Norman, I use this all the time when hoodwinking students and
about how intelligent retro computers are.
Firing up Q-emuLator basic setup (if you have a QL then switch it on)
type in directly
PRINT the_answer_to_life_the_universe_and_everything then press enter
Note what appears on the screen
then type
PRINT CODE("?") - replace the ? with what appears on screen then press
enter
voilà
On Mon, Oct 7, 2013 at 8:36 PM, Norman Dunbar <nor...@dunbar-it.co.uk>wrote:
> Evening all,
>
> I'm experimenting for the first exciting episode of the new assembly
> language mailing list. It's the first time I've sat down with QPC since I
> started my new job!
>
> I have noticed something a little odd, well, even to be honest. Strangely
> enough, the answer is 42 - what is the question? ;-)
>
> Seriously, when I create a job with any given dataspace, when the job is
> activated, A5.L is always set to that data space value plus 42 extra bytes.
>
> There's nothing in the QDOS docs (from Jochen) nor in Dickens or Pennell.
> The closest I have found is in Pennell on page 20 where he says that "...
> TRNSP is expanded by D2+D3+$68, memory permitting" when a job is created.
>
> D2 is the code size, D3 is the requested dataspace size and the extra $68
> is for the standard job header area.
>
> I'm wondering if the mysterious 42 extra bytes is also accumulated in the
> space desired in TRNSP (it has to be D2+D3+$68+42 or stuff would crash!)
> but where does it come from?
>
> I cannot see it as being a rounding to the nearest 16 or 8 or whatever,
> because it's always 42. When I say always, I have tried the same job with
> the following dataspace sizes, and every one set A5 to be 42 extra:
>
> 126, 256, 500, 512, 1000, 1024, 2000, 2048, 3000, 3172, 4000, 4096.
>
> I could, I suppose, look up the source for SMSQ but I don;t, sadly, have
> the time at the moment. Not after doing all the above testing! I'm afraid I
> shall be lazy and rely on the good will and knowledge of the list for
> answers.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
>
> Cheers,
> Norm.
>
> --
> Norman Dunbar
> Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd
>
> Registered address:
> 27a Lidget Hill
> Pudsey
> West Yorkshire
> United Kingdom
> LS28 7LG
>
> Company Number: 05132767
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Regards
Lee Privett
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