[Ql-Users] How many time to get q-emulator licence ?
Hi All, Does anyone know if Daniele is very busy ? I bought a q-emulator license since Wednesday, and I wait for any email for q-emulator registration. Well, I know that always a problem when we are busy as I'm afraid to have missed any QL2K registration license. So in the same way, if anyone need a license of QL2K already asked but not received and or get a copy of a previously requested license, feel free to ask it at - QL2K (at) jadiam . com - Cheers, Jimmy. ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
[Ql-Users] QL Disk driver
Hi all Does a dissasebily or better still the source files for the QL disk driver as used by the Trump card, Sandy Superdisk etc exist online anywhere ? Cheers. Phill. -- Phill Harvey-Smith, Programmer, Hardware hacker, and general eccentric ! "You can twist perceptions, but reality won't budge" -- Rush. ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Window Manager 2
Tobias Fröschle wrote: > I can very well live with no background window update (Although I very > much appreciate you made it working on SMSQ/E that I use on QPC and QLX- > It looks like it has been considerable work), And you're right with your assessment ;) > but not quite with having an unreliable PICK, so I went back to > 2.01. What else beyond BG-Update am I missing? I don't know, would have to look that up. The thing is, PTR_GEN shares a LOT of code with SMSQ/E, it's basically the SMSQ/E PTR driver stripped down. This is also the reason the current PE is not compatible anymore with OS prior to JS, because that would mean that the code could no longer be shared (for the background I/O stuff I needed extended data fields that were only supported from JS upwards). But if somebody can't even be bothered to update to JS... then I'd say it's a lost cause anyway. So, I could now reproduce some problems in QemuLator and even fix them! I'll send you a version to test off-list (Bob, you get it, too). The goal for me is that the current code base results in a stable PE. Cheers, Marcel ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Window Manager 2
On 03/03/2011 21:33, Bob Spelten wrote: Op Thu, 03 Mar 2011 20:59:31 +0100 schreef Rich Mellor : I have never worked out hot to change the colours of the pan/scroll bars in QPTR correctly... I would have to revisit my Basic to check but I don't remember this being a problem. It is a problem in EasyPTR however, it doesn't show the arrow colour set up in EasyMenu. Therefore in SuQcess2 I use MSETUP/MAWSETUP and then poke the right color in the working definition before using MDRAW to show the menu. Bob Ah - you could be right there - I was thinking about where I encountered this - it was mainly with Q-Route - which does use EasyPTR for this routine in the end... -- Rich Mellor RWAP Services http://www.rwapsoftware.co.uk http://www.rwapservices.co.uk -- Try out our new site: http://sellmyretro.com ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] The First Survey - Results! & the future
In message <3ee0827e82e156f3f34260a7c4063fbd.squir...@webmail.supanet.com>, j...@supanet.com writes Hi Jim, Glad you are back into the discussions ... :-) Probably neither QDOS or SMSQ/E have any chance of wide public acceptance, now. The MAC/OS and Android, amongst others, are doing 'battle' for the mass market of the new 21st Century devices - as new software begets new hardware, and vice-versa. The most important thing to remeber is that the survey only shows the views of the people on the list. The real question we have to tackle is how do we attract new members to the community? Or put it differently what is the advantage of QDOS or SMSQE over all the other operating systems out there? It is essential to think like Window users, what is annoying them and what our system does better to answer that question. Also we have got to factor in the easier it is for them to learn what to do the more likely they are to join the QL community. So what is better? The main survey page is here: http://www.nonstickglue.com/QL_Hardware_Library/Survey.html Nicely laid out, Dave. Some comments, for discussion, based on just a quick look through the results earlier this morning: Question 1: Only 3% with a 128K or 640K QL. Seems to fly in the face of Geoff's survey for Quanta a few years ago when a surprising number of members were using a basic QL. But, add in the first 4 results (above QXL) and it suddenly becomes 26% of people using a QL with any type of expansion up to Super Gold Card. I did rather expect that the QL emulators section would be the single largest category, even if 45% (commercial) plus 5% (free) seemed larger than I expected. And 9% using Q40/Q60 as a main QL system surprised me, I'd expected about half that. Question 12: glad I'm doing something right! Question 13: 95% able to program in SuperBASIC. Rather surprises me, but assuming replies came mostly from list-members, I've always thought that most people on this list might consider themselves more experienced