Amiga Collections: MegaDisc/MegaDisc 06 (1988)(MegaDisc Digital Publishing)(AU)[m][WB].zip/MegaDisc 06 (1988)(MegaDisc Digital Publishing)(AU)[m][WB].adf/ARTICLES/Hints&Tips

Text File | 1988-03-28 | 22KB | 448 lines

                             HINTS AND TIPS

         ** If you've got any of your own hints and tips of any kind, send
            them in! Like Gary O'Connor did (see below, thanks Gary). There
            must be all sorts of hints hanging around out there - your
            incentive is the 5 free pd disks & free MD apart from the warm
            glow you'll get from sharing what you know with others.


    PRINTERS AND PRINTER DRIVERS

    Printers and their drivers are currently a thorny problem on the Amiga.
    Quite a lot of people have rung me to find a printer driver for their
    particular printer, and only occasionally can I help them, especially
    when it comes to 24-pin dot matrix printers. However, a few glimmers of
    optimism are possible:
                           * version 1.3 of the operating system software
    will deal with the printer problem much better than 1.2, in terms of
    speed and colour and number of printers addressed (check the article
    "1.3Software").
                           * anyone with a 24pin dot matrix should read Jim
    Bolf's review of the NEC CP6 in the REVIEWS drawer, where he discusses
    the problems he's had and overcome, and where he gives some good advice
    on what is worth getting - he sent me some graphics printed on his NEC,
    and they're the best I've seen, except perhaps for the Xerox Inkjet
    4020, which incidentally uses the Diablo-150 driver. Jim actually got
    the PRTDRVGEN printer driver generator to work, so he might give us a
    few hints in the next issue.
                           * SHAKESPEARE, the newest Desktop Publishing
    program, has been released with some early release versions of the new
    printer drivers to come out with the 1.3 software. Amongst them are
    drivers for : Qume_LetterPro_20; Calcomp_Colormaster and version 2;
    Diablo_Advantage_D25; EpsonQ; Xerox_4020 (see reference above);
    HP_PaintJet.

                           * A plea, then - send in any information you
    have gained about your printer, printer drivers, using the settings in
    Preferences to print out, etc. Send on disk and we'll send you back
    whatever 2 PD disks you mention. It would be nice to collect all the
    current drivers together so they could be sent out to users in
    distress! We've already got quite a collection, but send them in.

    HARD DISK DRIVER FOR THE A2000

    A new one is circulating - some people have had read errors on their
    hard disk when in overscan mode, and a new driver is available to
    overcome the problem. Check your dealer or Commodore.

    PREFERENCES PROBLEM

    Preferences has a bit of a bug when it comes
    to changing settings, such as selecting a new printer driver. If you
    make a change to Preferences, and then click on SAVE, the changes will
    be saved to disk, but not currently active, which may explain why
    you've had problems from time to time. What you have to do, having
    saved your changes, is to open Preferences again and click on either
    LAST SAVED  or USE and the saved Preferences settings are loaded into
    memory. (Likewise, incidentally when you're using a hard disk, you
    should copy the devs:system-configuration file to your boot-up disk for
    your saved preferences to be operative from your hard disk).

    BOOT-UP SIGNALS AND COLOURS (courtesy AA&J magazine)
    About the colours when you do a cold boot -
    Dark grey means the microprocessor is running fine;
    Light grey that the ROMs passed a checksum test;
    White, that RAM is tested, not found wanting, and the system starts up
    All the above is what should normally happen.
    If a glitch occurs, you'll probably see -
    red for a ROM error;
    green for an error in chip RAM (NB:if the SCA virus is in memory and
     you hold down the left mouse button while rebooting, you'll see
     green);
    blue for an error in the custom chips;
    yellow for an error before the error-trapping routines (which land you
     with a Guru) are operating.
    The keyboard also has a self-test routine, and if it fails, the CAPS
    LOCK light blinks: one blink   - a check of keyboard ROM failed
                       two blinks  - keyboard ram is not good
                       three blinks- the keyboard's internal timer isn't
                                     scanning the keyboard properly
                       four blinks - short circuit in the keyboard.
    So, you can check these things and tell the serviceman if you ever have
    to use him. And if a line of apostrophes forms at boot, your keyboard
    connections are awry.
    Incidentally, odd things have been happening to people's Amigas, screen
    going blank, machine going back to Kicksart prompt (A1000 problem
    usually indicating that the PAL chips - Programmable Logic Array chips
    - are being overloaded, and are of the inferior type), and other cute
    problems. its worth using the two Virus checker/eliminator utilities
    on this disk to check ALL your bootable disks, because odd problems
    may well be due to an unwelcome inhabitant in your memory.

    2000 BUGABOO
    It's common for the A2000 to chew up the first character that you type
    after you boot - so hit the key again and continue. (Other bugs and
    oddities solicited, so please send them in so we can explain them to
    others.)


