[HEA] _____________________ ___ _ |___ ______________| | | | | | | _ | | | | | || | | | | | | || | | | | | | || | | | ____ _ _ _ _ ______ | | | || | | | / __ \ | | / \_/ \ | ___ \ | | | || |__ ____ | | / / \ | | /\ /\ \ | | \ \ | | | || _ \ | _ \ | | \ \__/ | | | |_|| | | |__/ / | | | || | | || |_|| | | \___/|_| |_| |_| | ____/ |_| | || | | || |__ | |____________________ | | _ |__||_| |_|\____/ |________________________| | | |_| | | Lighting Your Apple II Path On Delphi | | |_| >>> WELCOME TO THE LAMP! <<< ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FREEWARE FAVORITES: Hierarchic 1.6.3 HARDWORKING HARDWARE: Focus Drive 520 AND THE BEST OF THE A2 AND A2PRO MESSAGE BOARDS "Teaching the Apple II user how to fish since 1998" :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: The Lamp! An Onipa'a Software Production Vol. 1, No. 11 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Publisher & Editor.......................Ryan M. Suenaga, M.S.W., L.S.W. Internet Email........................................thelamp@delphi.com :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: TABLE OF CONTENTS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ November 15, 1998 OPENING PITCH Too Little Maybe, Too Late Never ------------------------------- [OPN] A FUNNY THING HAPPENED [FOR] The Heat Is On ------------------------------------------------- [HET] Miscellanea [MSC] Rumor Mill ----------------------------------------------------- [RMR] Public Postings [PUB] Best Of The Best ----------------------------------------------- [BOB] A2Pro_DUCTIVITY Checking out A2PRO on Delphi ----------------------------------- [A2P] HARDWORKING HARDWARE Focus Drive 520 by Alltech Electronics ------------------------- [HAR] FREEWARE FAVORITES Hierarchic 1.6.3 ----------------------------------------------- [FRE] EXTRA INNINGS About The Lamp! ------------------------------------------------ [INN] [*] [*] [*] READING THE LAMP! The index system used by The Lamp! is designed to make """"""""""""""""" your reading easier. To use this system, load this issue into any word processor or text editor. In the index you will find something like: EXTRA INNINGS About The Lamp! ------------------------------------------------ [INN] To read this article, simply use your search or find command to locate [INN]. There is a similar tag at the end of each article: [EOA]. :: DISCUSSED ON DELPHI :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: : : : Marriage is the main cause of divorce. : : : ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: TONYW1 :::::::: [EOA] [OPN]------------------------------ OPENING PITCH | ----------------------------------- From The Editor """"""""""""""" by Ryan M. Suenaga, B.A., M.S.W., L.S.W. [thelamp@delphi.com] TOO LITTLE MAYBE, TOO LATE NEVER ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A week or so ago, a good friend of mine got married. This didn't strike me as unusual, although to a lot of other people it was--you see, he was forty, and this was the first time he married. I silently wondered if they'd have preferred him being divorced twice instead. In any case, myself and my lady friend missed the ceremony--we didn't know where the church was, and by the time we found it, it was 4:20 p.m. The wedding had started twenty minutes earlier, and ended, apparently, twenty seconds earlier. We looked at each other, shrugged our shoulders as one, and headed on over to get some coffee at one of my favorite taverns before we got to the reception and had a bunch of fun in honor of Jeff's and Jo's marriage. It was a good end to a day that was marred only by one tardiness that didn't stop us from celebrating our friends' new commitment, and may that commitment, and the love behind it, last forever. Forever, it seems, means that it's never too late--never too late to start again or continue on, never too late to try something new or come back to something forgotten. Forever means it's never too late to reach for new heights or sit back and think what a great ride it's been--and how great it'll be. Forever means that you'll always have one more chance. And that there's no reason to ever give up. And on a clear day, you can still see it. [*] [*] [*] Vacation All I Ever Wanted Department: This issue of _The Lamp!_ will probably be uploaded to Delphi from an unusual location--the California Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Yes, I'm on vacation again, my third mainland trip of the year (two too many for someone who only visited the mainland twice in something like 28 years), this time at Comdex by accident and at _another_ wedding of an old friend's by purpose. While up there I also plan to run over and hang out a bit with Alltech Electronics' own Tony Diaz, the Master of the Apple II Dremel. I leave for Vegas in less than 24 hours. Take care. Ryan thelamp@delphi.com ASCII ART BEGINS _________ _ _ _ |__ __| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |___ ____ | | _____ __ ___ _ _ _____ | | | | | ___ \ / __ \ | | /____ \ | v v | | v ___ \ | | | | | | | | | /__\ \ | | ____| | | /\ /\ | | / \ \ | | | | | | | | | _____| | | / ___ | | || || | | | | | |_| | | | | | | | |_____ | |____ | |__| | | || || | | \___/ / _ |_| |_| |_| \______| |______| \____^_| |_||_||_| | |\____/ |_| | | | | |_| ASCII ART ENDS [EOA] [OPN]------------------------------ A FUNNY THING HAPPENED. . . . | ----------------------------------- Checking out A2 on Delphi """"""""""""""""""""""""" by Ryan M. Suenaga, B.A., M.S.W., L.S.W. [thelamp@delphi.com] * The Heat Is On * Miscellanea * Rumor Mill * Public Postings * Best Of The Best THE HEAT IS ON """""""""""""" [*] Welcome To A2/Announcements ....... A2U Back In Session [*] Telecommunications ....... Cereal Ports? [*] Entertainment Software ....... GShisen Rules The Desktop [*] Vendors & Tech Support ....... Spectrum 2.2 Unleashed [*] Productivity Software ....... The Mysterious Tool 030 [*] General Chatter ....... Choosing An A2 ISP MISCELLANEA """"""""""" HOW DO YOU SEND DELPHI MAIL TO MORE THAN ONE ADDRESS? Just list them all """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" in the 'To:' line of your email, separated by commas... Ewen Wannop - Speccie - Tue 13 Oct 1998 - 281 till KFest '99 Delivered without using a IIgs by Spectrum & Crock O' Gold 2.5 Bernie ][ the Rescue 1.3 woofing on a PowerMac 8200/120 http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ewannop/ (EWANNOP, 16845, GO COM A2) >>>>> In the "To:" row, separate each address with a "comma" (,) and no """"" space. Alternately, you could do the same in the "CC:" row. Jeff Carr Mon, 12 Oct 98 @ 20:32:18 Cruising the 'rainbow' path provided by: Spectrum v2.1 and Crock O' Gold v2.5 (LUMITECH, 16850, GO COM A2) >>>>> From the mail command prompt, type: SEND /CC """"" Then just follow the prompts... - Don (IronTooth) Delivered by my ANSITerm off-line reader scripts... They're OLRight! (DZAHNISER, 16868, GO COM A2) <<<<< I am not sure how OlRight handles this, but COG under Spectrum """"" supports 'CC' of email messages. Mack was probably referring to that... Ewen Wannop - Speccie - Wed 14 Oct 1998 - 280 till KFest '99 Delivered without using a IIgs by Spectrum & Crock O' Gold 2.5 Bernie ][ the Rescue 1.3 woofing on a PowerMac 8200/120 http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ewannop/ (EWANNOP, 16880, GO COM A2) >>>>> OLRight! prompts you for a CC address, and if you provide one (or """"" several separated by commas), uses the SEND /CC command. Otherwise, it uses just SEND. - Don (IronTooth) Delivered by my ANSITerm off-line reader scripts... They're OLRight! (DZAHNISER, 16883, GO COM A2) >>>>> There is also a SET command that will cause Delphi to always prompt """"" you for a CC list. I don't remember it right now, but HELP SET should find it. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Tony Ward, A2 Database Manager - Thu Oct 15, 1998 3:16:57 am [Delivered with Spectrum v2.1 and Crock O' Gold v2.5] -- Try to relax and enjoy the crisis. (TONYW1, 16921, GO COM A2) MOUNTING THE GOLDEN ORCHARD ON A MAC As I suggested in the chat """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" yesterday, it is basically impossible to pinpoint the problem without sitting in front of the corpus delicti. I think the best thing you can do is - try to mount the CD-ROM with a different startup disk. You said you have an optical drive or something like that. Boot your Mac from a optical disk with a fresh, FWB CD-ROM Toolkit enhanced system and give it a try. - check your hard disk for soft errors. Disk First Aid is your friend here. If you do not check for errors regularly, reinstall the system after 4 months or so. Today's software, notably internet software, is so lousy it sends your hard disk to Heaven sooner or later. By reinstalling your system sporadically, you're on the safe side. Microsoft and Netscape take care your hard disk will not last forever. System freezers like the one you described are often caused by corrupted files (or disk catalogs). - if the problems develop, be sure to disable all third-party extensions except for the HDT CD-ROM driver. Again, I wouldn't expect a simple answer like "delete file xy". There's a flaw somewhere buried in your system - reinstalling the system takes 2 hours maximum, trying to locate the problem may take an eternity. - henrik (GUDATH, 16690, GO COM A2) >>>>> You also of course have to tell CD-ROM Toolkit that you want to """"" mount ProDOS volumes. The default settings do not do mount them. Just go to the control panel, double click the drive entry, and configure the 'Mounting' option. Ewen Wannop - Speccie - Thu 8 Oct 1998 - 286 till KFest '99 Delivered without using a IIgs by Spectrum & Crock O' Gold 2.5 Bernie ][ the Rescue 1.3 woofing on a PowerMac 8200/120 http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ewannop/ (EWANNOP, 16711, GO COM A2) BERNIE DOES INTEL, BUT NOT WINDOWS You need to define if you're looking """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" for a //e or IIgs emulator. There are some reasonable IIe emulators that will run on either machine. There is at least one totally unreasonable IIgs emulator that will run on either machine as well. If you're going to insist on running an Intel based machine and want to emulate a IIgs, set up _BeOS for Intel_ on it and run _Sweet 16_ (_the BeOS IIgs emulator formerly known as Open Bernie_). - Ryan M. Suenaga, M.S.W., L.S.W. -- rsuenaga@apple2.org Editor and Publisher, _The Lamp!