USE CURSOR KEYS TO SCROLL TEXT. USE CURSOR KEYS TO SCROLL TEXT. 8-Bit Software 8-Bit Software Issue 48 Program Documentation. Issue 48 Program Documentation. Part 1 Archive/De-Archiver Archive/De-Archiver By C.J.Richardson. This program will archive up to 50 filenames into one. Especially useful for DFS users. DFS has a filename limit. The program will allow you to add files to the archive at a later date. You cannot delete files from the archive (the program could be adapted to do so). The program allows you to de-archive all files or just one and then run it. You may view the files in the archive. You may also use * commands. To use the program: CHAIN"Arch`de" The main menu offers you 3 options and a * command facility: Option 1. Archive Files. Choosing this option takes you to a sub-menu with 2 further options. The first of which is to start a new archive, the second to continue building an existing archive. Both options start by asking which archive you want to begin/add to. You then enter the name/s of the file/s to archive. Finish by pressing RETURN. Option 2. De-Archive Files. When you choose this option you are first asked which archive you want to split. Enter the filename of the archive you wish to split. You are then presented with the available archived files in that archive. You may now choose option 1 to de-archive all of the files or option 2 to de-archive just one of the files. If you choose to de-archive just one file, when de-archiving is complete, you will be given the option to CHAIN or *RUN the de-archived file or to continue in the archiver/de-archiver. If you use a twin drive, you have no need to copy archived files to the blank disc first. Make the drive with the blank disc the current drive with *DR. . Then when prompted for the source file, enter the full pathname including the drive number. For example. The archived file View is in drive 2. The blank disc is in drive 1. Load the de-archiver. Type *DRIVE 1. Type RUN. Enter 2 to de-archive. Enter :2.View. Enter 1. The file will be de-archived directly from drive 2 to drive 1. Option 3. View Archived Files. Choosing this option allows you to see what files are in an archive. Enter the name of the archive. * Command. Type * followed by any * command to change drives etc. Remember that some * commands corrupt memory and will overwrite the program. Do not enter file names longer than 10 characters. This will not allow full pathnames in ADFS, but as ADFS uses a directory structure, there is no need to archive files for ADFS. This program will probably feature on future 8BS issues as it enables single programs to be easily fished out of a large archive. As a lot of the programs submitted to 8BS are short and sweet, this will no longer pose a problem for DFS users. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, To: 999 (all members) From: K2K (Peter Davy) Subject: My Adult Basic Education programs on disks TBI-46-1 to TBI-46-6 of the 8-Bit Software Catalogue. Although the above programs were written specifically for adults, some members may not have realised that many of them are of interest to children. Although I am not at present spontaneously writing any new programs, I would like to keep my hand in by considering ideas from users for new programs or for changes to existing ones. The program XNEXTDH, to be found elsewhere on this disk, provides an example of a program which I have modified to meet the requirements of a user. It also provides members with an opportunity to see a bit of my work and perhaps to decide to see more. The original program is XNEXT on disk no. TBI-46-2. It is written for the fairly proficient reader who nevertheless has difficulty in putting sentences together when he comes to write something of his own. The program gives a choice of three passages. The student is given the words of the passage 3, 4 or 5 at a time in a random order and has to put them into the right order. The changes made to the program are to make it more suitable for a student with impaired vision. In the new version all the characters on the screen are double height which are easier to read. Also the student can now choose to have just white characters on a black background, instead of the use of various colours, if he finds that to be beneficial. The passages are stored within the program in DATA statements from line no.2260 to no.2510. Anyone used to putting new DATA into an existing program should have no difficulty in producing a version with some new passages. Copy the program on to another disk. Delete lines 2260 to 2510. Two data markers are used. A hash, _, placed immediately after a word will cause that word start a new paragraph when the passage is printed on the screen. An asterisk, *, indicates the end of a passage. Generally the DATA lines do not need to be in inverted commas unless the text in that line has one or more commas. Lines 900, 910 and 920 would need to have the new titles and lines 950, 960 and 970 would need to have the new RESTORE