Probably dates back to the days when files that you downloaded from Compuserve or another user etc. had to all be plain text ASCII because TELCOM can't handle binary files; I suppose everyone just knew that .DO stood for documentation and .BA stood for plaintext BASIC programs that had to be renamed before loading with BASIC or TEXT.
On Sat, Feb 25, 2023 at 8:41 PM John R. Hogerhuis <jho...@pobox.com> wrote: > A side note but the reason files misnamed as BA cause a problem is that > tsdos will load them into the BASIC program region verbatim and treat the > ASCII bytes as parts of binary formatted line numbers and tokens among > other problems, ultimately causing a corrupted RAM file system. > > It was the convention on the old Club100 library to name them this way > but it's now a bad practice. > > -- John. > > > > > On Sat, Feb 25, 2023, 5:30 PM <bir...@soigeneris.com> wrote: > >> Yes, someone already wrote such a program and shared it. If you just got >> a Backpack Drive Plus it is already on the SD card. You can also download >> it from: https://github.com/Jeff-Birt/Backpack/tree/main/User_Programs >> >> >> >> There is an MT version and NEC version. Note that while these have a .BA >> extension they are really text files, a.k.a. .DO files. It has been the >> convention to give BASIC programs shared as text files the .BA extension >> but if you try to load such a file as is BASIC will try to parse it on the >> fly and it can’t do so fast enough. The file extension needs to be changed >> to .DO. Load it into RAM, go to BASIC and do: LOAD”FILE.DO”. After it loads >> do: SAVE”FILE.BA” and it is now a tokenized BASIC file. >> >> I’ll get these renamed and include the tokenized version in the future to >> avoid such confusion. >> >> >> >> Jeff Birt >> >> >> >> *From:* M100 <m100-boun...@lists.bitchin100.com> *On Behalf Of * >> grima...@gmail.com >> *Sent:* Saturday, February 25, 2023 7:19 PM >> *To:* m...@bitchin100.com >> *Subject:* Re: [M100] - Backpack >> >> >> >> Random question - Does a BASIC program already exist to interface with >> the Backpack to set the clock? >> >> >> >> I find myself having to Cold start the machine often, but this handy >> Backpack has a real time clock in it. >> >> >> >> Would be great to run a quick program that interfaces with the Backpack >> over serial, issues the TIME, DATE and DAY commands, queries the current >> system time and date, calculates the delta and then resets the system clock. >> >> >> >> I started to write the program in BASIC, but I admit I don’t know much >> about serial communication. I managed to open the COM buffer for output, >> send the four CR to wake it. However, I then PRINT “TIME”+chr$(13) after >> that, close the buffer, reopen it for input and then try to get the result. >> >> >> >> However I only end up with: >> >> >> >> C >> >> # >> >> T >> >> >> >> As if the second PRINT never went through. >> >> >> >> So rather than continue to rack my brain, I figured I’d ask if it already >> exists. >> >> >> >> -George >> >> >> >> On Fri, Feb 17, 2023 at 4:44 PM Mike Stein <mhs.st...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >> It might not be that straightforward; the printer port is partially >> shared with the keyboard. >> >> >> >> On Fri, Feb 17, 2023 at 10:58 AM Alex ... <abortretryf...@gmail.com> >> wrote: >> >> Wire a R2R DAC to the printer port and have the M100 play music Covox >> style. 😃 >> >> >> >> On Wed, Feb 15, 2023, 14:21 Fisher <nolan...@fisher25.ca> wrote: >> >> All it needs in its next version is an 8mm stereo jack, an mp3 player and >> some jukebox software for the laptop! >> >> Too much to wish for? No matter, it’s already a great piece of kit. :-) >> >> >> >> Sean >> >> >> >> >> >> On Feb 14, 2023, at 8:08 PM, <bir...@soigeneris.com> < >> bir...@soigeneris.com> wrote: >> >> >> >> The Backpack was designed by a friend of mine who wishes to remain >> private. He sent me one and I thought it was great and encouraged him to >> make more offering my help. My only part of the design was the case. >> >> >> >> Jeff Birt >> >> >> >> *From:* M100 <m100-boun...@lists.bitchin100.com> *On Behalf Of * >> grima...@gmail.com >> *Sent:* Tuesday, February 14, 2023 1:15 PM >> *To:* Model 100 Discussion <m100@lists.bitchin100.com> >> *Subject:* [M100] - Backpack >> >> >> >> Just received my Backpack from Soigeneris. All I have to say, is that I >> really like the design of it all. It’s relatively compact, it matches the >> design of the M100, and it runs on a single AA cell. >> >> >> >> I immediately plugged it in, and got it to work. Pretty much zero >> configuration needed. I’ve already got REX installed so I was able to load >> up TS-DOS and be off to the races. >> >> >> >> Shout out to Soigeneris and to whomever designed and built this device! >> >> >> >> Best, >> >> George >> >> >> >>