    KICKSTART PATCHES
    Andrew Draper sent in a disk with lots of good information about
    patching Kickstart, useful of course only to A1000 users. Read his
    letter in MD6Letters in FEEDBACK.

    A Hardware company sent an offer of a KickStart modification which
    would * autoconfigure my 2Meg board and still be switchable * stop my
    drives clicking * speed up the disk drives * give virus protection.
    Sounded good to me, so I ordered it, and used the required program to
    modify my Kickstart disk - however, a "virgin" kickstart is required
    for the program to work. I eventually found one (it seems most
    kickstarts are deflowered), did the modification, booted up with my
    normal Hard Disk Workboot disk, and...got a Read/Write error on the
    hard disk. Had to use Diskdoctor, restore from backups which were a
    week old thus losing recently stored data. I thought the reason
    was the fact that I'd turned off the computer without turning off the
    hard disk just before booting with the new Kickstart, so tried it again
    after I'd restored the disk. And it happened again in just the same
    way. The morals of this story - make very frequent backups of your hard
    disk; and software should be tested with all possible system
    configurations before being released. A phone call to the company
    elicited an eventual response, but its not yet solved.

    YOU LIVE AND LEARN PART II
    About trashing hard disks - as mentioned above, make regular backups -
    everyone knows this very well, they just don't do it till it's too
    late, because it's a pain. No longer. EAST COAST SOFTWARE have released
    QUARTERBACK, for backing up and restoring hard disks and it's easy to
    use with a real Amiga interface and logical operation. You can include
    and exclude files according to wildcards, directories and so on, and
    you can do incremental backups, ie, backup just those files that have
    changed since the last backup. It took me about 20 minutes to back up
    my hard disk containing abut 17 megabytes. Anyone interested in a copy
    can obtain them for $89.95 from their official distributor, P.
    Chatfield - contact him on [phone], after hours.


    DISK DRIVE CLEANER DISKS
    To get the most out of these (available at Electronics shops), cover
    the hole on the diskcleaner and then do a DISKCOPY to it. This will
    clean the drive fully. Normal use of the diskcleaner doesn't allow much
    cleaning time. Cleaning the drives will reduce the incidence of
    read/write errors and related problems.
    Generally speaking about maintaining your machine - Tandy sells a
    number of good electronics-cleaning products, including their "Zero
    Residue Cleaner" which you spray on (oh god! the ozone layer!) and
    which will clean and immediately evaporate. Anything.
    A final word - don't spill beer on your keyboard...yes, I did, and now
    my B key really is a b... key. It doubbles (sic) up or doesn't even
    appear, and I've tried everything. Sobbb. So if you see a couple of
    double Bs in this issue, you'll know why.

    BACKDOORS TO GAMES
    Programmers often leave themselves a "back door" entry to their
    programs which allows them to play at length without getting blasted
    too easily. Such a one exists for Barbarian, and is the programmer's
    birthday - so if you want to find it you'll have to hack into the
    program to find it.


    DIRECTORY UTILITIES
    There's a deep and wide tradition of "directory utilities" for the
    Amiga, very useful programs of small size which allow access to many,
    if not all, of the features of both the Workbench and the CLI, with the
    use of the rolling rodent. The tradition continues with recent
    offerings on the public domain, some of them very innovative in their
    approach to improving use of the computer. A selection:
        BROWSER - Found on Club Amiga BBS, this opens a window with all the
                  devices (drives, ram disks, etc) listed. Any of these can
                  be double-clicked to list its contents, and so on through
                  sub-directories. In the Workbench way, you can "drag"
                  names of files as if they were icons and other similar
                  techniques. You can perform most CLI operations with the
                  the mouse, and add any number of programs/utilities to
                  a list in the Tools menu. Very useful.
    MENU-RUNNER - On Amigan #15 (just arrived from "Amigan Apprentice"
                  mag), this clever utility sets up a menu with a selection
                  of about 40 configurable programs (up to you), as well as
                  an output window for those programs that need to output
                  information to the screen (such as list, free, etc). Once
                  again use Workbench techniques to access the power of the
                  CLI.
    UTILI-MASTER- A little more conventional, this one is however also
                  configurable, and uses the usual window/button interface
                  as do. Very fast and very stable.
          JOBS2 - Again, you can configure this one to call those programs
                  you want, and the docs make a much better job of
                  explaining how to use the thing. Anyone who used the
                  original Jobs will want to have a look at this one.
                  Stop Press! Just got JOBS 4 from a bbs, and it goes even
                  further than the previous ones! Well, it is an update,
                  but it is serious stuff, and easy to use, and probably
                  the most configurable, and therefore powerful, of all
                  these devices. In fact you can configure 291 of your own
                  utilities to run from this one!
                  Ask for it on an upcoming DIRUTILS theme disk.
         DUIII+ - Successor to DUIII on MD2, this is also partially
                  configurable (popping up new buttons for the programs you
                  set up) and remains one of the neatest, and the most
                  portable (since it contains all it needs within it,
                  unlike many others), allowing a great power and breadth
                  of functions.
    By the time you read this, I will have made up a "Theme disk" with all
    the utilities mentioned above, so you can make up your own mind about
    which one to use. Any suggestions about other possible Theme Disks are
    welcome, too, and even more welcome are submissions of interesting
    theme disks (of PD stuff only) - anyone want to make up one for Music?
    For particular programming languages?

