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.IF DSK1.C3
^^^^^^^^^TEXTWARE, SOFTWARE, and
ELSEWHERE
Goings-on in the TI Community
^^^^^^^^^^by Jack Sughrue
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^TRANSLATIONS
All our text sources are drying
up. Boohoo! No more options. And I
do like typing in programs. What's
to become of me. Alas!
Or so the scenario is supposed to
go for we poor orphaned types.
But No More Options? Never!
We 99ers are too ingenious for such
talk. OPTIONS is the name of our
game. IGENUITY and PERSEVERANCE are
our methods.
This is an article about work
ethic and possibilites and noble
stuff like that.
First, the reason.
There are still zillions of books
out there with programs in them.
Lots of programs you and I do not
have and may find useful or fun.
These programs just don't happen to
be LISTed in TI BASIC. That's all.
Second, the effort.
We'll have to learn how to
translate from other BASICs to our
own. Some labor and time are
required.
Third, the how.
Okay, we're willing, but how do
we go about this?
To start with, there are some
readily-available books around which
can give you the resources.
THE BEST OF 99er (1981-3,
Emerald Valley Publishing Co.,
Eugene, OR; $19.95) gives a couple
tutorials on converting from Apple
and TRS-80 to TI.
BASIC PROGRAMMING FOR KIDS
(by Roz Ault, 1983, Houghton Mifflin
Co., Boston, MA; $7.95) is just as
handy for adults wanting to learn to
make translations from and to TI,
Apple, Atari, Commodore, Radio Shack,
and Timex/Sinclair. This is probably
the best starter of all the
resources.
THE BASIC BOOK: a
cross-referenced guide to the BASIC
language (by Harry Helms,
McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1221 Avenue of
the Americas, New York, NY, 10020;
$6.95) cross-references TI, Apple,
Atari, Commodore, IBMl, Radio Shack.
It explains in details and clear
charts what functions each computer
has and how to access them and
convert them. This would be a good
follow-up to the book above and kept
handy as a guide while doing the
actual conversion/typing of the
"foreign" programs.
BASIC FUN: Computer Games,
Puzzles, and Problems Children Can
Write (by Susan Drake Lipscomb and
Margaret Ann Zuanich, Avon Camelot
Books, 959 8th Avenue, New York, NY,
10019; $2.25) is really the first
level of conversions. If you're
really wary of the attempt, this is
the easiest and least expensive. My
fifth-graders had no problem with
this book, and the programs are cute
(sometimes cutesy).
Four books: COMPUTER CRAZINESS,
MONSTERS, OLYMPICS, SPACE ADVENTURES
(by Stephen Manes and Paul Somerson,
Hard/Soft Inc., P.O. Box 1277,
Riverdale, NY, 10471; $4.95 each)
offer conversions for TI, Commodore,
Vic, Apple, IBM, Atari, TRS-80
computers in simple, staightforward
ways. Programs are fun for young
kids (7-11) and are easy to type in
and translate with LOTS of help and
MANY specifics. No guess work here.
A perfect starter series (and
reasonably cheap for the large
172-page, 9x12, easy-to-read format.
Don't expect great programs, but they
serve their pupose, which is fun. l
BASIC PROGRAM FOR SMALL
COMPUTERS (by C. Regena, COMPUTE!
Books, P.O.Box 5406, Greensboro, NC,
27403; $12.95) is the one I
personally found the most helpful.
Probably because I involved myself
more in this one than in the others.
She is very clear and concise and
gives precise changes. Later in the
book she lists specific programs for
TI, TRS-80, MC-10, VIC-20 (with
earlier suggestions for Timex and
Apple). By the time I had reached
these later chapters, I found it was
more fun to try and type in the
"foreign" programs while converting
than it was to type in the TI
LISTings. When these translations
worked, I knew I was on my way to
bigger and better things.
But some words of warning. Do
not try to convert programs which are
primarily graphic. You're better off
doing the non-graphic programs and
adding your own graphics later than
to attempt translating. This is
advice I got from far wiser heads
than my own. And I pass it on to
you.
Then (you may ask) What's out
there?
Lots.
But I'll just give you examples
from two authors, David H. Ahl and
Tim Hartnell, both long-time writers,
editors, programmers.
Ahl: BASIC COMPUTER GAMES, MORE
BASIC COMPUTER GAMES, BIG COMPUTER
GAMES [about 200 games and not-quite
games] (70s and 80s, Creative
Computing, P.O.Box 789-M, Morristown,
NJ, 07960; $7.95-$9.95) are all
non-graphic (or
non-redifined-graphic) programs just
waiting for conversion into your
personal BASIC (easier, still, into
TI Extended BASIC) language. These
books are made for adaptation and,
particularly in BIG COMPUTER GAMES
are really interesting. This last
book contains only 12 programs, but
they are blockbusters, including
ELIZA. You'd probably be better off
to start with his other two books.
Some are a little difficult to debug.