than, say, a lot of Quanta members or QL Today readers? Does that sound elitist? Wasn't meant to. Question 14: 56% able to program in Assembly Language - Norman Dunbar's QL Today articles have obviously worked well here! Question 16: given that the survey was mainly publicised through ql-users list, I'm surprised only a third of people said they subscribed to it??? The low percentage of people subscribing to Quanta and QL Today probably speaks for itself (although later answers substantially increase these figures), but could be partially due to people who are not as active on the QL scene as they used to be, but remain in contact with the QL scene via this list, which is probably why this particular survey gives Quanta and QL Today a poor result. I suspect we've seen plenty of comments on this list including someting like "I no longer subscribe to Quanta/QL Today, but...". The question is, do people remain on this list just to keep in touch without the cost of subscribing to anything (no real reason to subscribe if they are not regularly using a QL), or is there something that both organisations could do to entice these back? Comments from people who are on this list and not subscribing to either organisation welcome. Question 17: 15% members of Quanta in Q.16, 29% here. Is the doubling a statistical blip caused by a fairly small number of responses, was one of the questions worded so as not to extract the same reply or what? ID 4347254: The response about the overseas delivery, "...belief that sending the newsletter to foreign countries should come AFTER all the domestic members received their and thus show an inability to factor in 10+ extra days of transit -- THAT is symptomatic of how they view the World and/or the membership ... i.e., it's a local club that they allow others to contribute to" I'm not quite sure what to make of this - I presume that John Gilpin has been sending ALL issues out at the same time (not checked with him), and if so, is the suggestion that Quanta should hold posting UK mags back for 10 days? I've been a member of Quanta since 1984, my postal copy regularly seems to arrive one or two days after other UK members get theirs, even though it's the same British postal system (probably just the usual "West of Chester" syndrome). Question 18: As with the Quanta figures, this shows 50% more QL Today subscribers than the original Question 16?!?! Question 20: 71% sharing files via email - to be expected in this day and age, figure may be a little higher here as this is a survey where all users by definition use email to know about this survey, but the 21% still using floppies surprises me. Question 21: 78% using their QL for programming and personal use. In line with my expectations. Question 22: I'm surprised the response wasn't even higher in citing internet access as "critical". Of course, QPC2, QemuLator and uQLx have the base ability here, but we only have Jonathan Hudson's programs
Re: [Ql-Users] Window Manager 2
Op Thu, 03 Mar 2011 20:59:31 +0100 schreef Rich Mellor : I have never worked out hot to change the colours of the pan/scroll bars in QPTR correctly... I would have to revisit my Basic to check but I don't remember this being a problem. It is a problem in EasyPTR however, it doesn't show the arrow colour set up in EasyMenu. Therefore in SuQcess2 I use MSETUP/MAWSETUP and then poke the right color in the working definition before using MDRAW to show the menu. Bob -- The BSJR QL software site at: http://members.chello.nl/b.spelten/ql/ ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Window Manager 2
Am Donnerstag, den 03.03.2011, 16:16 +0100 schrieb Marcel Kilgus: > Well, then you'll also miss most features mentioned (like sprites with > solid masks). Perhaps the uQLx patching does mess things up. Or there > are still some bugs (of course very much possible ;) ), but the > complains over the years were pretty much non-existent. I run 2.03 on > QemuLator without too much hassle (the BGIO problem I found today > notwithstanding). Marcel, while we were there, I went back and tried several versions of ptr_gen versions on uqlx and minerva 1.98 (It's been some years back that I found the combination ptr_gen 2.01 and wman 2.05 works fine for me): p 2.01 Works fine, PE_BGON doesn't p 2.02 Random crashes, pixels go astray (Bob's symptom?) p 2.03 PE_BGON works, but have problems picking inactive windows (CTRL-C works, however) I can very well live with no background window update (Although I very much appreciate you made it working on SMSQ/E that I use on QPC and QLX- It looks like it has been considerable work), but not quite with having an unreliable PICK, so I went back to 2.01. What else beyond BG-Update am I missing? Could well be it's an uqlx-only issue, the only other non-SMSQ/E system I have that I could test on is the original box that currently waits for a VGA video converter because I no longer have a matching VDU. Cheers, Tobias ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] The First Survey - Results!