_, published monthly on Delphi Posted by PTMM v2.5 - The integrated information solution (RSUENAGA, 17192, GO COM A2) >>>>> Hmmm. A very interesting piece of news. :-) """"" Could you advise us on how/where to obtain the PC version of BeOS for Intel, as well as Sweet 16. I assume BeOS for Intel is a commercial product, but I'm totally uncertain of that. I saw Sheppy demo BeOS on the Mac last summer at Kfest, and was quite impressed with it, as well as its running of Bernie. Max (JUICEDGS, 17201, GO COM A2) >>>>> You can buy BeOS for Intel online at http://www.bedepot.com, at an """"" introductory price of $69.95. Release 3.2 has been available for some time. BeOS Release 4 is due in December, and will probably be sold at the regular price of $99.95 (I'm not sure, but I believe the introductory price ends when R4 ships). People that have BeOS Release 3 can upgrade to R4 for $29.95 (that's a preliminary figure -- we haven't decided the final price yet, but that's probably what it'll be). So actually it would cost the same amount to buy R3, then upgrade to R4. Sweet16 (Bernie for BeOS) isn't out yet, but I expect it will be before the end of the year. I'm sure Henrik will say something eventually. :) Eric "Sheppy" Shepherd Technical Writer Be, Inc. (This message is a secret communication. I disavow all knowledge of its contents.) (SHEPPY, 17212, GO COM A2) >>>>> Thanks for that info, Sheppy. """"" I think it would pretty darn cool to be able to run my GS on my 233 MHz Pentium II, hence my interest in the BeOS. Is it safe to assume that I would be able to toggle seamlessly between the BeOS and Windows 95 once I had BeOs installed, similar to the way you were able to toggle back and forth between BeOS and MacOS on the Mac? I would not want to take Windows 95 off my PC and replace it with BeOS. I'd just like to have it as an option. > Sweet16 (Bernie for BeOS) isn't out yet, but I expect it will be before > the end of the year. I'm sure Henrik will say something eventually. :) It's just amazing what those boys can accomplish with the help of that cute canine creature. Woof! Max (JUICEDGS, 17213, GO COM A2) >>>>> Well... you can choose whether to boot into Windows or BeOS, but """"" there's no Windows environment that runs under BeOS (it's possible for someone to create one, but it doesn't exist at this time). There is such a product for the Power Mac version of BeOS, which lets you run Mac software under BeOS. Eric "Sheppy" Shepherd Macintosh & PowerPC Programmers Forum (SHEPPY, 17216, GO COM A2) >>>>> BeOS is faster than Windows NT, has a development cycle far shorter """"" than the three-year cycle of Windows NT (BeOS R3 was released in April; R4 is shipping in December, and is up to 20% faster). There aren't a lot of apps yet (although there are some and more are coming), but the ones that do exist perform better than comparable apps on either Mac OS or Windows 98 or NT. If you're curious about BeOS, you can get a demo CD for just $3.99; visit http://www.be.com for information. Eric "Sheppy" Shepherd Macintosh & PowerPC Programmers Forum (SHEPPY, 17217, GO COM A2) >>>>> Hmm, I think the real question is why you would want to run """"" Windows. Re: Sweet16/Intel (aka BetelBernie :) As for Sweet 16/Intel, I don't have much to say except that Ryan is once again ahead of its time. :-) Sweet16/Intel/Be does exist, but it is still in heavy debug state and is not being worked on cause Bernie 2.0 has top priority. I have really no idea when it will become available. Bernie 2.0 was quite an undertaking, and we're all ready for a longer vacation. woof, henrik (GUDATH, 17223, GO COM A2) EVERYONE LOVES GSHISEN I would just like to say that GShisen is the most """""""""""""""""""""" subversive and dastardly attack on the productivity of IIGS users that I have encountered to date. A tip: I have solved the "disgruntled partner" problem by getting my partner hooked as well - although I must admit that it is not a pretty sight when a grown man starts begging and grovelling for a GShisen "fix". Giselle (GSCHNAUBELT, 16754, GO COM A2) >>>>> GShisen rules. It's a much better game than Wolf 3D. """"" Eric "Sheppy" Shepherd Macintosh & PowerPC Programmers Forum (SHEPPY, 16509, GO COM A2) >>>>> All right, I confess. This global economic problem is actually due """"" to millions of otherwise productive people playing GShisen (anyone that's not using a GS couldn't be productive). Kelvin "GShisen" Sherlock (KWS, 16520, GO COM A2) >>>>> I must agree. I downloaded GShisen the other day and installed it """"" yesterday and it is an incredible game. I've logged too many hours to count playing Shanghai and Shanghai II on my IIgs and now I'm going to spend yet more time playing GShisen over and over again. Thanks Kelvin! (Note this can be said either enthusiastically or sarcastically depending on whether I have deadlines to make or not. :) Jeff Blakeney - Dean of the Apple II University in A2Pro (JBLAKENEY, 16589, GO COM A2) >>>>> Too late for me...I'm already hooked...and so is my daughter! """"" BTW, I'm curious. What does the name mean? Obviously, I know the GS part, but the "hisen" part has me baffled. Thanks for a super game! Jeff Carr Sun, 4 Oct 98 @ 16:41:25 Cruising the 'rainbow' path provided by: Spectrum v2.1 and Crock O' Gold v2.5 My cat is radioactive. She has 18 half-lives. (LUMITECH, 16605, GO COM A2) >>>>> FYI, GS means the obvious. "Shisen" is a reference to : """"" "Shisen-Sho." I don't know what that means, but doing a net search will yield a few pages concerning Japanese Gardens... There is a game called Shisen-Sho upon which GShisen is based. I've heard of 2 versions for X-Windows, which is where the inspiration comes from. AFAIK, the only personal computer with this sort of game on it is the IIgs. (KWS, 16617, GO COM A2) >>>>> I made the mistake of trying GShisen tonight. I figured I had a few """"" hours to kill, so why not check out the new game? Big mistake. It's now 2:30 in the morning and I have to be up for work in a few hours. Darn this game. And I thought Snood was addictive! Very nice job, Kelvin! Would you mind if I upload it to Genie? ------------------------------------------------------------------ Tony Ward, A2 Database Manager - Mon Oct 05, 1998 2:45:59 am [Delivered with Spectrum v2.1 and Crock O' Gold v2.5] -- Nothing is so smiple that it can't get screwed up. (TONYW1, 16607, GO COM A2) >>>>> GShisen may only be distributed via Delphi, Genie, and Shareware """"" Solutions II. If GShisen were to contain a bug, I believe that the users of the above services would report it properly. I don't need to see 5 threads in csa2 calling me a bad programmer because system 6.0.1 contains bugs in it. (KWS, 16691, GO COM A2) ALTERNATIVES TO THE DOG: OTHER APPLE II EMULATORS On the Mac, _IIe_ and """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" _Catakig_ are pretty reasonable IIe emulators, and _Deja II_ works really well if you just want to run Appleworks 5.1. The best emulator on the Windows side of things is, I think, _AppleWin_ or _Applepc_. These are both IIe emulators. _XGS_, which works on multiple platforms, is a IIgs emulator, but is about, oh, four years behind Bernie in the development cycle. The only reasonable alternative for full IIgs emulation on an Intel or clone machine will be _Sweet 16_ for BeOS for Intel. - Ryan M. Suenaga, M.S.W., L.S.W. - rsuenaga@apple2.org Editor and Publisher, _The Lamp!