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* * * BOSTON COMPUTER SOCIETY Be > Newsletter of the BoSTUG (Sinclair/Timex User Group) % * Vol 9 No 1 * : None of the above should pass Ep TOR © TES without appropriate recognition This: %5. a Sad. desue to-compile; of Pam Bybell, the BCS Manager of

It marks my final issue as editor of the newsletter, and announces the disbandment of the Sinclair Timex User Group of the Boston Computer Society.

Eight years ago the Sinclair Group was a major force in the establshment of the BCS. Sir

Clive turned ona_ generation of computer users with the ZX-81 and its North American clone the TS-1000.

With the demise of Timex as a computer manufacturer the group began a sure decline to a little over 100 members.

The decision to abandon the S/T User Group resulted from a combination of factors.

First, it had been over a year

since anyone had general meeting.

shown up ata

Second, the active core of QL users were the only ones who were involved. This generated a lot of work to put out a newsletter that

no one except QL users were interested in. Third, came the increase in BCS

membership fees that made annual membership cost more than a new computer.

Finally, the BCS red tape grew to

the point where it stopped being fun to look after the affairs of state.

As a result the QL users voted in January to start the independent

New ngland Sinclair QL User Group (NESQLUG), with $10.00 annual fees, meeting bi-monthly (for now) and planning a

quarterly newsletter.

BoSTUG Sinclair/Timex Newsletter

User Group Support. Throughout my tenure as general factotum she

has provided cheerful support and

general assistance in many areas.

if | have any regrets about the QL users decision to separate, it is that | will miss Pam.

Thank for alive.

you Pam, being so

Peter Hale

Interested QL users who wish to join the New England Sinclair

User Group should contact Richard Taylor, 309 Holly Cir., Tiverton,

R! 02878.

Membership is $10.00 per year. The newsletter's exchange policy will remain the same. Sinclair/ Timex User groups should forward

exchange issues to Joyce Blaho, 971 Fellsway, Medford, MA 02155.

SIMPLE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT (what goes around comes around)

Many fans of Sinclair computers have thought that Sir Clive's

genius is not fully appreciated

because Alan Sugar of the British firm AMSTRAD refused to license QDOS, the operating system for the Sinclair QL.

It was believed that he saw the QL as a major threat to his investment in the manufacture and marketing of MS-DOS clones.

The January 1, issue of Barron's listed the major loser's on the London’ Stock exchange during 1989. Of companies with market capitalization over £25 million, AMSTRAD tied for first place posting a 77% drop in share value over the 12 month period.

- 1 - March 1990

TABLE of CONTENTS

page Editor's Notes 1 Simple Justice Department 1 An Apology 2 Letter to the Editor 2 KEYWH1Z 2 CDIR Directory Printer 3 BE SMUG 6 INNOCENTS ABROAD 6 Public Domain Library for TS-1000 and TS-2068 T UPDATE Lives 7 ALTKEY Boot 8 Meeting Notes 8 SMUG Announcement 10

AN APOLOGY

The back cover of the September/ Octber 1989 issue reproduced two scatalogical cartoons. A number of people found them to be in poor taste.

The most charitable comments were that it reflected a lapse of judgement by a_ here-to-fore responsible editor.

Others expressed by the editor below.

were of the opinion letter to the

1! wish to apologize to any and all who found the reproductions offensive and to observe that the decision to terminate the ST User group was a totally unrelated event.

Peter Hale

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Please remove my name from your

BOSTUG mailing list. If | want bathroom cartoons, I'll look elsewhere.

Disgustedly,

(Signed) Stephen D. Pratt

BoSTUG Sinclair/Timex Newsletter

KEYWHIZ by Ed Kingsley

The following ALTKEY utility lets

you enter the computer's date in European (military) format in any document.

lt is useful in Quill to date a letter, but may be used in any program to avoid typing out the date each time.

Caution! It is first necessary to set the date onthe QL. These lines must appear in a boot after the date setting routine.