In message , Dave Park writes On Tue, Mar 1, 2011 at 2:06 PM, Geoff Wicks wrote: -- From: "Dave Park" Sent: Tuesday, March 01, 2011 7:50 PM To: Subject: Re: [Ql-Users] The First Survey - Results! On Tue, Mar 1, 2011 at 2:48 AM, Norman Dunbar >wrote: In all fairness to Dave, he did say that the email was in HTML format and quite large. Unfortunately, it seems that the list prevents HTML postings and has converted it to plain text - with all the attendant formatting troubles and loss of clarity. I didn't see a copy of my email so I didn't see how badly the list had chewed it up. Erk! I am working right now at putting it on the website. It means rewriting all the XML... I'll have it up as soon as possible. My apologies! Many thanks, Dave. No need to apologise. It's your first survey and it's all part of the learning process, Best Wishes, Okay, I have gone through the XML with a fine tooth comb to remove all the javascript, any privacy-invading links and various hidden forms. The main survey page is here: http://www.nonstickglue.com/QL_Hardware_Library/Survey.html From here there's a link on the right and at the bottom that will show the survey as it was intended. The survey will open in a new window. Hopefully this will present the data in a much more readable / interpretable form. Dave Hi Dave, Very neat ... :-) -- Malcolm Cadman ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Window Manager 2
On 03/03/2011 18:15, Dilwyn Jones wrote: Op Thu, 03 Mar 2011 17:03:07 +0100 schreef Dilwyn Jones : I did the same with Wolfgang's QPTR lectures, working through them when I really needed it. Bob Good grief, somebody admits to understanding QPTR! It's been a while since I looked at the program (still under construction). One thing I couldn't get right was to include index bars, which he didn't explain fully. Nobody would be foolish enough to try that. :( Bob He he, ordinary pan/scroll bars in Easyptr can be fiddly enough to work with, never mind the bars you mention in QPTR! Not forgetting also that a hit on an app window can sometimes give two different values depending on whether it was the first read, or a second or subsequent read, like an auto-repeat. I had particular problems with that in the sbasic of my BMP conversion program which took me ages to figure out what was going wrong, though I don't remember the exact details without digging out the source files. Dilwyn Jones ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm I have never worked out hot to change the colours of the pan/scroll bars in QPTR correctly... -- Rich Mellor RWAP Services http://www.rwapsoftware.co.uk http://www.rwapservices.co.uk -- Try out our new site: http://sellmyretro.com ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Window Manager 2
>> Bob, there's something (fairly large) in your inbox. :-) I'm sorry, but that has to sound like one of the worst euphemisms ever! ;-) Cheers, Norman. -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: Thorpe House 61 Richardshaw Lane Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7EL Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Window Manager 2
On 03/03/11 16:41, Wolfgang Lenerz wrote: > Oh waoh, so, to "guttenberg" (sorry only the german readers will > understand that) Norman, that's an increase in readership of 100 % (or > is it? If you go from 0 to 1; by how mùany percent have you increased?). Well, work it out 1/0 * 100 = 100/0 = infinity! You can't get any higher than that. You certainly "guttenburged" me there! Except, another infinity of course . ;-) Cheers, Norman. -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: Thorpe House 61 Richardshaw Lane Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7EL Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Window Manager 2
Op Thu, 03 Mar 2011 17:41:39 +0100 schreef Wolfgang Lenerz : I did the same with Wolfgang's QPTR lectures, working through them when I really needed it. Oh waoh, so, to "guttenberg" (sorry only the german readers will understand that) Norman, that's an increase in readership of 100 % (or is it? If you go from 0 to 1; by how mùany percent have you increased?). I am glad I named the author, otherwise my position might be in question. :D Bob -- The BSJR QL software site at: http://members.chello.nl/b.spelten/ql/ ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Window Manager 2
Op Thu, 03 Mar 2011 17:39:18 +0100 schreef Norman Dunbar : On 03/03/11 15:41, Bob Spelten wrote: I will probably dig up my old QL Todays and have another look at it. It should make a lot more sense now. ;) Bob, there's something (fairly large) in your inbox. :-) Indeed, Thanks Norman. That will keep me busy for a while. Bob -- The BSJR QL software site at: http://members.chello.nl/b.spelten/ql/ ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Window Manager 2
Op Thu, 03 Mar 2011 17:03:07 +0100 schreef Dilwyn Jones : I did the same with Wolfgang's QPTR lectures, working through them when I really needed it. Bob Good grief, somebody admits to understanding QPTR! It's been a while since I looked at the program (still under construction). One thing I couldn't get right was to include index bars, which he didn't explain fully. Nobody would be foolish enough to try that. :( Bob He he, ordinary pan/scroll bars in Easyptr can be fiddly enough to work with, never mind the bars you mention in QPTR! Not forgetting also that a hit on an app window can sometimes give two different values depending on whether it was the first read, or a second or subsequent read, like an auto-repeat. I had particular problems with that in the sbasic of my BMP conversion program which took me ages to figure out what was going wrong, though I don't remember the exact details without digging out the source files. Dilwyn Jones ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Window Manager 2