_, published monthly on Delphi "Teaching the Apple II user how to fish since 1982" Posted by PTMM v2.5 - The integrated information solution (RSUENAGA, 17242, GO COM A2) SPECTRUM AND APPLEWORKS 5.1 FILE COMPATIBILITY Does this count as a bug """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" in Spectrum? It is an inconvenience, anyway. I recently upgraded my copy of AppleWorks to 5.1, and found that it let me do neat things like create highlighted text. If I open documents in the Spectrum Editor, though, the upper case highlighted letters appear as mousetext, and the lowercase ones as accented (high ASCII) characters. Having them show up as white text on a black background would be neat, but just having them show up readably would be an improvement :-) (GARETH, 16530, GO COM A2) >>>>> It is not a bug in Spectrum, it just AppleWorks 5.0 sneaking up """"" behind it unannounced... Spectrum only supports AppleWorks 3.0 text formatting, as AppleWorks 5.0 had not been released when Spectrum was written! But I could see if it is possible to do something about it for 2.2, but I would need to have the specs for the new features in AWKS 5.0 text files. I am not sure if they have been published anywhere. If anyone has a copy, please send it to me... Ewen Wannop - Speccie - Fri 2 Oct 1998 - 292 days till KFest Delivered without using a IIgs by Spectrum & Crock O' Gold 2.5! Setup: Bernie ][ the Rescue 1.3 and a PowerMac 8200/120 http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ewannop/ (EWANNOP, 16532, GO COM A2) >>>>> The Inverse / MouseText support in AW 5 turns out to be almost an """"" anti-climax in terms of implementation. If my memory of some other comments I've heard in the past serves me, AW3 even has support for it - you just have to enter the data with a hex file editor! I don't have the exact details with me, but it is something trivial like high-bit ASCII (which should come as no surprise given the reported symptoms). I think the rest of the basic file layout is similar enough that your AW 3 code will work just fine for most things. Do you have AW5? The disk comes with some sample files containing MouseText and Inverse text. I used the data in those files to update an AWP-reader program of my own to handle inverse and mouse text characters. Not that hard, even without formal docs (other than the AW 3 (and 4?) docs that are readily available on the net). In the (highly unlikely! ;-) event that you need help with this, email me and I'll try to dig up some hard facts. -- Peter Watson -- Write to MSDOS disks on the Apple IIgs? -- Impossible! ;-) (PETERWATSON, 16652, GO COM A2) >>>>> Peter, thanks for the offer, but... """"" You are right, it was an anti-climax. The hibit characters turn on with the standard key-press commands that are listed in the hardware manual. It did not take long to work out the mapping of Inverse and MouseText in an AW 5.0 file, so I can now filter the hibit characters to make more sense in the Spectrum 2.2 display. It will need a Babelfish translator written in due course (volunteers anybody?) to be able to fully support everything in an AW 5.0 file, but for the meantime, the Spectrum 2.2 editor will be able to handle the files without turning them into garbage! Ewen Wannop - Speccie - Wed 7 Oct 1998 - 287 till KFest '99 Delivered without using a IIgs by Spectrum & Crock O' Gold 2.5 Bernie ][ the Rescue 1.3 woofing on a PowerMac 8200/120 http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ewannop/ (EWANNOP, 16687, GO COM A2) WHERE TO GO FOR INTERFACING APPLE II WITH THE REAL WORLD? I agree with """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" John--the place to start is Vernier. Check out www.vernier.com. The game paddle port can easily handle the requirements of a weather station. I'm not aware of any all-in-one kits for weather stations, but Vernier sells interface kits for humidity and temperature measurements. If you can find or make the mechanical parts, measuring wind direction and speed should be relatively easy. Rainfall should be fairly easy, too--Vernier has some kits that could do it by weight, or you could create an optical or electronic device fairly easily. While this would be a fairly hefty project, it shouldn't be too expensive--and when you consider that a decent weather station for the Mac or Windows platform runs about $2000, putting one together for your Apple II sounds pretty attractive. I've built a lot of Vernier kits and used their project books. I really can't recommend them highly enough. Mike Westerfield (BYTEWORKS, 16619, GO COM A2) WILL AN AE //C MEMORY CARD WORK IN THE //C+? Depends. """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" The early //c's and the late //c's took different memory cards. If it's a late //c memory card (Slinky type, compatible with the one Apple produced), then yes, it will work. If it's an early Z-RAM type, nope. - Ryan M. Suenaga, M.S.W., L.S.W. - rsuenaga@apple2.org Editor and Publisher, _The Lamp!_, published monthly on Delphi "Teaching the Apple II user how to fish since 1982" Posted by PTMM v2.5 - The integrated information solution (RSUENAGA, 16824, GO COM A2) FINE TUNING SPECTRUM I don't know whether this is a known issue or not, """""""""""""""""""" but I was just decoding a bunch of files with v1.5 of the BinHQX XCMD and I noticed that, while the file length for decoded files is set correctly (which most other decoders do not do), the modification date and time are that at which the decoded file is written, not the original file's settings. Other than that, your claim that it is the definitive decoder is right on! -- Michael (SAR, 16900, GO COM A2) >>>>> What method of encoding did the source files have? Not all methods """"" hold the dates so they can be extracted. Base 64 and UUencode do not hold the dates for instance. I will make a check on BinSCII and BinHex 4.0. Ewen Wannop - Speccie - Thu 15 Oct 1998 - 279 till KFest '99 Delivered without using a IIgs by Spectrum & Crock O' Gold 2.5 Bernie ][ the Rescue 1.3 woofing on a PowerMac 8200/120 http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ewannop/ (EWANNOP, 16918, GO COM A2) >>>>> I have now fixed this. It was only the BinSCII extraction that was """"" affected, and even then only the modification date as it turned out. Binhex 4.0, UUencode and Base 64 do not hold the dates in the encoded text, so they will always show the extraction time and date for the create and modification dates of the final file. Ewen Wannop - Speccie - Thu 15 Oct 1998 - 279 till KFest '99 Delivered without using a IIgs by Spectrum & Crock O' Gold 2.5 Bernie ][ the Rescue 1.3 woofing on a PowerMac 8200/120 http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ewannop/ (EWANNOP, 16940, GO COM A2) OPENING LARGE FILES The first thing to do is dump _Teach_ and use a """"""""""""""""""" better replacement, such as _WordWorks Pro_, _EgoEd 2.0_, or _Shadowwrite_/_Hermes_ (I prefer the latter, and wish Andre would port it to the Mac). While these won't allow you to view a text file of -any- length (I don't know of anything on any platform that will allow you to view a text file of any length because sooner or later, you run out of memory), they will allow you to view far larger text files than _Teach_ would ever allow you to. - Ryan M. Suenaga, M.S.W., L.S.W. - rsuenaga@apple2.org Editor and Publisher, _The Lamp!_, published monthly on Delphi "Teaching the Apple II user how to fish since 1982" Posted by PTMM v2.5 - The integrated information solution (RSUENAGA, 16877, GO COM A2) >>>>> I second the motion! """"" While I can't think of an example right at the moment, there are (were?) programs around that *can* handle any size text file simply because they only provide a 'window' into the file, rather than reading the entire file into memory. Performance isn't as good, obviously, but the problem is circumvented. -- Peter Watson -- Write to MSDOS disks on the Apple IIgs? -- Impossible! ;-) (PETERWATSON, 16881, GO COM A2) >>>>> If you don't mind losing the style information, Zoetrope will open """"" and view Text and Teach files of any length, as you view the file as 32K segments or 'pages'. It was also designed to run in a total of about 64K of memory. But it is a 'view' only application, not a word processor. It should be in the libraries somewhere, but if not, I can look it out and get it uploaded. Ewen Wannop - Speccie - Thu 15 Oct 1998 - 279 till KFest '99 Delivered without using a IIgs by Spectrum & Crock O' Gold 2.5 Bernie ][ the Rescue 1.3 woofing on a PowerMac 8200/120 http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ewannop/ (EWANNOP, 16919, GO COM A2) >>>>> File-A-Trix will also handle any size text file (or any other file, """"" for that matter.) It's just a viewer though, not an editor. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Tony Ward, A2 Database Manager - Thu Oct 15, 1998 3:42:05 am [Delivered with Spectrum v2.1 and Crock O' Gold v2.5] -- I wish you humans would leave me alone. (TONYW1, 16923, GO COM A2) >>>>> WordPerfect IIgs uses virtual memory (a file on disk) for the files """"" that it opens, so it can open a file as large as the free space on your disk. If you have a fairly large HFS volume to play with, you can open a file that is much larger than your computer's RAM. (GARETH, 16933, GO COM A2) GARY ON MODEL T'S AND APPLE II'S I believe that was me. I use that Model """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" T line a lot. :) You can make an Apple II run like a darned fine Model T, and the Model T can do an awful lot of things a "modern" automobile is simply not capable of. After the "end of the world" (pick your scenario, atomic bombs, comets, or just the Y2K bug) Apple IIs and Model T's are gonna be a LOT more useful than SUVs and Pentium IIs. Gary R. Utter (UTTER, 17183, GO COM A2) TCP/IP IN A NUTSHELL BY WAY OF EUROPE This is how Marinetti talks to the """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Internet... The Internet uses TCP/IP, which describes a method of sending packets of information around the Internet. Each packet has address labels for where it has to go, and sender labels of where it has come from. The receiver then checks that all the right packets have arrived, and requests those that are missing. Much like a windowed Kermit file transfer. Marinetti talks TCP/IP, as does a Macintosh or a PC with Internet access. So TCP/IP is used as the link between applications and the Internet. But you need a connection into