In message <[email protected]>, John Gilpin
<[email protected]> writes
Hi John,
I think that you have started a very interesting discussion with your
"BOOT" programs query.
A - This is one of the advantages of the QL System - you can set up and
write you own boot sequence.
B - Or one of the disadvantages of the QL System - that there is no
regular or standardised way of doing it.
Depends which way you look at it ..... :-)
I have certainly enjoyed all the numerous responses to your query.
You seem to have developed, over time, a sort of "SuperBoot"; that then
does all your setting up in one go.
Although, that method is convenient.
It is then can be more difficult to locate where any problems are.
As many contributors have said, the alternative is to split your "BOOT"
file in to a number of parts; which can then do more specific tasks
individually.
I have a small "BOOT" that first asks the user as to whether to boot
from a win drive or a floppy ( the latter only now used very
occasionally ).
The usual choice is a win drive, which "chains" another "BOOT" file as :
LRUN windrive$ & '_myboot'
"MYBOOT" is again, only a small amount of code, and gives another set of
choices ( with LRUN ), to load specific extensions, etc.
I also format a RAM disc at this point, and set the Data_use to Ram1_,
and the Prog_use to Win1_
As well as to set dragable windows for SMSQ/E with -
WM_MOVEMODE 2
The usual choice is chain "BOOT_QDT" - for the QL DeskTop - as well as
setting up all of the LRESPR commands that are needed; together with the
Environment Variables.
This ends with :
EX windrive$ & 'QDT_BIN_QDT_EXE'
I know that a lot of people have organised all of their QL extensions,
etc, in to a "SYSTEM" folder, so that they are all together in one
place; rather than being scattered around with different programs.
Sort of depends is you are "A" or "B" ( above ) ..... :-)
Having read all the contributions to this thread, I haver decided to
re-invent the wheel and start my programs from scratch, testing each
section on all the platforms I expect to run it from as I go.
François wrote that EXTRAS is not a reliable method of seeing whether
an extension is loaded or not. All the alternatives offered seem to
examine whether a specific keyword is loaded or not (FINDNAME%, EXISTS
etc) - which does not provide a list of loaded 'keywords' like EXTRAS
does.
Is there a reliable way of listing all the 'extras' currently loaded
and is there a way of getting a list of 'extras' each extension should
load - say from the .bin file that is being LRESPRd?. This would be
useful in determining whether an extension will overwrite a particular
entry already loaded.
Is there a recognised sequence that extensions should be loaded in? -
i.e. TK2 before Menu_rext.
Is there a way of getting say "EXTRAS" loaded without loading all the
other 400+ 'keywords' contained in TK2?
If this level of question is already covered in some document (book
etc- "How to write a BOOT program in SuperBASIC"), could someone please
point me in that direction to save you all re-inventing the wheel with
me.
How do I decide which extensions should be LRESPRd and which left out
without the painstaking method of "leave it out and if the program
doesn't work, add it later"
I am most grateful for you comments and advice.
Regards to all,
John Gilpin.
--
Malcolm Cadman
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