Op Thu, 03 Mar 2011 17:03:07 +0100 schreef Dilwyn Jones : I did the same with Wolfgang's QPTR lectures, working through them when I really needed it. Bob Good grief, somebody admits to understanding QPTR! It's been a while since I looked at the program (still under construction). One thing I couldn't get right was to include index bars, which he didn't explain fully. Nobody would be foolish enough to try that. :( Bob -- The BSJR QL software site at: http://members.chello.nl/b.spelten/ql/ ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Window Manager 2
On 3 Mar 2011, at 16:38, Marcel Kilgus wrote: > gdgqler wrote: >> I cannot find INCBIN among the QMAC assembler directives. I presume >> that if it were there it would cause the inclusion of a binary file, >> already assembled. GWASS allows the inclusion of such files by LIB. > > Then your QMAC might be too old, at least 1.06 has INCBIN. But reading > your manual you even included an INCBIN alias to LIB, so you must > probably have heard of it before ;) In any case, GWASS will do fine > I'm sure. I'm amazed! Sure enough INCBIN is indeed in GWASS. I certainly have no recollection of its inclusion. Anyway, I hope people have fun using it. George ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Window Manager 2
On 3 Mar 2011, at 15:26, Dilwyn Jones wrote: >>> I have just produced my first piece of asm that Gwass turned into a >>> working bin function. >>> (it took only a handful of system crashes, and I haven't even read >>> Norman's series. ;) ) >> Sigh! I knew it was only George and me! ;-) >> >> Cheers, >> Norman. >> > Count me in too! Couldn't have written display_cde and other bits and pieces > without your articles. > > I originally learned from Andy Pennell's books. I still use the old Computer > One assembler despite having planned to learn to use Gwass or Gwasl several > times - lack of time etc (excuses, excuses). It is usually crazy not to use the available assemblers. My very first assembler coding was done using Andy Pennel's book and POKing the result into RAM. Later I used an assembler provided with the Thor 21. written by Eddy Yeung, who also wrote Workbench. But this assembler had faults which I could not get sorted because Eddy Yeung had gone abroad. I then started using Assembler Workbench, but that too was not satisfactory. For these reasons I reluctantly wrote my own assembler. With prodding from many people GWASS has been continually updated. I must say, though, that I can rarely use it without looking at the manual. Nevertheless I have almost got used to it and would probably not use another assembler. George ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Window Manager 2
> I did the same with Wolfgang's QPTR lectures, working through them when > I really needed it. Oh waoh, so, to "guttenberg" (sorry only the german readers will understand that) Norman, that's an increase in readership of 100 % (or is it? If you go from 0 to 1; by how mùany percent have you increased?). Wolfgang ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Window Manager 2
On 03/03/11 15:41, Bob Spelten wrote: > I will probably dig up my old QL Todays and have another look at it. > It should make a lot more sense now. ;) Bob, there's something (fairly large) in your inbox. :-) Cheers, Norman. -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: Thorpe House 61 Richardshaw Lane Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7EL Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Window Manager 2
gdgqler wrote: > I cannot find INCBIN among the QMAC assembler directives. I presume > that if it were there it would cause the inclusion of a binary file, > already assembled. GWASS allows the inclusion of such files by LIB. Then your QMAC might be too old, at least 1.06 has INCBIN. But reading your manual you even included an INCBIN alias to LIB, so you must probably have heard of it before ;) In any case, GWASS will do fine I'm sure. Marcel ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Window Manager 2
g On 3 Mar 2011, at 12:24, Marcel Kilgus wrote: >>> >>> - introduced "system sprites" (corresponding to the "system palette" >>> users can exchange the sprites with their own and all compatible >>> applications will use the new theme) >> You provided some nice examples for this but how can I turn my own sprites >> into "system sprites" from SBasic? > > SBasic? Probably not. But you can pretty much use my assembler source > code unchanged (just exchange the _spr files and recompile). Of > course, QMac is needed for this, though I guess it could be adapted to > GWASS easily if it supports an equivalent to the INCBIN command. I cannot find INCBIN among the QMAC assembler directives. I presume that if it were there it would cause the inclusion of a binary file, already assembled. GWASS allows the inclusion of such files by LIB. George ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Window Manager 2