the Internet before you can use TCP/IP. If you are on a LAN (Local Area Network), in a large business or education establishment, you may well have routers that link your LAN (probably Ethernet) directly into the Internet. In those cases, all you will need is TCP/IP (Marinetti) with a direct connection. But if you are not on a LAN, the only way for you to get onto the Internet is to let someone else make this link for you. They then become what is called an ISP, or Internet Service Provider. You must connect to the ISP using a modem. But the ISP uses a protocol all of its own to link the TCP/IP at your computer into the TCP/IP on the Internet. The most common one is PPP (Point to Point Protocol). A less common one, but a simpler one, is SLIP (Serial Link Internet Protocol). Because SLIP is simpler, Richard was able to get it working first for Marinetti 1.0. But because it is less common, he also now supports PPP in Marinetti 2.0. You will want to use PPP wherever possible. Most ISPs will expect you to sign in with a username and password so they can verify that you have an account with them. This is usually done before you invoke PPP or SLIP. You need to use a scripted method of connection with Marinetti to do this. SLIP is always handled this way, and you would use the scripted PPP option for a PPP connection. More commonly now, ISPs will also support PAP authentification protocol with PPP. This is much easier to set up, as all you need to enter in Marinetti is your user name and password. It is also quicker to verify your account. Some newer ISPs require a more secure method of authentification called CHAP. This is currently not supported in Marinetti 2.0, so you will not be able to use those ISPs with Marinetti 2.0. Ewen Wannop - Speccie - Fri 9 Oct 1998 - 285 till KFest '99 Delivered without using a IIgs by Spectrum & Crock O' Gold 2.5 Bernie ][ the Rescue 1.3 woofing on a PowerMac 8200/120 http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ewannop/ (EWANNOP, 16738, GO COM A2) ZIP GSX AND THE SELF TEST The ZipGS will more often than not cause """"""""""""""""""""""""" various self test failures, even if it did not in the past, disabling it does not rule it out. There is a setting in the manual that sets it to pass the self test. It doesn't always work. The ZipGS will also effect the diagnostics program in much the same way. For best results, remove the Zip and test the computer without it. ..however, before I would do that, is the IIgs actually not working properly? Is it doing something *bad*, consistently crashy, etc? If you notice nothing wrong other than a self test failure in that range, it's probably the ZipGS doing it. Unless the computer is doing something wrong, leave it alone. Otherwise, to rule out the possibility, test it with out the ZipGS. Tony (T_DIAZ, 17116, GO COM A2) USING THE //E WITH 3.5 DRIVES The //e will need a card for 3.5 drives. """"""""""""""""""""""""""""" The older card will work with the Apple Unidisk Drive, which had most of the smarts on the drive. The later card will work with either the Unidisk or the newer "dumb" Apple 3.5 drive. The newer card will also support Apple Superdrives at 1.44M. Last I knew, Shreve Systems still had the newer cards, but had a confusing description for them. -- Carl Knoblock - Telephone Tech - Fri 16 Oct 98 9:40:05 pm cknoblo@novia.net - Via Spectrum v2.1 & Crock O' Gold v2.5 KansasFest 11, July 21-25, 1999 - 278 days till KFest (CKNOBLO, 16999, GO COM A2) >>>>> I was just about to say, "Here is all the information you need.. " """"" but I notice that I did not specifically cover //e & ][+ completely, but: http://www.apple2.org/A2WebRef/A2Reference09.html .which is a page from the Apple ][ Online Reference @ www.apple2.org Tony (T_DIAZ, 17014, GO COM A2) NIFTYSPELL PRAISES Years ago, I bought a little Desk Accessory called """""""""""""""""" Balloon from GS+, then promptly forgot about it. Except when I needed it, of course, which was on a fairly regular basis. Or when I was in Spectrum, which has an XCMD supporting it. Or whenever I send a file to someone. Nifty Spell comes under the same category: it is something that fits into your system so well that you immediately take it for granted and act as though you have always had it. I hope that Chris and Joe take this as the ultimate compliment that it is meant to be. Excellent work! (GARETH, 16748, GO COM A2) >>>>> I find the convenience of NiftySpell just incredible. I'm typing a """"" message in pine or Lynx and suddenly realize that I don't know how to spell a word (I'm a horrible speller in the first place). All I have to do is close my display, open NiftySpell, perform the check word function, and type in how I think the word is spelled. I check it, see that it is spelled wrong, ask for suggestions, choose the right one, and copy the word. Close NiftySpell and open my display and press OA-V and the correctly spelled word is typed in for me. I have not seen this capability and ease be available on any other OS platform from within a wide variety of software including comm programs. It is really incredible to see what the Apple IIgs is doing these days. Geoff (SISGEOFF, 16752, GO COM A2) RUMOR MILL """""""""" SHEPPY HACKS AT GSBUG I've just released a new program (with the longest """"""""""""""""""""" title of anything I've done :): GSBug 1.6 Patch for Bernie-Happiness (version 1.0) is now available for download from my FTP site: ftp://ftp.sheppyware.net/pub/apple_iigs/PatchGSBug.shk This program patches GSBug 1.6 (and only this version) to change the keystrokes to enter GSBug from Ctrl-Apple-Option-ESC to Ctrl-Apple-Shift-ESC. The standard key combination doesn't work in Bernie ][ the Rescue because Ctrl-Apple-ESC is the force-quit option in Mac OS. The changed key combination gets around this problem. This application is a hack. It's not pretty, but it works. :) Eric "Sheppy" Shepherd Macintosh & PowerPC Programmers Forum (SHEPPY, 17060, GO COM A2) WHERE THE HECK IS TOOL030? From memory, tool 030 (Resource Manager) is """""""""""""""""""""""""" actually in the ROM of a ROM 03, and is loaded by TS1 on a ROM 01, so there's no specific Tool030 file. Regards, Richard (RICHARD_B, 16771, GO COM A2) >>>>> The Analyst (Softdisk G-S #48) shows tool 30 loaded, but does not """"" show where it came from. Of course, I have a Rom 3. The person who got a message that it wasn't loaded must have had a Rom 2. But how his GS could run without it, I don't know. :) It must actually be a part of TS2, since it isn't in a file of it's own, but then why is TS3 larger than TS2? -- Carl Knoblock - Telephone Tech - Sat 10 Oct 98 9:51:50 pm cknoblo@novia.net - Via Spectrum v2.1 & Crock O' Gold v2.5 KansasFest 11, July 21-25, 1999 - 284 days till KFest (CKNOBLO, 16772, GO COM A2) >>>>> Hopefully, someone will let me know if I'm wrong, but there is no """"" Tool30 in the 'Tools' folder. From what I gathered from the =original= post is that the so-called 'Tool30' is really the "Resource.Mgr" which resides in the 'Setup' folder. Jeff Carr Sat, 10 Oct 98 @ 11:08:32 Cruising the 'rainbow' path provided by: Spectrum v2.1 and Crock O' Gold v2.5 Windows is a pane. (LUMITECH, 16774, GO COM A2) >>>>> Jeff: you're correct. Tool #30, the Resource Manager, is loaded """"" from the file Resource.Mgr in the System.Setup folder, not from a tool file. Eric "Sheppy" Shepherd Macintosh & PowerPC Programmers Forum (SHEPPY, 16779, GO COM A2) >>>>> OK folks, let's nail this tool 030 thread on the head. """"" 1. There is no such thing as a file called "Tool030" in your tools folder. 2. If you get a message asking for "Tool 30", then you are running System 6. 3. Marinetti requires System 6.0.1 (not 6.0), and SHOULD indicate this if you try to run it under 6.0. The bottom line is, as long as you are running System 6.0.1, don't worry about it! Regards, Richard (RICHARD_B, 16780, GO COM A2) >>>>> Just to put all of you out of your misery, and to save you """"" searching in vain for something that does not exist in the form you are looking for it, I shall quote from Toolbox Ref Vol 3: 'Unlike most other tool sets, the Resource manager need to be started up by your program. At startup time, the system automatically loads and initializes the Resource Manager from the RESOURCE.MGR file in the SYSTEM.SETUP directory of the boot disk. The Resource Manager then opens the system resources file, SYS.RESOURCES in the SYSTEM.SETUP directory, if it is present. To use the Resource Manager, your program must log in, using the ResourceStartUp tool call. This call informs the Resource Manager that your program is going to be using its services. As an alternative, your program may issue the Tool Locator StartUpTools call.' That is the essence of the how Tool030 is started, so you should all be looking for two files in the SYSTEM.SETUP directory, RESOURCE.MGR and SYS.RESOURCES. If those are both present, then you have Tool030, if not, then copy those from your Install disk set. Without them, System 6.0.1 would hardly even get going... Ewen Wannop - Speccie - Sun 11 Oct 1998 - 283 till KFest '99 Delivered without using a IIgs by Spectrum & Crock O' Gold 2.5 Bernie ][ the Rescue 1.3 woofing on a PowerMac 8200/120 http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ewannop/ (EWANNOP, 16782, GO COM A2) HELPING YOUR DEVELOPERS HELP YOU Can I make a general point here. Anyone """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" who is not yet running System 6.0.1 should upgrade as soon as possible. Apart from being required by Marinetti 2.0, it will also be required by Spectrum 2.2 when it is released. I think the developer community could rest easier in their beds if they knew that everyone was using it! :) Ewen Wannop - Speccie - Sun 11 Oct 1998 - 283 till KFest '99 Delivered without using a IIgs by Spectrum & Crock O' Gold 2.5 Bernie ][ the Rescue 1.3 woofing on a PowerMac 8200/120 http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ewannop/ (EWANNOP, 16784, GO COM A2) >>>>> I agree wholeheartedly. And those of you who don't have enough """"" memory to run 6.0.1, head over to Alltech Electronics and get a Sirius II RAM card. The 8 meg version costs less than I paid for a 4 meg RAM card a few years ago. And for you 8 bit Apple II freaks out there, please run the latest ProDOS as well. :) - Ryan M. Suenaga, M.S.W., L.S.W. - rsuenaga@apple2.org Editor and Publisher, _The Lamp!