To use, position the cursor where you wish the computer's date to appear. Then press ALT SHIFT D.

if you want US standard format of the date, replace lines 1240 and 1250 with lines 1270 and 1280.

1000 REMark ==============------- 1010 REMark “KEYWH1Z"

1020 REMark Altkey's for Psion 1030 REMark --------------------- 1040 REMark ======2=2======------- 1050 REMark 3 Nov 89 e 1 kingsley 1060 :

1070 REMark Prints Date @ Cursor 1080 REMark --------------------- 1090 D$=DATE$: d=10

1100 !F D$(10)=0 THEN d=11

1110 Dm$=D$(6 To §)

1120 IF Dm$="Uan" 1130 IF Dm$="Feb"

: Dm$=""January" > Dm$="February"™

1140 IF Om$="Mar" : Om$="March" 1150 IF Dm$="Apr" : Dm$="April" 1160 IF Dm$="May" : Dm$="May”

1170 IF Dm$="Uun" : Dm$="June" 1180 IF Dmg$="Jul" : Dmg="July” 1190 IF Dm$="Aug"” : Dm$="August" 1200 IF Dm$="Sep" : Dm$="September" 1210 IF Dm$="0ct" : Dm$="October" 1220 IF Dm$="Nov" : Dm$=“November" 1230 IF Dm$="Dec" : Dm$="December"

1240 Dm$="" "&Omga"" "

1250 ALTKEY'D', D$(d TO 11)&Dm$ &D$(1 TO 4)

1260 REMark Alternate for US format

1270 REMark Dm$=Dm$a" "

1280 REMark ALTKEY'D', Dm$&D$(d TO 11)&", “&D$(1 TO 4) - 2 - March 1990

CDIR A SUPERBASIC PROGRAM

CDIR displays and prints directories in column format. If there are more files than can be seen on the screen at once, it breaks them up into 'pages' which can be quickly displayed. There is also an option to mark (in the display screen) files whose name contains a specified string. This allows for quick searches for files. It works by putting the directory into a temporary scratch file and putting all the file names in a string array. They can then be easily printed in column format (up to four per screen). If you have ever frantically looked through old microdrives or floppies for a file, you will appreciate this program. If you are industrious, you can use the program to print out the directory of each medium and keep it handy so you can locate a file when needed.

100 REMark CDIR 110 REMark Column Directory Program 120 REMark Bill Cable V1.1

140 REMark This program puts the

150 REMark directory of a medium in

160 REMark columns on the screen and 170 REMark prints them out if desired. 180 REMark File names containing a

190 REMark specified string will be found 200 REMark and marked for easy spotting.

220 scratch$="":fnd$=""" 230 cdir

250 DEFine PROCedure done 260 WINDOW#1,512,206,0,0 270 CLS#0:CLS#1:STOP

280 END DEFine done

300 DEFine PROCedure cdir

310 WINDOW#1,512,256,0,0

320 WINDOW#2,512,206,0,0

330 heading"Column Directory"

340 IF scratchS=""

350 get_device "For Scratch Pad"

360 scratch$=device$S

370 IF scratch$="" THEN done

380 END IF

390 get_device "To Directory"

400 source$=device$

410 IF source$="":done:END IF :AT 10,10

420 PRINT#1,"{making list of files. If error, type : 'close #5<ENTER>'}"

430 DELETE scratch$&"tmp_tmp"

440 OPEN_NEW#5,scratchS&"tmp_tmp"

450 DIR#5,source$:CLOSE#5

460 OPEN#5,scratchS$&"tmp_tmp"

470 INPUT#5,a$,b$

480 cnt=0:max=1l:pos=1

490 REPeat all

500 IF EOF(#5) THEN EXIT all

510 ~—s ent=cnt+l:INPUT#5,i$

520 IF LEN(i$)>max THEN max=LEN(iS)

BoSTUG Sinclair/Timex Newsletter - 3 - March 1990

530 540 550 560 570 580 590 600 610 620 630 640 650 660 670 680 690 700 710 720 730 740 750 760 770 780 790