On 03/03/11 15:26, Dilwyn Jones wrote: Count me in too! Couldn't have written display_cde and other bits and pieces without your articles. THREE!! That's a 50% increase in readers since yesterday! Statistics - 86% are made up! ;-) Well, my misinterpretation of the Quanta/QL Today subs figures goes to prove care is needed in interpreting statistics. In other words, I'm glad I'm not in charge of the results of today's referendum in Wales ;-)) Left to me, I'd probably have given Bethesda total independence, the Welsh Assembly would move to Bardsey Island and as for Anglesey... Do you still use DJToolkit then? A lot of good stuff went into that one! Why, do you happen to know the author or something? ;-) I was clearing out some stuff just last week and found a ROM with DJTK on it. Shame I can't plug it in to QPC! ;-) You probably could add it to smsq/e as a module to slim down your boot file by a line or two... I originally learned from Andy Pennell's books. Yes, me too. I still use the old Computer One assembler despite having planned to learn to use Gwass or Gwasl several times - lack of time etc (excuses, excuses). GWASL is simple: For you maybe... 1. Configure. (Once!) 2. EX gwasl_bin. 3. Press 1. Start Assembling. 4. Type ASM file name. 5. Press ENTER. That's it. Output file is whatever the source was called with _bin instead of _asm. Listing and errors go to _lst and the symbol table to _SYM. Sounds easy...until I get my hands on it, then George will wish you hadn't encouraged me :-( The only problem I have with gwasl is slightly irritating - if I'm looking at the errors in the _LST file, and I fix the _ASM file, when I try to re-assemble, I just get beeped at. Other than that, I use it for all my assembling - even though I paid for QMAC, QMAC upgrades and QMAKE. Ah yes, there's the option to remove error text after a failed assembly in the C1 assembler. But I really must make the effort to use something more modern, I know. It's actually remarkable how well the C1 editor and assembler still work on modern systems more than 25 years on! Dilwyn Jones ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Window Manager 2
On 03/03/11 14:56, Bob Spelten wrote: I have just produced my first piece of asm that Gwass turned into a working bin function. (it took only a handful of system crashes, and I haven't even read Norman's series. ;) ) Sigh! I knew it was only George and me! ;-) I will probably dig up my old QL Todays and have another look at it. It should make a lot more sense now. ;) I did the same with Wolfgang's QPTR lectures, working through them when I really needed it. Bob Good grief, somebody admits to undertsanding QPTR! Dilwyn Jones ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Window Manager 2
Op Thu, 03 Mar 2011 15:59:37 +0100 schreef Norman Dunbar : On 03/03/11 14:56, Bob Spelten wrote: I have just produced my first piece of asm that Gwass turned into a working bin function. (it took only a handful of system crashes, and I haven't even read Norman's series. ;) ) Sigh! I knew it was only George and me! ;-) I will probably dig up my old QL Todays and have another look at it. It should make a lot more sense now. ;) I did the same with Wolfgang's QPTR lectures, working through them when I really needed it. Bob -- The BSJR QL software site at: http://members.chello.nl/b.spelten/ql/ ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Window Manager 2
On 03/03/11 15:26, Dilwyn Jones wrote: > Count me in too! Couldn't have written display_cde and other bits and > pieces without your articles. THREE!! That's a 50% increase in readers since yesterday! Statistics - 86% are made up! ;-) Do you still use DJToolkit then? A lot of good stuff went into that one! I was clearing out some stuff just last week and found a ROM with DJTK on it. Shame I can't plug it in to QPC! ;-) > I originally learned from Andy Pennell's books. Yes, me too. > I still use the old > Computer One assembler despite having planned to learn to use Gwass or > Gwasl several times - lack of time etc (excuses, excuses). GWASL is simple: 1. Configure. (Once!) 2. EX gwasl_bin. 3. Press 1. Start Assembling. 4. Type ASM file name. 5. Press ENTER. That's it. Output file is whatever the source was called with _bin instead of _asm. Listing and errors go to _lst and the symbol table to _SYM. The only problem I have with gwasl is slightly irritating - if I'm looking at the errors in the _LST file, and I fix the _ASM file, when I try to re-assemble, I just get beeped at. Other than that, I use it for all my assembling - even though I paid for QMAC, QMAC upgrades and QMAKE. Cheers, Norman. -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: Thorpe House 61 Richardshaw Lane Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7EL Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Window Manager 2
I have just produced my first piece of asm that Gwass turned into a working bin function. (it took only a handful of system crashes, and I haven't even read Norman's series. ;) ) Sigh! I knew it was only George and me! ;-) Cheers, Norman. Count me in too! Couldn't have written display_cde and other bits and pieces without your articles. I originally learned from Andy Pennell's books. I still use the old Computer One assembler despite having planned to learn to use Gwass or Gwasl several times - lack of time etc (excuses, excuses). Dilwyn Jones ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Window Manager 2
JS ROM is needed at least. Works fine for me under QemuLator and Minerva, though background I/O seems to be partially broken. So far I tried a Black Box JS +SGC and Aurora JS +SGC and many combinations of the PE2 trio. I will give it another go with Tobias's suggestion. Bob I suspect there are two issues at work here. One version of ptr_gen fails to work correctly on some systems at least (including my Aurora) - avoid version 2.02 if it seems to be causing problems, often visible as display disturbances (garbage on screen, probably the background redrawing Marcel referred to). The notes on my website say you need at least JS, preferably Minerva, to use the full capabilities of the v2.03 ptr_gen. I have successfully used the combination of v2.01 ptr_gen, v2.05 wman and v2.29 hot_rext (I don't think hot_rext version matters too much) on my Aurora/SGC system, although admittedly I don't use it very often these days. (I use v2.01 rather than 2.03 of ptr_gen just because the Aurora has a JM ROM uinstalled for software testing.) Dilwyn Jones ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Window Manager 2