_, published monthly on Delphi "Teaching the Apple II user how to fish since 1982" Posted by PTMM v2.5 - The integrated information solution (RSUENAGA, 16786, GO COM A2) PUBLIC POSTINGS """"""""""""""" A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN HyperCard IIgs Course """"""""""""""""""""""" Lesson 0 Preview Copyright (c) 1998 by Gareth Jones PURPOSE OF THE COURSE This course in HyperCard IIgs ("HCGS," for short) takes a student who knows the basics (what a stack is, what a button is, what a text field is) through designing and making a fairly advanced project. The project that I've settled on is an appointment calendar, a type of program sometimes called a "Personal Information Manager" or "PIM" in the Mac and Windows worlds. Each step in making this stack will be discussed in a written lesson. You will learn why the stack is being designed the way it is, and alternatives to each choice. The final stage of the course is to alter the stack to meet your own needs better. Your choices will be made on your own needs, but I'll help out with any programming difficulties that you run into in this stage. BEFORE YOU START There are three prerequisites to following this course. 1. You must have a system that can run HCGS. HCGS needs a IIgs system with: a. 2 MB or more of RAM b. A 3.5" disk drive c. A hard drive If you don't have these three requirements, then you may want to get them. Not only HCGS, but almost all major IIgs programs need them. Think of this course as a spur to do something that you should do for other reasons. 2. You must have HCGS If you can run HCGS, then you may need to obtain a copy. It is no longer sold by Apple, but all six 3.5" disks can be downloaded for free from Apple or from Delphi's file library. The web address to get it from Apple is: http://swupdates.info.apple.com/cgi.bin/lister.pl?Apple.Supp ort.Area/Apple.Software.Updates/US/Apple_II/HyperCard_IIGS_1 .1 [Dean's NOTE: The above URL did not work for me but the following one did: ftp://ftp.apple.com/Apple_Support_Area/Apple_Soft ware_Updates/US/Apple_II/HyperCard_IIGS_1.1/ ] If this looks too complicated to type, there is a link to this site on Steve Cavanaugh's Apple Blossom web site at http://people.delphi.com/appleblossom [Dean's NOTE: The URL on this page may not work either.] Getting HCGS from the web has one disadvantage. The manuals are not included. You can buy the manuals, and even a set of disks, from The Byte Works. The relevant product numbers are: a. APDA-48 Getting Started with HyperCard IIGS (manual) $15.00 b. APDA-49 HyperCard IIGS Reference (manual) $25.00 c. APDA-50 HyperTalk (manual) $15.00 d. APDA-51 HyperCard IIGS disks $10.00 e. APDA-52 HyperCard IIGS (APDA-48 to APDA-51, disks and all manuals) usually $60, but course participants may get this for a discounted price of $50. According to the catalogues, US and Canadian customers should add $5.00 per order (not per item) for shipping and handling. Call or write from other countries to find the shipping and handling cost. The Byte Works can be contacted at MikeW50@AOL.com, at their web site at BYTEWORKS@GENIE.geis.com or by mailing to: Byte Works, Inc. 8000 Wagon Mound Drive NW Albuquerque, NM 87120 U.S.A. 3. You must be sufficiently familiar with HCGS to follow the instructions. This course, as mentioned, depends on the student knowing a little about HCGS: what a stack is and what a field or button or script is. That knowledge can be obtained from several sources, and doesn't take long to pick up. Try these sources: The HCGS Tour: the first thing to try after installing HCGS is to launch it, then click (once) on the button for Tour. This will familiarize you with the HCGS tools and terminology. The HCGS Help stacks: Click on the "Help" button after launching HCGS, or choose "Help" from the "Go" menu, to find an on-line equivalent to a reference book on HyperCard. If you don't have real reference books, rely on these stacks heavily. The Official Manuals: I recommend these highly. The first manual, Getting Started with HyperCard IIgs, covers the most basic aspects of creating and modifying stacks in a tutorial fashion. The HyperTalk Beginner's Guide is quite elementary (as the title indicates), but holds the hands of the nervous pretty well. Even if you decide not to get those manuals, I strongly recommend that every participant have a copy of the HyperCard IIgs Reference_. Its 389 pages cover every aspect of HCGS (except scripting). Gareth Jones' HyperCard articles: If you don't have the HCGS manuals, but want to get started, I've written a series of articles on HCGS. One provides an overview of the program. Two discuss creating a simple word processing stack that can load and save text files. Creating that stack is good preparation for this course, though not so good as the "Birds" stack in the manuals. Steve Cavanaugh has these articles up at: http://people.delphi.com/appleblossom/hq/ [Dean's NOTE: Add "articles/hcgsarticles.html" to the end of the URL above to go directly to Gareth's HCGS articles.] They may also be available now in the Delphi file library. Last, but not least important, HangTime is available every Tuesday night to answer questions about HyperCard in A2Pro's "HyperBar & Grill Real Time Conference." To get there once you've telnetted in, type "go com a2pro conference". If you are visiting via the web and have a Java-enabled browser you can go to http://www.delphi.com/a2pro and follow the links to the "Chat Rooms". [Dean's NOTE: Or you can go to the following URL which will tell you what chat(s) are currently taking place in the A2Pro conference area: http://www.delphi.com//dir-app/chat/forumchat.asp?sigdir=a2pro ] THE PLAN This course is a series of written lessons plus support stacks showing the progress of the project from lesson to lesson. The lessons, as I currently conceive them, will be: 0. Lesson 0, this one, which gets the student ready for the course, discusses the stack in general terms, and tells everyone how to get set up for... 1. Lesson 1, sets up the backgrounds used in the stack. Homework, personalizing the artwork for the backgrounds. 2. Lesson 2, The script to automatically move from card 1 to card 2 after launching the stack. Visual effects, and how to choose them. Homework: experiment with visual effects and choose ones for this stack. 3. Lesson 3, card fields and buttons vs. background fields and buttons. Create card fields and buttons on the Menu card. Create some background fields and buttons on the Date background. Homework: add some made-up appointments for various days, enough to give a good workout for lesson 5. 4. Lesson 4, sorting a stack and creating a clickable menu. In this case, the Menu card will get a menu of dates, in their proper order, and clicking on a date in the field will take you to a card with appointments for that date. This will be your first field script. 5. Lesson 5, simplifying data entry. In this lesson, you set up a data entry system that involves a specialized card. 6. Lesson 6, XCMDs, XFCNs, and creating popup lists. You will create popup lists to ease the job of entering the Year, Month, and Day for each Date card. In the process, you will become familiar with the Scripters' Tools stack. 7. Showing and hiding information. Shared and unshared text. By using a background field which does NOT share text, you can enter and show more information than is shown on the screen. Fields used for information storage but not information display can be hidden. 