END REPeat all

CLOSE#5:npg=0:page=1

IF cnt>0

DIM files$(cnt,max):pos=1 OPEN#5,scratch$&"tmp_tmp" INPUT#5,a$,b$

FOR i=l TO cnt INPUT#5,i$:files$(i)=iS

END FOR i

CLOSE#5

DELETE scratch$&"tmp_tmp" ncol=INT(80/(max+2))

IF ncol>8 THEN ncol=8 1=INT((cnt-1)/20)+1

IF i<xncol THEN ncol=i set_columns 0,0,0:lpg=0

END IF

AT 10,0:CLS 4:AT 24,0:CLS 4

REPeat options

3$="[1-"S&npg$&"] page, C(ols),D(ir),P(rt),F(ind),Q(uit) :" show_files 1,page:key$=keyin$(1,24,20,3$)

IF keyS>="1" AND keyS<="9" page=key$ IF page<l:page=1 ELSE :IF page>npg THEN page=npg END IF END IF IF key$=="c" set_columns 24,20,ncol:page=1:lpg=0 END IF IF keyS$=="da" THEN cdir IF keyS=="f£" AT 24,20:CLS 4 INPUT"Find file names containing lpg=0 END IF IF key$=="p" THEN dir_print IF keyS$=="q" THEN done END REPeat options END DEFine cdir

DEFine PROCedure set_columns(l,c,d) IF 1<>0

: "stnds

i$=keyin$(1,l,c,"How many columns [<ENTER= “Sas yy

IF CODE(i$)=10 THEN i=d: ELSE i="0"&iS

IF i>8 OR ixl THEN i=d ncol=i:END IF

cwid=INT(80/ncol):npg=INT((cnt-1)/(20*ncol))+1:npg$=npg

END DEFine set_columns

DEFine PROCedure sho w_files(chn,pg) ll=0

IF pg<>0 IF lpg=pg THEN RETurn |heading source$&" : "&a$&" "&bS

IF cnt=0 THEN AT 4,10:PRINT "No Files Found":RETurn

AT 2,0:CLS 2

beg_index=20*ncol*(pg-1)+1:end_index=20*ncol*pg

IF end_index>cnt THEN end_index=cnt

ELSE :beg_index=l:end_index=cnt END IF FOR k=beg_index TO end_index

BoSTUG Sinclair/Timex Newsletter

March 1990

lin=INT((k-beg_index)/ncol)+3 col=((k-1) MOD ncol)*cwid IF chn=1 THEN AT lin,col ELSE :IF lin=ll THEN PRINT#chn,TO col; ELSE :PRINT #chn:ll=lin:END IF END IF IF ncol=1 THEN PRINT#chn,TO 4-LEN(k);k;TO 6 is="" IF fnds="" PRINT#chn," "sfiles$(k); ELSE IF fnd$ INSTR files$(k) IF chn=l1 THEN UNDER 1:ELSE iS=""*" END IF PRINT#chn,i$;files$(k);: UNDER 0 END IF END FOR k lpg=pg IF chn=1 THEN AT 24,1:PRINT'Page ";pg;" of ";npg

