j>1 THEN up=1: ELSE up=-1:fy=i-fy
470 xedx/dz
480 LINE_R TO f£xxkx,0
490 FOR k=i+up TO j-up STEP up
500 INK k MOD 8:LINE_R TO x,0
510 END FOR k
S20 INK Jj MOD 8:LINE TO x2,y
5330 aazaatda: bb=bb+db
540 END FOR y
550 END DEFine con_a_block
Save this as contour_it_bas.
POKING A OL
Before loading an executable program. FOKE 98403.128. Although the screen goes nasty.
and vou lose the cursor. Exec the
program. Watch the screen.
Still without a cursor? FOKE 98403.0.
Kevboard too slow on vour OL?
FOKF_W 163980.12: POKE_W 163982.0
This can be included as a line in
vour Quill boot. if vou are a
ranid typist. If 12 1s too much. try a lower number in the first FOKE.
FOKE's. trv the oQOpDoS by Andrew Pennell. and
Sinclair/Timex Newsletter January 1988 page 10
QUANTA
Most QL owners are now aware of QUANTA (QL Users And Tinkerers Association) which publishes a monthly newsletter of software and hardware reviews and worldwide doings with the QL.
Annual membership with airmail delivery is #17 from:
The Secretary
Brian Faine
24 Oxford St.
Stony Stratford, Milton Keynes United Kingdom, MK11 1JU
Phone: 011 44 908 364271 You can charge to VISA or WNC.
Membership entitles you to the library of software for the QL which currently runs 350 programs on 16 DS/QD disks and covers everything from desktop publish- ing to dozens of games and 157 utilities.
Some programs have royalty fees ranging up to $12.00 but are otherwise at-cost for the discs.
The most recent library update has arrived in the States and can be purchased from Tom Bent, the QUANTA sub-librarian here. Ton is at 9016 Flicker Fl., Columbia, MD 21045. Phone: (301) 730-7187.
THE RETURE OF ° VAL"
One of Sinclair Basics' mor valuable contributions to th BASIC language were the keyword VAL and VALS. These permitte formulae to be entered as tex strings and then be evaluated. NW other BASIC was so cooperative.
QL SuperBASIC instituted feature called coercion tha meant that if a&$=z'4' and b=2, on could print a$*b and get 8.
In theory coercion did away wit the need for VAL. However coercion would terminate at tk first sign of a non-numerice character. Thus, if a$='4%*2'° ar bs3, the result of a$+b would t 7 and not 11.
Kow comas VAL for the QL!!
The most recent update of tk QUANTA library tncludes a serie of files and extensions that ad VAL to your repetoire of Super BASIC keywords and allow it to — included in compiled programs.
For those who need it, it’ worth the membership in QUANT# Available on DISK 15, for whic there is a small royalty charge Contact Tom Bent, (301-731-7187) the American sub-Librarian fc QUAETA, for more information.
Sinclair/Timex Newsletter January 1988 page 11
WEVSLETTER FEATURES
Do you want any special features .o this newsletter?
The following are suggested.
WANT ADS - to buy or sell sur- 2lus software/hardware. Up to 6 lines free to BCS member with shotocopy of current BCS member- ship card; $3.00 to others.
THE DEDICATED COMPUTER. Old nicroproceasors never die; they secome dedicated computers. Many nave used the 2X-81/TS-1000 as a dedicated interface with the real world. The column will solicit now-to articles.
SINCLAIR PROFILES. Do you or someone you know use « Sinclair computer ina novel, interesting ar profitable way for business or pleasure? Write a profile for this column. (A PROPILE, not a piography.) Get to it or the aditor may do it on you!
Contact the editor, me, Peter Yale through the BCS Office mail
systen (slow) or my Box 8763, Boston, MA 02114 Phone (617)
723-8545 (better).
Sinclair/Timex Newsletter January 1988 page 12
Sinclair/Timex Fawsletter January 1988 page 13
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page Calendar 1 Phone Directory 1 Editorial 1 TVS Crner 2 Eupplier Notes 3 Telecomnunications and the Timex/’Sinclair Computer 3 SOFTWARE Librarv 4 2068 Vindows 5-7 Telecomnmunications on the OL 7 PSION Productivity Tips 8 Book Review (Taking the Quantum Leap) 9 Cloude on a OL 10 FOKING a OL 10 QUANTA 11 The Return of ‘VAL’ 11 Newsletter Features le Hardware Tip for OL 12 Calendar 14
CALENDAR CHANGES
THE OL SUB—-GROUP MEETS ON TANUARY 16. 1988.
THE LISTING IN THE BCS CALENDAR IS WRONG.
SBE PAGE 1
Sinclair/Timex Newsletter January 1988 page 14