8. Creating a calendar. An on-screen calendar is a perfect addition to an appointment manager, but involves a bit of programming. I think that we can manage to put this classy feature in. 9. Finishing up. I'm sure that many little tweaks and features will have been put off until the end, and here they are! The topic of sounds will probably go here. 10. Personal project. This can either be extra features in your appointment calendar or a completely new HCGS stack that you've thought of. I'll be available, as will my helpers, to discuss individual problems in programming and design. Submission of the personal project will result in the right to run my official "Certificate of Completion" stack. :-) I reserve the right to modify this outline as the course progresses. My ideas may clarify, or students' comments may require a change or two. SOME COMMENTS ABOUT DESIGNING STACKS Most books on programming recommend a strategy called "top-down programming." For example, in the entertaining book ELEMENTARY PASCAL (by Henry Ledgard and Andrew Singer), Sherlock Holmes opines: In my engagements as a criminal investigator I have always been careful to arrange all clues systematically and devise a complete hypothesis to a case before taking a single step out of my rooms in pursuit of a solution. The principle applies equally well to the use of the Analytical Engine [computer]. No matter how simple the task, it is necessary at the outset to formulate a clear and complete statement of the problem at hand, as well as a basic plan for solving it. The programmer should prepare sample input and output formats and design a general algorithm before writing any programme. In other words, as I understand it, the top-down approach designs the program before writing it. An excellent plan. HCGS differs from other languages, however, because you don't have to design with pencil and paper first -- you can work just as well using the pencil, field, and button tools on the computer screen. When the design is good enough, half the work is done. A second aspect of HCGS is that a small, working program can be part of an object, such as a button or field, and will move with it when it is cut and pasted. So, let's say that you've decided to add a "Home" button to your stack. You can Copy a button from another stack, paste it into your own, and (more than likely) it will work perfectly. This can make a simple stack more like assembling the parts of an Erector Set than sitting down to write a program. Finally, my experience has been that a small, working stack can gain features over time as they occur to you. I will use this fact in the lesson to introduce quick-and-dirty solutions to a problem in one lesson, but replace them with something more elaborate later. HOMEWORK The homework for this week is simple. Get and install a copy of HyperCard and familiarize yourself with its tools. In the next lesson, we will start building a stack. (JBLAKENEY, 16544, GO COM A2) <<<<< Sorry for taking so long to get this posted. I've been extremely """"" busy so the course got pushed back a little bit. The first lesson will be made available on Saturday (or Sunday depending on when the file gets released in the A2Pro database). Just to let you know. People who only have the free web based accounts can participate in the course because I will be making all the lessons available from download from a web page off of the A2 University web page which can be accessed by going to the A2Pro forum's page at: http://www.delphi.com/a2pro An HTML version of this preview will also be made available from the A2 University page so that all the URLs and e-mail addresses will be links so those people too lazy to type them can use them. :-) (JBLAKENEY, 16545, GO COM A2) BERNIE 2.0. . . WELL, ALMOST Dear Bernie users, """""""""""""""""""""""""""" We regret of having to inform you that the much anticipated Bernie ][ The Rescue 2.0 might not be ready by end of October. This delay has been caused by increased support activities which always have top priority and hectic business with our other jobs. Sweet16 for BeOS is also affected by this delay. A release date will be fixed at a later time. Version 2.0 has been on the workbench since June, and all major features are done. Still, we've been planning more than this, and we do not want to release anything but the real thing. We understand that many of you are waiting for version 2.0. For this reason, we will make available a prerelease of version 2.0 by end of October. We will ensure the prerelease is a worthy successor to your current Bernie. Final version 2.0 will be introduced shortly after that, the delay is rather insignificant. We will soon let you know what new features are on the horizon, and what else is waiting for you. Bernie 2.0 will set new standards in Apple II emulation, and we're looking forward to sharing our efforts with you. Thank you very much for your understanding. woof woof, Henrik F.E.Systems emutech@magnet.ch (GUDATH, 16889, GO COM A2) SPECTRUM 2.2 UNLEASHED """""""""""""""""""""" ******** FLASH ******** FLASH ******** FLASH ******** FLASH ******** Spectrum 2.2 released ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [Hear all about it on the Monday night RTC at 10.00pm EST 26th Oct.] The long awaited upgrade to Spectrum 2.2 is now released. For pricing and shipping details, please contact Seven Hills directly by Email at , or call voice (850) 575-0566 and leave a message. Short summary of the new features: + Spectrum now requires System 6.0.1. + Improved script execution speed. + Optimise scripts by compiling them. + Spectrum 2.2 and the XCMDs are Y2K compliant. + Optional Serial or TCP/IP environment. + Fully Integrated support for Marinetti 2.0. + Integrated multi-socket Telnet function. + Up to 32 simultaneous open TCP/IP connections. + View HTML files directly from within Spectrum. + Enhanced !Help! NDA includes Find function. + Internal support for Babelfish Import and Export. + Spectrum supports the Hierarchic Control Panel. + Updated Spectrum Port driver. + 57600 baud connections using Bernie ][ the Rescue. + More than 50 new or updated script commands. + More than 30 new replacement items. + Many enhanced and updated XCMDs: + The BinHQX XCMD now includes: BinSCII encoding and decoding. BinHex 4.0 encoding and decoding. MIME Base 64 multipart encoding and decoding. UUencode encoding and decoding. + Enhanced WorkBench XCMD replaces the ResEdit XCMD: Access and edit resource forks. Make MessageCenter and IPC calls. Make Toolbox & GS/OS calls. Peek and Poke. [Hear all about it on the Monday night RTC at 10.00pm EST 26th Oct.] ******** FLASH ******** FLASH ******** FLASH ******** FLASH ******** (EWANNOP, 17164, GO COM A2) WORDWORKS UNPLUGGED UNLEASHED At last, I have finally finished and """"""""""""""""""""""""""""" released the WordWorksPro Unplugged patcher created at KFest '98 during HackFest, and previously mentioned elsewhere here on Delphi (though I can't find the messages now -- I wish Delphi had a search function! Or did I miss something?). For those who may have missed earlier postings, WWP Unplugged removes the Softdisk "plug" that appears when you try to quit WordWorks Pro v2.1.2 (from Softdisk GS #68). If you don't have this particular version of the WWP, you don't need this patcher. The file has been uploaded to Delphi but appears not to have been cleared yet. In the meantime, you can also get the file from the Trenco archive at . By Monday, I will also have BinaryII-wrapped and BinSCII versions available at for anyone who prefers those formats. -- Michael (SAR, 16583, GO COM A2) >>>>> Believe it or not, I've actually got an update to the WordWorks Pro """"" patcher. If you've already downloaded it, don't worry. You don't need to get the new one, unless you plan to redistribute it, now or at any time in the future. The new version just fixes an incompatibility with System 5.0.x. I know, some people will ask why I bothered. I happened to find the problem while working on the universal patcher (mentioned in other recent messages), so I transferred the fix back. The docs said that it should work with System 5, so I wanted to make that true. The old version was never released to the Delphi libraries, but hopefully the new one will be soon. In the meantime, once again, it is available by FTP at the following locations (depending on the format you prefer): My preferred format is #2, but Devin likes #1, and some people will need #3, so they're all there! Enjoy! -- Michael (SAR, 16876, GO COM A2) BEST OF THE BEST """""""""""""""" 17227 30-OCT 14:04 User Groups & Publications RE: Shareware Solutions II (Re: Msg 442) From: JOE_KOHN To: ALL My nephew just called to tell me that there's a front page article in today's Wall Street Journal (Oct 30th) that mentions the Apple II computer. He said that the article is primarily about how no-longer-made computers are rising in price, and that my collection of Apple II computers might be worth millions ;-) I just checked with www.wsj.com, and found that articles are not posted online. But, since I'm more than just a little curious, I'll make a quick visit to the library later on to read the article. In the meanwhile, do I hear any $10,000 bids for an Unenhanced IIe? ;-) Joe Kohn [EOA] [A2P]------------------------------ A2Pro_DUCTIVITY | ----------------------------------- Checking out A2PRO on Delphi """""""""""""""""""""""""""" by Ryan M. Suenaga, B.A., M.S.W., L.S.W. [thelamp@delphi.com] MORE GSOFT TROUBLESHOOTING > What I would like to know though, is why """""""""""""""""""""""""" > you're patching so many GS/OS calls. > Although you're using interpreted code, surely you're just an > application like anyone else? Just interested... Actually, I'm not. The problem is that the BASIC program is never really loaded by the loader or started by GS/OS, since it's an interpreted file. Because of that, the StartupTools call looks for the interpreted program's resources in the last know program--GSoft BASIC itself. You _could_ actually make this work by attaching the resources for your interpreted program to the GSoft.Sys16 file, but the technical term for asking someone to do that is, "Ick!" So I have to fool GS/OS and the Loader into thinking that my interpreted program, which they did not see loaded or started in the normal way, is actually a full-fledged application. The tools don't give me a way of doing that, short of loading an application and starting it with GS/OS. That means I need to assign it its own user