1340 END DEFine show_files

1360 DEFine PROCedure get_device(m$)

REPeat d_loop deviceS="""AT 23,0:CLS 4 PRINT"Device '":mS;" "::PAPER 2 PRINT TO 40;"[Press number key for choice]";TO 80 PAPER 4:AT 24,0:CLS 4 PRINT" 1/MDV1_ 2/MDV2_ 3/FLP1_ 4/FLP2_": PRINT" 5/RAM1_ 6/RAM2_ 7/Other 8/Exit : ?" REPeat key_loop iS=INKEYS(-1):AT 24,74:PRINT iS;:d="0"&iS:dS="" IF d>O AND d<9 THEN EXIT key_loop BEEP 1000,90:AT 24,74:PRINT" "; END REPeat key_loop SELect ON d =8:RETurn =1:dS="MDV1_" =2:d$="MDV2_" =3:dS="FLP1_" =4:d$="FLP2_" =5:dS="RAM1_" =6:d$="RAM2_" =REMAINDER END SELect : IF d$<>'"™ THEN device$=d$:EXIT d_loop IF d=7:AT 24,0:CLS 4 INPUT" Device name : “;device$ IF LEN(device$)=5 IF device$(5)="_" THEN EXIT d_loop END IF :END IF END REPeat d_loop

1660 END DEFine get_device

1680 DEFine PROCedure heading(i$)

PAPER 4:INK 0:BORDER 1,7:CLS PAPER 2:INK O:AT 2,0:CLS 1 i=(40-LEN(i$))/2:CSIZE 2,1

AT 0,i:PRINT i$:CSIZE 0,0 PAPER 4:INK O:AT 3,0

1740 END DEFine heading

1750 :

1760 DEFine FuNction keyin$(c,lin,col,m$)

RoSTUG Sinclair/Timex Newsletter - 5 - Marek

1aq—qn

1770 AT#c,lin,col:cCLS#c,4

1780 PRINT#c,mS$;:PAPER#c,7:PRINTHC,” ";

1790 iS=INKEYS(f#c,-1)

1800 IF c=1 THEN PAPER#c,4:ELSE PAPER#c,2

1810 AT#c,lin,col+LEN(m$):PRINT #c,i$;:RETurn i$

1820 END DEFine keyin$

1830 :

1840 DEFine PROCedure dir_print

1850 k$=""sheading"Print Directory to printer"

1860 AT 4,1:INPUT"Give heading : ";shd$

1870 AT 24,20:CLS 4

1880 PRINT'{Printing to printer (serl). Have printer online}" 1890 OPEN#7,serl

1900 PRINT#7,"DIRECTORY of "ssourceS;"_: "saS;" ":bS:TO 60;DATES 1910 PRINT#7,\hd$\:show_files 7,0:PRINT #7,\\\\:CLOSE#7

1920 END DEFine dir_print

1930 :

1940 DEFine PROCedure sav:SAVE flp2_cdir_bas:END DEFine sav Ed note:

The above program is an abbreviated version of DIRLUX, available as a one of three programs on CHAOS BUSTERS, from Wood and Wind

Computing, RR 3, Box 92, Cornish NH 03745.

Other programs are

Filex, a transfer program to place all your directories in an ARCHIVE Database, and DBEasy, a front end for ARCHIVE that

accesses much of its power without need programming.

BE SMUG

The Sinclair Milwaukee User Group will host the 1990 =Sinclair Computer Exposition in (where else) Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the weekend of June 2 & 3.

If you plan to attend, contact Peter Hale at (617) 889-0830 to co-ordinate transportation.

The flyer for the exposition is reproduced on the inside back cover.

INNOCENTS ABROAD We recently received a copy of the QL Australia, from a QL User

Group in New South Wales.

We understand that the group may have as few a 11 members, but you

would never now it to look at their newsletter. It has the look of offset, and

may not have been produced on a QL, but its content is meaty.

BoSTUG Sinclair/Timex Newsletter

to learn database

Price $29.95 on disk, $33.95 on microcartridge.

It had the most understandable exposition of C programming |

have come across and an innovative program to let the QL

act like an overhead projector.

We also newsletter

received QUASAR, the of Germany's Sinclair QL User Club which is promoting interchange with user groups throughout the world.

Unfortunately my German is not as good as it once was, but several tidbits are worth passing on.

The group has 950 members through out Europe, and publishes a handsome quarterly newsletter.

They have a multi-lingual public domain software library.

The group's interests range from Packet Radio to Pascal and from Machine Code to adventure games.