Bob Spelten wrote: > My question remains, why or when should I use Bitmask? Rules of thumb: - If the sprite is a complete solid rectangle, don't use any mask. - If the sprite is QL mode and has a shape, use a bitmask - If the sprite is high colour, use alpha mask > I have just produced my first piece of asm that Gwass turned into a > working bin function. Apparently GWASS supports LIB/INCBIN, so it should be fairly straight forward. > So far I tried a Black Box JS +SGC and Aurora JS +SGC and many > combinations of the PE2 trio. Strange, okay. Marcel ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Window Manager 2
tobias.froesc...@t-online.de wrote: > never tried it on the real black box, but I'm successfully running > ptr_gen 2.0.1 against wman 2.05 in uqlx and Minerva. The trick is - > don't use the newest ptr_gen, 2.02 and 2.03 proved largely too > un-stable to me (at least on that platform) to be really usable. Well, then you'll also miss most features mentioned (like sprites with solid masks). Perhaps the uQLx patching does mess things up. Or there are still some bugs (of course very much possible ;) ), but the complains over the years were pretty much non-existent. I run 2.03 on QemuLator without too much hassle (the BGIO problem I found today notwithstanding). Cheers, Marcel ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Window Manager 2
On 03/03/11 14:56, Bob Spelten wrote: > I have just produced my first piece of asm that Gwass turned into a > working bin function. > (it took only a handful of system crashes, and I haven't even read > Norman's series. ;) ) Sigh! I knew it was only George and me! ;-) Cheers, Norman. -- Norman Dunbar Dunbar IT Consultants Ltd Registered address: Thorpe House 61 Richardshaw Lane Pudsey West Yorkshire United Kingdom LS28 7EL Company Number: 05132767 ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Window Manager 2
Op Thu, 03 Mar 2011 13:24:33 +0100 schreef Marcel Kilgus : - For solid sprites, the mask can be omitted entirely Your PNGCVT program can also make sprites with Bitmasks. When I examined the sprite headers I found no difference between them. For Bitmask or Solid mask, both mask pointers were zero. Are your sure? That would be a bug that hasn't been found for 8 years... plus I'm pretty sure that did work correctly once. Yep! The original QCoCo used BMP's as window backgrounds which I replaced with sprites. These were all 502x200 pixels in 8 bit. The ones I made Solid have the pto_mask at zero. Calculating the length comes exactly at 100400 (pattern) +24 (header). Or twice the pattern for mode 32. Also in RLE format I checked the uncompressed value. The ones I made with Bitmask also had the pto_mask at zero. The length calculation left me with 400 bytes, I assumed 1 word per line. Again the RLE uncompressed length showed the additional 400 bytes were included. I suspect GD2 just shows them as Solid, ignoring the surplus bytes. My question remains, why or when should I use Bitmask? The big advantage is that GD2 handles the colour mode conversions automatically) Can I assume then that my mode 32 sprites will look alright on a mode 33 system? Yes. Nice. - introduced "system sprites" (corresponding to the "system palette" users can exchange the sprites with their own and all compatible applications will use the new theme) You provided some nice examples for this but how can I turn my own sprites into "system sprites" from SBasic? SBasic? Probably not. But you can pretty much use my assembler source code unchanged (just exchange the _spr files and recompile). Of course, QMac is needed for this, though I guess it could be adapted to GWASS easily if it supports an equivalent to the INCBIN command. I have just produced my first piece of asm that Gwass turned into a working bin function. (it took only a handful of system crashes, and I haven't even read Norman's series. ;) ) So I guess adapting you asm could be my next project. So far I have not been able to get a QDOS machine working with WM2. Even a simple boot with just the PE and Qpac2 will, after a few clicks makes a mess of the button contents, not clean up a closed Files window and eventually freeze the system. :'( JS ROM is needed at least. Works fine for me under QemuLator and Minerva, though background I/O seems to be partially broken. So far I tried a Black Box JS +SGC and Aurora JS +SGC and many combinations of the PE2 trio. I will give it another go with Tobias's suggestion. Bob -- The BSJR QL software site at: http://members.chello.nl/b.spelten/ql/ ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] scale and drawing on the QL
It would make resetting the book a lot easier On 03/03/2011 00:52, Timothy Swenson wrote: Years ago I scanned the whole Jan Jones book and OCR'ed the text and put it into a word document. I cleaned up most of it and was planning to add back in the drawings. I should be able to find it and give it to anyone who is working on making a better copy. It would save them some time. It would make resetting the book a lot easier. So yes please. Cheers Malcolm Tim Swenson ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Window Manager 2