ID (no big deal). But it also means I need to patch the MMStartUp call to _report_ that user ID. That's the first patch. Then I have to convince GS/OS the current "application" is my interpreted program. Patching GetName is the GS/OS patch. Next, I have to convince the Loader of the same thing. That means patching LGetPathname and LGetPathname2. Just for grins, I also patched all startup and shutdown calls. Why? So GSoft BASIC knows when you start a tool, and can shut it down if your program aborts. The only safe alternative is to force you to reboot the computer, which would be OK, but cleanly shutting things down and letting you fix the error without rebooting seemed like a nice touch. Mike Westerfield (BYTEWORKS, 2210, GO COM A2PRO) >>>>> Sheppy was right, to a point. My MMStartup call was too """"" heavy-handed. I fixed that, and the Control Panel no longer crashes. It doesn't work, but at least it doesn't crash anymore. So _a_ problem still exists. Does anyone have any thoughts about this? Otherwise, it looks like I'm about to violate the old Apple licensing agreement one more time by taking my disassembler to their code. :) Mike Westerfield (BYTEWORKS, 2211, GO COM A2PRO) HYPERCARD GS COURSE TIDBITS If you want to download the lessons from the """"""""""""""""""""""""""" text side of Delphi, then you go to the A2Pro Forum's A2 University Database. You do this by typing: go com a2p dat a2 Then do a "read" command to list all the files available in the A2 University Database. Once you get to the file you want (the first lesson of the HyperCard IIgs Course is called LESSON01.BXY) use the "down" command and then tell Delphi what transfer protocol you want to use. ZModem is usually the best but if it gives you lots of errors, try using Kermit instead if your communications program supports it. If you want to download the lessons through the web then point your web browser to: http://www.delphi.com/a2pro and click the "A2 University" link. On the A2 University page click the "A2 University Download" link and then you can select either LESSON01.BXY, if you don't have problems downloading ShrinkIt archives with your web browser, or select LESSON01.BSQ if you do. The .BSQ archive is just a ShrinkIt archive encoded as a BINscii text file. You can decode the BINscii file back into a ShrinkIt file by using the BinHQX XCMD in Spectrum, GScii+ NDA, BSC-It (a ProDOS 8 program) or BINSCII (also a ProDOS 8 program). In any case you end up with a ShrinkIt archive that you can unpack with GSHK (the IIgs version of ShrinkIt) or Balloon. Keep in mind that the ProDOS 8 version of ShrinkIt will most likely not work to unpack the lessons because some are bound to contain files with resource forks. Hopefully I've covered all the bases with this post but if not, just holler and we'll try to get you pointed in the right direction. Jeff Blakeney - Dean of the Apple II University in A2Pro ** HyperCard IIgs Course now in session in A2Pro ** (JBLAKENEY, 2270, GO COM A2PRO) <<<<< Please note that there is a small mistake in the lesson 2 archive """"" that I uploaded to the database. If you have already downloaded it, just load the lesson into your favourite editor and replace: choose brush tool with: choose tool brush and everything will be fine. Also note that the archive of lesson two that is available on the web page has had this mistake fixed already. Sorry for any inconvenience. Jeff Blakeney - Dean of the Apple II University in A2Pro ** HyperCard IIgs Course now in session! ** (JBLAKENEY, 2288, GO COM A2PRO) >>>>> FYI: """"" Those of you who entered an OpenCard handler like the example from Lesson.2 may find that every time you go back to the first card it immediately goes to the next card. This effectively locks you out from working on the first card. If you want to abort the OpenCard handler so that you can stay at the first card then get to your first card and quickly type the OA-. sequence to abort the handler. The handler runs quickly so you may have to try once or twice before your abort sequence is recognised. Then, go into the card's script and remove the handler. I'm sure in subsequent lessons this script would be incorporated into a button's script anyway. This problem will manifest itself if you have a handler similar to this one taken from lesson.2: on opencard visual scroll up slowly go to next card end opencard The OA-. sequence can be used to stop any script. Paul. Paul Schultz schultp@delphi.com sent your way via Spectrum 2.1 and Crock O' Gold 2.5 (SCHULTP, 2298, GO COM A2PRO) >>>>> I wasn't planning to put the openCard handler into a button, Paul. """"" Thank you for pointing out that a command-period stops the script, though. The way that I generally disable an automatic handler is to create a button on any card that has a script something like this: on mouseup get script of card 1 put "--" before it set script of card 1 to it end mouseup But we're getting a little ahead of things here. Buttons haven't been covered yet :-) (GARETH, 2299, GO COM A2PRO) >>>>> Without jumping ahead too much, the solution to getting to the """"" first card can be easier. From any card type "edit script of card 1" into the messagebox and hit return. From there you may disable the opencard script temporarily. there are more elegant solutions, but for now, this is simple, and works. (HANGTIME, 2302, GO COM A2PRO) EVEN MORE BABELFISH BABBLING I have a bablefish question.... """""""""""""""""""""""""""" I've written a translator to import text (from an AppleSoft Basic file). Importing works fine, but in the textInfoRec (sorry, I don't have the specs with me, so that's probably the wrong name), I set the pCount to 5 and fill in the ptr & handle. The ascii Text exporter will export it fine, but the Teach exporter sets both the foreground & background colors to black. The html exporter sets the text color to maroon or green. Should I be creating a larger TextRec or is the Teach exporter buggy? (KWS, 2251, GO COM A2PRO) >>>>> I would suspect that both might be buggy, and are not setting """"" defaults and then checking the actual pCount you have given. The test would be to increase your pCount to 10, using Shaston 8 as the default font at plain 8pt black on white. If the others then behave, the problem will be theirs, and not yours. As it is only another ten bytes to add to your record, it is probably the easiest solution for now. We may not be able to get existing translators fixed... Ewen Wannop - Speccie - Tue 13 Oct 1998 - 281 till KFest '99 Delivered without using a IIgs by Spectrum & Crock O' Gold 2.5 Bernie ][ the Rescue 1.3 woofing on a PowerMac 8200/120 http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ewannop/ (EWANNOP, 2263, GO COM A2PRO) GNO SOURCE ON THE 'NET Source for the GNO base distribution is now """""""""""""""""""""" available in one of two ways: Anonymous FTP and anonymous CVS. You can obtain the GNO source via anonymous FTP from ftp://ftp.gno.org/pub/apple2/gs.specific/gno/base206/src. The files in that directory hierarchy are updated daily from the master repository. Files that have been recently added or modified will be listed in one or more of the NEW.today, NEW.this.week, or NEW.this.month files. Please download only what you need. Sites that attempt to download all or large portions of the sources on a regular and frequent basis without first requesting mirror status will be disabled. This is done to keep a reasonable load level on Trenco. For those sites which are able to make use of CVS (Concurrent Versions System), the GNO sources can also be obtained by anonymous CVS in pserver mode. As there is as yet no CVS port to the GS, this implies that you have another (probably UNIX) machine to which you are downloading the sources. Because of the size of the archive, you should also have a reasonable speed of interconnect between your machine and ftp.gno.org. The first time you obtain GNO sources via CVS, you must log in to the repository, then check it out: cvs -d :pserver:cvs@ftp.gno.org:/usr/local/repository login Password: cvs cd /your/source/tree cvs -d :pserver:cvs@ftp.gno.org:/usr/local/repository checkout gno After this is done, you can update your sources to match the most recent version by doing the following: cd /your/source/tree/gno cvs update -PAd Because doing updates by CVS does not use up as much bandwidth as does downloading the entire source tree, feel free to do cvs updates on a regular basis. It usually doesn't make sense to do them more than once per day, though Questions on this matter should be directed to Devin Reade at Devin (GLYNREADE, 2272, GO COM A2PRO) TIME ZONES FOR THE IIGS I've spent the last few months ironing out the """"""""""""""""""""""" details, but I have written a solution to give the IIgs the ability to handle time zones. I have written a system tool to give programmers a means to add time zones to any new code that gets developed. Watch the Delphi libraries for a new control panel for the non-programmers and a development kit for the programmers. As per this discussion, the time zone is stored as a file on disk (accessible by Prodos 8 applications). A tool box interface has been written for GS/OS software access. Accuracy is down to the second. POSIX compliance has been ignored since my goal was to provide compatibility with applicable RFCs. Geoff (SISGEOFF, 2305, GO COM A2PRO) GSOFT BLATANT PLUG If you really want to program your IIgs in BASIC, I """""""""""""""""" wholeheartedly recommend GSoft BASIC from The Byte Works (http://www.hypermall.com/byteworks/). This language was released at Kansas Fest this summer and is far better than any other BASIC available for the IIgs. It supports all sorts of things including the ability to use IIgs Toolbox calls directly from BASIC. Not only that but this product, being that it was just released, is still being supported and improved. Jeff Blakeney - Dean of the Apple II University in A2Pro ** HyperCard IIgs Course now in session! ** (JBLAKENEY, 2309, GO COM A2PRO) IS C IN THE FUTURE OF A2U? t would be relatively easy to organize an """""""""""""""""""""""""" online C course around "Learn to Program in C" or "Toolbox Programming in C", our self-paced courses. The first starts off at a rather basic level, but it gets rolling pretty fast, eventually getting into linked lists, file I/O, and so forth. It actually covers the AP Computer Science curriculum. "Toolbox Programming in C" is more advanced. It assumes you already know C well enough to handle programs with structures and pointers. It shows you how to write desktop programs for the Apple IIGS. If you want to organize the course, either book would be a great text. Here's what I'd suggest: 1. Publish and publicize a start date and schedule. About one lesson a week, with every fifth week as a catch-up, has worked well in past online courses. 