    TRANSFORMER HINT
    It seems that using Transformer 1.2 with DOS 3.2 doesn't allow you to
    use df0: as the bootup drive with 720K format, since df0: is always
    considered to be a 360K drive. So use the utility provided to boot up
    with df1:

    A2000 A AND B
    'Tis preferable to have an A2000B rather than A, since the B not only
    has a better design, but has the right Zorro bus for future boards.
    Check out which you have by seeing if you've got 3 RCA connectors on
    the back of the machine - if so, you've got a B.


     **** The following hints and tips were sent in by GARY O'CONNOR, who
    is doing excellent things in programming - also on Gary's disk were a
    number of original programs which make up a kind of programming
    Tutorial disk: if you want it, send in to us. He's also working on
    other disks, which may become available soon.
    Many thanks Gary for your thoughtful and interesting contributions.

        ICONSAVE.

        Recently the `AMIGA' Press has been swamped by Amigans who, having
discovered IconEd and IconMerge, now find that the nasty SystemIcon will
replace your wonderful creation whenever you alter the subject programme and
then `save' it.

        There have been a number of remedies put forward, some of them
really ellaborate. One, (March/April '87 Amiga World), requires that
you keep two copies of every programme on your disc or that you make a
special `Icon Lbrary'.

        The solution is simple. Return to the `Workbench' after
ammending your programme and click on the Icon in question, (it will
probably still be clicked on), then you just `Snapshot' it.

        The action of `Snapshot'ting the Icon has the opposite effect of
`Save'ing the programme and the `System Icon' is overwritten. Your restyled
Icon is, once more, safe.

        Whatever you do, make sure that you don't use `CTRL' A/A when you
have finished adjusting your programme or all your artistic and creative
work on your special Icon will be down the drain.


        RAM DISC...2nd DRIVE?????
        (Have a look at VDK_RAMDISK in the PROGRAMS drawer for using a
        RECOVERABLE ram disk rather than just the normal one.)

        How do you feel, if you only have one Drive, when you have to copy a
programme to another disc?

        The prospect of six or seven disc swaps is fairly daunting and time
consuming.

        Sys 1.2 and it's RAM disc ICON have come to our rescue.

        Enter the CLI and type this line.....

> ED s/RamTRASH

        This will put you into the ED utility and will create a file in the
`s' directory called RamTRASH. Type these lines on the ED screen.....

MAKEDIR ram:Trashcan
COPY Trashcan to ram:Trashcan QUIET
COPY Trashcan.info to ram: QUIET
ENDCLI

        Type `ESC'x and hit `RETURN'. You now have a command file, in the
`s' directory, that will create a RAM: disc with a Trashcan, and will return
you to the Workbench.

        Once you are returned to the CLI type

>  ED s/ENDRamTRASH

        Once in the ED utility type....

DELETE ram:Trashcan
DELETE ram:Trashcan.info
DELETE ram:.info
ENDCLI

        Type `ESC'x and hit `RETURN'. You now have a command file, in the
`s' directory, that will remove the Trashcan from the RAM: disc, once you
have finished with it, and return you to the workbench.

        When you are back in the CLI type.....

>  EXECUTE RamTRASH

        On the Workbench you will now see the RAM: icon. If you click it on
you will find the Trashcan in the window. Although you will have to resize
the window to actually `see' it.

        Now, to copy any programmes from one disc to another, simply click
on its icon and `drag' it into the RAM: window. It will be copied into RAM.

        Insert the disc that you are copying to and open its window. Drag
the icon from the RAM: window into the window on the `copy to' disc and in
one swap you have completed the copy and in record time.

        Now drag the icon in the RAM: window and put it in the RAM:Trashcan
and, using the WorkBench Menu, EMPTY the TRASH. It takes about a second to
clear the programme from the RAM disc and frees up your memory. You need to
do this each time otherwise you WILL run out of memory. In any case, it only
takes a second or two.

        It doesn't matter which disc you are copying from or to, you will
never get a `requester' to replace the original Workbench disc, so you can
copy programmes from any disc to any disc to your hearts content and always
with just one swap.