numbers. Alternatively if you would care to write some new passages for the program but do not feel able to incorporate them into the program, I would be glad to do the work for you if you send me the passages, a blank disk and the return postage. Please specify DFS, ADFS, 40 or 80 track. Peter Davy ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, To: 999 (all members) From: K6N (Brian Raw) Subject: AMOEBA IN C This is the simpler version of AMOEBA that was in issue 46 but written in C, called via the card printing prog which is in BASIC. The main reason for calling the program in this way is that there are actually two versions available that use MODE 7 or MODE 4 and since you cannot alter the mode while the program is running you must set off in the MODE required. Following the rules I had learned from my last C program, things went fine until it came to reading the ADC port. It turned out that this produces a signed 16bit number as opposed to BASIC which produces a 16bit unsigned number. Let me demonstrate! paddle left paddle right value range value range unsigned 65536 [ 32768 32767 ] 0 signed -1 [ -32766 32767 ] 0 one solution to this problem would be to first take the ABSOLUTE values signed 1 [ 32766 32767 ] 0 then check the sign of the original signed < 0 > 0 so then when the ABSOLUTE value < 1000 some action is required, checking the sign of the original tells you the direction. Incidentally, the paddles now work in unison with the keys i.e. if no key is being pressed, then the program reads the ADC port. Another change to the program was necessary, due to the toggle operating too quickly it was difficult to stop it re-toggling, so there is now a flag which prevents more than one toggle between movements. Since the board information is stored in a character array this is the type of use you put *pointers to. It works in a similar way to the indirection pointer ?variable in BASIC. HOW TO PLAY THE GAME I * I I * I I * I I * I I * I I * I I** O **I I** O **I I * I I * I I * I I * I I * I I * I The playing board in the centre of the screen is made up of a 7*7 grid of blocks, the size of the small flashing square. These blocks can be turned into two positions. See the above representation. Press the SPACE BAR to turn the block to it's other position. First of all, choose the option to print out the cards. You will use the printout when playing the game. In the BASIC version of Amoeba, there was an option to see these cards on screen, this version does not have that option. Play the game by moving the small flashing square in the centre pattern on the screen around using the AZ,. keys. When the flashing square is over the part of the pattern that you want to turn, press the SPACE BAR. If this action then creates a copy in the grid of one of your cards, remove that card from your printout. You then get another turn. If this action does not create a copy of one of your cards in the centre grid, then the turn passes to the other player. The game ends when one of the players runs out of cards and the pack has gone. If using paddles then input is only accepted from the paddle who's go it is. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, To: 999 (all members) From: K2B (Colin Culpitt-Smith) Subject: Z88/BBC Archive Utility I am indebted to John Allen for giving his permission to release this excellent Z88 Archiver into PD. On this disk, you should find two versions of this utility. 'Zarkive' is an easily read Basic program and designed for the Master. 'ZARKcom' is a compressed version of Zarkive, so as to fit and run on a model B. Instructions for using the archiver are also on this disk, as 'ZinfoWW' (a WW+ text file), and 'Zascii' which is pure ascii and can be read with *TYPE Zascii or loaded into the W/Proc of your choice. This utility allows you to back-up all or just some of your Z88 files to BBC disk in one big file. Any of the Z88 files within this file can be restored back to the Z88. There is also a Printer Server built-in, and it's very easy to use, being menu driven. It is also very quick! If you need any help with using this utility, or indeed any Z88 problems, please get in touch with me on , evenings or w/ends. EDITOR..... Please note that this utility is archived on this issue. You will need to use the de-archiver on this disc (info above) before you can use the suite of programs. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, To: 999 (all members) From: 3WU (Fred Price) Subject: A Sad Story Not all poems or stories can have a happy ending and in this case it is a sad tale of many years ago. I got this little story off an RtoR tape I got when I first started with our local hospital radio. When I heard it in our local WEARSIDE accent I then started to write it down. This was before I started on computers. It takes a full A4 to print it out so if you can center your printer, put the paper in and read the sad story of. WHISPERING BILL in WHISBILL . ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, PRESS SPACE