2. Start a thread here in A2Pro. I monitor A2Pro anyway, as do several other excellent programmers. I will field any questions I see that have not been covered first by someone else. While this isn't a full blown course, it has everything but weekly chats. Would something like this be of any interest to you--or anyone else? Mike Westerfield (BYTEWORKS, 2235, GO COM A2PRO) >>>>> Just for everyone's information. I'd love to arrange more A2U """"" courses including a course in C. However, I'll need some help from people with suggestions as to who would make a good instructor or better yet, volunteers to teach. (I have one idea for a C course instructor right now but I also know he is quite busy with other things so I won't bother him :-) Right now, the only other A2U course I have on the back burners is a GSoft BASIC course which should be starting in the new year. Jeff Blakeney - Dean of the Apple II University in A2Pro ** HyperCard IIgs Course now in session in A2Pro! ** (JBLAKENEY, 2260, GO COM A2PRO) [EOA] [HWH]------------------------------ HARDWORKING HARDWARE | ----------------------------------- FOCUS DRIVE 520 """"""""""""""" by Ryan M. Suenaga, B.A., M.S.W., L.S.W. [thelamp@delphi.com] FOCUS DRIVE 520 BY ALLTECH ELECTRONICS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Product Name: Focus Drive 520 Distribution: Approximately $259 plus shipping Alltech Electronics 2618 Temple Heights Drive Oceanside, CA 92056 phones: 760-724-2404 Requirements: Apple //e or IIgs; any free slot other than slot three; Apple IIgs System Software 5.0.4 or later or Apple II System Disk 3.2 or later preferred. Probably the biggest omission in the stock issue Apple II is the lack of a hard drive. There's likely no one with an Apple II who has tried it with a hard drive only to happily go back to life without one. The standard hard drive for the Apple II series, like the Macintosh, has traditionally been hard drives of the Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI, pronounced, "scuzzy") type. Unfortunately, adding SCSI drives to the Apple II has never been as simple as it could be. First, a SCSI card must be added, then a drive must be placed in an appropriate housing, and there are the issues of cabling, SCSI ID numbers, termination, terminator power, and others to deal with. Isn't there an easier way? Certainly. Alltech Electronics, the one stop Apple II hardware shop, has a clear winner in its hard drive on a card, the Focus Drive. I ordered a 520 megabyte drive for use in a ROM_3 Apple IIgs. This drive is based around a 2.5 inch IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) hard drive, originally designed for use in notebook style computers, adapted for use with the Apple //e and IIgs. All you have to do is drop it in a slot (other than slot 3 and the dedicated memory expansion slots), set the Control Panel on a IIgs appropriately, and off you go. The Focus Drive includes software for testing, formatting, and partitioning the drive using the Apple IIgs's famillar interface. Unfortunately, it does not include the same software for use with a //e. While the Focus Drive does not use direct memory access (DMA) to transfer data to the memory of the Apple IIgs, it is still very fast--it appears to be as fast as a RamFAST and SCSI drive in normal use, which is very fast indeed. In fact, not using DMA can be an advantage if your system uses a non-DMA compatible accelerator or memory card. What more can be said? The Focus Drive is fast, simple to install, simple to use, and affordable. It also comes from one of the most ardent supporters of the Apple II out there. Alltech Electronics has a real winner in its Focus Drive. [EOA] [FRE]------------------------------ FREEWARE FAVORITES | ----------------------------------- QUIT-TO """"""" by Ryan M. Suenaga, B.A., M.S.W., L.S.W. [thelamp@delphi.com] HIERARCHIC 1.6.3 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Product Name: Hierarchic 1.6.3 Distribution: Freeware; available in the Delphi A2 Database, Genie A2 Library, and Apple II ftp sites. Richard Bennett Seven Hills Software Solutions Requirements: Apple IIgs; 20k disk space. _Hierarchic_ is an extension for the Apple IIgs System Software that does one very important thing: it allows the Apple IIgs to use hierarchical menus. _Hierarchic_ 1.6.3 is an update of the _Hierarchic_ permanent initialization file (PIF) for the Apple IIgs. Hierarchical menus are a great aid in organizing the pull down menus used by most GS/OS based programs. Instead of listing separate menu items, a hierarchical menu allows you to list category items in the menu, and when you place your pointer on the category item, another menu appears to let you select the actual menu item. For instance, _Transprog III_ allows you to quit the current application and shut down, "cold" restart, or "warm" restart the IIgs. Instead of listing these three items separately in its pull down menu, only the "Quit Application" item is listed, and when the cursor is placed on this item while holding the mouse button down, the three options mentioned above emerge from a second pull down menu, offset to one side. This saves space on your IIgs desktop and better organizes menu items. Hierarchical menus are required by a number of current Apple IIgs programs, including _WebWorks GS_, _Super Menu Pack_, _Spectrum_, and _Transprog III_. There have been several changes in this version of _Hierarchic_. First, it's become a Control Panel, meaning it needs to be placed in the CDev folder in the System folder in your boot drive to be active (note: while it is possible to have _Hierarchic_ loaded "on the fly" by programs that need it such as _Spectrum_ very few programs offer this capability and it is not the preferred method to activate _Hierarchic_.) If you have an earlier version of the _Hierarchic_ init in your System.Setup folder, either delete or deactivate it. Secondly, as a Control Panel, the two settings for _Hierarchic_ ("Drag delay" and "Initial delay") are accessed through the New Desk Accessory Control Panel in the Apple menu that is in the upper left corner of most IIgs programs. As installed, _Hierarchic_ works rather transparently. It really does nothing until a program that needs it calls forth its magic. Using hierarchical menus adds a whole new dimension to your Apple II computing experience. Thanks to Richard Bennett and Seven Hills for making this wonderful Apple IIgs addition available. :: DISCUSSED ON DELPHI :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: : : : Seduced by the chocolate side of the force. : : : ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: GSWOMBAT :::::: [EOA] [INN]------------------------------ EXTRA INNINGS | ----------------------------------- About The Lamp! The Lamp! is published on the fifteenth of every month in """"""""""""""" the Database of the II Scribe Forum on the Delphi online service (GO CUS 11). This publication produced entirely with real or emulated Apple II computers using Appleworks 5.1 and Hermes. Apple II Forever! * The Lamp! is (c) copyright 1998 by Ryan M. Suenaga, M.S.W. All rights reserved. * To reach The Lamp! on Internet email send mail to thelamp@delphi.com. * Back issues of The Lamp! are available in the II Scribe Forum on Delphi as well as The Lamp! Home Page, http://lamp.sheppyware.net. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Delphi Online Services, Syndicomm, Inc., or Ryan M. Suenaga. Forum messages are reprinted verbatim and are included in this publication with permission from the individual authors. Delphi Online Services, Syndicomm, Inc. and Ryan M. Suenaga do not guarantee the accuracy or suitability of any information included herein. We reserve the right to edit all letters and copy. Material published in this edition may not be reprinted without the expressed written consent of the publisher. Registered computer user groups, not for profit publications , and other interested parties may write the publisher to apply for permission to reprint any or all material. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< [EOF]