        Anytime you want to copy programmes, all you have to do is, enter
the CLI and type....

> EXECUTE RamTRASH

        Once you have finished copying your programmes, re-enter the CLI and
type....

> EXECUTE ENDRamTRASH

        The Trashcan has now been removed from your RAM: disc, and you are a
lot less frustrated. You could probably even have yourself on and say, `Who
needs another Disc Drive anyway?'



                        EscTicon
    [ED. NOTE: Ticon was the text display utility used on early Megadiscs,
    and so if you have them you'll find this tip useful.
I suppose that we all, at times, accidentally come across a shortcut or
an alternative way of doing something.

Ticon is an excellent programme but it has one frustrating function. If
you are reading a lengthy document and, well before it ends, you wish to
quit then you type `CTRL' C and hit `RETURN'. The screen scrolls an inch
or so and says `Type `CTRL' C to quit'. ARRGH! I've just done that.

        The way around it is simply to type `CTRL' D then hit `RETURN' and
WALLAH!! you're back at the Workbench.


        MOUSEFIX

        I was experiencing some problems when using the MOUSE function in
my programmes.

        Having a MOUSE was new to me, so I read the Basic Manual and I would
enter the commands just as I found them.

        On page 8-86 of the Manual there is a sample programme that uses the
MOUSE(0) function in a loop, much the same as you might use an INKEY
function, to wait for a MOUSE click. It reads

CheckMouse:
IF MOUSE(0)=0 THEN CheckMouse

        I decided to use this function to halt execution of a programme to,
as I said, wait for a Mouse click.

        The programme, of course, just sailed on through and crashed
somewhere the other side of town. I was furious. Here was this `all singing'
`all dancing',`nothing in it's league' computer not obeying it's own
language. I had typed it in right but it wouldn't stop. The Manual must be
wrong.

        Then I read the Manual again. This time carefully because I was
going to sue someone, so I had to have my facts right.

        Oh Oh RED FACES!!!

        Page 8-84 says that MOUSE(0)=0 if `The left MOUSE button is not
currently down, and IT HAS NOT GONE DOWN SINCE the last MOUSE(0) call.'.

        So the loop mentioned above was obviously being used as a trap, in
case the programme strayed into the `CheckMouse:' routine prior to a Mouse
click, or as a loop to wait for a Mouse click. If the latter were true, and
the Mouse was being used in the programme, there must have been a call to
MOUSE(0) somewhere else, otherwise it wouldn't work.

        Solution.

        Prior to my little routine I typed this line, so that I could see
exactly what the value of MOUSE(0) was at each pass

dummy=MOUSE(0):PRINT dummy

        The very first time I ran through the programme it printed 0. Up
till then I hadn't made any calls to MOUSE(0) and hadn't used the MOUSE.
Every time after that it would print `1',`2' or `3'. You see, I was using
the MOUSE to test for Locations, calling on MOUSE(1) and MOUSE(2) but not
MOUSE(0). Therefore MOUSE(0) was never equal to 0 so the programme crashed.

        But the most interesting thing about this exercise in curiosity, was
that, since I had added this line, the thing was now working. Even though it
was messing up my graphics with ones, twos and threes.

        What was happening was that, when the computer actioned the
`dummy=MOUSE(0)' statement, I was actually making a call to MOUSE(0) and, as
I hadn't clicked the left MOUSE button between that action and my little
routine, MOUSE(0) was indeed equal to ZERO and so it would wait for me to
click the button before proceeding.

        So, if you use this function to wait for MOUSE clicks, it pays to
insert `dummy=MOUSE(0)' just before your, `IF MOUSE(0)=0 GOTO' routine, and
it will always work. Never insert it, (i.e. `dummy=MOUSE(0)'), in your
`CheckMouse' routine as it will cancel any possible readings of MOUSE(0) in
that routine.

        The other interesting thing is that you can use the value of `dummy'
, if you think about it, for some tricky functions.

        In my programme THOUGHT-POWER, I use the value of `dummy' to test
for `First time through.' You see it was asthetically pleasing to me to
cause the programme to, on the first run, draw the colour bars after the
start square had been clicked. This meant that, unless there was someway to
establish `First time through', it would have to redraw them on every
pass. To add to this problem, the programme passes through a `CLEAR'
statement on each run, so using a variable was excluded.

        In the programme there is no MOUSE clicking required prior to the
`dummy=MOUSE(0)' line therefore MOUSE(0), on the `First time through' is
always equal to zero. However after that the mouse is in continuous use so,
as there are no other calls to MOUSE(0), it is never again equal to zero.

        I added the line `IF dummy>0 THEN replay', just after the routine to
wait for a mouse click, which caused the programme to `jump' the section
that drew the colour bars on every pass except the first.

        I'm sure that, with a little thought, I will come up with a lot more
uses for this function.