The Group supports all @QDOS machines, including the THOR, the QL~-Atari and the QL-Amiga.

- 6 - March 1990

PUBLIC DOMAIN LIBRARY for TS-1000 and TS-2068

(The following announcement was received from Tim L. Ward)

Timex/Sinclair User Groups:

The Timex/Sinclair Public Domain Library has collected an extensive library of information that could be of use to your group.

In addition to our software library (386 TS-1000 programs, 128 TS-2068 programs, RLE graphics, LKDOS utilities) we

offer a user group mailing list,

a TS/user address file and a index of Time Designs Magazine articles.

We plan to offer much more, but we need your help.

We need program submissions to help the library grow, but we would also like ideas for things that you'd like to see.

How about cross-referenced index for all TS-related magazines? We can do it with your help.

We would be glad to trade public domain libraries or mailing lists with your group, as we are trying ‘to build the largest amount of TS-related data in North America, at the lowest cost to users.

Our library offers discs in LKDOS format for both TS1000 and 2068 as well as cassettes; any disc or

tape is $4.00 ppd for those interested in buying the library

(3 tape/discs-2068, 8 tapes/10

discs-1000). Please get in touch

with us if we can be of help to your group or if you would like to help our library grow.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Tim Ward, TS-1000 Librarian Tony Willing,TS-2068 Librarian

5412-D Ginko Dr. S.W., Tacoma, WA 98439

BoSTUG Sinclair/Timex Newsletter

UPDATE TO LIVE

The last reliable magazine for TS-2068 and QL users in North America has had some difficulty the past year but now will live.

UPDATE Magazine (1317 Stratford Ave, Panama City, FL 32404) had developed as Bill Jones' hobby in support of the Sinclair computer.

In the past year the required energy level has been more than Bill wanted to handle alone and

he wants to sail the Caribbean

with his wife.

After several pleas for help, Frank Davis stepped forward and beginning with the October 1990 issue he will be the publisher.

UPDATE has been successful ina field littered with shreds of failed publications.

Some of the remarkable features of UPDATE are a sense of humor and useful educational articles.

It has proved that you can publish a magazine that appeals to advanced users without leaving the neophyte confused.

The subscription price of $18.00 for four 50 page quarterly issues is a steal, given the cost of printing and postage without subsidy from advertising.

Tne magazine has supported North

American software programmers with the innovative concept of pubishing ‘issue discs' with

software at reasonable prices.

Bill has always maintained a Supportive role for the Sinclair community - a community not without its divisions.

There has been a tradition at UPDATE of not paying authors. And yet it has survived with a hopper full of articles waiting to be published while other magazines that paid have folded.

Who says the spirit of volunteerism is dead in America?

~-~ J. March 313909090

ALTKEY BOOT by Al Boehm

This little boot sets some ALTKEY variables used when programming SuperBASIC. The choices are in- teresting, but not the point.

The point is that it's easy to forget the values assigned to some ALTKEYS.

This boot LISTs on the screen the ALTKEY assignments. They stay there only for a short time, while extension files are being loaded. Then they disappear with the NEW command.

90 REMark AL BOEHM'S BOOT - PLOT, WINDOW, & EXTENSIONS 4 Mar 89 95 REMark sH222r22tas2tssstsssssr- 100 PAPER #2,0:CLS #2 110 PAPER #2,4:INK #2,0 120 WINDOW #0, 459,255-210,24,211 130 WINDOW #1, 459,210,24,0 140 WINDOW #2, 459,210,24,0 150 CLS:LIST 170 TO 270 160 REMark ALTKEYS 165 REMark ==2==========2=-==----- 170 ALTKEY ‘b',"window 511,255,0,0 : paper 0: cls" 180 ALTKEY ‘d',"def proc " 190 ALTKEY ‘f',"def fn " 200 ALTKEY ‘e’,"end def