Bob Spelten wrote: > This probably means that somewhere in RAM an unpacked version is held and > copied to the screen. > Is there any way to peek the location of this from SBasic? Nope. >> - For solid sprites, the mask can be omitted entirely > Your PNGCVT program can also make sprites with Bitmasks. > When I examined the sprite headers I found no difference between them. > For Bitmask or Solid mask, both mask pointers were zero. Are your sure? That would be a bug that hasn't been found for 8 years... plus I'm pretty sure that did work correctly once. >> - Sprites can be as huge as the screen (this change and the last one >>in effect makes sprites usable as a sort of QL graphics format. > When using this to display photographs, the size gain in using RLE is > often minimal. :( Right. In some cases RLE is even bigger, which is the reason my converter might not do RLE on some pictures even if you tell it to. I did briefly consider implementing PNG support, but that's a lot of code to do in assembler and it would probably be quite slow on native systems. >>The big advantage is that GD2 handles the colour mode conversions >>automatically) > Can I assume then that my mode 32 sprites will look alright on a mode 33 > system? Yes. >> - introduced "system sprites" (corresponding to the "system palette" >>users can exchange the sprites with their own and all compatible >>applications will use the new theme) > You provided some nice examples for this but how can I turn my own sprites > into "system sprites" from SBasic? SBasic? Probably not. But you can pretty much use my assembler source code unchanged (just exchange the _spr files and recompile). Of course, QMac is needed for this, though I guess it could be adapted to GWASS easily if it supports an equivalent to the INCBIN command. > So far I have not been able to get a QDOS machine working with WM2. > Even a simple boot with just the PE and Qpac2 will, after a few clicks > makes a mess of the button contents, not clean up a closed Files window > and eventually freeze the system. :'( JS ROM is needed at least. Works fine for me under QemuLator and Minerva, though background I/O seems to be partially broken. Cheers, Marcel ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Window Manager 2
Bob, never tried it on the real black box, but I'm successfully running ptr_gen 2.0.1 against wman 2.05 in uqlx and Minerva. The trick is - don't use the newest ptr_gen, 2.02 and 2.03 proved largely too un-stable to me (at least on that platform) to be really usable. Cheers, Tobias -Original-Nachricht- Subject: Re: [Ql-Users] Window Manager 2 Date: Thu, 03 Mar 2011 11:53:13 +0100 From: "Bob Spelten" To: ql-us...@q-v-d.com Op Thu, 03 Mar 2011 00:17:46 +0100 schreef Marcel Kilgus : Marcel, > ... > GD2: > - Introduced the extended colour modes > - Can use high colour sprites > - Can use alpha blending for the sprites > - As sprite data can become huge, I added simple RLE compression > This probably means that somewhere in RAM an unpacked version is held and copied to the screen. Is there any way to peek the location of this from SBasic? > - For solid sprites, the mask can be omitted entirely > Your PNGCVT program can also make sprites with Bitmasks. When I examined the sprite headers I found no difference between them. For Bitmask or Solid mask, both mask pointers were zero. The only difference I found were extra bytes for this Bitmask, a Word for every line it seems. What's the reason for this Bitmask and how does GD2 keep them apart? > - Sprites can be as huge as the screen (this change and the last one >in effect makes sprites usable as a sort of QL graphics format. When using this to display photographs, the size gain in using RLE is often minimal. :( >The big advantage is that GD2 handles the colour mode conversions >automatically) > Can I assume then that my mode 32 sprites will look alright on a mode 33 system? > - introduced TRUE background I/O > - can use a sprite as the input cursor > - introduced "system sprites" (corresponding to the "system palette" >users can exchange the sprites with their own and all compatible >applications will use the new theme) > You provided some nice examples for this but how can I turn my own sprites into "system sprites" from SBasic? > As for PE for QDOS: > - has all WMAN2 features except high colour support > > As for the rest of the stuff listed under GD2 I'm not exactly sure. > Usually I tried to improve PTR_GEN enough so that apps developed for > SMSQ/E can still work under QDOS (i.e. when you use system sprites, it > will still work under QDOS). Under Minerva even the background I/O > support should work. > So far I have not been able to get a QDOS machine working with WM2. Even a simple boot with just the PE and Qpac2 will, after a few clicks makes a mess of the button contents, not clean up a closed Files window and eventually freeze the system. :'( Has anyone been successful at this? Bob -- The BSJR QL software site at: http://members.chello.nl/b.spelten/ql/ ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] Window Manager 2
Op Thu, 03 Mar 2011 00:17:46 +0100 schreef Marcel Kilgus : Marcel, ... GD2: - Introduced the extended colour modes - Can use high colour sprites - Can use alpha blending for the sprites - As sprite data can become huge, I added simple RLE compression This probably means that somewhere in RAM an unpacked version is held and copied to the screen. Is there any way to peek the location of this from SBasic? - For solid sprites, the mask can be omitted entirely Your PNGCVT program can also make sprites with Bitmasks. When I examined the sprite headers I found no difference between them. For Bitmask or Solid mask, both mask pointers were zero. The only difference I found were extra bytes for this Bitmask, a Word for every line it seems. What's the reason for this Bitmask and how does GD2 keep them apart? - Sprites can be as huge as the screen (this change and the last one in effect makes sprites usable as a sort of QL graphics format. When using this to display photographs, the size gain in using RLE is often minimal. :( The big advantage is that GD2 handles the colour mode conversions automatically) Can I assume then that my mode 32 sprites will look alright on a mode 33 system? - introduced TRUE background I/O - can use a sprite as the input cursor - introduced "system sprites" (corresponding to the "system palette" users can exchange the sprites with their own and all compatible applications will use the new theme) You provided some nice examples for this but how can I turn my own sprites into "system sprites" from SBasic? As for PE for QDOS: - has all WMAN2 features except high colour support As for the rest of the stuff listed under GD2 I'm not exactly sure. Usually I tried to improve PTR_GEN enough so that apps developed for SMSQ/E can still work under QDOS (i.e. when you use system sprites, it will still work under QDOS). Under Minerva even the background I/O support should work. So far I have not been able to get a QDOS machine working with WM2. Even a simple boot with just the PE and Qpac2 will, after a few clicks makes a mess of the button contents, not clean up a closed Files window and eventually freeze the system. :'( Has anyone been successful at this? Bob -- The BSJR QL software site at: http://members.chello.nl/b.spelten/ql/ ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [Ql-Users] The First Survey - Results! & the future