First, try to follow the logic of the
things to see if you want to attempt
the typing. Then do the typing with
your conversion information in front
of you. Very rewarding when you
finally get these programs up and
working.
Hartnell: GIANT BOOK OF COMPUTER
GAMES, SECOND GIANT BOOK OF COMPUTER
GAMES, CREATING ADVENTURE GAMES ON
YOUR COMPUTER [about 100 programs,
most larger than the Ahl programs]
(1983-5, Ballantine Books, New York,
NY; $7.95-$12.95) gives you, on the
whole, better programs then the first
two Ahl books. Hartnell also gives
more conversion help and more
resources to go to for other things.
The Hartnell programs are much
easier to read, have better
references within the tutorial
sections, have more satisfying
results. But both authors do a fine
job with these works.
Both authors in their last of
their three books spend lots of time
and space on adventure programming.
(Hartnell actually devotes his entire
book to the subject.) If you are
really interested in learning how
adventure programming works and how
you can actually write your own, I
would highly recommend Hartnell's
Creating Adventure Games... It is
an unusually well done book; a highly
readable one even if you decide not
to do the programs within.
Everything about understanding the
workings of adventure programs is
explained in short, lucid concept
chapters: mapping the environment,
building a travel table, moving
about, consistency and reality,
modular construction, and so on.
Because each concept is presented in
such a concise, direct way, there is
no feeling of being overwhelmed. And
because each step adds a little bit
to an actual program, a pleasant
surprise results when you suddenly
discover you've written a complete
adventure.
After that, the world's your
oyster (providing you can discover
the magic amulet that changes it to
an oyster while preventing the Balrog
from eating your monk's pet black
widow talisman). But your oyster,
eventually.
This is a start. At the end you
may be 300 programs richer and very
much wiser in the ways of computering
and how our 99 is still a long way
from death (or even illness).
***********
As an afterword: I have a TRS-80
Model I; two Timex/Sinclair 1500s; an
Apple II-Plus; and two TI-99/4As in
my classroom. Over all the years I
had this stuff it never occurred to
me to do conversions.
Last year one of my fifth-grade
students took one of my TI books home
to convert a few programs to her
Apple. Then she came in and
converted a few TRS-80 programs to
the Timex and TI computers. She
helped me a lot.
Then I bought the Regena book and
the BASIC Book and they helped me
more.
Then I bought the others
mentioned in this article and am
still in the learning stage (the
exciting stage) of this
language-translation business. Such
fun! And hard work.
I also have a PD conversion chart
I got from my user group in Worcester
(M.U.N.C.H.). Some time soon I will
update it and write an article about
specific conversions which will
include the updated chart.
************
NO-NO of the Day! This outing
brings us three NO-NOs: 222 BASIC
Computer Programs for Home, School,
and Office and MICRO ADVENTURE:
Space Attack and, finally, THE BYTE
BROTHERS: Input an Investigation.
The first, put out by ARCsoft
Publishers of Woodsboro, Maryland
(whose books should, in general, be
avoided), is a ripoff (a $9.95
ripoff). Supposedly "edited" by Don
Roberts, this book merely xeroxes
pages form all their old (very inane)
books for Atari, TI, Timex, IBM,
Apple, TRS-80, Vic-20, and lord knows
what else. There is no help on how
to convert. There isn't even a note
that these different programs (shoved
into this 288-page book willy-nilly)
even have to beconverted! There
isn't even a letter code to tell you
what computer the listing is for!
This is a useless book, absolutely of
no help to anyone trying to learn how
to convet (or even anyone trying to
locate the programs they can use on
their own computer), and is the
biggest waste of ten bucks I've ever
put down for textware.
The second book (by Eileen
BLuckholtz and Ruth Glick, Scholastic
Inc, NY, NY; $1.95) at least is
cheap. It's the first of a too-long
series of rather dull adventures.
You are supposed to type in eight
programs to help the novel's
adventurers along. The programs are
a strain and are pretty much
irrelevant. (The strain grows with
each book and could have been avoided
by getting creative people involved
in the project after the original
idea - which is good - was proposed.)
But at least there is a
conversion chart and some very
specific changes. There is also a
20-odd page reference manual at the
back which I DO feel is worth more
than the novel. If it were not for
the boring novel, this book would be
as much on my YES-YES list as the
Avon Camelot book above. A very weak
no-no.
I guess I feel similarly to the
BYTES BROTHERS series "written" by
Lois and Floyd McCoy and put out (for
$2.25) by Bantam Books of New York
for older kids (but DUMB older kids).
Purporting to be solve-it-yourself
computer mysteries, the books, if
possible, are even more boring than
the Micro Adventure books. The
programs are better, but the
reference section is pitiful. Not
much conversion help here.
[Jack Sughrue, Box 459,
E.Douglas, MA 01516]
************
If any newsletter editor prints
these articles, please put me on your
mailing list. Thanks - JS
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