210 ALTKEY '‘i',"paper#0,0 > ink#0,7 : paper 2:ink 7 >: paper#2,4 : ink#2,0" 220 ALTKEY ‘o',"“open #3,ser1" 230 ALTKEY ‘'p',"print " 240 ALTKEY 'r',"“rem

250 ALTKEY 't'," window #0,459,45,24,211 : Window #2,230,210,24,0 : window #1,229,210,254,0" 260 ALTKEY ‘w',"window #0,459,45,24,211 : window #1,459,210,24,0 > window #2,459,210,24,0" 270 REMark CALLS FOR EXTENSIONS AND PROGRAMS 275 REMark ==2=2222222r222222==---- 280 a=RESPR(640) : LBYTES flp2_extensions_code,a >: CALL a 290 a=RESPR(250) : LBYTES flp2_screens_obj,a : CALL a 300 a=RESPR(600) : LBYTES flp2_plot,a : CALL a 310 NEW

MEETING NOTES

The most recent meeting of the QL group was held at Al Boehm's home on Saturday, March 3rd.

Dick Taylor demonstrated QL World software that showed molecular structure in rotation by loading a series of screens in_ rapid sequence.

Al Boehm demonstrated further skills with the new Thor. Ernie Wider, having just acquired a new office Thor, was an apt pupil.

Networking from microdrives on a QL to the THOR was a major part of Ernie's learning.

Mike Mitchell demonstrated a monitor interface for the QL that permitted paper and ink colors to be changed. By rotating a wired switch in the interface, it was possible to have Blue ink or Paper in Mode 4. Quill on a light blue screen with dark blue text is very fine indeed. Mike plans to develop a more sophisticated hardware version that’ will work in Mode 8 as well.

Another of Mike's demonstrations was an application of the Prairie Digital Analogue/Digital Input/ Output (ADIO) interface board to position rotating cams at will once the QL had ‘learned’ the cam's configuration.

Mike's final demonstration in networking was less sucessful. The object was to permit one computer to write directly to the screen of a networked remote QL. Unfortunately, the Thor showed some incompatibility in the demo.

The idea is part of a game that Mike is developing for playing BATTLESHIP on a pair of QL's.

If you remember the children's game, the object is to destroy an enemy's fleet without being able to see its position - hence the

networked QL's.

Lunch was fantastic, and we welcomed first timer Norm Shein.

S.M.U.G. Presents

The 1990 SINCLAIR COMPUTER Exposition MILWAUKEE | WISCONSIN

June 2 & 3 /Banquet Friday Night June 1 SEMINARS, DOOR PRIZES, SWAP SHOP, SOFTWARE, PERIPHERALS, HARDWARE,

AND LOTS OF OTHER STUFF

Location WAUKESHA HOLIDAY INN (414) 786-0460

Hwy 18 & 194 Waukesha, WI 53186

There will be a SNUG meeting Saturday Night June 2, 1990 Ticket Information:

in advance at the door Oneday : $4.00 $ 5.00 Both days : $7.00 $ 9.00 Banquet : $16.00 $16.00 Limited seating Table : $25.00 (incld. 2 day badge) $25.00 Limited table space

Tables are 6 feet by 30 inches For MORE INFORMATION contact

Bill Heberlein Neal Schultz 5052 N. 91st Street or call 7 - 1Opm Milwaukee, WI 53225 (414) 353-4522

for RESERVATIONS mail to: Expo Reservations

P.O. Box 101 = Butler, WI 53007 eS ae FN esate pla eet cents Son os be cesta ene metal ag eee Name Phone ( ) Address City State Zip Please reserve one day badge @ $4.00 each=$ Please reserve ‘two day badges @ $7.00 each=$ Please reserve Banquet tickets @ $16.00 each = $ Please reserve 6’ x 30" tables @ $25.00 each = $

I have included a check/money order for total =$

BoSTUG Sinclair/Timex Newsletter - 10 - March 1990