The most important thing to remeber is that the survey only shows the views of the people on the list. The real question we have to tackle is how do we attract new members to the community? Or put it differently what is the advantage of QDOS or SMSQE over all the other operating systems out there? It is essential to think like Window users, what is annoying them and what our system does better to answer that question. Also we have got to factor in the easier it is for them to learn what to do the more likely they are to join the QL community. So what is better? > >> The main survey page is here: >> >> http://www.nonstickglue.com/QL_Hardware_Library/Survey.html > > Nicely laid out, Dave. > > Some comments, for discussion, based on just a quick look through the > results earlier this morning: > > Question 1: Only 3% with a 128K or 640K QL. Seems to fly in the face > of Geoff's survey for Quanta a few years ago when a surprising number > of members were using a basic QL. But, add in the first 4 results > (above QXL) and it suddenly becomes 26% of people using a QL with any > type of expansion up to Super Gold Card. I did rather expect that the > QL emulators section would be the single largest category, even if 45% > (commercial) plus 5% (free) seemed larger than I expected. And 9% > using Q40/Q60 as a main QL system surprised me, I'd expected about > half that. > > Question 12: glad I'm doing something right! > > Question 13: 95% able to program in SuperBASIC. Rather surprises me, > but assuming replies came mostly from list-members, I've always > thought that most people on this list might consider themselves more > experienced than, say, a lot of Quanta members or QL Today readers? > Does that sound elitist? Wasn't meant to. > > Question 14: 56% able to program in Assembly Language - Norman > Dunbar's QL Today articles have obviously worked well here! > > Question 16: given that the survey was mainly publicised through > ql-users list, I'm surprised only a third of people said they > subscribed to it??? > The low percentage of people subscribing to Quanta and QL Today > probably speaks for itself (although later answers substantially > increase these figures), but could be partially due to people who are > not as active on the QL scene as they used to be, but remain in > contact with the QL scene via this list, which is probably why this > particular survey gives Quanta and QL Today a poor result. I suspect > we've seen plenty of comments on this list including someting like "I > no longer subscribe to Quanta/QL Today, but...". The question is, do > people remain on this list just to keep in touch without the cost of > subscribing to anything (no real reason to subscribe if they are not > regularly using a QL), or is there something that both organisations > could do to entice these back? Comments from people who are on this > list and not subscribing to either organisation welcome. > > Question 17: 15% members of Quanta in Q.16, 29% here. Is the doubling > a statistical blip caused by a fairly small number of responses, was > one of the questions worded so as not to extract the same reply or > what? > ID 4347254: The response about the overseas delivery, "...belief that > sending the newsletter to foreign countries should come AFTER all the > domestic members received their and thus show an inability to factor > in 10+ extra days of transit -- THAT is symptomatic of how they view > the World and/or the membership ... i.e., it's a local club that they > allow others to contribute to" > I'm not quite sure what to make of this - I presume that John Gilpin > has been sending ALL issues out at the same time (not checked with > him), and if so, is the suggestion that Quanta should hold posting UK > mags back for 10 days? I've been a member of Quanta since 1984, my > postal copy regularly seems to arrive one or two days after other UK > members get theirs, even though it's the same British postal system > (probably just the usual "West of Chester" syndrome). > > Question 18: As with the Quanta figures, this shows 50% more QL Today > subscribers than the original Question 16?!?! > > Question 20: 71% sharing files via email - to be expected in this day > and age, figure may be a little higher here as this is a survey where > all users by definition use email to know about this survey, but the > 21% still using floppies surprises me. > > Question 21: 78% using their QL for programming and personal use. In > line with my expectations. > > Question 22: I'm surprised the response wasn't even higher in citing > internet access as "critical". Of course, QPC2, QemuLator and uQLx > have the base ability here, but we only have Jonathan Hudson's > programs as applications. Dave - get working on those apps you > mentioned - they'll do well! > > Question 24: 46% using a Windows system, no surprises there. The > figure for OSX is a little higher than I'd expected, but it looks like > Daniele correctly predicted the need f
